Following The Witness Of The Holy Spirit

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"
Romans 8:16 (NKJV)

Being led by the Holy Spirit is a topic that every Christian needs to understand, this is one of the most important things the Holy Spirit will do for us.  Too often we allow what we know in our mind and what we feel and experience to be the guiding forces in our life but God has given us His Spirit to live inside of us and give us direction.  We can always start out by doing what we do know about God's will, this is what we find in the Bible, and we can then look to the witness of the Holy Spirit to go on to further specific steps in the will of God.

Many Christians know that we need to be led by the Holy Spirit, as it says in Romans 8:14, but they do not understand the witness of the Spirit that Paul was talking about in Romans 8:16.  When it says that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit it simply means that there is an agreement between the Holy Spirit and our spirit.  The words "bears witness with" here literally mean "to testify jointly".  It would be like two people testifying in a courtroom about something they saw, if both people tell the same thing then they are bearing witness with one another, this is the same thing as the witness of the Holy Spirit.

A very simple way to explain it is that when we have the witness of the Holy Spirit we will have peace in our spirit, in our heart; when there is no witness of the Spirit in our heart then there is no peace.  If we were to go into some store and steal something, then in our own spirit we would not have peace because the Holy Spirit would not agree with us stealing something.  If we learn to pay attention to and develop a sensitivity to the witness of the Holy Spirit, which is the main way the Holy Spirit will lead us, we will know what steps to take in the will of God and how to take them.  We need to learn to recognize the witness of the Spirit in our spirit.

Living In Perfect Peace

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

Peace is something that pretty much everyone wants.  No one really desires to live in a constant state of being distressed and unhappy, but sometimes that is the way people live.  Some people think that getting everyone and everything else around them in order is what they need, but what they really need is personal peace.  Many people deal with depression, anxiety, fear, worry, and other similar issues and they have no peace, let alone perfect peace.  All these issues stem from the things we think about; what we think about determines whether or not we will live in peace.

Many people have problems in their thought life, they are often thinking about the wrong kinds of things and this leads to turmoil in their mind and in their life.  When we face a difficult situation we usually start thinking about what we need to do to solve the problem.  What we should do first is to think about what the Bible has to say and see what God's solution to the problem is.  While I am certainly not saying we can't use some good plans and ideas that come from the things we already know and understand, we cannot live a successful life just by figuring everything out on our own.

What can we do to live in peace?  Isaiah 26:3 tells us how to do this; we need to keep our mind focused on God.  We also see that it says in Isaiah that a person is kept in perfect peace because that person trusts in God.  Many times we are getting stressed and worried about some situation because we are not trusting God and focusing on His Word.  We must fill our mind with God's Word; when our thoughts line up with God's thoughts we will live in peace.  When our thoughts are not in agreement with what the Bible has to say we will not have peace.  Put God's Word in first place in your life and focus your thoughts on Him, that is how you can live in perfect peace.

Christians Are Led By The Holy Spirit

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Romans 8:14 (NKJV)

One thing that should be a distinguishing mark in the life of a Christian is being led by the Spirit of God.  As New Testament, New Covenant believers we have the Holy Spirit living in us.  One of the things that the Holy Spirit will do for us is that He will lead us and guide us in life.  What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit?  Saying we are led by the Holy Spirit simply means that we follow the direction that the Holy Spirit gives us.  As children of God we have the Holy Spirit inside of us but it is our choice whether or not we will follow His direction or if we will follow something else.

There are a lot of things that people use for guidance in life.  Some people live by their emotions, when they are feeling good then everything is great and they are ready to conquer the world.  But, when they are sad and feeling discouraged then they just want to hide away and quit.  Some people are led by their circumstances, they think that good circumstances mean they are doing the right things and bad circumstances and situations in life mean that they are doing something wrong.  Some Christians are led by other people and the advice that they get from their trusted friends.  Other people are led by experiences, their own and others, or they are led by logical reasoning and their thinking.

The Holy Spirit is always there to lead us and guide us, no matter how we feel, no matter what circumstances we face, and no matter what other people say or do.  So often we are dominated by all of the things going on around us that we are not looking for the guidance that God will give us by the Holy Spirit.  We need to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and become acquainted with Him and how He will lead us.  Make the choice today that you will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of your life and allow Him to give you the direction that you need.

Our Words: Building Blocks Or A Wrecking Ball

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]."
Proverbs 18:21 (Amplified)

Did you ever go by a construction site and watch as workmen built a building?  First a foundation is laid, then the floor, the walls, and the roof are all put in place; it can take some time to do it right but with diligent work it will happen.  Sometimes it is just laying one brick after another in a lengthy process that ultimately results in a fine structure.  Just like a building is built brick by brick we can build up the lives of others with our words; our words can be building blocks of life, strength, health, and encouragement.

Have you ever seen a building being torn down?  A building that took a long time to be built can be destroyed in a very short time with a wrecking ball.  The building may have had a good design and dedicated workers who took the time to carefully put together each part, but once the wrecking ball starts to swing it all comes crashing down.  When we use our words in the wrong way, when we speak negative, critical words, then we are using our words like a wrecking ball and we can tear other people down with the words we speak.

Sometimes the only words people have heard were the negative kind about how they are no good and they will never amount to anything, those are the kinds of words that are like the wrecking ball.  We need to choose our words carefully and build things into other people.  We can share words of hope and strength saying that no matter what is happening that we serve a God who will help us; we can use our words to encourage others and tell them that they can achieve great things.  We have the choice about the kind of words we will speak, let's choose the right words that will build people up and not the kind of words that will tear them down.

The Value Of Stillness And Quiet

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

One thing that we do not have a great abundance of in this world is stillness and quiet.  Sometimes there is so much happening in our lives that we don't take the time to just be still, get quiet, and listen to what God has to say.  There are times when our mind and our body are so active that we have a difficult time listening to what God is saying to us in our hearts.  If we want to be successful in life and effective with what we do for God we must find time to close out all of the things going on around us, be still, and spend time with God.

We live in a world of mass communication and often we have so many sources of input and so many different voices speaking to us that we have trouble knowing what we should really listen to.  Sometimes it seems as though we have forgotten to use the "off switch" for all of the things going on in our life and we have gotten to the point where we just accept all of this constant activity as normal.  If we are always busy with phone calls, emails, Facebook posts, tweets, appointments, activities with friends and family, projects, and so on we will become more outward focused and less inward sensitive.

God will speak to us, but with all of the other things we have going on His voice might be hard to distinguish.  God is not going to shout to make Himself heard above all of our activities and noise but when we take the time to stop, to be still, and get quiet to spend some time with Him we will find that He is ready and waiting.  If you have been feeling stressed, overloaded with work and the concerns of life, or if you just need to get some clarification from God about how He wants you to do some things then it is time be still, get quiet, and spend some time with God.  Be still and give God the opportunity to speak to you today.

But Lord, What About Them?

... And when He had spoken this, He said to him, Follow Me.
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
John 21:19, 20 (NKJV)

One of the greatest problems people have in life is distractions. It is so easy for us to lose our focus and get looking around to see what else is happening and not pay attention to what we ought to be doing.  This is especially true when it comes to our checking to see what other people are doing.  Once we start comparing ourselves and what we are doing with what other people are doing we are distracted; we can either be doing what we should do or we can be distracted.  If we let ourselves get sidetracked and distracted we will never really do the things that God wants us to do.

We can see this problem in the life of Peter when Jesus gave Peter some direction about what to do.  Peter did not stop and say "Oh, thank you Lord! Now I know what to do and focus on in my life and I can pursue that."  No, what Peter did is similar to what a lot of us do; right away Peter saw someone else and asked Jesus, "What about them?"  God has a plan and a purpose for each person's life and that plan is for that person and not subject to our approval.  God knows better than we do what people ought to spend their time doing.  If we are spending our time looking around and making judgments about whether or not someone else is doing the right thing then we are probably not doing our thing.

It is important for each one of us to put our attention on to the work that God has called us to do and not be distracted by looking around to see what others are doing.  The next time you catch yourself looking around at other people and wondering if they are doing what they are supposed to do put your focus back on the things that God has called you to do.  Comparing our lives with the lives of others and making judgments about whether or not what someone else is doing is right will only lead us into distraction and despair; doing the things that God has called us to do will lead to a successful, satisfied life.

God Gives You A Future And A Hope

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

No one has a perfect past, everyone can look back in their life and see some mistake or missed opportunity that they would change if they could.  It is good to know that it is not so important where you start in life but it is important what you do after you start.  Some people may have been born into a better situation than others, but whether or not someone succeeds in life is more about what they do with their life than the condition they were born into.  No matter where you are today, or where you have come from, you can go forward to something better!

There are some people who feel as though their life has no purpose, that there is no hope.  But with God there is always hope!  In Jeremiah God tells us that He is thinking good thoughts about us, not evil thoughts.  God is not thinking about all of the mistakes and problems we have had in the past but God is thinking about the possibilities we have for a bright future.  If we would just get connected with God and the plan He has for our life we would do great things for God.  God has bigger and better plans for us than we have thought for ourselves.

What we all need to do from this day forward is forget about the past and start looking ahead.  Maybe you are in a bad situation; maybe you do have some difficulties.  Jesus told us that in this world we would have problems but that He has overcome the world!  Get connected with God through His Word and talk to God in prayer.  Let Him guide you and direct you from where you are today to where you need to be tomorrow.  Allow God to help you right the wrongs and trust Him to show you the bright future and hope that He has for you!

Knowledge AND Understanding

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,"
Ephesians 1:16, 17 (NKJV)

Ephesians 1 shows us a prayer that Paul prayed for the people in the church at Ephesus.  Ephesus was a city that Paul had been to on several occasions and Paul had even taught in a school there for two years.  Still, Paul was praying for the believers there to get something.  These people already had some knowledge about the things of God, so Paul was not just praying that these Christians would gain more knowledge, Paul was praying that they would gain an understanding of what they had already learned.  It is one thing to know something but it is something else to understand it.

I may know about electricity and how to turn on a light but that does not mean I understand electricity and I am qualified to be an electrician.  We may have knowledge of some facts but what do those facts mean?  Many people know facts about God and the Bible but they do not have any understanding.  I have had several conversations with people who clearly knew something about the Bible but they did not really understand it.  If we only know facts without having any understanding we can easily be led astray by wrong teaching and have trouble living the kind of life God has planned for us.

How do we get an understanding about what the Bible says and go beyond just the facts to get the meaning of those facts and then put them into practice in our life?  We first need to read and study the Bible for ourselves; to have a greater understanding of the Bible we need to take time to learn what it says.  But, the biggest key to getting an understanding of the Bible is to look to the Holy Spirit for help.  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is our Helper who would teach us all things (John 14:26) and that He will guide us into the truth (John 16:13).  We all need to spend time reading and studying the Bible and then trust the Holy Spirit to help us gain a greater understanding of God's Word so that we can take advantage of it and put it into use in our life.

Jesus Sets You Free

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
John 8:31, 32, 36 (NKJV)

People have a natural desire to be free, no one what to be in slavery or bondage to anyone or anything.  The life of a slave is dominated by their master; the slave is completely controlled by someone other than themselves.  Mankind was bound by sin because of the disobedience of Adam, but mankind has been delivered from the bondage of sin through Jesus Christ.  Now, just like a slave who has been legally set free only has to leave his former master to live a new life, mankind must receive Jesus Christ to walk in the freedom and liberty that He provides.

The desire people have to be free from wrong habits, wrong thoughts, and wrong desires has driven them to many things.  But, the only true liberty and freedom that can be found comes through Jesus!  In John 8, Jesus made statements about people being His disciples, staying with His Word, knowing the truth, and being free.  These are not separate thoughts but they fit together.  To be a follower of Jesus, to be a disciple of Jesus, to be a Christian, means to know and stay with the Word of God.  John 1:1, 14 tells us that Jesus is the Word.  To be free means to know Jesus and to know Jesus means to know the Word.

Jesus came to set us free, and to keep us free.  Once we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are like the slave who has been legally set free, we can now leave our former master and live a new life.  Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1 that we need to stand firm in the liberty we have in Christ and not go back to living under the Law.  In Romans 6 Paul talks about how we have been set free from being slaves to sin so that we can now become dedicated to righteousness.  God wants us to live a life of freedom but it can only happen through Jesus and staying with the Word of God.  What is trying to put you into bondage today?  Stand firm in the liberty you have in Christ and don't let anything put you into bondage.

Give Yourself To God First

"And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
2 Corinthians 8:5 (NKJV)

This is a good pattern for Christians to follow, first give yourself to God and follow Him.  After we have given ourselves to God then we give ourselves to others.  Our relationship with God comes first, then our relationship with people and other ministers follow.  If we keep our priorities right, with our relationship with God always coming first, then our relationships with others will function the way that they should.  If we put other relationships first and our relationship with God second we will have problems in relationships because we will look for something from people that only God can supply.

Many Christians have gotten this pattern backwards and they first give themselves to people, especially their favorite minister, and then they follow God.  We first of all follow God and not just some minister or teaching.  We certainly should be committed to our pastor, and any other minister we may have a relationship with; but again, the first place our commitment goes is to God.  Our commitment to God and our relationship with Him will be reflected in our relationship with others and help us to serve others more effectively.

God has given us some wonderful men and women who are gifted to teach and preach the Word of God, but they are still not God.  Our main source of revelation and inspiration should be from God through His Word by the Holy Spirit.  If we first give ourselves to God and allow Him to lead us and teach us then what we get through others will confirm and add to what God has already shown us.  We need to keep our priorities in relationships right and first of all give ourselves to God and then let Him show us the other people and ministers we should be connected with.  This is the correct pattern and doing this will help us to have the right relationship with God and with others.

I Can Do _____ Through Christ

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

"I have strength for anything through Him who gives me power."
Philippians 4:13 (Weymouth)

There are times when we read the Bible that we interpret it based on our own life and experiences.  For example, when some people read Philippians 4:13 they think it is some figurative statement or that there are certain limitations to what it means, but this verse means exactly what it says.  God has told us that we can do anything He leads us to do because of the ability that He gives us in Christ.  What does that mean?  It means that God is our source and our Helper and He will empower us to do whatever we need to do.

When we see something in the Bible that we know we need to do, or if God directs us by the Holy Spirit to do something, it may seem as though we can't do it.  We need to get it settled within ourselves that if God is leading us then God knows exactly what it will take for us to do that thing and He will help us and equip us to do it!  We need to understand that God is not expecting us to do it all on our own.  Whether it is direction to know what to do, wisdom to do something the right way, or the strength and ability to do something, God will give it to us.

What things do you need to do in your life, where do you need to make a change?  Is God talking to you about getting involved somewhere in your church and you are not sure if you can do it?  Maybe you want to be a better parent, or a better spouse, or just a better Christian who is more effective for God.  What is it that you have seen in the Bible that has stirred you or challenged you?  Whatever it is, you can be sure that God will always give you the wisdom, direction, strength, and ability to do it.  Our bold confession should be exactly what Philippians 4:19 says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!

Your Words Set The Course For Your Life

"For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!"
James 3:2-5 (NKJV)

The words we use are far more important than most people have realized.  Some people have gotten the wrong idea about the value of our words, in part because of some extreme, unbiblical teaching in this area.  However, a study of what the Bible teaches about words will show the significance of the words we use in our everyday life.  The words we speak every day will set the course for our life.  The direction our life is headed today is based on the words we have spoken in the past.

In James 3:2-5 we have a couple of good examples of how our words work.  First, James gives the example of a bit in the horses' mouth, that little thing can direct a huge animal and guide it to where it needs to go.  Next, James talks about the rudder on a ship and how the pilot can set the direction the ship will go with a just very small part of the ship.  Then James says that in the same way the tongue is small but it can do big things.  If we want to set our course in life, if we want to turn some things around in our life, it is going to happen through our words.

So what should we be saying, what should we talk about?  What we need to do is find out what the Bible has to say and talk about that.  It is not as though our words have some magic power to them, but when our words are in agreement with God's Word we are allowing God an open door to move in our life.  If our words are contrary to God's Word we restrict His operation in our life.  Our words will set the course for our life; make sure you choose your words wisely and say the things that God has to say in His Word about every area of your life.

Living A Life Of True Contentment

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."
Philippians 4:11 (NKJV)

Paul was a normal human being who, even though he was called and gifted by God, faced life's difficulties just like the rest of us.  Paul told the Philippians that he had learned how to be content, no matter what was happening.  Paul was specifically talking about financial support, but I believe this can apply to every area of our life.  Paul was able to do the things God had called him to do because He had learned how to live a life independent of his feelings and circumstances, this is something we need to do too if we want to be successful in life.

So many people live a life of discontent, they are not satisfied with their life.  The key to living a stable, happy life is found in the definition of the Greek word Paul used in Philippians 4:11 for "contentment".  In the Greek language this word carries the meaning of being "independent of circumstances".  This is what living a life of true contentment, a satisfied, happy life is all about.  If we are dependent on some person or thing making us happy we will never be satisfied.  If we put our focus on God and His Word we can live a life of stability and victory.

Deuteronomy 28:67 talks about people who because of their fear and the things happening around them would say in the morning, "I wish it was evening" and in the evening, "I wish it was morning", this is a picture of dissatisfaction, discontent.  If we are thinking, "I wish this was happening", or "If that person would just act a certain way", or "If only this thing was different" we have our focus in the wrong place.  People, circumstances, and our feelings will change but God and His Word do not change; this is where our focus has to be, that is what we must build our life on.  This is how we can live a life of true contentment and satisfaction!

Stand, Stand, And Keep On Standing

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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 ..."
Ephesians 6:11, 13, 14a (NKJV)

Sometimes if we are not careful we read over things in the Bible and we miss the significance of what is being said.  A good example of this is in Ephesians 6:11-14 where Paul begins talking about the armor of God.  In these verses Paul uses the word "stand" three times and the word "withstand" once, I think this is very important.  We might focus on the armor and the different pieces, or we may think about how we have an enemy who will attack us, but I believe it is extremely vital for us to realize that Paul mentioned standing, in some way, four times.

Paul said to take up, to put on, the whole armor of God and stand.  Paul did not say to put on the armor and hide or put on the armor and run away, Paul said we must stand.  Christians need to recognize that we have an enemy, we need to put on the whole armor of God, know who we are in Christ and understand the authority we have in Christ.  But, once we take our stand in faith and resist the devil, we stand, stand, and keep on standing!  We need to know how to stand so we can keep on standing no matter what.

The Bible tells us that we stand by grace (Romans 5:2; 1 Peter 5:12), we stand by faith (Romans 11:20; 1 Corinthians 16:13), and that we need to stand firm in the Lord (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:8).  When we put all of this together we get a complete picture of what it means to stand: we stand by the grace of God (His ability working in us), by faith (on His Word), and in the Lord (who we are in Christ and not who we are in ourselves).  No matter what situation you may find yourself in, take a stand in faith and allow the grace of God to empower you to remain in your place in Christ.  Then, keep on standing triumphantly in Christ and you will win!

Do You Know That The Holy Spirit Lives In You?

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"
1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19 (NKJV)

One of the greatest differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament has to do with the Holy Spirit.  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come on people to empower them to do the work that God had called those people to do.  The problem was that the Holy Spirit was not available to everyone.  However, today as New Testament believers in Jesus Christ, as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in us!  This is such a wonderful truth but it seems that a lot of Christians don't even know about it

In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul asked them the same question twice, "Don't you know that the Holy Spirit is in you"?  These people were Christians so they already had the Holy Spirit in them.  Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit on the spirit of man (Titus 3:4-6) where someone becomes a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Paul said in Romans 8:9 if you don't have the Spirit of God then you are not even in relationship with God.  Once we become a Christian we have the Greater One, the Holy Spirit in us (1 John 4:4) and His job is to help us, teach us, and guide us (John 14:26, Romans 8:14).

The problem many Christians have today is what Paul was talking to the Corinthians about; do we recognize that the Holy Spirit is in us?  Do we have our attention on circumstances, our feelings, other people's opinions or do we focus on the Helper we have living inside of us?  If we put our attention on the Holy Spirit in us, if we allow Him to direct us and help us, then He will lead us into triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14), He will give us the strength we need (Ephesians 3:16), and He will guide us into the truth (John 16:13).  Thank God for the Holy Spirit, let's allow Him to help us do what God has called us to do!