WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST SOURCE OF JOY?

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What is our greatest source of joy? Paul pointed to the Holy Spirit:

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Sadly, many church people believe they are saved but have never been born again of the Holy Spirit. Unless a person has truly repented of their sin and rebellion against God and understood and accepted what Jesus Christ has achieved for them by dying on The Cross and then given testimony of dying to self by being baptised then they have not received the Holy Spirit to enable them to live the Christian life.

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to be our Counsellor, Comforter, and Healer. He provides the gifts of the Holy Spirit for ministry. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for you to use how you want. They have specific purposes for God’s Kingdom. They are intended to glorify God by revealing more of who He is and displaying His sovereignty and power over all things.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another, various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Back to JOY: commenting on chara, the Greek Word usually rendered “joy” in this passage, the United Bible Societies’ translation handbook advises, “In some languages, joy is essentially equivalent to ‘causes people to be very happy.’ In order to indicate that this joy is not merely some passing experience, one may say ‘to be truly happy within their hearts.’ In some languages, joy is expressed idiomatically as ‘to be warm within one’s heart,’ or ‘to dance within one’s heart.’”

The beauty of God’s creation is a major source of joy

If it seems that the translators are taking liberties by saying “happy” instead of “joyful,” note that the other eight adjectives perfectly correspond to the nouns used in the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible. Chara is the only Greek word in this passage rendered differently by the CEV translators. Their goal was faithfulness to the original language. “Joy” is a good translation of chara, but so too is its synonym “happiness.”

Some suggest that the order of the ninefold fruit of the Spirit is significant and that love is named first because “the greatest . . . is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). If this is true, then joy’s position as the second listed might imply it’s the second greatest.

Why does Paul emphasize joy and the other eight components of the Spirit’s fruit in the context of his attack on legalism in Galatians? Reading between the lines, we might surmise that joy was too rare among the Christians there, as it often is today.

Joy, along with the fruit of the Spirit, stands in contrast to the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21). Only new life in Christ equips the believer to walk in the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16-18, 24-25).

The permanence of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in our lives allows us to continually access supernatural joy/happiness. To be robbed of the ability to rejoice or of the source of joy, a believer would have to be robbed of our joyful God’s indwelling.

adapted from an article “The Fruit of the Spirit Are Ingredients of Happiness” August 3, 2020, by Randy Alcorn – http://www.patheos.com

CHRIST LIKE LOVE

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What does “love” look like?

The problem with discussions of love in most Christian circles is that “love” is too often undefined.

I would assert that biblical love is Christlike love. Or, as Paul states:

“with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

“For our sake, He (Heavenly Father) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus, of course, demonstrated what this love looks like when He went to the cross. Consequently, a person who is transformed by biblical love is a person that consistently lays down one’s life for others.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,” Philippians 2:5-9

Biblical love surrenders power for the sake of the other

Christ’s display of this kind of love on the cross also demonstrates what true power looks like. Christian power, in other words, is loving the other so much that one is willing and prepared to die for the other.

This means that in the kingdom of God power is manifested in love—self-sacrificing love! This kind of power stands in stark contrast to the way power works in the world.

THE JOY GOD GIVES VERSUS THE JOY THE WORLD GIVES

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The joy of the Lord is a great source of strength. It is a gift from God. Human joy can’t take us very far. It disappears in the dark shadows of our trials and tribulations, but the joy which God gives by the Holy Spirit is permanent and as eternal as the life God has given us through Christ.

Prior to Jesus going to the cross and returning to the Father, He told His disciples:

“Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full” John 16:24

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” John 16:24

He also said, 

“you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

The psalmist understood that joy did not from a human source, but from God: 

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” Psalm 4:7

What God puts there, stays there. Every person who trusts in Christ will experience persecution, trials, and tribulations, but the believer does not have to base their joy upon circumstances. They’ve learned, like the Apostle Paul, to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13). Paul’s contentment rested in Christ, not in circumstances. He knew that God does not change, so Paul’s contentment remained.

James also tells us to consider trials with all joy.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” James 1:2-3

How about David:

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11

Joy is contagious. When someone around you is joyful, it’s hard not to notice, but the most powerful thing about joy is that it’s a source of strength for us. Joy is a natural byproduct of being chosen by God; being saved by God; and having God’s Spirit live within us. Joy is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self control. (Galatians 5:22), so joy is a gift from God; joy is a source of strength; and joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We can also consider the tests, trials, and tribulations as joy, knowing the end result. And finally, joy is good for us and good for those around us. Our secure standing before God in Christ ought to fill us with joy, because now, there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). What could be better than all of that!?

adapted from the article How Joy Is A Source of Strength  June 5, 2019, by Jack Wellman http://www.patheos.com

THE “KEY” TO EVANGELISM IS GOD’S POWER

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“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Paul was incredibly well-educated and well-versed in the Scripture of his day. He would have had a doctorate and could have been a seminary professor if he so chose. If anyone could have pulled off being wise and persuasive, it would have been Paul. Yet Paul himself said that his message and teaching did not rely on wise and persuasive words but on a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.

A demonstration of the Spirit’s power. That was Paul’s key to evangelism. With no Holy Spirit, there’s no option of demonstrating the Spirit’s power. This leaves us with wise and persuasive words and we know they won’t convert anyone.

How do we begin to demonstrate the Spirit’s power in our life, and how does that lead to effective sharing of the gospel?

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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.” John 14:25-26

The fruit of the Spirit must be evident in your life: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, self-control. This will allow you to show supernatural grace: forgiveness, even to your enemies.

The gifts of the Spirit must flow as the Holy Spirit leads: words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophecy, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:12-13

Jesus was speaking to his disciples from the heart, in the knowledge that the cross awaited. Contextually, he is talking about his miracles, urging his disciples to believe in him as the Son of God because of the works he has done in their sight. Caught up in the Spirit, he prophesies that those who believe in him, including believers down through the ages, will perform the same, and even greater miracles. In the power and effectiveness of his children, Father God will be glorified. What a glorious promise!

Torben Sondergaad’s Last Reformation ministry demonstrates the truth of Jesus and Paul’s words. Check it out http://www.lastreformation .com. We must be walking in the power of the Holy Spirit if we are to accomplish anything for God’s Kingdom.

For further excellent articles like this one check out Duncan Edward Pile on the Patheos website.

IS OUR SUFFERING POINTLESS?

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Perhaps the greatest test of whether we believe the following Scripture is to identify the very worst things that have happened to us and reflect on whether we believe that God has or will use them for our good.

“In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28

Invariably, if you have lived long enough so that enough time has passed since some of those “worst things” happened to you, then you’ll almost certainly find that God has used those circumstances to stop you from relying on your own efforts, grieving the Holy Spirit in the process and quenching His work in your life.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Jesus made it possible for God. our Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our Spirit. As Jesus Himself said to His disciples, it is far better I go so the Father can send the Holy Spirit to be your counsellor, comforter, and teacher. If you let Him, He will direct your every step. Until you truly die to self and say to the Holy Spirit, not my will but your will be done this day and every day you truly cannot live the Christian life. The fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control will not be evident in your life nor the gifts of the Spirit available for ministry, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, gift of prophecy, gift of faith, healings, miracles, discerning of spirits, gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues. I would venture to say that until you realise the Holy Spirit’s presence and submit to Him, God will continue to bring painful experiences into your life. When you finally realise the immensity of the gift God has provided you will rejoice that God has brought those painful experiences into your life so that you eventually came to experience His wonderful truth. Experiences labeled as the worst things that ever happened to you become some of the best from an eternal perspective. That’s because God uses the painful, difficult experiences of life for our ultimate eternal good.

How is this possible? Because God is both loving and sovereign. Our experiences provide persuasive proof that while evil and suffering are not good, God can use them to accomplish immeasurable good. This knowledge should give us great confidence that even when we don’t immediately see any redemptive meaning in our suffering, God can see it—and one day we will too. Therefore, we need not run from suffering or lose hope if God doesn’t remove it. We can trust that God has a purpose for whatever He permits.

ARE WE WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING?

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Paul tells us “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippian 12-13

“With fear and trembling” sounds daunting and certainly not pleasurable. In fact, is it even possible?

Working out your salvation is not possible if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior. But once you have, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.

With His partnership you can “work out” your salvation. You can experience practically in your everyday life the unlimited resources of peace, joy, and hope that accompany the Holy Spirit’s presence inside of you.

Sadly, you have to question how many people in our churches today are born again and have received the Holy Spirit as their counsellor, teacher and comforter. It is only the Holy Spirit that produces the fruit of the spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace. patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control. It is only the Holy Spirit that provides the gifts of the spirit for ministry: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, prophecy, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The “fear and trembling” Paul is referring to is the attitude Christians are to have in pursuing this goal. We are to have a healthy fear of offending God through disobedience and an awe and respect for His majesty and holiness.

How we act right now as followers of Jesus will greatly impact our internal peace. Fear and trembling simply means, approach God with humility and ask him for His peace to be increased to a greater measure than the anxiety you are experiencing. Say to Him, “Lord, I humbly ask for your peace to be increased in me. I need it Lord to get through my day. Please help me Lord.”

And guess what? God will. God promises us in Philippians 2:13 that “He is at work in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure“. This is a promise.

Obedience triggers greater peace in our lives and greater peace triggers greater effectiveness for us as witnesses for Christ. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:15 that obedience brings blamelessness into our lives in the midst of a crooked and twisted world and this enables our light for Him to shine brighter.

We have to hold on to God’s Word, be in God’s Word, and apply God’s Word to our lives if we hope to maintain any sense of peace in this world. If we hold fast to God’s Word we are fixing our gaze on God by reading His Word and applying it to our lives regardless of our circumstances.

Much of this article was taken from a post by Pastor Kelly a Guest Contributor to http://www.patheos.com entitled Working Out Peace In Your Life In 2021

HOPE FOR AN ETERNAL FUTURE

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Saints, by receiving the Holy Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of God through the Word and we experience the power of God producing the fruit of the spirit in our lives, of love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, kindness and self control . The Holy Spirit provides the gifts of the spirit for ministry; gift of faith, tongues, interpretation of tongues, words of knowledge, prophecy, wisdom, discernment, healing and miracles. As a result, we have full hope for an eternal future and full hope for today as well! When we have needs, we are invited to the throne of grace where we can expect the Lord to speak to us, imparting faith.  By faith Jesus is our healer, by faith Jesus is our provider, by faith Jesus sets us at liberty from all that would come against us in this life.

Let’s learn and enjoy the way of faith.  Trust the Lord completely, for He cares for us. Listen and receive the faith that comes by the word He speaks to us by the Holy Spirit. The word that is the sword of the Spirit to defeat our circumstances.

Let us also look at what Paul had to say about living the Christian life.

“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God“ Romans 15:18-19

HOLY SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE

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The “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23), when taught as merely a set of godly character traits (which they are) (and we need to pursue them), stops short of the ultimate purpose of those traits.

The Amplified Version translates the words “fruit of the Holy Spirit,” as “…the work which His presence within accomplishes.” The Holy Spirit’s presence guides us (as a coach) and guards us (comforts: “strong; fort”) throughout each day and in every decision. As we yield to that work of God’s Spirit (“be filled” Ephesians 5:18), God lives, not merely within us and for us, but through us.

Reimagine discipleship as the ongoing filling of the Spirit (“keep on being filled”) to reveal God’s will through God’s Word. Refocus evangelism as the work of the Holy Spirit to connect each disciple to the needs of the people (family, friends, strangers), the places (work, play), and opportunities (activities, events,) God has called them to serve … resulting in the showing and telling of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit’s internal presence is always purposing towards an external expression of the character of God, revealed to the lost and the least through our unexpected actions and uncommon reactions. Each “fruit” is a gift we bring as we walk a bridge into a conversation to pray for someone or a situation, care for them with acts of service or mercy, and share the Gospel of faith in Jesus.

The fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, goodness (a life full of virtue), faith that prevails,  gentleness of heart and self control (strength of spirit).

The purpose of the fruit of the Spirit is not to make us nicer neighbors; it grows within us to make us loving neighbors who enlighten people to the problem-solving, life-transforming character of God. “This is how God loved the world” (John 3:16): look to what Jesus did, look at how Jesus-followers live and give, serve and sacrifice.

Gifting the fruit of the Spirit is intended to be a daily reality for every authentic Christian, not only for those who have the gift of evangelism or the calling of an evangelist. Valuing the fruit of the Spirit as a witnessing tool can be a huge encouragement to believers who deeply desire to share their faith but often hesitate or have been ineffective. Making disciples who reproduce by sharing their faith must include equipping them to simply look for ways to express the love of God through the spiritual traits they most often or easily exhibit. Some display the love of Christ best through acts of kindness and mercy, others as peacemakers. Every Christ follower needs to seek the discernment of the Spirit into how the Spirit is most effective; which “fruit” (character trait) seems most prevalent and effective in which situations?  

Fruit-of-the-Spirit evangelism is walking God’s love over a bridge into a situation or experience with the gift of joy or peace or patience or kindness, goodness, faith, gentle humility, or restoring control. Love motivated gifts, suited to a person or relevant to a problem, bring practical blessings that point lost people to hope that breeds faith…sharing stories can easily ensue.

Instead of looking first at what we should “do” to evangelize (methods), what if we looked at the focus of our prayers for others? Which fruit of the Spirit predominates our intercession? What passion is stirred within us when we are led to care for people; their problems or possibilities? When does our presence result in conversations about spiritual issues or opportunities to share life stories?

Another great article from Phil Miglioratti • The #ReimagineFORUM
How To Equip UnWitnessing Christians to Share Their Faith

ARE WE MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE OR EVOLVED FROM A MONKEY?

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It is unfortunate that despite the revealed truth of the Word of God, some still foolishly believe in the lie called evolution; that man came into being as a result of random acts of nature  and evolved from a monkey into a human being. If that were the case, why is it that monkeys no longer turn into humans? Also, how do evolved monkeys act in today’s world? Why should you love your neighbour as yourself and why not steal? If there is no God, and this is all there is, then make the most of it? Why care about anyone else? Perhaps, it is fair to say, that Man become as a monkey, when he rejects the truth of scripture, and does not reflect the image of God, His creator.

“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God…” Psalm 14:1

Image result for picture of evolution of man from monkeys

When Satan causes us to reject who we are in Christ, we face the threat of being destroyed in spiritual warfare. We are at war and the only way Satan can defeat us is to get us to forget who we are in Christ and identify with how we feel, what we do, and how others perceive us. Rather than who God created us to be and how He views us.
Walking in the image of God, which was our original nature before sin, is only made possible by Jesus. He made it possible for or Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers in Him as Saviour and Lord. The Holy Spirit is our Counsellor, Comforter and Teacher. He produces the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, patience and self control and provides the nine Gifts of the Spirit for ministry. He is sanctifying us, making us more like Jesus everyday, preparing us to receive our new bodies when Jesus returns.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Holy Spirit is essential to living a successful life, knowing God’s best for us, and overcoming the spiritual warfare we face each day. There are seven characteristics to God’s image:

  • Spirit – God is not a physical being but an existing Spirit. The mistake we tend to make is to limit our existence to our physics, when that isn’t who we really are. Like God, the ‘real us’ is spirit and as mentioned, Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers forever.  We must allow our spirit to be activated by the Holy Spirit and let Him take full control over our physical being. The physical is limited, while the spirit is unlimited.
  • Eternal – God has no beginning or end. He is, was, and is to come. Like God, our spirit is eternal; not that we are immortal, but death is the doorway to eternity. What is important is where we spend eternity.
  • Holy – God is pure. There is no imperfection in Him. He calls us to be holy as He is holy. Holiness for us is not the absence of sin, but rather, it is the presence of the Holy Spirit, evidence of a dynamic relationship with a loving Saviour whose blood has cleansed us of all transgressions.
  • Creator – God is an innovator and is industrious. He has the ability to create. Of all His characteristics, entrepreneurs can best relate to this one because they understand the process of creating. Like God, whatever we imagine, we can produce. There are no limitations to our creative abilities.
  • Loving – “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16.) God’s love is what led Him to send His only Son to die on the Cross. Like God, we must be love, and demonstrate our compassion for others. We must be willing to lay down our lives for others.
  • Just – God’s justice causes Him to judge wickedness and chastise those whom He loves. We must not cooperate with wickedness but take every opportunity to challenge it. We must resist the temptation to adopt “fairness” as a value. This is a dangerous attempt to play God, perhaps thinking that we’re going to make good decisions apart from submitting to God’s perfect righteousness and wisdom. God uses his perfect justice to ultimately yield redemption.

Ultimately, God is an eternal Holy Being who created everything that exists. Although sin brought destruction to His creation, His love for us compelled Him to come as a Saviour to redeem His creation and ultimately bring judgement upon the wicked.
Walking in the image of God is essential to our success in life. We need to be good stewards since that is God’s original and divine order. For us to conform to our original nature, we must make sure we have accepted His Son as our Lord and Saviour. We must have an active prayer and devotional life and submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading each day. This is essential in overcoming spiritual warfare.

My prayer for you today, is that God will give you the grace to recognise His presence and submit to His will, His guidance, so that you will be an overcomer and realise His plan and purpose for your life.

For more information on creation versus evolution go to http://www.creation.com

LIVING ETERNAL NOW

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Have you contemplated why I called this blog Living Eternal Now?

How do we live in the light of eternity and see beyond the moment in a world of increasing darkness?

God has enabled us to look beyond today to see what lies ahead.

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. All believers have received the Holy Spirit to be their counsellor, comforter and teacher. We are Holy Spirit enabled.

We have a spiritual lens through which to view the world from God’s perspective.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Considering we are living in the “last days” when persecution of Christians will increase. It is essential we live Holy Spirit enabled lives. He may not reveal what immediately lies ahead but we live our lives knowing He is in control of coming events. Moreover, we will not be taken by surprise, His Word tells us exactly how the “last days” play out before Jesus returns.

“Living eternal now” is a way of travelling in the here and now, with our spiritual vision fixed on God and eternity so we are submitted to His will.

Remember, our days are numbered. The psalmist says, “So teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12 Hopefully, this admonition, will affect how we use our time, how we decide our priorities, so we don’t waste time..

Paul also tells us, we are now alive to the spiritual realm, we see what is important from an eternal perspective, we don’t dwell on earthly matters which are temporary: ” while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

The preceding verses tell us how being Holt Spirit enabled, we know that whatever God allows into our lives, we will be able to see it as “light affliction” because we know it is for His glory.

“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

If we are living Holy Spirit enabled lives then the fruit of the Spirit (9) will be evident in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control. The fruit of the Spirit demonstrates how far along we are in the sanctification process, submitted to God’s will.

As well, we will be operating in the gifts of the Spirit (9). The gifts of the spirit are the ammunition that the Holy Spirit provides for our use as we walk Holy Spirit enabled lives. The miraculous will truly be evident.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Note the counsel Paul gives concerning neglecting and quenching the Holy Spirits work in our lives.

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Do not neglect the gift that is in you… Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 1 Timothy 4:14

Are you living eternal now? If not why not?

One aspect of living eternally now is based on what our expectation is of the hereafter. Where will you be, and what will you be doing? Sadly, most peoples view of eternal life is not that appealing. They view it as an eternity in heaven but have no idea of what they will be doing there e.g. plucking harps and praising God. As a result, not to many are anxious to leave this life and go there. In future posts, we will explore what the Bible really says about where we will be (new heaven and new earth) and what we will be doing there.