In John 14:26 (Amplified) Jesus says, "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Stand-by), 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."
One of the names Jesus calls the Holy Spirit is Counselor. We must always remember that the Father, Jesus (the Word) and the Holy Spirit are all One and the same Almighty God and are part of the Triune character of God, but still God. When Jesus ascended to the Father after His resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and bring the Church into the full knowledge of what His sacrifice brought to mankind.
Jesus Himself is seated at the right hand of the Father on High, according to Ephesians 1:19-21(Amplified) which says, "And (so that you can know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength. Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His (Own) right hand in the heavenly (places) Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is name (above every title that can be conferred) not only in this age and in this world, but also into the age and the world which are to come."
We see how Jesus is still seated in the heavenlies with the Father. The work that is being done on earth today, is by the Name of Jesus as our authority and the presence of the Holy Spirit Who performs the manifestation of God's will by His Word.
The Counselor is the mind of Christ being made manifest in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We see the promise of His coming into the world as Counselor in Isaiah 9:8 (Amplified) which says, "For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty god, Everlasting Father (of eternity) Prince of Peace."
I cannot help but wonder, how many of us ever call upon Him as Counselor. We go to marriage counselors, medical counselors and even Christian counselors, but how often do we actually seek the Holy Spirit as our own Counselor? Maybe it's because we don't hear His voice or aren't familiar enough with His presence to accept what we hear in our spirit, as the Holy Spirit. We, as the Church, haven't familiarized ourselves with Him to where we accept what we hear as the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
It's imperative that in these last days, we learn to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit. After all, He is God in our midst. Isaiah 40:13-14 (Amplified) says, "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?"
Isaiah 1:18 (Amplified) says, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool." As we "reason" with Him and take counsel from Him, we find that are sins are like crimson and scarlet. What happens to crimson sin when it is mixed or blotted out by crimson blood? It is no longer visible. His counsel will always remind us of this and remove the guilt of our past.
There is no problem we cannot approach the throne of grace and receive counsel for and grace to deal with. Isaiah 58:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My way higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
The Holy Spirit is our Counselor Who gives us counsel from on high. The Father said that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. The Counselor can counsel us on a much higher realm than any other counsel we can ever hope to receive here on earth, because "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways." There is no other way for us to be elevated into this realm of counsel, other than the Holy Spirit.
So often, we do what we think is right or what we think God is telling us, only to mess things up. It's true that God can and does, unravel the messes we make, but if we will only learn to listen to the Counselor, then we won't keep repeating serial mistakes.
John 10:3-4 (Amplified) says, "The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to His voice and heed it; and he culls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out." Verse 4 goes on, "When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:27 (Amplified) says, "The sheep that are My Own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me."
The Father fully intended for His children to know and recognize His voice. He would speak to us through the same Holy Spirit Who communicated with Jesus during His earth ministry. Jesus says in John 5:30 (Amplified), "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 (I 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 to the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me."
I believe this is where we miss it sometimes. The Counselor (the Holy Spirit) will always tell us what is God's will for our lives or the lives of someone else. Many times, His counsel isn't something we wish to hear or do. We might hear the voice of the Counselor, but still not heed it.
When I was on the radio broadcast of W.W.J.S., many people knew my voice without ever seeing or knowing my face. The more they listened to the broadcast, the more they became so familiar with my voice that when they heard me in public venues, they would stop and ask, "Are you Cowboy Jim on the radio?" Then they would tell me, "I knew as soon as I heard your voice, that it was you."
This is the place we need to be with our Counselor. We need to become so familiar with His voice, that we know Him anywhere. His counsel is always right and always meant to elevate us into the realm of the Father. There have been many times in my ministry, where people ask me, "Oh, God speaks to you, does He?" Our answer to that question should always be a resounding, "Yes." There is nothing wrong with the Transmitter, only the receiver.
Psalm 1:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walk and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans, and purposes) nor stands (submissive and inactive) in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down (to relax and rest) where the scornful (and the mockers) gather. But his delight and desire are in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponder and studies) by day and by night."
The Holy Spirit's ministry is the most blessed time we will ever enjoy. The Father has made this counsel available to all who will accept it and believe it. Learn to hear and identify His voice and counsel for your life. You are a unique being and His counsel for you is solely for you.
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