John – God Speaks!
Years ago I led a group of women in Bible Study. The women were all ages and represented each decade. They were awesome! One evening we were talking about how it feels to walk into a new place, fearful and alone, which led to how it feels to think about the future. One of our older, more mature ladies, spoke up quietly with such wisdom. “As a widow, I daily deal with fear of doing life alone. When I come home each day or night, I pray that as I turn the key in the lock of my home I will be okay. Because of that prayer, I instantly feel God’s Presence. As I walk into my apartment I hear, ‘I’m with you’. Fear is faced and conquered. I know, without a doubt, that I am never alone. God is always with me.”
There was silence as the other women in the room tearfully thought about what she said. She just explained what Jesus is explaining to His disciples about how His Holy Spirit will work in the lives of those who believe in Him.
John 14, New Living Translation
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.
WHAT DO WE LEARN?
–God’s Holy Spirit, our Advocate, will NEVER leave us. –The Holy Spirit will lead us to all that is Truth.
–The Holy Spirit is with us and lives IN us.
–Since Jesus lives, we also will live. “When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
–Jesus loves us and will reveal Himself to us. His Holy Spirit in us helps us to see the Father as One who loves us unconditionally.
–God our Father, Jesus our Savior and Lord, along with His Holy Spirit takes up residence in the hearts, minds and souls of those who believe!
–The Holy Spirit represents Jesus! –The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of Jesus’ teaching.
–God proved His love for us by sending Jesus to die in our place for our sins. We show our love by obeying Him so the world will know Who we belong to…We belong to Jesus!
–Jesus left us with a Gift that keeps on giving….“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Believe. No matter what is happening around us or to us, believe and you will have His peace.
–The temporary ruler of this very temporary world has no power over Jesus. Jesus is King of kings and LORD of lords.
–The SAME power that defeated death and rose from the grave LIVES in us! Meditate on that for a moment or two.–God, Jesus, Holy Spirit…Three in One…lives in all who believe!
HOLY PAUSE…
Do you believe what Jesus says about His Holy Spirit living in us?
Do you know, without a doubt, that you are never alone?
Do we know and realize what power that lies within all who believe?
If you answered a resounding YES! to these questions, then…
“Come, let’s be going”, as Jesus said, into 2020 with greater vision, higher hopes, deeper, everlasting love for God and others, with behaviors that match what we say we believe so that others will find and follow Jesus, too!
May The Holy Spirit reveal God to us and what HE wants each day from us. May He then give us the power to accomplish all that He invites to to be and do. I know He will…He promised!
In Jesus Name, by His power working within us, AMEN.
I believe.
