Recently, someone asked me to “educate them on the Holy Spirit.” This seemingly simple question is actually a topic that I could spend months or years researching and writing about without explaining it fully. This is what I wrote to this individual, submitted here for your edification.
The Holy Spirit is one of the beings that make up the trinity of God. Along with the Father, and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is one of the three distinct personalities of God. The Holy Spirit has many purposes or functions that are found throughout the Bible. Here are three functions, with the appropriate Scriptures.
The Holy Spirit Points Out Our Sin (Convicts Us)
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
John 16:8-11
When we do something wrong, as all of us do, the Holy Spirit points out our error. Once we know that we have done something wrong, we know that we need to ask God to forgive us. We know that when we ask Him, He will do it.
The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
Romans 8:26-27
Quite often, we truly don't know how to pray. When we can't find the words, the Holy Spirit expresses our struggles.
The Holy Spirit Cleanses / Purifies Us
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Because of this power, we do not have to be slaves to sin any longer. It is quite likely that we will still fail and sin from time to time, but this does not have to be our normal state of being anymore.
Just as I said to this other individual, please don't just take my word for what the Holy Spirit is and does. Rather, I encourage you to be just like the Jews that Paul encountered in Berea who are described in the 17th chapter of Acts.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”
Acts 17:11-12
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Weekend Fiction - Armored, Awake
The screech of the alarm clock woke Arianne from her fitful sleep. She tried to calm herself, struggling to control her rapid breathing.
“It was just a dream, it was just a dream...,” she repeated to herself.
Arianne hadn't been in love since she was a teenager. Even though everyone told her it was nothing but a simple High-School romance, Connor was still the love of her life. The first and only man she gave her heart to. Since the accident, she had not even been able to look at a man. She had never been able to convince herself that the accident wasn't her fault.
Arianne dressed and went to work. She made a living working as a filing clerk in the records department at the local university. It was not a well-paying job, but it had the advantage of having few coworkers.
On her way home, Arianne decided to stop to pick up a few items at the local drugstore.
The package on the clearance shelf was labeled 'Armor'. The label said that it was helpful for those trying to recover from emotional trauma.
The label read: “Through a combination of natural medicines and cutting edge subliminal therapy, the contents of this package will allow you to insulate yourself from the negative emotions that are a result of traumatic experiences in your past.”
“Something like this really should require a prescription.” Arianne thought to herself as she picked up the package. It was surprisingly heavy for its size.
“Actual results may vary.” said the disclaimer, in fine print.
“For 20 bucks, I'd say it's worth a try,” a young clerk said, startling Arianne.
Arianne turned, noticing a short, thin teenager. His name tag said “My name is Wilton; How May I Help You?”
“What's your return policy?” Ariane asked.
“Ummm, that's a clearance item.” Wilt replied. “We don't allow returns. That's actually the last one in stock.”
“Thank you for your help.”
Arianne carried the package to the register, stopping to pick up a can of miniature ravioli. She paid her $22.54 and left the store, opting for a paper bag. At home, she ate her meal from a paper plate, carefully rinsing the can and placing it in the recycle bin. Ordinarily, she would eat in front of the TV, sharing her evening meal with the same faithful friends she ate with every evening at 5:30, but tonight she was eager to open her recent acquisition.
“It was just a dream, it was just a dream...,” she repeated to herself.
Arianne hadn't been in love since she was a teenager. Even though everyone told her it was nothing but a simple High-School romance, Connor was still the love of her life. The first and only man she gave her heart to. Since the accident, she had not even been able to look at a man. She had never been able to convince herself that the accident wasn't her fault.
Arianne dressed and went to work. She made a living working as a filing clerk in the records department at the local university. It was not a well-paying job, but it had the advantage of having few coworkers.
On her way home, Arianne decided to stop to pick up a few items at the local drugstore.
The package on the clearance shelf was labeled 'Armor'. The label said that it was helpful for those trying to recover from emotional trauma.
The label read: “Through a combination of natural medicines and cutting edge subliminal therapy, the contents of this package will allow you to insulate yourself from the negative emotions that are a result of traumatic experiences in your past.”
“Something like this really should require a prescription.” Arianne thought to herself as she picked up the package. It was surprisingly heavy for its size.
“Actual results may vary.” said the disclaimer, in fine print.
“For 20 bucks, I'd say it's worth a try,” a young clerk said, startling Arianne.
Arianne turned, noticing a short, thin teenager. His name tag said “My name is Wilton; How May I Help You?”
“What's your return policy?” Ariane asked.
“Ummm, that's a clearance item.” Wilt replied. “We don't allow returns. That's actually the last one in stock.”
“Thank you for your help.”
Arianne carried the package to the register, stopping to pick up a can of miniature ravioli. She paid her $22.54 and left the store, opting for a paper bag. At home, she ate her meal from a paper plate, carefully rinsing the can and placing it in the recycle bin. Ordinarily, she would eat in front of the TV, sharing her evening meal with the same faithful friends she ate with every evening at 5:30, but tonight she was eager to open her recent acquisition.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Weekend Fiction - Armored, The Hospital
This is a story I've been working on, on and off for almost 7 years. It's finally done though, and ready for your critique.
The Emergency Room doors burst open to admit a young man on a stretcher being pushed by two paramedics.
“We have an accident victim; male, 17 years old with severe crush injuries to the chest. Heart rate is uneven and tachy at 130, respirations shallow. Name, Connor Bailey.”
Doctors and nurses quickly surrounded Connor as he was wheeled into the nearest trauma bay. His shirt and tie were torn off, making way for the patches of an EKG machine.
“This kid doesn't look good. Have we contacted the family yet?” a doctor barked.
“They're on the way!” a nurse replied.
“I need a central line.” Consulting the hastily written notes on the chart, he continued. “Get 4 units of B positive hung up now!”
The rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor began to slow, growing more uneven.
“We're losing him! Get the paddles in here!”
Arianne stood just outside the trauma bay, wearing a prom dress and crying. “I killed him.” she whispered.
The Emergency Room doors burst open to admit a young man on a stretcher being pushed by two paramedics.
“We have an accident victim; male, 17 years old with severe crush injuries to the chest. Heart rate is uneven and tachy at 130, respirations shallow. Name, Connor Bailey.”
Doctors and nurses quickly surrounded Connor as he was wheeled into the nearest trauma bay. His shirt and tie were torn off, making way for the patches of an EKG machine.
“This kid doesn't look good. Have we contacted the family yet?” a doctor barked.
“They're on the way!” a nurse replied.
“I need a central line.” Consulting the hastily written notes on the chart, he continued. “Get 4 units of B positive hung up now!”
The rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor began to slow, growing more uneven.
“We're losing him! Get the paddles in here!”
Arianne stood just outside the trauma bay, wearing a prom dress and crying. “I killed him.” she whispered.
Monday, August 19, 2013
The Long Run
I heard of a girl, a friend of a friend; at 19 years old, she had a brain aneurysm and died suddenly. I don't know the specifics of her situation; I never even met her, but I know that her death was unexpected.
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again. The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.”
Job 7:6-10
Job seems a bit more hopeless than even I am, but I am just as certain of how short life is and how suddenly it can end. A sudden illness, a car accident, a random crime or any of a thousand other things could end your life in a heartbeat. Without belaboring the point, even if you live to a good, old age; even if you live over 900 years, as the Bible says Methuselah did, death is coming. Even if you live to see the return of Christ, and you don't truly experience death, your existence will be dramatically changed in a way every bit as transformational as death.
With this in mind, how can we respond? Death is certain; if we choose to fix our eyes on this fact, our lives will begin to reflect our focus. Every action we take will be tinged by this awareness. We will likely do one of two things: we will live for the short-lived joys this life can offer or work as hard as we can to delay the inevitable as long as possible. Living a life focused on the joys of this life doesn't necessarily mean we will become hedonists, living simply for our own pleasure, we aren't animals after all; we might choose to live lives focused on helping others and derive pleasure that way. In the end, though, both paths lead to an ultimately unfulfilling result.
There is however an alternative.
If we choose to accept that this life is a temporary situation and look forward to what comes beyond this life, we can truly make our life on this earth meaningful. While death may be coming for you and every other human on earth, if you are a Christian, you have hope; you believe that there is a place prepared for you when this life ends. Your mission on this earth should be to spread the good news of the hope we have in Christ. If you truly want to live a life of worth, with a result that is as fulfilling as possible, this is the path you must choose.
“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again. The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more. As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so one who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again; his place will know him no more.”
Job 7:6-10
Job seems a bit more hopeless than even I am, but I am just as certain of how short life is and how suddenly it can end. A sudden illness, a car accident, a random crime or any of a thousand other things could end your life in a heartbeat. Without belaboring the point, even if you live to a good, old age; even if you live over 900 years, as the Bible says Methuselah did, death is coming. Even if you live to see the return of Christ, and you don't truly experience death, your existence will be dramatically changed in a way every bit as transformational as death.
With this in mind, how can we respond? Death is certain; if we choose to fix our eyes on this fact, our lives will begin to reflect our focus. Every action we take will be tinged by this awareness. We will likely do one of two things: we will live for the short-lived joys this life can offer or work as hard as we can to delay the inevitable as long as possible. Living a life focused on the joys of this life doesn't necessarily mean we will become hedonists, living simply for our own pleasure, we aren't animals after all; we might choose to live lives focused on helping others and derive pleasure that way. In the end, though, both paths lead to an ultimately unfulfilling result.
There is however an alternative.
If we choose to accept that this life is a temporary situation and look forward to what comes beyond this life, we can truly make our life on this earth meaningful. While death may be coming for you and every other human on earth, if you are a Christian, you have hope; you believe that there is a place prepared for you when this life ends. Your mission on this earth should be to spread the good news of the hope we have in Christ. If you truly want to live a life of worth, with a result that is as fulfilling as possible, this is the path you must choose.
“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
Thursday, August 8, 2013
These Dreams
I just finished reading the book of Daniel. A recurring theme throughout the book is dreams, visions, and their interpretation. My head is practically spinning from all the imagery, metaphor and symbolism. Between all the kings and kingdoms represented by beasts, stars and horns and the visions of the short term mixed with visions of the end times, it's difficult to absorb it, let alone correctly interpret it. Like most Biblical prophecy, I believe Daniel has multiple layers of meaning. Some prophecies that were understood and recognized as being fulfilled by the contemporary readers may yet have meaning for readers of today. When I read passages like this, I remember these words from Isaiah:
“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10
This is what the Lord decreed for His faithless people when the vast majority of them had abandoned Him to pursue other deities. The words of warning spoken by Isaiah were apparently intended for the few remaining faithful, who would become the stump of God's chosen people, but I'm confident that they have meaning still for us today. Why?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10
This is what the Lord decreed for His faithless people when the vast majority of them had abandoned Him to pursue other deities. The words of warning spoken by Isaiah were apparently intended for the few remaining faithful, who would become the stump of God's chosen people, but I'm confident that they have meaning still for us today. Why?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Saturday, August 3, 2013
No Problem, Mon
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
This is a very simple idea; so simple in fact that it is easy to forget all about it. I wonder how many people take the time to do an inventory of the past day and confess to and ask forgiveness for their sins? If God already knows everything, He surely knows what our sins are, far more clearly than we do; why does He want us to confess our sins to Him?
Confessing our sins does not benefit God; it benefits us. It does not change God, it changes us. All sin is evil; from simple lies of convenience to murder. This is the bad news. The good news is, there is no sin that God cannot and will not forgive when we sincerely seek forgiveness from Him. God is infinite; His ability to forgive is infinitely greater than our ability to sin.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
No matter how badly you think you have failed; no matter how far you think you have strayed from the path that God has set for you, He is willing and ready to take you back if you will just return to Him. Think of the story of the so-called “Prodigal Son”. After he had lost all his money, this young man returned home in shame, intending to beg his father to take him back as a hired servant. As he was nearing home, his father saw him from a distance. This father, who had every right to be angry and berate the son for his foolish behavior, forgot his pain, forgot his pride, even forgot his dignity, and ran to his son. God is just like the father in the story. Just as the father in the story bore the cost of his son's failure, God has paid the cost for us.
This is what God says; “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just and will forgive all of your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.” This is the most incredible invitation that anyone could ever receive. Take the simple step and that this invitation today.
1 John 1:8-9
This is a very simple idea; so simple in fact that it is easy to forget all about it. I wonder how many people take the time to do an inventory of the past day and confess to and ask forgiveness for their sins? If God already knows everything, He surely knows what our sins are, far more clearly than we do; why does He want us to confess our sins to Him?
Confessing our sins does not benefit God; it benefits us. It does not change God, it changes us. All sin is evil; from simple lies of convenience to murder. This is the bad news. The good news is, there is no sin that God cannot and will not forgive when we sincerely seek forgiveness from Him. God is infinite; His ability to forgive is infinitely greater than our ability to sin.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
No matter how badly you think you have failed; no matter how far you think you have strayed from the path that God has set for you, He is willing and ready to take you back if you will just return to Him. Think of the story of the so-called “Prodigal Son”. After he had lost all his money, this young man returned home in shame, intending to beg his father to take him back as a hired servant. As he was nearing home, his father saw him from a distance. This father, who had every right to be angry and berate the son for his foolish behavior, forgot his pain, forgot his pride, even forgot his dignity, and ran to his son. God is just like the father in the story. Just as the father in the story bore the cost of his son's failure, God has paid the cost for us.
This is what God says; “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just and will forgive all of your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.” This is the most incredible invitation that anyone could ever receive. Take the simple step and that this invitation today.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Ninety
A hundred miles from Omaha
A sunny day, but not quite summer
A child was born; a baby came
Leola had a little girl
Soon she was a woman
Wild at heart and brave
With a soul of independence
And a spirit none could tame
She put her hands to work
Though but a child still
Arcing current, wielding fire
She bent iron to her will
With hands that had formed steel
Now grown a bit more soft
She raised and reared six children
Setting each of them aloft
Those hands, so used to working
Just seem to keep on moving
She sets a proud example
In the deeds that she is doing
In her hands, crocheting needles
Turn threads to works of art
Every stich is filled with love
For the people in her heart
Four generations now
Her children, great and grand
Her touch is felt by dozens now
With many more at hand
So many she has touched
How many she has blessed
Of all the hearts on earth
She ranks among the best
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