18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Showing posts with label #The Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #The Holy Spirit. Show all posts
7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews[a] were seeking to kill him.2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand.3 So his brothers[b] said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.8 You go up to the feast. I am not[c] going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?”12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.”13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,[d] when he has never studied?”16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.17 If anyone's will is to do God's[e] will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?”20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it.22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Can This Be the Christ?
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.”28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.”35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.38 Whoever believes in me, as[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division Among the People
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”43 So there was a division among the people over him.44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
It is found in Judges 13. It's not one my favourite passages in the Old testament though every time I read it, it's clearer in my mind! As i was looking for a commentary, I came across this study on David Johnathan Inc website.
The angel of the Lord appears to the wife of Manoah promising that she will conceive and bear a son who must be set apart to God from the moment of his birth. Manoah asks to see the angel of the Lord who does repeat the instructions that He gave his wife : abstain from wine and refrain from having his hair cut....
Have you ever considered that the ministry of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament days was temporary and occasional: the Spirit of God moved Samson“at timesin the camp of Dan”(13:25, AV).
How reassuring that in the New Testament times, His ministry is not temporary but permanent, not occasional but continuous. Hallelujah!
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16-17, NIV)
What about you brothers and sis, what do you think of this story of Samson?
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a= will feed] together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Pentecost, the Jewish Festival, was a major festival to celebrate the wheat harvest and also known as the Feast of Weeks. It brought visitors from all over who were either Jews or Jewish converts and we get a clue to geography from the reading and Acts 2:41 the numbers as 3000 + become Christians that day, so there were a lot more! What a Day!
Until that day, since the latter part of Good Friday it seems the disciples were in an in-between place and it remained the same since the Resurrection and it also seems they were also fearful, certainly early on, and maybe even later.
At Pentecost they are released in two ways:
1. From this semi-captivity
2. From the last bit of mental captivity to Jewish expectations, cp Acts 1:6
Now, and in the first instance under Peter's leadership, we get what is the first proclamation of the message of true liberation and salvation which comes through Jesus. The fulfillment of promise, birth of the new era of God's Kingdom and so the birth of the Church which is the new Israel etc. This is the start of the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel.
All that proceeds from the monumental words that lead into the sermon from Peter after he quotes Joel and he says:
This is it, this is what God promised through Joel with reference to the last days. It is starting right now with the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit to all and that mighty things will happen as they are happening right now in your presence. This is it. The Day has arrived and as you see and hear it arrived with a bang.
Today, too often, not always, we are left with a damp squib because some of our understanding of the Holy Spirit is deficit and so without real expectation and you are looking at one who can be as guilty as others! So, for my benefit, and hopefully yours as well, I am going to glance at some verses we have looked at recently along with a few others.
This then will be a bird's eye view of the work, role and importance of the Holy Spirit.
As 7 is a good and complete number in the Bible, 7 points! Of course, there are other aspects to the work of the HS and other scriptures which make similar or complementary points to the ones I list which are quite key and foundational scriptures.
1. Spade Work
The Holy Spirit opens eyes and hearts to the truth.
John 16:5 -11 - Jesus speaking to his disciples in the upper room
[5] but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' [6] Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. [7] But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] about sin, because people do not believe in me; [10] about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Only God, through the Holy Spirit, can 'convict' people of their need to repent, turn to God through Jesus and come to a living faith. It follows on from here that when a person comes to that point the Holy Spirit moves to the next stage:
2. Birth Work
John 3:3-8 - Jesus in conversation with Nicodemus
[3] Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
[4] "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"
[5] Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Spiritual birth - we are all born physically and as such live and grow into physical awareness. Likewise to be spiritually aware in God's Kingdom we have to have spiritual birth.
John 1:12-13 - John introducing the theme at the start of his gospel
[12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Paul in Romans 8 talks about and compares life lived without and life lived with the HS - worth look at! He comes to this climactic statement which is apt h in what we are thinking where he uses the word for 'adoption' as the work of the HS:
Romans 8:14-17
[14] For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Galatians 4:4-7 - the same point but a different context and angle:
[4] But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. [6] Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." [7] So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Jesus is the eternal and natural Son of the Father and heir of salvation - we are adopted as children, and as such co-heirs with Jesus of all he has inherited!
3. Sealing Work
Seal - as on a legal document showing ownership and authenticity. It follows on from what we have just considered:
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
4. Jesus Work
John 14:15-21 - back in the upper room and we looked at this in detail a couple of weeks ago
[15] "If you love me, keep my commands. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— [17] the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. [18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. [20] On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. [21] Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
ANOTHER advocate - the HS being to us what Jesus was to his disciples before death, resurrection and ascension.
5. Growth Work
Galatians 5:22-26 - being like and becoming more like Jesus by bearing the fruit of the Spirit - note, 'fruit' singular, these are a whole!
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is
love,
joy,
peace,
forbearance,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
[23] gentleness
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
How, as we walk in the light of God's word and with the help of the Holy Spirit we are changing and growing!
6. Prayer Work
There is a lot in Romans 8 to challenge, encourage and strengthen us but in terms of prayer I want to look at 2 vv - 8:26-27
[26] 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. [27] 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.
Paul isn't saying word don't matter but in searching for God's will (you will be done . . . ) words are not always the most important thing and the Holy Spirit helps us align to the will of our heavenly Father
7. Body Work
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
[12:1] Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2] You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. [3] Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
[7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,
to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9]
to another faith by the same Spirit,
to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
[10] to another miraculous powers,
to another prophecy,
to another distinguishing between spirits,
to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,
and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
[11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
[12] Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
As human beings we have gifts and abilities which we use of the benefit of others as well as ourselves albeit we keep some of them covered up at times!! What Paul outlines here is the oft maligned and neglected gifts of the spirit for the building up of the body of Christ -our brothers and sisters in him.
I was born with gifts, some have to be worked on others come more naturally. What then about when we are born again - cp the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus? It seems that if we are born of the Spirit and adopted in the family we should have gifts from the Spirit for the benefit and building up of that church family!
Conclusion
Well, as we come out of this, I hope and pray it is with a renewed and invigorated faith and trust where we look to our heavenly Father to do mighty work in our midst and in our lives. A new and renewed liberation from where we have been to where the Lord takes us as churches in France and other countries as well as in us.
Your Kingdom come and keep on doing so, You will be done here as in in heaven and keep on doing so. Your power and glory being seen and appreciated in ever increasing ways, now and until on the very last, only known to you Father, day Jesus returns.
19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.23If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
1Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, a and to still another the interpretation of tongues. b11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Acts 2:1-21
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues a as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, b10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
