Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Staying Warm In The Cold??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #427

12 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Choose You This Day!, Holy Spirit, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, The Only Way, The Word, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #427 Staying Warm In The Cold???

 

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matthew 15:7-8

There is a story told of an old man who had drawn away from the church for his own reasons, and the pastor went to visit him to encourage him to return to the fellowship of believers. The gentleman gave all his reasons to the pastor and made it clear that he could be a Christian without being a part of the ‘church’! As they were sitting in front of a warm roaring fire in the fireplace, the pastor simply walked over to the fireplace and took the poker and slid one of the coals out toward the edge away from the fire and continued his conversation with the man. After a few minutes the man asked the pastor why he did that, and in reply the pastor pointed to the coal and said, “As long as that coal was in proximity of the fire it stayed warm and glowing, but as it was pulled away from the fire it has begun to loose its warmth and glow. It’s the same way with believers; when we draw off by ourselves, and away from the fires of sharing The Word together, worship and fellowship we are likely to grow cold, simply because we aren’t ‘near the fire’!”

I’ve always loved that story for the beauty of the powerful picture it paints, and Jesus painted that same kind of picture for the religious leaders of His day. He told them that their service to God consisted of “lip-service” only for “their heart is far from me”! And that is what I’d like to consider this morning—are we close to the fire and glowing with the ‘fire’ of God or have we grown cold and settled for ‘lip-service’ instead of true fellowship with God and those of like mind and faith?

James reminds us that we are to willfully stay close to the “fire” and not loosing our ardor toward God, His Word and His people.

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us

lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted,

and mourn,

and weep:

let your laughter

be turned to mourning,

and your joy

to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.” James 4:5-10

If I might presume to summarize what James is telling us; we are to not be exalted in our opinion of ourselves—thinking we can make it on our own—but we are to humble ourselves before God, and mourn for our own sin and for the sin of those around us—our close associates, our nation and our world! And as we mourn for the needs of our self, our close circle, and our world, we are to bring everything to our Lord, seeking His face to know what to do to minister HIS truth, grace and love to those whom He brings into our circle of influence.

So on these cold days of winter, we can stay warm in the presence of our Lord and King, who is ever with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. So stay warm, my friends—stay close to the fire of God’s presence, God’s Word and God’s people!! “Think on these things….” (See Phil. 4:8-9)!

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith

without wavering;

(for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another

to provoke unto love

and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves

together,

as the manner of some is;

but exhorting one another:

and so much the more,

as ye see the day approaching.”   Hebrews 10:23-25

“Let your conversation

be without covetousness;

and be content

with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.”    Hebrews 13:5-6

Amen and Amen!

Pressing On God’s Way??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #424

03 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Dare To Be Different!, Holy Spirit, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Let You Light So Shine, Living Right, The Only Way, The Word, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #424 Pressing On God’s Way???

 

I have been mostly ‘off’ of Facebook for a while, except for posting my Bible Ballistics Blog, yet I have noticed a lot of posts advising people to “detox” in the New Year—get rid of people who are ‘negative’, lie, cheat, etc.! As I noticed these ideas, I couldn’t help but think, “I’m so glad that God doesn’t “detox” Himself of us when we mess up.”

Now I don’t believe we are to allow people to corrupt our hearts and minds with bad behaviors, but I do think we need to get back to thinking biblically and behaving towards others remembering that God has extended grace, mercy and forgiveness to us. I seriously think we need to stop being ‘taught’ and ‘trained’ in our faith, and behavior by the national media, social media, television and the movies. We need to do that which pleases God NOT man. While we are called to be aware of those around us, and to call them to a higher plain, we are to do it with truth and grace.

“That we henceforth be no more children,

tossed to and fro,

and carried about with every wind

of doctrine,

by the sleight of men,

and cunning craftiness,

whereby they lie in wait

to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love,

may grow up into him

in all things,

which is the head,

even Christ:” Ephesians 4:14-15

We are called to speak the truth in love—never discarding people because we don’t like their behavior; but by our life, love and example calling them to a higher plane that only Jesus lift us to! And when we hold ourselves to that ‘higher’ call, others will often do one of two things; they will desire to know the One whom we follow, or they will hate what we say and walk away in disgust. But we are to maintain our integrity, even as Job declared his confidence in God before his friends who were ready and willing to condemn him unjustly. We march to a different drummer!

“Though he slay me,

yet will I trust in him:

but I will maintain mine own ways

before him.” Job 13:15

Job understood that it is God who set the standard; it is God who will judge what we do with it; and Job was committed to live a life of integrity before God, regardless of what others thought of him. We who claim to follow Jesus can do no less! Yet we are to be cautious of our intimate companions—for they can affect our heart and our mind.

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

And another passage from Paul reminds us that we are to press on in The Spirit not the flesh—and believe me (as you’ve seen for yourself), social media is inundated with the flesh!!!

“Be not deceived;

God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh

reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit

reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity,

let us do good unto all men,

especially unto them

who are of the household of faith.”   Galatians 6:7-10

While we are called to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (See Matt. 10:16), it is to be from a heart filled with the “love of God” which has been “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” and that ought never to be diluted with the hatred of the world! (See Ro. 5:1-10)

So I challenge each of us today, to determine in our hearts and minds to be a true reflection of Jesus to the dark and wicked world around us—uncorrupted by the “wiles of the devil”! We can choose to be “bitter” in the flesh, or we can choose to be “better” by the power of God’s Spirit and His Word working within us and manifested before others!

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,

be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another,

tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God

for Christ’s sake

hath forgiven you.”    Ephesians 4:31-32

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Press on dear ones—Press on for Jesus!!! Amen and Amen!

Be Ye Holy, But How??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No. 23

31 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Dare To Be Different!, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Is The Only Way!

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.23 Be Ye Holy, But How???

 

As we think about this New Year’s Eve and going into 2018, I just want to share a brief word with you today, that I hope will challenge us all to approach this time of new beginnings with a hope and a goal for pleasing God. May that my friends, be our hearts desire for each day—today and into each tomorrow!

“And he said unto them,

It is not for you to know the times

or the seasons,

which the Father

hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power,

after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

and ye shall be witnesses

unto me

both in Jerusalem,

and in all Judaea,

and in Samaria,

and unto the uttermost part

of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

Jesus reminded his disciples that they were to wait before they went out—wait for the promised indwelling Holy Spirit! They were to wait and not go in their own power, but to go after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then go forth being “witnesses unto me”! And to be His witnesses, we must walk in the power of HIS Spirit, not our own flesh. That is what enables us to “be” Holy as God calls us to be.

“Then Peter said unto them,

Repent,

and be baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ

for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive

the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you,

and to your children,

and to all that are afar off,

even as many

as the Lord our God shall call.”    Acts 2:38-39

We can only do God’s work God’s way—by the power of His Holy Spirit. It’s one of the reasons that Paul calls us to “walk in the Spirit” not the flesh, to allow the holiness of God working within us to be seen by the world.

“This I say then,

Walk in the Spirit,

and ye shall not fulfil the lust

of the flesh……….

25 If we live in the Spirit,

let us also walk in the Spirit.”    Galatians 5:16 & 25

When we walk in Jesus’ Holy Spirit, we are enabled to be a reflection of God’s holiness and glory before a world of darkness and corruption. It won’t be very popular, but it will be noticed—and it will make a difference, whether we ‘see’ that difference or not! We are to do God’s work as we go from day to day, everywhere we go, in all we do—we are to “be” holy!

“Wherefore, my beloved,

as ye have always obeyed,

not as in my presence only,

but now much more in my absence,

work out your own salvation

with fear

and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you

both to will

and to do

of his good pleasure.”    Philippians 2:12-13

Paul isn’t calling us to work “for” our salvation, but to “work out” what God has put within us—His Spirit! Just as he told the Galatians, when we will “Walk in the Spirit” and “live in the Spirit” we will be living in God’s power and not our own, and we can join Paul in declaring one of my favorite principles of living out a ‘holy’ life before those around us.

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live

in the flesh

I live

by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

And when we come to live the crucified life, we will find that we are walking and living a life that is pleasing to our God!

“But as he which hath called you

is holy,

so be ye

holy

in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written,

Be ye holy;

for I am holy.”   1 Peter 1:15-16

Amen and Amen. And in closing I’d like to share some thoughts that I wrote down earlier this year, and they seem to be an appropriate way to bring this year to a close and go forward in hope, confidence and the power of our God, living lives that will make a difference in HIS Kingdom.

       Real “Holiness”

              isn’t a denomination– 

              or even a church—

              but it is the expression, the manifestation—

                      of a mind set on Jesus–

                      of a heart yielded to God—

                      of a life lived in pursuit of

                             the pleasure and

                             the approval of God!

It is a life lived in humble obedience to The One who holds our affection, devotion and gratitude— 

Not because we have to — 

              but because we love God—

                     and we love making HIM smile!     Blanche Brittain 2017

May you have a blessed and Holy New Year pursuing God?

Amen and Amen!