Good morning, beloved friends, last time we talked about the Holy Spirit, I shared how– He is the Spirit of Truth. He is our Advocate. I love this verse in John 14.
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.
Reading this verse, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will teach all things and will remind us of things Jesus said to us. Remember, I shared that condemnation–feelings of being condemned is from Satan; but, the Holy Spirit, convicts. He draws us near to him, which is how and when He brings us to a place that we realize and react to what we are doing. We feel conviction; thus, we then want to improve or change.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 12: 1-2.
Beloved, how is this accomplished? How do we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice–holy and pleasing to God–this is our spiritual act of worship.
Teaching
We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Have you ever done something that was totally out of your nature?
For example, we attended a church and the worship time was a bit different than what I was raised; the worship band sang to the audience and if you knew the songs you could sing along. Quietly, I spoke to the pastor and asked if they would add a few hymns that the audience might know so that we could sing along. Occasionally, this did occur.
However, this one Sunday, I don’t know why I did this, but when the service was about to end, I stood up, my heart beating fast, and started singing– All to Jesus I Surrender. The band joined me. Can you imagine the horror of my husband! I felt led by the Holy Spirit.
I have many other examples of the Holy Spirit working in my life. Can you describe a time the Spirit worked in your life?
The filling of the Holy Spirit occurs at your salvation. However, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we are willing to let him control us. Probably, the best example is when wives submit to their husbands. Or getting up early for a time to be with the Lord when you love to sleep in the morning.
Beloved, Ephesians 5: 18 says, “ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” When filled with wine, one may not make wise choices. However, when filled with the Spirit, positive experiences and choices are the outcome.
Being filled is not an option. Dr. David Jeremiah in his book, The Holy Spirit You May Not Know says on page 40, “The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible. And He does so in two ways. We have the inspiration of the Spirit in the writing of the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit living within us helping us to understand what the Bible says.”
Being filled is continuous action, so what needs to happen is willingness on our part. We need to have a desire to be filled, just as we need to read and pray to God each day.
Sweet friend, this next one can be difficult; we have to denounce sin in our lives. Boy, gossip has to go.
I was talking with one of my co-workers Anna; she said she uses the word THINK- before she says something about someone. She said her pastor had cautioned before speaking to use THINK: is it true, honorable, inspirational, necessary, or is it kind. This is similar to the saying my mom taught me, “if you can’t say something nice–don’t say anything at all.”
Does this ring true for you?
How about those white lies or anger, yelling or justifying and then going ahead and spending the money?
Beloved, sin separates, in Dr. Jeremiah’s book on page 51 he writes, “The Holy Spirit will not cohabit a life that is filled with willful sin. His first name is Holy.” (italics mine). I was so impressed by that. I underlined and circled that.
How often do I sin? There is an escape with God called –confess our sins and seek forgiveness. We are not to quench the Holy Spirit as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5;19.
Lastly, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to dedicate ourselves fully to Christ and daily be filled with the Spirit.
So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16.
Dusty Road
Often, at work, a feeling comes over me, to talk to a co-worker. Some of the ways is I am prompted to give religious books away. I have a beautiful page of verses that I often share. We often as case managers are able to meet the needs of family visiting patients just with a kind word, prayer, or deed. Keep a short list of sins, forgive others, and ask for forgiveness when you have wronged someone. I recently did this and restored a friendship. God is so good.
What is the Holy Spirit prompting you to do on your dusty road?
Conclusion
Beloved, we are called to be Spirit-filled. This means the world to me, are you filled with the Holy Spirit? If you have questions, have you accepted Jesus, then you have the Holy Spirit. If you have unconfessed sin, get alone with God and have some quiet time, He never leaves or forsakes us.
Daily reading God’s Word, writing God’s Word, and praying whether it is audible or written is a recipe for success. I use a purple pen.
Father God, you are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Forgive us where we have sinned and failed you. Fill us with the Holy Spirit. Let us think before we speak. In Jesus’s name. Amen
How will you apply this devotion?
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