Sight.

Psalm 51:10-12 

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

¹¹ 

Do not cast me from your presence 

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation 

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Why was the Holy Spirit so important to David? How do you think David felt about the pestering thought that he might have to get along without the Holy Spirit?


What about you? What's it like when you feel you're without God? 
When God feels far away and it's been awhile since you've connected? 


It's a desperate feeling. We need God's Spirit to guide us, to comfort us, to restore us, to cleanse us. Just the idea- even a fleeting though- that God's Spirit might not be with us leaves us lost and vulnerable. Even frightened. 


Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would always be with us. God doesn't take the Holy Spirit from us. God restores us. Purifies us. God's Spirit is always with us. 

Protection.

What is the cost of protection?


For a country, it may be billions of dollars. For your car, a coat of wax may handle it. For the place you live, it's probably rows of overlapping shingles that deflect the rain and shrug off the snow. 


Shingles protect everything beneath them, but look at the plywood they're attached to. Nails used to fasten down the shingles puncture and splinter wood. 


Are the shingles doing their job of protecting the wood? Yes - but at a cost.


Protection is never free. It always costs something. 
If you love and follow God he is with you. He dwells in your in the person of the Holy Spirit. But that protection comes at a cost. 


1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

You are protected. 

The Iron.

Ironing calls for a delicate balance. You use heat and pressure to shape your clothing, to smooth imperfections, to get your shirt or slacks crisp and looking their best. In a way, heat and pressure combine to mold and shape you. To prompt you to deliver your best and become your best. To do what you thought was beyond you.


It's a delicate process, and you probably resent every minute of it. We don't enjoy being molded. We'd rather avoid pain. And it may feel unfair that God uses pressure and heat to call us closer to him. The pressures of a world in need to prompt our response, the heat of our passions to ignite a love for him and his purpose. 




1 Corinthians 10:12-13 

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Pressure and heat aren't your enemies. You needn't fear them. The pressure will never be too great, the heat never overwhelming. 
Because you're not along in the pressure cooker. The Holy Spirit walks with you. 

There's Nothing God Can't Do.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He has a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!"


Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a kind, as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!"


Mary said to the angel, " I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?" 


The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. For there is nothing that God cannot do."


"I and the Lord's servant," said Mary; "may it happen to me as you have said." And the angel left her. 

Believe.

One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service. According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chose by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went to the Temple of the Lord, while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was being burned. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned. When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid. But the angel said to him, " Do not be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! John will be in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him."

Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall i know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also."

"I am Gabriel," the angel answered. "I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news. But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true."

The Playground.

Galatians 4:1-7

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.  So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.  But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

The games we played as a child had many rules which determined who was the winner. Your daily activities have changed since childhood. 


Do rules still guide you the same way? Think about the boundaries that God has set for you. The Holy Spirit serves as an internal rule book and teacher, reminding you of the rules and inclining your heart to follow. 


God gave us laws to help us learn how to live, like children learning to play fair. But at the right time, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to be our guide, to fulfill the laws. 


Thank God for sending the Spirit into our hearts to be our guide. 

Unity.

When we take a look under the hood of a car there are many parts that have to work together in order for the car to run smoothly and achieve it's purpose. We may not notice the importance of the cooperation until it fails. The same is true in relationships. Your relationships with others can run smoothly... and they can also stall (just like a car). 




Philippians 2:1-2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

God wants us to be united with the Spirit and one another. When Christians listen to the Spirit, we can be like a smoothly running engine. But when we push ourselves before others, when we're out of step with the Spirit, we're like an engine with parts that won't cooperate.

Speech.

When you eat something spicy what does your mouth feel like? How do you react? 


Maybe you gulp a glass of water, fan your mouth with your hand, close your mouth, relish the burn, and start to sweat. Whatever you do, it's practically automatic. Your body sends a signal to your brain saying "Help!" Your brain reacts, sending signals to your body. Before you know it, you're gulping a glass of water. Your mouth feels better. 




Mark 13:11

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Did you know the Holy Spirit has the power to give you words to say? Not words to crush or intimidate, but words to teach and to reveal God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows what you say, even when you don't. And just as your brain moves you to cool down your spice-abused mouth, the Holy Spirit moves you to speak. 


Have you ever spoken God's words?


If you don't remember that a glass of water is available when your mouth is burning, your brain will find an alternative. Likewise, if you don't rely on the Holy Spirit within you for words to say, you'll find an alternative to God's words- your own. 

Higher Ways.

Surely you have had that sinking feeling. As you crammed for a test or looked through a new computer program. It comes when you learn just enough to realize how much you don't know.
When you were a child, your world was limited. There were probably times when you felt independent or though that you could make better decisions than your parents. They might have been amused as you stubbornly learned lessons the hard way. 


Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 

    How unsearchable his judgments,

    and his paths beyond tracing out! 

³⁴ 

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

    Or who has been his counselor?"

³⁵ 

“Who has ever given to God,

    that God should repay them?”

³⁶ 

For from him and through him and for him are all things. 

    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Consider how very little we actually understand God's higher ways. It's ironic that realizing how little we know might be our first glimmer of wisdom. 
Imagine how silly you would feel telling a rocket scientist how to operate a phone. Or how ridiculous it would be to offer Albert Einstein advice about arithmetic. These verses remind us that God knows all and doesn't need us to explain to him what is best. He can be trusted. 


The Holy Spirit is a mystery. As long as we live on earth, we will probably never understand these higher ways - how the Spirit helps us when we pray, guides us in decisions, and protects us from hard. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the "Comforter." Perhaps the greatest 'comfort' of all us realizing we don't have to know everything. 

Poor Reception.

The Spirit moves. Imagine there's a radio station broadcasting on the frequency you've selected, but the transmitter isn't close enough. There's a station somewhere trying to connect with you. Trying to bring you the talk, music, news, and commercials its staff had created and sent out onto the airwaves. You're just not close enough to hear it. If you were to dial into a station that plays gentle, quiet music clearly you can hear it right? The signal is crisp and clear but most importantly, you're close enough so that you can hear it. 


God is not far away. He's near. god has set up camp in your neighborhood. Your room. Your life. 
If you've committed your life to him, you can believe he's there in the person of the Holy Spirit. It's a promise. 


Acts 2: 37-39

 ³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

 ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Live with a Purpose.

God is at work in you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Even when you don't fee like much is going on, God's Spirit is moving, bubbling, welling up from the very depths of your life. 


John 5:2-9 

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

 Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

   The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,

After 38  years of waiting. Waiting to experience this miraculous moment. The moment to submerge himself in the stirred up pool. A man's life was dramatically changed. He experienced the love of Christ bubbling up in his life. 

God wants our lives to be like the water that is stirred up. He wants us to provide hope for the lost, rest for the weary. He wants to full us with the miraculous.

With Christ you can. Bubble with joy. Shake with excitement. Move with power. Live with a purpose. 

Road to Calvary (VIII)

After Jesus' resurrection, he appeared to Mary, to his disciples, to everyone. Everyone saw his pierced hands and feet, the biggest proof of his return. To conclude this mini series, i decided on focusing on Jesus final moment on earth, before he was taken into heaven once and for all.

¹ In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ 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.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:1-11

"wait for my gift" Jesus says (v.4). This gift is the holy spirit. It not only applies to the disciples but for you and me as well. When we have believed that Christ has taken our sin away, has risen and defeated the grave, the holy spirit comes into us. The spirit is a guide, that voice in your head when you're tempted, to keep you on track and from wavering in your faith.

We all know that Jesus is going to return for his second coming, and its going to be a great day when that happens, but no one knows when. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a few decades. Only the father knows, as Jesus tells (v.7). But while we wait, we will be witnesses and representatives. He's given us the role to share his life with others, not just with speech, but also by our actions and our entire lives. Note that he says Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It has to get bigger, and wider. Not only reaching out to the people within arms reach, but as well as the people on the opposite ends of the earth. These were Christ's last words on earth.

Look to the sky. Thats what the disciples did (v.11). But they were told, that our God, Jesus Christ will rise into heaven, and will one day descend from heaven, bringing judgement and bringing joy. This is what brings us hope. Life is worth the living just because he lives. Its a good reminder. I think now whenever i look into the sky, it'll refuel me with hope, knowing he's coming back.

People have been waiting for centuries for Christ to come. And sometimes it seems hopeless because its been SO LONG. But i think thats the true test of faith. He has promised that he will return to rescue us from this deadly world, and bring us to a world of love and happiness. Do you have the faith to wait, knowing this is the Lord of Lords, King of Kings who will return?

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

2 Peter 3:10

great reminder.

I think Kelly's sermon today was really great. I've always loved her sermons and how she's so straight forward and direct. Ha, it was pretty hard to follow along because i didnt bring a pen, so i was doing everything on my iphone. It was pretty intense, having the put headings, and typing, and browsing through the bible on cue and at light speed, but i think it helped with keeping me focused. I guess i'll write the notes i took down today. (italized is my personal expression tonight)

Questions For The Heart:

a) Do you despise yourself and think you are a fake?

b) Do you discount your positive characteristics and feel you do not deserve praise?

c) Do you brag about your flaws?

d) Do you destroy your own personal success?

- it isnt healthy to dwell on these things and let it take over our lives!

To be honest, when reading these questions, i think yes is my answer to most of them if not all of them, and its not the best trait of mine. The series is called "Being More Confident" (or something along those lines), but i really am not. I do look down upon myself, and i never trust and have confidence in my work. I made it my resolution to be more confident about myself this year. See how it goes. Yah know, once i saw the title of the message today, i knew God was whispering in my ear, if not yelling. This was.. "my message".

How to Deal with Shame and Guilt

a) Accept that God's Forgiveness is REAL. (Romans 8:1-4)

- punishment for sin, which is death is paid for by God, by having Jesus Christ come and die for us

- its easier to accept God's forgiveness than the consequences of sin

- God DEMANDS that the penalty is paid

- to overcome shame, we have to believe that God has forgiven us, its real!

b) Change the way your THINK. (Romans 8:5-7, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:8)

- we need to live as SAVED people, not as PRISONERS to sin

- set out mind on the SPIRIT instead of the WORLD. This will give us peace and goodness

- Galatians 5:22-23 is the fruit of the spirit. If we continue to meditate on these things, they will be at the forefronts of our minds, replacing sinful desires, and we'll soon learn to embody these traits

- Philippians 4:8 says we need to change our mindset, know and believe that we are REDEEMED people who are loved by God.

- looking glass self: "you are what you think other people think you are

- every morning is a clean slate. As long as we realize, confess and repent in the present, now, the past is the past and has been forgiven. (this was so important to me, and i'll definitely need to continously remind myself of that)

c) Be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9-11, 2 Peter 1:3)

- if the spirit raised Christ from the dead and abides in you, wont it do the same?

- ACCEPT his forgiveness and CHANGE how you think.

- Dont let Satan take over!

"As we face condemnation, we can have confidence and know that we are free."

I found all these as great reminders. May we continue to change our perspective, dwell on God, The Spirit and eternal things, and stray away from the temptations of sin.

Keep In Step!

This reminds me of that familiar song we sang years ago at church when we were young. "The fruit of the spirit, is love joy peace, patience kindess, goodness, the fruit of the spirit is faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." What fruits are you bearing in your life and what fruits are you lacking?

Let Us Keep In Step With The Spirit

Jon Walker

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25 NIV)

When we ignore the Holy Spirit, there's little difference between the way we live our lives and non-believers who live their lives disconnected and independent from God.

"But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means" (1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT).

Our objective is to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Ask God to teach you to hear his still small voice and to be sensitive to promptings from the Spirit that he's placed inside you. Then, believe the truth that he will guide you through the decisions and details of your life.

As you learn to walk in the Spirit, God will never ask you to do anything that violates his Word. Promptings from the Holy Spirit will always line up with the Bible; however, they may not line up with your church-ianity traditions or pre-conceived notions.

For the next few weeks, keep a list of all the times you sense the Spirit prompting you. This will help you learn to be sensitive to the Spirit, but it will also strengthen your resolve to be obedient to God's guidance as you see his constant, loving interest in the details of your life.

And what if you blow it? Remember God's grace! If you misunderstand the Holy Spirit's prompting or disobey it, then confess your failure to God; he is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). Fall on his grace and remember that you are in the school of Christ. He knows you're learning; he sent the Holy Spirit to teach you.

The holy spirit has been given to us by God to guide us and to lead us through life. We alone cannot do much, we dont know, but with God's tools, His Word and The Holy Spirit, we are able to make the right decisions that will be pleasing and will bring us good for God knows what's best for us. We must also learn to have faith in Him. If we dont trust the savior of all creation, the maker of the universe, how are we able to give up our decisions, our wants for Him?

This last part i think is CRUCIAL for every Christian to be constantly reminding themselves of. That God is faithful to forgive because he loves us. Personally, i have times where after a "big sin", guilt will come and eat me up, and then i'd ask for forgiveness. But we should be repent on a daily basis if not hourly. We need to be constantly reminding ourselves that we are sinners and that we cant do anything without Christ.

The Fruit of The Spirit. Its quite the list, but learn to bear all the fruits equally. I've posted about the individual fruits themselves, click HERE to check it out! :)

keep in step with the spirit. a day at a time.

Jason