The Work of the Spirit

     As believers in Christ, God has given us the privilege of housing His Holy Spirit. Our bodies are now considered the temples of God!  Incredible? It is miraculous. The temple has moved from an outward, splendid building into the hearts of men and women.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16

     This Spirit within gives us the ability to live in a dark and crazy world with the confidence of Christ, with the light of Christ, with the Word of Christ. The Spirit gives us power to do just that.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

     These are the marching orders of Christ, the great commission, to be His witnesses, serving humbly with the power and confidence of the One who dwells with us.

Lord,

Thank You for the power of the Spirit that resides within us. We will be Your witnesses wherever we go, whatever we do, with the people you place in our lives, to the ends of the earth.

Amen

The Work of the Spirit

     This is a good time to remind ourselves that there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. No amount of good works can justify us to a Holy God. Only believing in the death, burial and resurrection, this free gift will give us new life and a life forever in heaven. The Holy Spirit opens our heart to this truth.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, , He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:4-6

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

     The Holy Spirit’s work convicts us and opens our hearts so that we may believe. It is all grace. All a gift. And the work of the Holy Spirit continues from that day forward, to sanctify, to glorify God, to purify.

Father,

How can we thank You for the gift of salvation, for the working of the Spirit. We pray for the Holy Spirit of Jesus will open the hearts of many to receive this gift of grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Work of the Spirit

     The Holy Spirit intercedes with us and God. He opens the Word of God to us. He teaches us all things. He prays with us and He prays for us.

“But the Advocate, 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

     Look at these wonderful verses. The Holy Spirit is with us as we pray, understanding not only our deepest need, but how our needs can be met according to God’s will!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

     Remember these words when you do not know how to pray or what to pray. The Spirit intercedes in our weakness. He searches our heart. He will be our Advocate. How reassuring to know that the Holy Spirit indwells us. Rely on Him.

Father,

We thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit to intercede for us with wordless groans, the One who understands us more deeply than we know ourselves and the One who breathes the very life of God into our lives. We thank You for the One who intercedes.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Work of the Spirit

     When I was growing up, our churches rarely spoke of the work and the person of the Holy Spirit. He was called the “Holy Ghost” and conjured up, to me, an eery, almost spooky image. But the Holy Spirit of the living God is the third person of the Trinity, the very life force of our Creator God. The Spirit gives us wisdom, power and truth as we serve Jesus.

     Jesus had to complete His work on the cross before He could send His Holy Spirit to indwell all those who would believe.

“But, very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will prove to the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment." John 16:7-8

     The Holy Spirit convicts us of our need for a Savior. When we see ourselves compared to a holy and righteous God, we understand the work of Jesus, the reason for His suffering and sacrifice. Once we believe, we are sealed forever with this Advocate, the Comforter, the Teacher, the Holy Spirit.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13

     The disciples did not understand when Jesus explained all of these things, but the apostle Paul, years later, understood as he read the words of John. We are sealed forever with His Spirit.

Lord,

Your promised Holy Spirit seals us forever when we believe. We are marked with Your death and resurrection and given the Spirit of truth to guide us day-by-day. Fill us with His wisdom today.

Amen

Heaven Awaits

     To end the week (no blog tomorrow!) we move into heaven, with just a glimpse of what is to come. Jesus gives us a peek at just some of what is to come, but I believe much of the glory to come would be far too astounding and miraculous for our earthly minds to comprehend. We wait, with our imaginations whetted, with our hearts pounding with hope, with awe-inspired words to hold onto while we remain. One day, soon, Jesus will appear to take us home.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:4-5

     Read through Revelation 21 and 22 for more of the glorious heaven and earth to come. I pray this week of anticipation brought hope and light to a sometimes dark and dreary world. Keep an eternal perspective as you live out your life. Spread the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He conquered death for us all and we don’t want anyone to miss out on our heavenly home.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen Revelation 22:20-21

Heaven Awaits

     All of us dream of a long and healthy life, praying we remain physically and mentally active and healthy until we die in our sleep. I have had the privilege of serving with the most incredible women of faith over the last twenty-five years, many surrogate mothers to me. I have witnessed their suffering. The eyes that no longer see, the ears that struggle to hear, the lungs with so little breath, the body so weak and frail, the chronic ever-present pain. These are the outward signs of aging and they will affect us all, if we have the privilege of living to an old age.

     What have these women of faith shared? A peace, a longing for heaven, a joy that remains. How? It is Jesus. Don’t get me wrong. The struggles come with doubt. There are questions with no easy answers. Pain and suffering are real. There is deep grief, but there is always hope. The Psalms speak to their hearts. The suffering of Jesus reminds them that He understands and He comforts.

     Those of you who know me well, know these have become some of my favorite verses. These verses remind me and the loved ones around me in the midst of suffering, that a glory awaits us, a glory that is forever and a glory that outweighs any and all earthly suffering.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For out light and momentary troubles  are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

     Perspective. Anticipation. Hope. These earthly troubles are “light and momentary.” The glory that awaits “far outweighs them all!” Fix your eyes on Jesus. Everything around us is temporary.

Jesus,

Your Words give us comfort and hope for a glorious heaven and a new earth with You and our loved ones. Keep us mindful of what awaits as we go through times of suffering. Keep us filled with the deep joy You offer, the peace that passes all understanding as we wait.

Amen

Heaven Awaits

     Keep an eternal perspective as your life continues to unfold. The Bible helps us do just that, reminding us of the short journey we have on earth. Most of us have said our earthly goodbyes to our precious loved ones. We grieve at the separation, but we can grieve with hope!

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve as the rest of mankind who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:11

     Hope remains when we have Jesus. We grieve, but we grieve with hope, the hope of heaven, the hope of reunion, the hope of spending a beautiful eternity in the presence of Jesus. Life is fleeting.

For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall. 1 Peter 1:24

Why you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

    Most of the world fears death, placing all of their hope on this life. With an eternal perspective, forever sits in contrast to, at the most, 90 or 100 years! Whether we are in the body or with the Lord, we are His.

Father,

Help us keep eternity ever on the horizon, working to honor You through our short days here on earth. Your Gospel can be shared. Your sacrifice and Your resurrection take away our fear as we move closer and closer to heaven.

In Jesus name,

Amen