I believe changes are on the horizon in our ministry. God has been laying some groundwork over the course of the past year, part of which includes this blog. He has opened some doors, closed some doors and has put some things in my spirit to do. Some of these things we are doing now, others will come later this year.
I took some time a while back and began to make a list of all the things God has done as He has laid the ground work for this change. After seeing everything written on a list it was exciting to see God's hand displayed. One thing I've learned through the years is God certainly knows what He is doing! Good things happen when we submit ourselves to Him and follow His leading.
The changes that are to come all involve ministry. Some are different facets of ministry than the norm. I believe God is fed up with what passes for "normal" or "average" Churchianity. He's looking for people who will stand for Him and be led by Him outside the walls of the organized church.
Rest assured, whatever area God moves us to pursue will involve Edifying, Exhorting and Encouraging God's people where ever they are and however they gather. Needless to say, I'm excited and thrilled at the possibilities!
More to come...
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY
Sadly, I see a serious lack of character and integrity among professing Christians today. Many don't seem to think it matters what they say or the actions they take as long as it benefits them or sometimes they put a religions spin on it and believe their words or actions are justified if they benefit the "church". I beg to differ with that in a big way!
I like the way J.C. Watts put it, "Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught."
Some professing believers have the sentiment that if they can get by with it, they come out ahead. They even try to justify their actions by pulling the "church" in to it. These things are almost always clothed in robes of righteous rationalization.
I find this behavior to be despicable in the life of a Christian. The truth is, there is more integrity in many non-believers than we find in the institutional church today.
We have always emphasized character and integrity in the life of the believer. After all, we are going to stand before God and give account of our actions.
Others look at us. We are the only Bible some people will ever read until they come to Jesus. If they see us as a people lacking character and integrity why should they want to be a Christian? Why would they want what we profess to have if our lives are no different than theirs? In fact, their blood may be required at our hands!
Let me emphasize, CHARACTER COUNTS! INTEGRITY MEANS SOMETHING! God sees, even if no one else does. You cannot pull the wool over God's eyes.
I encourage you to be a person of character and integrity. You won't be sorry.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
I like the way J.C. Watts put it, "Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught."
Some professing believers have the sentiment that if they can get by with it, they come out ahead. They even try to justify their actions by pulling the "church" in to it. These things are almost always clothed in robes of righteous rationalization.
I find this behavior to be despicable in the life of a Christian. The truth is, there is more integrity in many non-believers than we find in the institutional church today.
We have always emphasized character and integrity in the life of the believer. After all, we are going to stand before God and give account of our actions.
Others look at us. We are the only Bible some people will ever read until they come to Jesus. If they see us as a people lacking character and integrity why should they want to be a Christian? Why would they want what we profess to have if our lives are no different than theirs? In fact, their blood may be required at our hands!
Let me emphasize, CHARACTER COUNTS! INTEGRITY MEANS SOMETHING! God sees, even if no one else does. You cannot pull the wool over God's eyes.
I encourage you to be a person of character and integrity. You won't be sorry.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
SHAKE OFF THE VIPERS!
Scripture
reading: Acts 28:1-6
Paul
was in route to Rome. He was determined to get to Rome one way or
another. He was going as a prisoner. Many trials awaited him
in Rome. Paul had been on a ship that encountered a fierce storm and
was shipwrecked. Paul was comforted by an angel in the storm (Acts
27:22-25). They were shipwrecked and stranded on an island – but
they were all alive. They were met by the natives of the
island. These natives welcomed them with open arms – they were
very hospitable. A nice warm fire awaited them as well as trouble
ahead.
Paul
was assisting in gathering wood for the fire. A viper (snake) coming
out of the fire attacks Paul. Vipers often appear out of the
fires of life. Times of trouble make us vulnerable.
God has a promise for the fiery times:
Isaiah
43:2 “And when thou passest through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee”
Going
through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown
or force you to grow
stronger. If
you you go in your own
strength, you are more likely to drown.
If,
however, you invite God
to go with you, He will protect
you.
Paul shook
off
the viper when attacked and so
should we. Let's
take a look at the three vipers most all of us face on our journey.
The
first viper we should shake off is the viper of discouragement (Vs
3). According to the Scripture, Paul was attacked while helping
– while doing good.
He
was gathering a bundle of sticks for the fire. Vipers often
appear when we're doing right
– doing good.
If
you're not doing anything for God why would Satan bother you? Paul
could have allowed this attack to make him doubt.
He
could have asked himself, “Am I doing the right thing?” “Maybe
I've missed God somewhere along the way” “Maybe God's done with
me here” Instead,
he shook off the viper, remembering God's
promise
of safety (Mark 16:18). Let God's promises deliver you
–
shake
off discouragement!
The
second viper we should shake off is the viper of criticism
(Vs 4). Look at the reaction of the critics - “No
doubt this man is a murderer”. They
thought the worst
of Paul. Many are quick
to
judge
and falsely
accuse. Have
you
ever
been wrongly
judged
or falsely
accused? Rest
assured you are not the first
to
endure this trial. Jesus
was constantly
criticized. He was called a blasphemer (Matthew 9:3). He was
accused of being in league with Satan (Matthew 9:34). Remember how
Jesus responded to His critics?
1
Peter 2:23 “Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He
suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that
judgeth righteously”
AMPLIFIED
BIBLE “When He was reviled and insulted, he did not revile or
offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no
threats [of vengeance]' but He trusted [Himself and everything] to
Him who judges fairly”
This
is not always the easy
thing to do, but it's the right
thing to do. Shake
off the viper of criticism by looking to Jesus
(Hebrews 12:1-2).
Then
we need to shake off the viper of low
expectations (Vs
6). The natives expected
Paul
to swell up and die. See how we are, when once we have an opinion of
someone, to think that God must necessarily confirm the sentence we
think the person deserves.
Some
have low
expectations of
you as a Christian. They don't think you're going
to make it. They expect
you
to stumble
and
fall.
They're
waiting
for you to backslide.
Shake off the
faithless conclusions of others. Prove them wrong
by being faithful
to Jesus.
Jesus
came to give us abundant
life – both here
and in eternity.
We
can have daily
victory in spite
of the oppositions. The Holy Spirit has equipped
you
to win.
Walk
in the victory
God has for you! Shake
off those
vipers and experience the
joy of
the Lord!
Until
next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT - THE SPIRIT-FILLED PERSON
This is the last in a series of blog posts on the Holy Spirit. These are messages I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they were a blessing to you.
Scripture
Reading: Ephesians 5:18-6:9
In my last blog
post I wrote about how to be filled with the Spirit. We discussed
how we should stop grieving
the Holy Spirit, stop quenching
the Holy Spirit and start walking
in the Spirit. But what about the changes this makes in daily life?
How can we recognize a Spirit-Filled person? What areas of life are
affected by walking in the Spirit? That's what I want to address in
this blog post.
Let's
look, first of all, at the Spirit-Filled person and his/her worship
(Vs 18-21). Look at the comparison – Be
not drunk with wine. Paul
contrasts being drunk with
wine,
which produces a temporary
“high” to being filled
with the Spirit,
which produces lasting
joy. Think about it, a person who is drunk
is not under their own
control. He staggers, he slurs his speech, his judgment is impaired.
What Paul is saying is Be
under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Being
under the control of the Holy Spirit makes all of life an experience
in worship. Worship
in the heart creates an attitude of praise. People worship in
different ways. Some are more expressive
in their worship. They lift their hands. They verbally praise and
sing praises to God. Some worship in a more quiet
way. There may be tears flowing down their face. They worship from
the heart and are not as outwardly expressive in their worship style.
Some prefer the old hymns while others prefer praise and worship
music.
I
want to emphasize there is no right
way or wrong
way to worship. The important thing is to worship.
Worship
should be free. In true
worship, desire for God to have His
way is evident. Thanksgiving and praise are dominant.
Now
let's take a look at the Spirit-Filled person and his/her spouse (Vs
22-23). The Spirit-Filled life is most evident at home.
It's
been said, “The perfecting of the home is the masterpiece of the
Gospel”. We tend to dislike that word “submit” because there's
been so much wrong teaching about it. It doesn't mean becoming a
doormat. It means putting the interests of others
ahead of our own. Submission cannot be required
by one person of another. Submission is given on the basis of love
and trust.
Wives
are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord. Let me clarify –
the wife who is submitted to her husband is not a robot.
Neither
does she discard all her natural abilities and talents. One
of her greatest joys, however, is in ministering to her husband. His
happiness is important to her. Husbands are to love their wives as
Jesus loved the church. This is a sacrificial
love – an enduring
love. It's a love that is shown and expressed often.
One
of his greatest joys is in ministering to his wife. Her happiness is
important to him.
These
are two powerful
principles that can revolutionize
your home. These two things affect the entire family. Submission is
rarely a problem in homes where both spouses are in a strong
relationship with Jesus and where each is concerned for the happiness
of the other.
Lastly, let's look at the Spirit-Filled person and his
work (Vs 6:5-9). The Spirit-Filled worker does his work with all
diligence. He overcomes laziness and boredom. He does his work as
to the Lord, not to men. He should do his job as if
Jesus was his supervisor. You should be trusted in any job
you do to do your best whether or not the boss is around.
The Spirit-Filled employer treats employees as he would
want to be treated. Treat them fairly and with respect. Treat them
as you would want the Lord to treat you. Let Jesus be exalted in the
work place by both employers and employees.
The Spirit-Filled life is all inclusive. Like the old
chorus says, He's all I need! The Holy Spirit provides
everything you need. In daily living, this demands full surrender.
We need to submit daily to His leading and draw on His power.
I pray this series of blog posts on the Holy Spirit has been a blessing to you as well as an encouragement to you on your journey with Jesus.
I pray this series of blog posts on the Holy Spirit has been a blessing to you as well as an encouragement to you on your journey with Jesus.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT - BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
My next few blog posts will be thoughts and messages on the Holy Spirit that I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
Scripture
Reading: Ephesians 5:15-21
What
is
the filling of the Holy Spirit? To be filled
with the Spirit is to be controlled
by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into a believer when we are
born again. When one is filled with the Spirit, he gives the Holy
Spirit complete
control of
his life.
What
happens when one is filled with the Spirit? Our church life as well
as our family life are affected (Ephesians 5). The Fruit of the
Spirit is evident in our lives (Galatians 5:21-22). We become bold
in witnessing to others as demonstrated by the following Scripture:
Acts
1:8
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth”
Acts
4:31
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
they spake the Word of God with boldness”
Acts
4:33
“And with great power gave the apostles witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all”
We will show great generosity toward those in need
(Acts 4:32, 34-35).
Let's talk about how to be filled with the Holy Spirit
First
of all, if we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit we must not
grieve
Him. Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit can, indeed, be grieved in
Ephesians
4:30 “And grieve
not
the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption”. We
MUST stop grieving the Holy Spirit.
It's
important for us to realize that God can
be grieved. Moses wrote that God was grieved with man's sin before
the flood (Genesis 6:6). David wrote that God was grieved with
grumbling Israelites (Psalm 95:10). Isaiah prophesied that Jesus
would be acquainted
with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus wept
over wayward Jerusalem and at the grave of Lazarus (Luke 19:41; John
11:35).
It's
been said, “Don't go anywhere you can't take the Lord along with
you”. This advise is just plain wrong.
You
see, as Christians we cannot leave our Lord behind!.
But
we can, in fact, grieve
Him...break
His heart.
What
is it that grieves the heart of God? That's a good starting point.
Let's look a what Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit: Ephesians
4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice”. Now
let's break this down a bit. You cannot be filled with bitterness
and be filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with anger
and be filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with malice
and be filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with hatred
and be filled with the Spirit. If you are having problems with these
things, confess
these sins and forsake
them! Grieve
not
the Holy Spirit!
The
second thing we must be mindful of is that we quench
not the Holy Spirit. Paul in writing to the church in Thessalonica
wrote, “Quench
not the Spirit” (I Thessalonians 5:19). We
must stop quenching the Spirit. To quench the Spirit is to stifle
or suppress
His work in
us and among
us. To quench the Spirit is to halt
His work in our heart. To quench the Spirit is to resist
Him. To quench the Spirit is to exalt our
will
above the will of God.
To
quench the Spirit is to tune Him out. Maybe we are tuning in to the
worry
channel. Perhaps we've tuned in to the fear
channel. Then there's the entertainment
channel some people prefer. Let's not forget the greed
channel and the selfish
channel.
When we stop quenching the Spirit, wonderful things will
happen. Doors will open. We will find peace of mind. We will then
experience the work of the Comforter
The
third thing we must do is walk
in the Spirit. Paul addresses this when writing to the the Church of
Galatia in Galatians
5:16-17, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the
one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”.
We
must start walking
in the Spirit
– this is a lifestyle...a
way of life. “Walking” speaks of faith.
The
lame man arose and walked.
Peter
walked
on the water. To
walk in the Spirit is to take by faith that God has granted His
filling and proceed accordingly.
If
we find we are grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit in our lives, we
must confess this and repent of it. One thing we need to take by
faith is HIS filling of us with His Holy Spirit. This is something
very personal...something that only we
can settle in our lives. No one can do it for you. YOU must do it
yourself. What matters most is not how much of the Holy Spirit we
have, but how much of us
the Holy Spirit has.
Until
next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
My next few blog posts will be thoughts and messages on the Holy Spirit that I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
Scripture
reading: Acts 4:31-33
Let's
consider some sad thoughts about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus
was in
the world and the world was made
by Him yet the world knew
Him not. The
Holy Spirit was in
the church and the church was made
by Him yet the church knew
Him not
What
about
the Holy Spirit and the Church? What if individual members were
filled with the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit want to do
for
us and in
us?
In
the church the Holy Spirit makes witnesses out of weakings. Jesus
said in Acts
1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth”.
The
death and the resurrection of Jesus had taken place. Ascension day
was here and with it were some questions (Vs. 6). “Will the
Kingdom be restored today?” “Shall we start carrying out the
Great Commission today?” Jesus told them they would be witnesses
after
the Holy Spirit comes. This witnessing was to be done in divine
power. The word then
was wait, then witness. Now
it is witness immediately
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised the disciples that they would receive
power for witnessing. Notice the progression: They would receive
the Holy Spirit; He would give them power; They would witness with
extraordinary results.
We
often try to reverse the order and witness on our own
power and authority. Witnessing
is not showing what we
can do for God,
but showing and telling what God
has done for us!
Let's consider the weakness of the disciples. Peter had recently denied even knowing Jesus. Philip showed his weak faithfulness. Thomas and his inability to believe in the resurrection. This same group turned the world upside down!
Let's consider the weakness of the disciples. Peter had recently denied even knowing Jesus. Philip showed his weak faithfulness. Thomas and his inability to believe in the resurrection. This same group turned the world upside down!
In
the church, the Holy Spirit brings fellowship instead of factions
(Acts 4:32). Consider, if you will, the possibilities of divisions
among the disciples. There was Peter's denials and Thomas and his
lack of belief. They all
forsook the Lord and fled at the crucifixion.
Note
now that they are of one
heart and one
mind – complete
unity! Their
bond
is more important than their possessions.
Too
many churches where the Holy Spirit is named are divided.
It
is always
the work of the Holy Spirit to bring unity
among members in the local church so that outreach is unhindered.
Division
will hinder the effectiveness
of the local church. We must stand together united
for the cause of Jesus Christ!
In
the church, the Holy Spirit produces growth without gimmicks (Acts
4:33). Every
instance
of the Holy Spirit's power at work in the church brought growth.
Acts
2:41 brought 3000 converts! Acts 4:4 brought 5000 converts! In Acts
5:14 we see multitudes of converts! In Acts 6:7 we see the numbers
multiplied! There are ways to increase numbers with gifts and
gimmicks. These gimmicks are used often
in churches today. These gimmicks are used often to bring in money
to t.v. or radio preachers. The use of gimmicks
shows the lack
of power. Aren't
you tired of gimmicks?
Let's
depend upon the
Holy Spirit to
grow God's church!
Ask
yourself this question: Will we be a Holy Spirit filled church?
Let's rely upon God
to build His church! (Matthew 16:13-19). Look at the exchange
between Jesus and His disciples:
Jesus: “Whom do men say that I am?”
Response: “John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one
of the prophets”
Jesus:
“Whom say ye
that I am?” - “Who am I to YOU?”
Peter: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God”
Jesus: “Upon this rock (statement/reality) I
will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it”.
Will
you
do your
part? Will you
allow the Holy Spirit access into your life,
your will
and
your thoughts?
If
we will all
do our part and allow the Holy Spirit to do His
work in us,
there will be no limit to what God will do...right where you
meet!!!!!
Until
next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
My next few blog posts will be thoughts and messages on the Holy Spirit that I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
He increases our faith by revealing Jesus, the Living Word. This is the promise of Jesus. John 16:13-14 “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you”. The more we know about Jesus, the stronger our faith becomes
The presence of the Holy Spirit produces a fight (Galatians 5:17). We will have peace at the moment of conversion. Spiritual life has come. Fellowship with God becomes a reality!
But soon we learn we are in a war. Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses”
Paul, toward the end of his life said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). We are at war with the devil (Ephesians 6:11-12). We are at war with the flesh. Paul said in 1 Cor 9:27, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection”
What is the point of this conflict? The Holy Spirit verses the sin nature (Galatians 5:17-21). Paul shared some insight into this struggle (Romans 7:15-25). How do we stay victorious in this battle? By feeding the new nature on the Word of God and by yielding to the Holy Spirit.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer produces fruit (Gal 5:22-23). We're talking about the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit we bear will show us if we are winning the battle. These are the things the Holy Spirit wants to produce in you
Notice the natural divisions in this list. First, in relation to God...love, joy, peace. Second ,in relation to our fellow man...longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. Third, in relation to ourselves...faith, meekness, self control
What is the Holy Spirit producing in you? Are you allowing Him to work in your life and produce the fruit He desires to produce? By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we become fruitful.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Scripture
reading: Gal 3:1-9; 5:16-23
We
have learned in this series of blog posts that the Holy Spirit is a
person having intellect,
emotion
and a will,
the
Holy Spirit is at work in our conversion
experience, He regenerates the believer and brings
new life. Paul
wrote in Titus
3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost”.
All persons of the godhead participate in the work of
salvation. Based upon the redemptive work of His Son, the Father
sends the Holy Spirit to wash away our sins and continually renew us.
He takes up His residence in the believer. Paul confirmed this in 1
Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”
The
Holy Spirit seals
the believer. God's Word tells us this in Ephesians
4:30 , “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby, ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption”
He
baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ. 1
Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit” All
believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body of believers,
the church. We don't lose our individual identities, but we have an
overriding oneness
in Jesus! We
learned that
each of us has received the same Holy Spirit who completely fills our
innermost beings. The question we want to pursue today is “How
can I know whether or not the Holy Spirit is within me?”
The
presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer produces
faith
(Galatians
3:1-9).
The
Christian life begins
with faith. Paul had been to Galatia and many had believed
There
had been evidence
of their new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit will draw you to faith
in Jesus. Now
these converts had concluded that keeping the law
was necessary as well.
This
is the mistake of many cults. The
law is fulfilled
in Christ Jesus! The
Holy Spirit comes
in
response
to faith, and He matures
our faith. He increases
our faith through the written
Word. He
was at work in revelation
- in revealing (2 Peter 1:21). He was at work in inspiration
(2 Timothy 3:16). He is at work in illumination.
Look at the
words of Jesus in John
14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father
will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”
He increases our faith by revealing Jesus, the Living Word. This is the promise of Jesus. John 16:13-14 “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you”. The more we know about Jesus, the stronger our faith becomes
The presence of the Holy Spirit produces a fight (Galatians 5:17). We will have peace at the moment of conversion. Spiritual life has come. Fellowship with God becomes a reality!
But soon we learn we are in a war. Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses”
Paul, toward the end of his life said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). We are at war with the devil (Ephesians 6:11-12). We are at war with the flesh. Paul said in 1 Cor 9:27, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection”
What is the point of this conflict? The Holy Spirit verses the sin nature (Galatians 5:17-21). Paul shared some insight into this struggle (Romans 7:15-25). How do we stay victorious in this battle? By feeding the new nature on the Word of God and by yielding to the Holy Spirit.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer produces fruit (Gal 5:22-23). We're talking about the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit we bear will show us if we are winning the battle. These are the things the Holy Spirit wants to produce in you
Notice the natural divisions in this list. First, in relation to God...love, joy, peace. Second ,in relation to our fellow man...longsuffering, gentleness, goodness. Third, in relation to ourselves...faith, meekness, self control
What is the Holy Spirit producing in you? Are you allowing Him to work in your life and produce the fruit He desires to produce? By yielding to the Holy Spirit, we become fruitful.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
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Thursday, April 4, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT - YOUR BODY, HIS TEMPLE
My next few blog posts will be thoughts and messages on the Holy Spirit that I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
Scripture
reading: 1 Cor. 6:19-20
We are living in a
“body-conscious” world. There are many products to clean up,
paint up, prop up and fix up our bodies. There is great concern
about physical shape today. Diets abound! Fitness and exercise
clubs are all around us.
The
Christian has another dimension to this attitude. The day you became
a Christian, something happened
to your body. This is what this blog post is about.
Your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit! Vs 19 What? Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost? Your body as a Christian is the
personal dwelling place of the Holy Spirit! How awesome is that?
This
reminds us of the temple in the Old Testament. What great care was
given to it's design. What immense wealth was placed into it's
construction. The people were to know
that God dwelt there! Note the day of dedication of Solomon's temple
(2 Chron 7:1-3, 12-15)
There
is no such place in the age of grace! God
no longer dwells in temples made with hands. The buildings we see
used for church meetings are not
God's temple. Those buildings are not even a church,
it's just a place the church meets.
Your
body
is God's
temple. Be careful where it goes.
Be
careful what it does.
Be
careful what it ponders.
Be
careful how it reacts.
The
Holy Spirit lives within it's temple. Vs
19 “...which is in you?” How
can that be? It's something like the creation of man. It's yet
another proof of the mystery of God.
Let's
see how clearly the Bible bears out this truth. Jesus makes the
promise,
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father,
He shall testify of Me (John 15:26 ). The
Book of Acts describes it in Acts
2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all
in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from
heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where
they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance”
Acts
4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness”
The epistles explain it
Romans
8:9-11
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But
if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Galatians
5:25
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”
The
result of all this is that the
Holy Spirit is with you wherever you go! His
power is available when you need it. Every word you speak and every deed
you do is in His view. He is grieved at our inconsistencies.
The
purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify God in His temple. The
purpose of the creation of man is to glorify
God. Stephen
glorified God in giving his life. Paul glorified God in beatings and
stonings. John, on the isle of Patmos, glorified God by suffering
for his Lord. God can
and should
receive glory through your body and spirit – which
are His!
Surrender
your body to the Lord. Paul in writing to the Romans said in Romans
12:1 “...present your bodies a living sacrifice...”. Be
mindful of where you go, what you do, what you say and how you
behave. If you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit is with you –
always!
You are not your own! “...glorify
God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's”
Until next time...enjoy the
journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND CONVERSION
My next few blog posts will be thoughts and messages on the Holy Spirit that I have shared with the local assembly God has placed us in. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
Scripture reading: John 16:8-14
Sealing speaks of ownership. Perhaps you've heard the expression You've “sealed the deal”. The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is like a down payment (Ephesians 1:13-14). Vs 13 of our Scripture reading tells us In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. To guarantee this sealing, we have the witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:14-16). The sealing of the Spirit guarantees that what God has begun He will continue to completion! (Phil 1:6).
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
Scripture reading: John 16:8-14
The Holy Spirit
is alive and well and He's working in the world today. According to
our Scripture there are specific
works of the Holy Spirit in the world . These include convicting of
sin, righteousness and judgment, teaching people about Jesus and
glorifying Jesus and, of course, bringing people to conversion (a
saving knowledge of Jesus). In this blog I want to look at what the
Holy Spirit does at the moment
of saving faith.
The
Holy Spirit brings new life to the believer. Paul wrote in Titus
3:5, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost. We're
all spiritually dead because of sin (Eph 2:1-9). A good example of
this is Nicodemus (John 3). Nicodemus was religious,
but lost.
He
needed a spiritual
birth. Apart from the new birth he would not have been saved .
Regeneration
means new
birth. Most
people at one point or another in their life wish they could start
life over
again. In the sight of God, you can do just
that!
When
one is saved, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the individual.
Paul, writing to the church of Corinth in 1
Cor 6:19-20
stated What? Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which in in you, which ye have
of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's
The
Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence
in us when we accept Jesus! Jesus promised this to His disciples
(John 14:16-23). When the Holy Spirit comes in, there is evidence
of His occupancy in the believer's life. The Bible
becomes a new book – it comes alive.
The
Fruit
of the Spirit
start showing up in the believer's life. Power to overcome sin
becomes a daily
experience. A new longing
for holy living becomes part of the believer's life.
The
Holy Spirit seals the believer until Jesus returns. Ephesians
4:30 tells
us And grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. Note
this exciting progression: Regeneration, Residence and now Sealing!
Sealing speaks of ownership. Perhaps you've heard the expression You've “sealed the deal”. The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is like a down payment (Ephesians 1:13-14). Vs 13 of our Scripture reading tells us In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. To guarantee this sealing, we have the witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:14-16). The sealing of the Spirit guarantees that what God has begun He will continue to completion! (Phil 1:6).
The
Holy Spirit baptizes the believer. 1
Corinthians 12:13 tells
us For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit .
It's
important to note that this takes place at conversion.
The
baptism by one Spirit refers
neither to water baptism nor to the baptism of the believer in the
Holy Spirit, such as occurred on the Day of Pentecost. Rather, it
refers to the Holy Spirit's baptizing the believer into Christ's
body,
uniting him to the Body of Christ and making him spiritually one
with other believers.
It's
a supernatural
transformation that takes place at conversion and puts the believer
in
Christ. This
is the basis
for unity within
our diversity. God's church is composed of many types of people
from a variety of backgrounds
with a variety of gifts.
If
we're not careful, these gifts – gifts that God meant for good
– will divide
us. Despite the differences, all believers have one thing in common
– faith
in Jesus!
To
drink into one Spirit means that each of us has received the same
Holy Spirit who completely fills
our innermost beings. We are united
by the Holy Spirit into one spiritual body.
Think about it – a new life, indwelt, sealed, baptized
all at conversion! This is the Holy Spirit at work in the believer.
In view of these benefits in Christ, let's walk in the Spirit
We are equipped to win!
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
Ray
Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.
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