Holy Spirit
Is Lip Service a Big Deal to God?
A person who is not a Christian once challenged me and asked why believers talk about God’s love but never His wrath. I thought about his question and realized that I, too, am guilty of this very thing. Think about all the wonderful ways we look at God’s love, gentleness, and favor. Today, however, let’s consider the context in which God’s actions are described as wondrously marvelous in reference to His judgment on people who claim His name, but simply give lip service to Him.
God uses the prophet Isaiah to call these people out in Isaiah 29:13-14. “Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous.'” He goes on to warn them of the consequences of their lip service and rote worship.
We might want to relegate our Creator’s wrath to the Old Testament, but Revelation 16 speaks of God’s judgment being poured out in a future day. We may wonder, “Is mankind’s behavior and sincerity of worship a big deal to God?” The answer is, “yes.”
Lord, You alone are worthy of our praise. You extend mercy to those who call on Your name but are WONDROUSLY MARVELOUS in Your discipline toward those who give You lip service and rote worship. Forgive us and prompt us daily to live by Your Spirit.
One of the ways we can avoid giving lip service to God is by listening to and being led by His Spirit. If you’d like to learn more, listen to this free podcast teaching: Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.
Beyond Our Imagination – A Deeper Understanding of the Spirit
Do you know all that God has prepared for you in eternity? The answer is “no, we don’t know.” First Corinthians 2:9 says, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Does that bless your heart? Our earthly days may be rough, but God has prepared a future beyond our imagination.
First Corinthians 2:10-12 goes on to explain that no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.”
Do these verses about the Spirit make you want to have a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and how you can walk by His promptings? If so, I encourage you to listen to “Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to Christians. Know Him. Listen to Him. Love and adore Him, for He is the Spirit of Christ abiding in you.
Heavenly Father, Your gift to us of the SPIRIT WHO SEARCHES ALL THINGS, is the most amazing gift. Thank You! Help us faithfully walk by Your Spirit.
Listen now: Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.
Is There Anyone You Can Trust?
The truth. When listening to the news do you ever long for the truth? When questioning a child, have you ever doubted their words and said, “Tell me the truth.” If a person has lied to you once, do you wonder when they tell you something if it’s the truth? How refreshing that in John 16:13 Jesus tells us we can trust God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. There’s not a lie in God’s holy body, Word, or Spirit.
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13).
So when we question or wonder if we should do things our way, the world’s way, or God’s way, we have the answer. Believe in the Spirit of Truth. Follow the Spirit of Truth. Obey the Spirit of Truth.
Lord God, how refreshing that we can wholeheartedly trust You, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH!
Our key verse today is John 16:13. Watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 16 HERE or listen to it HERE.
A Wonderful Ask by Jesus for Us
Are you familiar with Jesus’ teaching, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” Matthew 7:7? Ask means to call for, to request of someone. Jesus teaches us to request of the Father what we need. But Jesus not only teaches us to ask God for desired needs, but He also asks God for things. In John 14:16, Jesus told His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), that He may be with you forever…” Who is the Paraclete? He’s the Holy Spirit (Helper) who is with us forever.
Studying the Greek definition of the word “Helper, Paraclete,” ummm – helps. Consider the following definition of Paraclete:*
- Someone summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid.
- One who pleads another’s cause before a judge, counsel for defense, an advocate.
- Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after His ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.
It’s staggering when we think of the magnitude of God’s provisions for us. Our Heavenly Father not only took it upon Himself to send His Son to save us but also sent the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be an abiding divine presence within us. We never walk alone.
Heavenly Father, Son, and PARACLETE, the blessing of Your Presence is something we will only fully realize when we are in Heaven. Thank You, Lord!
Want to learn more about the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, and how to discern His voice? Listen HERE.
*https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G3875&t=NASB
Near or Far? Here’s the Answer
Jesus told His disciples He was going to die and ascend to His Father in heaven but that He would not leave them as orphans. (John 14:16-18) Jesus explained that He would send a Helper to them and that the Helper would not only be with them, but also in them. You can’t get more near to someone than to be in them. That is God’s gift to believers. Christ’s Holy Spirit is in you. Near. Not far away. Near. Not inaccessible. Still not convinced? Listen to what Psalm 145:18 says,
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”
Call on God in sincerity and truth. He’s near.
LORD, You are NEAR, not far removed. Thank You that we can call on You in sincerity and truth.
In Debbie’s teaching on John 14, she discussed Jesus’ promise of sending a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to not only be with His disciples, but also in them. To watch a clip from Debbie’s teaching on this subject, click HERE.
I Shudder to Think…
Following the Israelites exodus from Egypt, Moses recounted their conquests and urged the people to obey God’s Law. In his discourse, he spoke the poignant words in Deuteronomy 4:7. “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?”
Have you ever thought about his words in relation to our nation? The LORD our God is our God and whenever we call on Him, He’s near?
You may think that God has not heard our prayers for our nation. But, we have no idea the amount of evil that might have occurred had God not been answering our prayers.
Therefore, keep praying. Keep calling on God to raise godly leaders and to protect all who are standing for truth. What we see on earth is a reflection of the unseen spiritual warfare being played out in the heavenliness; so pray like never before, assured there is power in your prayers. And, remember to have a grateful heart for daily victories. Is there any good in your life? Is a family member standing strong for their beliefs rather than compromising them? Are you mindfully thanking God? If not, begin. It is important that our thanks reach God’s ears.
LORD OUR GOD, we shudder to think what our nation and world would be like if You removed Your restraining hand. Thank You for being near and hearing our prayers. We give You praise and glory.
The Lord is always present and wants us to talk to Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
Dry as A Prune or Plump?
“I’m thirsty!” How many times have we said that? Our bodies need water. But, what about our spirits? According to Jesus, they need spiritual water, Living Water, the Holy Spirit.
Listen to Jesus words. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:38-39
In these verses, Jesus tells us an important truth. Just as our body needs water, so does our spirit.
Unhappy? Grumpy? Dry as a prune? If so, you could be spiritually thirsty.
Go to your Heavenly Father. Tell Him, “I thirst. I feel spiritually dry.” Ask Him to refresh you. Open your heart and ask Him to fill you to overflowing with His glorious, refreshing, life-giving Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 reinforces Jesus’ words with the command that believers be filled continually with the Spirit.
So yes, when your body is dry, reach for a glass of water. When your spirit is dry, reach for the Lord’s filling.
Jesus, thank You for giving us the LIVING WATER of Your Spirit who cleanses and refreshes us so we are filled and energized to serve You. We love You, Lord.
Click HERE to watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 7, where Jesus says that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within them, referring to the Holy Spirit. You can also listen to the podcast teaching by clicking HERE.
Someone Knows Your Heart, God’s Will Is Being Your Go Between
When God says something one time, we need to pay attention. When He says it twice in the same breath, we need to sit up and pay attention. Romans 8:26-27 is just such a case. Note how these two verses describe God the Spirit.
26 “Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”
27 “and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Did you note how God the Spirit is described two times as One who intercedes for us?
Yes, first, Paul explains that the Spirit helps us by being an intercessor between us and God the Father.
Second, he explains that the Spirit searches our heart and as our “go between” intercessor prays for us according to the will of God.
If you ever have times you are burdened, confused, or at a loss about what to pray, quiet your heart in God’s presence.
Rest assured that the Holy Spirit, who is in you, will take the reins and intercede for you with groanings too deep for words.
Holy One, what joy and peace there is knowing that You are our INTECESSOR. Thank You for searching our hearts and INTERCEDING for us with groanings too deep for words.
The Holy Spirit is an intercessor and a helper for believers. To deepen your understanding of the Spirit, listen to Debbie’s podcast teaching: “Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.”
When You Are at Your Wit’s End
Have you ever felt at your wit’s end…puzzled and perplexed about a situation?
Perhaps you don’t know what to do with a child or your marriage. You may feel at your wit’s end in regard to a work situation or friendship.
When we feel at our wit’s end it is often because we’ve exhausted our resources. We’ve tried everything we know to do and haven’t come up with a solution. Talking things over with a friend or family member hasn’t helped. Recommended books and resources haven’t provided the answer.
When we’re at our wit’s end, we do well to “stop, drop, and pray” as I write in Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
Stop and drop to our knees. Why? If we’re already “dead in our tracks” about what to do, what better place and before whom could we better stop? We bow because we are humbly aware that we need a higher power and His name is Jesus Christ.
We stop and drop to our knees because we want to hear from the Lord, who says in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go…”
We’re bowed and quiet, looking up for divine help. We’re listening to what some call a still small voice and is, in fact, the Holy Spirit speaking into our spirit.
If you’ve never tried it before, I encourage you to stop, drop, and pray, “Lord, instruct me and teach me the way I should go… with my job, with this project, with my child, in my marriage, with this health concern.”
Lord Jesus, our INSTRUCTOR, we love and adore You and thank You for the promise that You will instruct us and teach us the way in which we should go. Help us listen well.
Would you like to develop a deeper prayer life? Get a copy of Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, to learn how.
When You Don’t Know What to Do
Have you ever felt uncertain about what to do? I have. Probably one of the most challenging times was when I was 29 years old and received a letter from M.D. Anderson saying I had stage 1a ovarian cancer. The oncologist I was seeing agreed that it would be good for me to get a second opinion. When I did, I was told I did not have cancer. In spite of the second opinion, my oncologist’s advice was to follow M.D. Anderson’s diagnosis and have a hysterectomy.
We had one child but wanted more children. If we followed M.D. Anderson’s advice, I’d immediately have a hysterectomy. My husband and I didn’t know what to do. We turned to the Lord.
Isaiah 42:16 says, “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them.” God is our guide to eternal life, but He’s also our guide for daily life.
When we pray, which is what Keith and I did along with many family and friends who prayed for us, God guided us and we felt peace about what to do. Instead of immediately having a hysterectomy, we were blessed by being able to quickly conceive and have our daughter, Lauren; then followed up with the hysterectomy.
Difficult, stressful, tearful times occur, but in each and every one of those times we can be assured we are not alone. Our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit are present to guide us. Look to them. Follow their will.
Thank You, Lord, for being our ever-present GUIDE. We love You and thank You for caring for us and for guiding us.
God cares about you and what’s going on in your life. Would you like to learn more about giving your worries over to Him? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 5 HERE or listen to it HERE.