Category: Walking in the Spirit

Enemies of the Soul

The Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. —2 Chronicles 20:1

In today’s verse, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites were after King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. In other places in the Old Testament, the Jebusites, the Hittites, and the Canaanites were troublemakers for God’s people.

But with us, it is the “fear-ites,” the “anger-ites,” the “disease-ites” the “stress-ites,” the “financial problem–ites,” the “insecurity-ites,” the “grouchy -neighbor–ites,” and so on.

I wonder, which “-ites” are chasing you right now? Whatever they are, you can learn from King Jehoshaphat’s response to the “-ites” who were after him. The first thing he did was fear, but then he quickly did something else: He set himself to seek the Lord. Determined to hear from Him, Jehoshaphat even proclaimed a fast throughout his kingdom for that very purpose. He knew he needed to hear from God. He needed a battle plan, and only God could give him one that would succeed.

Like Jehoshaphat, we should develop the habit of running to God instead of to people when we have trouble. We should seek Him rather than turn to our own wisdom or asking for other people’s opinions. We need to ask ourselves whether we “run to the phone or run to the throne” when faced with trouble. God may use a person to speak a word of advice to us, but we always need to seek Him first.

Hearing God’s voice is a great way to fight fear. When we hear from Him, faith fills our hearts and drives fear away. Jehoshaphat knew he needed to hear from God centuries ago and we have the same need now. Be sure to seek God and listen to His voice today.

The Holy Spirit’s True Identity

John 15:26

“The one thing I want you to remember is that the Holy Spirit is a Somebody.” God’s Spirit possesses three defining characteristics of personhood: intelligence, will, and emotion. Let me prove these points by guiding you to some New Testament verses, just as it was taught to me. First Corinthians 2:10-11 explains that the Spirit knows God’s thoughts and illuminates the truth for us. Later in the same book, He is identified as the One who determines the spiritual gift(s) of each believer (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Finally, the Holy Spirit’s feelings are revealed in verses like Romans 15:30, which tells of His love, and Ephesians 4:30, which warns against grieving Him.

Consider also that Jesus spoke of a Helper who would come after Him (John 14:16, 14:26). Aiding and assuring others are the acts of a person, as is teaching—these are some of the Holy Spirit’s primary tasks.

Perhaps you misunderstand the Spirit of God as I once did. He isn’t an “it” any more than God the Father or Jesus Christ is. The Spirit is a member of the Trinity, and if you’re a believer, He is with you now. God has given you His Spirit as a special Helper—one who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

Shared from In Touch Ministries.

Changing our Focus

There is nothing that can touch a believer’s life unless it comes through the permissive will of God. That means He has complete control, even when it feels as if Satan has been allowed to run rampant through our personal life.

Trapped in Roman confinement, Paul knew that God could rescue him; after all, He had removed Peter’s chains (Acts 12:7). But Paul was not simply waiting around for liberation. Because he believed God did everything for a reason, he earnestly continued doing kingdom work—even while bound in chains.

Indeed, the Lord has a purpose for whatever He brings into a person’s life. Though we may desperately wish for our circumstances to change, God will allow us to go through a given situation when it will ultimately bring about the most favorable result. If we let Him complete the work instead of trying to extricate ourselves, we will see a positive outcome.

Paul’s time in prison proved a benefit for the gospel, though logically, the spread of the Word should have been severely hindered by the confinement of such a great preacher. In two years he had been guarded by many of the elite praetorian soldiers (Phil. 1:13), and we know what Paul would have talked to them about during their shifts—Christ!

There are no verses in the Bible that say believers are promised an easy life. In fact, the Word warns the opposite and says we will see trouble (John 16:33). But we, like Paul, can choose to live above our circumstances by realizing that God has a plan to use our experiences for our good and the benefit of others.

Can You Hear?

…I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:11-13

We are always willing to follow the Holy Spirit into blessings, but we can get “hard of hearing” if His leading means we are not going to get what we want.

After his conversion and baptism in the Holy Spirit, Paul heard from the Spirit about some of the difficulties he would be required to endure (See Acts 9:15,16). Paul went through many difficult situations, but he was also to be blessed in his lifetime. He was privileged to write a large portion of the New Testament, under divine inspiration. He had spiritual experiences so magnificent he could not even describe them. He saw visions, received angelic visitations and many other wonderful things. Yes, he was blessed, but he also had to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when things weren’t so full of blessing. He heard and obeyed the voice of God whether it was convenient or inconvenient, comfortable or uncomfortable, to his advantage or not to his advantage.

In today’s verses, Paul wrote of being content whether he was enjoying blessings or facing struggles. In the following verse, he declared that he could do all things through Christ Who gave him strength. Paul had learned to draw on the strength of God that was in him. He was strengthened for good times, to enjoy them and keep a right attitude, and also for hard times, to endure them and keep the proper attitude in the midst of them, too.

The Holy Spirit leads us during good times and during difficult times. We can count on Him to speak to us, teach us and help us—no matter what is going on in our lives.

Alive in Jesus

Because the Apostle Paul knew the limitations of the human mind, he used words to show and illustrate the spiritual concepts. In Romans 6:11, Paul wrote about being “alive in Christ.” He pointed out that prior to the Lord rescuing us, we were spiritually dead. But once we received Jesus as our Savior, we became alive in Him.

If we use our own human reasoning to help us grasp a spiritual truth like this one, we often become confused. Only through the teaching of the Holy Spirit can we begin to comprehend its full meaning. Besides, God’s living Word is meant to be experienced. We can know the fact that Jesus has given us a new nature, but only when we experience this new nature and the freedom it brings do we truly discover the scriptural meaning of “made alive.”

Think about the examples Paul chose: baptism and circumcision. Set aside your human logic, and depend on the Holy Spirit for understanding. Believe that you are a new creation—that the old nature is gone and has been replaced by the new one (2 Cor. 5:17). Practice what you learn. Spiritual joy will fill your being as you experience the truth of the revealed mystery of being fully alive in Christ

How to Know You’re Hearing from God

Colossians 3:15 clearly tells us how. It says, And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds….

If you follow God’s leadership, you will have peace, joy, righteousness, and you’ll bear good fruit. What you won’t be is confused and frustrated.

God never leads us to busy ourselves so much that we’re stressed out all the time and have no joy. And He won’t try to confuse your mind—that’s the enemy’s job.

To find where your peace lies, simply ask yourself: Is there a scripture that applies to my situation? What does the Word say I should do?

For example, if there’s something you want to buy but you don’t have enough in your bank account to buy it, it’s probably best to wait because God doesn’t want us to be in debt (see Romans 13:8).

Many times, God’s Word sounds a lot like common sense. I encourage you to let the peace in your heart decide with finality every question that arises in your mind.

How to Obey God

First, make a commitment to obey His Word. In other words, anything you read in the Bible that tells you what to do or not to do—do that. If you don’t understand some of it, focus on the things you do understand first. Start with the clear instructions like, Forgive your enemies; pray for those who hurt you. And remember that even though the instructions are clear, you’re still going to have to be determined to do it. It may not be easy to forgive people who hurt you, but it’s actually a lot easier than being bitter and resentful your whole life. And remember that whatever God asks you to do, He will give you the ability to do it.

Second, obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit for your life. God doesn’t lead every individual in the same way. The Bible applies to everyone, but the Bible doesn’t give every detail of everything we need to do. That’s why we also need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our heart.

My prayer is that this teaching is an encouragement to you. No matter how many things you need to work on, give them to God one by one and let Him do the work in you. As you step out and become more determined to obey Him, He will help you do what needs to be done. And not only will you experience more peace and joy, but your love for God will grow and grow

The Power of Hope

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” — John 16:33 (AMP)

Hope is favorable and confident expectation; it’s an expectant attitude that something good is going to happen and things will work out, no matter what situation we’re facing. Zechariah 9:12 (AMP) says, “Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], you prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will restore double your former prosperity to you.”

I like the phrase “prisoners of hope.” Think about it… If you’re a prisoner, you have no choice about it – you can’t be negative. And when times are tough or you’re dealing with disappointment, hope will cause you to rise up in faith and say, “God, I praise You and I believe You’re working on this situation and working in me. My faith, trust and hope are in You!”

Hope is determined and doesn’t give up. God wants us to be locked up in hope, trusting that He can change what needs to be changed, that we can do what He wants us to do, and that all things are possible with God. If we will be steadfast in our hope, we can’t lose – we have to be winners in life.

When God called me to ministry, it didn’t happen overnight. There were many years of preparation and building up. During those years, I wanted to quit many times. But my testimony is, I’m still here! And if you won’t give up, you’ll have victory too.

Human nature is impatient, selfish and wants things quickly. Why is it that although it takes us years to get into our messes, we expect God to get us out of them in a few days?  In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that we are going to have tribulation, trials, distress and frustration in this world, but in spite of that, we can be of good cheer and take heart. Why? Because He has overcome the world. And when we live in Him, we become overcomers too!

That’s why Jesus died for us. He came to save us from sin and death and to give us abundant life – now. And I’m determined to have everything Jesus died to give me.

Make a decision to have everything Jesus died to give you. You have to do it on purpose. Be determined to do what God wants you to do and refuse to live with negative expectations. Ask God to help you live in hope and declare by faith, “Something good is going to happen to me!”

The Power of God in You

“But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you….” —I John 2:27 (AMP)

There’s nothing more valuable than the presence of God in our lives. And my goal for teaching about God’s presence and anointing is to increase your desire to completely and promptly obey God. Because the more we love, trust and obey God, the stronger His anointing will be in our lives.

Now God’s love for you is perfect, complete, and unconditional. He couldn’t love you any more than He does right now and His love for you never changes. But we can grow in our love for God. As we learn more about His character and have experience with Him through a personal relationship with Him, our trust in Him and love for Him grows. And this causes more of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.

The Anointing Abides in You.

Jesus Christ is the Anointed One, so when we are born again, His anointing abides in us. The word anoint means “to smear or rub all over.” It’s wonderful to think about how in Christ, we are “rubbed in and smeared all over” with the Holy Spirit.

In one way the anointing is a free gift from God that comes by His grace and mercy, and in another way, there is a price to pay for it.

First John 2:27 (AMP) says, “But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you….” Notice how this scripture says that the anointing abides permanently—it won’t go away.

I also like that word “unction”—it’s like having Holy Spirit “umph!” or power to do what God is calling us to do. And it’s the gentle promptings, urges and leadership of the Holy Spirit in us that shows us how to live. When we follow the anointing, we feel peace and joy because we’re making wise decisions.

More than anything, we need to protect the anointing in our lives.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” — John 16:7

In John 16:7 Jesus uses several different words to describe the incredible work of the Holy Spirit: Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby. Let’s take a look at what this means for our lives…

Comforter I believe one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to run to God first when we have a problem. When we are hurting, so many times we look to other people to help us feel better, only to discover they don’t have everything we need.

The Bible says that God is “the God of all comfort,” (2 Corinthians 1:3). The Holy Spirit who dwells on the inside of us knows us better than anyone else and, when life is painful, He has the ability to bring strength and healing right where we hurt. Yes, the Lord will often use others to bring us comfort, but running to God first opens the door for Him to help us in the best way possible.

Counselor It is simply amazing what can happen when we begin asking the Holy Spirit for help and answers to our problems.

Recently, I was having episodes of feeling really weak and tired. As I sought the Lord about it, He showed me I wasn’t eating often enough and my blood sugar was dipping too low. I adjusted my diet and everything went back to normal! When I later went to the doctor, he confirmed this was the problem. I believe we often spin our wheels looking for solutions when the Lord has our answers all along. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, and as we seek Him, He can reveal in a few moments things we could never discover on our own.

Helper Did you know the Holy Spirit wants to help you with every little detail of your life? Maybe you are like I was. For years, I felt like it was okay to bring my “serious problems” to God, but I didn’t want to bother Him with the smaller things.

The truth is, the Holy Spirit is concerned about everything that concerns you—whether it’s a “serious” matter like a relationship issue…or something as simple as fixing your hair in the morning. “Help me!” has become one of my favorite prayers to pray. And the more we acknowledge the Holy Spirit and ask for help, the more we’ll discover His presence and ability in everything we do.

Advocate The Bible tells us that Satan is our adversary. In fact, it even calls him “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10 NKJV). But there’s good news: We have an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who pleads to God on our behalf.

He’s not only our Advocate to the Father, but the Holy Spirit also accompanies us through life—helping us, defending us and giving us favor with others when we need it. Whatever situation you’re facing, you can take comfort knowing that God Himself is on your side.

Intercessor I don’t know where I’d be without the help of the Holy Spirit in my prayer life. The Bible says He not only intercedes on our behalf to the Father, but He also comes to our aid and helps us to pray that perfect prayer when we don’t know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26). First Corinthians 2:11 says no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God. That means regardless of the situation, the Holy Spirit can always help us pray the right prayer at the right time.  I encourage you to begin asking the Holy Spirit for strength as you go about your day.