If any man offend NOT in word- the same is a PERFECT man.

Jas_3:2  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

If any man offend NOT in word- the same is a PERFECT man.

Offend not in word.

Have you ever offended anyone? It's safe to say that you are probably lying, or allowing yourself to be deceived if you answer no to that question. We offend others- intentionally or unintentionally it happens. We say the wrong thing, we say something we'd love to take back the moment it slips from between our lips. We hurt people with our words, sometimes irreparably so.

Jas 3:5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Jas 3:7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
Jas 3:8  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Our tongues- are like fire. 
Our tongues - are a world of sin.
Our tongues -defiles our whole bodies.
Our tongues- are not able to be tamed.
Out tongues- are unruly.
Our tongues- are FULL of deadly poison.

Is it any wonder no Man is able to tame the tongue.

Why don't we realize how wicked our tongues are? 

Deadly poison.  It doesn't get much clearer than that, does it?

DEADLY POISON.

No, we aren't snakes, we aren't filled with a venom that can be milked from our fangs. The deadly poison is laced in the words we choose to speak.  Words can kill.

That old 'sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me', is a LIE.  The hurt that comes from the very poisonous tongue has broken many a person, causing more anguish than any broken bone ever could.

Deadly poison. 

Think about it, really, really think about it. You have a deadly, poisonous tongue and it can cause all manner of pain all the way to point of killing someone.

We all have this weapon, all except those who are mute of course, but I'm not sure I've even ever met a mute person. Obviously being mute isn't commonplace. Having the ability to speak however is very commonplace. And if we have the ability to speak then we have the ability to fill others with our poisoned words.

After yesterday's upset, and today's reading of this verse-

Jas_3:2  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

- I can't stop thinking about the ability we have to offend in word.

We are given this verse, these words of great wisdom-

1Pe_3:10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile

Refrain our tongues from EVIL.
Refrain our lips so they don't speak deception.

Just how incredibly important it is for us to LEARN to refrain our tongues from evil?
If we would LOVE LIFE and SEE GOOD DAYS we have to do this!

Can we tame our tongues? No. But NOTHING is impossible with God.  We must learn to submit ourselves to God, yielding ourselves to HIM, allowing HIM to work in us through the HOLY SPIRIT.

We truly need more awareness of ourselves- more examining  of ourselves with the desire to comprehend how much about us is so far from being that perfect man. When we comprehend our state it is only then we can speak to our God and tell Him that we recognize our weakness and are in need of His strength.  I say it is only then we can speak to God because we can flap our lips all we want giving lip service to God, but it's only when there is real conviction that we are truly able to sincerely repent, seeking forgiveness and God hears us.  God knows the sincerity of every one. God knows the truth about everyone. We can't hide ourselves or ANYTHING about ourselves from God.

The poison filled tongue we all possess must be surrendered to God so that we do not kill with our tongues. We mustn't kill and we mustn't be killed by our own tongues. Very few get prosecuted for the evil they do with their tongues.  But there are people killing the hopes of others daily, hourly, minutely, just by using their tongues- their words ending lives.

You know how poison works? There are many answers to that question. Some poisons work very slowly, others very quickly. It's the same for our words, the poison of our tongues can work slowly or quickly. You can strike out with your tongue and the poison it inflicts on others can be slow acting or very quick acting.  Only by the grace of God may we keep from poisoning others and poisoning ourselves.

Please Lord bless us, help us to be YOURS wholly YOURS.  Tame our tongues LORD, help us to refrain our tongues from evil. The desire is within us LORD to be YOURS and all that means. Help us, keep us, save us!

Please.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor

Loving.
Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
We are to LOVE.
It sounds easy enough but it really isn't, not when you truly comprehend what it means to LOVE.
We have to go over it again, I have to go over it again. I've had a really rough night filled with irritation that I allowed to cause me to react far from what I imagine loving is supposed to be.
Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Suffers long!  It doesn't get upset easily! It isn't mean! It doesn't envy! It doesn't make itself important! It's not unseemly! It doesn't rejoice in sin! It rejoices in TRUTH.
I read this and I make myself sick at how unloving I am.
Mean and nasty that's how I've been described just tonight.  I don't WANT to be mean and nasty! Why is it soooo easy to be this way towards those who are closest to you?!
It was just a card game but my 'I WANT TO WIN' demon rises up in me and I succumb to it.
I just told my hubby that I will try by best not to be nasty next week at our weekly card game with my mother, God help me. 
Maybe that is the first step here, hopefully, prayerfully. Recognizing it not just internally but outwardly.  I don't WANT to react with meanest.  I'm not yelling, it's mostly my attitude. It's just not nice at all when I play games.
The easy solution would be NOT to play cards, but my mother enjoys this time with us, a lot! And I want to spend this time with her. She's not young and having her over for dinner and cards allows us to spend a lot more time with each other than we would otherwise.  Are there other things we could do? Yes, but any game would bring this out in me. Could we just sit around? Yes, but would just sitting around give us the same time, the same interaction. It's not all bad. We've been doing this for a long time now. Some days are better than others, I'm not always nasty, by the GRACE of GOD, thank GOD! We enjoy ourselves and there's a fine line between the fun competitive edge and it slipping over into nastiness. 
This is a confession, this blog today, and anyone reading it I hope and pray you will pray for me! I want to be LOVING, I want to LOVE as my God would have me LOVE.  I want to fulfilled God's LAW and love others as I know He wants me too!
Please LORD, help me!
More tomorrow by the grace of God.

Our Savior will do all that we cannot do

We live our lives day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year and we have our memories of how we've lived.  No, we don't have memories of every single day or our lives- at least most of us don't. We don't even have memories of every month and sadly not every year.  We have memories of events and situations that take place during our lives that affect us in profound ways- either for our good or to our detriment.  Right now you can probably recall past happy events as well as past tragic events.  You can recall past charity and past sins.

What we can't know is our future.

We can plan events, plan our next day but we never quite know how it's going to turn out. I may know I'll be doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, cooking dinner, going to the store, and I may know I'll be interacting with my husband, my children, and various strangers I'll meet at along the way, but I have no clue about any of the details of those interactions. I don't know what words I'll speak, I don't know what emotions will be taking place between us.

What I do know is that I will CHOOSE how I behave.

No, I'm not perfect by any means and I know that there are a lot of things that influence my emotions and those emotions influence my interactions. I understand what it's like to have my behavior affected by feeling under the weather and it's easy to use that as an excuse for poor behavior. It's hard to be loving- long suffering, kind, generous, caring- when you aren't feeling well. We are called to be loving- always- and we fail constantly.

In the spur of the moment our behavior can change. We may start out with the intention of everything  being loving and the next moment we find our anger firing up, our long suffering turning to very short suffering, our turning the other cheek to wanting to lash out. 

It is Satan's pleasure to get us to succumb to our UNLOVING side.  Satan enjoys getting us all riled up so that we show very little love.  Satan knows that if he can get us to be unloving we are NOT living the life our Savior desires us to live.

We ARE to live a certain way and ANYONE who believes otherwise just hasn't read their Bible.

We ARE told how to behave. We ARE told what the qualities are of a person striving to live as Christ would have them live. We have so much information so we KNOW when our behavior is acceptable and when it isn't.  We know when we are being loving and when we are not being loving and any time we are NOT loving we are sinning. 

Any time we are sinning we need to ask for forgiveness and Satan does NOT want us asking for forgiveness!  Satan would much rather have us making excuses for ourselves than face up to the truth. We are helpless without our God. We are constant sinners and our ONLY hope is CHRIST and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! 

Christ knew how hard it would be for us to love, but He did NOT tell us that it would be okay not to love.

I know I've probably used the following verses hundreds of times in my various blogs but it is so incredibly relevant.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are delivered ONLY by JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD and we MUST THANK GOD FOR HIM!

We cannot SAVE ourselves this is a fact. What is also a fact is that we cannot decide NOT to love as God would have us love simply because we know we will fall short of the mark.  We have to strive, we have to examine and prove ourselves, we have to do ALL we are ABLE to do and TRUST our SAVIOR to do all that we cannot do. HE will put HIS righteousness in for ours. He will NOT put HIS righteousness in for ours if we are willful sinners, sinning without any care in the world. If we will not strive, if we will not shoot for the mark, if we will not run the race, if we will not examine or prove ourselves, if we choose to rest on our laurels, we are NOT following the will of our God, we are NOT loving GOD.

LOVE.

You know as a parent- or if you've not been a parent you can imagine or relate this another way- but you know as a parent that when you ask your child to do a task you know will be difficult for them that there is a very good possibility that your child might not be able to complete the task. You also know that if it's a task that MUST be finished that you will have to step in and help out or even take over completely.  You do NOT fault your child when they do all they can do.  You understand they have limitations. God KNOWS our limitations. God KNOWS that we cannot save ourselves. God KNOWS that all our striving, racing, examining, proving of ourselves will NOT SAVE us.  God also knows that in all that striving, racing, and so on that we are doing His will to the best of our ability to love as He commands us to love. We have to have FAITH that our HEAVENLY FATHER will do all He promises. He will SAVE US. He will do all that we CANNOT do.

We must love, we must listen to our God, not Satan who will do everything he can to keep us from loving or even desiring to love in the least little way.

Please God bless us! Help us! Save us! Love us!  All through YOUR SON!

Please LORD, all in YOU!

Living Love as He Lived Love

God's Law-  Go on, read it. Read the SPIRITUAL- MORAL LAW OF GOD.  And as you are reading ask yourself why God would do away with each of these laws. Find reasons why He would take any one or all of these spiritual laws away.

Exo 20:1  And God spake all these words, saying,

Exo 20:2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Is there a reason to do away with this law of having no other gods before God?

Exo 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Again, is there any reason God would suddenly say it's fine to make and bow down to graven images, worshipping them?

Exo 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Surely God has no reason to destroy this law. I can't imagine His deciding it's fine for us to take His name in vain.

Exo 20:8  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

I cannot comprehend why God would not want us to remember the day He created for us back during Creation Week, and in remembrance worship HIM on the day He Blessed and made Holy.

Exo 20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

God no longer wants us to honor our father and mothers, why?

Exo 20:13  Thou shalt not kill.

It's okay to kill now?

Exo 20:14  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Go ahead and commit adultery?

Exo 20:15  Thou shalt not steal.

Fine, steal, it's okay?

Exo 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Lie all you want, it's harmless now?

Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Desire the things that don't belong to you, nothing wrong with that, right?

*

If you're like me it seems ludicrous to truly believe that God would EVER destroy His OWN moral, spiritual laws!

*

The LAWS all precede MOSES.

Remember this--

1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And remember this--

Rom_5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

When did Adam sin, before or after Moses?  Dumb question, right? We know that Adam was the first man created, so obviously LONG before Moses, Adam sinned. And, if Adam sinned he TRANSGRESSED the LAW of GOD. If Adam transgress the Law of God, what law was He transgressing? What law had been given already?

Gen 2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

When this command was broken this is what happened-

They chose the Serpent over God. (First Commandment broken.)
They disobeyed their parent. (Fifth Commandment broken.)
The stole fruit that didn't belong to them. (Eighth Commandment broken.)

Then Cain murdered Abel. (Sixth Commandment broken.)
Cain lied to God about Abel. (Ninth Commandment broken.)

People worshipping idols- (Second Commandment broken.)
Gen 35:1  And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Gen 35:3  And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
Gen 35:4  And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

Stopped from committing adultery- (Seventh Commandment.)
Gen 20:5  Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Gen 20:6  And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Gen 20:7  Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Before the law on Sinai- (Fourth Commandment)
Exo 16:22  And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exo 16:23  And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exo 16:24  And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exo 16:25  And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26  Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
Exo 16:27  And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
Exo 16:28  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exo 16:29  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exo 16:30  So the people rested on the seventh day.

And please tell me how could the entire world save Noah and his family be destroyed because of their wickedness if there were NO LAWS TO BREAK?

Gen_6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

By what standard was this understood? 

The law given at Sinai was a written declaration of a KNOWN law.  There was nothing new about the Ten Commandments given to Moses and God's chosen people. There were NO shockers in that list. There was nothing that hadn't been heard and known. People from the BEGINNING understood there were MORAL LAWS of GOD that could NOT be broken without consequence.

Am I harping on the laws? You could say that if you are foolishly denying their validity.  Earlier this week we talked about the law revealing God's love to us. This is something we DARE NOT overlook. Satan wants us to overlook this, he desperately wants us to forget that LOVE wrote the commandments, LOVE created the commandments from the beginning.

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people

God's laws PUT into our minds.
God's laws WRITTEN in our hearts!

What exactly is being put in our minds and written in our hearts?  God's laws!

No longer do we need the ceremonial aspect of the law given to Moses and kept by all that were God's chosen right up to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our Savior took the place of all the sacrifices needed. It was and is through faith in our LORD JESUS CHRIST that we find forgiveness and atonement when we've sinned, when we've broken the laws of God. When we've failed to LOVE as dictated in HIS moral law, the law that is put into our minds and written in our hearts!

Sinning is all about failing to love.

We fail to love when we fail to keep our God's Commandments.

Remember this…

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment
Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

Was this Jesus doing away with the commandment … thou shalt not kill?  NO! He amplified the commandment. HE EXPLAINED THE LOVE BEHIND THE COMMANDMENT! 

Love dictates that we do NOT act against others unjustly.  It's not enough simple NOT to kill someone. We are NOT to treat anyone unjustly even in our thoughts!

Our Savior knew that sin- failing to love others begins in our minds, in our very thoughts.  Those Ten Commandments were GUIDELINES for us.

A pure love has only GOD and no other god.
A pure love does not worship false gods of our own creation.
A pure love does not speak of God without reverence.
A pure love keeps the special seventh day rest given so we would never forget our Creator.
A pure love honors parents.
A pure love does not kill.
A pure love does not join with any other than the one that is theirs.
A pure love does not steal.
A pure love does not lie about others.
A pure love does not desire the things that belong to others.

Honoring, keeping, refraining from, these are all actions that encompass our loving others.

If we have NO love but try to keep these commandments we will fail with every single one! You can't keep the commandments without love, it's impossible!

Our Savior lived His entire life fulfilling what it means to truly keep the Commandments. All the things He talked about, He LIVED! He did not tell us not to get angry unjustly and then Himself get angry unjustly. He did not tell us to love one another without He, Himself loving others.  He did not tell us loves suffers long, without His own long suffering. He did not tell us to turn the other cheek without turning His own!  He expects NOTHING of us that He didn't expect from Himself.

We are told it won't be easy, and it won't be. If you think you can change yourself into this being that loves others and God perfectly - instantaneously- you'll be in for a huge disappointment. First of all, it's CHRIST and the HOLY SPIRIT, who will enact the changes in us. Secondly, it's not like knocking ourselves over the head horribly and waking up a changed person, it's a work in progress within us as we EXAMINE ourselves, as we PROVE ourselves, as we learn to submit ourselves to our God, and give up all that it means to be self centered in exchange for being God centered, living love as He lived love.

All by HIS GRACE, in HIS AMAZING LOVE!

All through HIM! He succeeds where we can only ever fail!

In Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever. Amen!

Examine Yourself, Prove Yourself

2Jn 1:2  For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

The TRUTH'S sake- which DWELLS IN US.

Remember what we studied yesterday?

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The TRUTH dwells in us through the SPIRIT of TRUTH.

2Jn 1:4  I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

WE Walk in the TRUTH.
JESUS IS THE TRUTH.

There is NO NEW commandment!
The commandment from the beginning has always been to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
If we WALK in TRUTH, we are WALKING after HIS COMMANDMENTS, and if we are WALKING after His commandments we are WALKING in LOVE.

People don't want to see that it's all connected, they'd much rather hear words that are pleasing to their ears, soothing to their conscience. They do NOT want to truly believe that we are to be something different than what we are. People love to believe that they can indulge themselves, living after their flesh nature simply because they HAVE a flesh nature! Denying themselves is NOT something anyone wants to believe is true.  Putting aside SELF and all that means isn't what we want to hear!

We are put out when we have to deny ourselves.

People are constantly looking for ways to indulge self and have Christ but the two do NOT go together! When we get to a place where we are comfortable with indulging ourselves and believing in our Savior we have allowed ourselves to be deceived.    We need to examine ourselves….

2Co 13:5  EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; PROVE your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

2Co 13:6  But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
2Co 13:7  Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
2Co 13:9  For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.

Here is an excerpt from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible- 2 Corinthians 13:1-6--

'If therefore they could prove themselves not to be reprobates, not to be rejected of Christ, he trusted they would know that he was not a reprobate (2Co_13:6), not disowned by Christ. What the apostle here says of the duty of the Corinthians to examine themselves, etc., with the particular view already mentioned, is applicable to the great duty of all who call themselves Christians, to examine themselves concerning their spiritual state. We should examine whether we be in the faith, because it is a matter in which we may be easily deceived, and wherein a deceit is highly dangerous: we are therefore concerned to prove our own selves, to put the question to our own souls, whether Christ be in us, or not; and Christ is in us, except we be reprobates: so that either we are true Christians or we are great cheats; and what a reproachful thing is it for a man not to know himself, not to know his own mind!

TRUTH!

We have to EXAMINE OURSELVES!

2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

The SPIRIT of TRUTH is in US!

If we do NOT have this SPIRIT of TRUTH we have to know it, NOT be deceived! 

RIGHT this moment EXAMINE YOURSELF! Is CHRIST in you? Are you LIVING HIS TRUTH? Or are you cheating yourself?

Do you agree with CHRIST and all HIS TRUTH? Do you LOVE CHRIST?  Do you keep HIS COMMANDMENTS? Do YOU LOVE as HE LOVES?

We have to examine ourselves, prove ourselves, comprehend that it is up to US to do this and up to CHRIST to FIX US. WE have to recognize our need to be FIXED, understanding that we need to fall at the feet of CHRIST and beg His forgiveness for our sins, for our evils, for our transgressions, for our selfishness, for our desire to deceive ourselves, to live in deception that allows us to indulge ourselves with SELFISHNESS and all that is against our God. 

We need CHRIST in US! And Christ will not be in us if we are filled with self and all that entails. Please LORD help us to recognize all that is in us that would keep us from having YOU IN US and then to seek YOU and YOUR forgiveness! Help us, Lord, help us!

More tomorrow all by the GRACE of our GOD!

IN HIS LOVE!

We can know

Continuing our study on the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, all by the grace of God!

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Joh_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh_6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

*******

 'The Comforter- The Holy Spirit.'  By William Grotheer

' As we continue our study of the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, we turn first to the prison epistles - Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. The primary references are found in the letter to the church at Ephesus. There Paul sets forth the Holy Spirit as the builder of the Church. (Eph. 2:22) Then he specifically warned the church - "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (4:30)

In Hebrews, the Holy Spirit is portrayed as One who speaks. "The Holy Spirit saith" (3:7); and "The Holy Spirit . . . had said before" (10:15). The first quote is from the 95th Psalm, while the second is taken from Jeremiah. (31:33) The early church recognized that the Holy Spirit spake "by the mouth of David." (Acts 1:16) However, Jeremiah clearly says that what he wrote was a "Thus saith the Lord." (31:31) There is a relationship between the "Lord" of the Old Testament, and the Holy Spirit of the New. As noted in Part I, Paul declared - "Now the Lord is that Spirit." (II Cor. 3:17) We also noted the same picture in the epistles of Peter. Peter wrote that "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1:21) Yet these men - prophets - searched "what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify." (I Peter 1:10-11) Peter also adds that this "Spirit" was "sent down from heaven" as a co-laborer with the Apostles as they preached the gospel. (I Peter 1:12)

The final writings of the New Testament - those of the beloved John - give a full revelation of the Holy Spirit which completes the picture and solves for us the problems intimated in the rest of the New Testament, occasioned by the Incarnation. In fact, the test by which we can know we are confronted by the true Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit is indeed guiding a professed messenger of the gospel involves the doctrine of the Incarnation. John wrote - "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God." And how do we know? "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." (I John 4:2)

There is in the first Epistle of John an interpolation which John did not write, but which those who hold to papal trinitarianism grasp as evidence of the Trinity. In I John 5:7-8, the words beginning with "in heaven" in verse 7, and ending with "in earth" in verse 8 appear in NO Greek manuscript of the New Testament prior to the 11th Century. These words were first found in a Latin treatise of the 4th Century, and inserted into the Sacred Scriptures during the noonday of the Papacy. The verses should read:       "For there are three that bare record, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one."

The book of Revelation while using symbolic language adds much to our understanding of the Holy Spirit. When the door was opened in heaven, and John was asked to enter, he saw a throne on which sat the Eternal One - He "which is, and which was, and which is to come." Before the throne were seven lamps of fire which are stated to be "the seven Spirits of God." (4:5) Then John beheld "a Lamb as it had been slain" with seven horns and seven eyes. These horns and eyes are declared to be the same "seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." (5:6) With the fulness of omnipotence, and the completeness of omnipresence, the Holy Spirit is sent forth into "all the earth." But the symbolism indicates that when the "Lamb" as the sacrifice appeared, the Spirit of God was so closely identified with the "Lamb" so as to be even as the horns and eyes are to an animal.

This Spirit speaks to the seven churches. (Rev. 2:7, 17) Yet the messages are declared to be coming from Christ to the same seven churches. (Rev. 2:1, 8, etc.) There is one voice. The voice of the Spirit is also heard speaking of those who have heeded the Three Angels' Messages. (Rev. 14:13) First John hears "a voice from heaven" pronouncing a blessing; then comes the voice of the Spirit which was sent forth into all the earth - the same area to be covered by the angel messages. (Rev. 14:6) The same Person who directed the Church in its beginning as revealed in the Book of Acts also directs the giving of the final messages of God to earth's inhabitants. In fact, the New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as the new commander of the "ministering spirits" in the warfare between good and evil till earth's last hour, when Jesus himself shall return as Lord of lords and King of kings.

There is one final picture in the book of Revelation: - "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." (Rev. 22:17) Even as Revelation pictures Jesus and the Spirit speaking as one voice so also does the bride of Christ and the Spirit speak ultimately as one voice. A question:  Is this symbolism suggesting that even as the Holy Spirit consummated the Incarnation so that He might be one flesh with us, so also the same Spirit effects the "bride" of Christ so that she might be one spirit with Him?

We turn now to the final revelation in the New Testament concerning the Holy Spirit - the Gospel of John. Here Jesus is recorded as promising to give "another Comforter" to His followers on earth. (John 14:16) In speaking of this "Comforter" in relationship to Himself, He chose the word, allos, rather than heteros. Both words mean, another, in the Greek, but with a difference in the comparison. Thayer in his Greek Lexicon remarks "Every heteros is an allos, but every allos is not a heteros." (p. 29T To see this difference, we have only to note how these words are used in other New Testament references:  Romans 7:23 - "But I see another (heteros) law in my members, warring against the law of my mind."

Acts 7:18 - "Till another (heteros) king arose, which knew not Joseph."

Galatians 1:6-7 - "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another (heteros) gospel: which is not another (allos); but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."

From these illustrations, it can be seen that allos distinguishes between two of the same kind, and which are on an equal level, while heteros denotes two of a different kind not on the same level. In other words, Jesus was saying that the Holy Spirit was of the same kind as He, but a distinct Being from Him. This is further illustrated in the fact that Jesus called the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter" (paracletos). In his first Epistle, John speaks of Jesus as "an Advocate" (paracletos) I John 2:1.

As Jesus continued the conversation in the upper room, He comforted the disciples with the assurance that He would not leave them orphans, but stated - "I will come to you." (John 14:18, margin) Though He had stated that the Holy Spirit was a distinct Person from Himself, He indicated that in the coming of the Spirit, He would be coming to them. The only way that I have found to express this relationship is to use the term - Alter-Ego. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as a result of the Incarnation are in an Alter-Ego relationship.

John as he further reports that upper room conversation notes Jesus as referring to the Holy Spirit as "He" - "That One" (ekeinos). The text reads - "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He (ekeinos) shall teach ,you all things." (John 14:26) This same designation is used again by Jesus in John 16:7-8, 13-14. The Gospel of John clearly presents the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth, the paracletos - a distinct Being, the Allos of Jesus Christ even to the coming "in (His) name."

There is a final revelation we dare not overlook. It was the Holy Spirit who overshadowed Mary. The result:  - Jesus - a new distinct Being - the God-man. In the final hour, there will be earth-people who, when demanded to testify for their faith, will open their mouths to speak. But they will not speak themselves, for being so fully possessed of the Spirit, it will be the Holy Spirit which will speak. (Mark 13:11) Then when all things are made new, the Revelation indicates that "the Tabernacle of God", even Jesus, (John 1:14, Gr.) will dwell with man, and "God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev. 22:3) Again Two as revealed in the Old Testament. But the same revelation in the same context declares the Holy Spirit speaking as one voice with "the bride." (Rev. 22:17) Is not this the same experience as recorded in Mark 13:11, which describes earth's final witnesses? Then could it not be suggested that "the bride" of Christ becomes in consort with the Lamb, the "third" in the picture as a result of the Incarnation, and the wonder of the Plan of Redemption? Even as the "how" of the Incarnation remains a mystery to angels as well as to man, so also "how" this ultimate plan of God will be accomplished remains mysterious. We only read, and wonder, and in faith say as did Abraham - "Amen." (Gen 15:6)

The word translated, "believed" in Gen. 15:6 is the Hebrew word, amin. In the Greek it is amen (verily in John 3:3). In English, we say - Amen (So be it).

Some idea of "the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began" but is made manifest in the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be perceived when one recognizes that "human beings were a new and distinct order." (R&H, Feb. 11, 1902) Man made "in the image of God" was "designed to be a counterpart of God." (R&H, June 18, 1895)

The significance of what this "counterpart" design of God is to be can be perceived in part by a comparison of Scripture. When Christ returns the second time, there will be two groups of the redeemed:   1)  The "corruptible" - those who have died. These put on " incorruption."   2 )   The "mortal" - those who are alive on the earth - put on " immortality." Here is a significant word use in the Greek. The word translated, "immortality", here in I Cor. 15:53-54 is athanasia, and is used in only one other place in the New Testament also in Paul's writings. This other use in I Timothy 6:16 is in reference to God - "Who only hath immortality."

Truly Christ became one flesh with us that we might become one spirit with Him. In a special sense in the revelation which God gave to Him to show to His servants (Rev. 1:1), this applies to the group which that revelation designates as "the remnant of her seed,"  "the bride" of Christ - the 144,000.

This experience can only be ours in this final generation as we permit the mind of Jesus to be our mind. That mind calls for a complete emptying of self, the ekenosen of Philippians 2:7, which in the KJV reads He "made Himself of no reputation." The Greek reads - "But Himself, He emptied." 

End.'

*******

Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it…   and people cry out that it's a lie! They ask and ask and ask and nothing is done. They ask in in our SAVIOR'S name but they do NOT have the Savior in them through the Holy Spirit. They are asking 'amiss'. They are asking expecting the answers to be their answers not God's. They might ask for money and God in His wisdom might know that if He allowed them the money they desire then they would only grow further from Him, not closer. We don't know why God answers our petitions as He does, and if we DARE to truly believe that God is NOT giving us ALL we need to live in HIM, to live FOR HIM, then He is not living in us because WE LACK the FAITH to believe in HIS LOVE, HIS REAL LOVE!

HE tell us that IF we LOVE HIM, we will KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.

Do we LOVE HIM?
Are we keeping His commandments?

If we LOVE HIM HE WILL pray to the FATHER- and the FATHER will give us ANOTHER COMFORTER that will ABIDE WITH US FOREVER.

Amazing! Do we believe it?!  What kind of proof are we after? Do we want a 'Paul's conversion experience?' Are we after a 'burning bush' event? What exactly does it mean to HAVE the COMFORTER ABIDING with us? It means FAITH we know that, it means BELIEVING without SEEING.

The SPIRIT of TRUTH.
The WORLD will NOT receive the SPIRIT of TRUTH.
The WORLD does not SEE the SPIRIT of TRUTH.
The WORLD does not KNOW the SPIRIT of TRUTH.

WE can KNOW the SPIRIT of TRUTH.
The SPIRIT of TRUTH dwells with US.
The SPIRIT of TRUTH shall be IN US.

We will NOT be left comfortless!
Our SAVIOR through the HOLY SPIRIT comes to us, bringing to us everything we need to LOVE.

Do you have TRUTH?
Is the SPIRIT of TRUTH with you?
Is the SPIRIT of TRUTH in you?

How do we know ?

1Jn 5:11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

We must BELIEVE in God and God is LOVE. We MUST BELIEVE in the LOVE that is GOD, a love that is completely SELFLESS!

Please LORD, help us to understand, help us to LOVE as we need to LOVE all by YOU and YOUR GRACE and MERCY, YOUR FORGIVENESS, YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!  By YOUR SPIRIT with us, and in us!

All in YOU!

The SPIRIT of TRUTH- dwelleth with you- shall be in you.

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Joh_4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh_6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

His commandment-

BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST- GOD'S SON.

His commandment-

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

To LOVE one another we must have GOD in our lives because GOD is LOVE, He is the LOVE we LOVE with.  The thing we call 'our' love often ends up being very hurtful- you know that old saying and song- 'Love Hurts.'  Our love hurts so much because it's not God's love but some made up idea of love that Satan has concocted to pass off as love. 

He that keeps God's commandments DWELLS IN GOD, and GOD IN HIM.  It can't be any other way because GOD IS LOVE and LOVE is the commandment!  Believe in the ultimate proof of all love- Jesus Christ, and love one another. 

We KNOW GOD abides in US by the SPIRIT which HE gives to us!

If we believe, if we LOVE our Savior comprehending that it is by HIS love that we love at all, then we will keep all the SAVIOR'S commandments.  We will do this because our SAVIOR will ask HIS FATHER to give us a COMFORTER that will abide with us FOR EVER.

That COMFORTER is the SPIRIT of TRUTH.
The SPIRIT of TRUTH will dwell WITH US and shall be IN US.

We will NOT be left without comfort and what comforts us- the HOPE of the END of our FAITH - SALVATION through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, all in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The HOLY SPIRIT, the COMFORTER is a REAL BEING, not a figment of people's imagination. The COMFORTER is given to us, to BE WITH us and IN us.

*******

I want to include a bit from  a study I'm reading on 'The Comforter- The Holy Spirit.'  By William Grotheer


'After having read every text in the New Testament where the word, "spirit" or "Holy Spirit" is found, we determined that "spirit" is applied to different beings and forces at work in the world,and within man. Angels are designated as "ministering spirits." (Heb. 1:14) Demons are noted as "unclean spirits." (Rev. 16:13-14) A deep human emotion is based in what is termed, "spirit." (Mark 8:12) The perception of one's  presence, though the person is not present, is noted as being present in "spirit." (I Cor. 5:4)

This study was approached with one vital presupposition:     The "form of God" in which Jesus existed prior to Bethlehem was SPIRIT for God is Spirit. (John 4:24) This SPIRIT exceeds that of angels for they are only "ministering spirits." (Heb. 1:14) This SPIRIT is immortal, eternal, and indestructible.

*

'We asked ourselves why so little is known of the "nature" of the Holy Spirit? Then we asked ourselves why so little was perceived as to whom Jesus was until after the coming of the Holy Spirit? The answer to the second question helped us to perceive the answer to the first. Jesus came not to do His own will, but the will of God. (John 6:38) He came to glorify the Father. (John 17:4) He did not even come in His own name. (John 5:43) His was a life of selfless projection of the Father's glory - grace and truth. (John 1:14) Likewise the ministry of the Holy Spirit - He would not speak of Himself. He would glorify Jesus and the work which Jesus accomplished. (John 16:13-14)


The very first New Testament reference written in regard to the Holy Spirit clearly declares the Holy Spirit as distinct from a "power," per se. It reads:   -   For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit. (I Thess. 1:5)

This same distinction is also seen in I Cor. 2:4.

[We shall use the word "Spirit" in place of "Ghost" in all quotes from the Bible.]

Many references in the New Testament which mention the Holy Spirit speak of His work in making effective for the believer the salvation provided alone in Jesus Christ. Examples of this can be found in II Thess. 2:13; I Cor. 6:11 and Titus 3:5. Further the Holy Spirit is set forth as a Teacher who searches the deep things of God. (I Cor. 2:10, 13) He bestows "gifts" as "He wills." (I Cor. 12:4, 11) He is the builder of the Church. (Eph. 2:22) He speaks. (I Tim. 4:1) He can be grieved. (Eph. 4:30) He can be insulted. (Heb. 10:29) He can be lied to. (Act, 5:3) All of these statements in regard to the Holy Spirit indicate not a power, nor a mere influence, but rather a Person.

The fourth book written of the New Testament canon (Chronologically) closes with a three-fold benediction - "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (II Cor. 13:14) Language cannot be clearer that the Holy Spirit is as much a Person as are either God or the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet in this same letter, Paul emphatically declares - "The Lord is that Spirit." (II Cor. 3:17) In this third chapter, Paul is contrasting the ministration of the letter under Moses, and the ministration of the Spirit under Christ. While declaring that the Lord is that Spirit, Paul differentiates between Lords in verse 18. Note it carefully using the margin which gives the literal Greek rendering. It thus reads:     But we all, with open face beholding as in a  glass the glory of the Lord [Jesus] , are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Lord the Spirit. (3:18)

The close identification between "the Lord Jesus Christ" and "the Lord the Spirit" is seen elsewhere in the New Testament. Paul declares that Isaac was born "after the Spirit." (Gal. 4:29) Yet in noting the Old Testament account, the "Lord" who appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre said - "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." (Gen. 18:10) It was repeated a second time by the same "Lord." (18:14) In Hebrews, it reads - "The Holy Spirit saith" (3:7) - "the Holy Spirit . . . said before." (10:15) - yet both quotes are from the Old Testament. Gabriel told Daniel that the only One who held with him in "the scripture of truth" was "Michael your prince." (10:21) This is further illuminated in the Epistles of Peter. There we are told that "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1:21) But in his first letter, Peter indicates that these holy men - prophets - "searched diligently ... what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify." (I Peter 1: 10-11) Thus the New Testament closely identifies the Holy Spirit - the Lord the Spirit - with Michael the "Lord" of the Old Testament.

Paul tells us that God sent forth TWO into the world. "God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law." "God [also] hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son" that we might understand Him as "Father." (Gal. 4:4, 6) This same duality and relationship appears in the symbolism of the book of Revelation. When the door was opened in heaven, John beheld the Throne of God, and before the Throne were "seven lamps of fire" which are declared to be "the seven Spirits of God." (4:5) Yet when the Lamb "as it had been slain" is introduced from "the midst of the Throne" with "seven horns (fullness of power) and seven eyes (complete omnipresence)", - these are declared to be "the Seven Spirits sent forth into all the earth."(5:6)

In the book of Romans, the setting forth of the Holy Spirit is concentrated in Chapter 8. The message there has been largely ignored. We have contrasted this chapter with Romans 7, and ended the contrast with 8:16, as if an entirely different subject began. While the first part of Romans 8 speaks of "the sons of God" resultant from the leading of "the Spirit of God" (8:14), there is yet another "manifestation of the sons of God." (8: 19) In this the Spirit has an important part to play. Though we have "the first fruits of the Spirit" (8:23), we still have the fallen sinful nature. This, the Spirit helps - our "infirmities." This is the same word as found in Matthew 8:17, designating what Christ took in taking upon Himself our humanity. It is also the same word as found in Hebrews 4:15 which tells the why of the compassion of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. It is the Spirit that is to make intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Until "the redemption of the body" at the second coming of Jesus Christ, the saints can know they will have an intercessor at the Throne of God - the Lord the Spirit. While the Man Christ Jesus steps aside (Compare I Tim. 2:5 & Rev. 15:8), the Holy Spirit continues His ministry until the living saints are translated.

In the synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - the Holy Spirit is pictured in direct relationship to Jesus Christ in two experiences - His birth and baptism. The conception is spoken of as "out of the Spirit." (Matt. 1:18, 20b: "of" is the translation of the Greek preposition, ek, literally, "out of.") Luke records the announcement to Mary by Gabriel of God in "flesh appearing." Gabriel stated:      The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy [spirit] which shall be born of thee shall be called the God. (Luke 1:35)

The word, "thing" is supplied in the KJV because the adjective "holy" is in the neuter gender. But this adjective is the same as the adjective describing "Spirit" in the same verse, and thus the missing word to be modified could likewise be the word, "spirit. " This concept is well stated in the Writings: "He (Christ) united humanity with divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh." (4BC:1147) That "divine spirit" dwelling in a temple of flesh was called "the Son of God."

In Mark, there is a key reference to the Holy Spirit in relationship to the final witness. In Jesus' prophetic discourse, He stated:      When they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11)

So fully will God's witnesses be in-filled with the Holy Spirit at that hour, that when they speak, the voice which comes forth will be the Holy Spirit. It will be the "manifestation of the sons of God" as foretold in Romans 8:19. And Jesus gives the time when this shall occur - "the gospel must first be published among all nations." (Mark 13:10) He also tells us where this witness will be given - in councils, in churches, and before rulers and kings. (13:9)

The book of Acts could well be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In this book, the Holy Spirit is presented as One in full command of the Church, and its spokesmen, and as One functioning as the Vicegerent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very introduction sets forth the role of the Spirit as the Vicegerent. After Jesus was taken up into heaven, "He through the Spirit" continued to give "commandments unto the apostles." (Acts 1:2) These apostles and others as "spokesmen" were "full of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55; 11:24; 13:9)

The Book of Acts presents the Spirit as in full command of the Church and its spokesmen. He speaks to Philip - "Go near and join thyself to this chariot." (Acts 8:29) Philip obeys, and another witness is born into the kingdom of God, the Ethiopian eunuch. Then the Spirit transports Philip to another place. (8:39) To Peter, as he meditated on the unusual vision he had received, the Spirit said, "Behold three men seek thee . . . I have sent them." (10:19-20) To the leaders of the church in Antioch, the same Holy Spirit said - "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (13:2) And Paul on his second missionary tour desired to go to certain areas to preach the gospel, but was "forbidden of the Holy Spirit." (16:6-7) Thus, the Spirit is pictured as functioning in His own right, as a Person directing the Church of the Living God.

The Book of Acts also reveals an experience which sets forth the Holy Spirit as God. When two members sought to deceive the Apostles, Peter said they lied "to the Holy Spirit. " Then he explains the extent of that deception - "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." (5:3-4) The Holy Spirit is
not of the order of the created - men nor angels - but of the Uncreated - God.      {To Be Continued.}

*******

This is a very intense study, please, please take your time and study it thoroughly. Get your Bible - either  electronic Bible or one you can actually hold in your hand it doesn't matter- but get your Bible and take the time to look up the verses and study, really, truly study this!  We need to know more, we need to comprehend more of the Holy Spirit.

The HOLY SPIRIT, the COMFORTER is a REAL BEING, not a figment of people's imagination. The COMFORTER is given to us, to BE WITH us and IN us.

We NEED to know more!

All by the GRACE and MERCY of our LOVING GOD!

In HIM ALWAYS!