The Holy Spirit

The joy of the Helper is mine. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit humbles me, ignites my faith and speaks wisdom. I rejoice to be so honored. Knowing the Holy Spirit is indwelling is a huge and verifiable blessing! Thank you, God! The Holy Spirit is such a comforter. Jesus knew when He returned to Heaven, His followers would feel alone and abandoned. So He sent the Holy Spirit, the third personage of God. Ever present, He lives within.

We learn, through faith and persistence, to know the voice and promptings of the Holy Spirit. It is the peace given during moments of worry and fear. It is the revelation when we finally hear and get God’s meaning when reading the Word. It is the quiet prompting to reach out to someone with a word of hope or wisdom that they later say answered their prayers. To listen and obey this prompting is to be in tune with God’s whisper into our lives. God wants us to walk and talk and be relational with Him. He is a true Father. The more time we spend with God, the more time we long to spend. Like all relationships, this requires our consistency and devotion.

Once we surrender ego and willfulness, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we simply bask in God’s grace and love, we begin to change. We love others sincerely. We rejoice in other people’s victories and blessings. We grow in love and compassion

We are given the choice to move more and more into the spirit realm. We’re allowed to live totally in the world before we know God, before we surrender. But that is and has always been the path to eternal death. Surrender to life. To grace and kindness. Accept God’s peace where joy and laughter bubble up and surprise us. Live as much like Jesus as possible. Prefer, forgive, love and protect others.

Spiritual gifts unite the Body of Christ. They enable a smooth running, organized, top of the line performance for all Christian’s who participate. Each gift is vital. Each gift has value to achieve unity.

Father God. Some days it seems I am always asking for the same things. Will I never learn? Help me rely consistently on the Holy Spirit, remembering He is indwelling, close and Listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Often perceived as conscience. God’s approval and His will are easier to hear as we grow older. There is such passion, competition, ambition and ego involved when we are young.

It is sad how people can think once they have fallen away from Jesus, from their commitment to love and honor Him, there is no path back to Him. Sadly, this indicates they never knew Him at all. The love of God, the promises of Jesus are yes and Amen. The heart of God waits eagerly the return of the lost.

Sometimes the question of entering Heaven feels exactly like the Scriptural warning of a camel going through the eye of a needle. I think we tend to believe Jesus brought a new Covenant and our belief in Him is all that is required. But do we believe deeply enough? Sincerely enough? Is there a hidden rule we haven’t seen? We are trained to expect a gimmick, a trick answer and sometimes cynicism disrupts faith.

Listening for God’s voice can rescue us. He will lead us where we are needed. And our obedience brings great rewards! The enemy loves to distract us, to lure us with shiny things and pull us far from the love of God. If we could understand how differently God looks at things than we do, we would completely understand the scripture regarding last will be first and first will be last. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:30

It is like the emperor’s new clothes! It is a delusion. When people groups choose to present themselves as tolerant, when they carry placards announcing their open-mindedness, they should at least read their own press. They openly malign Christians, calling them intolerant. Thus, they espouse more hate and intolerance than any people in centuries. We need to remove our blinders. Tolerance does not practice hate and judgment and even violence. The position of tolerance does not protect perpetrators of crime just because that crime is committed against people they choose to see suffer.

When we live our lives listening for God’s leading, we will verify, testify and truthfully love others as we love ourselves.

Dear God, Thank You for leading me beside the still waters. Thank You for reminding me turning the other cheek means ignoring the slings and arrows thrown at us by people who choose to use accusation and hyperbole as weapons to dishonor us as opposed to having heartfelt discussions of who we really are. And who they are. Lord, I ask healing for relationships, a return to times when truth took center stage and was expected as a starting point for all debate.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. Psalm 23, A psalm of David.

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