SPIRIT OF GOD

I am reading a book about the Spirit of God which has brought questions to mind.  We call Him "The" Holy Spirit.  Why do we call Him 'the' Holy Spirit?  He is a personage of God.  We don't call God, "The God".  We don't call Jesus, "The Jesus".  His name is God.  His name is Jesus. His name is Holy Spirit or Spirit of God.  Throughout the Bible He is called Spirit in 111 verses, Holy Ghost in 89 verses, and also Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of Truth, and Spirit of Christ.   

When we are talking about what He does, we say things like, "by the power of the Holy Spirit" and this is the correct way to use the word 'the". When we use His name in a sentence and we talk to Him on a personal level He is Holy Spirit.  He is Spirit of God and the other names mentions.

When He becomes a personal friend and confidant He is Comforter.  He is Advocate.  He is Breath of God.  He is Strong Tower.  He is Defender.  He is Mighty Warrior. He is Lover of our souls.  He is God in us, speaking to us, being with us, guiding and teaching.  We can cry out to Him when we are suffering and He is with us with arms tight around us.  When we are joyful and happy He is smiling and laughing with us and pleased with us.  He brings contentment and joy.  He brings peace and hope.  He brings us and shows us the Father's love.

I know I am probably making a big deal over this but it does bother me that we  seem to think of Him as lesser than the Father and the Son but we know that is not true.  Our God is One God.  He is three in One.  Each person of the Godhead is as omnipotent and omnipresent as the other.  We know we are body, soul and spirit and we are one human being.  We are created in His image in the same way.  Just as He is, without one of those parts we are not a full human being.  A body empty of soul and spirit is just that, empty.  God, without  Son and Spirit cannot be the great I AM.  God Almighty.  Creator of the Universe. 

Here is my prayer for today;

Holy Spirit come and be my rest for the day.  Fill me with your presence and show me your ways to love others.  Keep my family and friends safe in your arms. I  love you Holy Spirit and thank you for always covering me and loving me even when I was selfish and disobedient.  Fill me more and more with your words of wisdom and knowledge.  Amen!

Guard Your Mind

This morning I need to write about what happened in my dreams last night.  I was attacked and had to fight.  There were monsters all over. Demons coming at me and who I was with.  Every corner, every turn, there was another monster showing up and coming at us.  Again and again the attackers came at us.  Just when I turned a corner and thought they were gone another one of them came at me.  I knew they were trying to kill me but I was able to fight them off.  I don't remember if I had a weapon but I was fighting.  It was a terrible battle and I was getting so very tired but I could not give up or I was dead.  Then I woke up.

In waking everything was so vivid and I began calling on the name of Jesus!  I knew there were evil spirits in my mind and they had been tormenting me in my sleep.  They had been out to kill my peace.  For at least 10 minutes I prayed and said the name of Jesus as my heart quit racing and the faces of the monsters were replaced with the face of Jesus and his angels who set guard over us when we call on Him.  I turned on my audio Bible to the book of Psalms let the verses flood my mind.  Chapter 18 is where I started listening as David cried out to the Lord to fight his battles and to protect him.  If was not a coincidence the Lord started me in that chapter.  I took 15 to 20 minutes before I was calm again and the monsters were fading from my thoughts.  I fell back to sleep with the audio Bible playing the monsters never returned.

As I think about the event this morning, it was terrifying to have it happen but then as I read Psalms 18 this morning I knew in my spirit that God had played that word for me to calm me from the attack of the devil I had experienced. This scripture reaffirmed to me that we are in a world filled with evilness and even those of us who walk closely with the Lord can come under spiritual attacks just as it says in Ephesians 6:12.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

God gives us the way to fight these rulers of the darkness and that is what we are told to do in Ephesians 6:13-18.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 

I have underlined the words, above all, to point out the shield of faith is what was needed to fight the monsters who came into my dreams last night.  As I woke from the fight, the dream, I had the ability to know it was a demonic attack and to go straight to Jesus and His word.  Without faith in the power of Jesus we are open to the demonic attacks here on earth.  It's a daily walk and daily learning how to walk the walk.  Without being in the word of God we cannot be prepared when these attacks come at us.  The blueprint for navigating these battles is right there in scripture for all of us to learn and know.

This morning my devotional only reaffirmed what I already knew but I love the poke from Holy Spirit that I heard correctly. Remember, with God there are no coincidences. 

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. - Romans 8:6

Finding Yourself After Loss

It's a very different life after spending 40 years with one person on a daily basis.  This person could be a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, a close friend but whomever it was they were there and no they are not.  In many cases it is death but divorce, relationship troubles, and long distance moves also takes them away.  Days are not the same when they were there, you enjoyed having them there and now they are gone.  So what do you do now?

It's been almost 11 month since my husband died.  It's still hard to say that, "He died."  For 11 months, on a daily basis, I have missed his face and his voice.  I have missed the noise he made in the house.  I miss washing his clothes.  I miss seeing him sit at the kitchen table or putter around outside on something.  Things are still the same here at home but they are not the same.  He is nowhere to be found but signs of him are everywhere.

It doesn't hurt so bad today.  I don't cry every day.  I don't feel sadness every day.  I keep wondering what my future is going to be now that I am a widow and a single person when I used to be married and a couple.  I just don’t know but I keep getting up every day and do something.  I don't push myself and think I'm going to figure it out today or even tomorrow.  For 11 months I have just kept going, watching the pages of the calendar changing.  I read a lot.  I write a lot.  I talk to family and friends a lot.  I do the household chores.  I think about past, present and future.  I pray and talk with the Lord all the time.  He listens a lot and Holy Spirit speaks back to me with words of encouragement and wisdom.  

Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

As I wait on the Lord for whatever the day holds for me I know He keeps moving in my heart and mind to be still and know that He is God.  Nothing I can do today can change what happened yesterday and no amount of thinking and planning will change tomorrow.  He says to trust Him and I do.  He says to commune with Him and I do.  He says to listen to His still small voice and I do.  He says do not fear so I cannot.  He says do not worry so I cannot do that either.  What I can do is pray for those He lays on my heart and mind today and then really pray for them.  Pray protection for them.  Pray health for them.  Pray love for them.  Pray they hear Him and acknowledge He is Lord of ALL.  Not some, but all.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Am I a different person today than I was at this time last year?  Yes, I am. 

Am I going to be a different person at this time next year?  Yes, I am.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  God knows.  He always has a plan and it is always a good plan for those who love Him and are called His children.  My purpose right now is to listen and learn.  To help where I can.  To love others and to keep moving forward until He calls me home to be with Him.  

Matthew 14:31 (NIV)

'Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 

For now, I will be able to find myself as long as I keep my eyes on Him.

Our Calling

 Our Power of Twelve word this month has been from II Peter 1:10-11.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:10-11

Other translations of these scriptures say to be more diligent, work hard, be eager, try harder.  The Lord wants us to each figure out what our calling in this life is.  He wants us to figure it out.  But how do we do that?  For me, I had to have the Holy Spirit reveal it to me after my brain tumor.  I had to admit to myself and others that I had not been walking obediently in what the Lord wanted me to do.  I had resisted Him in certain areas and trudged along in life without seeking out what it was specifically He needed me to do for Him.  I had committed most of my life to Him but not all of my life to Him.  I have to admit, I am selfish and only wanted to do so much even if it was for God.  Dummy me!  So He had to get my attention with a brain tumor.  How sad is that!?  

For the past 5 years I have done much better and I believe I have found what His calling is for me and that is to speak out about encouragement and with encouragement.  To not be afraid to step out and let Him use me for a voice.  I love to talk and I love people so what a better calling than talking and loving?  I know sometimes I don't always choose my words in the perfect way but I am still learning.  

I am still a work in progress and will be until my last breath here on the planet.

We each should want to please Jesus once we become His follower.  We should each want to do what He wants from us and not hide away hoping He won't make us go to a foreign country to preach the gospel to primitive tribes.  It's funny that we many times think He will make us do something we do not want to do.  That is never His way with His people.  Just think about all the patience He had with His chosen people, the Israelites. If anyone bungled it time after time, year after year, it was those people!  His chosen people, the Jewish, are still waiting for their Messiah.  They missed Him when He came  the first time which is so very sad.

Sometimes a calling is inviting a group of women into your home to be a hostess and  a friend.  Sometimes it is working in the Sunday School teaching little children about Jesus.  Sometimes it is baking and taking food to a family in distress.  Sometimes it is giving your money to someone in need.  Sometimes it is as simple as being the one praying for those you know who need prayer for the trials they are going though.  

Callings are what the Holy Spirit lays on your heart to do.  It is never anything you cannot do and is always something you do for Him and for others.  Callings are not about you, they are about others and it begins with a thought, a prompt from the Spirit of God.  A callings is something you can say "yes" to but it is always something you can say "no" to.  It's another one of those free will things.  It's His idea but your choice.  If you don't know what He has called you for just ask him and He will show you.  Don't wait for a brain tumor to pop up late in life when you could have been doing so much more for Him and the people in your life.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Matthew 7:7 (NIV) - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Proverbs 8:17 (NIV) - I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV) -But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Surrender

I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ in 1975.  I did not continually walk in His way and was selfish most of the time.  As the past 48 years have progressed I can honestly say I am not near as selfish as I was back then.  I want to please Him but still fall short just like the scriptures say.  I try time after time to surrender all of my remaining selfish ways but can't seem to get rid of all of me.  My problem is that I have always liked me.  Enough to cause me problems and troubles for my entire life. 

 

Jesus never had one selfish bone in His body.  He was perfect and He still is perfect.  I will never be perfect while I breathe air on this planet.  No matter how much I try or how much I surrender there will always be that one things I can't get passed.  That one little lie.  That one little word about another person.  That one feeling of distrust.  That one memory that pops into my brain and cause me grief and guilt. 

 

I know that surrendering is something we all should do and we do many times with many things.  Of course the ultimate and most important is that surrender to Jesus to admit we are dirty and lowly creatures filled with all that is despicable.  We are worse than the animals that roam the earth because we have the mental ability and the choice to chose to do good and be upright in our actions.  They are animals with only animal tendencies.  But how often do we look just like a wild animal?

 

When we surrender to Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to live with and in us to help guide and teach us.  He is with every single believer in the world today.  Some hear Him.  Some see Him moving.  Some do as He instructs.  Some fight Him.   Even when we fight Him He never leaves us.  He sticks to us like glue whether we want Him to or not.  We can turn our backs and walk away but He continues to follow us wherever we go.  Once He's there, He's there.  Once He's in, He's in.  I am so grateful for His patience and endurance with rebellious me!  I don't want to hurt Him but I am still selfish.

 

The Apostle Paul spoke many time of "missing the mark."  Of not being worthy.  Of letting the flesh rule over him.  I understand this well.  But as the years continue on for me I will continue on for Him.  I will continue to try to surrender all of my selfishness and my icky human ways because of my love for Jesus.  I refuse to quit trying to be a better servant.  A better bride.  A better woman.  A better human being. 

 

Galatians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

Romans 8:6 (NKJV)

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

 

James 1:14 (NKJV)

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

 

Part of our walk with the Lord for decades is to learn His ways.  To follow His teachings and to become more and more an image of our Father.  We will continue to experience failure and feel unworthy to be called His children but He has already made a way for us to receive His forgiveness and mercy.  Do we really think He doesn't know our hearts hurt when we are disobedient?  Did you every experience tears as a child when we knew that Dad found out that we had lied about breaking the vase?  I cried when I knew Dad was going to discipline me for my failure to do as told or hide the truth of what I had done.  Our Heavenly Father does the same.  He wants us to learn, be better and do better. Always.  I will continue to surrender until such a time as I no longer have anything left to surrender and am fully and completely as He made me to be.  Perfect.  At that time I will be looking into His magnificent face!

 

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

 

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

 

I Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

 

I John 2:17 (NKJV)

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.