2020-06-26
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit undoubtedly can influence a heart that is open to right living with God. He does this in wonderful ways, so my experience with this is something I want to share at His behest. First, He lets us know what tasks God wants us to do. God have given us His opinions through NT writers, like Timothy, Luke, and Peter et al. 1 TIM 2: 20-21, “God knows who belong to Him and who do not. Those who claim they are His must turn away from wrongdoing.” 1 PET 2: 20-21 tells us that God will bless those who suffer for doing good, as Christ did for us on the cross. He gave us the example of Christ’s suffering and response to the Father’s teaching. 1 PET 3: 15-17 tells us to “be ready to explain the hope we have at any time, and always do so with gentleness and respect. In the face of insults, keep your conscience clear and behave with good conduct, even in the face of evil words. Do not be ashamed of suffering for good.” (God and other believers or potential believers will be aware). When insulted for being a Christian, the Holy Spirit is resting on us [1 PET 4: 14, 16]. When Christ sent out the 12 disciples to bring the message of the Gospel to others, He told them to stay in towns where they are welcomed, and to leave towns where they are not, shaking the dust off their feet as a warning. They were told not to beg or bring money with them [LK 9: 3-5]. (This was one way for them to know they were truly welcomed, as the residents would share a bed in their homes for them in their material poverty. These hosts would recognize their spiritual wealth and the truth of their message).
The strength to avoid retaliation for being insulted comes from the Holy Spirit; it is available to all who believe in Christ and ask Him in prayer for it. Paul and Barnabas taught that we must go through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God, which was telling the truth to their listeners. One must know that this message wasn’t always received well, but they kept their behavior godly [AC 14: 22b]. One of the most beautiful stories told about godly behavior happened when Paul and Silas were tossed in a Philippi jail and confined with manacles in this dark, stony place. They prayed and sang praises to God through this whole ordeal. God delivered a miracle when the prison doors and manacles suddenly opened. We’ll remember that the jailer thought they had escaped and worried about his future. Then, the jailer heard their message and believed [AC 16: 16-40].
It’s a miracle that Paul, who formerly worked for the Sanhedrin insulting and working to persecute Jewish Christians, was converted to the truth [AC 9: 1-6], and went on to become the greatest apostle to the Gentiles that ever lived. Despite enduring much suffering, which is outlined in 2 COR 11: 22-33, Paul never gave up. Even after he was on house arrest in Rome, he sent trusted workers to places like Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea with Spirit-packed messages that we can read in his epistles. AC 14: 19-20 tells us how Paul responded to the opposition fueled by traditional Jews at Lystra. Paul and Barnabas were stoned and forced from the city. The next day, they came back and then, went on to Derbe. They remained focused on the message. There are so many examples that we are given in the Scriptures that show us how profoundly the early church leaders were influenced by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this discussion is to cause all of us to look at our own relationship with the Holy Spirit. Can we look back on our past and view the present in that regard? Are there changes for the better that we need to make? How open to His influence are we? These are import questions, and the answers have eternal consequences.
PRAYER: Dearest Father, we come before Your throne in reverence and awe. Our respect for Your wisdom has led us to many lessons over our lives. Some have not been easy. We are still sinners, in the hope that as we learn Your lessons, we come closer to being glorified by You and gaining eternal life. All too late in my own life, I recognized that You, Your Son, and Your Holy Spirit have been with me every day of my life. Sadly, my delay in knowing this was to my detriment. I confess this, despite that I am not proud to admit it. I am a flawed human being, who is now open to the Holy Spirit, and willing to confess my sins, as King David did in PS 51. There have been times when I didn’t believe I could do a task You commanded of me. Yet, You were showing me that You were with me showing me that I could. When trouble came to me from outside of myself, You were there to see to it that I had a way out, through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. You expect a lot from all of us, and then, You make us effective through the Holy Spirit. When illness struck me, You made good medical care available to me. I offer You praise and thanks forever, for Your goodness and kindness. When I needed discipline, You delivered it in a way that I wouldn’t be destroyed by it. You deserve golden crowns for Your patience with mankind, and we love You for us. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am commanded to write about our response to what Christ did for us on the cross and the decision to please God or man. I’ve written before about the gradual changes that happened in my attitude and beliefs over the years. I was born and raised in a traditionally Jewish family. My parents expected me to follow them in their religion, but I rebelled. In addition to giving them disappointment in the eventual choices that I made, I was a wanderer, hard-headed, and never fit it with the others in my family. All of this was despite the fact that I never spoke disrespectfully to them or purposely tried to trouble them. My older brothers and I, one by one, turned down my father’s wish that we go to medical school and eventually, take over his practice-each for a different reason. My father was a smoker and died suddenly in 1967at the age of 59. My mother remained alone for 8 years and then remarried. I responded positively to all the pressure my parents put on me to get good grades. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and there was plenty of family drama that took place in the years from my university graduation until I was 39. The Holy Spirit made Himself clear to me at that time what God’s will for my career path should be. My life gradually went from chaos/misery to trials and questions, and finally to real joy and satisfaction. That is a net result of serving others, while keeping a balanced personality-that balance being between caring for self and caring for others. I relate all of this as my own testimony of the Holy Spirit’s influence on my life. Not mentioning my husband, Peter, would be a bad mistake, for he has been the most patient, loving, and helpful companion anyone could want. We’ve been married 43 years, and we are still each other’s best human friend. We share faith in Jesus Christ together, and that has been a great impact on our marriage. And now, I can say, “Yes, gaining eternal life involves many trials and tribulations, but thankfully we don’t have to endure them alone.” Praise be to our wonderful God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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