When He Is Come – Part 6

You cannot separate the purpose of Holy Spirit in the earth from the work of the church.

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John 16:14-15 – He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

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Oh what a wonderful establishment of divine will and purpose in the earth for this present age is seen in our Text for Today.  Let’s break it down just a bit.  Consider these words of Jesus.

• “He shall glorify Me” – and after all, is that not one of the primary works of the church; to live, function, and serve in a way that demonstrates the person, deity, and majesty of Jesus?  We are anointed for all we need to do to glorify our Lord.
• “for He shall receive of Mine” and “All things that the Father hath are Mine” – what a powerful statement of truth!  Jesus said, “ALL THINGS that the Father hath ARE MINE.”  If it belongs to Father, it belongs to Jesus, and dear one, if it belongs to Jesus, through His Name is now available to you and within your power, in the Name of Jesus, to utilize it.
• “and will shew it unto you.” – Holy Spirit is in the earth today to show to you and me all things that have been placed in the power of the Lord Jesus, and to show it to us so we can use it, be blessed by, bless others with it, and bless and honor Him through it.

And all these things are tied directly to one simple prefacing statement made by Jesus in verses 8 and 13.  Combined, and accurately so, we read these words; “When He…the Spirit of Truth…is come, He will” do certain things.  And among those things are those things listed in verses 8 through 15.

Well, dear friend, Jesus has ascended to the right hand of Father where He will sit until He comes for His Church.  That being said, Holy Spirit has come already, now two millennia past, on the day of Pentecost.  The work Jesus said Holy Ghost would perform has been underway from the moment He came, and it still being done today.  And the agency THROUGH whom that work is being done is still the church; that’s you and me.  Without Holy Ghost it would not be happening, but with Him, it should be happening continually, consistently, concretely, and powerfully, yet I wonder if we are seeing that fully evidenced.  Let us step up and accept our responsibility, fully yielding ourselves to the leading, guidance, direction, revealing, and function for which Holy Spirit has equipped us.  Jesus said, “When He is come.”  Well, He HAS COME ALREADY.  Now it’s on us. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-17; Romans 10:6-17; Psalm 84:11; 2 Peter 1:3

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When He Is Come – Part 5

There is so much that Holy Spirit does as our Helper, more in fact than we realize.

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John 16:12-13 – I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

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We have spoken of the work of Holy Spirit to “reprove the world” of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  But He has come not only to work THROUGHthe Church in the world, but also to work IN the church.  Take a moment to read our Text for Today again.  Holy Spirit has also come to “guide you(and me) into all truth.”  Look at that statement!  As our Helper, Holy Spirit is our Guide.  The act of guiding (an active verb) is the work of a guide (a definite noun).  Holy Ghost has come to “guide” (an active verb) “you (and me).”  Knowing this action for which Holy Spirit has been sent in direct relation to me and my well-being, I can and do rejoice.  Knowing that my God will “withhold no good thing from” me if I walk uprightly, I rejoice knowing that Holy Spirit will “guide” me so I may receive, enjoy, and utilize for His glory that “good thing.”

But just what is it “into” which Holy Spirit will “guide” me so I may indeed receive, enjoy, and utilize that “good thing” for His glory?  It is “all truth.”  Did you see that!?  “ALL TRUTH!”  What an enormous blessing that is which Father has already made available to us through His gift of Holy Spirit that He has poured out to come upon all flesh.  It is through that gift that we can rejoice I in knowing that NO truth will be kept from us, that our old men shall dream dreams, that our young men shall see visions, that our sons and daughters shall prophecy.  Oh, what a joy I having that promise given to us, knowing that Holy Spirit will “guide you into all truth” so we can see, learn, and walk in that truth as it happens about us.

Oh, my dear reader friend, Father wants you to know how to use “all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue.”  And that is possible because Holy Spirit has been sent to “guide you into all truth.”  Oh, read it again; say it again; shout it to yourself again and again.  THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.  HE WANTS YOU TO LIVE IN VICTORY, TO LIVE IN HEALTH, HAVING BEEN HEALED AND DELIVERED, WITH EVERY NEED BEING ABUNDANTLY MET ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY. 

Manna for Today – Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-17; Romans 10:6-17; Psalm 84:11; 2 Peter 1:3

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When He Is Come – Part 4

His work is the reproof of judgment, ad He will surely help us do it. 

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John 16:8 – And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

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Jesus said when Holy Ghost was come, He would reprove the world of “judgment.”  The word “judgment” references speaking for or against; justice, specifically divine justice (which we know is always based on truth alone); accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.  That final term, “judgment,” does not always refer to harsh judgment, but in the case of “divine justice,” it does indeed speak of judgment based on accurate knowledge of the truth.  In that sense of the word, judgment can come forth in a good sense when it is examining works of righteousness done in faith.  However, in the case of our Text for Today, we see that Holy Spirit’s focus is to “reprove the world of . . . judgment.”  And judgment to the world, in this case, human society outside the bounds of Biblical righteousness, will indeed be to the end of “accusation, condemnation . . . damnation.”

This reproof of the world is not something set for a future date in the by-and-by when people stand before the Lord, for there it will not be Holy Spirit Who does the reproving, but Father and Son in Their respective roles.  So what then does reproof of judgment mean in this sense?  Once again, we need to understand that in this dispensation, in what we call the “church age,” Holy Spirit engages in these activities as our Helper.  It is through our life, our daily witness, our walk in the Lord and the light that shines from and through us in that walk.  Here I am reminded of a report given about Smith Wigglesworth when he was traveling on a train.  As he walked down the aisle of the train toward his seat, a young man suddenly  launched himself from his seat to his knees, and at that same moment grabbed Wigglesworth’s hand, placing it on his head.  Having done that, he cried out to Wigglesworth, “My God, pray for me man; your very presence convinces me of sin.”  In Psalm 15, we read one of the qualities of a truly righteous man who walks with God.  It says of him that “in his eyes, the vile person is contemned.”  That means the very gaze of a righteous man should carry the convincing power of Holy Spirit that condemns sin, but not the man.  When this is manifest, people are more likely to turn TO God FROM their sin than to run FROM God BECAUSE OF their sin.  We see it at the well with the Samaritan woman in Jesus’ ministry.  There have been times when I have witnessed such manifestations in my own life while simply browsing through a book store, suddenly finding myself being followed by a man who needed Jesus.  May the church rise to this place that our God can regularly and consistently use us in this manner. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-14; Isaiah 55:8-13;         2 Corinthians 5:17-21; John 17:12; Romans 10:6-17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Psalm 15

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When He Is Come – Part 3

His work is the reproof of righteousness, and He will surely help us do it.

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John 16:8 – And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

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Again today we continue in our examination of the purpose of Holy Spirit in the earth.  Look once more at our Text for Today.  Holy Spirit has come to “reprove the world….of righteousness.”  In the second verse following our Text for Today, we see the reason for reproving the world of righteousness.  Jesus said it was because, “of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.”  Jesus said in His John 17 prayer that He “kept” His disciples as long as He was with them.  But here He said He was going to the Father, and they would see Him no more.  So, what will be the keeping power to keep His disciples from the world now?

That keeping power is revealed in righteousness.  We have been made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.  Jesus has been made unto us “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.”  And while so much more could be said, allow me to add one further item. RIGHTEOUSNESS SPEAKS.  And that, my friend, is one of the most critical statements of faith-building truth that every believer MUST know.  The “righteousness….of God speaks” in a certain manner.  The righteousness of God NEVER allows itself to consider the slightest possibility that any part of the work of redemption was anything less than completely successful.  The righteousness of faith is so convinced of that truth that regardless of the situation it faces, its declaration falls on the actions of our Lord when He faced temptation.  The righteous-ness of God that is by faith will say, “It is written.”

In Romans, the Apostle Paul makes that completely clear.  The righteousness of God that is of faith “speaketh on this wise.  The Word is nigh me, even in my mouth and in my heart; that if I will confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord over all things, and believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead to exercise that Lordship, I shall be saved from any and all things that would come against me to steal, kill, or destroy.”  Those words should be like heaven’s music to our ears.   That same Roman passage goes on to say that with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.  My friend, that covers one’s life in total.  It is FAR more than the new birth.  That is but the beginning.  This salvation passage covers it all; the new birth, the renewing of the mind, the healing of the body, the provision of all needs, and the deliverance from all temporal evil.   And when the believer lives out that salvation with the help of Holy Spirit, the world is surely reproved, convinced, and powerfully persuaded of the righteousness of God and its benefits. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-14; Isaiah 55:8-13;         2 Corinthians 5:17-21; John 17:12; Romans 10:6-17; 1 Corinthians 1:30

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When He Is Come – Part 2

His work is the reproof of sin, and He will surely help us do it.

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John 16:8 – And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

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Let’s continue today to examine the purpose Holy Spirit has come fulfill.  Our Text for Today indicates He has come to “reprove the world” of three things.  We are not speaking of all He has come to do, but of a clearly defined three-fold work towards the world.  And specifically, today, we briefly examine item number one on that agenda, and that is “sin.”  And why “sin?”  The verse following our Text for Today tells us.  He has come to “reprove the world…of sin, because they believe not on me.”  If you will, remember how we defined “reprove” in our Second Miler yesterday.  It means to “confute, admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, and rebuke.”

At the same time, we must remember that Holy Spirit has not been sent into the world to do a work alone, but has been sent here as the Helper, Teacher, Guide, Comforter, and Paraclete to every member of the body of Christ.  We are not His helper; He is ours.  His purpose in your life is to help you fulfill your role as a believer.  As a believer, you are one with Christ, heir of God, and joint-heir of Christ.  We are the ones who have been sent “into all the world.”  And it is Holy Spirit Who has been sent at the behest of the Lord Jesus to be our Helper.

The world does not believe on Jesus.  For that it must be reproved.  Part of our work as ambassadors for Christ is to see to it that the world is reproved of that sin.  Please note here, the sin the church has been assigned to reprove is not drinking, smoking, adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, and killing.  It is for not believing on Jesus.  That is the only sin for which the sinner must go to hell.  All that other “stuff” is not being “imputed against” them.  It is ONLY for the sin of failing to believe in Jesus.  So, what must we do to bring the reproof we are assigned to bring.  We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us.  God is love.  God is light.  If we love one another with “agape” love, we automatically shine forth the glorious light of God.  His light reveals truth, unveils lies and falsehoods, removes shadows, and pierces darkness.  Jesus fully demonstrated the reproof of sin when He went to the cross for the world, and His being raised from the dead and sending of Holy Spirit served to set that work in motion through you and me.  Let’s get busy. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-14; Isaiah 55:8-13;          2 Corinthians 5:17-21; John 13:31-35

 

When He is Come – Part 1

The work of Holy Spirit is to be our Helper.  What He came to do, He is to do THROUGH us.

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John 16:8 – And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

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I read a statement by Billy Graham that I found to be so powerful.  He said that the Comforter (Holy Ghost) did not come to make us comfortable, but to help us comfort those who need it.  While that is not an exact quote, it certainly carries his message accurately.  Look at our Text for Today.  Here we see an amplification of the purpose of Holy Spirit in the earth.  In reading this, keep in mind that Holy Ghost is our Helper.  What we read that He will do, He will accomplish by working THROUGH believers to “reprove.”  That word, “reprove,” means to confute (prove to be false or invalid; overthrow by evidence or stronger argument), admonish (warn; advise), convict (overcome in argument decisively), convince (satisfy one’s understanding as to truth), tell a fault (verbally identify), and rebuke (reprimand, chide, scold, beat back).

Jesus said that when Holy Ghost was come, this is what He would do.  When we add to that consideration the truth that Holy Ghost is our Helper, that is, He comes to help us fulfill our roles as ambassadors for and ministers of the New Covenant, we come to understand that Holy Ghost’s work is to help us fully accomplish what He came to set forth.  He has not come to work alone, but THROUGH you and me.  Please understand, dear reader, that for the Lord to accomplish all He desires to do in this earth in this age, WE MUST BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED in carrying out the work of the kingdom.  When we read what Holy Spirit has come to do, we MUST accept the responsibility of DOING what He was sent to do as He works THROUGH us.  The more fully one embraces the work that must be done, the greater the manifestation of Holy Ghost in, for, to, and through one’s life.

I urge you to take time and commit yourself to reading the Word and clearly identifying the work Holy Ghost has come to do in this, the church age.  And then, having identified that which He has come to do, determine that you will give yourself to His leadership, direction, and revelation in obeying the Word.  There is power awaiting us that most believers have never witnessed, or even imagined.  Give yourself to it.  A world living in the lies of darkness is in desperate need of someone walking in the power to bring the light of truth to them. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-14; Isaiah 55:8-13

 

Expedient

How could it get any better than “healing them all?”  But Jesus said it would get better.

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John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

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Give serious consideration to what I write today.  Our world is getting worse each day.  We are truly living in what could be called pre-apocalyptic times.  With that in mind, there has never been a time to rejoice more over the Scripture statement that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”  Oh how thankful I am to God for that statement.  Likewise, with out rejoicing, we should be seeking even more earnestly the steps we should take and the path we should follow to have that wonderful age-abiding grace abound to us.

Now consider the grace filled words of Jesus in stating that we would not only do the works He did, but greater works than these.  Oh, my friend, I know it is possible for the Scriptures have declared it so, and more than that, I have witnessed and continue to witness their occurrences.  But we need more.  That grace needs to be manifest through EVERY believer, not just some; and it needs to be regular and consistent, not irregularly and inconsistently manifest.  With that in mind, consider our Text for Today.

How is it more expedient for Jesus to have gone away than to remain?  He told us Himself, so WE, that’s all of us, not one person, could do the works Jesus did, and so WE, that’s all of us, could do even greater works than Jesus did.  Oh, what a promise!  He said these things would happen ONLY if He went away.  Well, dear one, He went away!  And don’t you think it’s time for us to get busy by believing AND acting on God’s Word?  The One Who “healed them all” said His leaving was expedient for us.  How much more should we see healing flowing today?  And deliverances, and miracles, and miracles of supply.  I challenge you NOW!  Believe NOW!  Act NOW!  Stand on God’s Word NOW! 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Matthew 18:19-20; Mark 11:22-24; Luke 11:13; John 14:12-14; Romans 5:17-21

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Knowing Jehovah

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are ONE, though there is different function.

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John 16:2-3 – They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

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At the risk of being somewhat vague, receive this truth; you can know someone without really knowing them.  You can see the truth in this statement easily.  Simply say the name of a famous person.  For instance, ask anyone almost anywhere in the world, “Do you know who Donald Trump is?”   Of course, they will.  He is the President of the United States.  They are speaking truth.  They know who he is.  But ask the question, “Do you know Donald Trump?”  And the truth in that answer is that compared to all those who know who he is, very few KNOW him.  To truly know someone, you need to know his character.

While it will certainly take study, and in some cases, even revelation knowledge, you will clearly discover diversity in the work and function of the God-head.  For instance, considers the gifts held by the God-head for distribution to the body of Christ.  Father gives (without repentance) SEVEN motive gifts, Jesus gives the FIVEoffice gifts of the five-fold ministry to the church, and Holy Spirit possesses NINE gifts of the Spirit that He manifests through the body at His personal choosing of time, location, and vessel through whom that gift will flow.  Here are three completely different sets of gifts possessed by three distinct members of the God-head, and that totally complement one another through the complete unity of plan and purpose in the integrity of the God-head that is perfect in all three God-head members.

So here’s a question for you.  Do you know who God is?  And the answer is almost universally, “Yes.”  But I go further.  Do you know God?  And the honest answer will depend upon how one has invested in a relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  The heart, integrity, character, plan, and desire of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all ONE.  Their individual function and performance for the completion of that plan and desire is diverse, and at times, greatly so.  Embrace that truth, and rejoice and take heart in it because you have such complete integrity in the God-head, while having access to such a broad diversity of function, all coming from our perfect God-head.  As I write these words, my spirit-man rejoices in the words written in First John, “Greater is He that is in me that he that is in the world.”  Rejoice! 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; John 14:13-14; Acts 19:13-20; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-13

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How to Avoid Offense

I know it sounds like an impossibility, but remember, with God, all things are possible.

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John 16:1 – These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

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The Scriptures warn us that offenses WILL come.  But that warning can be used as a marvelous launching point for understanding that the will of God does not always happen.  There are many things that occur in this world that are as far removed from the will of God as is possible.  I am often saddened by the life I see people living who mistakenly believe, for whatever the reason, that if it is the will of God, it will happen.  Once again, dear reader, this is simply not the case.  Father wants EVERYONE to be saved, but not all will be.  Father does NOT want offense to come into your life, but there is plenty of it to go around.  Whether it succeeds in gaining entrance into your life is up to you.  With all the liberty and freedom that becomes yours as a child of God, there also comes responsibility.  The more you know, the more freedoms you enjoy, and the more freedoms you enjoy, the greater the responsibility you must shoulder.  With the freedom to live free of offense comes awesome responsibility in your personal relationship and development in the Word.  I encourage you to take a few minutes to find and read our Manna for Today, and then carry what you read throughout your day in meditation.  Your success in overcoming offense rests in your obedience to the Word of God.

Look closely at our Text for Today.  I want you to focus strongly on these words of Jesus.  “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.”  Do you see the key the Lord is giving you in how to avoid offense?  It is directly connected to the “things…spoken unto you.”  While we should absolutely give attention to the specifics of what God’s Word declares, it is the key I want you to see in this passage.  I have a safe in my home in which I store certain valuables.  I could describe all the valuables I store in it, and it would not benefit you one bit unless you HOLD THE KEY to the safe.  Today I want to offer you THE KEY TO AVOIDING OFFENSE.  That KEY is found in what you do with the Word of God.  You must first hear it; faith comes by hearing.  Once you have faith, you must work that faith, for faith without works is dead.  Then you must keep, or be a doer of that Word, for the love of God in its noun form is defined as “keeping His commandments,” and that is how faith works. Now you hold the key. 

Manna for Today – John 16:1-16; Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 26:3; Psalm 119:11; Matthew 11:6; Mark 4:17; Luke 7:23; Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 55:11; Romans 10:17; James 2:18-26; 1 John 5:3; Galatians 5:6

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The Comforter Brings Truth

The song-writer penned, “The Comforter has come.”  Indeed He has, and He brought Truth with Him.

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John 15:26-27 – But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:  And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

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In many sectors of today’s society, more and more attention is being given to spiritual matters.  Now that is not to say matters of Holy Spirit, but merely spiritual matters.  In all that a great passage is opened for plethora of strange ideas to be floating about which people credit to Holy Ghost, while in fact, they have nothing at all to do with Holy Ghost.  In the purely intellectual sense of the matter, all this does is bring extreme confusion to the hearts and minds of people; NOT comfort.

Look once again at our Text for Today.  Holy Ghost is called the “Comforter,” NOT the confuser.  So how then can the believer, especially the young believer avoid the pitfalls of confusion that await anyone who dares venture into the spiritual realm?  The answer is found in our Text for Today.  Holy Ghost is the “Spirit of Truth.”  He testifies of Jesus, and He enables the believer to bear witness of the Lord Jesus.  these three functions identify Holy Ghost as the Comforter.

First, He is the Spirit of Truth, NOT fact, but TRUTH.  There is a difference.  Facts are true only so long as circumstances do not change.  Truth, and I am referring specifically to the truth of God’s Word, NEVER changes, regardless of circumstances.  For example, I could have a fever in my body as a result of a viral infection.  That would be a fact, but is only true as long as the fever is present.  But there is an eternal truth that does not change, regardless of the facts concerning my body, and that is the Biblical truth that “by the stripes of Jesus I was healed” – 1 Peter 2:24.  That is true even in the presence of a virus.  In other words, circumstances DO NOT change the truth of God, and Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth.  Know the Word, my friend, for if a statement or idea is not confirmed by the Word, it fails the test of real Truth.  And then there is the issue of bearing witness.  Holy Ghost testifies of Jesus.  if some other entity, named or unnamed, is the object of testimony, it does not arise from Holy Ghost.  This is a simple acid test of truth recognition.  Once again, you must know the Word.  And it is the Word that is the light of our witness for Jesus.  The believer’s salvation from pitfalls is the Word of God; always the Word; not tradition, but the Word; not religion, but the Word; the Word, dear friend, the Word. 

Manna for Today – John 15:18-27; John 16:1-16; Romans 8:28; John 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 14:33; James 3:16

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