FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

One of the realities of my forty-five-year pilgrimage with Jesus is that the Holy Spirit tends to leak out of me. Take for example, when I’m driving down Highway 41 in Fort Myers, Florida, and all my friends from up north are visiting us during that time of the year we call “Season.” They have the audacity to drive the speed limit in the fast lane when I’m running late for a meeting to do the work of God, and sometimes in my frustration the Spirit leaks out, and then the words come out of my mouth that a follower of Jesus ought not to say. Am I alone? God wants to help the Holy-Spirit-leaking Christ followers like us.

I love this translation of Ephesians 5:18 from The Amplified Bible: “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.” I think it’s awesome that the translation put the word “stupidity” in there. It’s like Paul is saying to us that there are two kinds of spirits, the spirits of wine and the Holy Spirit. We can choose to be drunk or intoxicated with either. To those being intoxicated with wine, he’d say, “That’s stupid.” Instead, Paul invites apprentices of Jesus who leak the Holy Spirit to be “filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly guided by Him.” 

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

#6439

THE GENTLE NUDGE THAT KEEPS YOU IN YOUR LANE

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”  (Isaiah 30:21)

After a recent car accident, our car was totaled and we needed to get a replacement. We found that newer cars come with lane‑assist, something we had not had on our previous vehicle. It’s that subtle steering nudge when you drift too close to the edge of your lane. It’s not loud. It’s not dramatic. It doesn’t grab the wheel and take over. It simply reminds you, “Hey… you’re drifting. Come back to center.”

I have found that the Holy Spirit often works the same way. His promptings are usually gentle nudges -- quiet impressions, small checks in your spirit, a tug toward wisdom, a hesitation before a harmful choice, a sudden thought of someone who needs encouragement. They’re not meant to control you; they’re meant to guide you back into the lane of God’s will.

Lane‑assist doesn’t shame you for drifting. It simply helps you realign. The Spirit does too. He nudges because He loves. He corrects because He protects. He guides because He sees what’s ahead long before you do.

And when you learn to trust those small, sacred nudges, you begin to experience the peace of staying centered -- steady, safe, and aligned with the heart of God.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6438

THE WORLD’S A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE…

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”  (Philippians 2:13 NIV)

Great historical events might never have “happened” if people’s spirits were not in touch with the Spirit’s movement in their lives:

The world’s a better place because Michelangelo didn’t say, “I don’t do ceilings.”

The world’s a better place because a German monk named Martin Luther didn’t say, “I don’t do doors.”

The world’s a better place because an Oxford don named John Wesley didn’t say, “I don’t do fields.”

The world’s a better place because Moses didn’t say, “I don’t do Pharaohs.”

The world’s a better place because Noah didn’t say, “I don’t do arks and animals.”

The world’s a better place because Ruth didn’t say, “I don’t do mothers-in-law.”

The world’s a better place because Mary didn’t say, “I don’t do virgin births.”

The world’s a better place because Mary Magdalene didn’t say, “I don’t do feet.”

The world’s a better place because Jesus didn’t say, “I don’t do crosses.”

Get in touch with the greatness of your spiritual heritage. Look to the future, and feel God’s Spirit stirring your own. Then watch in wonder as God transforms your life… and makes the world a better place.

-- Adapted from Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the Soulcafe”

#6395

THE SPIRIT’S PROMPTINGS

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper… He lives with you and will be in you.”   (John 14:16–17)

Trying to put language around the promptings of the Holy Spirit is no simple task. His movements are mysterious -- felt more than seen, sensed more than explained. They are intangible, yet unmistakably real. And they have been part of the Christian life from the moment Jesus ascended and sent His Spirit to dwell within the believers. That day changed everything.

Jesus had promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)  Not a symbolic power. Not a motivational boost. But the very power of God taking up residence in human hearts.

It should tell us something about the weight of our calling that Christ didn’t leave us to navigate it alone. He knew the mission was bigger than our natural abilities. So He sent a permanent, supernatural Helper -- One who guides, convicts, strengthens, and speaks in ways that shape our steps.

But what is this power for? Acts 1:8 gives the answer plainly: We are empowered to be witnesses -- living, breathing reflections of Christ in every corner of the world. The Spirit’s promptings are not random nudges; they are divine invitations to join God in His work. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6392

BREAKING OUT

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  (1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2 NIV)

We must try to break out of our culture’s mindset and seek to discover “that good and perfect will of God.” In short, we must somehow get hold of “the pure spiritual milk” of the Word, as opposed to the diluted baby formula that has become the diet prescribed by society. We must escape the tendency to conform to society – even within our most crucial spiritual disciplines.

It seems to me that only a strong doctrine of the Holy Spirit offers us any hope of reading Scripture without being influenced by our culture. There has to be something of a miracle involved in true revelatory Bible reading. And the good news is that such miracles happen. As I read the Scriptures, without the help of commentaries or interpreter’s notes, more times than not, I am conscious of the Spirit’s presence. There is revelation, and in it the Spirit applies what I read to my life. I sense I am “breaking out” of culturally controlled modes of interpretation, even as I sense the “breaking in” of God. 

-- Adapted from an article by Tony Campolo (1935-2924) entitled “Getting Out of the World Alive” in Discipleship Journal, No. 86

#6373

SETTING THE THERMOSTAT

“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

John Milton wrote in his epic poem “Paradise Lost” that “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

Setting your mind is like setting a thermostat.  It is creating a target for the climate.  Once you set a thermostat, the heating and air-conditioning will have to adjust in relation to the weather.  It is a constant process, but the goal is for the system to create a life-giving climate.  So too it is with our minds.  Many people try to tell themselves to stop thinking negative thoughts -- which immediately brings to mind the very thoughts they are supposed to stop thinking.

“Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Romans 8:5)

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.”  (Philippians 4:8)

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want To Be” 

#6301

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 1 of 3

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

We can look for cues that embed prayer into our daily lives. In the Bible we are commanded to practice hospitality. In ancient times this usually involved hosting overnight visitors; now it might start with welcoming a telephone call that feels like an interruption. Out of habit I may find myself answering with a grudging spirit. What do you want? Make it fast. You’re bothering me.

But there is another way. Wil Derske, a Benedictine monk, writes about the monastic value of hospitality and says that to accept a phone call is an opportunity to receive a guest. We can pause a moment before answering, in order to change our inner attitude from irritation to welcome. Derske says he will say a prayer of blessing just before taking the call: Benedicamus Domino -- it might be the Lord! 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6110

CLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST

“But to all who received [Jesus], who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:12-13 NRSV)

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”  (Romans 8:14-17 NRSV)

The good news we share with one another is the gospel’s declaration that no matter where we are in life, we are the recipients of God’s limitless grace. We can have peace, joy, assurance, comfort, hope, tranquility, confidence, and companionship with God in Christ and beyond that, life eternal. With a life bank full of such gifts we are indeed rich. And yet, so often I permit myself to slip into poverty thinking and poverty living. I feel anxious, alone, fearful, faithless, without joy, and sometimes without hope. I feel this way because I have forgotten and lost grip on the inheritance that God gives me in Christ anew every morning.

Many of us live in spiritual poverty because we have forgotten who we are as God’s children and who God is as our loving Father. The fact that you are reading these words suggests that you are reaching out even now to claim your full inheritance as a child of God. May God grant grace and wisdom to do so more and more today and every day of your life. Claim your inheritance in Christ and live as God’s beloved child today. 

-- Adapted from Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6090

TWELVE ORDINARY MEN – Part 4 of 4

“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NLT)

God’s favorite instruments are nobodies, so that no one can boast before God. In other words, God chooses whom He chooses in order that He might receive the glory. He chooses weak instruments so that no one will attribute the power to human instruments rather than to God, who wields those instruments. Such a strategy is unacceptable to those whose whole pursuit in life is aimed toward the goal of human glory…

[The apostles] were not like that. They certainly struggled with pride and arrogance like every fallen human being. But the driving passion of their lives became the glory of Christ. And it was that passion, subjected to the influence of the Holy Spirit -- not any innate skill or human talent -- that explains why they left such an indelible impact on the world.

-- Excerpts from “Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You” by John MacArthur

#6087

PASSIONATE WORSHIP

"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed faints for the courts of the Lord." (Psalm 84:1-2)

Vibrant, fruitful, growing churches offer Passionate Worship that connects people to God and to one another. People gather consciously as the Body of Christ with eagerness and expectancy; encounter Christ through singing, prayer, Scripture, preaching, and Holy Communion; and respond by allowing God's Spirit to shape their lives. Lives shaped by God's Spirit become the nucleus for congregations with extraordinary warmth, graciousness, and belonging. People are searching for worship that is authentic, alive, creative, and comprehensible, where they experience the life-changing presence of God in the presence of others. 

-- Robert Schnase in “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” 

#6041

GOD’S INDIVIDUALIZED LOVE

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)

How sad it is to realize that many people never come to Christ because they do not understand that God's love is individualized.  They never come to that sweet, liberating understanding that God calls them to faith as individuals – that He wants them just as they are.

Let me give the good news.  God's family is big enough for you.  God's love is wide enough, and complete enough for you, even if you don't look a bit like your preconceived notion of what a real Christian ought to look like.  You can come as you are as an individual, and God will accept you as an individual and work with you as an individual.  You may trust Him and live your life according to how the Holy Spirit leads you, and God will guide your way.  God loves us as individuals; it was He who created our uniqueness.  Each of us has a unique place and a unique purpose in His family and in His church. 

-- Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton in “More Jesus, Less Religion” 

#5900

 

THE ROLE OF THE SPIRIT

“And I (Jesus) will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor -- Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.”  (John14:16-17 AMP)

Without Pentecost, Easter reminds the church that Jesus has now gone to be with God and His followers are left alone in the world.  Without Pentecost, Easter offers us a risen Christ whose return to glory leaves the church to face the world armed with nothing but fond memories of how it once was when Jesus was here.  But with Pentecost, Easter’s Christ promises to return and has returned in the Holy Spirit as comforter, guide, teacher, reminder, and power.  With Pentecost, the church does not simply celebrate but participates in Easter.  With Pentecost, the risen Christ says hello and not good-bye to the church. 

-- Dr. Fred Craddock 

#5861

THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT

Jesus never brainwashed anyone.  To the contrary, He depicted the cost of following Him in the most realistic terms imaginable, "Take up your cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24)  He never imposed Himself on another person but always left room for choice and even rejection.  In that same style, any changes God works in a person will come about not as a result of coercion from the outside but by a Spirit working from within, summoning up new life, transforming from the inside, out.  The words used to describe God's Spirit -- Comforter, Helper, Counselor -- imply that change may involve a slow, internal process, with many fits and starts.

After considering the various words used of the Holy Spirit, both in Greek and in English, James Houston summarizes them in the simple word "friend."  A true friend always has my best interest at heart. Sometimes the Spirit must, like a good friend, use tough love to remind me of what needs to change -- knowing me from the inside out.  God can bring to mind shortcomings I would prefer to overlook. Yet when I feel empty, misunderstood, and lonely, the Spirit offers comfort, calming my anxiety and fear. Most of all, the Spirit reminds me of God's love, His very presence a token of the fact that I have been graciously adopted as God's child.

-- Philip Yancey in “Reaching for the Invisible God” 

#5858

GOD USES HIS SPIRIT TO CHANGE US

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.”  (Romans 8:9-10 NLT)

When we commit ourselves to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to empower and direct us. The Spirit of God gives us new strength and vitality and the desire and power to do what is right. As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him…

God’s number one purpose in your life is to make you like Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make the child of God more like the Son of God. And what is Jesus like? His life on earth embodied the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

-- Rick Warren in “God’s Power to Change Your Life”

#5776

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

“Now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the Gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the Gospel if you hold firmly to it -- unless it was for nothing that you believed. I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that He was buried and that He was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that He appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then He appeared to more than five hundred of His followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then He appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. Last of all He appeared also to me…”  (1 Corinthians 15:1-8a GNT)

The word evangelism comes from the Greek word euangelizo, which means “to proclaim or share the good news.” Our modern word gospel comes from the Old English word godspel. In Old English, god with a long “o” meant “good,” and spell meant “word.” So sharing the gospel meant sharing the good word or good news of Christ.

Yet for those who don’t believe in Christ, gospel sharing, or evangelism, often arouses skepticism, resentment, fear, or anger. For many self-proclaimed Christians, these words often induce feelings of fear and guilt… [Many Christians] know they should share their faith, but largely because of the strong emotions associated with it, they usually don’t…

When we are open to go wherever the Holy Spirit leads us, He will use us to share the greatest gift of all – [the Good News of] eternal life through Christ. And when He does, we may never know on this side of eternity how much of a difference we made. But someday – on the other side – we’ll know in full. 

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn’t Exist”

#5629

ATTENDING TO THE SPIRIT

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:6-10 NIV)

Attentiveness to God’s Spirit requires deeply receptive, prayerful listening. Practicing the art of attending to the Spirit involves us in contemplative listening. Such listening is quite distinct from the various ways in which we generally listen to another….

It is holy listening, rooted in silence. It seeks emptiness in order to be filled with the Spirit. It is permeated by humility. Such listening assumes the Spirit is active among us. So it makes space for that movement. It is primarily receptive, patient, watchful, and waiting. Yet, it does not fear action when action is called for. Such listening is generously flexible, hospitable, and warm. It embraces the widest possible spectrum of life’s beauty and pain. It acknowledges the creation of all people in the image and likeness of God…. While in one sense a gift, such listening is generally cultivated over the years as we prayerfully attend to the Spirit in our own lives and as others listen to us in the same grace-filled way. 

-- Wendy M. Wright in “Companions in Christ: Participant’s Book,” Part 5

#5626

THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them… . Peter… addressed the crowd… ‘This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says,   I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”’”  (Excerpts from Acts 2:1-21 NIV)

The permanent, personal presence of the Holy Spirit with us is the unique blessing of the new covenant. The Israelites had seen the Spirit work amongst them from time to time, but even the most famous Israelites had not experienced the Spirit’s presence the same way as we do. Like everything else we must start from the gospel in order to understand the gift of the Spirit. Jesus has given the Spirit equally and fully to all His children….

Pentecost marked the creation of the new people of God. It confirmed the new covenant. From this perspective we gain fresh insight into the ministry of the Spirit. He directs the people’s attention to their covenant Lord. He makes the people into a new tabernacle/temple, God’s dwelling place. Through the Spirit the people are drawn together in unity and they receive gifts necessary for their life together and their role in the world.   

-- Mark Strom in “The Symphony of the Scriptures: Making Sense of the Bible’s Many Themes”

#5613

THE EMPOWERING SPIRIT – Part 2

“The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies. He will do this because of His Spirit who lives in you.”  (Romans 8:11)

Rather than losing momentum after the first generation, this movement of the Holy Spirit has continued, empowering Christ’s followers to serve Him. The Holy Spirit has winged their message to many hearts and has performed mighty works of grace, turning people “from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

There is no denying that Christianity has in some instances degenerated into a monument, and its places of worship into museums. But it is equally true, where ordinary men and women in the power of the Spirit have proclaimed the Good News of Christ’s saving grace, the church has continued to grow and thrive. When this happens, there is no man-movement-monument syndrome. The Man, Christ Jesus, is still at work through the Holy Spirit, doing what only He can do -- and doing it well! 

-- Stuart Briscoe in the “Daily Study Bible for Men”

#5611

CANNED CHRISTIANS

“For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:2)

I used to think when someone becomes a Christian he must submit to the traditional picture.  He must "fit in" with all the rest of us.  He must be labeled "Christian," so that anyone can recognize him as a Christian.  Every Christian must look and act alike, and be as easily recognizable as the same company cans on the supermarket shelf.  He has to conform to a certain size can.  Some things he can do, other things he cannot; some thou shalts, and quite a few thou shalt nots.

Of course, he must give up his "worldly habits" and "worldly friends," and if, for example, he still drinks or smokes, he will not quite fit into the can.  We will have to compress him a little further.  So, all of my Christianity reduces itself to one long exercise of compressing and squeezing into a can labeled, "Christian."

But I can't find anything about this in Your words, Lord … Nothing about a canned Christian.  You never bound Your disciples.  You set them free.  You told us to deny ourselves, but You said it in the positive context of following.  You strike at the core of our pride.  You do not want us to chop off a few habits and then sneak that core of pride into the can.  How subtle and sinful we are!  You have come to release us; not to repress us.  You have come to set us free.  "If then the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free." (John 8:36)

-- H.S. Vigeveno in “Jesus the Revolutionary”

#5383

GOD GUIDES US

“Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.”  (Psalm 73:23-24 NLT)

God guides us, despite our uncertainties and our vagueness, even through our failings and mistakes. He often starts us off to the left, only to bring us up in the end to the right; or else He brings us back to the right, after a long detour, because we started out by mistake to the left in the belief we were obeying Him. He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain important moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them, or when we survey the whole progress of our lives, do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us. 

-- Paul Tournier in “Reflections”

#5377