Send Me

 A song we sing as kingdom people from time to time is titled, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” This song can remind us of Isaiah’s vision of the Lord, “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”  {Isaiah 6:3}

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.  And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” The last sentence should be a powerful motivator to spring us into action. When we accept Jesus, many of us realize the precious gift we have been given and recognize that there are others who also need this gift that brings them closer to God. At some point, we need to accept that we are the instruments used by the Holy Spirit’s to accomplish His plans. We need to make the statement, “Here I am! Send me.” Our activities may not look like those of others, but if we focus on guidance by the Holy Spirit, we will achieve the results He desires.

Guard

 There is a major aspect of our lives on which we chose to carry insurance. This generally indicates an object or part of our lives we greatly desire not to lose. Usually, the amount of insurance policy indicates the value we place on this thing.  "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." - 2 Tim. 1:13-14. Any insurance policies are never claimed, since damage or destruction does not occur. In most cases, the insurance company will not issue policies for those items that at high risk or if they do the premiums are quite expensive. They may not insure products that are at high risk for damage or destruction. Our Christian spiritual journey is at high risk since evil influences are continually attempting to distract us and draw us away from our protector, the Holy Spirit. Christians must continually guard against influences that want to pull us away from God. No external force can accomplish this, the person must individually decide to ignore the Holy Spirit’s help and move away from God.

Change

Jeremiah once spoke about a time in the future when the status quo would change. The practices adopted by the most dedicated servants of God would be upended. Personal actions, which were followed so closely for reward, would be replaced by a freely granted status. The actions of Jesus would lead to a firm covenant of acceptance and guidance. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” — Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NASB). Those of this new covenant be empowered and transformed by the Holy Spirit of the living God who will place His instructions on their hearts and make them a part of His covenant people. As important as the scriptures are, the Spirit who inspired them is also the One who is essential for us to understand and live the intent of them. The Holy Spirit will inform, transform, and conform God's people to be like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Anguish

 Jesus felt anguish! His caring acts for his disciples were carried out as he battled his own personal anguish. His teaching of truth and service was shared with the disciples who would cause a significant part of that anguish. Knowing what lay ahead, Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for the human race. It is amazing that the infinite God would expose Himself to the pain that could be inflicted on Him by finite and mortal people He has made. Not only this, but He lives within those cleansed individuals via the Holy Spirit. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit feel anguish at our betrayals and failures to be loyal to him. However, Jesus' sacrifice continues to cleanse us moment, by moment. "But if we [continually] walk in the light, as he is in the light, we [continually] have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, [continually] purifies us from all sin. 1 Jn. 1:7 (NIV).

Envy

"Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?" - James 4:5 (Berean Study Bible). Imagine the emotions of a young man who discovers someone else has captured the heart of the one he loves. That’s the same feeling James was describing when he wrote, “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.” Very succinctly, James states both that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and passionately yearns for us. This word “envy” comes from the Greek word phthonos, which was frequently used in literature from the New Testament period, thus enabling us to know precisely what it means. The word phthonos means jealousy — an emotion so strong that it tends toward taking vengeance upon someone. The young man, who lost the one he loved, feels jealous and has a deep desire for his former relationship to be restored. He also most likely bears some malice toward the romantic thief. He is envious of the relationship that has replaced the one he used to have with the one whom he loves, and desires to have again. This should make James 4:5 clear to us. The Holy Spirit loves us. He is preoccupied with us. He wants our total dedication. He passionately desires our affection to be set on Him. When we walk and talk like unbelievers and give our lives to natural pursuits, the Holy Spirit feels like a lover who has been robbed. He feels jealous for His relationship with us to be restored. He has divine malice for the worldliness that has usurped His role in our lives. And He is filled with a godly envy to see things put back the way they should be. When you put all three of these words expressing continual action together — dwells, lusts, and envy — this paints a vibrant picture. The Holy Spirit is not a passive partner. He aggressively and actively pursues us because He knows the choices are our own. When we give a piece of ourselves to something or someone else’s control, He wants to seize it and bring it back under His divine control. He even has godly malice toward our preoccupation with other things. As we live our lives in this world, we must work and function as human beings. Jesus didn’t pray that his disciples would be removed from the world, but that we would be kept from the world (John 17:15) {perhaps being consumed worldly desires}. There is nothing wrong with going to work, buying a house, purchasing a new car, or enjoying beautiful clothes and grooming. Those things are part of living an abundant life on this earth. They are not wrong unless they consume and preoccupy our thoughts, alllowing us to overlook the other humans we meet along the way. Many times, the first person to fade into the background is our partner, the indwelling Holy Spirit. The cares of this life sometimes pull us away from our indwelling companion. This hurts Him and causes godly envy. Let’s not forget that all kinds of things can preoccupy our thinking. If we’re called to the ministry, even our ministerial responsibilities can so occupy our thoughts that we seldom think of the Holy Spirit or focus on cultivating our relationship with Him. Yes, that seems like a contradiction. However, it’s very possible to be so involved in good works that we hardly ever slow down long enough to spend time with the Lord, read His Word, and listen to what His Spirit wants to say to our hearts. Sometimes it’s just the cares of this life that pull us away from the Holy Spirit. We can get so busy and so committed to doing so many things, even good things, that our continual busyness deteriorates our spiritual life. With all of this in mind, James 4:5 could be read this way: “The Spirit who has come to settle down, make His home, and permanently dwell in us is moved by an all-consuming, ever-growing, passionate desire to possess us — and He is envious and filled with malice toward anything or anyone who tries to take His place in our lives.”

We live in the world, work in the world, and function as human beings in the world. There is no way to get around that. Jesus didn’t pray that we would be removed from the world, but that we would be kept from the world (see John 17:15). There is nothing wrong with going to work, buying a house, purchasing a new car, or enjoying beautiful clothes. Those things are part of living an abundant life on this earth. They are not wrong unless they consume and preoccupy our thoughts. Let’s not forget that all kinds of things can preoccupy our thinking. If we’re called to the ministry, even our ministerial responsibilities can so occupy our thoughts that we seldom think of the Holy Spirit or focus on cultivating our relationship with Him. Yes, that seems like a contradiction. However, it’s very possible to be so involved in good works that we hardly ever slow down long enough to spend time with the Lord, read His Word, and listen to what His Spirit wants to say to our hearts. Sometimes it’s just the cares of this life that pull us away from the Holy Spirit. We can get so busy and so committed to doing so many things, even good things, that our continual busyness deteriorates our spiritual life. Amazing as it is, even good things, if taken to an extreme, become adulterous in the eyes of the Lord. Only He knows how to balance us, but we have to open our hearts and our spiritual ears to listen to His counsel. That’s why it’s so crucial to set aside time to spend with Him every day. So don’t tell yourself that you have too much to do to spend time with the Lord each day. When it comes right down to it, you basically do what you want to do. If having communion with the Holy Spirit is a priority, you’ll make time for Him. If it’s not a priority, you won’t make that time. It’s that simple. Perhaps you’re reading this today and thinking, I have so much to learn about the Holy Spirit. I didn’t know I was supposed to intentionally have communion with Him. I didn’t know I could depend on Him as my Comforter. I didn’t know I could grieve Him with my attitudes. I didn’t realize how important it is for me to develop a closer fellowship with the Holy Spirit! If that is you, you’re in a great position today — standing at the threshold of a whole new realm of God in your life! His Word promises that if you draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to you (see James 4:8). I can’t help but wonder how many Christians die and go to Heaven — and then find out how much they missed because they never experience a real partnership with the Holy Spirit. Don’t let that be your story!

It

We sometimes here the following scripture used as encouraging words about many things, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." — Matt. 7:7-8 (NIV) But what really is "it"? "it" is not a serious or trivial physical desire. "it" is a close relationship with Jesus and entry into God's kingdom. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask Him" — John 11:20-22 (Berean Study Bible) Did Martha really know the meaning of what she said? She probably didn't know the full meaning of what she said, but her absolute trust is undeniable. Martha should serve as a model for us to trust beyond our understanding. This kind of trust is fostered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, if we allow it.

Gifts

The people to whom Peter wrote had developed interpersonal judgement which flows from competition. This competition was mostly to please the Jewish priests who guided them. Life in Jesus, displays hospitality and encouragement; this flows from acceptance of the other person, as Jesus did. In their own view, they may not be what they want to be now or will become in the future, but they are likely not what others expect them to be. When believers accepted Jesus, they also received the indwelling Holy Spirit as a gift to guide them along their unique independent spiritual journey. This is a common connection all Christians share and should guide us to accept the other person wherever they are on their personal spiritual journey. "Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:9-11 (NASB).