There's a spirit in everyone. If you don't give over this space
to the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit will come and live there. This scares
some people, because they're not sure whether or not the Spirit lives
in them. Paul says it's easy to know which spirit is in people: 3For
instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit
of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!"
This is a very simple test. Listen to what comes from someone's mouth. People who mock things of Jesus do not have the Spirit of God in them. You see, the Spirit cannot ever mock anything about God. When someone makes a mockery, it is a sign that an evil spirit of some sort is talking through that person.
3... Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit. When someone acknowledges God as Creator or says that Jesus had died for our sin, it is a sign that the Holy Spirit is living in that person. The Holy Spirit helps us to "see" God and to acknowledge Him as God. The Spirit walks with us step-by-step and helps us to walk the right road. The question is whether or not we listen to his voice.
A woman told me this story of the day when she obeyed the voice of the Spirit:
We tend to look for big breakthroughs for what and where the Lord can use us. But it's not the size that's important; it's about whether you are obedient when the Spirit puts a desire in your heart. Not a desire for something for myself, but for something that may tell someone else about his love. This is a testimony about a desire that the Holy Spirit planted in me that resulted in something big.
We know a man and his son who were both involved with drugs. Both father and son often came to our house and I started to love them. I really wanted to get the son something for his birthday, but what do you get a boy of 15?
The desire came into my heart and I bought him his own Bible, something he was not familiar with or grew up with.
Now, a year later, he is in rehab. When my daughter visited him over the weekend, he said to her: I remembered to pack my Bible and I am reading it now.
How great is our God! I am sure this is the first step towards healing and maybe he can then also help his dad find his way to Jesus.
It's as clear as daylight. The Holy Spirit is in control. This woman's actions tell stories of a living, saving Lord. It's the Spirit in her telling the stories. It's the Holy Spirit that makes her get to work and buy gifts that result in many being saved. Yes, only the Spirit God can make such things happen in people.
Know that if you say Jesus is Lord, it is actually the Spirit of God speaking through you. You can relax about that. God's Spirit lives in you. The only question is how much you listen to Him and whether you give Him space to take control of your life.
Reflection
What spirit lives in you?
Is the Holy Spirit in control of your words and actions?
How much of the Spirit is visible in your deeds?
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Prayer
O Spirit of God, thank you for living inside me. Thank you that I can call out with total honesty that Jesus is the Son of God. Now I must give more control to You and start doing what You want me to do. My works will be so different. Lives can be saved! Amen
This is a very simple test. Listen to what comes from someone's mouth. People who mock things of Jesus do not have the Spirit of God in them. You see, the Spirit cannot ever mock anything about God. When someone makes a mockery, it is a sign that an evil spirit of some sort is talking through that person.
3... Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit. When someone acknowledges God as Creator or says that Jesus had died for our sin, it is a sign that the Holy Spirit is living in that person. The Holy Spirit helps us to "see" God and to acknowledge Him as God. The Spirit walks with us step-by-step and helps us to walk the right road. The question is whether or not we listen to his voice.
A woman told me this story of the day when she obeyed the voice of the Spirit:
We tend to look for big breakthroughs for what and where the Lord can use us. But it's not the size that's important; it's about whether you are obedient when the Spirit puts a desire in your heart. Not a desire for something for myself, but for something that may tell someone else about his love. This is a testimony about a desire that the Holy Spirit planted in me that resulted in something big.
We know a man and his son who were both involved with drugs. Both father and son often came to our house and I started to love them. I really wanted to get the son something for his birthday, but what do you get a boy of 15?
The desire came into my heart and I bought him his own Bible, something he was not familiar with or grew up with.
Now, a year later, he is in rehab. When my daughter visited him over the weekend, he said to her: I remembered to pack my Bible and I am reading it now.
How great is our God! I am sure this is the first step towards healing and maybe he can then also help his dad find his way to Jesus.
It's as clear as daylight. The Holy Spirit is in control. This woman's actions tell stories of a living, saving Lord. It's the Spirit in her telling the stories. It's the Holy Spirit that makes her get to work and buy gifts that result in many being saved. Yes, only the Spirit God can make such things happen in people.
Know that if you say Jesus is Lord, it is actually the Spirit of God speaking through you. You can relax about that. God's Spirit lives in you. The only question is how much you listen to Him and whether you give Him space to take control of your life.
Reflection
What spirit lives in you?
Is the Holy Spirit in control of your words and actions?
How much of the Spirit is visible in your deeds?
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Prayer
O Spirit of God, thank you for living inside me. Thank you that I can call out with total honesty that Jesus is the Son of God. Now I must give more control to You and start doing what You want me to do. My works will be so different. Lives can be saved! Amen
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