Knowing the Truth – Holy Spirit?

Shhhhh! That’s not something to talk about. That is a “No, No!” This was the impression I received from childhood and into adulthood about the Holy Spirit. I was confused.

My husband had begun listening to a radio program on his way to work. The teaching was from God’s Word about the Holy Spirit. My curiosity was piqued! I wanted to learn more. The topic was being addressed and I wanted to be “in the know.”

There was a problem. My schedule was in upheaval. How could I regularly listen to something on a radio station? I was in the season of having a new baby and I never knew what might happen next.

Thankfully an answer was provided. I was able to download podcasts to my ipod of the same daily radio program. I could listen to this teaching whenever there was an opportunity.

My journey to really live life had begun just a couple of years earlier. I had almost been destroyed by lies. I wanted to live, overcome! I had begun seeking truth to battle the lies by reading God’s Word. Here I found truth and life. I was about to discover something from God’s Word so profound that my foundation of life was to be amazingly encouraged, strengthened, and empowered!

I listened…

A major truth that struck me from the teaching was…“We were not created to live the Christian life apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us.”

I was learning that life is not about what I am able to do for God in and of myself. It is about what He wants to do in and through me by the work of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

 patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

   gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,

 unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. 

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

I don’t get bragging rights! But that is ok with me because all of my life I had been trying to live what God was asking of me and “I” couldn’t do it!  The fruit of Kristen had only led to unlimited frustration, guilt, and failure. Here was hope! God didn’t expect me to live this life in my own efforts! He had made a way!

I did need to make a choice. Will I continue to live in my strength or will I give control and authority of my life over to God? Surrender. This required opening my hands before God and looking to see what He would do with His strength and power in and through my life.

^“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live

in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,

 who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work

 within us, to him be glory in (us) the church and in

 Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever

 and ever. Amen.”  Ephesians 3:20-21 (emphasis added)

Wow! A huge weight has been lifted off. It is not up to me! God has called me to an amazing life and will thoroughly equip me to live it to the fullest through His power in me, the Holy Spirit. The father of lies had created confusion and misconceptions concerning the Holy Spirit but as I read God’s Word and listened to teaching from God's Word I was finally learning the truth. Surrender - His Fruit - Hope for an amazing life!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace

 in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the Hope we have in You! You gave Your Son to die for us to make a life of knowing and following You possible. Thank you that when we accept what Jesus has done for us You fill us with the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to help, teach, train, lead, guide, empower, strengthen, … us to live the life You have called us to. This is an amazing life. Help us to live in moment by moment surrender to You. Thank you that You enable us through your Holy Spirit to live a life of obedience in Your power and strength. Help us to rest in what You have done for us. Thank you for the hope You have given through a power in us to accomplish exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we can ask or imagine. Bear much fruit through us! Help us to have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand what You are doing in our lives and the lives of others around us, so that we may praise You! To You be the glory, forever and ever!!!

In Jesus Name,

Amen

 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

         If you would like to hear/see/read more information about the Holy Spirit I recommend going to the Audio Archives at In Touch Ministries.  http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/audio-archives   You can type “Holy Spirit” or any topic you would like to learn more about in the search box. If you would like additional information you can call or email them. I have had very good experiences with this ministry as I have been working through different issues in my life and trying to understand God’s Word.




Learn More from God’s Word ~

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:15-17, 26

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. ⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶ “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”  Ephesians 5:18