Thirst

In our present culture, we usually understand the meaning of "thirst" as a desire for something. Perhaps the usual target is something to quench our thirst, but the desire can refer to other desires as well. Jesus hoped it indicated a desires for a closeness with God. "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." - Jn. 7:37-39 NASB

Enough

One person said, "The most helpful guide about living a victorious life is this: Holiness is not the pathway to Christ--Christ is the only way to holiness." Sometimes we want to assume the burden of "enough" activity, “If I could pray enough, live purely enough, study my Bible enough, or liver my life holy enough, I would become holy enough for Jesus to come near. That would indicate to Him that I want to be close to Him." This approach is completely reversed. By ourselves, we cannot do enough of anything to be close to Jesus. Jesus will carry the burden, if we let Him. He accepts the one who understands they cannot accomplish this objective themselves; they must only accept His sacrifice, and He will draw near. When accepted into the Kingdom, the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide a person along the individual spiritual pathway they so earnestly desire. Prayers will become more effective, guidance will be provided for living a pure life, and Bible study becomes clearer. The Holy Spirit helps sanctify us and makes us holy. Yet, we must allow Him to guide us as Paul did. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” - Gal. 2:20

Blessings

Many times some end their communication with "Blessings." This is generally a wish for the recipient to receive good things. What is the reason to wish other Christians have blessings? First, let's remember the Lord gave himself for us; what shall we give for him? All that we have is not our own but was provided to you by God. So far as we can, we should make the needs of others our own and help them, giving freely and cheerfully in order to accomplish the wished blessing. We should share what He has given us, and in the process, please and honor Him who has made us rich in heaven. Giving for God’s purposes are indeed sacrifices in some way, and this pleases Him. We cannot understand the extent of a blessing that we offer to another person, only the Holy Spirit can use what may seem trivial to us for a wonderful encouragement to another person. In the end, it is not important we recognize the effects of our gifts, but that the Holy Spirit used them to accomplish His goals. We should focus on this as we travel our unique individual spiritual journey. "Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God." - Heb. 13:16

Peersistence

There is a song in which part of the lyrics read "if you're going through hell, keep on going, you might get out before the devil knows you are there." When you are going through a dark time—a hard time—it’s easy to project that darkness into the future. The longer you struggle with adverse circumstances, the darker the way before you appears—and the harder it is to imagine yourself walking along bright paths again. A temptation is to give up and let misery overcome you. It is crucial at such times to remember that the Holy Spirit is the Christian's constant Companion and Adversary. Because the Holy Spirit is a part of the Sovereign God, He is able to turn your darkness into Light. When you feel on the verge of sinking in despair, turn to Him for help. Cling to His hand, and walk by faith through the darkness. Do not focus on the circumstances that are weighing you down. Instead, through eyes of faith, look ahead to brighter times, and praise God for them. While darkness is all around, the Holy Spirit can enable you to see the first gleam of dawn on the path before you. Continue walking worshipfully with God—a walk of faith. As you persevere along this path, the dim light will gradually shine brighter and brighter till the full light of day. ". . . the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned" Matt. 4:16 (NIV)

Believable

In my study of statistics, I discovered they are not a perfect science. Statistics are an exercise of determining if a fact is, or is not, believable. The actual truth must be proven by other methods. The Pharisees struggled with whether or not to believe the things Jesus said. "You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid." Jesus replied, "These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me. You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me." - Jn. 8:13-16. Jesus proved His statements were true because of His resurrection. Because of Jesus resurrection, Christians can be led along our unique individual spiritual journey by  God Himself, the Holy Spirit - all we must do is ask.

Focus

A.W. Tozer said, "We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen. For the great unseen Reality is God." When we sit, stand, or walk, our balance is controlled by multiple avenues of input. Our inner ear provides one form of input to keep us steady. Muscle memory is also an input, but we rely a great deal on being able to gather input from our eyes. An ear infection or closing our eyes can make it difficult to be mobile. beyond balance, there are the actions in which we choose to be involved. Moving our limbs can be extremely complicated or difficult. Further, our life pathways can become quite complicated. We spend so much time trying to guide or steps by what our eyes see. Several scriptures note that in order to guide our steps appropriately, we need light, spiritual light. We do not see Him directly, but as we walk our unique individual spiritual journey, the indwelling Holy Spirit will provide this light - if we will ask Him. "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path." Psa. 119:105.

Do not be afraid

When Angels displayed themselves their first words were usually, "Do not be afraid. The world of Jesus’ day was filled with fear. The Romans feared rebellion, and their subjects feared Rome’s power. The Sadducees feared the Pharisees, and both were suspicious of the publicans. The hearts of people everywhere were filled with fear and distrust. Life was precarious, and above all, people feared death. The world lives with fear even today. What is your fear? Do you fear the future? Do you fear life’s burdens that sometimes seem almost overwhelming? Do you fear death? Most of us fear everything except God—yet it is God whom we should fear most of all! This type of fear may be best understood as immense respect. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." - 1 Jn. 4:18 Jesus can put an end to fear for all who trust in Him. “Do not be afraid, little flock” is a phrase typical of His teaching and preaching (Lk. 12:32). He is the answer to any fear you have. After all, God’s power is greater than the powers of evil, and “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39)

Plans

Someone said, "Remember that I can fit everything into a pattern for good, including the things you wish were different. Start with where you are at this point in time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be." This can be a daunting opinion to hold. We long to see this all-embracing pattern for good! Sometimes we can’t begin to imagine how the Holy Spirit can guide us to fit all our struggles into such a pattern. Sometimes our circumstances seem like a series of gigantic mistakes; I should have done something differently, I should have avoided this mess. I need to make a new beginning but how can I begin to correct something I created, something I should have been able to prevent in the beginning. Jesus told His disciples, the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Many times when we try to accept our circumstances as God's will, we feel as if we are against a solid wall. We need to determine to make a new beginning and ask the Holy Spirit to help us make decisions that will glorify God. Even then we may perceive that each step forward is accompanied by two steps in the opposite direction, the Holy Spirit may be helping us at levels we do not perceive. In these cases, we need to start anew and continue to follow our understanding of the pathways provided by the Holy Spirit. Even if we could see the all-encompassing pattern, you wouldn’t be able to understand it. Some things-many things-are simply beyond our grasp. We should not dwell on what we could have done differently, for that is an exercise in unreality: The past cannot be different from what has actually occurred. NOW is the only place and time to start anew. We need to accept our present situation and learn from what happened, as best we understand it. We must trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us to eternity. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28 (NASB). Cf. Deut. 29:29:  "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." (NASB).

Instruction

Jesus attempted to instruct His disciples about many things. At this time, they needed to gain understanding about the source of living, blessings from God, e.g. manna  compared to bread of heaven. It was a different concept and they found it difficult to grasp. Many people today seek to find the quickest and easiest way to full understanding of a specific task. In so doing, the quality and reliability of the effort may become, 'not very good,' and failure may come quickly. Sometimes we avoid a concern for value. Perhaps the item we acquire is a trial exercise and we aren't concerned about how long it lasts, we will chose something else next time. Value seeks the best possible product for the length of time needed the price paid. Sometimes paying a bit more for a higher quality product will delay the cost to replace it very soon. It is an exercise in the reason and the longevity one expects when spending the resources they control. A slightly higher price for a product, an item, that lasts longer before needing replacement, is likely a money saving purchase and has greater value. Jesus' activities were ones that last for eternity, but came at a great physical cost for his earthly existence. When He finished His work on earth, Jesus was to leave His disciples. This was best for them, but they could not yet understand all the details, this would come only when the Holy Spirit empowered them to understand and act. Concerning the bread, Jesus needed them to understand his actions were greater than the delivering of Manna. "Many of His disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?" Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?"" - Jn. 6:60-62.

Weakness

As believers in Christ, we are to follow Jesus’ instructions. Our love for God is not exhibited by how well we talk or how loudly we shout, but by how obediently we act. Three times in John 14, Jesus said that those who love Him will keep His commandments (vv. 15, 21, 23). It is apparent that this message is very important! Jesus said these commandments were His commandments. He personally owned them, so when we reject them, we reject Him. Biblical knowledge is critical, but it is not the ultimate test of your love for God. Knowledge is a means to an end; the end is obedience and glorifying God. As believers, we walk our unique individual spiritiual journey and receive help from the Holy Spirit as we try to keep Christ’s commandments. Jesus knew we would need this! Another time, Jesus would tell His disciples, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41). We also struggle with this issue. Our spirits are often willing, but our flesh is many times weak. He prayed to the Father and promised to send us “another Helper.” The word “another” implies that the next Helper would be like Jesus, who was the first Helper. As Jesus is the embodiment of truth, so the Spirit is the empowerment of truth. The Spirit indwells every disciple of Christ. So be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and do not quench the Spirit.

Understanding empowerment

The things Jesus did were meant to provide insight into how God the Father viewed his creation. Jesus would say I and the Father are one (Jn. 10:30) and, "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me," (Jn. 5:30). We further learn that the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus (first verses of Isa. 11; 42; 61). Whether by calming the storm, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind or raising the dead, or casting out demons, Jesus displayed the sensitivities of God the Father. Jesus said, “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). He’s not like other miracle workers who do amazing things and then life proceeds as it always has. No: to Jesus, His miracles were signs indicating the coming of the kingdom of God. They were a foretaste of what the kingdom was going to be like. And this sets Jesus apart from others, a practice his apostles will continue after His resurrection. One person has said, "Jesus saw his miracles as bringing about something unprecedented--the coming of God’s dominion. He didn't merely see himself as a worker of miracles; he saw himself as the one in whom and through whom the promises of God come to pass. That’s a not-too-thinly-veiled claim of transcendence." The empowering presence that enabled Jesus lives within each Christian now. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do Jesus' will. We just need to understand what He wants at any given time. This understanding will begin as we reach out to other people.

After physical life ends

We have a general desire to live a long life. There are physical, and emotional aches and pains along the way, but we are usually looking for something greater, better each day of our lives. Ancient people were very aware of leaving this world and wanted to be remembered. The Thessalonians were very interested in a pathway to eternal life. To encourage his listeners, Paul wrote, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." - 1Thess. 4:13-18 (ESV). This was also a concern in the Old Testament, “[God] has also set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Many times there is a small internal voice that causes us to yearn for life with a higher being. This desire is satisfied only via eternal life with God. Paul also wrote to the Roman Christians, “What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen . . . so that men are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). When we embrace Jesus' gift, just as God lives forever, we who are made in His likeness will also live forever.

Secure

In another post, I presented a concept called "daily grind of uncertainty." While in our hustle bustle world of busyness, this uncertainty can germinate when we are not focused on godly concepts and flourish when others with critical attitudes and comments cross our paths. However, three items can help us combat such feelings. First, remembering that you are of such importance that someone, God or Jesus, died to release you from anything that might cause uncertainly of closeness to God. Second, the Christian has the indwelling Holy Spirit, God himself, living within them; no person or entity is more powerful that God. Third Jesus will always protect our spiritual lives. As we travel our unique individual spiritual journey, we struggle with many parts of life, but Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit said, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Jn. 10:28-30

Perception

Most humans place a great deal of dependence on our eyes and what we can see.  When difficulties arise, we usually seek glasses or other solutions to maintain the ability to create images in our minds of those things we observe with our eyes. While the eye is only one of our senses, but we tend to depend on them too heavily. When we sense something via any of our senses, our minds react based on our previous experiences. Sounds, sight, and touch of a loved one remind us of many fond memories. Many visions can excite our perception about the magnificence of God’s creation. What we sense also drives our next actions; will these actions be positive or negative in God’s sight? If we have a strong previous experience of God’s word, then we can better understand those things we sense and make the better decisions for next feelings and steps. The Holy Spirit, who lives within the Christian desires to prompt us to make the best next actions for glorifying God in some way. He desires to help us make decisions that guide us along holy pathways. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psa. 119:105); “The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” (Lk. 11:34); “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5)

Mistakes

Many times we do things that in retrospect are either wrong or not best. When those things occur, most times we would rather no one else know about our failures and we try to hide them or consider them less serious than they really are. A way to describe not admitting mistakes or defects in our character can be described as "darkness." A life dedicated to God uses theses mistakes as opportunities to learn; attempts to admit these dark spots, even though the person has been declared sinless by the grace of God. We are in fact, not sinless. When we admit these faults and confess our wrongdoings, we live in the light. A person living in the light doesn't need to fear God's judgment, but treasuree His instruction. The indwelling Holy Spirit will help overcome tendencies toward falsehood or dishonesty, if we ask Him. When we admit or confess our weaknesses and ask the Holy Spirit for help, help will come. One person said, "My desire to open my life to the light of God's truth and holiness reveals my desire to do what is right. My reluctance reveals how the power of sin has come into my life and my heart." John would advise this, "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." Jn. 3:20-21 (NIV)