Friday, July 18, 2014

Lesson 2 The Holy Spirit and the Church

     John 14:26-27 (Amplified) says, "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby) the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name (in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf) He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."  Verse 27 says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed, and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)."
      As Christian people, we're always allowing ourselves to be troubled. We "tried" the Word of God in prayer, but it didn't always work out and this is troubling in itself.  We've laid hands on sick people who died anyway and we tried to stand on God's Word and have been disappointed.  Perhaps, we need to listen more to the Holy Spirit instead of tradition.
     Since the Holy Spirit is God, then why don't we do like Jesus did?  He said in John 5:30 (Amplified) that, "I am able to do nothing from Myself (independently, of My Own accord-but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders) Even as I hear, I judge (decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision) and My judgment is right (just, righteous) because I do not seek or consult My Own will (I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My Own aim, My Own purpose) but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me."
     The same Holy Spirit that Jesus received at His baptism in the Jordan River, is the same Holy Spirit Who is with us and in us.  Nothing has changed from God's viewpoint.  The same power of prayer is available to us like it was to Him.  The main difference is that Jesus listened to the Holy Spirit and we don't.  Is He not our Counselor today as He was then?  We're always saying, "I don't hear from God."  But, Jesus said that, "My sheep know My voice."  Is God not speaking or are we not listening?
     While I was fellowshipping with the Lord, I was troubled about prayer.  Jesus said in Matthew 18:19 (Amplified), "Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever (anything and everything) they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven."
     Have you ever tried finding someone to stand in agreement with in prayer?  After you've finished praying, they tell you, "I don't feel like that worked, maybe we need to pray again."
     Finding someone to agree in prayer got to be a real trial for me because I sometimes pray things that aren't "traditional."  The Lord told me that "Anytime I am praying His Word and His will, I have someone on this that Who will always agree with me and that is the Holy Spirit.  I had never thought of the Holy Spirit being the other person as my prayer partner.  Is He not on this earth?  Does He not always agree with the Word?  Does anyone know the will of God more than He does?  So, I began to pray in agreement with Him and things began changing in my prayer lfie.
     1John 5:14-15 (Amplified) says, "And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him; (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His Own plan) He listens to and hears us."  Verse 15 goes on, "And if (since) we (positively) know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know (with settles and absolute knowledge) that we have (granted us as our present possessions) the requests made of Him."
     When was the last time you heard Jesus ask Peter to agree with Him in prayer?  Jesus relied entirely on the Father as His source of agreement saying in John 5:31-32 (Amplified), "If I alone testify in My behalf, My testimony is not valid and cannot be worth anything; there is another Who testifies concerning Me, and I know and am certain that His evidence on My behalf is true and valid."
     Jesus went on to speak on our behalf in Verse 37 saying, "And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me. Not one of you has ever given ear to His voice or see His form (His face-what He is like) (You have always been deaf to His voice and blind to the vision of Him)."
     We have been deaf to the voice of His Spirit and blind to His presence on earth.  In these last days before Christ's return, God is raising up a people who hear and obey His voice.  The Holy Spirit is speaking louder and more distinctly than I have ever hear Him speak.  He is the One Who is not only with us, but in us.  He has made unto us Wisdom, by Jesus.
     I don't want to make anymore excuses for why God's Word isn't working in my life.  I want to find out why it isn't working and then fix it.  I want to see God manifest in the Church to where it overshadows the early Church. 
     

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