Category: Holy Spirit

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

As a junior high disciplinarian I can honestly share with students that poor choices eventually lead to destructive consequences. I need to also share the positive aspect of sowing and reaping.

Throughout his letter to the Galatians, Paul teaches how to sow to please the Spirit:

• “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
• “Live by the Spirit.”
• “Let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
• “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.”
• “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.”
• “Carry each other’s burdens.”
• “What counts is a new creation.”
• “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Paul’s secret was to know that when Christ died on the cross, Paul died. “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with…” (Romans 6:6) Now Christ lives in us!

On earth, Jesus was led by the Spirit. He listened to His Father and obeyed what His Father told Him to do. With all the fruit of the Spirit, Jesus found His joy in His Father’s will. “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

As children of God, we have been given the Holy Spirit. So let’s fearlessly follow the Master!

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15-16

II Timothy 1:5-18:

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

What you have heard from me, keep as a 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.

You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygeius and Homogenes.

May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Though his grandmother and mother had faith, Timothy still had to choose for himself to trust and obey. Like us, Timothy was saved by grace through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Now the apostle Paul, his mentor, encouraged a young man to let the fire of God burn strongly.

“God has given you gifts, Timothy; use them! He wants us to live bold lives marked by God’s power, love, and holiness. Jesus warned in a parable of the servant who buried his talent because he was afraid. Do not be afraid, Timothy, and do not be ashamed of the Lord… or of me, though you know many have criticized and left me.

“I have taught you that it is all about Jesus… his life, death, burial, and resurrection. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes… share the Good News! Rely on the Holy Spirit who lives in you. He produces the fruit of Jesus in our lives… and we know that love is the greatest fruit!

“Jesus has destroyed death! We need not fear anything! God is with us and gives everything we need. I love you. —Paul.”

Mustn’t it make God smile when older men and older women encourage the younger in the faith? And doesn’t it bring God joy when the younger look for ways to help the older? May God’s family live in a manner that brings him glory!

“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” I Timothy 5:1-2

Pictures like this will be my memories of our trip to Kenya… God’s children walking side by side… black and white, African and American, older and younger, different, but the same.

The 410 Bridge Departure Book states this: “We provide opportunities for Americans to get involved with God’s overall mission to serve people, and thereby experience a growing relationship with Him. As we walk alongside the people of these developing countries, we recognize the indescribable needs and suffering that exist there. Our desire is to work alongside our friends, empowering and encouraging them towards sustainable solutions and closer relationship with God, one community at a time.”

Every time I’ve visited the continent of Africa, I have met people of faith who closely walk in relationship with the Father, and I have asked God to let me be more like them. The beauty of the Body of Christ is that the members of God’s family need each other. We are all different and each of us is called to “use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

As Jesus prepared to leave the earth, He spoke of God’s plan for the third Person of the Trinity to come alongside those who had put their faith in Him. “If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14: 15-18)

God knows that we need Him to come alongside us. Even better, we need Him to live in us. The Counselor, the Comforter, the Advocate, the Helper, the Spirit of Truth… these are names given the One who comes. And the Holy Spirit is a far superior Companion than any human being! He will constantly remind us of Jesus and He will always tell us the truth.

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me.” John 15:26

“But when He, The Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will only speak what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you.” John 16:13-14

The disciples did not follow Jesus’ directions in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Stay here and keep watch.” What were they to watch for? But it really didn’t matter; they couldn’t stay awake. “Watch and pray so you don’t fall into temptation,” Jesus encouraged, but their eyes were too heavy and they fell asleep three times.

They wanted to do what Jesus asked, but they couldn’t. Mark wrote that after Jesus woke them, “They did not know what to say to Him.”

“No one knows about the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

“Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37)

I watched Taylor coach his volleyball team this week. The crowd was enthusiastic, the game was intense, and our son was on the sideline… it was easy to watch. But it is harder to watch when matters are spiritual and I don’t fully comprehend. I want to watch; I want to be alert; I want to understand the times… but I need assistance.

The Holy Spirit will help us watch as we depend on Him! We are not left on our own. We can ask the Counselor to help us stay alert and discern. “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

This is what I need… a Helper to keep me awake and help me understand. Thank God He helps us watch!

“When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you.” John 16:13-14

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” “Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you.” These are practical instructions for ‘living in the now.’

The Holy Spirit gave these truths to James and Peter many years ago as they wrote to early disciples. When we read the surrounding verses of each passage we see the Spirit emphasizing remarkably similar things.

“Lord, give us more and more grace as we keep our eyes on You. Teach us to be humble and help us resist the enemy who hates all Your children. Teach us to live in Christ and follow your Spirit day by day. Amen.”

James: “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:5-10)

Peter: “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (I Peter 5:5-10)

“And we have heard the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” II Peter 1:19-21