Let Him hear what the Spirit says

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says“

John 14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Psalms 51:11     Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Acts 1:8     But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 15:8    And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

Acts 2:4    And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 13:4    So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to

Acts 16:6     And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Acts 20:28     Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,

Romans 5:5     and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19     Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

2 Corinthians 13:14     The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Psalms 25:8     Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.  He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Isaiah 63:10     But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.

Acts 7:51     “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.

We are not alone in our walk by faith this side of eternity.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to all who believe.  The Holy Spirit will guide us, lead us, teach us, bring us to knowledge, instruct us in our knowledge of God, convict us of sin, and bring us joy and peace.  Our christian walk is to be led by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of honoring and glorifying God. It is a humble heart that seeks to hear and be led.  However there is something to be mindful of –  Not listening and resisting this active leading in our life.  Filling your heart and mind with His word is food and fuel for our soul. Live humbly desiring and seeking to be led by God.  Joy, peace, strength, power, hope, and love result from this desire.

I go prepare a place

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 14:1  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:18     “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Matthew 25:32-34    Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

2 Corinthians 5:6     So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,  for we walk by faith, not by sight.  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1 John 3:2    Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 22:3     No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

We will see Him.  He will be our light. We will be with Him forever.  We will be like Him.  We are His children.   We are blessed and have a kingdom to look forward to.  God loves us. He will not leave us.  He will come to us.  He will prepare a place for us. He will take us to Himself.  Our home will be with Him.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.  We walk by faith and have courage because of this faith. Our faith is built on Jesus Christ and through Him these promises are ours.  Through these promises we have reason to live and can face whatever troubles come our way.  We have peace that passes worldly understanding because He lives and is coming again to take us to Himself.  Will He find us waiting and looking forward to His return?  Set your mind on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him until we see Him again and live with Him forever and ever.

Food for living

“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”

“And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?”

“And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?”

“And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.”

John 13:36  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”

John 14:4   And you know the way to where I am going.”  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

John 16:17     So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”

John 20:25     So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Hebrews 5:11     About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,

Having a store house of food and starving to death doesn’t make much sense.   All a person would have to do is go to the store house and eat to live.  How long can the body go without food?  Having the food in our possession does us no good if we do not use it for sustaining our life.  We can tell ourselves that we are fine not eating but slowly we are dying.  God’s word is food for our soul that gives us hope, faith, love, purpose, strength, courage, and peace.  God has given us this store house of spiritual food to know Him, to grow in this understanding, and to have a light to our path this side of eternity.  Read His word, meditate on it, and obey His leading for your life.

Love one another

“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

John 13:34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-13     “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Acts 4:32     Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.  And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold  and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

1 John 2:5     but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him

1 John 2:10     Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

Galatians 6:2     Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Leviticus 19:18     You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Romans 12:10     Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

1 Peter 1:22     Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 Corinthians 13:4     Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Philippians 2:1     So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Reread this again.  What is God revealing to your heart?  If this is what love looks like lived out where do I fall short? How do I recognize these shortcomings?  How do I put them into practice?  What are those triggers in my life that seem to take me down paths contrary to the principles of love?  Pride, selfishness, greed, self honor, impatience, lack of sympathy, self centeredness, “ME” – “MYSELF” – “I”……. I am instructed to keep my eyes focused on Christ and His example, sharing the burdens of others, allowing myself to be wronged, seeking to keep unity, and doing this for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.  This is very contrary to the sinful nature.  When my focus is on me I soon lose sight of Christ’s love.  Even if I stay in His word and seek to honor Him, if I’m not continuously conscious of demonstrating love it is easy to let that sinful nature of me, myself and I to hinder any effect I might have to honor and glorify Jesus.  Practice the love of Christ each day.  Ask Jesus to fill you with His love and lead you down paths giving opportunity to demonstrate it.

Do no be deceived

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brother”

John 13:27  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

John 13:2    During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

Matthew 12:45    Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Luke 22:3     Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

Proverbs 1:16     for their feet run to evil,

Ecclesiastes 9:3     This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

James 1:13     Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:12     Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

If we are born with a sinful nature and this is the natural mindset and heart of man how are we to know what is sin in our life?  How do we know the difference between good and bad?  Our natural mind would conclude that if it benefits society and the culture identifies it as good, then it must be pleasing to God.  Viewing this from this standpoint gives a very strong illusion of being right with God and serving Him.  However nothing could be worse for our soul.  Trying to be and do good is not serving God.  It is nothing more than trying to earn and work way to be right with God.  Performing acts of goodness and kindness apart from humbly seeking, serving, honoring, following and obeying God are man’s unworthy attempts and used by Satan to blind us into thinking we are right with God.  this mindset leads us down paths of complacency and neglecting God’s word in favor of doing what we think is right.  They mindset tells us we are doing what God wants.  This is a lie.  It is false.  True servants of God desire and seek His purpose and plan.  They continue in reading scripture and are fully aware of their sinful nature.  They seek God to expose their sin and lead them in paths that honor Him.  They do not try to please God apart from seeking His purpose and plan.  They choose to be lead and their heart, mind, eyes and ears are open to His leading.  Be mindful of your sinful nature and it’s desires, and Satan’s deceits.

Teach me

“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.”

Psalms 86:11  Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalms 5:8     Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Psalms 25:4    Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

Psalms 25:12     Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Psalms 27:11    Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Psalms 119:33      Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

Psalms 119:73   Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 143:8     Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Job 34:32     teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

Jeremiah 32:38     And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.  I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Colossians 3:17     And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Having the right mindset is key to fearing God and seeking His way for your life.  How many times can you give stories on people who have the mindset they can figure it out themselves and do not ask to be taught?  It is easy to fall into the trap believing the current amount of biblical knowledge and understanding is all that is needed when things seem to be going fine and without many issues.  This easily leads down a path of complacency and neglect.  Note these scripture references;  “Teach” me – let me “Hear” – make me “Know” – give me “Understanding”“lead” me – He will “Instruct”.  The heart, mind and soul of these people were humbly seeking God.  They did not necessarily set time aside to give thought to God and about God, but rather this was their mindset foundation and permeated every second of their life.    With this foundation their mind, heart, eyes, and ears were open and actively seeking to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God’s purpose in and through their life.  Trying to please God with our own purposes on our own path takes us further away from God rather than closer.  Desire, seek, and choose to be led by Him.

Living God, Steadfast love

Psalms 86:1    Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.  Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.  Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.  In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.  There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.  All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.  For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Isaiah 61:3     to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 66:13     As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.  You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

Psalms 62:8    Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalms 143:8     Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Exodus 15:11     “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

Daniel 6:26     I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

There is a peace that comes to mind when reading these verses.  They speak of God’s dominion, rescuing power, signs, wonders, comfort, holiness, refuge, deliverance, grace, and steadfast love.  These words speak of our LIVING GOD.  They were spoke in during times of trouble or immediately after being delivered.  The depth of the heart cry speaks of the hope and trust they had in God.  The out pouring of praise and worship during their time of trouble reveals their heart and soul reliance in God.  God’s signs and wonders are  around us if our eyes, ears, heart and mind desire to seek, hear, and see His work.  We might see the change of heart at work in people.  We may see joy in someones life.  We may see deliverance from sin.  We may see conviction, confessing and true forgiveness.  We may see peace that passes all understanding.  We may find hope when it appears there is none.  We may have victory over a besetting sin.  We have understanding and knowledge from His word.  We may have success over a difficult task.  Spend time in His word.  Seek to know and understand the depths of His power, might, and steadfast love.  Choose to be a humble servant, ever thankful, ever seeking to honor, ever wanting to follow, and heart set on obedience.

Imitators of God

“For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Psalms 85:13  Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.

Psalms 89:14     Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Isaiah 58:8     Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Psalms 119:35     Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

John 13:14     If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Ephesians 5:1    Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Hebrews 12:1    Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

1 John 2:6    whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of the throne of God.  Steadfast love and faithfulness shine  a light on the path our live should follow.  Jesus walked this side of heaven teaching with His word and also as an example of humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying God the heavenly Father.  Paul said we ought to imitators of God, walking in love and setting aside every sin that clings so closely to us.  We are to live like this with a heart desire and endurance.  In Psalms David requested to be led on a path that followed God’s statues and commands.  There is a choice required in our heart, mind and soul to seek and know God.  This same choice desires to be led on paths that honor and glorify Him.  Each day we have a choice to commit to following Him or be complacent.  We have a choice to know Him more and more each day or neglect His word.  To be imitators of God and be a light in the darkness, time in His word with desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him are essential.

Clean hands and pure heart

“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalms 85:9  Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Psalms 24:4     He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalms 50:23     The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Psalms 119:155     Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.

Mark 12:32     And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.  And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Acts 11:13     And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;  he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

Zechariah 2:5     And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

John 1:14     And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Exodus 34:6    The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,  keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

John 1:17     For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

Romans 3:25     whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Guilty, iniquity, wicked, transgression, sin, do not seek, false, deceit, and unclean heart are all words used to describe the heart and condition of man without Christ.  Now look at what scripture says of God and what is found through Christ to those who believe; good, steadfast love, salvation, faithfulness, righteousness, peace, clean hands, pure heart, thanksgiving, understanding, strength, saved, grace, truth, forgiven, and justified.  Open your heart and mind to His word and seek Him in times of peace and trials.  There is no other place to find truth, happiness, and hope for eternity.

Peace I give to you

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

Psalms 85:8  Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Hebrews 12:25     See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

John 14:27     Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Acts 10:36    As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)

2 Corinthians 5:18     All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Acts 3:26    God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Galatians 4:9    But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

2 Peter 2:20-22    For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

God gives us a peace that is foreign to the world.  This peace is present in both times of blessings and troubles.  Having knowledge of this peace and living in it have two different outcomes.  A choice is made with the knowledge to either believe and claim it or reject it and it’s power in our life.  Many times we seek this peace when we face trials and troubles.  We run to God and seek His intervention.  Yet in times of blessing it seems as though it is a foreign thing to think of God, His sovereignty, His steadfast love, and His mercy and grace.  It is in His hands we find and live in this peace of mind.  The world will throw many a sense of false peace.  In the end these are nothing more than distractions that lead down paths of false hope and satisfaction.  The peace that God gives and is found in Him leads us through times of trials with hope, peace, refuge, courage, strength and power.  Through times of blessings it leads us to praise, thankful hearts, contentment, rejoicing, and kindness.  Read His word and search it for knowledge of God’s sovereignty, power, promises, peace, hope, joy, kindness, and steadfast love.