Tag Archives: the Holy Spirit

More Kindness

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Ephesians 2:1-10

Jesus’ kindness was bold. He physically touched a leper. No one ever did that, ever. He touched an unclean man who believed Jesus could heal him.

Jesus’ kindness was fearless. He expressed kindness every day, even on the Sabbath. He wasn’t afraid of the condemnation of the powers that be in that society. His kindness was expressed very publicly, and very consistently.

Jesus’ kindness was indiscriminate. He healed diseases and forgave sins of those who came to Him believing. And, hanging on the cross, He forgave the very ones who nailed Him there.

If the spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, lives in me, I, too, will express kindness boldly, fearlessly, and indiscriminately. I will think kindly, speak kindly, show kindness in my actions toward family, friends, neighbors, and strangers.

It’s not that I will try harder to be kind, or work on having an attitude of kindness. It’s that I will surrender to God and let His kindness flow through me…

so that He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (vs 7)

Kindness, like all aspects of The Fruit of the Spirit, will reveal Jesus to the people around you. Those are the very people Jesus died to save, and your kindness toward them might be the thing that breaks through their resistance.

Is the evidence of Christ in you seen as kindness?

Protect the Presence

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1 Samuel 4

The ark of the Lord was the Lord’s Presence during the Old Testament. It wasn’t like today when God actually lives in the hearts of Christians. But reading chapter 4 has me thinking.

Israel was at war with the Philistines, and lost an important battle to the enemy. Eli, the High Priest was at home anxiously waiting for news. When the messenger got there, the news wasn’t good.

The first thing Eli heard was that the battle was lost. The second thing he was told was that his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had both been killed. The news must have cut Eli to the core. Can a parent receive worse news?

There was a third part to that report. The ark of God had been taken as plunder by the enemy.

When (the messenger) mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died… (verse 18a)

Eli’s pregnant daughter-in-law was then given the report. She was told about the defeat of the Jewish army and the deaths of her husband and his brother. To that, she found out her father-in-law was also dead. Again devastating news, this time for a young woman starting her family.

She also was told the ark of Lord had been captured by the Philistines. She immediately went into labor and died in childbirth.

The awful news of the loss of life understandably grieved Eli and his daughter-in-law. But what seems to have tipped the scales and threw them over the edge was the news of the captured ark of God.

Now, here’s what I’m wondering. Like I said the ark was the presence of God in Israel. The presence of God in 2024 is in your heart and mine. If His presence was removed today, would that news tip us over the edge or would we even notice?

Obviously, if the Holy Spirit decided to pack it all in and return to heaven, we’d notice. We’d be in hell.

But do we understand that our sin separates us from God? Some people don’t worry about that thinking once saved always saved, and God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. But that doesn’t mean God will follow us into sin if that’s where we are headed. He won’t forsake us. But we can certainly forsake Him.

I imagine all of us have experienced times when we feel closer to God than other times. Why is that? Does God move, or do we?

What causes the change except sin? God cannot and will not exist where sin is. And if we are holding sin in our hearts, where do you think God is? It’s at those times I might not know where He is, but I sure know where He’s NOT.

If I refuse to confess a sin, and then wonder why I feel I’m not as close to God as I used to be, I need to wake up. The problem isn’t that I don’t “feel” close to God. The problem is I’m NOT close to God because of my sin. It has nothing to do with my feelings and everything to do with my sin.

Oh, that we would be as heartbroken as Eli and his daughter-in-law over the thought of the loss of God’s presence. May we protect the Presence by moving nearer and nearer to Him through reading Scripture, praying and obeying. May we recognize sin and repent every time.

And may we never get comfortable living with the distance between our Holy God and ourselves.

Protect the Presence.

Shattered Power

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Daniel 9-12

Every time I read this portion of Scripture a great sadness comes over me. There are a lot of things about this prophecy and it’s parallel in John’s Revelation I don’t understand. But I do understand that the rise of evil will reach an unprecedented level before Jesus returns.

There will come a time when “the shattering of the power of the holy people” happens, and “life on earth will end.” (12:7)

That makes me sad. The power of the Church will not be be overcome by force from the evil one. That’s not going to happen because greater is He in us than he that is in the world. But He, not the world, has to be IN US.

The only way for evil to win is for Christians to surrender to evil. The power of the Holy Spirit in us will shatter when we compromise, ignore what God says in His Word, when we replace Him with the lies, worship ourselves, our ideals, love, tolerance, inclusion, and redefine sin. It will be we Christians who render the Holy Spirit powerless to save by choosing to be vessels He can’t use.

And then the end will come.

Material For A Vessel

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Proverbs 25-29

Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel.” (Proverbs 25:4)

Dear Lord, take away the dross from my life. Burn and beat out the sin within me so that I can be a useful vessel in Your hands. I want nothing more than to be filled with Your Spirit and poured out in any way You can be glorified. So do what you need to do, Lord, to make me material for a vessel of Your choosing.

(Matthew 12:30-32) Unforgivable

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Is there an unforgivable sin? According to Jesus there is. But what is it? And what if I’ve already committed it? Is there no hope for me?

Well, first of all, rest assured that while I’m still breathing and my heart is still beating, there is hope. Scripture is very clear that “whosoever believes” will be saved, that to humble ourselves and repent of sin is salvation at the cross. Those who go to Jesus in Truth, He will in nowise cast out.

So what is this unforgivable sin? These verses are confusing at first glance because Jesus makes a distinction between Himself and His Spirit. We know, according to Scripture they are one and the same. So what is blasphemy against Jesus and blasphemy against the Spirit, and why is one more serious than the other?

I don’t know.

But I can tell you my opinion according to what I see in God’s Word. If you want to know what I think, read on.

There were all kinds of blasphemous actions against Jesus. Think of what kinds of things He endured in His three years of ministry on Earth. He was called a glutton, a friend of sinners, Satan himself. He was hated by many. His last day on Earth included beatings, hearing lies said about Him, ridicule, and His painful death on the cross where the abuse continued. Yet, some of His last words from the cross were: Father forgive them!

This tells me the abuse Jesus endured was not the unforgivable sin. He was rejected, despised, and murdered. Yet He was willing to forgive it all.

Rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit is another matter. The work of the Spirit is to woo, to convict, to penetrate the hearts of all people. Rejecting Him is unforgivable. God cannot and will not forgive someone who doesn’t want His forgiveness.

The good news is, the Holy Spirit isn’t one and done. He doesn’t give just one chance for anyone to accept what He offers. He doesn’t just give up after one rejection.

Take Paul for instance. While he was known as Saul he rejected Jesus in a very public way. But do you think the first time the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin was there on the road to Damascus? I don’t. It was, however, the first time Saul, later Paul, humbled himself and submitted to the Spirit. Paul’s acceptance of Jesus as his Savior in obedience to the Spirit, saw his sins forgiven. All of them.

The unforgivable was forgiven. And that’s a miracle!

Those who reject the continued working of the Holy Spirit who convicts, who reveals Jesus, who speaks Truth, will not – cannot – be forgiven. If you are rejecting the Biblical Truth of God, you have no hope of forgiveness. That opportunity is good only while you are alive on Earth. If you reject it, you will face God on your own, unforgiven.

It’s not too late. If you are reading this post, the Holy Spirit is working in your life. Don’t ignore Him. Don’t reject Him. Open your heart and let Him give you what Jesus died to provide.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. None of it is unforgivable. Only rejecting God’s offer of forgiveness is unforgivable.

I’m praying for you.

Without Ceasing (Jude)

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Do you pray in the Spirit? What does that even mean? Jude encourages us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith and pray in the Spirit. (Vs 20).

As I was sitting here thinking about this and asking God for insight, I looked at the verse printed at the bottom of the page in my journal:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37)

I’m sitting here at the kitchen table with my sister. I’m very aware that she is here. If I have a thought, I can share it and hear her response. Her presence next to me is a comfort, and brings me joy.

I think praying in the Spirit is similar to that. It’s an awareness of the Presence. It’s the natural impulse to share a thought or ask a question, or just to stop and listen. It’s intentional communication with the Spirit who lives in me.

It’s the choice to love God with all my heart, down deep in my soul, not just an emotional feeling of love. It’s loving God with my thoughts, my intellect, my careful reading of His Word.

Paul puts it like this: “Pray continually.” Or in another translation: “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) That is God’s will for you and me.

What a privilege to have the Spirit of God living in me. May I never take that for granted, but always be aware of the Presence. May my thoughts and words include Him, intentionally, lovingly…

Without ceasing.

December 15; Attitude Check

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Philemon; Philippians 1-2

I remember that, as an adolescent girl, I could be a bit moody. No really, I could. I could get upset over what now seems insignificant, but at the time seemed the end of the world. And I remember on more than one occasion, during one of my displays of emotion, I’d hear the stern voice of my Dad say, “Change your attitude.”

It was not a suggestion.

I hear God say the same thing to me today. I hope you’ll read Philippians 2:5-11, and do an attitude check on yourself. Paul tells us our attitudes should be the same as Jesus’.

I’ve always loved these verses which speak of what Jesus did to pay for my sins, the lengths He went to die on a cross. And these verses thrill me every time I read about the Name of the One I love.

The truth is, I have no reason to have a bad attitude. I have no reason for self-pity, jealousy, bitterness. When I get a good look at what Jesus gave up to ransom me, and I realize He never complained or regretted what He’d lost, I am ashamed to remember the times when I made a big deal of things unimportant in the light of eternity.

I don’t believe God is talking about sadness, or grief, or disappointment as being sinful. Those were emotions Jesus Himself felt. But God is speaking to me about my overall attitude when bad – or good – things happen.

Paul says IF I have any encouragement from being united with Christ, IF any comfort from His love, IF I have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and IF I have received tenderness and compassion, (I emphasized the “ifs” because of course I have received all of that and more. It’s not an “if.” It’s a definite) then change your attitude!

Time for an attitude check. May my attitude, and yours, be the same as that of Jesus.

November 23; Be Sanctified

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I Thessalonians 2:17-5:28; II Thessalonians 1

What does it mean to live a holy life? Paul tells us it is God’s will that we be sanctified in order to please God. Then Paul tells us what that looks like:

that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. (I Thessalonians 4:3b-6a)

So is holy living, or sanctification, restricted to sexual behavior? Remember, Jesus told us that we commit adultery when we lust. It doesn’t have to involve bodily contact. Sin comes in all shapes and sizes.

Trying in our own strength to do what Paul is telling us to do only leads to failure. We can’t muster up courage, or find strength inside us to defeat the power of sin. It’s impossible. A sinner can’t sanctify a sinner, so I can’t sanctify me.

But the Holy Spirit can! When we humble ourselves and accept the gift of God’s grace, the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus, when we place our faith in God, the Holy Spirit is given to us. Then we can avoid sexual immorality because the Holy Spirit gives us His strength and His desires. We can control ourselves in holy and honorable ways because the Spirit in us is holy and honorable.

Paul tells us it is the work of the Holy Spirit to grow believers, or to sanctify believers. But he also says it is possible to “put out the Spirit’s fire.” Then he tells us to “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (5:19-20)

Then Paul prays: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (5:23-24)

Does that thrill your heart? Yes we have responsibility in our walk with the Lord. But the good news is that the Spirit within us gives us wisdom, and the ability to hold on to the good and avoid every kind of evil. The Spirit within us gives us exactly what we need to be sanctified.

He is faithful. And He will do it!

 

November 20; In Step

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Galatians 4:8-6:18

Have you ever been awed by the precision of a marching band at half-time? You need to check out the Ohio State University marching band on You-Tube sometime.

In a military style marching band, each person takes an exact 30″ step, or 8 steps in five yards. No matter how big or small an individual is, their steps are exactly the same length. Knees are all lifted at exactly the same angle, no matter how short or tall the marcher is.

With all that precision, one person out of step sticks out like a sore thumb. One person marching right, left while everyone else is marching left, right ruins the whole effect of a precision marching band.

Paul is talking to the Galatians about precision marching. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (5:25) In verse 22 he tells us what that looks like:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

So what happens if one of our number falls out of step? Paul tells us what to do in chapter 6. “Restore him gently.” Paul doesn’t say ignore it, or kick him out, or even to just pray for the one out of step. When a brother or sister is out of step, we who are in step need to address it with them.

Paul calls it carrying each other’s burdens.

I asked if you’ve ever been awed by the precision of a marching band at half-time. I wonder, have you ever been awed but the precision of a church fellowship in step with the Spirit?

I pray that each of us will be a part of an awe-inspiring fellowship of believers, walking in step with the Spirit, and making an eternal difference in the hearts of people in our communities. In a world where we are encouraged to “do our own thing,” let’s do the Spirit’s thing as we walk with Him in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Awesome!

 

 

November 12; Unschooled and Ordinary

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Acts 3:1-5:16

Peter amazes me. The disciple had spent most of the three years he was with Jesus, with his foot firmly planted in his mouth. You can’t fault Peter’s enthusiasm for the Messiah. He just didn’t always think before he acted or said something. He seemed an unlikely leader.

But something happened to Peter. Acts 4:8 tells us what that something was:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit…

Peter and John were known as “unschooled and ordinary men” to everyone in town. But, filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter could stand before the same church officials who had crucified Jesus, and boldly proclaim that Jesus is the Truth!

Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t back down, was willing to go to jail rather than deny Jesus. But this same Peter had very publicly denied Jesus three times just a few weeks earlier.

Here’s the thing: God uses unschooled and ordinary people who are filled with His Spirit to boldly proclaim that Jesus is the Truth. You don’t need a seminary degree. You need to accept Jesus as your Savior. You need to be yielded to the Spirit. He’ll take hold of you like he took hold of Peter, and who knows where that will lead?

Do you feel God is prompting you to talk to a neighbor or friend about the Lord? Maybe you hesitate because you think you wouldn’t know what to say.

Good!

You are in a perfect place to be used by God on behalf of that person for whom He died, and in whom He is preparing a heart to receive Him. Let Him fill you with His Spirit. Let Him use your voice to speak His words to that soul. He will if you let Him.

You may be unschooled compared to your pastor, but you are anything but ordinary when the Spirit fills you. Peter said in verse 20:

For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

And neither will you be able to stop speaking about Jesus. When His Spirit fills you, it just naturally spills out, bubbles over, and touches everyone around you. Nothing ordinary about that!