Category: Beginnings

John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”
Philippians 1:6 “… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 “Salvation has to do with both getting in and staying in…The Spirit who implants the faith by which we believe is the same Spirit whose fruit in our lives includes faith, meaning now ‘faithful walking in God’s ways’.” (Gordon Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God, p97-98).

Our salvation in Jesus Christ is not only the beginning of a new life within God’s kingdom, it is also the assurance that we can succeed and thrive to the end through the incredible indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who promises to be with us forever.

 Take a moment to recall the faithfulness of the Spirit in your life – his leading and sustaining through the years. For those just beginning this journey, may you be deeply encouraged that God who began his good work in you will carry it on to completion through the Spirit’s power.

Let’s pray: “Holy Spirit, thank you for your ever-present help. We depend on you. Help us take new steps of faithful walking in God’s kingdom ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

As we sing “By the Grace of God” by Bethel, let’s be carried by the strong arms of our Savior:

-JL

 

John 14:25-26 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

“For your new life to grow, it must be fed and exercised. The food it requires is the Holy Scriptures. Exercise will consist of obedience by faith to the commands of God…”

“It is the Holy Spirit who will make truth come alive for you by enabling you to grasp it clearly, by reminding you of things he has previously taught you, by drilling you in difficult exercises that get at your personality weaknesses, by encouraging you when you are down, by echoing the good Shepherd’s voice in your hearing and in many other ways.” (John White, The Fight, p13 & 17)

How is the Holy Spirit leading you today? What truth from Scripture is he calling you to embrace? What new step of growth and maturity is he giving you the power to take? As we daily obey the Spirit regardless of how we may feel, we are exercising our faith, and just like with physical exercise, our life of faith grows, becomes stronger, and increases in endurance. In trust, let us say yes to the Spirit’s instruction and guidance today.

Let’s pray: “Lord, I say yes to you today. Help me to humbly listen and follow the Spirit’s leading. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

-JL

 

John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

 “Basically orphans signify the effects of sin in our world. In that sense…the Holy Spirit’s presence is the reversal of that effect. No longer harassed or defenseless, no longer bound by sin, the Holy Spirit reverses that to the blessing of being in the community of God’s people. In this church that belongs to Jesus Christ, there are no orphans as we are God’s family together. We experience God’s blessing as we bless one another and we have a mission together to be a blessing to our generation of orphans of our world.” (Pastor Mark Kim)

As those who are deeply loved and so secure in the Spirit’s presence, let’s pray and respond to the call to be the ones who show motherly and fatherly care and love to the “orphans” in our cities, workplaces, and campuses. Let’s pray for our missional group and campus meetings this week – may many experience the great reversal and blessing of receiving the Holy Spirit and being brought into God’s family.

Let’s pray: “God, fill our churches with your Spirit’s power and compassion! With renewed passion, we offer ourselves to be a blessing to our generation of orphans in this world. Lord, fill our meeting times this week with your life-giving presence and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Let’s offer our lives to the Lord as we sing “More Like Jesus” by Passion:

-JL

John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.”

“What both of us must realize is that you have been given a personal tutor. His coming to you is the most important event associated with your becoming a Christian. Whether you felt his coming or not, the Holy Spirit has taken up his dwelling place in you. Christ’s object in sending him was to insure that you get even better instruction than the apostles had by having Jesus in their midst. You may lament the fact that Jesus is no longer here physically. But as Jesus sees it, you have a greater privilege by having God’s Spirit inside you.” (John White, The Fight, p16-17)

As you read the excerpt above, how is your perspective of the role and importance of the Holy Spirit in your life challenged and encouraged?

The Spirit is our helper, the one who cares for us and carries us, the one whose deepest motive and agenda is for us. And through his instruction and conviction, we are affirmed and enabled to live in our new identity and to obey and fulfill our new desires for God.

Let’s pray: “Lord, thank you for giving me your Spirit to help me and to be with me forever. Holy Spirit, fill me and guide me in everything I do today. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Let’s worship with the song, “Fullness” by Elevation Worship:

-JL

 

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

“When you became a Christian, a number of extremely important events took place both in heaven and in your own body. You may or may not have felt anything…All you may know is that at this moment you acknowledge the Jesus of history to be your Savior and your God…The supernatural, and often unfelt, events are permanent. They mark you in the sight of demons and angels as a human who is different. They bring your body into touch with eternity and with the Eternal God.” (John White, The Fight, p11-12)

Take a moment today to declare who you are in Jesus Christ using these truths and Scripture:

1. I am righteous, through the righteousness of Christ –                       1 Corinthians 1:30
2. I am born of God as his child and a member of his family, the church – John 1:12
3. I am made new and have new desires for God and his ways – Ezekiel 36:25-27

Let’s pray: “Thank you Lord for my new identity in Jesus Christ. God, thank you that all that is true of me is entirely your doing, your gracious and free act of love toward me. By the Spirit’s power, I embrace and live out who you say I am today. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

In thanksgiving, let’s sing “Your Cross Changes Everything” by Passion ft. Matt Redman:

-JL