Lesson 128 – When the Spirit Begs

Romans 15:30

"Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me."

As Paul finishes his epistle to the church at Rome, he begs this church to pray for his ministry. And in his appeal, he invokes the name of the Spirit. In Paul's eyes, the Spirit begs.

I like this idea. In a very simple way of understanding the working of the Spirit, God uses this miraculous presence of our salvation to beg in our lives. In essence, the Spirit tugs upon our heart to spur us to do God's will, not only in prayers, but in many other areas of service.

As believers, we often need the push of the Spirit to cause us to take action which gives God glory in our lives. Since it is the Spirit who knows the heart of God, it is the Spirit who begs us to take notice and move out in the kingdom.

I suspect it will revolutionize our lives if we'll ask the Spirit to reach out and touch us in a way which begs us to be the man or woman God would have us be. Likewise, if every church would seek the Spirit's begging to direct our ministries, we could turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.

May that be our prayer. Lord, beg in my life today.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the imploring nature of your Spirit. I invite you to beg upon my life and the life of the church where I serve, all for your honor and glory. Amen.

Lesson 127 – When the Spirit Adorns

Job 26:13

"By His Spirit, He adorned the heavens."

Have you ever thought of God's artistic nature? Surely he is a painter, a designer and a decorator. That is certainly what he is, and much more, with the earth filled with color and shape and texture. Here, in spite of the calamities of his life, Job reminds us it was by the Spirit that God clothed the heavens in glory. They were adorned by the Spirit's touch.

When I look to the stars, I'm always struck by how little we really know about the objects that are up there. If there really are billions of stars up there, we cannot possibly know just a little bit them all. But the Spirit does, for God hung each star in place, lighting their fuses, created them with different ages, and sustaining their existence for as long as he desires.

This is God revealing to us his pleasure in art, for the Spirit adorns the heavens.

This same adorning power is available to adorn your life in God's holiness. The Lord wants to clothe you in the presence of Christ so that God's glory radiates from your life. He wants your life to be the easel on which he paints, the blueprint on which he designs, the home which he decorate.

The Spirit wants to do a work in you. Will you invite him in?

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the adorning nature of your Spirit. May you also adorn my life in holiness to give you glory. Amen.

Lesson 126 – When the Spirit Accomplishes Much

Romans 15:17-19

"Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Paul readily admits that the Spirit touched his life so he could accomplish much through God's power, specifically in preaching the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. The same holds true for every believer. If we are to be effective ministers of the gospel of Christ, we need the touch of the Spirit to accomplish the missions our Lord has in store for us. We simply can't go it alone. We need the Spirit.

I believe the Lord seeks to empower every believer for kingdom service. We're all ministers of the Lord. It doesn't matter what the task is, whether great or small, out front or behind the scenes, we are ineffective with the Spirit and needs his touch. You see, there are spiritual things only God can accomplish. That's why we need the Spirit. As you surrender to God in these things and seek the Spirit's power, you can't help but to give God glory in your life.

So, instead of coming to God to ask him to use his Spirit to change the circumstances of our lives, maybe we should instead be asking the Lord to empower us to accomplish much in the missions he has for us. This is the prayer that honors our Lord. This is the prayer which brings Spirit power to our lives.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for desiring to accomplish much in my life. I invite your Spirit to use me for your honor and glory. Amen.

Lesson 125 – When the Spirit Sanctified the Offering

Romans 15:15-16

"Nevertheless brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."

So what is this "offering of the Gentiles" to which Paul refers?

Maybe it refers to Paul himself. Here is a man who has poured out his life to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. This is certainly a possibility, for every believer is likewise to be an offering of worship to our Lord. If so, Paul rightly acknowledges that it is only the power of the Spirit in him which makes the offering of his life worthy before the Lord.

Another possibility is that the offering of the Gentiles refers to their new found faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the only offering we can rightly bring before the throne of God is one given to believers in faith. This is the offering of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, given as an offering for the sins of the whole world.

I like the truth of this explanation, but I'm not sure then why this offering would need to be sanctified, for Christ was sinless and blameless before God, even in his humanity.

One final possibility is that the offering of the Gentiles refers to Gentile worship of Jesus Christ. Clearly, only that worship which has sanctified by the Spirit's touch is acceptable to God. All other efforts at worship come up short of the Lord's glory. With their new belief, the worship of Gentiles as an offering to God is thus sanctified by the presence of the Spirit.

Regardless of which of these possibilities grabs you the most, and even if there is another explanation, we must confess before the Lord that only when we've been touched by the Spirit can we become a sanctified offering presented to our Lord.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for sanctifying presence in my life, making my life holy before you. Amen.

Lesson 124 – When the Spirit Abounds in Hope

Romans 15:13

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

When the Spirit touches the believer, the person is made to abound in hope. This is the gift of our Lord to every believer. It is a hope which brings joy and peace and is a direct result of the Spirit's presence in our lives.

It is the presence of the Spirit which gives a believer a sure hope for eternity. Since we are unable to come to God in our own holiness, we need the presence of the Spirit to usher us in. That is our hope, that we will not stand before God alone, but that the Spirit of the resurrected Savior goes with us.

I see this same kind of hope when a football team welcomes the return of their star player after an extended time of injury. Even though losses have mounted over the course of the season, when the best player returns, the team enters the field with a new hope. This is a hope which is based on another.

It is the same with us and the Spirit. Our hope is solely based on the entry of God's Spirit into our lives. With the Lord there in this way, the game has changed, and for our good. In fact, our hope now abounds. It fills us completely and cannot be crowded out, no matter what circumstances life may through at us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the abounding hope we have in your Spirit. Thank you that I don't have to make myself worthy of coming into your presence in eternity. Amen.

Lesson 123 – When the Spirit Defines the Kingdom

Romans 14:16-17

"Therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Spirit."

While every person has a our natural inclination to focus on the physical aspects of this life, as believers, we've come to understand that the Kingdom of God is more than what we encounter with our senses. It is also a spiritual kingdom. While one day we will enter the physical kingdom of God, for now, we are to enjoy the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. How we do this is according to the touch of the Spirit, bringing us righteousness and peace.

Righteousness describes the life made holy by the Spirit's presence. Literally, the presence of the resurrected Christ living in us drives away all unholiness in our souls. While we still sin in this body, spiritually, we have been made righteous by the Lord. It is this righteousness which brings about peace with God. We're no longer enemies living in sin, but now adopted into God's family.

But there is another peace which defines the believer living in God's spiritual kingdom. This is the peace which comes in knowing this world is not our own. A newer and better tomorrow is coming, even as we grow older and face a physical death. The Bible describes this as a peace which is beyond understanding. It comes no matter the trial which faces us in life. But unless one is touched by the Spirit, there is no way to know and enjoy this peace.

Jesus came to this world to bring peace, with God and in our hearts as we live in this world. This is the kingdom which is ours in the Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for Kingdom of God which lives in me according to the presence of your Spirit. May I look to this kingdom with more focus then I do the physical life that I now enjoy. Amen.

Lesson 122 – When the Spirit Intercedes

Romans 8:26-27

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

Not only does the Spirit cause the believer to groan in anticipation of the transformation of our physical bodies, the Spirit groans on our behalf, interceding with the Father for our needs. Let there be no doubt in anyone's minds…our God is in touch with our innermost feelings.

This text implies we don't really even know what we should pray for. Only one with the mind of Christ can know the will of God and therefore be able to pray according to God's perfect will. For us, that person knowing the mind of Christ is the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's touch, God not only knows our hearts fully, he allows us to pray according to his will by communing with the Spirit.

No believer need pray to a saint, for we have the Spirit who brings us directly into the presence of God. No believer need wonder if God hears our prayers, for the Spirit utters them so that they are fully received. No believer need go to a particular place to pray, for the Spirit is with us at all times and all places. The Spirit's intercession for the body of Christ may be the most glorious gift the Father has given to the church.

Often times, we feel so lost and alone in the world that the only prayer we can utter is a groan. Maybe an "O God, have mercy on me". Don't let this bother you, for the Spirit takes your painful utterance and brings it to the listening ear of our Lord. And not only does the Spirit carry your prayers, he interprets it so that we receive intercession, even when our prayers cannot be uttered.

I'm sure no believer feels adequate in prayer, and that's ok with God. After all, he sent the Spirit to intercede for us in prayer.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the intercession of the Spirit on behalf of your church. May your groanings translate into my heart so that I pursue the will of God in my life. Amen.

Lesson 121 – When the Spirit Groans

Romans 8:22-23

"For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."

Christians groan within ourselves, awaiting the coming of our Lord and the complete change of our physical bodies into those which will last us into eternity. Through the Spirit, we know there is more to our salvation then just a rebirth of the soul. One day, there will be a rebirth of the body. The mortal will become immortal.

And what makes our groaning possible? It is the touch of the Spirit within us that proves the hope to which we look forward.

As a person grows older, I think this groaning grows stronger within us. The longer we live apart from the physical presence of our Lord, the more we desire to be with him. When young, we see the world with new eyes, eager to try new things and explore the blessings laid before us. But as we grow more mature, the more we realize that the blessings of this life are fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow.

Just as our souls were made new in Christ, one day, so will our bodies. The Scriptures speak of no more tears, nor sorrows, death or pain. That is a time to come. That is a promise of the Lord. This is what we groan for.

Every human body seems to be a course of death once we pass age 30 or so. From that time on, things go downhill in a hurry, with death a certainty. It's no wonder we groan. Everyone hopes there is surely more to come.

As believers, we have the Spirit within to help us look forward to a new life in Christ. We know for certain that more fruits are coming, having received the firstfruits of our salvation already in the Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit which helps me to look forward to a changed life in Christ, not just in the spirit, but also completely in this dying body. Amen.

Lesson 120 – When the Spirit Adopts

Romans 8:13-17

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

As Christians, we are declared by God's word to be children of God. This not of a physical birth, but the very reality we've been adopted into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ. This is an adoption made possible by the touch of the Holy Spirit. For only through the Spirit can we rightly call God, our Father, and only by the Spirit, can our adoptions be proven.

There is no court order which gives us rights into our new family. There is no birth certificate to validate our new heritage, nor give us deed to a new home. Instead, all of this is done by the Spirit living within us. God takes care of every detail, giving us a new name in Christ.

One of the comforting aspects of our faith is this: If God seals our adoption, only an act of God can unseal it. Thankfully, the truth of God's word tells us nothing can separate us from God's love. When God adopts through the Spirit, it is for eternity. Sure, we may rebel and even flee his presence, but anywhere we may go, the Spirit is there. We may claim a new home, change our names, or join a new religion, but in the end, our faces are written on our Lord's heart. It is the Spirit which brings us this guarantee.

Remember the story of the Prodigal Son. Why was it the prodigal was welcomed back into his home by his father after wasting away the family fortune? Surely it was because of his permanent position in the family. Even as a rebel, his family position stayed secure.

Surely it's the same with us. With the Spirit's presence, our adoptions are made permanent. We have a new home in Christ, adopted into the family of God.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit which gives me grace to enter into the presence of my Heavenly Father and seals me for eternity as one adopted into the family of God. May I live each day in the realization of the new name which I bear in Christ. Amen.

Lesson 119 – When the Spirit Dwells Unto Life

Romans 8:9-11

"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your moral bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

    Here's the crux of our salvation. It cannot be clearer than this. Salvation is given according to the Spirit's touch. When the Spirit of the crucified Christ comes to dwell within the life of the believer, we are made alive, no longer dead in our sins and trespasses against God. The person who does not have the Spirit in them is not of God and is dead spiritually, even though alive in this body.

    One of the reasons the Bible puts so much emphasis on the Spirit is that it is only the Spirit which marks the life of the believer as one belonging to God. No other sign will do.

    No effort or work on our part brings our salvation. Our salvation is not a matter of the right church, or worship in the right place, or coming to the right priest. It is only by the indwelling Spirit of Christ in us, driving out all unrighteousness and transforming us in the power of God.

    Notice that this passage clearly states that the Spirit which dwells in every believer is the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. While Jesus no longer walks in flesh upon this earth, he is with the life of every believer. We are never alone. God is there as Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for indwelling Spirit, living in me and inviting me to know you more fully each day. Amen.

Lesson 118 – When the Spirit Occupies the Mind

Romans 8:3-5

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. "

    While there is the possibility that all might benefit from Christ's work on the cross, having come as a man, suffering for the sins of all humanity, and meeting the law's requirement that sinners should die, only those who are touched by the Spirit receive the benefit of a life made right before God.

    Believers are the ones whom the Spirit touches and begins to occupy our minds. We are the ones who no longer set our minds on the things of the world, but now seek after God's will and law, as revealed to by the Spirit. We're now occupied with the things of God and not the things of self.

    Lots of things compete to occupy our minds. Just getting along in life requires most of our attentions, with rest a fleeting dream for many. And, even as believers, we're not immune to the siren of fleshly passions. If we allow our minds to be fed by a constant barrage of images of the things of this world, we'll be invaded by the flesh, forgetting the things of God.

    Of course, it shouldn't be so for the believer. We must invite the Spirit to occupy our minds. This is the setting of our minds on the things above. This is making a comfortable place for the Lord to reside in us. This is dwelling with God on a daily and even moment by moment basis.

    Sure, we should enjoy life's pleasures, but never forget for a moment that they will pale beside the hope we have of one day seeing eternity with Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I invite you to occupy my mind, crowding out every thought which turns me away from you. Amen.

Lesson 117 – When the Spirit Walks

Romans 8:1-2

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those what in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

    Ok, so the Spirit doesn't really walk, but every believer is one who now walks according to the Spirit which abides within us. The touch of the Spirit unto salvation gives the believer a new purpose for living, that unto giving glory to Jesus Christ.

    Previously, our walk was of this world and defined by sin and death. While we were alive physically, we were also dead spiritually, condemned in our sins. But in Christ, we were made alive by the Spirit, and though we may die physically, we are given eternal life in Christ.

    Essentially, we've been set free. We're no longer one living in death row as a "dead man walking", awaiting a sure and certain death. We've got a new lease on life. Prison doors are opened and we've got a new start in Christ.

    So how do you get this new start? You turn to Christ in faith, confessing your sins and seeking God's forgiveness. Our Lord has promised the Spirit's touch to everyone who comes to him in belief, so how about you?

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for give me a new walk in the Spirit, setting me free from the law of sin and death. Thank you for this act of grace. Amen.

Lesson 116 – When the Spirit Allows New Service

Romans 7:6

"But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."

    As a believer, we are dead to an old way life. The old has gone and the new has come. We've been made brand new. Born again.

    But that doesn't mean we won't sometimes find ourselves not only longing for our old life, and even pursuing it from time to time as we are enticed by its deceptions. But the bottom line is this: We are no longer held captive by that old way of life. We no longer have to serve it, nor need to try to please God through religious practice. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are filled with the Spirit and now able to serve God according to this new life.

    As those touched by the Spirit, our service to God is not one in which we try to earn God's love, but we serve the Lord because God first loved us. In thankfulness for God's love, we give ourselves fully to the Lord as bondservants, owing a debt which can never fully be repayed.

    We no longer serve God in order to have the right to come into his presence. Instead, we minister to the Lord according to the Spirit which lives in us and testifies of the righteousness of Christ. As the Lord's very own, we're invited into God's presence as a cherished son.

    We no longer serve God in fear, worrying about sin's condemnation, for with the Spirit's touch, we've been made new. We've been redeemed and belong to Christ. The blood of Christ pays sins price, so our service doesn't have to be for our salvation, but is given in thankfulness.

    As a believer, we are all ministers to Christ and to his church, serving in the newness of the Holy Spirit which abides within us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for allowing me to serve you in the newness of your Spirit, no longer worried about my efforts coming up short in your sight. Thank you for accepting my every ministry. Amen.

Lesson 115 – When the Spirit Pours Out God’s Love

Romans 5:5

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

    So how much does God love those who are his own? By overflowing our hearts with the Spirit's touch. It is the Holy Spirit which pours God's love into us, filling us and overflowing our lives with God's grace.

    I've come to believe the primary blessing given to every believer is the presence of the Risen Savior living within us as the Holy Spirit. It is this presence which fills our lives with God's love. It is this Spirit which gives us hope…for rightness with God, for an eternity in God's presence, for God's will to be done in us and through us, and for God's blessings, either here in the world to come.

    Sometimes, we seem to live as those who have no hope, grumbling about our circumstances in life. But that is not the way it is to be for the believer. We are instead to be people of hope, since we have the Spirit's touch on our lives every day.

    Paul writes in another location that we are a wretched people without the resurrection of Christ. Through the resurrection, sin's power is defeated and the Spirit comes to live within us. Instead, it would be a life without the Spirit which would make us wretched.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your abiding presence, bringing the hope of your salvation. Amen.

Lesson 114 – When the Spirit Circumcises

Romans 2:28-29

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."

    To those of who held to their Jewish heritage as the basis of being right with God, Paul asserts that they really are not Jews right with God unless they've had heart surgery. Until one is touched by the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, receiving a circumcision of the heart, they are not right with God. It is not the circumcision of the flesh that marks one as right with God, but the circumcision of the heart.

    Same today. Nothing else makes one right with God except the work of the Spirit within us. Every person of every time and ages needs a circumcision of the heart. While the cutting away of flesh identified those of Israel as being called of God, for that only identified them as a set apart people. They still need a circumcision of the heart. Today, people still circumcise babies, those now as cultural preference. Instead, we need a spiritual circumcision which changes our hearts to fully belong to God.

    Of course, a circumcision is essentially a cutting away, and spiritually, everyone needs the hardness of our hearts cut away by the Spirit. God does just that when we come to a saving faith in Christ. The Spirit enters us and takes away the guilt of our sins.

    Sure, we still sin, living in the flesh of our bodies and the temptations of this world. But one day, even this will be taken away. That is our hope. That is the promise of the circumcision of God upon us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the cutting away of the sins of my heart and the sins of those of your church. May we not turn back t these sins, but nurture the new heart which you've given us. Amen.

Lesson 113 – When the Spirit Declares the Son

Romans 1:1-4

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. "

    Here, Paul tells the church at Rome that Jesus Christ was declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness. With the resurrection of the dead, Jesus was declared and proven to be God. To see one is to see the other. To worship one means you worship the other. You cannot reject Christ and accept the Father. It is an all or nothing thing.

    This was a difficult message for Jews living in Rome. They rightly worshiped the Father as the only God, and as such, struggled to understand that in worshiping Jesus they were not rejecting the Father. Both were one. The Bible is not a call to worship a duplicity of gods. In fact, if there is one thing it is clear on, it is that there is only one true God. All others are idols.

    To make this better understood, Paul tells us the Spirit declared Jesus to be equal with God when in holiness Christ was raised from the dead. While I'm not entirely sure on this point, it seems to me it was the Spirit who was used by the Father to raise the Son. In this act, Jesus is validated as God and declared to be equal in holiness, though he had lived as a man.

    You and I are also declared by the Spirit's touch to be holy, though our holiness is not really of our own. Instead, it is imputed or accounted to our lives by the Spirit's presence, made possible by Christ's death in our place on the cross of Calvary. In a real sense, our unholiness was removed by Christ on the cross, and then a new holiness is provided to us through the living as God's gift of the Spirit.

    The Bible teaches that the trigger for this great substitution of unholiness for holiness is a saving faith or belief. This is not faith in our own worthiness, but in God's love for us through Christ. In this belief, we turn from an old way of life to commit to living according to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

    For those who believe, the Spirit declares the Son in us, living in holiness!

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the testimony of your Spirit to declare Christ as God and my life as now holy according to your grace. Amen.

Lesson 112 – When the Spirit Speaks Rightly

Acts 28:25-27

"So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: 'The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say: Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'' "

    Whenever God speaks as the Spirit of truth, you can bet he will say something profound. The choice then is yours, whether to accept or reject what our Lord has to say. Will you hear and head or ignore and refuse to understand.

    While imprisoned at Rome, Paul testified to the Jews who came to see him concerning Jesus Christ. While some were persuaded to believe, many others chose to reject the good news of Jesus Christ. Of course, things haven't changed much today. God still gives people the choice to accept or reject Christ, and still, most people choose to remain as lord over their own lives.

    Isaiah likened this rejection of God as to not truly hearing, for if they really heard what God had to say, they would turn from their sins in repentance. It is one thing to hear the words with our ears, and it is another to internalize and accept the message as applying to ourselves.

    While our God is sovereign, I don't think it is an accurate interpretation of this passage to accuse God of causing people to reject the message. Instead, God allows the hardness of our hearts to condemn our lives. When people turn away from testimony of the Spirit, God simply leaves them condemned in their sins.

    Of course, the good news is available to all. Whenever we respond to the news of Jesus Christ and receive him as Savior, we're touched by the Spirit and changed into the image of the Son.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the rightful testimony of your Spirit and pray that our community and throughout the world would come to accept the good news of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lesson 111 – When the Spirit Testifies to No Avail

Nehemiah 9:30-31

"Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets, yet they would not listen; therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful."

    Contrary to some people's impression of "fire and brimstone" preaching, conviction of sin is not related to God's wrath but stems from his mercies. When the Spirit testifies against our sins, God does so in hopes that we will confess our sins and turn instead to God's mercies.

    For centuries, God gave Israel the opportunity to turn from idol worship, sending his prophets as led by the Spirit. But the nation refused to listen. In stubbornness, even the people of God close their hearts to the Spirit's testimony.

    In the end, God Israel over to the consequences of their sins, sending them into exile until they turned back to his mercies. This shows us that God will not leave alone those who belong to his family, even if he must cause us to suffer in order to cause our return. Still, this is a picture of the Lord's gracious and merciful heart towards his people.

    I suspect that much of our own sorrows may be tied directly to our sins. When we reject of the Spirit's testimony, God simply acts to get our attention. Where we see troubles and travails as being unfair, or the result of someone else's evil heart, or simply an act of nature, many of these follow our rebellious hearts. God allows trials to turn us to his mercies.

    While I'm not one to claim every trouble is of our own doing in some fashion or another, I do believe the promise of God's word that he chastens those he loves. After all, our Lord wants us to come to his great mercies.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the testimony of your Spirit. May my heart not be rebellious to your witness. And may I turn back to you at every opportunity instead of testing your resolve to love me. Amen.

Lesson 110 – When the Spirit Instructs

Nehemiah 9:19-20

"Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way they should go. You also gave Your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst."

    When we think of instruction, we normally consider the training we receive in school. However, there is another invaluable education available to every believer, that being, the instruction of the Holy Spirit.

    For the children of Israel in the desert, their instruction was related to knowing the God who had called them to be his own and learning to depend on him for all their provision. For every believer, the instruction is much the same. We spend a lifetime of learning from the Spirit how much our Lord loves us, has provided for us in our salvation, and directs our paths.

    And just like how much we learn in school is dependent on our effort to learn, so it is with the Holy Spirit. Unless we listen to the Spirit's instruction, work to apply his teaching to our life circumstances, and are willing to follow the Lord in obedience, we will not learn the lessons God has for us. It was that way with Israel, having to wander around forty years in the desert to learn the lessons of obedience.

    One of the primary lessons every believer needs to learn is that of complete dependence upon our Father for his provision. The story of Israel in the desert teaches that lesson, and so did Christ in teaching us how to pray. Still, this is a hard lesson for us to learn. We'd rather take care of ourselves and bless ourselves with all our desires instead of waiting for the Lord's provision. But of course, that's why we need the Spirit's instruction!

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your teaching Spirit. Open my ears to your instruction and my heart to your lessons. Amen.

Lesson 109 – When the Spirit Makes Overseers

Acts 20:28

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

    For those who preach the word, we do well to remember that our calling was not only of the church's ordination, but of the Spirit at work within us. While a church affirms your calling, the real setting aside of a man to the gospel ministry is the Holy Spirit. This truth will hold you fast when the effort becomes tiresome or you face a withering opposition.

    Paul warns the elders of Ephesus that wherever the church is preached, those opposed to the cause of Christ will come in and work to destroy the church. Often times, this opposition comes from within the church itself, even from those of the family of God. While these men and women may be well-intentioned, they are misled by Satan and used by the enemy to destroy the work of the overseer whom called has called.

    I've often wished that these well-intentioned souls would give me the grace I need to fail at my ministry. Not every sermon will be my best, not every decision will be the right one, and I'll certainly not hear every word the Spirit has to say to the church. But still, I'm the one called by the Spirit to oversee the church. When someone tries to take this calling from me, the cause of Christ through that church is hampered and people suffer.

    The good news is that the Spirit's touch builds up those the Lord has called to serve as overseers of the church. We never go at our work alone, for the Lord is always with us. Of course, this truth doesn't make the effort any less difficult, but it does assure of that we'll be victorious, for the gates of hell will not stand against the church.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your Spirit within me to equip me to be an overseer of your church. Clearly, I'm not able to do this on my own, so I invite you to openly lead my heart. Amen.

Lesson 108 – When the Spirit Warns of Dangers

Acts 20:22-24

"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

    I've always struggled with this passage. In my mind, a warning is intended to give protection from some danger. But for Paul, the warning must have been given for some other purpose, since he seems to have disregarded the warning according to God's will.

    Instead, maybe the Spirit's warning was as a test of Paul's determination, so as to give God glory when he obediently entered into danger by going to Jerusalem. Or maybe it was simply to prepare Paul's mind and body for the dangers that were surely to come. Regardless, what we see here is the touch of the Spirit as a warning.

    I'm convinced the Spirit still warns believers today. Sometimes, it will be as for Paul, either for God's glory or our preparations. Other times, the Spirit warns us when we're tempted to enter into a trespass against our Lord. The Spirit also warns when our paths are not lined up with God's will, turning us to another direction for our personal safety or security.

    Of course, a warning does no good if we're not listening for it or refuse to heed it. The children of Israel failed to consider God's warnings, and as a result, they suffered greatly for their sins. Remember that God warned them concerning the seating of kings, but they chose to have a king anyways. The result was a civil war and the dividing of the nation. God also warned them concerning the pursuit of idols. When they refused this warning as well, God sent other nations as enemies to bring about spiritual discipline.

    As children of God, we too suffer the consequences when we stray from God's warnings. God loves us too much to leave us to our own devices. The Spirit warns us of potential dangers, and when we ignore these warnings, God sends his discipline upon us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I invite you to open my heart to your Spirit's warnings so that my life will be lived in obedience to your will. Amen.

Lesson 107 – When the Spirit Purposes

Acts 19:21

"When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit when had had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'"

    A few days back, I wrote of how the Spirit often forbids our activity to accomplish God's will. Likewise, the Spirit reaches out and touches us so that we pursue God's purposes for our lives, even when this means we leave behind what most would deem to be good choices.

    When at a cross roads on his missionary journey, the Spirit touches Paul's mind so he purposed to go to Jerusalem and then on to Rome. We don't know how the Spirit did this, nor how he speaks to our minds today, but just as surely as Paul understood the Lord's will in this purpose, so the Spirit speaks to us today.

    I've always been amazed by how the Spirit changes the desires and purposes of the heart of those who willing to follow after God's will. It often begins with a new interest in something, is enforced by having our eyes opened to a great spiritual need, and is followed by the submission of our will to God's purposes. The Spirit is at work, and when this work is completed, God's purposes become our purposes.

    I've heard this explained as having our "want to" changed. When we surrender in faith to Christ, we begin to want to do what the Spirit wills. We want to go where the Spirit would have us go. We want to dream the way the Spirit wants us to dream. And on and on. Our purposes in life change when we submit to the Spirit.

    Quite frankly, no believer desires to suffer, sacrifice, be sent to some of the places where the gospel needs to be preached, or any number of other things that God wills to accomplish his purposes. But when we submit our hearts to God, even these assignments become our joy.

    In our church, none of those family members left behind during an Army deployment desire the suffering and sacrifice which they endure during lengthy family separations. But still, this is God's will for these families. The Spirit has assembled the church together exactly where he wants these people. And when the church submits to the Spirit, we begin to be used of God and find joy in the Spirit's purposes.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I invite you to change my heart and my mind so that my purposes in life are changed to equal your desires. Amen.

Lesson 106 – When the Spirit Baptizes in the Name of Christ

Acts 19:1-5

"And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' So they said to him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' And he said to them, 'Into what then were you baptized?' So they said, 'Into John's baptism.' Then Paul said, 'John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.' When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

    Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. God is really not interested in the path you may have decided on to base your eternal destiny. According to God's plan, the name of Jesus is the only way for anyone to live in his righteous presence. All other paths to eternity come up short, even those which have all the religious trappings of Christianity, but not claiming the name of Jesus.

    At Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of people who had recognized their need for salvation, but had not received the baptism of the Spirit. While they had gone through water baptism under the preaching of John the Baptist, they had not professed faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, they had not even heard of Jesus. Yes, they were sorry for their sins and had repented of them, but they needed the touch of the Holy Spirit to be marked as one of God's own. This touch comes by claiming Jesus as Lord.

    Today, people try to get right with God through various means. They pursue selfless service. Some participate in religious services such as baptism, communion, the blessings of a church, or prayers to saints. Others take religious journeys, go from religious faith to faith, and pursue the spiritual. But all the paths come up short. God only has one way, and that is through the baptism of the Spirit which comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

    When someone tells me they are a Christian, I'm interested in knowing the basis for their claim. Unless one claims a saving faith in Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Spirit, the person still needs to be born again.

    Often times, Christians are unfairly accused of being narrow-minded by claiming Jesus as the only way to a relationship with God. Of course, this is a misfounded belief, since Jesus opened the way to everyone to come to faith in God. We only have to come the way God has laid out for us in Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your clear path to salvation through faith in Christ. Amen.

Lesson 105 - When the Spirit Compels

Acts 18:5

"When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ."

    One of the Spirit's main roles is to compel believers to testify of their faith. Deep inside, every believer knows God is pleased when we open our mouths to share of our faith with others. Not only were commanded by Christ to bring the good news to others, the Spirit compels us to be a witness.

    In Paul's case, he believed his primary role was to testify of Christ to the Gentiles, so it took a clear working of the Spirit to convince him to preach to the Jews at Macedonia. Sometimes, we're just like Paul. We think we know clearly what our role is in the kingdom, but the Spirit has other ideas. In those times, we need the Spirit's compelling touch.

    Of course, the Spirit takes our witness and likewise compels the hearer to understand and come to a point in their lives where they must make a decision for or against Christ. When the Spirit compels, there is a message which cannot be ignored. A crossing point is at hand and the compelling witness of the Spirit demands a response.

    At Macedonia, Paul was opposed by the Jews. In response, the Spirit sends Paul solely to the Jews. Unlike Paul, we may not know why the Spirit compels us in one direction or another. But know this: When the Spirit compels, we give God glory by being obedient.

    As the church of Jesus Christ, we need to be open to the compelling nature of the Spirit and be in prayer that the Spirit will be compelling the world to salvation.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the compelling nature of your Spirit, leading believers to share of their faith and leading hearers to respond to your Word. Amen.

Lesson 104 = When the Spirit Forsakes

2 Chronicles 24:20

"Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoida the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, 'Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord. He also has forsaken you.'"

    Know this: God knows when you trespass against his commands, and in response, he withholds the touch of his Spirit from you. These are tough words which show us God's tough love.

    A trespass is a purposeful sin against God and his commands. Everyone knows most of the Ten Commandments. When we choose to speak in opposition to the command, "Thou shall not lie", we enter into a trespass against God. It's like climbing the fence that surrounds a property marked with a "no trespassing" sign. With a trespass, there is no doubt. We have chosen to move into the wrong and are in danger of being caught. And with God, you're always found out!

    Zechariah warns Israel that God knows their purposeful sin and in response they will not prosper, either individually or as a people. Whenever God's people forsake him, we are in danger that God's Spirit will also forsake us in our sins.

    It's God's way for the Spirit to be empowered in our lives when we're obedient to the Lord's commands. When were not obedient, the Spirit's power is taken away. We forsake God and he forsakes us as an act of discipline. That's God's love for us--a love that leaves us alone to suffer the consequences of our sins in order for us to willingly turn back to the Spirit's touch.

    As a believer, we've received God's promise that he will never leave nor forsake us. But still, his Spirit of power is withdrawn from our lives whenever we choose to trespass into sin. God's desire is for your return, recognizing yourself as the prodigal and seeking his abiding Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your tough love, taking away the power of your Spirit in me whenever I choose the way of sin. Amen.

Lesson 103 – When the Spirit Battles

2 Chronicles 20:14-15

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly, And he said, 'Listen, all of you Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.'"

    I've always loved a popular song from 15 years back entitled "The Battle Belongs to the Lord." In the face of spiritual enemies, whether manifested through humanity or from the demonic, every Christian can depend upon this truth. Spiritual battles are not ours to fight, but that of the Spirit abiding within us.

    Jahaziel brought this same message to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. While the Ammonites were surely superior to this small nation, as the people of God, the battle was not theirs to fight. While God might call upon them to be his instrument in battle, whether in ultimate victory or defeat, they would see the might of God. In every situation, the battle is not our own, but belongs to the Lord through a touch of the Spirit.

    The Spirit that battles tells me that God's will is to be done. We've no need to fret, even in the face of a superior enemy. Though we may be taken into captivity as a prisoner, be defeated and killed, or be pressed on every side, God remains in control. The Spirit battles for the church, and God's will is to be done.

    In this case, God tells Judah they would not even need to fight. They simply just needed to show up and see the work of the Lord. I suspect this happens more often than we know. God just want us to show up in faith, with this simple act of obedience empowering the Lord's victory.

    Of course, the opposite happens when we fail to show. When we don't take a stand in faith, neither will the Lord. We'll be left on our own in the midst of a spiritual battle we cannot win.

    Not only does the battle belong to the Spirit in us, we are hopelessly helpless without him.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your generalship over your church and my life. May I show up in faith, awaiting your victory. Amen.

Lesson 102 – When the Spirit Forbids

Acts 16:6-7

"Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, But the Spirit did not permit them."

    Every Christian claims to believe that the Spirit opens and closes the doors of opportunity in their lives. But for most us, we don't experience this in such as direct way as the Apostle Paul. Whereas Paul had in mind certain destinations for his missionary journeys, the Spirit closed these doors.

    Typical of the way God leads us in a journey of faith, Paul wasn't told by the Spirit as to why his plans were denied. Paul probably couldn't understand why the Spirit would deny him the opportunity to bring the gospel to parts of Asia. But God had other plans, and since he desires that all come to salvation, the Spirit's direction for Paul to preach elsewhere couldn't have meant God was denying the gospel to Asia. It just wouldn't come through Paul's preaching nor to these people at this particular time.

    Most of the time, we're not in the habit of listening for the Spirit to forbid us from doing what we've judged to be for the good. While we most often associate the Spirit's conviction with keeping us from sin, he is equally about the business of directing our other endeavors. Sometimes, this means God forbids us from pursuing a course of action that seems for the best.

    While God often gives us the option of choosing between good choices, he also may choose to shut the door on one of these choices, even the one we see as the best. He does this to shape our lives or those of other peoples. We just need to be willing to go where he directs.

    One day, the Lord will have us leave our home in Germany. When that time comes, I'm sure my heart will resist, but as a believer, I need to be prepared to follow the Spirit's direction, even when it comes at some cost to my own desires.

    The key here is to allow the Spirit to in control, determining the best course of action for my life. Sometimes, this will be by forbidding me from doing something I think would be good to do.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask you for clear leading in my life. May I learn not to make decisions based on the best, but to make decisions based on your will. May your Spirit make your will clear to me and to your church Amen.

Lesson 101 – When the Spirit Confronts

2 Chronicles 15:1-3

"Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the Son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: 'Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you, while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law."

    There's lot's going on in this account, and much all of it has to do with the Spirit's touch as a means of confrontation.

    Of course, most people shun confrontation. We talk a good talk, but when it comes to standing face to face with another when confrontation is called for, we often bow to our fears and simply keep our opinions to ourselves.

    While this may be our nature, it is not so with God. His righteousness demands confrontation, and the Spirit is his instrument of confrontation.

    Here, the Spirit confronts Azariah. Simply put, God tells Azariah to take it upon himself to become the teaching priest of the land and to bring the truth of the law to King Asa. Talk about a tough assignment! Go to the man who could imprison you for life, or cut off your heard, and tell him his leadership style needs to change. But that's what the Spirit does. He tells Azariah to be the man. Step up to the plate. Do what is right. Take a stand by confronting King Asa.

    God still confronts believers today, telling us to shun fear and take a stand for truth and godliness.

    Prayer empowers the Spirit to act, and often times, he chooses to act by confronting our hearts. God takes the coward and makes him an instrument for sounding forth his word.

    There have definitely been times in my life I only took action because the Spirit first confronted my heart. I must confess, I only moved forwarded because I knew the confrontation was of God.

    So there you have it. The Spirit confronts the heart of every believer, in directing us from sin or directing the paths of our lives or even others.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your clear leading as the God who confronts his people to action. May we remain open to your leading and willing to be your instrument of righteousness for your kingdom's sake. Amen.

Lesson 100 – When the Spirit Sets Boundaries

Acts 15:28-29

"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well."

    Whether we like it or not, we all need boundaries in our lives. Boundaries keep us safe on the highways. Boundaries give us a chance for success on the job. Boundaries contribute to the well-being of society. Boundaries protect our relationship with the Lord. Boundaries govern our journeys.

    As the early church learned, the Spirit is all about boundaries. Through the Spirit, God led the apostles to place boundaries on the freedoms from the Mosaic law which all believers rightfully claim in Christ.

    Under the Spirit's boundaries, freedom in Christ does not give us a license to sin, and neither does it give us a license to cause others to doubt their faith. Boundaries are needed to protect us from the law and from freedoms apart from the law.

    But here's the key. Boundaries are not a matter of what we think is right to do. Instead, they are about hearing from the Lord as to what he says is right to do. Society can't set religious boundaries. Church government doesn't set religious boundaries. Our own wills don't determine right and wrong. These come from God's revealed will in his Scriptures and from the whisper of the Spirit in our souls.

    I know there have been times in my life I've not been interested in God's boundaries. I set them myself and didn't bother to look to the Lord. Sometimes, stepping over these boundaries placed me in the situation of a trespass against my family, or friends, or Lord. At those times, I realized I needed the Lord's boundaries.

    Yes, we have freedom in Christ. But also, we look to the Spirit for God's boundaries.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for boundaries and your Spirit who steers my life accordingly. May I not rebel from your boundaries, but to accept these in faith. Amen.