Lesson 208 – When the Spirit Preaches the Gospel

1 Peter 1:12

"To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering these things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into."

Peter tells us those looking forward to the Lord's coming that first Christmas at Bethlehem failed to understand that the gift of salvation would be offered to the entire world. Salvation was coming not just to those of the family of Abraham, but the gift of eternal life with God would be given to everyone who would believe.

And how would we receive this gift so that we might believe? The answer is given: By the preaching of the Holy Spirit.

We overlook this ministry of the Spirit to our detriment, for without the touch of the Spirit upon the hearer, our preaching is powerless.

While the message we proclaim is truth, it is only by the Spirit's witness of the truth of the gospel that the hearer will believe. While the gospel we preach is the power of God for salvation, it is only by the Spirit's work that a heart is regenerated and salvation secured. While we study and exegete the word clearly, all is lost without the Spirit, and there is no salvation.

The Spirit is God's greatest preacher ever, and the message He proclaims is the one we celebrate this Christmas. A Savior has come, and with his sacrifice, forgiveness and release from sin is secured for those who worship Jesus with all our hearts.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the preaching ministry of your Spirit, making possible the belief and salvation of people throughout the world. Amen.

Lesson 207 – When the Spirit Testifies of Sufferings and Glories

1 Peter 1:10-11

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

As we celebrate the Savior this Christmas season, waiting the day of our Lord's birthday, I invite you to think back to those awaiting the Savior's birth more than 2,000 years ago.

While we look back in our celebration of Christmas, reading and studying and singing again the story of Christ's birth, those who were God-fearers before the nativity at Bethlehem could only hold to the Spirit's promise that God's anointed one was coming. And as the writer of Hebrews tells us, most of these died without ever knowing the fulfillment of this promise, and probably, most of them also didn't even understand the real nature of the gift God was giving to us.

As kids, we could hardly wait for Christmas day, dreaming of the presents under the tree, shaking them and looking through the wrapping papers, bubbling over in excitement for the joy and adventures which would soon be ours. Even as adults, most of find joy in giving and receiving gifts, but that's really not the primary story of Christmas. In fact, gifts under the tree aren't part of the story of all. We've added both the tree and gifts to the story, making them part of our celebration, and there's really nothing wrong with tradition.

Still, looking back, it is easy to see that our Lord came to bring the gift of salvation, a present filled with both sufferings and glories. The gift we unwrap from Jesus became one of suffering, as Christ tasted death in our place, a righteous man dying for the sins of all others. And God's gift was also filled with glories, with Christ revealed as Lord through the power of the resurrection, and the church brought to enjoy the glories of being a part of the family of God through new birth.

I suspect those waiting for the coming of the Messiah didn't really understand the message as the Spirit testified of coming sufferings and glories, but looking back, I can see that these presents were proved to be the greatest gift of all.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your obedience to the Father to suffer in my place and for your church. May my life now be lived according to your glories, given to us by the presence of your Spirit. Amen.

Lesson 206 – When the Spirit Elects

When the Spirit Elects

1 Peter 1:2

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

From the foundation of the world, God knew our salvation would be purchased through the blood of Jesus Christ and would involve the Spirit's touch upon our lives, cleansing us for a life of obedience.

And while we struggle with the whole concept of foreknowledge, wondering if God gives humanity a choice to accept or reject his salvation, don't let that concern keep you from the main thing—that God's salvation was not an afterthought. From creation, God had it worked out so that both his wrath and his love towards us would be satisfied, through Jesus Christ and the work of the Spirit in our lives.

God has always referred to his church as those who are the elect, a people of the family of God according to God's choice. For those believers persecuted by Rome and driven far from their homes in Israel, this concept of being the elect would have been a message of hope. In spite of the troubles they faced, even in fear for their lives, they were still those who belonged to God. They were the elect. They were the church of Jesus Christ.

Our election is not just unto salvation, but also to be a people of obedience. By faithfulness to obey God's commands, we prove not only our faith and loyalty to the Savior, but also the reality of the Spirit's life within us. For without the Spirit's touch, we are not able to live in obedience.

Jesus told his disciples that his followers would be known by the fruits of their life on this planet. When people saw how they lived, they would know that these men and been with Jesus. They would reflect God's glory and treat others with the love of Christ. In the same way, we know we are the elect by the Spirit of God by the fruits of the Spirit within us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the election of your Spirit, causing me to desire to live a life of obedience to your word, and giving me the power within to resist sin's deceptions. Amen.

Lesson 205 – When the Spirit Shows God’s Face

When the Spirit SHOWS GOD's FACE

Ezekiel 39:29

"And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God."

I'm sure glad the Lord has decided not to hide his face from sinful humanity. God had every right to punish us for our sins, to remove us fully from his presence, even to destroy us and start all over. But he didn't. He kept his face on his creation and provided for our salvation. And he did this through the Spirit's touch. And not only did God turn his face to his people, he poured himself out on them through his Spirit.

God still identifies us as his people by pouring his Spirit on us. This is the way we know our Lord. He comes to us and communes with us, Spirit to spirit. He speaks to our soul and makes himself known.

But the opposite is also true. When we choose the path of sin, the Lord withholds his Spirit from us, turning his face from his people. And we know it. When his face is not on us, we sense God's presence is absent. We feel dry in our souls. We long for the Lord again. This is the way our God calls us back again.

And I thank him for it.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your face upon your people and your Spirit which is poured out on me. Amen.

Lesson 204 – When the Spirit Transplants

Ezekiel 36:26-28

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God."

I'm old enough to remember the novelty of when heart transplants became national news in the 1960's. Magazines like Life plastered their covers with the pictures of the doctors who would dare such procedures, prolonging life in the face of heart disease. I still think it a noble thing for a family to donate an organ from a lost loved one, seeking to prolong the life of stranger who needs a healthy heart.

A heart transplant is the illustration God uses for the change that overcomes the life of one who experiences the Spirit's touch. With the Spirit upon the believer, we receive new life in Christ. Hearts which were hardened to the things of God are replaced with a new, soft one, able to be molded by the Spirit for God's purposes.

To take this illustration one step further, just as too much cholesterol in our diets hardens the heart's arteries, causing it to malfunction, sin in our lives causes us to be hardened to the Spirit's voice. Literally, what was once a heart easily molded for God's purposes, is now unfit for service. We've become again a heart of stone.

With a hardened heart, we struggle to inhale the life-giving breath of our Lord. Without the Spirit, our lives are smothered, bringing us to what is essentially a spiritual death as we go through life without experiencing the leadership of our Lord.

Of course, God wants us to experience life to the fullest, filling us daily with the breath of the Spirit. Let's embrace this new life by exercising our faith daily, thanking the Lord for our new heart.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the life-giving transplant you've worked in my life. I look to you daily for sustainment and to be used for your purposes. Amen.

Lesson 203 – When the Spirit Is Insulted

Hebrews 10:29-33

"Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Through a rhetorical question, God issues a strong warning to those who have stomped on the gospel of Jesus Christ, ignored his sacrifice, and insulted the Spirit of grace. God won't leave alone his people who do these things, and in response to this truth, the author of Hebrews asks us to consider the punishment deserved by those who have done these things.

Almost every parent can relate to this same technique. We've asked our teenagers to determine the punishment to be meted out for their disobedient acts, usually related to how long they should remain grounded. Our intent is not simply to determine the length of punishment, but for the teen to internalize what they've done by judging for themselves the rightful consequences of their actions. We hope this will help them learn a moral lesson from the punishment we direct. And here, God does the same.

Whereas Christ spoke of the unpardonable sin as a rejection of the Spirit's touch, I think this passage implies that those of the family of God also find themselves rejecting the Spirit, though not unto salvation, for this is permanent position we're we've been adopted into the family of Christ. We're said to be insulting the Spirit.

While we're not specifically told how we do this, it would seem that any action of disobedience towards God's sovereignty should be considered an insult. We do this when we reject the Spirit's leading or when we turn from the Spirit's conviction and choose sin. We also insult the Spirit when we refuse to believe or obey his word.

Few would doubt that the most heinous sin which we could do as God's people would be to worship another god, for this is idolatry. And insulting the Spirit is doing exactly this. We insult the Spirit when we make ourselves out to be god over our own lives.

Notice that in response to this insulting of the Spirit, the Lord promises to judge His people. We will fall into God's hands. He places his Spirit upon us, though no longer as the Comforter, but as the One who Disciplines. This is what we see with Israel throughout the Old Testament, and this is what we see with believers, nations, and churches today.

Although God will not leave his people alone, even when we insult him, he uses his discipline to cause us to return to his fold.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your righteous wrath upon the church today, refusing to allow us to insult your Spirit, desiring us to be made holy again by your presence. Amen.

Lesson 202 – When the Spirit Witnesses

Hebrews 10:14-16

"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."

The primary witness of the Spirit is to testify of Christ's new covenant with his church. Simply put, the Lord now dwells within us, a new law has replaced that of Moses, and our sins are no longer remembered any more. The fact is, we would not know the reality of God's love for us nor be transformed by his presence without the witness of the Spirit.

The word God uses for this transforming work of the Spirit is "remission." Under God's free gift of remission, the effects of sin are being removed, and where remission has begun in our lives, it is sure to be completed. Best of all, where remission is present, no additional sin offering is needed. God all done all that is needed to replace our unholy lives with his righteousness.

And all of this is witnessed by the Spirit who lives within us.

While the Bible often warns against a life governed by feelings, the idea of a witness by the Spirit seems to speak to just this concept. Literally, we often feel the Spirit within. He speaks of the reality of our faith and God's gracious gift.

But the witness of the Spirit is more than just a feeling. There is also the witness of a life that which once rejected God's love, now desires a daily relationship with Christ. There is the witness of the transformation that is occurring within us, as a life which once tolerated sin now looks to God for power over it. And whenever we fall into sin, we know the witness of the Spirit's conviction, and the assurance of the Spirit's touch, cleansing us from sin's guilt. We also sense the Lord speaking, revealing his will at many points in our life, and can often see the results of his work in the world.

All these things are witnesses of the Spirit. While God didn't have to prove his word to us, with the Spirit, there is proof enough.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the gift of your Spirit, witnessing of the change you are working in my life and within your church. Amen.

Lesson 201 – When the Spirit Offers Christ

Hebrews 9:13-14

"For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Here we find the very crux of our salvation. In two verse, we find an explanation of how God restores his relationship with sinful humanity.

When Christ died on the cross, his blood was offered to the Father as a sacrifice, satisfying God's requirement for wrath against sin. One life sacrificed, given over to death for all others. God's righteous anger is completely satiated. No penalty remains for the people of faith.

While simple in its teaching, the implications of the Spirit's offering on our behalf shows God's profound love for his creation. Knowing we could not enter into his presence without a sacrifice, God satisfies this requirement by providing holy blood as a covering for our sins. Literally, when we enter into God's presence, our Holy God only sees Christ, and we are not destroyed.

Still, notice that by this sacrifice, we are also cleansed in our conscience from dead works. This reminds us we are not just covered by Christ's blood, but the presence of the Spirit also makes us new. We are born again, no longer guilty before God. Therefore, we no longer need to have our conscience convicted by the Lord, freeing us to serve the Lord outside of guilt.

Of course, our enemy is crafty, and spends a lot of his time trying to convince even believers that we're not really forgiven and of little use in God's kingdom. After all, don't we still sin? Don't we find ourselves feeling guilt? Don't we fail our Lord even daily? Sure we do! But remember this, no more sacrifice is needed. We are free from guilt in Christ!

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for offering your life for my own through the Spirit, freeing me from a lifetime of guilt. May my life be poured out for you in thanksgiving, remembering your sacrifice for your own. Amen.

Lesson 200 – When the Spirit Indicates

Hebrews 9:8

"The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first temple was still standing."

The author of Hebrews reminds us that sinful humanity could not enter into the holiest part of the tabernacle, the Holiest of Holies, without a sacrifice. Even then, only the priest could enter, and only once a year, bearing the sins of the people upon his body. This was the Spirit's way of indicating to us that while the tabernacle still stood, we still needed a way to rightfully enter God's presence. We still needed someone to stand on our behalf, qualifying us for entry.

Of course, that someone was the person of Jesus Christ, and the something that he gave us for authorization is the shed blood of Christ, given as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross of Calvary. Just as the priest brought in a symbolic sacrifice once a year, every time we come before God in prayer, we come bearing the sacrifice of Christ. With the Spirit's touch upon our lives, we receive our ticket in.

Years ago, my son and I stood in a long line for a football game held in the Alamo Bowl Dome at San Antonio, waiting to buy tickets. We knew we couldn't just walk in without a ticket. Unexpectedly, before we reached the kiosk, a man offered us his tickets for free. He made the trip to the stadium just to give his tickets to someone just like us. We gladly accepted them, thanked him profusely, and entered the game at no cost. In the same way that accepting these free tickets allowed us in, the Spirit is offering us entrance to God's presence. All we have to do is accept God's freely given offer.

And while there were some strings attached with the tickets we accepted, for we had to sit where they indicated, we still gladly accepted these conditions. And with our Lord's offer, he also come conditions, with Christ demanding our worship, our allegiance, our obedience. But for those who have come to faith, they will tell you this condition is small compared to the glorious riches we have in Christ.

The Spirit indicates we need a way in, and that way is provided in Jesus Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you indicating through your Spirit a new way for us to enter into your presence. I accept your offer and commit my life to showing others your love for them. Amen.

Lesson 199 – When the Spirit Is Partaken

Hebrews 6:4-7

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."

Once we partake of the Spirit's touch, there is no going back! With our salvation, it is simply an impossibility. God made it that way. Those who are born again by the Spirit's touch cannot, and will not, go back to a life apart from Christ.

The writer of Hebrews tells the church that if losing our salvation were indeed possible, then Christ would need to die again and again as we repent of our sins. And this can't be, for the Lord has died once for all for all the sins of all time.

While I accept this truth from God's word, I'm left with the realization that I seem to be crucifying the Lord again and again. As I slip into disobedience, I find myself needing to confess my sins to the Lord and ask the Spirit to bring a new cleansing to my life. This is to my shame, for the Lord has saved me fully, but I've chosen to live as if this salvation were not a reality.

While I'm not really crucifying the Lord again, my sins, along with the Spirit's conviction, remind me of my failures and the very real need we all have of the Savior. Whenever I come to the Lord with my heart in my hands, hanging my head low, I'm driven to a position of humility.

The good news is that the Lord willing accepts us back when we come back to the Savior in humility. That is the great love of God for his church and the majesty of the unlimited grace that is given to us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for allowing me to come again and again to you to know the Spirit's touch and the cleansing your offer to those who bear your name. Amen.

Lesson 198 – When the Spirit Says “Today”

Hebrews 3:7-9

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years.""

I think the Spirit's touch on our lives has always brought the reality of God's word to us as a "today" thing. Whenever we hear a word from the Lord, magnified by the working of the Spirit, we're faced with a sense of urgency, a call to obedience that can't be put off until a more convenient time. Today is the day.

Those who received the letter to the Hebrews we're warned against rebelling against the word of the Lord. They were not to harden their hearts. They were not to put God to the test by ignoring his faithfulness. For the hardening of hearts to the Lord's voice, and the resulting unthankfulness in our lives, are not the right responses to the Spirit's call. God wants our undivided attention, and he wants it right now.

A rebel is one who turns their allegiance from one cause to another, often even as a traitor to their own country. As the church, whenever we ignore the Spirit's call for "today", we are those who are acting as rebels, having become more like the enemy of Christ than a faithful follower.

The author of Hebrews later warns of God's anger against those who are living in rebellion. You can bet you don't want the Lord so disappointed with your life that he has to discipline you to get you on the right track. It would be better to head the call to "today" and search out the Lord's will for your life.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for caring enough to send your Spirit to speak to my heart, giving warning when I turn astray. May each day be a new today from your Spirit, leading me back to you. Amen.

Lesson 197 – When the Spirit Bears Witness

Hebrews 2:1-4

"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?"

This passage carries a dual warning, first, by serving notice to those who have heard of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, calling us to be careful not to neglect by disobedience the salvation which God offers to the entire world. With the Spirit's confirmation of the divinity of Jesus Christ, there will be no excuse when we stand before the King of Kings in judgment.

The second warning is similar to the first, but given to those who have already believed. With most of the book written to the church, I think this is the primary theme of this portion of Hebrews. As individual believers, and as local bodies of Christ, we too need to be careful not to neglect the message, falling away in disobedience, for our Lord is sure to punish us when found in sin.

I'm afraid we need to pay more attention to this warning, for God tells us to give it "more earnest heed". We need to make it our business to seek the witness of the Spirit to know when we are drifting away from a close relationship with Jesus Christ so that we can take action to return.

When one thinks of drifting away, we visualize a boat which is no longer anchored or tethered to the pier. As the tides go in and out, or the winds blow, the boat slips away, little by little. Overtime, it floats as far as if a motor had been cranked and the driven away. As believers, most of us don't intentionally drift away from Christ, but when we neglect our relationship with him through the Spirit, we find ourselves further and further away.

Without a doubt, those familiar spiritual disciples help out here, anchoring us to Christ. These include making regular worship a priority, seeking the Spirit's voice in the written word, and an abiding connection to God in prayer. Another tool we need to cultivate in our lives is to have close friendships with other believers, those who would feel comfortable in steering us back to the Lord when we drift away.

In my own life, I testify that the Spirit's touch bears witness in my soul, telling me when things are not as they should be. He does this for every believer creating a restlessness in our hearts, urging us to come back to the Lord. And the good thing is this: The Lord always welcomes back those who are his own, and the Spirit is sure to not leave us alone, pursuing us until we heed the call.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for bearing witness of the relationship you seek with those who are your own. May I always know this witness and respond to your call to return. Amen.

Lesson 196 – When the Spirit Enters and Lifts

Ezekiel 2:1-2

"And He said to me, 'Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.' Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me."

More than any other prophet, the Spirit is said to have entered Ezekiel time after time. In this text, the Spirit enters Ezekiel to bring him to his feet. Ezekiel had been humbled to the ground after seeing the glory of the Lord in a vision. In response to his humility, the Spirit lifts him to his feet to be used as the Lord's servant.

Again, in chapter 3, verses 12 and 14, the Spirit enters Ezekiel and lifts him up, not only to his feet, but to take him away from Jerusalem to minister to those already taken captive by Babylon. Jumping to verse 23, we find the Spirit entering Ezekiel to once again bring him to his feet. Ezekiel had bowed his face to the ground in response to the Lord's glory.

The story of the Spirit entering and lifting up Ezekiel continues in chapter 8, verse 3, with the Spirit lifting him up between heaven and earth by a lock of his hair, showing him the abominations done in the temple at Jerusalem. In chapter 11, verses 1 and 5, the Spirit again lifts Ezekiel up, bringing him to the East Gate of the temple, showing him the elders of the city who refused to believe God's word of pending destruction. Then in verse 24, the Spirit takes Ezekiel up by a vision to again visit those in Babylonian captivity.

As I read of these multiple encounters with God, with the Spirit lifting him to his feet and to other locations, I can't but wonder what it would take for my life to be so influenced by the Spirit's touch. O that the Lord would send his Spirit to lift up the church today so that we could hear the Lord speak and to see life's events as God sees them.

It seems to me that the Spirit entered and lifted Ezekiel in response to his humility. When Ezekiel humbled himself before the Lord, the Spirit would then make himself known in a very real way in Ezekiel's life. In the church today, I believe the Spirit enters us in power when we first humble ourselves to Christ in the word, in worship, in praise and prayer.

Not that we can manipulate the Spirit's power, but when we respond in humility to the Lord's glory, we give God room to use us for his kingdom purposes.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit who enters us for your glory. May my life always be open to your presence, ready to be poured out for you for the kingdom's sake. Amen.

Lesson 195 – When the Spirit Saves Us

Titus 3:4-7

"But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. "

This is one of my favorite passages, and certainly tops as it pertains to the Spirit's touch. It is full of God's love for us and clearly describes our salvation.

Simply put, our new birth stems from God's love, was initiated by the Father, worked out for our sakes on the cross by Christ, and is completed in us by the Spirit. The Father determined to give us his mercies, Christ came in obedience to suffer in our place as the sacrifice for sin, and the Spirit brings about our salvation by pouring out God's righteousness upon us.

Let no one say you can be a believer, but not have the Spirit within you unless you evidence some sign gift such as speaking in tongues. The Spirit doesn't come because we worship in the right way, or call out for his presence in the right way, or attend the right church.

In reality, there is nothing you can do to receive a further presence or a second filling or another renewal of the Spirit. Absolutely nothing. Every believer has already received the Spirit as God's gift, so there is no need to seek after the Spirit's touch to come upon you. God is already there, and not because we were ever good enough for his presence. No one can boast in their own righteousness. In fact, when the Spirit comes, he cleans our souls through regeneration and renewing.

What is true is that we need to be a people who continuously confess our sins before the Father. And while this act of contrition has nothing to do with our salvation and the Spirit's presence, for that is already complete, we need continuously cleaning to be effectively used as fitting vessels for worship and service in the kingdom. And there is certainly nothing wrong with asking the Spirit to fill you for that purpose in some fresh way.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit's cleansing in my life and your presence to continuously make me new as I fail you through many points in my life. Amen.

Lesson 194 – When the Spirit Keeps the Good Thing

2 Timothy 2:13-14

"Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us."

While Paul's words in this text were meant as an encouragement to his protégé in the preaching and pastoral ministry, spurring Timothy to remain committed to the work, serving in the power of the Spirit, this principle likewise applies to every believer. We too have received a good thing from the Lord and are encouraged to keep it by the Spirit who indwells our lives.

In the larger sense, every believer received a good thing by the Spirit's touch at the point of our conversion. We came as one no longer living apart from Christ to one following after Jesus in faith. We received the new birth, and while we cannot revert back to the old nature, since we're transformed, we still need to keep our new birth fresh by the Spirit.

Whenever a believer pushes down the presence of the Spirit in us, we will fall away from being a committed and effective disciple of the Lord. In a sense, we are not keeping the good thing. It is no longer at the forefront of our desires, and relationship with Jesus suffers.

Likewise, every believer has received spiritual gifts by the Spirit, all for the building up of the body of Christ. In the same way, we are liable to lose the effectiveness of these gifts whenever we fail to exercise them for God's glory in the kingdom, or when we go use apart from the empowerment of the Spirit.

These gifts are more than just natural talents, but supernatural abilities God gives for the benefit of the kingdom. While they may appear as talents, when used of the Spirit, they further the kingdom for God's glory. Often times, their effectiveness comes even apart from the outward success of what we've done, for they are an instrument of our Lord within the church.

In light of Paul's words to Timothy, every believer needs to regularly ask the Spirit to help us keep the good thing which God has given us, both in making our salvation fresh and in using our spiritual gifts within the church. By coming to the Lord with this request, we're once again reminding our hearts that we are nothing without the Lord, and we're in complete submission to the working of the Spirit with us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit who brings about a good thing in my life and the church through the new birth. I also thank you for your Spirit's gifts in my life. I ask you to keep these fresh in my life and to use them when surrendered to you in a powerful way within your church. Amen.

Lesson 193 – When the Spirit Expressly Says

1 Timothy 4:1-3

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanks-giving by those who believe and know the truth"

When the Spirit expressly says. While it may sound like it, I'm not comparing God's voice to a game of "Simon Says", where what we hear is not really what is to happen, unless the magic words are said. When God speaks by the Spirit, it is expressly for our warning and obedience.

In this text, the Spirit expressly gives voice to a warning, one which still applies to the church today. Whereas most recognize the obvious effects of sin's deceptions, few understand when they're just as surely deceived by religious practices within the church. So the Spirit gives expression to such a warning.

God tells us that when the church gets caught up in having more concern for religious practices than it does for doctrines of the faith, we are being deceived by demons. When the church is more concerned about what to wear, or what to eat, or forbidding women to marry than it is in following after Jesus Christ, we've been deceived. When we don't see the reality of our sins, but are quick to see when others don't follow our rules, we've been deceived.

Sure, we put on the trappings of faith, even claiming to do certain things like these to honor Christ, but in doing so, we've become disobedient, and we're not hearing the express warnings of the Spirit.

I'm trying hard not to alienate anyone by pointing out specific churches for these types of practices, but you probably know of them. Their pastors aren't allowed to marry. Their unmarried women are instead married to married to Christ. Their parishioners may only assemble to worship wearing clothes which reflect society's standards for Sunday dress. They teach against a whole list things intended to protect from sin.

And while some of these practices may be good in themselves, to these churches, the Spirit gives warning. This is a departure from the faith. And while this departure may not be in the form of apostasy in denying Christ, basic doctrines of our Lord are being overshadowed by religious practice.

Every church is constantly in danger of this, especially in allowing traditions become the standard for how one must worship.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the truth of your word and I ask for your Spirit to weigh heavy upon me so my life not become deceived by he deceptions of religious practice over a faith in you. Amen.

Lesson 192 – When the Spirit Justifies

1 Timothy 3:16

"And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."

What a glorious portrayal of the gospel of Jesus Christ and God's love for humanity. While the message is simple, with God coming in flesh and bringing salvation, the mystery of this action is beyond our comprehension.

Not that we can't lay out the great doctrines associated with God's grace, mercies, sanctification, and substitutionary death, for these have been considered in great depth by the church over the centuries. But for me, the mystery is great mostly in the realization that I really cannot fathom all of God's love for me. Why would the God of the universe submit himself to the cross for sinful humanity?

By its nature, a great mystery is one that may never be figured out, but that still doesn't belay our need to accept it in faith. Jesus understood this when he explained to Nicodemus that while we don't know where the wind comes from, we know its effects. It is the same with salvation.

While we may not be able to explain all the mysteries of why God chose to love us, or understand how much God loves us, we can definitely know the change which is effected in our souls by the Spirit's touch…a new birth in Jesus Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for love, even as I struggle to even grasp the magnitude of your sacrifice. Amen.

Lesson 191 – When the Spirit Sanctifies

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

While I can't begin to claim to have figured out God's doctrine of predestination, it is a truth we're called to embrace. Simply put, that while God is sovereign, he gives us a choice for our salvation, still knowing who will come to him in faith, all without giving up any of his sovereignty or our freedom of will. Confusing, huh?!

One thing we can say for sure is God planned our salvation from the beginning of time, a salvation only accomplished through by the death of Jesus Christ and by the sanctification of those who believe, bringing a cleansing to our souls by the Spirit's touch.

From the beginning, God's choice was for our salvation. While he never approved of sin in our lives, his unbounded love for us meant he was prepared to deal with our failures, even if it meant the sacrifice of his life for our own.

Of course, God predestined our salvation by the Spirit's touch for more than just our glory. Our choice for the Lord gives our God glory. When we willingly turn to the Lord, our lives join the chorus of creation singing of our Lord's kingly position.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your sacrifice on the cross and the cleansing you've prepared for us through the Spirit's touch. Amen.

Lesson 190 – When the Spirit Is Quenched

1 Thessalonians 5:19

"Do not quench the Spirit."

What a simple verse, one which I've heard most of my life. Do not quench the Spirit. Don't throw cold water on the burning power of God within the church. Don't put out the fire of the Spirit's touch.

Realize now that you have the very real ability to quench the Spirit. While God reigns supreme, the Spirit is not willing to overcome one who does not welcome him daily. God doesn't force himself upon us, even on those who have committed themselves to following after Jesus Christ.

I confess that I've felt this quenching of the Spirit, and admit it mostly happens when I've done one of several things. Whenever I seek after sin instead of seeking after my Lord, the Spirit's power in me is put out. Whenever I forsake God in worship, or quit looking into the perfect law of the Lord, the Spirit withdraws his power. When prayer becomes an afterthought, the Spirit is doused with cold water and no longer burns within me.

Even within our church, we seek self over sacrificial service for Christ and others, we lose the power of Spirit.

Be warned. Life will get harder when we quench the Spirit. Without the leadership of the Spirit over our lives, we'll find ourselves wandering in a spiritual desert, lost and without hope.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the power of the Spirit and ask you to remind me daily of your desire to burn within me and your church. Amen.

Lesson 189 – When the Spirit Is Holiness

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

"For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit."

As followers of Jesus Christ, our lives are defined not by the uncleanness of the world, but by the perfect holiness which is God's alone. While we're people of this world, with all our failures, worries, and difficulties, we're also no longer those who are unclean, for by the Spirit's touch, we are born again into the holiness of Christ.

Even as sinners, we are declared holy by God's word. Our salvation has begun, surely to be finished at the returning of the Lord, as even our bodies will be fully changed then to live in God's holiness. So while we are not yet what we will become, God has begun our transformation to holiness and will not stop until we are made into the image of Christ.

Still, our Lord desires his disciples to pursue his holiness in our lives with all our hearts, relying upon the Spirit's presence to overcome sin's deceptive yearnings. Of course, overcoming sin is easier said than done, even for those who know the power of Christ.

But still, we can grow in our holiness over time, not simply as our age grows older each year, but as we prove the trustworthiness of faith in Christ. As we obey the word, discover a heart for worship, and learn of the unbounded love of our Savior, we can't help but desire more and more to live holy lives before our God. This becomes our motivation, and with the Spirit in us, we are empowered to pursue this life.

God doesn't call us to holiness simply for our own sakes, though there is much advantage in following the Lord, with much of life's problems having sin at their root. Instead, our holiness honors our God and serves as a witness to others who need the Lord.

We are to be holy for our God, and with the Spirit's touch upon us, this holy life is possible.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit in us, bringing about a holiness which reflects our God. May I be one who intently looks to your word, seeking you in all things, so that I may live a holy life before you and others. Amen.

Lesson 188 – When the Spirit Enlivens the Word

1 Thessalonians 1:5-6

"For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit."

Twice, Paul mentions the "word" in these verses, each time referring to the Spirit's touch as the catalyst which makes the word come alive. Without the Spirit, even the gospel message of Jesus Christ is powerless, for our salvation is not in mere words, but in the work the Lord does through the Spirit within the heart of the hearer.

While we often encourage people to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and rightly so, it is the Spirit who makes this faith possible, for the Spirit takes the word and makes it alive within the soul of the hearer. No pastor has ever convinced another to become a true follower of Christ, no evangelist wins one to Christ through a passionate appeal, no mother leads a child to faith in Christ, unless the Spirit enlivens the word.

Salvation begins with the Spirit and salvation is given by the Spirit. Christ, the living word, carried out the requirements of salvation, and prayed for the Father to send the Spirit. The Father sacrificed the Son and answered his prayer for the Spirit to dwell among us. Salvation is of God, belongs to God, and is God's to give, and he does so only through the Spirit.

People sometimes wonder if they have the faith they need for salvation. I'm convinced that if the Spirit is at work in them to enliven the word to convict of sin, the Spirit is also present for salvation.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit of salvation which dwells within me and is still at work in the world today, enlivening the word to draw people from darkness unto light. May your church be surrendered to being used as an instrument of this salvation in any way you see fit. Amen.

Lesson 187 – When the Spirit Is Love

Colossians 1:7-8

"As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit."

These verses are part of a five-verse paragraph Paul penned in praise to the church at Colossae. Laying out their faithfulness to Christ, he comes to a fitting crescendo, praising their love in the Spirit. This seems to be the basis for all the rest of the things which were worthy of praise.

Love in the Spirit -- this is a curious phrase, without any real clue as to what it might mean. While the Bible frequently refers to praying in the Spirit and worshipping in the Spirit, we don't see this same phrase elsewhere. Still, I think it an important concept, for it reminds every believer of that the love we're to have for each other is not a love which we naturally have, but a love coming from the Spirit's touch.

When we love others in the church based on normal ways of thinking, our love holds true only as long as we get along with each other, or have our own way in decision making, or not have our feelings have hurt by inconsiderate words. The bottom-line is this. Without the Spirit, we only love when we feel like it. Unless the conditions are right, we do not love each other in the church.

Of course, this is not God's way. Christ demonstrated love that had no bounds, that surpassed all understanding, that forgave even when there was no basis for forgiveness. That's the love we are to have in the church, and the only way we can know this love is to exercise the love of the Spirit.

Like other Spiritual disciplines, love is not something we can simply commit to and then it happens. We need God's help even to get started, and I think that prayer is the beginning point. We need to ask the Spirit to enable us to love each other. We don't need to wait until things are just right, or our relationships are broken, before beginning this course of prayer. We simply need to pray for each other, and as we pray, the Lord will empower us to love in the Spirit.

We also need to ask the Lord to give us a heart to love others as we already love ourselves. If you do, you'll be surprised by what the Lord may do next in your life. The Spirit will start by changing our own hearts towards others so that we begin to see others through God's love. That's just the way our God does it. He changes us when we begin to exercise his love.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask you to give me a love from your Spirit for others. May I not grow cold and impersonal in dealing with those you've already shown your love to in Christ.

Lesson 186 – When the Spirit Is Our Confidence

Philippians 3:3

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

As Americans, we live in a society which rightfully places a premium on teaching our children to embrace the confidence needed to be successful in our modern world. And that's a good thing.

But often, we push this desire for confidence too far, emphasizing a self-worth that is beyond that which is ours only by the Spirit's touch. The Bible is clear--all our own worth is as nothing when compared to God's glories. Because of sin, we are unholy people in need of a Savior, and no amount of self-confidence overcomes this reality. Every other confidence will leave you wanting, only hiding behind a self-assurance that you know is only a façade.

Paul lived in a day where people understood their need to be saved from sin's curse. And while the Jews recognized their sinful condition, they were much like people today, betting on a confidence other than Christ. For Israel, their confidence was in a religious practice. Specifically, their faith was in circumcision. As long as the men of the nation were circumcised, the people remained confident that God would forgive their sins. But this was a misplaced confidence.

Jesus came teaching that the circumcision needed was not of the flesh, but of the heart. Sure, God command Israel to be circumcised, but that was only to point to the need of the heart change, and to mark those who confessed their sins to God. The physical act never took away sin, but pointed to a people who were following after God with all their hearts.

But over time, familiarity with the practice reduced it to just a cultural act, much like today. It really meant nothing other than to become a misplaced confidence concerning their relationship with God. We see much the same today in church practices such as infant baptism. Coming to church once in a life-time, and as an infant at that, doesn't make one right with God. Same with partaking of the Lord's Supper without placing faith in Jesus Christ; it becomes a misplaced confidence. It's even the same with coming to church worship services every week. This simple act does not save one from sin.

Many today believe they are Christians simply because of where they were born. I find much of Europe thinks exactly this way, believing they are Christians by birth, since they were born in a Christian nation. Again, this is a misplaced confidence. Our Spiritual birth is not a matter of where we were born, but of the one who makes us born again.

You see, our only confidence must be in the Spirit's touch. When God comes to live in our hearts through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive a new confidence, one based not on ourselves, or chance, or anyone else's declaration, but a confidence based on God's word.

So where are you placing your confidence today?

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask you to impress your Spirit on those you are calling to faith so that we place our only confidence in the faith you give us in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lesson 185 – When the Spirit Is Fellowship

Philippians 2:1-2

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."

Every pastor tends to find themselves needing to pray for a congregation which worships and serves in unity, and the Apostle Paul was no exception. Paul tells the church at Philippi that he would rest in a full serving of joy if the church would be filled with unity. He would know joy if they would be like-minded in their desires to honor Christ. He would know joy if their love for each other would be given without measure, withholding none of it from any in their congregation.

Paul understood the very real truth that disunity defeats the effectiveness of any church. When there are disputes, anger, ill will, and hurt feelings within the body of Christ, Spirit filled worship is not really possible. Sure, we try to lift up the name of Christ, but in our disunity, we've given Satan a foothold in our lives, and our Lord is not receiving the full worship he desires. The problem is that the fellowship we enjoyed with the Spirit's touch is withheld when we are not in fellowship with each other.

Likewise, when there are raging disagreements as to how to spend the weekly offerings or from a special campaign, bitterness grows, even as we promise to be in prayer concerning the situation at hand. But quite frankly, our prayers are superficial, not really seeking God's will but our own way. Again, the thing that is lacking is the fellowship of the Spirit. As we break fellowship with each other, we break fellowship with God in our lives.

And when this happens, the ministries of the Lord through the local church come to a halt. Few find themselves willing to belong to the church. Fewer are willing to sacrifice through service and giving. And fewer still remain faithful in attendance, worship and prayer.

When this happens in our church, we go weeks with no visitors. None are likely to invite another into our fellowship when we're not living in unity with each other and the Spirit. And the result is easy for all to see. Christ receives no glory. The gospel is silent in our community. The kingdom suffers.

What we need to do is pray for each other and our fellowship even when our emotions are screaming for something different. There is power in prayer, in that it opens the way for the Spirit to heal hearts and establish fellowship within the body.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask you to fill our church with your presence, giving us a heart for each other, lifting up each other in prayer so that we enjoy a close unit within the body. Lord, may this begin with a pure fellowship with you. Amen.

Lesson 184 – When the Spirit Supplies

 

Philippians 1:19-20

"For I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."

In spite of imprisonment for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul demonstrates the unwavering faith available to any believer surrendered to the Spirit's touch. He's not teaching a lesson here, though it is full of Godly principles, but is living out his faith in a difficult circumstance.

Most of us get torn up inside, and maybe even on the outside, when we've been treated unfairly. We understand getting a speeding ticket when we're driving too fast, but rue the day when we're pulled over in innocence. The indignity of it all! Well, that's where Paul finds himself, in prison, accused of raising up mobs against the government. Falsely charged, when all he had done was make a stand for Christ.

But in the midst of this trial, we see Paul's faith in the Spirit's touch upon him. First of all, we see a faith which is established. His faith in Jesus Christ remains unmoved in spite of the unfairness of it all. Paul remains confident the Spirit will supply all he needs, even in this situation. And that doesn't mean he was betting on being released, for he admits that even in his death, Christ could be magnified.

Paul also mentions that his faith in the Spirit's supply keeps him from shame. Like all humanity, Paul understood the great effect that shame has on all of us. We live in the fear of shame—that we'll be found less successful than others, that we stand out as being less attractive, that our intellects don't measure up, or our sports prowess makes us the last chosen for a team. We naturally fear shame. And what could be more shameful than being forgotten in a prison cell?

When we remember that it is the Spirit who supplies, we never need be ashamed, for we know God is bringing about just what he desires for our life, even when it isn't what we expected.

Many people today face the shame of unemployment, not because of inadequacies at work, but from the realities of a slumping economy. In particular, men fear running into a former co-workers and having to explain they still don't have a job. The shame is real.

Still, maybe this is God's way of calling us back to trust in his supply.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask you to give me the faith I need to trust in your supply, realizing that when I depend on you, that in all things there is no need to be ashamed. Amen.

Lesson 183 – When the Spirit Leads

Isaiah 63:14

"As a beast goes down into the valley, and the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, so You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name."

I must admit the first phrase in this verse is for me still a question. God compares the leading of his people to give himself a glorious name to the leading of a beast into the valley to find rest. What's that all about?

I wonder what type of beast the Spirit had in mind when Isaiah penned this text. Was it a wild beast, like a mountain lion, stalking down into the valley to get a drink of water, finding rest for legs wearied by a hunting trip into the mountains? Or is the Spirit speaking of a domesticated animal, like a donkey, which travels into the valley as a surefooted beast of burden, finding rest at the end of the journey? Or most likely, some other reference which remains hidden to me?

Regardless, we're reminded it is the Spirit's touch which leads the church, bringing rest, and lifting up the glorious name of Christ.

In the Spirit, the church finds rest for our weary souls after an arduous journey to trying to become right with God by finding a righteous life. We're worn out, worn down, and without hope. All is lost. But as the Spirit indwells us through faith in Jesus Christ, our sins are overshadowed by the holiness of Christ upon us, sin is defeated and we find rest from the guilt which is rightfully ours—and God receives all glory!

As the church continues live out obedient lives in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord's name is lifted up within our communities. We become a people who no longer live for ourselves, but to make a name for ourselves, but to bring glory to the name of Jesus.

As a pastor, I encounter lot's of people who need to find rest, not only for sinful souls, but for lives which are ravished by the physical effects of sin. And even believers find themselves needing rest, as we disobey God's word in assuming the worries of this world as we try to make ends meet in the midst of chaos.

But the answer is given to all of us. Come to Jesus. Find rest for your souls. Be one who glorifies the name of Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I seek the rest you offer to your church as we follow after your Spirit's leading. May the footsteps of my life be secure as I follow after you, all for your honor and glory. Amen.

Lesson 182 – When the Spirit Hides

Isaiah 63:11-12

"Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: 'Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, Who led them by the right hand of Moses, with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they might not stumble?'"

Isaiah recalls a time when God's Spirit fought against his people for grieving his Spirit, remembering how Moses and Israel called out for the Lord and did not find him. As part of this fight, God hides his presence from the nation as they turned to sin. Not that our Lord quit loving his people, for that is not his perfect nature, but that he hid his Spirit so they would repent and turn again to his mercies.

Surely it is still the same today with the church. Our God still withholds the empowering presence of his Spirit when we rebel against his word, grieving against the Spirit by choosing to disobey the Lord's will and chasing after sin. It's not that our God is no longer with us, but that he has hidden the power of his Spirit to get our attention.

This is definitely not a popular message, reminding the church that our God fights against us, or that he hides himself from us, but our Lord does this for our benefit. He loves us too much to allow us to remain in disobedience. He wants to restore a close relationship with us in the Spirit, but he cannot suffer the life which rebels against his lordship.

Of course, it is a fearful thing to be in a fight against the Lord. There is no way we will overcome unless we repent and return and plead for the Lord to no longer withhold his Spirit from us. Without the Spirit's presence, we'll find our lives without hope, our spirits dry and unsatisfied, and our hearts longing again for the Savior. And that's just what the Lord wants to draw us back to obedience.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I seek you Spirit in my life and in your church. I plead for you not to withhold your Spirit's presence from us day. We want to dwell in your presence. We choose obedience and submission instead of disobedience and rebellion. Amen.

Lesson 181 – When the Spirit Fights

Isaiah 63:8-10

"For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Savior. In all their affliction, He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."

This is somber word from our God, applying both to the church of old and the church of today. While our Savior lovingly became afflicted for our sakes, redeeming us from our sins, he will not stand still when we rebel against his lordship. When the church pushes away the Holy Spirit in rebellion to go its own way, the Spirit turns to fight against us.

Talk about a no-win situation. We find ourselves without hope when God fights against us. When the Spirit's touch is no longer the abiding presence of our Savior but the infiltrating presence of an enemy, we will be overcome.

Israel experienced God fighting against them first hand. After sending prophets over the centuries to warn against idolatry, the Lord turned against his own. He allowed unholy enemies, the Assyrians and the Babylonians, to invade Israel and destroy the nation. God became the enemy of his people. The Spirit no longer came as a Savior, but fought against God's people.

While a sobering account, we still find mercy. Even after pushing God to fight against them, the Lord relented when Israel began to forsake their false Gods and returned to worship him with all their hearts.

Likewise, we as the church today need the Lord to warn us when we've adopted false gods. While few openly worship other gods, by our actions, we've been pursuing other loves. Our eyes are blinded to sin, and we need to turn to God's holiness to reveal it to us so we can confess and turn back to the Lord.

If we refuse to repent, the Lord's Spirit will fight against us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I don't want to be your enemy, either in word or practice. I ask you to open my heart to your thoughts, showing me the idols I need to forsake in my life. Amen.

Lesson 180 – When the Spirit Bears a Sword

Ephesians 6:17-18

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Most people are intrigued by the vivid picture of the armor of Christ that Paul laid out to the church at Ephesus, and I find this especially true for those living in our Army community. Soldiers and weaponry and all sorts of gear just seem to go hand in hand. And the soldiers in our church have a lot of it!

I think the Lord's last piece of armor is the most special, that being the sword which is wielded by the Holy Spirit. This is an offensive weapon, one which takes the battle to God's enemies, converting hearts and souls into believers and sustaining the church of Jesus Christ in every battle as we preach the word and pray.

Most don't think of the word as a weapon of war, but that is essentially what it becomes when it is given over to the Spirit. When we bring the word into our hearts, the Spirit uses it to cut away the sin which binds and begins to shape us into the likeness of Christ. When we bring the word to bear on those who need Christ in their own lives, the Spirit testifies to the truth of the gospel, convicts of sin, and works out the salvation of everyone who believes. The word in the hands of the Spirit is one powerful weapon available to every believer.

Similarly, prayer is a weapon used by the Spirit to bring the fight to the enemy. Our Army friends remind me that a country can't occupy enemy territory without boots on the ground. Prayer brings those boots to bear on every enemy territory of our lives as we lift up the fight to Jesus.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit's fighting presence in my life, in the church, and in our community as we are faithful to the word and to prayer. Amen.

Lesson 179 – When the Spirit Initiates the Gospel

Isaiah 61:1-3

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

Jesus told those in Jerusalem years later that the words of this prophecy were fulfilled before their very eyes. The gospel, or good news, promised centuries before had come to the world . The Lord's salvation was upon Israel and the entire world.

Isaiah prophesied of this coming of good news and pointed to the Spirit's touch as the force which would initiate our salvation. Christ, in his humanity, needed the Spirit upon him to do the will of the Father, just as you and I need the Spirit's touch on us to preach the gospel.

As believers, the Spirit is at work in us to usher in the news of the gospel to those poor in spirit, to those whose hearts are overturned and in need of the Savior, and to those who need release from sin's captivity. While we've got good news to share, it is the Spirit's touch on us and those who heart which makes the delivery of this news successful in the face of spiritual opposition.

We need to become a people who cry out to the Spirit to initiate the gospel through our witness. This cry honors and glories our Father, admits our personal unworthiness to preach the good news, and empowers the Lord's supernatural working in the hearts and minds of a people blinded by Satan's deceptions.

As a pastor, my preaching cannot draw people to Christ without the initiation of the Spirit. I'm powerless without the Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit's purpose in initiating the good news of the cross to all of humanity and working in my life and in the church to bring this good news of Jesus Christ to a world in great need. Amen.

Lesson 178 – When the Spirit Intoxicates

Ephesians 5:17-21

"Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God."

I often see young soldiers coming of the post shoppette wearing a big grin on their faces, looking like little children getting away with something they shouldn't. "And what is it that they are doing?" you might ask. They're buying beer, ready to go back to their rooms and allow their bodies to be consumed by an alcoholic intoxication.

As believers, Paul reminds us through his letter to the Ephesians that the goal is not for alcohol to control our lives, but the intoxication of the Spirit's touch. Literally, we're to be drunk on God. Of course, this doesn't mean we lose control over bodily functions like one drunk on too much beer. And it doesn't mean we lose control over our minds and actions, like one whose thoughts are dulled by a few glasses of wine. Instead, we're to give over the control of our wills to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we say that someone in love is intoxicated for the other person. They've become their whole reason for living, filling their every thought. Maybe that's what God wants from us—a love for Jesus Christ that is ever on our hearts and minds.

Notice how this intoxication of the Holy Spirit comes about. It begins with lifting up the name of the Lord through music. It is through the praises of worship that our focus moves to the Lord and away from the intoxicating relationship we often have with ourselves. Worship always does this. It moves our thoughts and priorities from the natural man to the spiritual man, from ourselves to our God.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I invite you to intoxicate my life with your daily and sustained presence that I may live a life pleasing to you. Amen.

Lesson 177 – When the Spirit Is the Covenant

Isaiah 59:21

"As for Me, says the Lord, this is my covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants, says the Lord, from this time and forevermore."

Much of the Bible's story is account of God's covenants with those of his creation. From Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Jeremiah, to the new church, the Bible tells us God is willing to commit his heart to us in a covenant relationship.

Given God's transcendent nature, it has always been surprising to me that God would care enough for me to even notice the path of my life. Whereas the covenants we're most experienced with are based on fairness and equality, it is not the same with God's covenants. Instead, they stem from God's perfect love. God chooses to reach out and love unlovable humanity. And not only does God choose to love us, he paid a great price to establish his covenant of mercy with humanity, even the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.

The covenant we see here in Isaiah is one which involved the Spirit's touch. God covenants to not only bring his Spirit upon his people, but to have the Spirit remain upon them. No longer would they need the law, because the law would abide with them. This was also to be an everlasting covenant, one which continued to all generations of those who worship the Lord.

Of course, this covenant was fully fulfilled with the coming of the Spirit upon the church at Pentecost as recorded Acts 2. Earlier, Jesus had prayed that God would send the Spirit, and with Pentecost, the answer to his prayers and the fulfillment of the covenant offered to Isaiah are fulfilled.

As believers, we live in the blessing of this covenant, knowing the word of God in each of our hearts as we experience the blessing of God's Spirit upon us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the covenant of your Spirit upon my life and your church. May we live fully for you in light of your great love for us. Amen.

Lesson 176 – When the Spirit Lifts a Standard

Isaiah 59:19-20

"So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord."

Military units of all sizes carry a flag referred to as a guidon. In olden days, it was the standard upon which the forces formed when preparing for battle, and also rallied to in the midst of the battle. While the guidon is purely ceremonial in today's armies, it still symbolizes powerful forces.

In Isaiah's day, God prophesied of the coming of an army against those who rise against his people and to destroy those who embrace sin. The Spirit would raise the standard of God's armies, with God's forces led by the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus is seen as riding on a white horse, carrying the standard. He comes as commander of the armies of God, going into battle to rid the world of Satan and his demons, bringing eternal damnation to those who would stand against him.

I don't think we spend enough time thinking about the battle which is already raging around us, for the stakes are real, with the souls of people and the rulership of the universe in the balance. Instead, we worry more about what we can see and feel instead of the reality of spiritual things.

But because the battle is already formed and the forces engaged, we're liable to be wounded if we wander from the command of our Lord, for the Spirit's touch sustains those who rally to the Lord's standard.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit which lifts the standard of the Lord over my life. I pray for the forces that are even now in conflict, that your angels will be victorious. I ask you to draw me to your standard and turn me back when I wander away from you. Amen.