Spirit of Truth

John 16:7, 13-15

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you….When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

 

I have said for years that since Satan has been unable to destroy the truth, he decided to bury the truth in a flood of information. We live in that day of misinformation when we often cannot tell what is true and what is error. Our minds and lives are often cluttered with so many bites of trivial information that we don’t have time for that which is most important. The tyranny of the urgent drowns out what is most essential in our lives.

 

We are in need of the Holy Spirit like never before. Jesus told His disciples that He had to go away so that He could send the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God making intercession for us, but the Holy Spirit is the one here on earth who dwells within us. Jesus calls Him the Helper, the Paraclete, the one who comes along side us and works on our behalf.

 

Who do your turn to for help on a day to day, minute-by-minute basis? I have a friend of mine that likes to say that the Holy Spirit is a genius. He is a genius in marriage, family, ministry, business, finances, health and anything else that you are involved in or are challenged by. He can be instantly accessed at any moment or in any situation. He is not limited by geographical, political, economical or cultural limitations. We can become proficient at accessing the recourses of the internet, but how proficient are we at accessing the Holy Spirit? Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” The Holy Spirit is our source of identity in this world. Without Him we are like everyone else around us functioning in the blindness of our limitations.

 

Jesus goes on to say that through the Holy Spirit we have access to everything that is His, and He has full access to the Father. So, by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ we have access to everything that is God’s. In the midst of an age of relativity, He will lead us into all truth because He leads us to Jesus, “the truth, the way and the life.” There is no one else like Him, the beginning and the end, the bread of life, the light of the world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of our times, we need to tune in and yield to the Holy Spirit as never before to bring order and peace into our lives and our world. Shut out the clutter of life and take time to hear His still quiet voice in your life today.

The Fragrance of Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

 

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?”

 

No matter who we are, where we are or what we are doing in the world, as believers in Christ we are called by God to be the fragrance of Christ to those with whom we come in contact. One key element to being able to diffuse the fragrance of Christ is our ability to always walk in triumph no matter what is going on around us because Christ has bought for us the victory. The picture Paul gives here is of an army returning victoriously from battle, and as they enter the city, people in celebration would fill the air with the sweet smell released by the burning of spices in the street. To the victorious it was an aroma of life. To the conquered it was an aroma of death.

 

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:13) Our ability by the Spirit to be of good cheer in the midst of the chaos around is a sweet aroma that encourages and brings life. Paul and Silas after being beaten and put in chains in prison sang praises to God. The Bible says all those in the prison heard them. In the midst of a terrible situation, the fragrance of Christ diffused throughout the prison leading them into triumph and bringing many to Christ.

 

The second element to diffusing the fragrance of Christ is to grow in the knowledge of Him in every place. The word “knowledge” here is not just knowing about Christ, but a knowledge that comes from intimate relationship with Him and is life-changing. It means to saturate ourselves with Christ so that His character and nature just naturally diffuse His fragrance in our lives at all times and in all situations. In John 12, Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Martha was busy serving Jesus, Lazarus was at the table eating with Jesus, while Mary was at His feet in worship anointing His feet with “a very costly oil, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” It is out of a life of worship that the fragrance of Christ is diffused wherever we go.

 

In 2 Corinthians 2, there are two kinds of people, “those being saved and those who are perishing.” Both should smell the fragrance of Christ in us. You can tell you are emanating the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ by the response of those around you. To those who are perishing, “we are the aroma of death” because they hate who we are and what we represent. Hiowever those who are being saved, we are “the aroma of life leading to life.” The aroma of Christ in us, while repelling the world, will attract those who are destined for salvation.

 

Jesus said, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:19-20) Let us be careful that we don’t so blend with the culture that we fail to “diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

Acting on Our Own

I have been reading in the book of Genesis. A  comment made by the Application Study Bible struck me. It is in reference to Adam when he ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3.
"Man was separated from God by his desire to act on his own." We often think of sin as separating us from God. Yet, at the root of sin is our desire to act on our own. Maybe you are not committing any of the many sins mentioned in the Bible, but maybe you are acting on your own. We may think that we are pretty good because we are not lying, cheating, stealing or committing adultery. Yet, our relationship and fellowship with God may not be right because we are acting on our own. What we are doing may not be bad, but we are not putting God in what we are doing. We are not being led by His Spirit in all we do. We are just cruising through life, not doing bad, but acting on our own.

Help us Lord Jesus!

By Faith He Still Speaks

There is a verse that I love. It is Hebrews 11:4. "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead."

It is the last part of the verse that strikes me most. "And by faith he still speaks, even though dead." Will the same be said about our lives after we are dead? Will what you do now impact people for God even after you are dead? How many a great man and woman of God have made a continuing positive impact on other peoples lives, even though they are dead? Maybe you can think of some people like that. I know that I can. One of those people was my dad. To this day my dad continues to speak, even though he is dead. Of course there is my mother-in-law Tine Wilkens (Johnson).

God help me to speak, even after I am dead.

Character Traits of Abraham's Chief Servant

In my daily devotions I am going through the book of Genesis. I was impressed with Abraham's chief servant.
Here are some of the character traits I found in his life.
1) He was a trust worthy servant for the Bible says in Genesis 24:2 that he was in charge of all that Abraham had. This was no little thing because Abraham was wealthy and had much. Can others trust you with everything they have? Abraham found him trust worthy enough to go on an important mission for him which was to bring back a wife for Isaac. Also, believed him to be a man of his word. (Gen 24:9).
2)  He believed in the God of Abraham and prayed to him for guidance in the matter of selecting a wife for Isaac. (Gen. 24:12) Do we asking the Lord's guidance in our daily life? He not only prayed, but was attentive to God's response to his prayer. (Gen 24:21) We do not only need to ask God's guidance, but we need to be sensitive and attentive to his answer or response. Sometimes we ask God something, but don't take the time to listen to what he has to say. How often do we talk to someone, but not really pay attention to what they are saying back? I know that I am often guilty of this. Sometime we do the same thing with God.
3) He was concerned about his master. (Gen. 24:12) Are you concerned about those you work for or who are over you? A believers we are not only to be faithful servants, but we should be genuinely concerned for the people we serve.
4) The servant thank the Lord for the answer to his prayer and worshiped God for his kindness and faithfulness. (Gen. 24:26) How much time do you spend in thanksgiving and worship of God for whom he is? We are often quick to ask, but neglect thanking God when he comes through for us.
5) The master would not let anything keep him from fulfilling his mission. (Gen. 24:54-56) He was focused and set on fulfilling his mission. He was in a hurry to complete his mission and didn't want anything to distract him from his duties. What  mission or work that God has called you to? Don't let anything distract or hinder you from accomplishing God's purpose for you. I encourage you today to sharpen your focus.

What wonderful lessons we can learn from a man who didn't have the promise of being the father of a great nation. Yet, it didn't stop him from being a great man and a servant of God. As result he played an important role in the promise.

Walking in God's Promises

I am reading about the life of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would make him a great nation and give him the land of Canaan (promises land). Yet, in order to obtain the promise he had to obey the word of God. He had to walk in the promise. He had to take practical steps to obtain the promise. The steps that the Lord ordained for him.

God commands him to leave his country, friends and family to go into the land of Canaan. (Gen. 12:1). Later on God showed him all the land that would be given to his offspring and God said, "Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Gen. 13:17) Abraham did as the Lord commanded and for the rest of his life, he walked the length and breadth of the land of Canaan. It was a walk of faith. Abraham began walking in the promise of God. In a practical way, he was laying hold of the promise of God. Abraham did not see the fulfillment of the promise in his life. It was made to him, but for his offspring. Yet, I believe firmly that the promise would not have been realized if it hadn't been for Abraham's faith and obedience. Before the people of Israel entered the promise land, it had already been won through Abraham's faith and obedience.

What promises has God given you? What are some practical ways you can walk in the promise? Most of God's promises are conditional, and dependent on our faith and obedience. We can't just sit back and expect God to drop His promises into our laps. Get the mind of the Lord and take the first step, then the second and third. It may look impossible, but all things are possible with God to those whom believe.

Abraham was out numbered in the land. He didn't have any great army. He was only a nomad in the land herding his sheep and live stock. This didn't stop Abraham in believing God and taking hold of the land in his spirit by faith.

Stay the Course

I have been reading Matthew 26 & 27. There is much in these chapters that detail the arrest, and death of Jesus. The one thing that stuck out to me is the fact that Jesus stayed the course. Despite the sure pain and suffering that He would experience, he went willingly as a lamb to the slaughter. He had every opportunity to escape or deliver himself from the situation he was in. At his arrest he could of led a rebellion, and because of his great popularity among the people could have been very successful. Of course at any time he could of called on twelve legions of angels. Before the Sanhedrin, He could of kept silent, and would have been eventually set free. Before Pilot, He could of spoken, and defended himself and ultimately be set free. Then on the cross, people mocked Him and told him to rescue himself, and he could have done that very thing. Yet, nothing we keep Jesus from staying the course, neither opportunity, coercing, mocking, pride, power, or self'-defense.

God would say to us today, know the mind of Christ for your life, and stay the course that Christ has set before you, no matter what may come your way. We must be careful not to allow pride, self-centeredness, temptation, the influence of others, or any trial keep us from being faithful to what God has called us to.