Lesson 233 – When the Spirit Says Come

When the Spirit SAYS COME

Revelation 22:15

"And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

As the symbolic bride of our Lord, the church is sent on a mission to call others to faith in Christ. We go to those who are willing to hear, to those who thirst for righteousness, to those who are willing to take of new life from Christ. We go to these people and invite them to come to Christ for salvation.

More importantly, the Spirit is also on mission, calling people to Christ. In fact, without the Spirit's partnership, the church's effort to call others to faith will be met with failure. For it only when the Spirit works in a life, convicting of sin and unrighteousness, will they have the faith they need to surrender to Christ for salvation.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your Spirit who is still at work, calling those in need to come to salvation. May we as the church be willing and available to be used by you in calling others to come. Amen.

Lesson 232 – When the Spirit Makes One

When the Spirit Makes One

Malachi 2:14-15

"Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth."

These verses are in the context of the Lord's testimony against his chosen people. In the process of laying out his charges, God accuses them of bringing tears to the altar of the Lord. And when they ask how this was so, the reason God gives is clear. Men were dealing treacherously with their wives, divorcing them and forsaking their covenant marriages.

In marriage, God merges two people into a new relationship. Two become one through the Spirit's touch. A new family is formed. This is why divorce is always damaging. One entity can't become two again without a break, and even then, it is still one family, though now living apart.

When we take action to separate what God has brought together, you can be sure your worship relationship with God is extremely strained. It's been my experience that when believers divorce, they often drop out of church altogether. While these couples are embarrassed by their failures, they've also hurt their relationship with God.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the wife of my youth and I ask your favor in dealing with her in a way that strengthens our relationship. Amen.

Lesson 231 – When the Spirit is Grace and Supplication

Zechariah 12:10

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on me they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

Clearly, this is a prophecy of the death of Christ, for he was the one pierced for our sins on Calvary's cross. He was the one of which it was said God gave his only on. And after his death, resurrection and ascension, Christ poured out of the Spirit's touch upon the church, first at Jerusalem and then on every believer.

Notice that the Spirit's presence brings to God's grace and supplication. Grace in that we no longer are separated from God's favor through sin, and supplication, in that the Spirit's touch brings healing to our lives. These are two things every person needs. We need freedom from sin and we need healing from the scars, hurt, and pains which follow our morale failures. And the Spirit brings these things.

Only our God could have planned this out to show us such a great love. And for that, I'm truly thankful.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for grace and supplication in my life, all given from the depths of your love. Amen.

Lesson 230 – When the Spirit Is Refused

Zechariah 7:11-12

"But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets."

Guess what? We too are guilty of shrugging our shoulders, putting our fingers in our ears, refusing to hear the words of the Lord through the Spirit. Maybe we don't do this intentionally, but there are times when every believer refused to hear the Spirit.

When we forget to pray, worship, or seek the Lord in his word, it's as if we've stopped up our ears to the Spirit's voice, giving God no opportunity to speak. In God's eyes, our hearts have become life flint, hardened to spiritual truth. And when our hearts are hardened, God can no longer write his will upon our souls.

The sad part is, some believers are not even concerned when this happens in their life. They simply shrug their shoulders as if saying, "So what", not even understanding they've turned away from the most important relationship they will ever have.

Can you imagine what it would be like if your wife ignored your every effort to speak with her? I'm sure it would drive you to the point of anger, pushing in a wedge which would ultimately destroy your marriage relationship. And that's exactly what we do with our Lord when we refuse to hear the Spirit.

Just as constant and understanding communications are the key to a successful marriage relationship, so it is with our walk with Christ. We need to hear from the Spirit.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your voice in my life and I ask you to remind me daily not to refuse your voice. Amen.

Lesson 229 – When the Spirit Is Given Rest

Zechariah 6:8

"And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, 'See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.'"

This is a difficult text, at least in terms of being assured of a right interpretation. I wish I could promise you I've got it right, but I'll leave it up to the Spirit to verify my opinion, or turn you in another direction.

Regardless, here's what we know for sure. In a vision, Zechariah is shown four chariots, each pulled by a series of horses. He is then told these were sent to go throughout the earth as the four spirits of heaven. No explanation is given as to what the four spirits of heaven are, or what their purpose may be. Zechariah is then told that those which went to the north country gave rest to God's Spirit in the north country.

Unfortunately, we're not told anything specific as to how the Spirit received rest from those which went to the north country. Still, I don't believe we'd be too far off course to suggest the Spirit received rest when God gave Israel freedom from the bondage they endured for 70 years under the Babylonians. When God released the nation, the Spirit's work at that time and place was done, and in that sense, the Spirit rested.

As believers, we cling to the rest the Spirit provides us, but rarely do we consider that the Spirit also receives rest. I suspect this means that the Spirit ceases from a specific work. For Israel, it was the work of sustaining the nation while in captivity. In us, the Spirit rests whenever a work in us is completed.

Among other times, this rest would be possible whenever our lives become attuned to the Spirit's will and we follow in obedience. This allows the Spirit to complete his work in us, and at least for that moment, become a God who is at rest. The less we rebel against God's direction, the more often the Spirit can be at rest in guiding our lives.

Of course, the Spirit doesn't need rest like we do, for God never grows tire, and his mercies are new every morning. Still, wouldn't it be wonderful to be so in lock step with the Lord that the Spirit really had no other work to do in us?

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the rest your Spirit gives the life of your church. May our lives be so in sync with you that your Spirit receives rest from our lives of obedience. Amen.

Lesson 228 – When the Spirit Becomes Might and Power

When the Spirit BECOMES MIGHT AND POWER

Zechariah 4:5-7

"Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, 'Do you not know that these are?' And I said, 'No, my lord.' So he answered and said to me: 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.' 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbable you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of grace, grace to it!'"

In one of the Bible's apocalyptic texts, Zechariah was challenged by a series of visions concerning times to come which he could not fully understand. And while neither can we, I invite you to look for a moment at what it says concerning the Spirit's touch.

In the midst of these visions, Zechariah receives a personal message to pass to Zerubbabel, the governor of Israel. As the leader of those who returned from Bablylonian captivity, he surely needed encouragement. It must have seemed that rebuilding the nation was an impossible task.

I often need encouragement, whether from God's word, my coworkers, or those in our church. Words of encouragement focus my thoughts on truth and not those feelings which so often overwhelm me. I's convinced Satan and his demons use our feelings against us, knowing that is we listen to our feelings instead of the Lord, we'll never know the victory which is promised to us in the Spirit.

Here, God sends word to Zerubbabel that he need not worry, for the Spirit would surely accomplish God's word. Specifically, the Spirit would become the might and power needed in the face of Israel's enemies and the enormous challenge facing them. With the Spirit on his side, mountains would be cast aside until they became plains. Now that is might and power!

Jesus says much the same in the New Testament as declared that with God, all things are possible, to include the salvation of unworthy sinners and the sustainment of the church. In the face of persecution and media skepticism, not only will the church survive, it will overcome the gates of hell through the might and power of the Spirit.

I suspect we all need some of this might and power in our lives. If you'll look to the Spirit, it is there for you when you submit your life to God's daily will.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the might and power of your Spirit in your church. May we fully trust in you to do the work you lay before us. Amen.

Lesson 227 – When the Spirit Remains Among You

When the Spirit REMAINS AMONG YOU

Haggai 2:5

"According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remains among you; do not fear!"

This may be the most important message we need to hear, that the Spirit remains with us as God's people. No matter the circumstance, no matter life's difficulties, no matter the challenge, no matter the opposition, no matter the whatever, the Spirit remains with each and every believer.

But while we believe this truth, we too often forget it in the heat of the moment. Not thinking to remember God, we look to every solution out there except the Spirit which remains. In that sense, we're going it alone. When that happens, instead of seeing life through the reality of God's abiding presence, we rely on our own strength to face things.

Most of us were raised to be self-confident, working things out on our own. And while this is normally a good thing, when going it alone means forgetting the Spirit who remains, we're going a way which steals the glory which is rightfully God's in our lives.

As Christians, things are to be different. We claim to trust the Spirit to order our ways, and life gives many opportunities to prove this in faith. When we turn to daily to the Spirit within us, God receives the glory which is rightfully his.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the remaining presence of your Spirit, abiding with your church throughout all of life's difficulties. I ask you to remind me daily that you are there with us through thick and thin. Amen.

Lesson 226 – When the Spirit Gives Rest

Revelation 14:13

"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'"

While the Bible often speaks of the rest every believer has in Jesus Christ, referring to this rest as that which comes to our souls when we come to faith in Jesus, this verse seems to mention a different rest, one that comes to the believer upon death. Even today, people still use rest as a euphemism for death in some communities, acknowledging that there is still a rest to come in the hereafter.

This voice which came to John in his vision on the Island of Patmos refers to a resting from our labors. While that is certainly true of every person, for in death, we will no longer be at work, but this is almost certainly speaking of a rest which is only available for the believer. I think this vision refers to a resting from our failing effort to live out the Christian life fully for God's glory. We all know we fail in this, unable to resist sin, to fully share the love of Christ with our neighbors, and to reflect God's glory to a lost and dying world. In that way, we need the rest which is to come.

This is not unlike the rest which was attributed to God after creation six days of creation. Genesis records that God rested. Not that God was tired, but that part of his work had ceased. And not that God is not a work today, but in terms of creation, rest is all that remains.

Likewise, for our salvation, our freedom from sin, there is nothing else to do. Christ did it all on the cross, and in us, the Spirit has worked the new birth. We can simply rest, for the work is done.

But still, a rest remains, one that comes only upon being regenerated with Christ in eternity. In this rest, God's work will be fully completed in us, leaving us a life at rest in the presence of our God.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the complete work of your salvation that allows me to rest in you. I thank you that one day this salvation will be completed in my life, and rest in your Spirit will be fully experienced in me and your church. Amen.

Lesson 225 – When the Spirit Fills Full With Power

Micah 3:8

"But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin."

Micah contrasts his right to preach the word of the Lord to those who were false prophets, those who preached only for pay and the praise of their congregations. Micah understood that the one rightly called by God to preach will be filled full by the Spirit's touch with the power of God to preach the word.

One of the stories of my life is to look back to my call as a minister. While the call to preach was real enough, my sermons seemed to fall flat the first few times I stood in the pulpit. Though I studied, understood the word, and worked out a suitable outline, when I preached, there was no movement of the Spirit upon the congregation. This was certainly disconcerting to me, since I had gone public with my call to preach. People must have thought I had misunderstood the call!

Later, I learned that the Spirit's power to preach doesn't always fall on a man at the same time as the call is given. In my life, the Lord didn't send this power until he was ready for me to minister to my first congregation. Almost overnight, I went from being unable to preach to experiencing god's power upon my sermons. Nothing had changed in me, except that now the Spirit's power filled me full and brought fruit to God's word.

I've learned not to listen to my own emotions when my words seem to fall flat. Instead, I trust that the Spirit's power will make his word burn in the ears of those who hear and will do the work which God intends.

For every believer, we too can trust that the Spirit's power comes upon us whenever we're called to be used as an instrument of our Lord. We only need to listen for the call and wait the Lord's work in us.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for your power to preach the word, a power given to me by your Holy Spirit. May I never lift myself up over you, always coming humbly before you and your church with the good news of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lesson 224 – When the Spirit Is Good

Psalm 143:10

"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness."

The psalmist reminds us it is the Spirit's touch which teaches us to do God's will in our lives. As we accept this perfect will, we agree with the psalmist that the Spirit is good. On the other hand, when we rebel against God's will, we are in essence saying the Spirit is not good.

Of course, the Spirit is good whether we believe it or not, since goodness is part of God's nature. In him, there is no evil at all. His will remains perfect in all things.

As believers, we don't always embrace the goodness of the Spirit nor God's will. While we'd never come right out and accuse God of being less than good, when it comes to wanting our own way, we're masters at changing the circumstances so that our will gets done.

Sometimes, we even have the audacity to give God thanks for what we've received, when it reality, it was our own doing that made things happen! I wonder if this grieves our Lord or makes him chuckle at our naivety.

In many ways, we're like our children when they don't think we know what's going on. Our God is often like that, allowing us our own way, letting us stumble along, but all the time desiring for us to turn back to the goodness of the Spirit.

I suspect that the key to contentment in life is to come to grips with the goodness of the Spirit. We'd do well to spend time each day thanking the Spirit for his perfect will in our lives.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the goodness of your Spirit and your perfect will for my life and for your church. I ask you to continuously draw me to you and not allow me to go from the way of uprightness. Amen.

Lesson 223 – When the Spirit Speaks to Churches

Revelation 2:7

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."

Eight times, John writes, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." God sent angels to the seven churches in Asia Minor, speaking to them through the Spirit, encouraging them to not only hear, but to heed the words of the Lord.

I have to wonder. Does the Lord still speak to churches through the Spirit? Does he have a specific message for churches today? Does he have a word of encouragement for the local church where I pastor? I have to assume he does, for the Lord still speaks through the Spirit, so why not also through the Spirit to churches. While he might not bring us a message through an angel, when we listen for the Spirit, the Lord will have a word for us.

To the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, the Spirit's message was one of both encouragement and a pointing out of shortcomings. From this, let there be no doubt, our God notices each and every church and he has a message tailored for us today.

Where ever you attend church, I encourage you to ask the Spirit to speak to the congregation. And then, don't just listen, but respond to the Spirit in your life and in the church.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for caring for your church and sending your Spirit to speak to us today. We now listen and await your voice. Amen.

See also Revelation 2:11,17,29; Revelation 3:1,6,13,22

Lesson 222 – When the Spirit Is Poured Out on the Church

Joel 2:28-29

"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days."

God's promise is to pour out his Spirit. God's promise is to put the Spirit's touch upon humanity. God's promise is that his word would come to those who are his church. God's promise was fulfilled at Pentecost with the coming of the Spirit in power. God's Spirit was poured out in those days.

As the church of Jesus Christ, we look back to the coming of the Spirit and rightly desire for a renewed filling in the church today. And rightly so, for when this prophesy of Joel was fulfilled, those were exciting days for the church.

Today, we need a renewal of the Spirit. We need for God to do a work both in and through us for the glory of the kingdom.

We talk about taking action to grow the church. We talk about helping believers to grow in spiritual maturity. We talk about giving away God's love to those in need. But the truth is, we can do none of these things on our own. We need the Spirit to be poured out on us just as was promised by Joel.

I wonder what it would be like to pastor a church where the Spirit was being poured out. I'm sure all would be done for the glory of God and the name of Christ would be raised up through our praises.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the first pouring out of your Spirit on the church, and I likewise thank you for again pouring your Spirit on the church today. I invite you to continue to work through us by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

Lesson 221 – When the Spirit Is Before the Throne

Revelation 1:4-6

"John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

What is this all about? We've heard of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, but we've seen no reference in the rest of the Bible to seven Spirits. While John writes of seven stars and candlesticks, representing the seven churches of Asia Minor, that still doesn't explain the seven Spirits.

John speaks of the seven Spirits again in verse 1, chapter 3 and verse 5, chapter 4. In the first reference, Jesus is said to be the one who has seven Spirits. In the second, the seven Spirits are equated with seven lamps burning incense before the throne. Still, we're no clearer as to why the Spirit is presented here in a multiple of seven.

Some have suggested that seven is added to the description of the Holy Spirit to emphasize the perfection of God's relationship with his church through the Spirit. I like this, for it goes well with the seven churches. God is letting us know that his Spirit abides in every church. Still, we can't be fully sure of this interpretation.

This will be one of the things I'll need to ask of the Lord one day when we meet face to face. Until then, I'll just view the Spirit's perfection in dealing with those who are of the church through faith in Jesus Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the perfection of your Spirit, indwelling your church and bringing our prayers before the throne. Amen.

Lesson 220 – When the Spirit Prays

Jude 20-21

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

While there are few biblical references as to praying in the Holy Spirit, some have made this a doctrine unto itself, making it the end all goal for reaching spiritual maturity. While I certainly don't to go that far, I think the church would do well to consider our need to pray according to the Spirit's touch, for when we pray in the Spirit, we can be sure our prayers are according to God's will.

Here, Jude tells us that praying in the Spirit is part of the church being built up in spiritual maturity, providing protection from those who divide our fellowship sensual living and mockery (see Lesson 219). By praying in the Spirit, we receive God's power, keeping us pure for the love of God, ever thankful for God's mercies and looking always for our Lord's return.

But still, Jude doesn't offer much in terms of what it means to pray in the Spirit. As far as I can tell, the Bible never really explains this kind of praying, so we're left to understand it by drawing upon what it tells us about the Spirit and prayer.

My first conclusion is that all believers have the ability to pray in the Spirit, for the Lord indwells the life of all those who come to Jesus in faith. Therefore, praying in the Spirit is not something reserved for some kind of super-spiritual Christian. It is for all of us, for in every believer indwells the Spirit.

Also, since we've learned the Spirit prays whenever we cannot express our words, that is one time in which we are surely praying in the Spirit. When we don't know how to pray, or when we don't understand the will of God, or not grasping the Lord's mind, we need to give our hearts over to the Spirit to pray on our behalf in God's will. We need to pray in the Spirit.

But still, I think praying in the Spirit goes beyond those times when we don't know how to pray. There is no indication here that Jude didn't know how to pray, yet he was praying in the Spirit.

This leads me to conclude that praying in the Spirit occurs whenever our hearts are in tune with God through the Spirit. It is the result of fellowship with God, influencing our prayers as we seek to abide by God's will in our hearts.

The Bible warns that we have not what we ask for because we pray with wrong motives. By being in touch with the Spirit as we pray, our motives are purified to bring honor to God.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I ask that your Spirit indwell me and your church in such a way that we only pray according to your Spirit. I invite you to cut away any prayer that seeks to honor my life over yours, replacing my prayers with the words of your will, giving you all glory. Amen.

Lesson 219 – When the Spirit Is Absent

When the Spirit IS ABSENT

Jude 17-19

"But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit."

Whereas the church is defined as those touched by the Spirit, the world is made up of just the opposite, those without the presence of God in their lives. Here, Jude calls these people sensual, proclaiming they live not by the Spirit, but according to their own lusts.

All of us know what it means to live according to our lusts, for without Christ, our sinful nature defined our lives. Without the Lord, our focus is always on ourselves and what we can gain to satisfy our lusts. Even now as believers, we can find ourselves seduced by the sensual nature of sin when we forget to live by the Spirit.

Jude gives warning that those who live according to lusts of life will come into the church and mock those who remain faithful to Christ, causing divisions within the body. For when believers get caught up in questioning the relevancy of the Christian life as compared to living for self, some will go astray, choosing sin over sanctification.

The warning is given. Within the church we need to be on guard, encouraging each other live by the Spirit, recognizing those who would come in and cause us to doubt our faith and choose sin over Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the protection of the Spirit in my life. I ask you to guard my heart so that sin's lusts will not lure me away you're your body. I ask you to guard our church so that mockers will have no right to speak, ensuring the unity of the congregation. Amen.

Lesson 218 – When the Spirit Is Always There

Psalm 139:7-10

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me."

This is an awesome psalm of comfort as well as a reminder of the Lord's faithfulness to bestow the Spirit's touch upon every believer. Simply put, we are in God's hands. There is no one who can take that away from us, and there is no where we can go to get away from God.

If you ask a child to describe God, they will invariably mention that God is everywhere. It is a simple truth, one that a child can understand, but also one which has profound meaning for the believer. If everything were taken away from us, God remains. If everyone we loved abandoned us to a life of loneliness, God still remains. If every hope became hopeless, we could rest in God, for he is still there.

The Spirit is everywhere, and not just to be there because he is God, but He is there for you.

Recently, I was challenged to live every day in light of the Spirit's presence. The truth is, if we could remember that the Lord is with us, life's difficulties would be profoundly changed, with the things which bother us the most likely to simply fade away. Sure, our problems are still there, but in the bright light of the Spirit, they really aren't that important.

Yet, I find doing this a rather difficult proposition. My mind likes to run to the glass half empty scenario, looking at the hopelessness of it all. When instead, I need to look to this promise -- God is with me, and he always has been and ever will be.

I encourage you to give it a try to see life through the Spirit's touch. Embrace life in light of knowing God is with you and see if that simple truth doesn't change everything.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the surety of your presence. May I be reminded everyday that you are right with me in the face of life's circumstances. Allow my heart to trust in you, knowing you have me right where you want me to be. Amen.

Lesson 217 – When the Spirit Bears Witness

1 John 5:6-8

"This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one."

When it comes to matters of faith, the witness of the one who confesses their belief tends to be of the utmost importance. For when the witness is credible, either through some manner of expertise, or from a personal relationship, their teachings are easily accepted. And likewise, when the witness has no basis for credibility, their teachings are at best suspect. Whe witness is key when it comes to matters of faith.

John writes of six witnesses of the truth of Jesus Christ—three on this earth and three of this same truth in heaven. And all of these agree as to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

First, there is the witness of the Father – from Yahweh comes prophecies proclaiming the coming Christ. If you are one to worship God, then believe his witness. Jesus is God in flesh, come for our salvation.

We see the witness of the Word – both God's written revelation of the coming Christ and the living revelation of Jesus, whose very life testified of the truth of the gospel through his miraculous birth, his teachings, miracles, sacrifice, and resurrection.

John points to the witness of the Spirit in heaven -- testifying of the honor which is Christ's alone. I really don't know how the Spirit testifies of Christ in heaven, but you can bet that one day every believer will know!

And then again, he points to the witness of the Spirit, but this time, on the earth – the same witness who calls our souls unto salvation and converts us to a new life through his presence.

There is the witness of the water – probably a dual reference, both to the physical birth of Christ and the physical and audible testimony he received from God at his baptism.

Finally, there is the witness of the blood – again a dual reference, both to the physical birth of Christ and the reality of the shed blood of Christ on the cross, making possible our salvation.

Whereas only two witnesses were needed to seal a person's fate in Christ's time before a court of law, here we find six. While the Spirit is mentioned twice, there's no reason to believe there are two Spirits, just two separate testimonies of the reality of Christ, one on the earth and one in heaven.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for sure and complete testimony which is given to us of your love and sacrifice for sinners. In particular, I'm thankful fo the Spirit which testifies of you in my life. Amen.

Lesson 216 – When the Spirit Confesses the Life of Christ

1 John 4:1-3

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

John's gospel warns that some will come into the church bringing heresies. These are often subtle changes to the truth, may not even be intentional, but ultimately, they deny the deity of Christ, for when Christ is declared as Lord, he must be worshiped. Heresies always lead us away from a right relationship with Christ.

To guard against heresies, John calls the church test every teaching against what it says about Jesus. If the teacher declares the truth of the gospel, that Jesus is God in flesh, come into this world to die as a sacrifice for our sins, you can know the teaching is of the Spirit. But if the teacher denies the Lord as taught to us in the Bible, then the spirit is not of God and should be shunned, no matter how good the teaching might sound, or the emotional response it brings.

Today, many of the world's ideas of what is right and wrong, or what is taught as reality, ultimately lead to a denial of Christ. For example no one really agrees to a pro choice agenda for abortion unless they deny Jesus has more of a right to be Lord over their life than they do. Alternatively, no one can embrace the principles of evolution without denying Jesus as the creator. In doing so, they deny the Bible's teachings.

What John does here is encourage us to go through life with a biblical world view, testing everything through us, by the lens of Jesus Christ. When we open our eyes accordingly, we'll see that so much in this world denies Christ, and if we don't guard our ways, we'll be carried along by such thinking.

During the last days, the Antichrist will try to assume Christ's position as the only one worthy of worship, displaying powers which deceive people into willingly following after him. While we probably won't recognize this person as he rises to power, you can bet he will deny Christ. But if you've made it your practice to test all teachers according to the Spirit, know to run the other way!

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the truthfulness of your Spirit. May you open my eyes to truth, keeping my ears and mind focused on you alone. Amen.

Lesson 215 – When the Spirit Proves Christ’s Presence

1 John 3:24

"Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

The joy of abiding in the presence of Christ is the sole domain of the believer. No other faith claims to abide in the presence of God. Only through faith in Jesus Christ is the Spirit's touch bestowed upon the believer, granting the believer an audience with God.

John explains that we can know we are of the family of God by the abiding presence of the Spirit. We don't know we are of faith by saying the right prayer, or by confessing our sins to a priest, or following the Lord in baptism. We can only know our presence with Christ by the Spirit.

To the believer, the Spirit speaks – of the reality of our faith. For the believer, the Spirit brings power – to obey Christ's commandments. Within the believer, the Spirit convicts of sin – drawing us back to the Lord for cleansing. The Spirit is the reality of the life that is in Christ.

The first sentence of this verse seems to have a dual meaning. Not only does it proclaim that those who keep Christ's commands belong to the Lord, but I believe it also says that as we keep the Lord's commandments, we will more fully know the Spirit's abiding presence.

So if you want to know the Spirit's presence, seek the Lord's commands, and practice a life of obedience.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the abiding presence of your Spirit, testifying of the life that belongs to you. May we be obedient to you in all things, strengthening this abiding relationship. Amen.

Lesson 214 – When the Spirit Makes Truth Known

1 John 2:20-21

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth."

The Holy One mentioned in this passage is the anointing of the Spirit's touch upon the believer, an anointing which brings about salvation, converting the soul from death unto life. It is this same Spirit which makes known the truth of Jesus Christ.

John encourages believers to listen to the Spirit's expression of truth, ignoring those who come into the church denying the deity of Jesus Christ. He later writes, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father." It can't be any clearer. No one rightly claims a part in God's family while at the same time embracing any belief limiting the deity of Christ.

But that is exactly what is done when a person claims their salvation makes them equal with Christ, making themselves out to be some way equal with God. This is exactly what is done when a person elevates a prophet above the status of our Lord, claiming a new and better prophet has come. This is exactly what is done when those in the church venerate a saint or angel above the position of Jesus, if not in words, then in practice.

Be warned. These types of heresies didn't come into the church without some element of truth, so we must be a people who look more to the Spirit than to our teachers. Not that these men and women are somehow unimportant, for most have been sent to us by the Spirit, but we need to test every teaching against the Spirit's interpretation of the word.

I know in my life I have been guilty of wrongly "dividing the word", not fully understanding what I struggled to teach. My prayer is that the Spirit would guard those who listen from any heresy.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the witness of truth you give us in your Spirit. May this witness guard the church from heresy and prepare my lips to rightly speak your word. Amen.

Lesson 213 – When the Spirit Moves to Speak Prophecy

2 Peter 2:20-21

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

This is one of the Bible's pivotal verses which explains how the Spirit's touch is what makes one a true prophet of God, and in particular, one of the prophets who brought us the Holy Scripture.

There is a sense in which everyone who forth tells the words of Scripture is a prophet. And in some, there is found a Spiritual gift of prophecy which is given to the church for God's glory. The Lord raises up some with the gift to teach the things of God, filling both men and women for his purposes.

While the gift of prophecy is this sense is widely seen in the church today, these verses concern a different sense of prophecy, that being those whom the Lord used to bring forth the words of the Bible. They too were moved by the Spirit's touch, not just in teaching God's word as is today, but in hearing and sharing God's revelation of himself for the first time.

We call this the inspiration of the Spirit. Men were inspired to speak and write God's word, even in their own languages and personal styles, bringing forth God's word in a special way for the church to know today. The Spirit touched these people to be used in a unique way which is not known in the church today. Our prophets are teachers and preachers, but the prophets of old were literally God's voice.

One of Satan's primary methods of attacking the Bible word is to question the authenticity of its authors. This attack is so successful that most people wrongly believe the Bible is filled with contradictions, even if they can't name one! People today don't know the Bible is without error through and through, and that its 66 books fit together perfectly to tell God's story, culminating in Christ's sacrifice for sins and the beginning of the church. And the way God did all of this was through the Spirit's touch.

I've made it the claim of my life to trust that the God who sent his Spirit into my life for salvation is powerful enough to have brought his word into this world through prophets and preserved it just the way he wanted it to be kept, even to this day.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the guiding presence of your Spirit to speak your word into existence for the church today. May we be faithful in heading your Scriptures, making them the source and guide for our lives. Amen.

Lesson 212 – When the Spirit Is Known in You

Daniel 4:8-9

"But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: 'Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation."

Can you imagine being abducted from your family as a teen, then raised in a foreign land, made to learn new customs and language, and forced to work for a foreign government for the rest of your life? Daniel and others lived out this reality when they were taken from their homes when Babylon invaded Israel. And in spite of this almost unimaginable circumstance, our text tells us that even the king of Babylon noticed something different about Daniel--that the Spirit's touch was upon him.

As the church of Jesus Christ, we claim the truth of God's Word that the Spirit lives within the heart of the believer. But how many of us live in such a way that even those in power notice the Spirit within us? Probably not many in the church today can make this claim, though God wants to shine his light through us to a world of darkness.

While our life circumstances probably won't be as dire as that of Daniel, if we will live out each day in the reality of the Spirit's presence, our lives will reflect God's glory. In Daniel's case, the king knew about the Spirit because Daniel had undoubtedly told him about God's presence, possibly when after God helped him interpret an earlier dream. And it's the same with us. As we live for Christ and the Spirit shines through us, we still need to say the name of Jesus. People need to know why we are as we are in Christ.

Our sharing the Spirit with others simply begins with obedience to commands of Christ as outlined for us in the New Testament. Jesus lays out a way of living which gets the attention of others as we share God's love. Jesus often contrasted the attitudes of the heart to the ways of the world, he showed us sacrificial love, and gave us the Spirit to guide us in daily life until his return. We've got what we need to live in such a way as to make the Spirit known.

Unfortunately, Satan has convinced pretty much all of us that we don't have the right to speak of the Jesus anymore. We're afraid we'll step on someone else's sensibilities, so we've simply quit shining Christ's love. It's not time for the church to turn this around.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for presence of your Spirit in the church today, and pray that in my life I will live in obedience to your word and will, and ask you will bless me in a way that will draw others to you. Amen.

(see also Daniel 5:11, 14)

Lesson 211 – When the Spirit of Glory Rests

1 Peter 4:14

"If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

None of us really wants to be known as a reproach. You know these people. They are the ones we turn from when they come into the room. We cross to the other side of the street to avoid them when they walk by. We find nothing funny in their jokes, and we certainly wouldn't choose these people as our friends. A reproach is definitely not what we want for our lives.

Instead, we'd rather be known for our successes, or vibrant personalities, or our intelligence, or for being a really cool dude, or whatever vernacular is used now days. Simply put, we want others to like us. It makes us feel good about whom we've turned out to be in life.

Still, Peter reminds believers we'll probably find ourselves sooner or later as a reproach to some. The fact is, people won't like us all the time, for we bear the name of Christ through the Spirit's touch. People don't want to be convicted of sin, and as we bear the Spirit of Christ in us for God's glory, we help bring about this conviction. Since some have made up their minds to reject Christ, our presence is a reproach to them.

Often times, these people to whom we've become a reproach don't even know why they don't like us. But for me, it is clear. The Spirit of Glory rests on my soul, and the Prince of the Air rests on them. These spirits are at war with each other, and our lives have become the battle field. It shouldn't surprise us when we are hated unfairly, for people aren't really hating us, but the Lord who is within us.

Of course, our prayers for these people are that they won't see us as an approach, but rather as a friend who is showing them the same access to Christ we've already experienced. We're not here to reject these people, but to show them the love of Christ, for it is only this love that will get us beyond the reproach.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the Spirit of Glory which dwells within me. May your Spirit help me to love those who consider my life a reproach, and may their hearts be born again unto the Lord. Amen.

Lesson 210 – When the Spirit Makes Alive

1 Peter 3:18

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit."

This is a verse to be set to memory, for it is the revealing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One died for all. One not deserving death became death in our place. The result is new life for every believer.

At the center of this life in Christ is the Spirit's touch. The presence of the Spirit within the heart of the sinner brings the believer from death unto life. While the change in our nature is promised by God's word, the Spirit's means of doing this remains a mystery.

While our belief in Christ is not a leap into the dark, the acceptance of God's word unto salvation requires faith, for it is something only the Spirit can do. Any other means of trying to find new life falls short of God's holy requirements and will fail.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the mystery of the gospel and the Spirit which brings new life apart from any action on my part. I also thank you for the faith you've given me to believe. Amen.

Lesson 209 – When the Spirit Purifies the Soul

1 Peter 1:22

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart."

Do you really love others as yourself? Are you able to get beyond personality clashes, value differences, and even personal attacks? Would you say that you easily love others as Christ loved us?

Even as a pastor, I struggle to love others. Like most, I have no trouble loving myself and family, nor trouble in liking those who fill my life with the things I value, but when it comes to saying I sincerely love all within the church, I still struggle. The truth is, most believers face this same struggle. We know we're supposed to love others, but know in our hearts we fall short of this mandate.

Peter tells us that a root cause of this struggle to love is continued impurity within our lives. When we are not living singularly unto the Lord, mixing our lives with sins, the result is impurity. Inwardly, we have impure hearts, but outwardly, we struggle to love others as Christ first loved us.

If you struggle as I do, Peter points us to the purifying presence of the Spirit. Simply, when we obey the law which lives within every believer according to the Spirit's presence, we'll be freed from any mixture of sin. The result will be a heart free to love people according the Lord's love.

Until we allow the Spirit to wipe away sin, we'll continue to struggle to love others, no matter how hard we give it a try. So, if you're serious about following the Lord's command to give away his love, first within the church and then to a dying world, turn to the Spirit and ask God to give you strength to live an obedient life, free from sin's powers.

The purity which follows will give you room to love others as Christ.

LORD JESUS

Lord, I thank you for the promise of the Spirit's presence, freeing our lives from sin, wiping away impurities so that we can love others. Amen.