Question

 A valid questions is, "Does the Holy Spirit make a difference in my life?" A following question needs to be, "What difference does the Holy Spirit make in my life?" The Galatian Christians struggled with adversaries who wanted to do them harm and divert them from following God. In order to help these Christians understand who to trust, he proved a comparison of values. Both bad and good practices were outlined. The bad were those motivated by the flesh; the good were those motivated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit should make a difference in our life! "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:16-25 (ESV)

Israel?

Israel was not only a man’s name, but also a descriptor given to Israel's decedents, the people chosen by Jehovah God to do His will, never a land mass. Initially, the chosen people were Jews but later the title was expanded to mean all those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. After the resurrection, God’s chosen people became anyone who accepted Jesus; He then dwelled within them. (Isa. 45:17; Rom. 11:26; Rom. 8:11)

Suddenly

When was the last time you read a scripture and thought, "I just don't understand this?" Occasionally, one of those scriptures for some has been from Acts 8:38-40, "Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." - Acts 8:38-40 (NIV) It seems clear the two men went into the water, but "suddenly" Philip was taken away and preached in towns along the way to Caesarea. What does suddenly mean. Those seeking wondrous activities of the Holy Spirit propose he was lifted up in the air and flown to another place. I propose a different explanation. Philip was probably not picked up at all, he left the eunuch, exited the road, and continued his journey home, the one he started. Luke's point here is not a miracle to cause belief, but one to explain how the Gospel was preached as the disciples went from place to place. Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit inspires, convicts, empowers, emboldens, directs, guides, and leads God's servants in sharing the story of Jesus in much of the Roman Empire.

Thirst

In our present culture, we usually underestand the meaning of "thirst" as a desire for something. Perhaps the usual tareget 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." — John 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 wouldbecome hly 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 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 acccept His sacrifice, and He will draw near. When accepted into the Kingdom, the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide a person along the pathway they so earnestly desire. Prayers will become more effective, guidance is 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.” Galatians 2:20

Blessings

Many times some end their communication with "Blessings." This is generally a wish for the receipient to receive good things. What is the reason to wish other Christians have blessings? First, lets 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 be a wonderfiul encouragement to another person. In the end, is not important we recognize the effects of our gifts, but that the Holy Spirit used them to accomplish His goals. Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God. - Hebrews 13:16

Keep on going

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 ocercome you. It is crucial at such times to remember that the Holy Spirit is the Christian's constant Companion and Adversary. Becuase 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" Mat. 4:16 (NIV)