In Abilene the sun is not out today, the music in our house was a bit too slow and serious and my heart seemed a bit low. So I have fought today to turn it in another direction. Daniel requested breakfast out and so I went. It is not my favorite but I moved on, training my heart. As we returned there were things to do around the house and we stayed busy until around noon. I ask if we could go on a walk, thought that would be good for the heart. As we started walking I ask for a heart that was grateful and one that thought of others. God gave us a wonderful time. We walked farther than Daniel expected he would want to go. I haven't measured it yet but I am anxious to tell him just how far he was able to go.
As the walk we talked about the prophet Jonah. This is the first minor prophet in the book we are reading. As we walked we talked about how God called us to Abilene and how He had prepared us for this move. I will have to confess I do not think I have allowed myself to enjoy all that God has for me here. One of the things God has called me to do and I have just not planned it and carried through with is VISITING! I love to be visited and I love to visit, so why have I resisted?? It's like God is asking me to go places I don't want to go. We continued to talk about a prophet bringing the Word of the Lord to the people and how we all are at a place to hear from the Spirit and able then to bring the Word of the Lord to one another. That is exciting news. We would love to hear from others as they hear from the Spirit.
When we got back home, we sat down and read through Jonah and reflected on what we read. The fact that Jonah tells the sailors that he is a Hebrew and that he fears the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land brings the sailors to a point of actually speaking to God. God is glorified just by us telling others it is He who makes a difference in our lives.
Grace is given to Jonah and to the great city of Nineveh. God will go out of His way to give us grace. He continues to be patient with me. When you look at the message Jonah gave it was very simple, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown". Wow! We don't have to have an exciting message or be eloquent, God does the pricking of hearts and brings people to understanding of Himself. The great city believed and a fast was called. Why do we worry about our message? My heart deceives me. These people had no background with God, yet they called on him and God did not overthrow them.
Two quotes about grace from the book:
"Grace is resisted only to the point that people cling to idols."
"The recipients of grace are to "pick up a bucket and dump it on someone else."
My heart is at a different place now -- training my heart, exercise everyday!!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
UNEXPECTED WISDOM BY DAN SCHMIDT
As the snow has continued I checked out our book shelf for a book I have not read. I looked at several ~ Pilgrim Heart by Tippens, Here and Now by Nouwein, I, Issac take Thee, Rebekah by Zacharias, or do I try to finish Abba's Child by Manning...I settled on Unexpected Wisdom by Dan Schmidt. I have not been disappointed in the direction I was lead. It is major insight from the minor prophets.
How many times do you skip past the introduction in a book?? This is not one you want to pass. He uses the analogy of a closet in describing the minor prophets as packed to the brim and you open it up having really forgotten what all is in the closet. This is what my craft closet looks like. It is also a Cailyn and Corban closet and also contains all of our games. You don't really know what all you will find until you sit and dig!!
Another analogy the author mentions is that the minor prophets is like the sea. You dive in and won't see the bottom for a good long while. Prophets are messengers from God. They know His message and they are bringing it to God's people. God has much to say and wants to show Himself to us all - then and even now in our lives today.
Ps. 50:3
Our God is coming; He will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes Him,
and a storm rages around Him
II Cor. 4:8-11
We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus' life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.
Life is hard for all of us at different times and with different situations. The minor prophets have a message for us today. I will list the chapters and you will see how practical the reading is, but not just the book, more importantly the Bible~~especially the minor prophets.
Receive and Extend Grace
Don't Fear the Dark
Abandon Pride
Use Power Well
Choose Wisely
Be Courageous
Stay Close
Keep Your Heart Soft
Radiate Integrity
Hope
Let me know if you pick this book up. Daniel and I are reading it together and would love to hear your thoughts!!
How many times do you skip past the introduction in a book?? This is not one you want to pass. He uses the analogy of a closet in describing the minor prophets as packed to the brim and you open it up having really forgotten what all is in the closet. This is what my craft closet looks like. It is also a Cailyn and Corban closet and also contains all of our games. You don't really know what all you will find until you sit and dig!!
Another analogy the author mentions is that the minor prophets is like the sea. You dive in and won't see the bottom for a good long while. Prophets are messengers from God. They know His message and they are bringing it to God's people. God has much to say and wants to show Himself to us all - then and even now in our lives today.
Ps. 50:3
Our God is coming; He will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes Him,
and a storm rages around Him
II Cor. 4:8-11
We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus' life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.
Life is hard for all of us at different times and with different situations. The minor prophets have a message for us today. I will list the chapters and you will see how practical the reading is, but not just the book, more importantly the Bible~~especially the minor prophets.
Let me know if you pick this book up. Daniel and I are reading it together and would love to hear your thoughts!!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Team Orozco/Thompson/Grassie
For the first time since Hannah and Jason wedding in May the whole clan was together. We wanted to have a relaxing time and yet had certain things we wanted to happen. I like to have the meals planned and food purchased, and I had a list of events to suggest for our time. We all enjoy games so we knew when the kids went down each night we would try some new game.
Alison, Justin and the kids arrived from College Station on Monday, Dec 27th in the early afternoon. Hannah and Jason arrived later in the evening, but still in time for a late dinner. The kids were already in bed and so we sat up and visited for a bit. The following day we all headed out to the Jump Around "inside park" on Tuesday morning. If you can imagine LOTS of JOY JUMPS, tunnels to crawl through, slides to come down -- you have pictured it right. Afterwards we headed to the house and enjoyed some time relaxing while the kids napped. When the kids woke up we had the traditional opening of presents and it was a GRAND affair! I have thought about the word "celebrate" more this Christmas than any other. Daniel and I read the Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren out loud to one another and we decided to start a new tradition. A celebration party in honor of Jesus. It was a time of laughter and enjoyment as we are so thankful for the birth of Jesus - that God came to be with us through His Son, that God is for us and and that God loves us. That is certainly much to celebrate. We had some games that the kids enjoyed - Corban is very fond of music and dancing and we had a relay game that Cailyn participated in with us. The adults enjoyed the balloon game the most!! We had balloons all over the house even after Hannah and Jason left on January 1st!!
Corban with his new Black and Decker tools.
Cailyn twirling around in her new gown!!
We tried our expanded version of Settlers of Catan and it was great. If I remember correctly Justin won!! The next night we played speed scrabble and on New Year's Eve we brought out Scattergories. Having six making their own list for that game brought quite the variety of answers and some interesting conversation - I"ll just leave it at that!! Our New Year's Eve also included Alison's famous twice baked potatoes and a wonderful fire with smores in the backyard before the kids went down.
Daniel had given the guys a combined gift of a round of golf and a 60 golf ball bag - they went out on Wednesday morning to try it out. Of course Daniel was one week away from having back surgery!! Justin reported Daniel still shut them out. I think it was more about fun and "male bonding" than the score. It was Daniel's treat to himself to do this with the guys. Meanwhile the girls (and Corban) went to downtown Abilene and had a great walk and picnic at the park across the street from the Grace Museum, the location of Hannah and Jason's wedding. It was a beautiful day. Naps were had by many when the park and golf were over.
When the girls were growing up one of their favorite things to do was make donut holes and so Hannah got Jason in the kitchen and Alison helped a bit too (mainly by eating, hahaha) We sent Alison and Justin to the store for milk and pretended to eat the donuts while they were gone. We played a bit of Wii that night and enjoyed one of Jason's favorite movies - The 13th Warrior.
Alison bought a ginger bread house kit to do while we were all together. It took all that could help!! Cailyn and Corban mainly enjoyed putting the candy both in their in mouth and on the house. It was a fun time!! We headed out to the park on New Year's Eve day and played Bocce Ball and had a picnic that ended with feeding the ducks!! The weather was wonderful the whole time we were all together.
My heart is full as I know that we were not scheduled to see the girls and their families!! Couldn't have enjoyed it more!! Daniel and I are so blessed. One last thing I will tell about is our blessing time. We verbally blessed the girls and their husbands and they each blessed one another. We had communion together and enjoyed some conversation about how we had grown in our experience of taking communion.
I keep thinking of one more thing. We stole an idea from the Mills family here in Abilene. We had a jar of money that we put on the kitchen table the last morning we were together. There was a piece of paper for the girls and their husbands to make a guess. The understanding was that the person closest to the correct amount would claim the money. Each of them put their number down and we were witness to how Justin chose his number. He told Cailyn to pick a number from 1-9 and after hesitating he put that number last. He continued to give her a range 1-8, 1-7 and last of all 1-6. She picked each number and he wrote them in order starting from the end of the number. When we sat to find out who would receive the money we asked them how they chose their number. We all laughed at what Justin had done. But the joke was on everyone else. Cailyn had picked a number 34 cents from the exact amount. So we told Justin he had to take some of the coins out to the mall and let her ride on the riding toys.
God is our giver of gifts and His gift of our family gathering was wonderful!! Not to be forgotten for a long time!!
PS...Hannah and Jason had so much to take back they ended up mailing a good size box back instead of taking another suitcase!! That is one gifted couple!! Now Alison and Justin are in the process of packing up all of their gifts and purchases to head to their home in Lima -- lots of packing going on round here!!
Well, I had meant to get this out earlier this week but as I post this, lima kids are in the air...a new chapter!!
Alison, Justin and the kids arrived from College Station on Monday, Dec 27th in the early afternoon. Hannah and Jason arrived later in the evening, but still in time for a late dinner. The kids were already in bed and so we sat up and visited for a bit. The following day we all headed out to the Jump Around "inside park" on Tuesday morning. If you can imagine LOTS of JOY JUMPS, tunnels to crawl through, slides to come down -- you have pictured it right. Afterwards we headed to the house and enjoyed some time relaxing while the kids napped. When the kids woke up we had the traditional opening of presents and it was a GRAND affair! I have thought about the word "celebrate" more this Christmas than any other. Daniel and I read the Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren out loud to one another and we decided to start a new tradition. A celebration party in honor of Jesus. It was a time of laughter and enjoyment as we are so thankful for the birth of Jesus - that God came to be with us through His Son, that God is for us and and that God loves us. That is certainly much to celebrate. We had some games that the kids enjoyed - Corban is very fond of music and dancing and we had a relay game that Cailyn participated in with us. The adults enjoyed the balloon game the most!! We had balloons all over the house even after Hannah and Jason left on January 1st!!
Corban with his new Black and Decker tools.
Cailyn twirling around in her new gown!!
We tried our expanded version of Settlers of Catan and it was great. If I remember correctly Justin won!! The next night we played speed scrabble and on New Year's Eve we brought out Scattergories. Having six making their own list for that game brought quite the variety of answers and some interesting conversation - I"ll just leave it at that!! Our New Year's Eve also included Alison's famous twice baked potatoes and a wonderful fire with smores in the backyard before the kids went down.
Daniel had given the guys a combined gift of a round of golf and a 60 golf ball bag - they went out on Wednesday morning to try it out. Of course Daniel was one week away from having back surgery!! Justin reported Daniel still shut them out. I think it was more about fun and "male bonding" than the score. It was Daniel's treat to himself to do this with the guys. Meanwhile the girls (and Corban) went to downtown Abilene and had a great walk and picnic at the park across the street from the Grace Museum, the location of Hannah and Jason's wedding. It was a beautiful day. Naps were had by many when the park and golf were over.
When the girls were growing up one of their favorite things to do was make donut holes and so Hannah got Jason in the kitchen and Alison helped a bit too (mainly by eating, hahaha) We sent Alison and Justin to the store for milk and pretended to eat the donuts while they were gone. We played a bit of Wii that night and enjoyed one of Jason's favorite movies - The 13th Warrior.
Alison bought a ginger bread house kit to do while we were all together. It took all that could help!! Cailyn and Corban mainly enjoyed putting the candy both in their in mouth and on the house. It was a fun time!! We headed out to the park on New Year's Eve day and played Bocce Ball and had a picnic that ended with feeding the ducks!! The weather was wonderful the whole time we were all together.
My heart is full as I know that we were not scheduled to see the girls and their families!! Couldn't have enjoyed it more!! Daniel and I are so blessed. One last thing I will tell about is our blessing time. We verbally blessed the girls and their husbands and they each blessed one another. We had communion together and enjoyed some conversation about how we had grown in our experience of taking communion.
I keep thinking of one more thing. We stole an idea from the Mills family here in Abilene. We had a jar of money that we put on the kitchen table the last morning we were together. There was a piece of paper for the girls and their husbands to make a guess. The understanding was that the person closest to the correct amount would claim the money. Each of them put their number down and we were witness to how Justin chose his number. He told Cailyn to pick a number from 1-9 and after hesitating he put that number last. He continued to give her a range 1-8, 1-7 and last of all 1-6. She picked each number and he wrote them in order starting from the end of the number. When we sat to find out who would receive the money we asked them how they chose their number. We all laughed at what Justin had done. But the joke was on everyone else. Cailyn had picked a number 34 cents from the exact amount. So we told Justin he had to take some of the coins out to the mall and let her ride on the riding toys.
God is our giver of gifts and His gift of our family gathering was wonderful!! Not to be forgotten for a long time!!
PS...Hannah and Jason had so much to take back they ended up mailing a good size box back instead of taking another suitcase!! That is one gifted couple!! Now Alison and Justin are in the process of packing up all of their gifts and purchases to head to their home in Lima -- lots of packing going on round here!!
Well, I had meant to get this out earlier this week but as I post this, lima kids are in the air...a new chapter!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Good Morning
I know it has been since November since I have written but we have had quite the excitement since then. There have been trips to other states, Christmas, starting of a new job, lots of games and laughter, a whole week with the whole family and then there was daniel's surgery on Jan. 4th. No excuses just reality!!
Not sure I will catch you up but i will send you to alison's blog so you can see the pictures of our Christmas. It was a wonderful time with all the kids and grandkids!!
Cailyn and Corban and their parents will leave next Monday and so I have tried to think through what more do we want to do. We need to finish Charlotte's Web with Cailyn and cook a bit more together with her. Yesterday we made
marshmallow fruit dip.
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 carton (6 oz) cherry yogurt
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
Complete with apples, pineapples, and mandarin oranges.
Even Corban loved it.
All of our meals since Sept. have been fun to gather up with Alison. She is a wonderful cook and we have shared (her doing a lot of the cooking) the kitchen experiences. Back in Lima, Alison gets her meals planned a head and so we tried to do this here. Sometimes working better than others. Last night we tried a new recipe and boy it was wonderful. It is one she will be able to repeat in Lima!! Yeah!!
Sherry's Aussie Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken, seasoned with sea salt
6 slices of bacon
honey mustard (you can make your own if you would like)
1 tbsp of oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups of colby/jack cheese
Season the chicken breasts with salt and cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Cook bacon until crisp.
Heat oil in skillet and place chicken and saute for 3-5 min. until brown. Move chicken to 9 x 13 pan.
Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon and cheese.
Bake 350 for 30 min. or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. (be sure to cut into a breast to see that it is fully cooked before serving. Serve with honey mustard sauce.
Well, we have a few more things we want to do before they leave and so off we go. peace to all!!
Not sure I will catch you up but i will send you to alison's blog so you can see the pictures of our Christmas. It was a wonderful time with all the kids and grandkids!!
Cailyn and Corban and their parents will leave next Monday and so I have tried to think through what more do we want to do. We need to finish Charlotte's Web with Cailyn and cook a bit more together with her. Yesterday we made
marshmallow fruit dip.
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 carton (6 oz) cherry yogurt
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
Complete with apples, pineapples, and mandarin oranges.
Even Corban loved it.
All of our meals since Sept. have been fun to gather up with Alison. She is a wonderful cook and we have shared (her doing a lot of the cooking) the kitchen experiences. Back in Lima, Alison gets her meals planned a head and so we tried to do this here. Sometimes working better than others. Last night we tried a new recipe and boy it was wonderful. It is one she will be able to repeat in Lima!! Yeah!!
Sherry's Aussie Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken, seasoned with sea salt
6 slices of bacon
honey mustard (you can make your own if you would like)
1 tbsp of oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups of colby/jack cheese
Season the chicken breasts with salt and cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Cook bacon until crisp.
Heat oil in skillet and place chicken and saute for 3-5 min. until brown. Move chicken to 9 x 13 pan.
Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon and cheese.
Bake 350 for 30 min. or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. (be sure to cut into a breast to see that it is fully cooked before serving. Serve with honey mustard sauce.
Well, we have a few more things we want to do before they leave and so off we go. peace to all!!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Expectation and Waiting ~ Be Alert and Ready!
If you give a mouse a cookie....are you familiar with these children's books?? Well if not, each of the books in this series is about giving a character one thing and it leading to another thing and another thing and another. How this worked out in my life began several years ago when Rachel Landolt introduced me to an author, Ruth Hailey Barton. She has put together an organization called The Transforming Center and I receive their eReflections email. (You can sign up for free, too.) This weeks eRelection email newsletter is about Staying Awake Spiritually.
The Transforming Center puts out a schedule of verses to read during the time called Advent. I have not really known much about Advent. But I enjoy anything that might be used as a tool to enhance my experience with God, His Son and Spirit. So Daniel and I enjoyed reading the first verses this morning. There are a set for each of the four Sundays before Christmas, some for Christmas Eve and some for Christmas Day. The Transforming Center encourages the process of reading, lectio divina, and I will let you investigate that. Very interesting and very helpful in our spiritual formation. It is all a process and don't let it overwhelm you. Take it a little at a time and enjoy all that God has for you.
Mattew 24:44...the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Enjoy this time on earth as we all expect and wait for Jesus to return and reflect on when He was here in the likeness of men.
The Transforming Center puts out a schedule of verses to read during the time called Advent. I have not really known much about Advent. But I enjoy anything that might be used as a tool to enhance my experience with God, His Son and Spirit. So Daniel and I enjoyed reading the first verses this morning. There are a set for each of the four Sundays before Christmas, some for Christmas Eve and some for Christmas Day. The Transforming Center encourages the process of reading, lectio divina, and I will let you investigate that. Very interesting and very helpful in our spiritual formation. It is all a process and don't let it overwhelm you. Take it a little at a time and enjoy all that God has for you.
Mattew 24:44...the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Enjoy this time on earth as we all expect and wait for Jesus to return and reflect on when He was here in the likeness of men.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
My Spiral
After listening and taking notes on my second lesson about the Holy Spirit I have wanted to take the spiral everywhere I go so I can share what I have learned. The lesson mainly dealt with the fact that the Holy Spirit has been here from the very beginning and then took a front seat in our lives as He was sent to each of us.
After writing this post three times, I have had a hard time really explaining what were new thoughts and why it spoke to me. So I will try once more and see what comes. I had read the verses about the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle, Exodus 40:34, and about the glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord (temple) in I Kings 8:11. The insight that when we come to Christ that the Holy Spirit lives in me was a teaching that seems to have come way back in college probably. But to think that at one time the plan was for God's presence to be in tabernacles and temples and that NOW the Spirit fills us as His temple was just refreshing. What a powerful thought, God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn't want to be in a bldg. He wants to be in such close contact with me, He dwells within me. WOW!!
Again, I have thought about how powerful Jesus is and yet not noticed that the Spirit was mentioned in scripture so much as Jesus lived here as man!
Jesus is anointed with the Spirit and with power by God, Acts 10:38
Jesus had been conceived by the Holy Spirit Luke 1:35
Jesus begins to baptize with the Holy Spirit Matt 3:11
Jesus' blood through the Holy Spirit offers Himself to God so we can be cleansed Hebrews 9:14
Jesus was raised by the Holy Spirit from the dead, Romans 8:11
Jesus gave orders to the apostles by the Holy Spirit, Acts 1:1-2
Chris Seidman mentions that "we get that Jesus makes me whole and forgives me and I get to go to Heaven, but do we understand and act on the fact that the Spirit comes before we die and is transforming us NOW, before we go to Heaven." He points out that the big deal in Acts 2:38 isn't Heaven, it is the forgiveness of sin and the promise of the HOLY SPIRIT. We are distinguished as His people because we have the Spirit.
After writing this post three times, I have had a hard time really explaining what were new thoughts and why it spoke to me. So I will try once more and see what comes. I had read the verses about the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle, Exodus 40:34, and about the glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord (temple) in I Kings 8:11. The insight that when we come to Christ that the Holy Spirit lives in me was a teaching that seems to have come way back in college probably. But to think that at one time the plan was for God's presence to be in tabernacles and temples and that NOW the Spirit fills us as His temple was just refreshing. What a powerful thought, God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn't want to be in a bldg. He wants to be in such close contact with me, He dwells within me. WOW!!
Again, I have thought about how powerful Jesus is and yet not noticed that the Spirit was mentioned in scripture so much as Jesus lived here as man!
Chris Seidman mentions that "we get that Jesus makes me whole and forgives me and I get to go to Heaven, but do we understand and act on the fact that the Spirit comes before we die and is transforming us NOW, before we go to Heaven." He points out that the big deal in Acts 2:38 isn't Heaven, it is the forgiveness of sin and the promise of the HOLY SPIRIT. We are distinguished as His people because we have the Spirit.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Come!
Revelation 22:17
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."
I'm listening to Chris Seidman's lessons on the Holy Spirit and I love listening to some new thoughts and seeing verses new as if I have never seen them before. This verse in Revelation, I had never noticed the Spirit along with the Bride (us, the church) both say COME!
Do you think of the Spirit being God manifested on earth at this time? What we think of the Spirit will effect how powerful He will work in our life. Jesus did leave and when he left he said, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:16-18
As we become Christians we receive the Spirit. The Spirit was there in the beginning Genesis 1:1-2, the name for God in verse one is Elohim - a plural form of God, meaning the Father, Son, and Spirit were there. I had understood that but beyond the story of creation I had not really noticed that the Spirit was mentioned as "US". Two examples of "US" are in Genesis 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8. Of course in the NT the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are mentioned in Matt 28:19. So the concept of there being three in one is a teaching in the Bible. We may see it as a mystery and some use the word Trinity (although that word isn't in the Bible). God's ways are different than ours and we only know impart at this time.
Chris Seidman encourages his student to not think of the Spirit as God's intern or a step down on the ladder from God. The Holy Spirit is God. He uses these verse:
Colosians 2:9 "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (all 3).
I Corinthian 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
Ephesians 2:22 "in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit"
I John 3:24 "The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
Acts 5:3-4 "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit ... You have not lied to men but to God." They are referred to as the same.
All of these tell how God is relating to us now through the Spirit. The Father and Son are present, but right now on earth God relates to us through the Spirit who lives in His people.
The Holy Spirit will always lead us closer to Jesus and the Father.
The Holy Spirit will lead us to unity. In my past there were times I felt that some people wanted to speak of the Spirit and some wanted to only use the name of God or Jesus. Satan wants us to not speak of the Spirit. Understanding the difference between His power and the person that the Spirit is will help me grow. There is no division of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. The Spirit will draw us closer to one another as we share who the Spirit is, it's like talking about God, He is God!!
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."
I'm listening to Chris Seidman's lessons on the Holy Spirit and I love listening to some new thoughts and seeing verses new as if I have never seen them before. This verse in Revelation, I had never noticed the Spirit along with the Bride (us, the church) both say COME!
Do you think of the Spirit being God manifested on earth at this time? What we think of the Spirit will effect how powerful He will work in our life. Jesus did leave and when he left he said, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:16-18
As we become Christians we receive the Spirit. The Spirit was there in the beginning Genesis 1:1-2, the name for God in verse one is Elohim - a plural form of God, meaning the Father, Son, and Spirit were there. I had understood that but beyond the story of creation I had not really noticed that the Spirit was mentioned as "US". Two examples of "US" are in Genesis 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8. Of course in the NT the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are mentioned in Matt 28:19. So the concept of there being three in one is a teaching in the Bible. We may see it as a mystery and some use the word Trinity (although that word isn't in the Bible). God's ways are different than ours and we only know impart at this time.
Chris Seidman encourages his student to not think of the Spirit as God's intern or a step down on the ladder from God. The Holy Spirit is God. He uses these verse:
Colosians 2:9 "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (all 3).
I Corinthian 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"
Ephesians 2:22 "in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit"
I John 3:24 "The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
Acts 5:3-4 "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit ... You have not lied to men but to God." They are referred to as the same.
All of these tell how God is relating to us now through the Spirit. The Father and Son are present, but right now on earth God relates to us through the Spirit who lives in His people.
The Holy Spirit will always lead us closer to Jesus and the Father.
The Holy Spirit will lead us to unity. In my past there were times I felt that some people wanted to speak of the Spirit and some wanted to only use the name of God or Jesus. Satan wants us to not speak of the Spirit. Understanding the difference between His power and the person that the Spirit is will help me grow. There is no division of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. The Spirit will draw us closer to one another as we share who the Spirit is, it's like talking about God, He is God!!
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