The Divine Person Of The Holy Spirit (Part 4)

The Holy Spirit is a real person whose work is to get hold of our lives and use us to the glory of God. As long as we think of Him as a mysterious power, or influence our thoughts will be to get more of the Holy Spirit, and we will be filled with self-exaltation and self-pride. When we think of Him as a Divine Person, a member of the Trinity, we are occupied with how can He have more of me. How can I make myself available to Him to glorify the Father and be used in the Kingdom of God?
We honor the Holy Spirit by recognizing and relying upon His work in our lives, in our churches and in reaching the lost world. When we ignore Him , we Him and disobey Him we dishonor the Godhead. Our attitude and response to the Word of God honors or dishonors the Holy Spirit who is its Author. Being "filled with the Spirit" means to obey Him and be in submission to Him. When we are under His control we bring honor and glory to the Lord God.
Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

The Divine Person Of The Holy Spirit (Part 3)

The Holy Spirit has a distinct personality from the Father and the Son. Jesus said of Him, “When the Counselor 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” (John 15:26). The Spirit is ranked coordinate with God the Father and God the Son. He is equal in power and deity. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14). We are commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).

He is given a personal name. Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3). Holy Spirit is His name, and He is God. “You have not lied unto men, but unto God” (v. 4).

The sin against the Holy Spirit is an offense against a divine personality, and it has eternal consequences (Matt. 12:31-32).

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com

Used with permission.

The Divine Person Of The Holy Spirit (Part 2)

The divine personality of the Holy Spirit is observed in His actions. He is promised as a Counselor, Helper or the Encouraging One for believers. He gives His gifts to build up the body of Christ (John 14:16-18; 1 Cor. 12:11). He is another Counselor of the “same kind.” He is another divine being doing the will of the Father just like Jesus. He lives with Christians and in them. He is equal to the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit has the same divine attributes as the Father and the Son. He is “holy,” omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent just like the Father and the Son (1 Cor. 2:10-11; Jn. 16:12-13; Lk. 1:35; Ps.139:7-10).
The Holy Spirit does works that are exclusive of God. He is creator, imparts life, gives spiritual birth, gave the inspired Word of God, the Bible, and equips believers with spiritual gifts  (Job 26:13; 33:4; John 3:5-6; Rom. 8:11; 2 Pet. 1:21). It is not a spiritual force or power that gives gifts. Only a person can do that.

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

The Divine Person Of The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is a person, and should be treated with the respect of a divine person. He is a member of the Trinity, equal to God the Father and God the Son.
I am not saying there are three gods, but three divine persons who are also one. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deut. 6:4).
The unbelieving world will not believe this great Biblical truth because it cannot. “It neither sees Him nor knows Him,” Jesus said. “But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:18). Jesus promised His disciples “another Comforter to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (v. 16). Another divine person was being sent to continue the work of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was not sending a thing, but another divine person, a member of the Godhead.
R. A. Torrey observed, “If we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person of infinite majesty, glory and holiness and power, who in marvelous condescension has come into our hearts to make His abode there and take possession of our lives and make use of them, it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust. I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of Divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.”

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com 
Used with permission.

Lord, You Are My Shepherd (Lyrics)

V. 1
Though I walk
Through the valley of death,
I’ll fear no evil,
I’ll fear no evil.

V. 2
Though I walk
Through the valley of death,
You are with me,
You are with me.

Chorus
Lord, You are my Shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
You made me lie down
In green pastures.
You restore my soul.

V. 3
Trials and tribulations,
Enemies of every kind,
Doubts and fears and frustrations,
Seem to cloud my mind.

Chorus 2.
Lord, You are my Shepherd.
You anoint my head with oil.
Goodness and love will follow,
And I will dwell on Your house, O Lord.

Based on Psalm 23
- JSS

David's Praise To God

1 Chronicles 29:10-20 NKJV
Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said:
“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
“Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
But who am I, and who are my people,
That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
For all things come from You,
And of Your own we have given You.
For we are aliens and pilgrims before You,
As were all our fathers;
Our days on earth are as a shadow,
And without hope.
“O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.”
Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the Lord your God.” So all the assembly blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king.

Faith's Presence And Power

As I was reading Matthew, chapters 8 and 9, I was struck by how much faith played a big part in healing the individuals mentioned. Faith, either by an individual or a group of friends bringing one who needed to be healed, was present and recognized by Jesus. Then I thought about the verse: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11: 6). So, when we come to God it seems like faith must be present also. Faith signifies trust and the realization both to God and to us that we (must) depend on Him. Faith acknowledges that God is God and that there is no equal.
“If you have faith a small as a mustard seed…” (Matthew 17:20). The amount of faith is not as important as the presence of it. A little faith can go a long way because its origin is rooted in God. In other words, God placed it in our hearts and anything born of God has the full potential of God. As expressed in Hebrews 11 regarding the “Fathers of the Faith”, God has shown what incredible potential a person can have if he/she has adopted and exercised their faith.
Faith and trust in God can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary! Faith, with its various expressions of worship, prayer, trust, forgiveness, hope, thankfulness and so on, can truly move the mountains in our lives. It can make the impossible, POSSIBLE!
Doubts and uncertainty aren’t necessarily signs of a lack of faith. They may be only temporary setbacks or tools used by our adversary, the Devil. In fact, if understood and put into proper context they may even help our faith increase and be strengthened all the more.
Embrace faith and allow it to take you to places where only God could take you. He’s calling us to come, to trust, to place our faith in Him alone. - JSS

Glorify Your Son (A Prayer)

John 17:1-5 NKJV
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 1:14 AMP
And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.

Hebrews 1:3 NIV
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

God Holds The Future In His Hands (Lyrics)

V. 1 
Dread not the things that are ahead,
The burdens great, the sinking sands,
The thorns that o'er the path are spread,
God holds the future in His hands.

Refrain 
God holds the future in His hands
And every heart He understands.
On Him depend,
He is your Friend,
He holds the future in His hands.

V. 2 
We know not what tomorrow hides,
Of sun or storm or good or ill;
We only know His dear hand guides,
And He will be our Father still.

Refrain 
God holds the future in His hands
And every heart He understands.
On Him depend,
He is your Friend,
He holds the future in His hands.

V. 3 
His hand created earth and sky,
The zephyrs and the storms that rage,
And years to come and years gone by
To Him are but an open page.

Refrain 
God holds the future in His hands
And every heart He understands.
On Him depend,
He is your Friend,
He holds the future in His hands.

V. 4 
Live close to Him and trust His love,
Assured that while on earth we roam,
Whate'er may come, He bends above
To guide His children safely home.

Refrain 
God holds the future in His hands
And every heart He understands.
On Him depend,
He is your Friend,
He holds the future in His hands.

Music by: James D. Vaughan, circa 1922
Words by: James Rowe (1866-1933)
This hymn is in the Public Domain  

Become Involved In His Work

Ephesians 2:10 NIV
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The God who led Moses, who worked through Elijah, who directed Paul, who guided each man and woman of God through the centuries, is the same God who approaches you to become involved in His work. Do you sense the significance of that? You are a vital part of something much bigger than yourself.
Taken from Experiencing God Day By Day, by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, pg. 331. Used with permission.

The colored sunsets and starry heavens, the beautiful mountains and the shining seas, the fragrant woods and painted flowers, are not half so beautiful as a soul that is serving Jesus out of love, in the wear and tear of common, unpoetic life.  - Faber

You Are The Light Of The World (Part 2)

(Now, on to the “more on this later” part) I realize that there are some Christians who are so intense, so overpowering with their “light” that it’s too much. They tend to be too extreme and frankly very annoying at times. I don’t believe Jesus is referring to that kind of “light”. Wisdom must be applied.
Although we are instructed to be light to this world, I think the approach, by example, is thus. When I was younger my family went camping a lot and we used a Coleman lantern for light. After I filled the bottom part of the lamp with kerosene and lit the wick or in some cases, mesh, I would have to turn a knob to adjust the intensity of the light. I believe, without getting too far away from the meaning of the passage, that God wants us to be regulated by Him. This is situationally dependent, of course. Sometimes we need to give off a lot of light; possibly during those times when righteousness or justice needs to come forth. At other times, maybe only a tiny fraction of light is needed; when a person is feeling conviction or internal pain for example.
In either case some light has to be shown. It has to reflect God’s purpose and God’s  glory. So, in short, we initiate, God regulates, and His glory is cultivated.
- JSS

You Are The Light Of The World (Part 1)

Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

As I was just finishing up reading the above scripture, I noticed the morning sun’s rays bursting through my front window. They nearly blinded me because they were so bright and intense. I’m thinking about that intensity, however annoying it can be at times. “You are the light of the world.” It’s an interesting, incredibly dense and suggestive phrase for me; for all of us. I am the light of the world. Do I exhibit any kind of light into/onto this darkened world? Am I even growing toward a more intense, almost blinding light that I just mentioned earlier? Should I be a blinding light? (More on this later.) The next line: “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Do I shine as bright; that equals that of a city? That’s a lot of light and one that cannot be hidden as well as be ignored. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s not enough to just be a small spark, a flickering match or even a gazillion lumen flashlight. It’s not enough. (Or is it at times…again, more on this later.) I, dare I say, we, must be so luminous that we cannot be hidden, contained, ignored or pushed aside. I believe Jesus was this way. He was a revolutionary! Everywhere He went He lit up the room. He didn’t play games or do parlor tricks just to be noticed. It was who he was. His character, His presence could not be ignored. And if Christ is in us, then we also must not be hidden, unrecognizable or  ineffective toward those around us. - JSS

Get In The Boat With Jesus (Part 4)

“Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2).
Where is your child like trust? Would the One who had chosen them to follow Him allow them to perish in the storm? Was not His presence reassuring? We know Jesus had the storm “under control” because He was sound asleep in the raging storm.
John Ryle said, “How many have faith and love enough to forsake all for Christ’s sake, and to follow Him wherever He goes, and yet are full of fears in the hour of trial! How many have grace enough to turn to Jesus in every trouble crying, ‘Lord, save us,’ and yet not grace enough to lie still and believe in the darkest hour that all is well.”
Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

Get In The Boat With Jesus (Part 3)

Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” (Lk. 8:25). His faith was in His Father (Ps. 89:8-9). 
The amazed disciples were saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (v. 25). 
Where was their faith? They had enough to get into the boat with Jesus and follow Him. Yes, getting into a fishermen’s boat was their safety zone. They had done that hundreds of times. They had also ridden out a few bad storms in their lifetime. 
Why were they not exercising their faith in Him at this time? 
Our faith in God has to be exercised personally. It refuses to be controlled by the fierce storms in life. It refuses to panic when the going gets tough and beyond our comfort. We have to focus our faith on Him. 
The thing that moved Jesus in this account was not the violent storm, but the lack of faith of the disciples. “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” (Matt. 8:26). 
With Jesus in our boat we should have courage to face the storms by faith in Him. Christ is always in the boat. Jesus is praying that we will have strong faith in Him (Lk. 22:31-32). 
The things that hinder our faith are doubt, rationalizations, anxiety, lack of courage, etc. Faith is volitional. It is a choice I make. 
Our faith has to be tested before it can be trusted. God allowed a violent storm to test the disciples. Jesus entrusted His safety to the Father. The disciples trusted in their own competence as professional fishermen. “Their unbelief was more dangerous than the storm.” It takes God to change the weather. 

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

Get In The Boat With Jesus (Part 2)

Jesus was not only divine, but He was thoroughly human. He is the God-man. He is fully God and He is fully man. Here we have a beautiful picture of the human side of Jesus because He was in the need of rest. He was tired and exhausted. He needed to get away from the crowds and rest. He put His trust in His heavenly Father to watch over Him.
Suddenly, a furious storm came up and strong violent gale winds whipped the waves and engulfed the boat. It was a “boisterous surge, a violent agitation.”
This storm was different from anything they had ever encountered before. They had never experienced anything like it. Humanly speaking the situation became increasingly grave.
The disciples panicked. “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25).
Jesus “rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm” (LK. 8:24). Matthew says, “it became perfectly calm,” or literally “a great calm occurred.” After such a storm a lake does not calm down that quickly and stay that way. The disciples knew that it normally takes a while for the waves to settle down. Here, eyewitnesses said the lake calmed immediately.
Christ, God omnipotent, was in the boat. He is the master of the wind and the waves. Wherever Jesus is the power of God is there. Wherever Jesus is the storm becomes calm. Suddenly the surface of the lake became as smooth as a piece of glass.
The reaction of the disciples at the calmness struck them with “fear and amazement.” It is probably correct to say they were now more afraid of the calmness than the storm.

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

Get In The Boat With Jesus (Part 1)

The vital thing in discipleship is to actually follow Jesus Christ wherever He goes.

Have I left the lesser loyalties to follow the higher priorities of the Kingdom of God?

It is not enough to be impressed with His person, or what we can get from Him. Perhaps some of our evangelism and friendly “seeker services” are like the people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee seeking another amazing miracle. Perhaps like Carnival, we shout, “Throw me something mister!”

The crowds along the lakeside wanted more healings than teaching. Jesus got into a boat and headed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

The vital thing Jesus wants is for us to follow Him. Jesus still says to would be disciples, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury the dead” (Matthew 8:22). Jesus got in the boat “and His disciples followed Him” (v. 23).

Have we gotten into the boat with Jesus? Weak faith grows strong in the fierce storms of life.

One moment Jesus is asleep on a pillow in the rear of the boat in a fierce storm, overcome with exhaustion from a busy day. Then we see Him a few moments later calming the fierce wind and waves, which only God can do.

Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the events that day when Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8:22). Jesus, exhausted from a day of ministry, fell asleep in the rear of the boat. “A fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger” (v. 23). Matthew who was an eyewitness said, “There arose a great storm,” literally “a shaking.” The “boat was covered with waves” (Matt. 8:24). It was such a severe storm that these professional sailors panicked. 

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006. http://www.abideinchrist.com
Used with permission.

In The Crevice Of The Rock (Lyrics)

V. 1 
In the crevice of the rock,
High above the hills,
You made a place, Oh God,
To give me shelter from the storms,
To keep me safe and warm,
And return to when I fall.
A place to rest.
A place to find forgiveness,
In the crevice of the rock.
In the crevice of the rock.

V. 2 
As I wander down life’s road,
I carry a heavy load,
Of pain and of fear,
But you’ve given me the signs,
If I’d only turn my eyes,
And follow You toward home.
A place of rest.
A place to find forgiveness,
In the crevice of the rock.
In the crevice of the rock.

Bridge
Come feel the sun in the morning,
Like an eagle let your spirit soar.
Stand high upon the mountains,
Where I will catch you if you fall.

V. 3 
In the crevice of the Rock.
In the heart of Your Son,
You’ve made me a place, Oh God.
To give me shelter from the storms,
To keep me safe and warm,
And return to when I fall.
A place to rest,
A place to find forgiveness,
In the crevice of the Rock.
In the crevice of the Rock.
- JSS

Branded With The Spirit Of Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

You and I are branded with the spirit of forgiveness. It will go deep, very deep. Never again will we retaliate or harbor resentment. That all belongs to a dead past.
O Christ, brand me deep. I surrender all hurts, all resentment, all retaliation. I shall love everyone-friend and foe. Only by your grace can I do this. From this point forward, let no hate trouble me: I bear your brand, amen.
Taken from Abundant Living, pg. 319, by E. Stanley Jones, edited by Dean Merrill, Summerside Press. Used with permission.

Luke 23:34 NIV
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Children: A Blessing From God

Psalm 127:3-5 NIV
Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

During my time off, the girls and I spent a couple of days at a local Days Inn. It had a swimming pool and of course we decided to enjoy some time in the pool. Tayten, my youngest daughter, said out of the blue, “No feet are allowed out of the water” or something to that effect. And we realized that she was looking at the “no diving” sign on the wall which depicted a swimmer diving into the pool with the legs and feet out of the water. We busted out laughing as we explained what the sign really meant. It made perfect sense why she would think of the sign in that way considering her age (6 years old). – JSS

Matthew 19:13-15 NIV
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

God's Thoughts

God our maker knew that many other thoughts about us; who we are or should be, would prevail from diverse sources, and most of which will be contrary to His, and that will affect us negatively or positively momentarily or eternally.

Therefore, in His loving kindness and saving Grace, He provided His own thoughts about who we are/should be in the Bible; made it so detailed and voluminous, that even a lifetime is not sufficient to exhaust reading, exploring and discovering all the thoughts God records in the Bible about who we are/should be.

He even came to live among us through His Son Jesus to live His own thoughts practically, like we should, and confirmed that it is possible and feasible regardless of circumstances.

God further provided His Holy Spirit (our helper) in this regard, through whom we can have additional and precise information (His thoughts) about who we are, from the Bible in form of revelation knowledge.

In this case therefore, he does not expect us to have any single iota or moment of time to consider or even respond to any other thoughts, besides His thoughts about who we are or should be; and especially those that contradict His thoughts.  It therefore amounts to disrespect or insulting to Him, when we consider other thoughts besides His, and let them affect us.

He wonders what more He should do in His long suffering when He has provided His Word that never fails, and that will endure forever when everything else passes away!

Like David said, “Thy Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you!” Psalm 119:11

May our lives be God’s Word-centered because God has exalted His Word, even above His name.

Submitted by Margy Otiato, a reader. Margy can be reached via her email: otiatopearl@yahoo.com. Used with permission.

The Road To Emmaus (Part 2)

Luke 24:28-35 NKJV
Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

The Road To Emmaus (Part 1)

Luke 24:13-27 NKJV
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” 
Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
And He said to them, “What things?”
So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who werewith us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”
Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.