THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD TOO!

It is so easy to think that the Holy Spirit  is not a person, but as some godly influence or power. But He is not.  He is God too. I know that we are not to worship the Holy Spirit, but without Him, we would never know Jesus or be able to understand the Word of God.  He is our teacher and revealer of all truth. He always points us to Jesus. Without Him we would never have a relationship with our God.

 We believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.We accept the  adoption of our Father as sons and daughters, but we so often neglect the importance of the Holy Spirit as a person too!  Is He not the person who prays through us in agreement with Jesus in Heaven?   Jesus sent Him from the Father to replace Himself on earth when He left to be at His Father's right hand. He did not want to leave His disciples as orphans.  As His disciples today in 2019, the same is true.  We are not orphans.  The Holy Spirit's work continues among us.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me". How can we hear His voice except through the person of the Holy Spirit in us? The Holy Spirit is like the sheep dog that rounds up the sheep at the command of the Shepherd's whistle and herds them into a pen. He takes his orders from the Shepherd only.

 Peter preached saying,"repent, be baptized, received the Holy Spirit.? Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? " We were baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, but have we ever acknowledge Him or allowed Him to baptize us in the power of His Love?   

Let  us not neglect to acknowledge Holy Spirit as an important person in the Godhead,  and  thank the Lord Jesus for sending Him to take His place. Through the Holy Spirit we will experience the presence of God, the fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The Throne room is open all the time. The blood of the lamb avails for us to enter in.  Our born again spirits  ignite with excitement and joy as we enter into fellowship with the God of this universe. Come let us worship our God together: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

THE NARROW WAY

Have you ever seen a sheep herding contest?  I saw my first one at the Fryeberg Fair in Maine. Half the time, the sheep  ignored the  dog, refusing to obey his lead. But the sheep dog just patiently waited for the shepherd to whistle his commands. Then like a shot, the dog would race across the field, nipping at the kneels of the sheep directing them towards the pen.  I was amazed how many of the sheep fought entering one by one through a narrow gate.  Eventually, the shepherd and his sheep dog herded them into the pen. The contest lasted about ten minutes. The shepherd and his dog, who were the fastest to herd their sheep into the pen and close the gate won.

This event was one of the most fascinating to watch, especially the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep dog. It reminded me of one of the glories of our Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

 Jesus Christ is the Shepherd, we are the sheep and the Holy Spirit is the sheep dog.  The Holy Spirit was sent into the world to bring us back through the NARROW GATE to the Good Shepherd. The Holy Spirit is often called the "the hound of heaven" and I can see why.  He is determined to fulfill the glory of the Good Shepherd in His sheep even if we go astray, He will be nipping at our heels.

Sheep have such a mind of their own. How appropriate it is for the Lord to call us His SHEEP.  By working together, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit hems us in on all sides leading us through the NARROW GATE on our journey home.  If we are left to ourself, we would wander in this world without hope.  

I am so grateful to be born again by the grace of God and able to confess that Jesus Christ is THE NARROW WAY: THE ONLY WAY  BACK TO MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. John 14:6.


  

THE CURTAIN IS TORN

Matthew 27:50,51 states, "Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."

The "veil" in this passage refers to the curtain separating the Holy of Holies- the most holy place- from the rest of the temple. The Holy of Holies was off limits for everyone except for the High Priest on the annual Day of Atonement.

With the ripping of the veil, access to God was opened and made available to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Every believer in Jesus can come directly to God through His shed blood.  We do not need a priest or intermediary.  The way has been opened for every believer. Heb. 9:6-8.

The ripping of this veil or curtain from top to bottom suggests that this is something that God has done.  Had the veil been ripped from the bottom-within the reach of men-to the top, that would suggest that this ripping and tearing was something that man had done

God was, and still is, fully satisfied with the propitiatory sacrifice that Jesus Christ had offered.  God has accepted the death of Christ. Consequently, God by His grace and mercy, has removed that veil.

Another thought to ponder:

Woven into this thick curtain were two Cherubim (angels) facing each other. When the curtain was torn from the top to the bottom, God ripped it right down the middle between the two Cheribum.

It made me think that God has removed the two Cherubim that He placed at he entrance to the Garden of Eden to guard the Tree of Life. Jesus is our Tree of Life, (our daily bread).  Now, we can come back to the Garden, (God's presence), but only through the blood of His Son.

Hebrew 10:19-20 reveals this truth,  "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh..."


 Meet you in the Throne Room.

ANOTHER LOOK AT LENT

It's Lent!  Forty days before Easter. It is time to give up something. Let me see. I am a little overweight--chocolate , cheese or ice cream for a start?  How about TV?  Oh no, forget that! March Madness is starting--college basketball games. Wait a minute.  

What am I thinking. Even if I give up sweets or TV, I know myself only too well. Just as soon as Lent is over, I will be right back into the sugar bowl and watching TV.  I don't think I really understand Lent.

From a religious point of view, I think it is a time when man gives up something to honor the Lord's great sacrifice.

 The more I thought about what I wanted to give up, I was more aware of my old man of sin, the flesh.  It doesn't like to give up anything.

But isn't that the point. It is a sacrifice for only forty days.  I could at least do that. It sounded good. 

 I began to ask the Lord what He might like me to give up for Lent. To my surprise, Roman 12:1 and 2 came to mind."I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." 

He, then, spoke to my heart, "My daughter, the only thing I desire is for you to give me your whole heart. The new heart I transplanted in you when I gave you a new birth."

Then an acrostic for Lent came to mind. 
                    
               
                L-iving               
                        E-ternally  
                N-ow 
                T-oday 

As a believer, He has put eternity in my heart. Every day I desire to bless my Lord.  My new heart is more important to Him than anything I could tangibly offer Him.  He just loves me.  He just loves you, my brothers and sisters because you belong to Him.