How do we get in the Spirit ?

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and what does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Both are good questions, but both can be accomplished by simply denying the lusts of our flesh, and yielding ourselves to the full control of the Spirit of God. Somehow as Christians we act like both of these conditions are impossible to achieve, when the Bible clearly states just the opposite. Simply, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). 1) How do we get in the Spirit ? By simply getting saved. (Rom. 8:9) says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” 2) Learn to walk in and after the Spirit. This is not a quick process, but it is achievable. If we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, then logically someone must lead. When our flesh leads we bear the fruit of selfishness and sin, but when the Spirit of God leads us we bear the fruit of righteousness and truth, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. To walk in and after the Holy Spirit the believer must yield total control of his will and ways back to God. Walking after the Spirit takes practice, and we will fail a time or two along the way, but it is definitely possible. So yield, and walk in the Spirit!

“To comfort, guide, and to abide forever.”

I still believe that inside every believer there is the desire to walk with the Lord. I also believe that the reason so many struggle in practicing such a walk, is simply because they just don’t know how! Christianity was never meant to be an up and down walk, where today we’re spiritual and tomorrow we’re not, but rather it was designed to be a consistent daily walk with and in the power of God’s Holy Spirit within. Every believer has the capability to do so, but we first must understand 3 things. 1) We need to know who the Holy Spirit is. The Bible is clear that the Spirit that indwells every believer is God. In fact, He is the Spirit of the Father, and Jesus Christ. 2) We need to know why God placed Him within. Jesus said plainly, “To comfort, guide, and to abide forever.” This is a great comfort, knowing that He will never leave us. It was the Father’s promise to keep us saved, and its His Word, not our obedience that keeps us saved. 3) We need to know what He’s doing within. The Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation. He is the one who washes us clean in the blood of Christ, who indwells us, baptizes us into the body of Christ, comforts, guides us into all truth, and that seals us until the time of our redemption . Seeing that He does so much for us, ought we not to walk in His Spirit, rather than in the spirit of our old flesh?

Jesus is truly the only way, truth, and life !

In (John 14:6) Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” These words were spoken by God in the flesh, who performed notable miracles, and who arose from the dead of His own power. No other religion or belief system has anyone like Jesus Christ as it’s proof, and according to Him there is no other way of salvation, or truth, or manner of life, than His. 1) His way is the only way. It’s amazing to me how many people still believe that there are many roads or ways to heaven, when Jesus said there is only one. Some believe in the road of religion, others in the road of doing good works, still others in the road of self-righteousness, even though Jesus said clearly that only His road leads to His Father. 2) His truth is the only truth. Not just because He said so, but because He is so. God’s Word is clear in (John 1) that Jesus is the Word of God, and that He is God & the very personification of the voice of God, for God cannot lie. 3) His life is the only life. The life He is speaking about is not just the great eternal life He offers, but also a life that is now far better than what this world can offer; A life of love, joy, peace, forgiveness, blessings, and answered prayer. My only question is, while settle for less when more is available? Jesus is truly the only way, truth, and life !

Truth is always Right!

In every church’s life the time will come when it will have To make judgments in areas that affect people it loves. God has ordained in his word that the church has the authority to govern in such matters, and that such decisions are sanctioned or “bound” in heaven, if done properly (Matt. 18: 18). That’s why it’s very important that we learn to make judgments based on truth rather than on relationships. In many different passages in the Bible, God is described as “not having respect of persons” in judgment, meaning that God does not allow who people are to interfere with what his just judgment is. And like God, we too must never allow a close relationship with anyone to cloud or sway our thinking away from doing what is right, even if it is painful to all the people involved. Being partial to certain people in matters of judgment is a great sin. That’s why on Judgment day, (Rom.2:2) says that the judgment of man will be “according to truth,” and not according to who they are, or what they did in life. Relationships can cause an awful lot of pressure if we’re not careful to put God first.
In (Ex. 34:5-9) says, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;” Truth is always Right!

Mourning

(Matt. 5:4) “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” As we all know, There are many types of mourning. 1) Mourning of death Regardless of whether or not a person is saved, the loss of losing someone close creates a mourning in the heart of man so terrible that only time can comfort, but thank God that in Christ Jesus we are promised more than just the comfort of time. We are promised a grace that comes to all who know Jesus Christ personally. There is a great blessing and consolation in knowing God’s Word. 2) Mourning over sin. Guilt and shame, both bring a horrible mourning of soul, but in Christ Jesus we are promised the forgiveness of God and a new comfort if we repent and turn from our wicked ways. The saved need not mourn over the sins and failures of the past. 3) Mourning of trials and oppression. God promised the saved a peace that passes all understanding, a present comfort in the time of trial, and a presence that will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our comfort when in trial, and He promises us a joy after mourning, if we trust in Him. “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” 4) Mourning of regret. The unsaved will regret forever not trusting in the living God, but the saved have comfort as they trust in Christ. The blessing of knowing that God forgives and forgets, will overcome all regrets.

" hearer and a doer "

Now that our Revival Week is over, a good question to ask ourselves is; Has anything changed? (Jas 1:25) “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” Hearing the Word of God and doing the Word of God are two separate things all together. Even the unsaved can practice the first, but a wise man will hear God’s Word and continue therein. I have been to many evangelistic meetings over the past 28 years, and there has never been a meeting where God did not convict me of something, and I have also learned over the past 28 years that unless I write down my conviction and determine in my heart to obey it right away, I will soon forget what God spoke to me about. These meetings are to be liberating, in that we are to acknowledge our sin, and let go of all sinful practices once God has revealed them to us, as well as practice what God has commanded. Over the years I have personally made decisions to serve more, come more, be involved more, give more, witness more, love more, etc., but with each decision comes the temptation to temporarily do, rather than permanently commit to God’s bidding. So, to be blessed by God, you must learn to be both a hearer and a doer.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are going to be tested and tried in our faith as to our ability to continue on or quit. A strong faith will not give in to fear and doubt while in the storms of life. (Pr 24:10) “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” In (Mark 4:35-41) Jesus instructed his disciples to enter into a ship with him, and to “pass over” to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Unlike another time when the apostles were alone, this time he was with them asleep in the back of the ship. And as they passed over to the other side, a great wind created a fearful and hazardous storm. Fearing their demise, they awoke the peaceful Christ, and with only the sound of his words he stilled the storm. 1) We need to understand that the PLAN of God was to reach the other side. Allegorically, this story is simply about following the will of God, even if we are hindered along the way. God knows that our journey in life will be full of storms and difficulty, but Jesus is always close at hand. 2) There is PEACE in the fact that Jesus is in control of the storm, and that he is always close at hand. (Ps 46:10) “Be still, and know that I am God.” 3) He has POWER to calm. There is no situation that God cannot change, nor storm that is too powerful for those that have faith in his word. We like the apostles need to be tested and tried, so that we learn to continue on, rather than quit!