Lesson 22 – When the Spirit Falters

Mark 3:28-29

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemes they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"

Without the touch of the Spirit, we're condemned to eternal separation from God and receive the just punishment of righteous judgment. Harsh words, but without God's action upon us through the Spirit, we're hopelessly lost in sin.

If God is all powerful, what could possibly cause the Spirit to falter, surrendering a soul to Hell? What action could be so powerful, that in its face, the Spirit cannot bring about salvation? Who can resist the call of the Spirit unto salvation? No need to speculate; Christ gives the answer to us. When a person blasphemes against God's voice, the Spirit falters, God's grace is not applied, and a person is left helplessly lost in sin.

I'll bet you've not used this word "blaspheme" in the past month, year or maybe ever! It is the strongest of words meaning to deny the truth of God. One blasphemes when they deny Jesus is God, or when they claim God's word as untruth, or deny the existence of God at all.

In this case, to blaspheme is your pushing away God's offer to touch you with the Spirit unto salvation. Sometimes I wonder how many times the Spirit calls upon a soul before He gives up and salvation is no longer possible. Does the offer have an end? Some people claim they will wait until near the end of life's journey to give the Spirit a chance, but tragically, not everyone gets a final offer of faith.

Harsh or not, know for sure this teaching is God's truth. Jesus says it is "assuredly", a sure thing. When the Spirit is pushed away by blaspheme, salvation is not possible. Don't take a chance and wait for a time later to surrender to the Spirit's touch. Come to Jesus today for grace and forgiveness and know the Spirit's touch in your life.

For those who are already believers, understand God's Spirit never forces himself upon us. Unless we remain open daily to the Spirit's voice, we may also find ourselves blaspheming against the truth. While not in terms of our salvation, any time we deny God's voice, we are displeasing to our Lord.

LORD JESUS

May we be open to the Spirit's voice, ever listening for you and ready to claim your truth as our own. Amen.

Lesson 21 – When the Spirit Drives

Mark 1:12-13

Immediately, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

I love to drive, and the faster the better, so living Germany for many years has brought much joy! But, what I don't like is to be driven to action when I'm not interested in doing what someone else wants of me. Of course, all of us want to be in control. We want to determine where we'll go, what we'll do when we get there, and when we'll leave. But when you've been touched by the Spirit, that's not the way things are to be. Someone else is in the driver's seat.

Jesus certainly didn't rise from be the day of his baptism with the intention of going hungry for forty days in the Judean wilderness. No man would, and Jesus was just as much a part of humanity as we are. Neither did Jesus come up from the Jordan and decide to wander about in the isolation and heat of desolate countryside. I even doubt he looked forward to confronting Satan face to face during a time of great weakness. You see, it was the Spirit who drove Christ to do these things, and it is still this same Spirit that moves in ways you and I can never fully understand.

Notice some of the things missing from Mark's text. It's striking that we see no account of Christ trying to leave the desert early. We also see no indication Jesus spent any time arguing over God's will, nor any struggle to make things better than God had determined they would be. There is no story of the Lord growing angry with God or seeping into a state of despondency. Those are all the things we would have done. In fact, anytime we're not in the driver's seat of life, we find ourselves kicking against God. But for Jesus, we see him obeying the Spirit's touch, journeying into the desert, going as God led him.

O that you and I would be so obedient as God drives us throughout life! While the going might not be as easy as we had hoped for, you can bet it will be more satisfying.

LORD JESUS

Give me the grace to let go of life's steering wheel and let you do the driving. You know the way for me to travel, and I now place my trust in your direction. Amen.

Lesson 20 – When the Spirit Makes You Beloved

Mark 1:9-11

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

To be called the beloved son of God would be the high point in any believer's journey through this life! For Jesus, his praise from the Father came at the beginning of his cross-shortened, three-year ministry. For you and I, we'll probably not hear these same words until we stand in eternity before God's throne.

Notice it was immediately after the Spirit descended upon Christ to touch his life that God made known his pleasure in Christ. Not that Jesus needed the Spirit upon him to be made sinless, but I think it is always been God's intention that he commune with mankind through the Spirit.

While we may not hear God's voice until after our physical deaths, we can be assured that with the touch of the Spirit upon us, we too are pleasing to God. We are the beloved sons and daughters of the Father and God still communes with his own through the Spirit.

I think we need to be more conscious of the fact that we're only pleasing to God when the Spirit has descended upon us. The next time you realize God's love for you, remember that it is through the Spirit's touch that we've become pleasing to God and beloved of him.

LORD JESUS

I thank you now for your Spirit's presence on my life, for I know that without the Spirit, my life could never be pleasing to you. May I live today and tomorrow as the beloved son of God, all for your glory. Amen.

Lesson 19 – When the Spirit Baptizes unto Remission

Mark 1:6-8

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Mark's gospel tells us John baptized in the Jordan River for the remission of sins. While John certainly knew the dirty water of the Jordan couldn't wash away the stain of one's sin, he knew the first step of remission comes when we're willing to confess our unworthiness and need of cleansing before God.

Remission is often used to describe the turning point of victory over some devastating disease like cancer. While remission is not the complete victory, without it, victory cannot come.

John wanted those within the voice of his preaching to understand that turning away from sin through repentance was only the beginning point of their victory. Full remission from sins comes only after a touch of the Spirit. Hence, John promised the coming of the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Too often, people stop short of coming to the Spirit's touch for full remission of sin. Maybe they begin to move towards victory, feeling sorry for their sins, or ruing how their life was beginning to turn out, but instead of completely turning from sin and to Christ, they stop short of total surrender. For these people, their remission is not fully realized, not matter how sincere they may appear through water baptism. Victory is not theirs, and the stain of their sin filled life remains.

Sometimes, remission from some disease is thwarted when the patient refuses to follow their doctor's orders. Maybe its just not convenient for them to make that lifestyle change the doctor called for or they don't want to suffer unpleasant side effects. Whatever it is, a complete recovery is not coming for these people. Remission will not run its course. Victory is not theirs.

It is just the same with our spiritual need. For complete remission of sin, you need to follow the doctor's orders. Turn to the One coming after John, the One who gives the touch of the Spirit.

LORD JESUS

I pray now for those who understand they need remission from sin, but who have not fully submitted their care to you. May your Spirit reach into the depths of their souls and draw them to a saving faith in You. Amen.

Lesson 18 – When the Spirit Makes Disciples

Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen

From Christ's Great Commission to the Church comes a great mission every believer. As we are going about life and all that means to us individually, we are to be thinking in terms of relationships, making disciples of all those within the reach of our circle of influence. You know that circle. It's your neighbors, school teachers, co-workers, friends and family, though I dare say few of us come even close to fulfilling this commission of making disciples.

Notice that Jesus mentions the Trinity in this command. As new believers commit to discipleship, they are to be baptized in the authority of the three names of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Surely this is to remind every believer of the eternal and unified nature of God. A nature that is not of separate persons, but three who are one, living in unity. When we become a believer, our faith is equally given to all the persons of the God-head, even as we commit to living as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Of course, the Trinity is beyond our ability to fully understand, but know this: When you begin your journey of discipleship, you go forth to the world in the name of God – that's Father, Son and Spirit. No part of God's nature is left out, no part of God's nature reigns supreme over the others, and no part of God's nature is to be feared. The point is, God is fully with you as you go in God's name, representing the Lord to your world.

Surely the Spirit's touch is needed for you to live as one who draws people to Christ. For it is only as the Spirit lives through you that others can begin to see Jesus in you. You can't do this on your own, for it is the Spirit that makes disciples.

LORD JESUS

I invite you to make disciples through my life. I begin by inviting your Spirit to live through me, so that I may fearlessly and obediently speak your name and reflect your love to those in need of your salvation. Amen.

Lesson 17 – When the Spirit Goes With You

Exodus 33:13-16

Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth."

Notice God's promise to go with his new nation. Israel's journey across the desert was just beginning, but they would not go alone. But it was no longer just a pillar of fire by night or a cloud by day to lead them. There was no longer the promise of an angel out-front to point the way. Neither were they to look somehow to an image of God's grace to bring them comfort. Now they have the promise of God's literal Presence. The family of God, the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ, has God's word on it. God's Presence is with his people.

Of course, the Presence of God is none other than the Holy Spirit. Moses recognized what we learn in the New Testament - When and where God bestows grace, he sends the Spirit. When God gives forgiveness to a sin stained life, he does it through his Presence. When God brings rest to a hurting heart, it is his touch of the Spirit which makes all the difference. When God separates a people to be his very own, he marks us with this same Presence, the Spirit of the living God with us. When God goes with you, it is always as the Presence.

In spite of the benefits we have from a modern education, Moses proved to be a lot smarter than most of us. He recognized that his mission of leading Israel to a new land was doomed to failure without the Spirit's touch. Without the Presence of God going with them there was no need to even take one more step! Moses knew that they might as well give it up, for in man's strength, God's missions can never be successful.

O that we would learn this same lesson. Never step out to do the Lord's work without the assurance of the Presence with you. Don't even think of doing the work of the Kingdom without the Spirit's touch. Going in your own strength not only invites failure, but steals God's glory for yourself.

So how do we know the Presence is going with us? First, be assured that when and where God directs you to go, his Spirit will be there with you. Second, know that when you seeks God's wisdom, the Spirit is always there to answer. And third, do simply as Moses did - Talk with God. He'll let you know when and where he is going. You simply need to step up and follow along on the journey.

LORD JESUS

I invite you to lead me in the goings of my life. What a wonderful promise it is to know that your Presence is there to lead me. May I never take a step without you. May I always seek to follow. May I never read life's road map without your wisdom to guide me. Amen.

Lesson 16 – When the Spirit Fills

Exodus 31:2-3

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

When a Christian considers the impact of being filled of the Spirit, we normally look to one of the Old Testament texts showing how the Spirit's touch caused one to do some mighty act in the power of God, like calling down fire, or killing a giant, or prophesying of some vision of the future. Or we turn to a New Testament passage outlining the fruits of the spirit as evidence of being filled, or point to the gifts of the Spirit used for the building up of the Church. But that's not what we see in Exodus 31.

Here, we find the filling of the Spirit in a most ordinary way. Here we have one man of thousands, living homeless in the Sinai desert. And God is said to have filled him with the Spirit. Not to work a miracle, not to preach to nations, not to subdue pagan enemies. Simply, filled with the Spirit to go to work for the Lord, probably doing the same types of jobs he had been doing all his life. Maybe not even enjoying his work, but having to do them as a slave in Egypt for someone who didn't even appreciate his efforts.

Notice that while Bezalel's task was to construct the tabernacle, its furnishings, and various clothing items for the priests, it was in these ordinary jobs we find him filled of the Spirit. While working on a project like the tabernacle didn't come along every day, I suspect he had already taken on other projects that had dwarfed what was essentially an opulent tent. Sure, getting to work with gold had to be an honor, but the kind of work called for here was like that done by multitudes of people in every major city. Still, God records the fact that it took a touch of the Spirit for Bezalel to be about the Lord's work.

I'm sure it is the same way today. When we offer up what seems to be an ordinary skill to the Lord, whether it be in child care, house cleaning, accounting, military service or driving a taxi, that skill is used of the Lord when we're touched by the Spirit. Like Bezalel, it is often in the ordinary things of life that the Spirit fills us with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and workmanship. We just need to open our hearts and minds to see where the Lord has been at work all along.

Many times, I've wondered if God was using me in his kingdom while I labored for the Air Force. Let Exodus 31 be a lesson for me and any other who feels they are just going about the motions of life. God takes people just like you and me, touches us with his Spirit, and uses us in his kingdom as we offer our lives to him.

LORD JESUS

I invite you to use the ordinariness of my life in your Kingdom. Fill me with your Spirit, so that my every act becomes used of you for your honor and glory. Amen.

See also Exodus 35:31

Lesson 15 – When the Spirit Identifies the Lord

Matthew 22:43-45

He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'. "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"

Talk about a difficult passage. Jesus purposely catches the Pharisees, the most religious men of his day, in what they must have heard as a riddle. Jesus essentially asked, "How could the coming Messiah both be the Son and David and the Lord of David?" In response, the Pharisees were silent. They spoke not a word.

Like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, so many people who are religious simply don't want to accept Jesus as the promised holy one of God. The Jewish Messiah. The Savior of the world. When they see Jesus, they simply see a gifted teacher, or a prophet of God, or even one who should be condemned as a hoax. But certainly, they don't see Jesus as Lord. Otherwise, they would have to submit to him in faith.

It is only when touched by the Spirit can we know Jesus as Lord. Jesus tells the Pharisees it was when David was "in the Spirit" that he knew in faith the Messiah would be born of his offspring--but still somehow be Lord. Of course, he could not understand how this could be, but we can look back and see the work of the Spirit to bring about the Messiah's birth. In the Spirit, we believe that the Lord has come as a Son of David.

So often, the things of God are only revealed to us when we submit to the touch of the Spirit. God wants to tell us so many things, but unless we come to the Spirit in faith, we'll never be able to believe the Lord at his word.

LORD JESUS

I invite you speak to my heart by your Spirit. Reveal to me things that require the faith that only you can give through your Spirit. Amen.