Tag: John

Rest In The Spirit

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It has been my observation, while searching scripture for insight and wisdom concerning the Holy Spirit, there is much for me to learn about the mission accomplished by the Holy Spirit. This essay is a bit of muttering and emoting on the things I found as my research unfolded. I start with the Gospel of John asking a simple question; how does the Spirit rests upon us? What follows is a glimpse of my journey…

The Spirit of God is our advisor for all things true and fills our mind with the exact data we need, exactly when we need that data (John 14:17; 15:26-27; 16:13). If we are careful and are tuned to God’s channel, we will get the message. I think it goes without saying, the enemy will work to confuse and obscure the truth when we most need it.  Lucifer will try to make the power of this world look pretty cool and make God look distant, small, ineffective in a sea of confusion and angst. This is the key — never assume Lucifer is not on the job. He is. Lucifer will make the one true living God seem useless, equating God’s power to a broken power tool in the back of your Garage. Yet, the promise is – God will be there, every time, with all we need. The work of the Spirit, the infusion, infilling of the Spirit, will appear just in time, with all the power needed to crush Lucifer. The Devil is watching my keyboard and trying hard to block this message. Yet, God sends a thunderbolt crashing in to clear the path for truth. That is how it works. Selah.

When the Spirit comes, he comes full force, he carries the truth, he glorifies Jesus (John 16:13-14). When the Spirit rests upon us, we are filled with the amazing truth of God, the amazing power of God to accomplish our assigned mission. The essence of our individual ministries, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is to magnify the beauty and majesty of Jesus. This does not usually happen without a little friction between humans as they try to touch the message without being touched by God. The Spirit sooths the friction. The Spirit of God, rest upon us and reveals the beauty, power, wisdom, and love of Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit empowers us to introduce the love of Jesus to others with demonstratable strength (the gifts of the Spirit). Paul tells us in Philippians 3:3 that we worship by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that fills us with an awareness of Jesus and empowers us to act internally and externally. Our sharing Jesus with others becomes an act of worship. This prayerful worship can be visualized as the smoke and incense that seeps into the throne room…

Peter said — The Spirit of Glory and full Power of God rests upon you (implied in 1 Peter 4:14). I think this suggests two things: the Spirit causes us to understand that the earthly glory we are losing here is not worth keeping, and the present heavenly glory we are embracing, coupled with the future glory we are moving towards, is infinitely better. He then makes the infilling unmistakable; we are changed, not by our feeble works but by the amazing works of God, he chooses to rest upon us. We become aware of the unmistakable presence, not feelings, but presence, the infilling of the shekinah glory, and the empowerment that envelops us and permeates our being. We just know.

In the early church, people were filled with the Spirit to deal with the difficult conditions of building something from nothing. Clearly, they had troubles, roman government troubles, priestly troubles, and Greeks polytheistic troubles; they even had leadership battles.  Not much has changed 2000 years later; we need the filling of the Spirit – we need the Holy Spirit to rest upon us – renewed every morning.

Peter said — after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10-11). I cannot say this message enough times — The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you like a mantle of authority (implied in 1 Peter 4:14). Paul said — I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done — By the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. … I [Paul] have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (Romans 13:17-19). Can I get an Amen?

The deeper truth — If you are uncertain, you will be restored to clarity; if you are broken, you will be healed; if you collapse, you will rise a concrete tower; if you slip into the mud, you will emerge on a firm foundation of Granite. You have been given an amazing mantle of authority to get stuff done. Just do it. Just stop struggling and find rest in the Holy Spirit.

I choose Jesus.

Find your Deliberate Dance

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It has been my observation when searching for how the Holy Spirit empowers us (as defined in scripture) that we owe everything to the superior strategy and planning of God the Father, including the amazing purchase of our soul by the Son (redemption), and the transformative power and implementation of God’s Plan in us by the Holy Spirit (infilling).

We read in Romans 8:9 — Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. All believers have the Holy Spirit. Continuing, we read in Ephesians 5:18 — Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. This suggests we are not continually filled, but we are filled for a purpose, a season, then there is rest. Consider the plight of a Gas engine with a nitro injection system. We do not always use the nitro system, just when power is required. We are told to seek the infilling; seek all the fullness we can garner; and, at the same, we are cautioned to avoid quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and to avoid grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). This is a deliberate dance.

Let us look at four overlapping ideas that lead to the infilling of the Spirit. First, we are told to meditate on Scripture. There is a life-giving connection between the Spirit of God and his Word. Jesus said — It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. (John 6:63). Paul says — Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. (Ephesians 5:18–19). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16).

Second, we are told to believe what we read in the Word. Paul asked (Galatians 3:5), “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” I think it is clear the Holy Spirit is supplied to us and works powerfully in us as we hear the word with faith — as we believe it – as we put it into practice. Stephen and Barnabas were men of faith and full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Acts 11:24). I think we are wise to not trivialize the relationship between faith and the infilling of the Spirit. It is by meditation and faith we experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This leads to belief in what we read in scripture.

Third, we to be obedient to scripture. One of the disciples asked Jesus — Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (John 14:22)? Jesus answered — “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). When you keep his word, he draws close – really close.

Fourth is the thirst, the desire to know God. The glue that brings together meditation, belief, and obedience is desire. We are told to thirst for Him. Our dance with God is to be Deliberate. Jesus says — If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink … Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive (John 7:37-39). The Psalms says — Drink from the river of [his] delights” (Psalms 36:8). As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. (Psalms 42:1–2). O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1).

Embrace meditation on scripture, believe what you read in scripture, become obedient to the guidelines in scripture, and thirst for God. You do this and the Spirit of glory will rest upon you (1 Peter 4:14). Do not hold back. Implement the plan. Seek his presence. Seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Find the ‘deliberate dance’ in your life.

I choose Jesus.

Captured By Him

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It has been my observation while reading Romans that we were captured by the reconciling death of Jesus while we were still sinners (Romans 5:6–10). We were captured by God’s sovereign election before the earth was framed (Ephesians 1:4). We were captured by the indwelling, sealing work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). We were captured through his predestination to be adopted (Ephesians 1:5). We were captured by regeneration and focused calling (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Romans 5:1-6 says   Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. … at just the right time, … Christ died for the ungodly (NIV)

When I read this section of Romans, I smiled because of the hope derived by the Glory of God. The faith I carry, a small seed of hope in God’s Glory is given to me, creates peace within me, sustains me through the troubles and suffering, and enhances the pleasures associated with walking in the shade of Jesus. Please do not mis-understand, I am not claiming to have a close walk, I am simply aware of the grace and the peace granted to me from the works of Jesus. We run together to obtain the prize, already gifted to us, just waiting on the shelf for our benefit when we graduate to Heaven. We were not redeemed to sit in the stands and watch the racers, we were redeemed to participate. When we were powerless to redeem ourselves, Jesus stepped in and addressed the problem. So, we are not redeemed to sit in the stands nor sit on the side of a pool with our feet and ankles cooling in the water. We were redeemed to engage. We were bought with a price. We are here to bring Jesus to the forefront.

Romans 5:7-11 says — Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (NIV).

Jesus is the author of my faith. As the author of my life, he created the book before I existed. But I was unaware of the book. I did not even know that the author of the book (Jesus) had me in mind before my faith was present in my heart. I was not inclined towards the things of God. Then, I found myself standing in front of the one true living God. I do not believe for a second, I could have visualized how things would work out. I think, if I knew how my life was going to progress before I got started, I might have turned away out of fear. But I did not know. Then, in His time, I was equipped for my tasks by Jesus – he became the author of my story. I had nothing to do with the plan, but I did have plenty to do with the deviations from the plan. Thank God he has a long arm and a very persistent affection, he chased me and nudged me back on the path over and over.

For I was “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). I found peace and security in the immense truth of God. Selah. The less I struggle, the better life gets.

I choose Jesus.

We are Remanufactured.

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It has been my observation that Jesus came to restore our original righteousness which was lost through sin. He fulfilled the law of God on our behalf and then offered his own life as a sacrifice to God’s justice for our sins. Romans 3:23-25 explains: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

Jesus remedied our standing with God and restored God’s image within us. Thus, the language of Genesis 1:27 is echoed in our New Testament faith in Jesus, “renewed in the spirit of [our] minds … to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24). Paul says that by God’s grace “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we live in restored relationship with God and we can love others with the love God gives us. We live an abundant life in the presence of Jesus and participate in God’s mission of healing and restoration to the world. Life in relationship with Jesus increasingly becomes marked by joy, love, peace, and light. The body may die, but the soul lives on eternally with Christ. Indeed, God’s goodness and wholeness has the first and the last word.

God loves us and proves that love by sending His Son, Jesus, to show us what He is like (John 14:9). Although God loves us, our sin separates us from God (implied in Romans 3:23; 6:23). Jesus came to earth and offered Himself in our place. He took the punishment our sin deserves (implied in 2 Corinthians 5:21). God raised Him from the dead three days later, proving that Jesus is Lord over everything, including death (implied in Romans 10:9–10). Then God decreed that everyone who places faith in Jesus will be forgiven and enter a relationship with Him (implied in John 3:16–18). So, God’s first desire is that we come to know Him through faith. When we know Him, we can discover who we are.

Paul says — Could this be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to sin and that miserable life—we are no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: when we are included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead, it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again, death shall not have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, and then God comes close to us. From now on — Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word from Him. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That is what Jesus did – that is what happens to us (Romans 6:6-11 paraphrased).

This is a game changer. Paul says – do not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Do not give it the time of day. Do not even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly into this new life—remember, you have been raised from the dead! — We are living life God’s way – not our way. Sin cannot tell you how to live. We do not live under that old tyranny any longer. Now and forever more we live in the freedom of God (Romans 6:12-14 paraphrased).

The New Testament reflects on our divine image – we are made for covenant communion with God in righteousness. While the Fall has marred the image of God in us – distorting the righteousness which we were first made to reflect – God sent Jesus to redeem us and restore the image of God “in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24). We are remanufactured.  We have permission to walk with God.

I choose Jesus.

Unmerited Grace for All

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It has been my observation that we Christians look to the Bible for lasting meaning and hope; this search allows us to use our reasoning abilities as God intended. The Bible presents the reality of God (implied in Revelation 1:8), who has revealed Himself to all people (implied in Psalms 19:1-2).

The apostle Paul argued this point when he wrote, “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen; being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). This declaration, in which God reveals Himself through nature, is also shown to the heart of every person, for “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them” (Romans 1:19).

John Calvin referred to this as the ‘sensus divinitatis’, which is an innate sense of divinity, an intuitive knowledge that God exists. Calvin wrote, “there exists in the human mind and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity.” He further states, “All men of sound judgment will therefore hold, that a sense of Deity is indelibly engraved on the human heart.” Calvin also wrote, “there never has been, from the very first, any corner of the globe, any city, any household, without religion, [which] amounts to a tacit confession, that a sense of Deity is inscribed on every heart.”

The problem is not with God’s clear revelation, but with the human heart which is rebellious. For those possessed with sinful persistence, they suppress the truth with their unrighteousness (implied in Romans 1:18). These rebels have a sinful heart that ignores God’s grace to pursue earthly passions.

In Romans 1:21-23 Paul wrote — For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (NIV).

God never forces Himself on anyone. People are free to choose whether to accept Him or not. If they reject the gentle nudge from the Spirit of God, he does not render the final judgment upon them right away. Rather, God extends to them an undeserved period of kindness and goodness, regardless of whether they have yielded to grace or continue rebelling (implied in John 3:16). But death brings the period of kindness to closure.

This grace is dependent on God and not the attitude or actions of men. Jesus said of His Father, that “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Paul affirmed this grace, saying, “In the generations gone by, He permitted all the nations to go their own ways [in rebellion]; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:16-17). Here, God’s grace is obvious, Elohim provides what we need. He even blesses the unsaved and unrepentant. His love, mercy, and goodness are extended toward the undeserving entirely because of his earnest goal to see all of us yield to Grace before we die.

Salvation comes to us by grace alone (it is an undeserved gift), through faith alone (adding no works), by Jesus alone (as the only One who saves). Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation comes to us via the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (implied in Romans 10:9). We deserve death; but grace abounds through the ransom paid by the Lamb of God.

I choose Jesus.

Deprive the Oxygen

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It was my observation, when I was a young elder at a small church in Nebraska, to have a front row view of God healing a man from Bitterness (unforgiveness). I watched a skillful senior elder gradually help a person who had rejected his pastor because of a few stray comments made by the Pastor. Bitter-man (Bman) was not easy to visit with. This senior elder knew Bman was a contractor and went to the job sites to visit with Bman. It took several visits to contractor sites to bring Bman to the reconciliation table. It took months of meetings to help the two men reconcile. The trouble ran deep. After God resolved the problem, the elder mentioned to me – clinging to bitterness is much like drinking an extremely sweet poison while believing that the other person is going to die. He quietly said – The more we feed the foul stench of bitterness in our own heart, the more aggressively it pulls us towards darkness.

Bitterness is a mental poison. It is heavenly to bite into, is quite easy to swallow, and then gently brings darkness to us from the inside out. I think – when we cling to something that drags us into darkness, Lucifer has achieved his objective – his job is really easy at that point. How do we get out of the mess?

Deprive bitterness of oxygen. To strip bitterness of its oxygen, we must first know where the oxygen comes from. Proverbs says – Whoever would foster love covers an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends (Proverbs 17:9). We give bitterness oxygen by repeating the issue over and over in our mind. If we stop the pattern, we can break the power of bitterness over our heart.

Sometimes people love to bring up old issues when a new issue arises between them. If you are one of them, and you know what I am talking about, then the ‘replay’ never allows us to settle the matter. We are an expert at retaining infinite detail on the grievance and are very consistent in bringing it up. Sometimes we engage in constant repeating and reliving the issue with a third party, somebody that was not involved but we have deemed they have a ‘need to know.’  The bible calls this gossip (unless a crime or abuse has been committed). The tough part of gossip is that it hurts a lot of people. The transmitter of gossip is injured (see Proverbs 25:9–10); the listener of the gossip is harmed (see Proverbs 22:24–25); and the Spirit of God is grieved (see Ephesians 4:29-32). Just say no to gossip.

Whenever we do these things, we give the devil a foothold to sow more darkness and bitterness inside of us (implied in Hebrews 12:14–15). Paul says — Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:31–32). At some point, we must let go. Bitterness grows, or it diminishes, but it does not set still. Just hand it over to Jesus before you are consumed.

To starve our souls of one thing (to let go), we must feed our souls with something else. We let go of bitterness by refocusing our heart and mind on God’s love and forgiveness toward us. Paul says — Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8).  J I Packer says — There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love towards me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench His determination to bless me.  We are free.

When we stray, Jesus is constantly in pursuit. He instantly celebrates when we repent and turn towards him (implied Luke 15:20–32). There is mercy waiting for every repentant sinner, including me, with our imperfect hearts seeking perfect forgiveness (implied in Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).

I choose Jesus.

Gifts To Do What Needs To Be Done

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It was my observation while reading a blog entry posted by Sarah Torbeck (CatholicMom.com), she presented an excellent story about Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who was imprisoned by the German Nazi’s at the age of 52. I have adapted a portion of Sarah’s post for this essay.

Corrie Ten Boom wondered if she would be able to suffer without betraying her Lord Jesus. She described a conversation between herself as a child and her earthly father: “Daddy,” she had said one day, “I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ.”  “Tell me,” Her father wisely responded, “when you take a train trip from Haarlem to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?”   “No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train.”  “That is right,” he replied, “and so it is with God’s strength. Our wise Father in heaven knows when you are going to need things too. Today you do not need the strength to be a martyr. But as soon as you are called upon for the honor of facing death for Jesus, He will supply the strength you need — just in time.”   “I took great comfort in my father’s advice,” Corrie told her audience. “Later I had to suffer for Jesus in a [Nazi] concentration camp.” This is a good example of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Is it real? Yes — it is like a nitro injection for a gas operated engine.

Peter said — Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial [or crazy trial] when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ [it might be an accusation, a false charge, a demand for improper action] you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (Paraphrased from 1 Pet 4:12-14)

Acts tells us — Ananias departed and entered the house [Ananias was looking for Paul]. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (paraphrased from Acts 9:17)

This infilling came from God, on God’s timetable, not Paul’s timetable. God knew Paul needed the power tools that came with the infilling of the Spirit. He prepared Paul for leadership.

Jesus said — I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you [indwelling] and will be in you [infilling] (John 14:16-17).

Acts tells us — brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Paraphrased from Acts 6:3)

This filling was for people who needed spiritual gifts to serve God’s people so the Apostles could continue their leadership tasks and not be distracted by administration issues. These men were team players.

Jesus said — When the Advocate 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. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27).

We are filled by the Spirit with truth to speak.

Jesus said — when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine (John 16:12-15).

We are filled with the Spirit in power and given Gifts to do what needs to be done. He fills us, the Spirit directs us, we move. As we diminish control, the Spirit increases control. The gifts granted by the spirit fulfill his mission, in his time, for his purpose. We should feel extremely blessed to be a part of the event. We need him to minister to others, he does not need us to act.

I choose Jesus.