| The Holy Spirit |
| Lesson one: by turtle By no means I consider myself expert on the Holy Spirit, but what I hope to accomplish is some understanding of some basic facts concerning the Holy Spirit despite denominational lines. As always the Bible will be used as the base line of this Bible Study. I will probably share some of my own struggle of coming to understanding about the Holy Spirit as well as discuss at a base level some doctrinal differences among churches as a layperson would understand. Realize if someone wants to add feedback or comments you can either write me or sign up on my message board or sign my guestbook with feedback. Let’s get started: Have you ever meet those happy go lucky Christians that always seem to have unspeakable joy in their life. Joy even when going through hardship or trials or whatever. You know those that get really on your nerves and you wonder how do they do it. I tend to nickname them super Christians and some might say holy rollers and so on. As a Christian you wonder how can I ever learn to stay that positive. Well maybe this will help. As I stated when doing The Bible Study on Love lessons I would get back to John 14 -16. No they were no intension ally left out they fit in to this discussion ever so nicely. Today we will be looking at Chapter 14 not every verse like before but some key verses. Joy unspeakable, continuous joy in the Lord despite circumstance how is this really possibly those super Christians must be nuts. No not nuts but actually their focus is not on the situation but on the situation solver. “That is not fair, some might say or even below the belt,” No seriously I really mean it they got their sites higher then what mainstream Christian seem to. Take a look at some of Christ last words before He goes to the cross. John 14:1-4 KJV (1) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. How does this help me one might wonder. I am going through a major crisis my world is upside down and well let’s put it this way, I can not tolerate the situation. Ever feel that way even has a Christian. Yet we see this super Christian sitting beside us and their father is dying in the hospital, they got cancer and going through treatments, and their kid just got locked up for drug possession, yet they seem joyous. And to top it all off your worse problem is you don’t know what to wear Saturday night to the dance but you feel bummed out. Hear is how those verses can help you. In the passed several years the ministers in my church seem to speak so much on Heaven it literally got on my nerves. You know that nerve that if you heard it one more time you would scream. Yep that one. Some point some point down the road when trials had come I had lost focus. I got focus so much on the problems in life whether health, social or others I lost focus on God. As a Christian are goaled is one thing to run the race before us, to follow in Christ footsteps. John 14:1-4 KJV (1) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. One of those goals is to reach Heaven’s gate the promise land. Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV (13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (14) For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. (15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. (16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. We go through hardships and trails hoping for a better tomorrow and yet often feel tomorrow will never come. Yet has a Christian we have hope of eternal life, of mansions built in Glory land. Not enough to get you shouting yet, I know that feeling to well. Our problem is so strong in our minds the very thought of heaven seems to far off to even grasp. The thought of heaven seems like that is years to come. And truth be known it could be or it can be around the corner. You can continue to eat lemon juice or you can make lemonade out of your situation. Yes what you are going through is bad but look beyond the situation and see the promises of God that lay ahead. The promise of life eternal with God. Not something easy to do when going through a crisis. If you stop and think early church were persecuted and their only hope was the eternal life that is how so many stood the test of persecution and pain. Their focus was not on themselves but on the promise. People in slavery looked to the day that one day they would be free. If you listen to any of the Negro spiritual you will hear the hope in their song of a better tomorrow. And has today Christians we are down just over a little ingrown toenail or tooth ache. Sometimes we are that Christian with major troubles and trials, like cancer, death, a wreck or so forth in our life and it seems all at once and we are so intense on the problem that glory land seems so far away. This is where God promises come into play. We need to focus on the promises of God, We need to keep focus and not loose sight. Remember Peter walking on water. He looked down for an instant but it was instant to long he began to sink. That what happens to us Christians. We begin to see the waves of life and storm clouds overhead we loose site of Heaven. Now turtle what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit. God’s promise to all born again believers. John 14:16-18 KJV (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. A what a comforter, I thought a comforter was a cover on a bed that you cuddle up with. In a since that is exactly what the Holy Spirit does he covers us He seals us in God’s love. Ephesians 1:13 KJV (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Yep that is right Holy Spirit is our seal, we now have the hope of eternal life with Christ Jesus because of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was not promised to just some believers but all believers in Christ. Without Christ you do not have the Holy Spirit. So now that you got your comforter on are you ready to handle what comes ahead. Will you should be but often times we are not. We often forget God is right their beside us going through each trial and tribulation with us, no matter how small or how large our problem maybe, God is their to comfort us through the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV (3) Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. To walk in Paul’s shoes and to still say God is the God of all comfort. He went through beatings and stoning for the gospel sake and yet could still claim God was our comforter. 2 Corinthians 1:5-7 KJV (5) For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (6) And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. (7) And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. What I am going through a trial or test right now and God might use it later to help someone else out. Paul found his suffering was not in vain but it lead many to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It testified who God is. Christ suffered for us so we would have life eternal if we believed. You know it is hard to comfort someone that lost a child unless you have lost a child. You can not imagine the heart ache or pain or sorrow one goes through. It the same as people trying explain what you felt when going through a wreck unless you been their you do not know. But God has been through life circumstance with us. He is our comforter and He knows our every need even before we ask. Psalms 55:22 KJV (22) Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 1 Peter 5:7 KJV (7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Christ just want us to lay our burden down at the foot of the cross. How many times I heard those words in church and tried to do just that and failed. Often failing is part of being a Christian. Failing in ourselves to do something. Something that took me years to do is take things hourly, minute by minute to the Lord. So often we don’t cast things off permanently we need to learn to. Remembering God cares for us and will see us through. Those that have learned God’s promises not by memorization but through trials of life and have learned to Lean on God in each and every situation do have a unspeakable joy. But realize as new Christians this joy takes time. This peace through trials takes time. Learn to focus on God above and those beautiful mansions. It is normal to get side tracked we all do, But keeping our focus on God and His promises enables us to have that hope and joy in our life. Being a super Christian does not mean you never cry or scream or yell when go through circumstances but it means your focus is on the promise laid ahead. |
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