The Power Of The Holy Spirit

 

Many believers settle for a two-thirds God. They rely on the Father and the Son but overlook the Holy Spirit. You wouldn’t make that mistake with a tripod, trike, or prism. You certainly don’t want to make that mistake with the Trinity. Your Bible refers more than a hundred times to the Holy Spirit. Jesus says more about the Holy Spirit than He does about the church or marriage. In fact, on the eve of His death, as He prepared His followers to face the future without Him, He made this great and precious promise:

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. — Acts 1:8

Imagine all the promises Jesus could have made to the disciples but didn’t. He didn’t promise immediate success. He didn’t promise the absence of disease or struggles. He never guaranteed a level of income or popularity. But He did promise the perpetual, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is central to the life of the Christian. Everything that happens from the book of Acts to the end of the book of Revelation is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit of Christ. The Spirit came alongside the disciples, indwelled them, and gave the early church the push they needed to face the challenges ahead.

Perhaps you could use a push. 

~From Unshakeable Hope by Max Lucado, Author

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Unity Not Division

 

 

Division has crept into our country, our public discourse, our families, and even the Church. 

Paul understood the consequences of this and the toll it takes on our souls, which is why unity was his highest priority. For example, in Galatians 2, Paul passionately “opposed Peter to his face,” but then later reconciled with him. Paul recognized the importance of unity and unity takes work.

This is the context for Philippians 4 when Paul pleads with two Philippian women to “be of the same mind in the Lord” (v. 2). Euodia and Syntyche were two Christian women who were key players in the spread of the gospel. These women very well could have risked their lives for the mission of God, but disunity undermined their relationship. 

After urging these women toward unity, Paul gives a series of instructions in verses 4-9—action steps for maintaining their unity with one another:

1. Rejoice (v. 4) – Joy is a counterintuitive tool against division. Very often, division occurs when something other than Christ is made central. That’s the amazing thing about rejoicing in God and expressing gratitude. When we shift our focus off of the source of our division and onto the goodness of God, it shifts our perspective. It reminds us what we hold in common. 

2. Be gentle (v. 5) – When we pound people into submission with our words we might win the battle, but we will probably lose the war. Communication breaks down under the weight of slander, harsh words, unfair generalizations, and brazen self-righteousness. If we want to avoid disunity, we must wield our words with fear and trembling. 

3. Do not be anxious (v. 6) – So much division in our world comes from unfounded fears. It is for this simple reason that God repeatedly commands “Do not fear.” Fear is a liar, an instigator, an aggressor, and the source of much division today.

4. Pray (v. 6) – Go to God first. While it’s important to seek wise counsel, too often we stray into gossip and slander under the guise of seeking advice. ALWAYS go first to God in prayer. 

This passage reminds us that unity takes work—unity never happens on its own. The natural momentum of community is toward brokenness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are constantly resisting the rupture of misunderstandings and relationship breakdowns. Joy is a part of that resistance. It’s just one more reason God invites us to choose joy. 

 

~From Defiant Joy: A Study of Philippians on YouVersion 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

You Can't Change People

 

 

 

Trying to change people is also a work of the flesh. Only God can change people. We can and should pray for them, but we cannot change them. True and lasting change must come from the inside out, and only God can change a person’s heart. We should love people as they are rather than how we want them to be.

~Joyce Meyer, Know Your Enemy, Part 10 and Your Battles Belong to the Lord

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Advice You Shouldn't Ignore

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However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15 NKJV)

A few weeks ago, the verdict in George Zimmerman’s case came down. He was found not guilty. I am not here to debate whether justices was or was not served. My focus is, however, on the day that Trayvon Martin died.

On that day, trouble visited George Zimmerman. I don’t know if he is Christian or not, but even us Christians can learn from his mistakes. See, people make stupid mistakes. They make them at every age.

George could have avoided this trouble. The 911 operator recommended he stay in his vehicle after letting the police know there was someone suspicious in the neighborhood. The 911 operator didn’t yell that he should stay in the vehicle. Zimmerman was calmly advised to stay in the vehicle. He chose to get out. And what happened next started with a fight and then the death of an innocent teenage boy, and probably the worst year George Zimmerman has ever had.

We make bad choices. Sometimes we do not have enough information to make a well-informed decision. Other times, we just act on impulse. But those of us who profess to be followers of Christ, have help.

Christ stated He would provide a Comforter. He sent the Holy Spirit to help guide us in all truth. The Holy Spirit provides comfort in our times of trouble. He provides direction. The Holy Spirit is our conscience. He doesn't yell and scream for us to do as He says. It is calmly expressed. Make no mistake you can hear it, even if it was spoken in a whisper. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t listen at all times. And sometimes nothing comes out of it (well, to the naked eye), and sometimes I pay for ignoring the Holy Spirit. We are provided with solutions that bring peace, but we ignore it for a myriad of reasons.

And we pay for that. Sometimes it’s mild, such as ignoring the unction to take a different route and end up in a traffic jam. Other instances, we pay in major ways: we lose a job or our credibility is ruined. Sometimes you know deep down that this person, who you want to share the rest of your life with, isn’t the right person for you, but you ignore every attempt to get you to see reason, and find yourself dealing with years of heartache and pain. And sometimes, Christians (again, I don’t know if Zimmerman professed to be one) catch a case, that is, find themselves in legal trouble.

We have a guide in these times. He provides the truth to us to keep us out of harm’s way. The Holy Spirit provides comfort when trouble arrives through no fault of our own. He provides guidance, even when we ignored him in the first place. 

And you are not alone if you have ignored or grieved the Holy Spirit. What we need to do now is acknowledge our misstep, confess and be diligent in being obedient to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, correction, advice, etc., etc. Then we will avoid the pitfalls we create. We won’t “catch a case” simply because we ignored a sound recommendation.

What ways have you chosen your way instead of the Holy Spirit’s? (Just reflect, but if you want to answer, do so).

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!