THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US

THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US
IS PROMISED – and when we are connected to the Spirit we will know the presence in us. We have talked recently about the connection from the creator to Jesus, and then to the Holy Spirit. In John 14, we hear from Jesus, speaking to the disciples, the promise of the gifts we will receive when we believe and love God and one another.  15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Creator, and God will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – 17 the Spirit of truth.”  We see here one possibility, that if we love our Savior, and follow what he has commanded, then we will be connected to the Holy Spirit. This requires behavior from us, that will make it possible. Jesus is calling us here, to do what he has asked us to do, as we live our lives each day. This act of love on our part means there will be an action on our behalf by Jesus to the Father. That great gift will be the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth coming into our consciousness. From then on, as long as we continue to follow what Jesus asked, we will be aware of the Holy Spirit working in us. We will not be alone in doing what God has called us to do. We will not have to find the strength for this work on our own. As long as we have the intention to love God and each other, we will be able to do it because the Holy Spirit will help us find the strength to accomplish it.

Then Jesus speaks further about this relationship and how it will include us. “The world cannot accept [the Spirit], because it neither sees it nor knows it. But you know the Spirit, for it lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Here Jesus speaks a word of caution and even warning. The world does not know anything of the Spirit, and is not able to help us in understanding what the Spirit is telling us, so we should not expect the world and its wisdom to help us in any way. If we even consider looking for answers in the world, they will not be there and we are just spinning our wheels to try this strategy. The only way to be in touch with the Spirit is through prayer and seeking the Savior within us. When we follow the ways of life Jesus has shown us, Jesus comes to us. To live this way is a form of prayer, even though it may seem strange and different to us. When we live in love for others, we are communicating that love to Jesus too. We are returning that love we have been given. To live in an ordinary way is to live a life of routine. If that routine is living in the love of Jesus to all others around us, we will be living a life of “ordinary prayer” as a daily practice.   O loving Savior, we thank you for your life of sacrifice, and the example you have given us. Help us to make that same love for others the center of our routine everyday, to honor and return your love.    Amen.       PEACE

KEEPING OUR FOCUS ON GOD

KEEPING OUR FOCUS ON GOD
IS PART OF BEING FAITHFUL – and loving God. But it isn’t something that happens easily. We grow into being able to keep our focus on God, by doing it every day. We will be tried by lots of distractions; even things that seem harmless will take our focus from God. We have to wrestle with how we work our relationship with God into our days. Like most things of any importance, it is more complicated to be faithful to God than we think at first. When we examine the things we do in a day, in light of what it means to be faithful, we may find that there are habits or practices we thought had no harm in them, but are still distractions from what our focus could be. Getting angry at others in traffic, making fun of certain people, criticizing others decisions, watching certain things on TV, or ignoring someone’s need of help right in front of us are all things we should pray about, in order to learn from God. There are things like this that we know we shouldn’t do, but it is hard to begin to change, and we are fearful of doing new things we have not experienced before. What if we do them wrong? Will God forgive us, if we mess up?

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul reassures Timothy in a similar situation.   14 “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip God’s people to do every good work.”   Beyond this, the Holy Spirit speaks to us, and urges us to do what is right, and cautions us when we consider doing something wrong. And we always have prayer to help us figure out what to do in a perplexing situation. The Holy Spirit is always ready to guide and advise us, because we are trying to be faithful to God’s calling for us. The surprise bonus is the action of God’s grace and the way it will help us in unknown ways, to support and love us through this process. We don’t need to agonize over anything when we have this kind of help available to us. O guiding Spirit, we are most grateful for the help you offer us, and the forgiving love available when we mess up our attempts to be faithful. Continue to encourage our prayer by your loving help, as we stumble, and seek to find the ways we should love one another, always seeking to please God. Give us the wisdom we need to be more faithful.    Amen.       PEACE

DISTINGUISHING GOD’S WORD

DISTINGUISHING GOD’S WORD
IN ALL THINGS – is very important for us, as believers. Learning to listen for God’s word, and knowing that it is God within us, is an important step in living the life God has called each of us to live. The people of the Thessalonian church, according to Paul, had learned how to hear God. In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul says,   13 “Also, we always thank God because when you heard God’s message from us, you accepted it as the word of God, not the words of humans. And it really is God’s message which works in you who believe.” Paul alludes to one way we know that God is speaking. God’s word is motivated by love, and if we hear the love of God coming through, even if it is spoken by another person, it comes from God. But in 1 John 4 we are cautioned, “Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

These false prophets are active in our world too, and many of them seek the public platform of running for office. Their purpose is to gather self-aggrandizing power, which will distract us from doing what God needs us to do, or at least make it more difficult. But as Paul says, if instead we listen for “God’s message which works in you who believe”, then the message of God’s redeeming love is active in us, and we don’t have to try, in our own strength, to fight the force that would stop us from doing God’s work. The Holy Spirit will be that active energy, giving us the tools to overcome the distractions we face. A huge distraction that we will be living with for quite some time to come are the political campaigns that the media is so fond of pursuing and blowing into greater proportions. There will be many statements that are intended to get our attention, and come into being for no other purpose. There will be many false statements, because they suit the candidates’ intentions. We will have to pray and ask God for help in discerning what is truth, and what are just lies and statements designed intentionally to generate fear. God has given us tools to overcome the fear and see the truth. We will need to employ God’s resources to fight the evil intentions all around, in order that we are not swallowed whole.   Loving God, we thank you for the tools and resources you give us, to help us do the work you have called each of us to do. They are a blessing and are comforting to us, so we will know how much you love us. May we share that love with those we meet, so that others will know your transforming love.  Amen.     PEACE

BEWARE OF OPINION

BEWARE OF OPINION
DISGUISED AS TRUTH – because it is the work of evil, and works to distract us from God’s truth. “Taken with a grain of salt” has come to mean the use of a healthy skepticism , or applying common sense to what is heard or seen. There are those who are skeptical of the faith, but among believers, we have lost the idea of being skeptical of all worldly things. Wikipedia defines truth as “being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original, or to a standard or ideal.” If we use this as a framework to separate truth from opinion, it will help us get at and understand the meaning of God’s truth. Creation is the beginning of it all, and is the foundation of God’s truth. Creation of the world is a fact, whether we believe God did the creating or not. As believers, we know that the universe was brought into being with great care and intention, the details of which are mind blowing. Scientists are still being baffled by the way all creatures function and the interdependence that exists among all living creatures and the environment. This speaks of the integrity of purpose and action God exhibits. Our ability to trust God comes out of God’s actions in the past, and having seen that what God says has and will continue to come true into the future. God’s next great act of truth was the coming of Jesus, who opened up the word of God to us, by living it. Both God’s actions and Jesus are motivated by love.

Opinion is a very different thing. It is personal to the one voicing it, and it comes out of our own experiences. It can have many different motivations behind it. Knowing the person helps us determine the accuracy of what they are saying, and what is motivating them to say it. The media gives people an opportunity to say things and get a wide audience, and it is a temptation to say things that will get attention. This is where we need a healthy skepticism, since we don’t know where their motivation comes from, or what intention they have for saying the things they do. Recently we heard from John, chapter 8, and it helps us again here. 31 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” As believers, when we know the truth of God, we can measure all others things by that truth. But going further, that truth will free us from being drawn into the evil others put out there. We will be able to reject those ideas that go against what we know is the truth of God. That truth is based in love, and it will help us become attuned to knowing the motivation of those expressing opinions, and immediately reject them if they do not come from a place of love. When we are confronted by so many who want to stir up fear in us in our world today, we can remember the words in 1 John: 4, 18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” So when we rely on God, and not on others for our direction and guidance, we will be on our way to living the life God calls us to live. Our lives will be more stable, and not as subject to all the fear out there, so we can spread the love God gives us to share.   O God, our source of perfect love, we are humbled by your gift of Jesus Christ and the grace it brings us. Help us reject the fear all around us, demonstrated through opinion and evil intentions. Guard us from this evil, and give us the strength we need to show the world your unconditional love.    Amen.        PEACE

being still

BEING STILL
IS ONE WAY – of welcoming God into our lives. Our culture does not always encourage this behavior. It is characterized in many ways when we are around others. In children it is called “daydreaming” and is criticized as at least different from others, and can even be stigmatized as abhorrent behavior by some. It has also been called wool-gathering for adults, or we may be asked “where did you go just then” if we are around other people. There are situations when our minds do need to go somewhere else, but it seems to make others around us uncomfortable. All of this negative reaction to something that I think is a created and inherent part of us has a dampening effect on our engaging in “letting our minds go somewhere else”. There are places where we can be alone, or among trusted people, where through our experience, we can engage in the behavior of “going to God”, or just letting our minds relax to pursue a creative silence. Clearly when we are alone, it is “safe” to seek God in the stillness. But what if we can find no stillness within us? God will help us find it, when we pray and ask for it. So at some point each day, turn off the 24/7 news and in the quiet listen for God in prayer.

Psalm 46 seems to describe natural disasters and warfare [strife] as some of the experiences of life, but through it we hear this message, 7 “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” We are called to acknowledge this fact, and let it do its work of calming our anxieties from what happens around us. But our fear is great and the world around us can be so dangerous. Doesn’t the news remind us of this? So we are called to take a deliberate step away from all the high emotions the world tries to stimulate in us, by turning off the clamor and becoming aware of God. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” God has a plan that began with creation, and it is being worked out, despite all the evil happening around us.   Purposeful God, we thank you that you have a plan, and that you call us to be a part of it. Help us feel your love and grace through all the fear that evil generates, and turn to you for the guidance you give us, to show us the way through all the muck.     Amen.        PEACE

TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES

TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES
EACH DAY – is God’s work, not ours. What we provide is the openness and willingness to go through what is sometimes a painful process. It will be as painful as how willing we are to let God work in and through us, and in the process to let go of old ideas and habits. In the first letter Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, he is thinking back, in chapter 2, to the way he and his companions lived with the Christians there. 10 “When we were with you, we lived in a holy and honest way, without fault. You know this is true, and so does God. … 12 We encouraged you, we urged you, and we insisted that you live good lives for God, who calls you to his glorious kingdom.” This is a glimpse into the disciplined life they lived, after having been transformed by God. It didn’t come about in a few days, or weeks or even months, but it was the kind of commitment they had made for the rest of their lives. The result of their lives being lived for God was testified to by Paul at the end of this chapter. 19 “You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will take pride in when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 20 Truly you are our glory and our joy.” This was not a boast, but an honest praise of the work of God Paul saw in them.

Are we able to live our lives in this way? When we make a daily commitment, God will begin the process of helping us let go of the enticements out in the world. We will see with new eyes, how ugly and selfish the behavior of the world can be. Love from God flowing through us, will also give us the power to affect change around us, and influence others for good, when we let God act in us. This is the process of birth, and so it will come with some pain. But if we relax and put our trust in God, the pain will be tempered with joy. Yes, old ways of how we lived will be left behind, but new ways of living will be filled with love that brings joy. Love and joy are very contagious, and others will want to know what the source of it is. God will help us share, even if we are at a loss, and the Holy Spirit will guide our footsteps in our new behavior.  Loving God, we bring our fear to you, whether we can name it or not. Help us take the steps we need each day, and we will be examples of your transforming power.    Amen.        PEACE

HAVE WE EVER MADE SACRIFICES

HAVE WE EVER MADE SACRIFICES
TO GOD – as Hannah did? We may not all be called to make the kind of sacrifice Hannah made, as the mother of Samuel. I wonder if it might be somewhat metaphoric, in reminding us of the great sacrifice made by God? Hannah’s actions were out of great devotion because she believed her cries and suffering, in 1 Samuel 1, had been heard by God. Then in chapter 2, “Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. 2 There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by God’s actions are weighed.’ ”   Hannah is full of thanksgiving for the role she played in God’s action through her. But she is also faithful is teaching caution of what it means to be faithful to God. We don’t hear a lot about her story, and perhaps it is because she is a woman. Her sacrifice can be favorably compared to Abraham’s in its gravity. Because of her sacrificial actions and faithfulness, she is partly responsible for the life of Samuel, and all that happened through his life and afterwards. Samuel plays a pivotal role in the story of God’s people, and the establishment of the house of David. If she had not been so faithful, God would have accomplished God’s purposes another way. But the point is she was faithful, and therefore helped God in the advancement of the story of the people of God, and the working out of God’s plan.

I urge you to read her story and find out just what she did. It is not long, and it has quite a bit of family drama. May we learn from Hannah, and expect that God will need us to be faithful in some way of God’s choosing.    O God of history, help us listen for the ways you are still calling people to be faithful, in whatever ways you require of us. Give us a generous heart, like Hannah’s, so we may share whatever is necessary to do your work, and help accomplish your purposes for us all. We are thankful for the love you have for each of us, so that you want to include us in this great adventure.    Amen.       PEACE

GOD TEACHES US

GOD TEACHES US
EVERY DAY – and each day is an opportunity to gain new courage and strength. I am at a place in my life where I know this to be true. But it was not always so. Both Psalm 25 and 27 are helpful and uplifting as we grow, but I particularly find Ps. 27 more positive and uplifting, and as the title says, it is – A Triumphant Song of Confidence. What better gift to seek each day than this?

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and foes, they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

[The confidence of our salvation, living in God, is like armor, that does not prevent attacks, but will assure that we live through the battle, and grow stronger.]

4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

[Because we respond to God’s love, we are invited in, and protected. So let us praise God with joyful shouts and singing, for the gift of life with God.]

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

[When we cry out to you, our Lord, and are afraid, you will answer our cries.]

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

[The goodness of the Lord is love and as we seek God, we will be blessed.]

Loving God, help us learn to quietly wait on you as we learn patience and love. May we generously share these gifts of yours with others. As we learn to value these gifts, may our courage to face our enemies grow, as we learn that your love will protect us and make us stronger, for the work you have called us to do.    Amen.        PEACE

THINGS WILL HAPPEN

THINGS WILL HAPPEN
THAT WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND – or anticipate. To one extent or another, we all have a need to know what is going to happen next. Some of this is good. If we are to live a well-planned life, where we are able to meet our obligations, a certain amount of planning ahead is quite necessary. We set the alarm clock at night, so we can get to work or make an appointment on time the next day. We plan meals so that we can buy the food we will need to have a healthy well-balanced diet. We keep track of our income and expenditures so we will have the money when we need it to tithe and to meet our obligations. We even plan for unexpected needs that we cannot anticipate. But where does God fit into all this planning?

God will help us achieve a balance between having a plan and being ready to listen and respond to God’s plan. In John 8, Jesus is talking to the Jews in the temple court. 31 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It is interesting that he tells them they will be set free, but from what? They may have been “observant” or keeping the law in minute detail. This required a lot of time that left little life for anything else. But they were also more interested in other things than God and really didn’t have the intent of the law in mind. So Jesus persisted, “I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.”  There are many reasons why we may put ourselves in a position of not hearing what the Holy Spirit is telling us. We could adhere to our planned life as much as those observant Jews, so much so that we fail to respond when God calls to us. The grace God offers us can deliver us from the fear we may have of not being ready for what life throws at us. Yes, we can still live a life of plans, as long as we live it in the grace God offers us through our relationship with God. When we live this way, we will have things happen that we cannot anticipate, but this can be a good thing. It will teach us to look to God for ways to cope with the unexpected, and not to the resources the world offers. God can help us learn that life is an exciting holy adventure, with opportunities to be part of God’s plan, and grow as one who loves and follows that path, filled with the unconditional love and mercy offered nowhere else.  Gracious and loving God, you have laid out plans for us. Help us respond to your call, without fear of the unknown, so that we might be part of your intentions for our lives. Teach us how to be willing to change our plans in favor of yours, and help others follow you with trust and courage.     Amen.        PEACE

OUR GREATEST GIFT

OUR GREATEST GIFT
IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN TOUCH – and it may be hard to hang onto sometimes. I am still in the midst of chaos, trying to sort through the many things from our past, that no longer serve us well. Added to that are the belongings of DH’s relatives left over from his mother’s house. I have much to be thankful for, and I am well aware of that, but I find myself distracted by the stuff I am trying to make better decisions about. We all have times when we realize the stuff has taken over, and it is time to reduce the volume. I have a hard time throwing away useful items, so it then becomes a decision of where to take it, so someone else can get some use from it. Recycling is always my mantra. I know our lives will be better when I get things organized. We moved into this house 5 years ago, in a rush because of DH’s illness. So I have never really organized to use what space we have in this small house to its best advantage. Now is my chance. I am starting over, and praying to maintain a grateful attitude for the opportunity. But there are times when I wish it were already done, and I could move on.

I am thinking often these days of Matthew 6: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When I am feeling overwhelmed I also remember verse 33: “But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” We are given more than we can imagine, and really don’t need to know how much until we have need. God will always supply our needs, and just when the need is present.   Loving and sustaining God, we are grateful for all the needs you supply, sometimes before we even know our needs. Help us to come out from under our “stuff” and turn off the voices that tell us we need more. Help us focus on the real purpose of our lives.    Amen.        PEACE                         “DH” is short for Dear Husband