Holy Spirit Guide Me

I've been wanting to listen to our church's sermons from Wednesday night's on the Holy Spirit, but haven't due to my schedule the past week plus I volunteer with our children's ministry every Wednesday.  Then today I watched a short teaching Joyce Meyer had on the Holy Spirit and after I finished watching that, I clicked over to my Facebook and saw John Bevere has just posted a status on the Holy Spirit as well: "In order to be intimate with the Holy Spirit, we must seek Him so that He will draw near to us."  So finally, taking the hint that I needed to seek the Holy Spirit; I turned off my computer, turned on my worship music, started praising God and began talking with Him -  willingly I sought Him out.  

 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. (James 4:8 AMP)

Something I've learned about asking God where I've missed Him, or done the wrong thing, He doesn't hold back.  The first thing God showed me, was that my family's current difficulty was only a big problem, because we never brought it to God in prayer, BEFORE it became a problem!  Our heart was in the right place, of this I have no doubt; but if we had prayed about the situation, the Holy Spirit would have shown us that this was going to end up being painful.  We believed we were doing the Christian thing - being charitable, gracious and showing mercy; our actions might have been right, but since the people we were showing these traits to were (unknowing to us) dishonest, selfish, and downright criminal - it was going to lead to pain - pain that could have been avoided if we had prayed for discernment.  Since we had always prayed on the big important decisions, I just assumed our decision was the only choice because of our good intentions based on scripture and Christian characteristics - and that's where my lesson begins.  

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (Philippians 4:6 AMP)

Did you catch that part - "...but in EVERY circumstance and in EVERYTHING..." we're supposed to pray.  It's not just the big stuff, anytime we've got to make a decision, check with God, His Holy Spirit will give us discernment.   I really love what the Voice translation has to say about this verse:

Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. (Philippians 4:6 Voice)

The video I watched with Joyce Meyer had Pastor Reinhard Bonnke (he's an amazing Evangelist whose ministry has brought over 74 million souls to salvation in Africa over the last 20 years!), his explanation of the Holy Spirit through his study of the scriptures is this: the Holy Spirit is God in action here on Earth and that the annointing of the Holy Spirit is our faith confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in one's life.  My big take away from this definition was - action, the Holy Spirit can't help me if I'm not actively seeking His advice.  Jesus told the diciples that it's 'profitable', that He (Jesus) leave, so God can send the Advocate (John 16:7).  The actual Greek word is 'Parakletos' or helper and comforter.  I love what Jesus says here in the Amplified version:

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 AMP)

Once you have the Holy Spirit in your life, He never goes away, He's there to stay; you can run away from Him, but that doesn't mean He's left you.  If you've found yourself in a big ol' mess, that doesn't mean your helper has said, "Well, now you've gone and done this, it's all on you. I'm not helping you, you got yourself in this mess and you can get yourself out of it!".  No, that's something we might say, or the enemy might try to convince you; but God doesn't think that way!  

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)

God loved us so much that He didn't spare His only Son, so we could have an everlasting life, He doesn't give up on us because of a mistake or even our sins (He wants us to repent of them and learn from them though).  He knows our hearts, He knows our intentions, He's not only the God of love, but the God of mercy and grace!  Once you've made Jesus your Lord and Savior, there is nothing that we can get ourselves into, that He can't get us out of; there is nothing the enemy can do to us, that God can't undo.  There is nothing that the Creator of the Earth and Heavens can not do.  Most followers of Christ, know Romans 8:28, but I just fell in love with this verse all over again after reading verses 26 and 27.  

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:26-28 NLT)

Child of God, there is nothing that God can't turn into a blessing - He has a plan for you, He has a purpose for you.  He is the same God, yesterday, today and tomorrow - He can still part the waters, He can still bring the dead back to life, and He can still bring you to your Promised Land!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 AMP)

Avoiding a Heart of Stone

Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. (Proverbs 4:23 AMP)

Our hearts must remain tender, when our hearts harden we block the flow of the Holy Spirit and become disconnected from God. Imagine a river flowing smoothly, the river being the Holy Spirit and the smooth flow is how we receive God's Word, will and instruction in our lives.  Now imagine each time we allow ourselves to be offended by another that a rock is dropped in that river, and each time we judge someone another rock is added, if we continue to allow these feelings and 'things' to add up; soon the rocks begin to pile up and the flow of the river is corrupted.

I've made the same mistake myself, I've judged other believers, I've compared myself to others, I've taken offense and let it stir inside me - those sins corrupt the good inside our hearts and harden us. When our hearts become hardened, we're unable to receive what God is sending us, whether it be blessings, favor, grace or mercy - we're just not able to receive what God has for us, because we have blocked ourselves off from God, intentionally or unintentionally.  Blocking ourselves from God, turns our hearts to stone and away from God, as if we never knew Him and our thoughts and actions become more like non-believers.

They are blind to true understanding. They are strangers and aliens to the kind of life God has for them because they live in ignorance and immorality and because their hearts are cold, hard stones. (Ephesians 4:18 VOICE)

Social Networking has allowed me to witness other Believer's criticizing their brothers and sisters in Christ, judging them with religious scrutiny, using scriptures that were meant for false doctrine as a weapon against one another. There are more instances in the Bible where we're told specifically NOT to judge one another, yet we harden our hearts by casting stones at others, when we've all fallen short of the glory of Christ. 

We were commanded by Christ to LOVE one another and to go and share the Good News. How can we love one another, when we are busy judging each other? Christians are considered a joke amongst non-believers because we are so wrapped up in ourselves and judging and criticizing others, that we've ignored what Jesus called us to do. If a Believer is sinning and they are your friend and you can talk to them about that sin privately, do so, but otherwise; pray for them, pray that they will recognize their sin, and pray for yourself that you will not be tempted by that sin and that you will not judge them. There are far more lost souls in this world that need to know the love of Jesus!! But instead we point fingers of condemnation towards them and other Believers- the only thing accomplished is their lack of trust in our God because of a hardened hearted Child of God pushing them away.

I'm not saying to look the other way - there are terrible sins happening like abortion; this is something that is undeniably wrong and against God's Word - but that doesn't mean we ignore our Christian values when we stand up to this evil, there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Pray for how you are called to respond to these sins, don't give in to your flesh, spend time with God and He will show you the way.

Read Romans 12:2, I've posted the link to some of my favorite Bible versions of this powerful scripture, it's so much to meditate on, it really is the renewing of the mind...

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

(Romans 12:2 NLT, AMP, VOICE, EXP, MSG versions)

If every Believer would pray and meditate on the issues that seem to divide the church, there wouldn't be any division, because God doesn't send different messages to His children. The Holy Spirit tells us one thing.  There are so many times when I've posted on my blog and then gone to church only to have my Pastor speak on the same subject, and to have a friend from another state say the same thing - why, because the Holy Spirit is in constant communication with God and if we allow ourselves to receive from God, we'll receive the same message.  Jesus told us that He was sending the Holy Spirit to encourage, comfort and guide us - but somehow we've forgotten His words and need to get back to the path that was laid before us.

"If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." (John 14:15-17 NLT)

Day 8 of 40 Days of Prayer

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!  (Ephesians 3:17-19 AMP)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your amazing love and for your Holy Spirit. We thank you for never leaving us, nor forsaking us, and that your presence is with us always. We ask for forgiveness of the sins that we have committed against you and each other, we pray that our hearts would turn from any sin that is keeping us from being in obedience to you. We pray for a revival among your church, just like Paul prayed; we pray for Christ to dwell in our hearts, so deeply that he would be the center of our whole being – the beginning and the end. We pray that our experience of you would be more than physical or intellectual, but with our whole heart and soul. We pray that we would be so full of you, that every fiber of our being is overflowing with you, so much that we pour out your love to others and share your message with all that we meet. We pray that we would seek after your desires and not our own, we pray that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to bring the lost to salvation. We pray that every leader in our nation would acknowledge you as their Lord and Savior, that they would live their lives for you and not for themselves. We pray for the revival of our nation, that there would be a sense of urgency to repent and turn to you; that hearts would be softened and minds would be open to the message your laborers are bringing. We thank you Lord, that you hear our prayers; your son Jesus told us when two agree here on earth on anything we ask, that it will be done by you. We pray these things for your honor and glory dear Lord, in Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN 

Day 3 of 40 Days of Prayer

until at last the Spirit is poured out

    on us from heaven.

Then the wilderness will become a fertile field,

    and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. (Isaiah 32:15 NLT)

For I will pour out water to quench your thirst

    and to irrigate your parched fields.

And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,

    and my blessing on your children. (Isaiah 44:3 NLT)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your mercy and your grace and for your never-ending love! Lord, we ask for forgiveness of our sins, sins against you and each other – sins that your Son bought with his blood, sins that only He can wash white as snow – so thank you for your Son, our Lord and Savior, who has redeemed us and made us your children! We thank you for your Holy Spirit who guides us and leads us in your ways. We come together today, to pray for our nation and our leaders – we pray that your Holy Spirit would be heard and felt, we pray for a stirring in their hearts, a softening and a turning to you. We pray for a pouring out of your Holy Spirit on all your children, cover us, so that every breath we take would be for you and not for ourselves. Saturate every molecule of our being so that your thoughts are our thoughts, your words are our words, your actions are our actions, fill us till we are overflowing so we don’t know where you end and we begin. Lord, we want to be more like you and less like us – so that your light shining within us can be seen by any who are near us. We want the lost to know that we are your children without ever having to say a word, because we are so full of you and your Holy Spirit. May we each be a laborer in your Harvest, whether planting or watering a seed, may we share you and your Son with all we meet - in a smile, a kind word, or an act of selflessness – but to you ALL the honor and glory! In Jesus’ name we pray ~ AMEN

Miracles and Encouragement

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief.”  (Mark 6:4-6 NLT)

Jesus performed miracles everywhere he went, sharing GOD’s Word with all, healing and showing loving kindness to all. The only place Jesus was limited was in HIS hometown.  A person has to be receptive to GOD’s Word; they have to be able to receive GOD’s message and healing. If a person has placed a wall up and closed their ears, they cannot receive what GOD has for them. It’s like a water hose that has a kink in it, causing the water to only trickle out; if you get rid of the obstruction, the water pours out - the obstruction/kink being the people (unbelievers and even some Believers whose faith is weak) unable to receive GOD’s message. If GOD’s Son was unable to perform miracles due to the unbelief surrounding HIM, then we Believers will have the same results when we are surrounded by people who do not want to hear or accept the Good News.

The reason for the people’s unbelief is they knew Jesus before HE started HIS ministry. They watched HIM grow up in their town, they knew HIS parents and it wasn’t possible for them to conceive that someone they knew would be sent from GOD, let alone be of GOD. Consider this in your own life, once you become a new creation in Christ, you want to share with others, but those who knew you before – they have a much more difficult time accepting this ‘new you’. Your old friends are probably attached to the old lifestyle you shared with them and if you are now living a life for Christ; this will ‘convict’ them (this isn’t you judging them, we as Believers are never to judge anyone). A non-believer will feel ‘conviction’ because they do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives. The HOLY SPIRIT’s process in dealing with one’s own conscience, alert and sensitizing us to GOD’s Word BEFORE we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior. Once we are saved, we no longer are convicted, we may feel guilt and need to repent for a sin we have not confessed, but we are never convicted or condemned.

“If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God. When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God's yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.”  (Romans 2:12-16 MSG)

The HOLY SPIRIT is a comforter and encourager in Believers, HE is not a convicter or condemner!

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”  (John 14;15-18 NKJV)  The Amplified version of this scripture explains the HOLY SPIRIT’s role; “If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever--The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.” (John 14:15-18 AMP) 

When you read about Jesus’ ministry throughout the Bible, you see that HE was always telling the people, to not fear, to have faith. He would always encourage others before HE performed a miracle, it was always a ‘just wait, hold on to your faith, and it will be rewarded greatly’ kind of message.“While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.  Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!”  And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.  (Mark 5:35-42 NLT) 

Another thing I’ve learned from this scripture is that Jesus cleared the room of all the unbelievers; he got rid of the people who would block the miracle HE was going to perform.  GOD can perform any miracle in our lives, but we have to receive that miracle.  In the scripture John 14:17 it explains the word ‘receive’, The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. It’s not that we just hear the Word, but we have to ‘receive’ the Word of GOD as well. Notice to be able to 'receive' we also have to 'know GOD', that is, you must be a Believer! That’s why so many times Jesus would say, “He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.” (Matthew 11:15 AMP).

When a person is bringing down your faith, distance yourself from them. This doesn’t mean you are no longer friends, but you can tell them that you cannot allow their disbelief to be part of your life. Hardened hearts and disbelief will block GOD’s love and message from being received in a person’s heart, that’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with GOD’s promises and fellow Believers. The Bible tells us often how we need to always encourage one another, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT). 

When Jesus was walking on the water towards the disciples and they feared it was a ghost, “But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.” (Matthew 14:27-30 NLT)  Notice that Jesus told them to have courage, to not be afraid –  HE was ‘encouraging’ them.  Peter was able to perform a miracle and walk on the water as well, that is until he took his eyes off of JESUS; when he took in the surrounding circumstances, the pressures of the world, that’s when he lost his faith and began to sink. So keep your focus on JESUS, surround yourselves with fellow Believers, and encourage others - this will open the doors of GOD’s blessings in your own life and receive the miracles GOD has for you!