Tag: Holy Spirit

God Meets Us

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

Have you ever had to go on a long trip and the person at the other end generously offered to meet you halfway? I did that when I was a teen and going to visit my aunt in North Carolina. And I am doing it in the present time in order to visit my sister who moved to NC last year. My niece meets me and my husband half way, making the trip less arduous for us.

But, did you know that God meets you right where you are? You don’t even have to go halfway! When the Israelites were wandering around in the wilderness, God was right there with them, leading the way in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When they built a tabernacle according to what the Lord told them to do, God inhabited it. When Moses visited God there, his face shone with God’s glory. Then, Solomon built the Temple and God was right there, His presence with His people. So, where is God meeting us today?

We are His temple, so He is right here with us always. He gives us His Holy Spirit who dwells in us from the moment that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to be witnesses for the Lord, to face the challenges of daily life and to live a life that honors God. We don’t have to look for God…He is right here inside us. That boggles my mind, and I confess that I don’t totally understand this truth, but I do know that it’s true. I only breathe a prayer about needing comfort or assurance and God is right there. He helps me to help others because I am part of His plan to spread the Good News to mankind. If you are a Christian, you, too, are part of God’s plan and you, too, are His temple on earth until Jesus returns. No more wandering in the wilderness or building huge, fancy buildings. God’s pinnacle of creation was each of us, and we need to do the jobs He left us to do and recognize the power He left for each of us to tap into in order to fulfill His desires for ourselves and others.

Spiritual Gifts

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

I am not writing to debate about the reality of the spiritual gifts. They are in the Bible, so I do believe that they exist. Not only that, the Holy Spirit distributes them and decides which gift (s) each person receives. We cannot go to God and demand one gift instead of another; God always has a reason for what He does.

My focus today is not on the gifts themselves but on what we are supposed to do with them. There is a story in Acts 8 about a man named Simon who wanted the same power that the apostles had, to lay hands on people so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. Simon tried to pay for the power of God. His gifts cannot be purchased but are given freely so that we can use them correctly to further His kingdom. What is the instruction given to us about how to use the gifts?

We are told to use the gifts God has given us in order to serve one another. We are not to bring attention to ourselves and expect praise. We are not to use God’s gifts to enrich ourselves or those around us. We are just to serve. No matter the gift, it is to be used to serve others. Isn’t that why Jesus came? He came to serve and showed us the supreme example of sacrifice and service. It only makes sense that if God is giving us gifts to use in the Body of Christ, the purpose of those gifts would be to serve others.

Have a blessed day, my friends. May you use whatever spiritual gifts God has given you to do the work God has planned for you to do in His Body.

How to Know the Truth

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I have discovered through experience that this world is filled with liars. Many lie to save face. Others lie to make themselves appear better than they are. And some lie deliberately to deceive others for personal gain. So, how are we to discern who is telling the truth? God has the answer to our dilemma.

When Jesus ascended to the Father in Heaven, He left behind the promise of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2 (I encourage you to read this first encounter of a multitude of people with the Holy Spirit of God), the Holy Spirit is poured out, revealed, if you will, to a great crowd of people. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and He is the One who leads us into truth. He helps us discern the truth of God’s Word and when others are lying about God and what His Word says, interpreting for their own benefit or gain. He is God, just as the Father is God and the Son is God, and He cannot and will not lie. Thus, He is totally dependable as a truth teller and is available to all who seek the truth. Many want to have their “ears tickled” and don’t want to know the truth, but for those of us who desire to know what God is saying to us today, the Holy Spirit is our conduit of communication that speaks clearly the words from the Father and opens our hearts and minds to understand.

May your hearts and minds be watchful for the truth that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you. And may you, in turn, share that truth with others who are ready and waiting to hear it. Have a blessed day, my friends!

We Are Dust

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song1 Comment

The Lord who created us knows that we are but dust from the earth and one day our human bodies will return to the ground from which it was created. But our breath, our soul, the inner part of us came from the very breath of God. That is why I believe that life is sacred and not to be dismissed as not valuable. Today, mankind is generally led around by the current beliefs, whatever they may be. The current term is a being ”woke” but I actually think that the people of the earth are more asleep to the mighty power of God and His judgment that is coming than they have ever been.

Like dust, we are blown around by the winds of change, the opinions of man mattering more to many of us than the truth of God’s Word. My prayer and hope is that there will be a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit that blows into each life of each Christian. If I must be blown around, God grant that it will be with the wind of the Holy Spirit and not the hot air that man produces with his own ideas of right and wrong.

What settles dust blowing around? Rain! The refreshing rain of the Word of God that showers us with His truth about His love, grace, mercy and, yes, the judgment to come. I desire to be refreshed daily so I spend time in God’s Word allowing Him to speak to me. It’s amazing to me that some people never spend time with God and yet they think they have all of the answers to life’s problems. It’s not a possibility for them to have answers since they don’t even know what the questions are. Who made us? God. To whom do we owe everything we are and all that we have? God. Who decides our ultimate fate for eternity? God. I am praying that God will intervene in the sinfulness of our world and send His wind and His rain. But, whether he chooses to continue to strive with mankind or not, I do know that my life in Him is secure and I can trust Him to send His Holy Spirit to guide me and His rain to teach me.

It’s Beginning to Rain by The Gaither Trio

Thankful for God’s Gifts

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

In this season of Thanksgiving, many people who do not regularly thank God take the opportunity to acknowledge that what they have in their lives is from a “higher power.” Others continue on with their lives and call Thanksgiving Day “turkey day” or some other name that means that they are all about themselves and their own ego trip, refusing to acknowledge the Creator and the Savior. I call it Thanksgiving, it’s one of my favorite holidays and I am thankful for all of God’s gifts.

Of course, the first gift that comes to mind is His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom I would not have a relationship with the Father. I am also thankful for the Holy Spirit, the One who guides me and helps me to stay close to the Lord and to understand His Word. Ultimately, I am thankful for all of God’s creation: the beauty in the changes of season (we saw snow yesterday!), the rare beauty that is all around us if we just look for it (like the cardinal hopping in the snow) and the beauty of the children and grandchildren that I am blessed with. God is so good to His children. It seems to me that we need more than one day to be grateful for His gifts, for all He has done and continues to do for us. The season is one of Thanksgiving and I am thankful to be counted among His children because of His grace and mercy.

May the Thanksgiving season be the start of thankfulness in your heart and life. Every gift is from God! Have a blessed day of counting your blessings.

What is a Church?

On By vickleaIn Quotation and Citations, Scripture1 Comment

Is this your image of what a church is? Well, honestly, it shouldn’t be. We are the church!

In the Old Testament, God dwelled AMONG the people, with them as they traveled and went about their daily lives. He often spoke to the people through the prophets. That changed in the New Testament.

The Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us. We are His temple.

“Creator God, keep me mindful that those of us who love You are the church. The building is a bonus.
—Gail Thorell Schilling”

Excerpt From
Daily Guideposts 2022
Guideposts
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=1559463724
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