And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter….
— John 14:16

In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we began our study of the word “Comforter,” which Jesus uses four times in the space of three chapters (see John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26, and John 16:7) to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We saw that the word “Comforter” is the Greek word parakletos, a compound of the Greek words para and kaleo, and by looking at the word para, we saw that the Holy Spirit is sent to come alongside us and help us navigate through our lives. Today we are going to look at the second half of parakletos — the Greek word kaleo — in order to discern how it fits with the word para and how we can glean an even deeper insight into the word “Comforter.”

The word kaleo is a Greek term that means to beckon or to call. Paul used this word in Romans 1:1 when he said he was “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.” This kaleo kind of calling carries a sense of strategic purpose, specific intent, and concrete direction. For example, God calls us to fellowship with Him, and He calls unbelievers to repentance and salvation (see Matthew 9:13). Likewise, both Paul and Peter used the word kaleo to describe God’s call to salvation and ministry for themselves and others (see Romans 1:1; 8:30; 9:11,24; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 7:15; Ephesians 4:1,4; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:9).

The apostle Paul also used the word kaleo to describe his call to apostolic ministry (see 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:9). When Paul heard this divine call on the road to Damascus, he was instantly imbued with a powerful sense of direction, purpose, and destiny and received a concrete direction for his life. Thus, we see that the word kaleo carries the idea of summoning forth an individual to do something very specific. We are called to salvation; we are called to the ministry; we are called to service in the local church, and so on. Simply put, the call is to something.

Returning to Jesus’ message in John 14:16, we see that since kaleo forms the second part of the word parakletos (“Comforter”), God has called the Holy Spirit to do a specific work, and this calling has given the Holy Spirit purpose and direction. You might say it has given Him a job description.

What is the calling our Heavenly Father has given to the Holy Spirit? He is called to be our Helper in this world. This is His chief purpose and responsibility. This is His calling.

Now that we’ve seen this important aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, let’s take a step back for a moment and review what we’ve learned about the Holy Spirit thus far:

1. The Holy Spirit is close by us.

We have seen that the Holy Spirit indwells and seals every believer at the moment of salvation (see Ephesians 1:13). But when Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Comforter” in John 14:16, He was specifically referring to a practical relationship with the Holy Spirit that we can experience on a daily basis. We do not need to plead or beg for the Holy Spirit to come near because He is always alongside us.

2. The Holy Spirit has a calling.

Just as men and women are called to the ministry, the Holy Spirit received a specific calling from God the Father to fulfill a specific assignment in this world. Just as I, for example, am specifically called to write and to teach for the Christian community, the Holy Spirit is specifically “called” (kaleo) to come “alongside” (para) each believer at all times.

This means the Holy Spirit is with you when you are in the lowest pits of despair, and He is with you when things are going well. He is with you when you to go bed at night, and He is with you when you get up in the morning. He is with you throughout your entire day. He is with you when you pray, and He is with you when you don’t pray. He is with you when you behave maturely, and He is with you through your moments of immaturity. He is with you when you go to work, to the movies, or to church. Everywhere you go, the Holy Spirit goes too.

3. The Holy Spirit has a job assignment.

The Holy Spirit’s job is to help us! That may include convicting us of sin, empowering us for works of ministry, imparting spiritual gifts, healing other people through us, and so on. The Holy Spirit is responsible for carrying out this heavenly mission — not according to our own fleshly demands and desires, but according to the will of God, the One who called and sent Him to us. This means you and I can be assured that the Holy Spirit will never fail at His job of helping us because He knows that He will answer to the Father for the way He performs in His role of staying alongside to help us. We may fail to recognize Him, but He will not fail at the task the Father has given to Him.

You are probably very aware of your defects and all the areas where you need to grow. Can you imagine someone who is called specifically to be with you? That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit! His primary task is to be the Parakletos — called to be alongside you.

So today I ask you receive the Holy Spirit as your Partner. Simply tell Him, “I am receiving you as my Partner. You were sent to be alongside me. You’ve been here all along, and I have not fully received You as I should. So today I open myself to You and embrace You, Holy Spirit. I thank You for coming alongside me and for accepting such an amazing call to be my Helper!”

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, my eyes are being opened to the wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit. I am shocked that I never really understood what profound help You sent to me in the Person of the Holy Spirit as my divine Partner. My heart is simply overflowing with thankfulness that You have sent the Holy Spirit into my life to assist me wherever I am and in whatever I am doing. Now I understand that He is called by YOU to be with me all the time. Please help me to be more cognizant of His presence and to honor His holiness as He comes to assist me in life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that I receive the Holy Spirit as my Partner. I choose to acknowledge Him and to cooperate with His counsel and direction. I listen to Him; I pay attention to Him; and I obediently follow when He leads or prompts me to take action. For a long time, I didn’t understand the power of this gift God gave me. But now I understand, and I will honor the Holy Spirit and His role as senior Partner in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Of all that you read in today’s Sparkling Gem, what truth stood out and meant the most to you? Why did it impact you more than anything else?
2. From what you read today, can you verbalize what is the primary “calling” of the Holy Spirit in this world? Try to put it into your own words to see if you really understood the teaching today — and if it blessed you, why not share it with someone else?
3. Can you think of moments when you were made especially aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence at your side to help you? What was one of the most memorable of those experiences, and what was the outcome?

What Jesus Thinks of Laziness

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
— Matthew 25:30

My grandfather was a German immigrant who spoke no English when he arrived at Ellis Island in New York’s harbor, so he had to work very hard to achieve anything in his new life in America. Because he had no time to go to school to learn English, the best job he could get was to work as a janitor. In the course of his janitorial duties, my grandfather pulled discarded tin cans out of the kitchen garbage in the tall skyscraper he cleaned every night. The cans had pictures of vegetables and fruit on them, and he found out that by comparing the words on the cans to the pictures, he could start teaching himself how to read and speak English.

As the years passed, my grandfather worked hard to educate himself and eventually received highest honors in his field of engineering. As he raised his son — my father — Grandfather went on to instill the principles of diligence and hard work into him. Afterward, my father passed those same principles on to me.

Through the years, our family has been very devoted to any task we’ve been given, believing that we have a responsibility to do the best job possible for the people we are called to serve. Because of this work ethic that was instilled in me by my parents, I find laziness to be completely intolerable. I refuse to permit lazy people to be a part of my team!

This intolerance for laziness must also have been the attitude that Jesus felt about lazy people. In His parable of the talents, Jesus told us of a master who, before embarking on a long journey, entrusted his money into the hands of three servants. The master expected the servants to increase what he had given them. However, Matthew 25:19-23 tells us that when this master returned, he found that only the first two servants had increased what He had entrusted to them.

In verse 21, the Bible tells us the master returned and discovered that the first servant doubled his investment. When the master saw this increase, he said, “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” In verse 23, the master was similarly thrilled when he found out the second servant had doubled his investment as well: “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

But why did the master call their success a “few things”? Their accomplishment wasn’t small. In fact, it was huge. Yet the master said to the first two servants, “…Thou hast been faithful over a few things….” His words “over a few things” seem to indicate that what they had done wasn’t such a big deal after all. I’m sure the servants were dumbfounded. What did their master mean? Was he belittling what they had accomplished?

What the first two servants had achieved was fantastic, but it was just the beginning. They had proven themselves to be hardworking and capable. They had demonstrated responsibility. The master now knew they could be trusted with true riches. Because these two stewards had proven themselves faithful, the master saw a bright future ahead for them. As is always true with God, faithfulness resulted in promotion and greater responsibilities. The first two stewards had passed a test on a lower level. Now their master was satisfied to thrust them upward into even more monumental life assignments.

But when the master came to the third servant and saw that he had done nothing with the money given to him, he told the servant, “…Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury” (vv. 26,27).

It is obvious that this third servant was not ignorant of the master’s expectation. He knew that the master expected increase from him. In fact, he told them, “Thou knewest.” This means the third servant couldn’t pretend to be ignorant. He knew that the master expected him to do something significant with what had been entrusted to him.

This master would accept no excuses for a lack of increase. It didn’t matter how difficult the situation, how many odds were against his servants, or how impossible it seemed, the master still expected increase. His servants understood that this was his expectation. Thus, the servant who did nothing with his talent found himself in a horrible predicament.

His master called him, “Thou wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26). As if this isn’t bad enough, in Matthew 25:30 his master called him “the unprofitable servant.” Before we go any further, let’s stop to examine these words, for they vividly express Jesus’ personal sentiment toward people who possess great potential but never develop it due to laziness.

Let’s look first at Matthew 25:26, where Jesus calls the non-productive servant “thou wicked and slothful servant.” The words “wicked and slothful” are taken from the single Greek word okneros. This word means lazy or idle. It carries the idea of a person who has a do-nothing, lethargic, lackadaisical, apathetic, indifferent, lukewarm attitude toward life.

This is a strong word, chosen by the Holy Spirit to tell us how strongly Jesus feels about those who are apathetic and lethargic about their spiritual lives and life assignments. Jesus has no taste for lackadaisical people. People who are lukewarm about their God-given abilities or who are indifferent about their assignments leave a sickening taste in the Lord’s mouth. He loves the person, but He strongly dislikes the lazy attitudes that keep them from reaching their maximum potential.

In Matthew 25:30, Jesus continues by calling this non-productive servant “the unprofitable servant.” The word “unprofitable” is from the Greek word achreios, which literally means useless. A literal translation in today’s vernacular would be the good-for-nothing servant.

This word describes a person whose existence in life is absolutely pointless. He is an aimless, purposeless person who contributes nothing to life. This person’s value has never been realized because he does nothing but take up space on the face of the planet. But like everyone else, this person had a choice. He could have become something significant if he had used what was entrusted to him and had done what God asked him to do.

As I read these words of Jesus, it makes me personally thankful that my parents taught me good work ethics and ingrained in me the importance of doing a more than satisfactory job for anyone I am called to serve. This pertains to serving God, serving people, serving my congregation, or serving any purpose that is entrusted to my care. Jesus expects the best I can do. I know that if I do anything less than my best, I have not done what He expects of me. Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 shouts this message to all of us!

Do you need to come up to a higher level by working on your work ethic? If so, make the decision to do so today. Jesus expects you to do the best you can do. Are you giving Him your best at church? Are you giving Him your best at the workplace, doing your job with the highest level of ability you possess? If Jesus came to evaluate your work, would He find it effective and satisfactory, or defective and lacking?

Never forget that Colossians 3:17 commands you: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Why don’t you take a few minutes today to ask Jesus to help you be better at your job, to give more effort than you’ve ever given before, and to help you adjust your attitude so you can become a high-level performer at whatever task is assigned to you? 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am sorry for any laziness that I’ve allowed in my life. Yes, I know I can do so much more than I’ve done. I haven’t applied myself with all my heart and strength; instead, I’ve permitted myself to slip by at a mediocre level. I have done enough to keep my job, but I haven’t done enough to deserve a promotion or a salary increase. Forgive me for complaining that I don’t make enough money when the truth is that I haven’t done my best work. I sincerely ask You to help me change my attitude and to increase my level of work performance.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a good worker and that I have a great attitude! I am exactly the kind of person God can use and bless — and I am exactly the kind of employee that my employer is thrilled to have in his department, organization, or business. I work so hard and do such good work that I bring many blessings and benefits to those who are over me in authority. Because I am around, I make them look better! God rewards me for being faithful. My striving toward excellence today will lead to my promotion and financial increase tomorrow!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. If Jesus were to come and personally inspect your attitude toward work and your actual work performance, what kind of evaluation do you think He would give you? (You may as well be honest, because Jesus is watching your attitude and your work all the time!)

2. If you were looking for someone to promote, would you want to promote someone who had an attitude like yours or who worked like you do? If your answer is yes, thank God for it! If your answer is no, why wouldn’t you want to promote someone like you?

3. What do you think are the top ten attitudes that make an employer so satisfied with an employee that he would want to promote him to a higher position? It would be a good idea to write down these “top ten attitudes” and then take some time to think about what you can do to better maintain these attitudes in your own life.

You Are No Accident, Because God Chose You!

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
— Ephesians 1:4

From time to time, someone says, “My parents didn’t plan me. I was an accident no one expected.” People use this as an excuse for not accepting more responsibility in life, claiming that they are accidents who came into the world by mistake and aren’t even supposed to be here!

Well, I want to tell you that even though we may have been a surprise to our parents, we were not a surprise to God! The Bible teaches that long before you or I were ever conceived in our mothers’ wombs, God already knew us and was calling us to be His children with a special purpose to fulfill in this world.

In Psalm 139:15 and 16, David declares that God’s eyes were fixed on us not only when we were in the earliest stages of being formed in our mother’s womb, but even before we were conceived. David said concerning himself (and us), “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

According to David, God knew us when we were nothing more than mere “substance” in the earliest stages of being formed in our mothers’ wombs. God was so intricately aware of us that He took note as our arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes were being formed. In fact, this verse says He even knew us “…when as yet there was none of them” in existence! Think of it! Long before we were conceived, God already knew of us — and by faith He could see us being conceived, formed, and born into this world. This means there isn’t a single human being on the earth who was a surprise to God, and that includes you!

Those of us who are believers were also saved by no accident. Paul writes, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.…” The word “chosen” in Greek is eklego — a compound of the words ek and lego. The word ek means out, and the word lego means I say. Together these words literally mean Out, I say! It can also mean to call out, to select, to elect, or to personally choose.

In classical Greek writings, this word eklego referred to a person or a group of people who were selected for a specific purpose. For example, the word eklego was used for the selection of men for military service. It was also used to denote soldiers who were chosen out of the entire military to go on a special mission or to do a special task. Finally, it was used for politicians who were elected by the general public to hold a public position or to execute a special job on behalf of the community.

In every case where the word eklego is used to portray the election or selection of individuals, it conveys the idea of the great privilege and honor of being chosen. It also strongly speaks of the responsibility placed on those who are chosen to walk, act, and live in a way that is honorable to their calling. Because of the great privilege of being elected to a higher position or selected to perform a special task, those who are “chosen” bear a responsibility to walk and act in accordance with the calling that has been extended to them. They should look upon themselves as chosen, honored, esteemed, and respected — special representatives of the one who elected them!

So when Paul says that God “…hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…,” he is saying that God looked out to the horizon of human history — and He saw us! And when God saw us, His voice echoed forth from Heaven: “Out, I say!” In that flash, our destinies were divinely sealed! We were separated by God from a lost and dying world, and He called us to be His own.

Just as the word eklego in classical Greek times depicted the military selection of young men to leave their homes and come serve in the military, God looked out at the human race and personally selected, elected, and specially chose us to come away from the world and be permanently enlisted as His sons and daughters! Now as children of the King, we bear the awesome responsibility of walking worthily of the high calling we have received!

Look at when this selection took place. Paul says it occurred “…before the foundation of the world….” The word “foundation” is the Greek word katabole, a compound of the words kata and bole. The word kata means down, and the word bole means to hurl or to throw. These two words together mean to forcibly hurl something down, and it refers to the act of creation.

Thus, before God ever spoke the earth into existence — before His booming voice ever called out for the first layers of the earth’s crust to be put into place — He had already spoken our names! He selected and elected us before the very first layers of the earth were created.

In light of these Greek meanings, Ephesians 1:4 could be phrased to read:

“When God saw us, He said, ‘Out, I say!’ In that moment, He separated us from the rest of the world and enlisted us in His service. And think of it! He did all of this before He ever hurled the first layers of the earth’s crust into existence….”

So if your flesh ever tries to rant and rave that you’re not worthy enough to be used or that you’re just an accident, you need to take authority over your flesh and tell it to shut its stupid mouth! Then you need to declare, “God chose me, and He planned a great future for me. He wants to use me. I’m not going to listen anymore to this foul garbage from my lying flesh and unrenewed emotions. I have an awesome destiny! In fact, I’m a significant part of God’s plan!”

Don’t listen to your filthy, stinking, lying, fibbing flesh anymore! God has been waiting for your arrival for a very long time! It’s time for you to accept His assignment and make the necessary changes to flow with His program. He’s calling out to you all the time, saying, “Get up and jump in the race! I want you. I’m calling you to be a part of My team.”

There is too much at stake for you to make the mistake of sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. You’ll only begin to experience true significance when you accept the fact that God has chosen you, and when you begin to live up to the glorious calling He has placed on your life! No matter how large or small the task, no matter how big or tiny the assignment, joy and satisfaction will be yours when you start accomplishing what God brought you into this world to do.

This is what imparts true significance to any person’s life. No satisfaction compares with this satisfaction. Those who contribute nothing to life are usually the ones who struggle with a sense of purposelessness.

Even if you think your gifts are small in comparison to others, you can still use them! If you use the gifts God gave you, they will increase. And the more proficient you become at using those gifts, the more valuable you will become to your family, your church, your business, and your friends. On the other hand, you will cause your life to be inconsequential if you ignore the gifts God gave you and minimize the life assignment He has entrusted to you.

A person’s life becomes pointless when he or she contributes nothing to the world. Don’t let that describe YOUR life! God didn’t bring you into the world so you would live a pointless and inconsequential life! He has a purpose for your life. He wants to use you! He wants you to be a significant part of His plan!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so glad that You knew me and called me even before I was conceived in my mother’s womb. According to Your Word, I am no mistake; therefore, I ask You to help me start looking  at my life with respect, esteem, and honor. You called me, and You have an awesome plan for my life. I ask You to help me uncover that plan so I can get started on the road of obedience toward the fulfillment of what You brought me into this world to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that I am no accident and no mistake! God knew me before the earth was created; He called me before I was formed in my mother’s womb; and He has long awaited my arrival on planet earth! God has a plan for me! I am purposeful; I am respectful of myself; and I walk in a way that honors the One who called and anointed me to be enlisted in His service!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever been tempted to think that your life was pointless and inconsequential? What happens in your life most often that triggers these negative emotions?

2. Can you think of a time when you were supernaturally illuminated to the call of God on your life? When that happened, what did you understand was the chief purpose that God had for you in this lifetime?

3. If you have been struggling with feelings of purposelessness or of inferiority toward other people, what are you going to do to stop these negative emotions from affecting you in an adverse way?

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter….
— John 14:16

As Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit during their last night together in the Upper Room, He referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Comforter” on four separate occasions (see John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, and John 16:7). For Jesus to repeat this title four times in the space of three chapters tells us that the point He is making must be very important. When a truth is repeated in quick succession in Scripture, it is always for the sake of emphasis. Here we find that Jesus was trying to penetrate His disciples’ hearts — as well as our own hearts — with the truth of the Holy Spirit’s role as a “Comforter” so they would fully understand this truth.

However, to fully comprehend the message Jesus was trying to convey, we must look to the original Greek language to understand exactly what the word “Comforter” means. This title is actually a translation of the Greek word parakletos, which is a compound of two Greek words, para and kaleo. Today I am going to focus on the first part of this compound word, the word para, and then tomorrow we’ll discuss the second part of the word, kaleo.

Simply put, the word para means alongside, and it carries the idea of near proximity or being very close to someone or something else. However, this term is quite versatile and can thus be seen in a variety of contexts throughout Scripture. Let’s look at several New Testament examples to glean a better sense of its meaning.

The Bible says in Luke 5:1, “And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret.” The word “by” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word para. Here it conveys Jesus’ close proximity to the lake of Gennesaret. He literally stood alongside this lake as He preached to the multitudes. In Mark 5:21, which follows the account of Jesus casting out a legion of demons from the demoniac of the Gadarenes, this term is used in a similar way. Mark records, “And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.” The phrase “nigh unto” is also a translation of the word para, and it tells us that so many people were pressing forward to touch Jesus that He couldn’t even get away from the water’s edge. He was forced to walk alongside the sea.

In Second Timothy 2:2, we see a different usage of the word para. Here Paul used it to describe his close relationship with Timothy, writing, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” When Paul said, “…and the things thou has learned of me…,” the word “of ” is the Greek word para. This conveys powerful information regarding Paul and Timothy’s relationship to one another. The elderly apostle was reminding Timothy, “You learned everything para me. I allowed you to get alongside of me.”

As a current example from my own life, I could say that my wife is para, or alongside, me. She lives with me, talks with me, shops with me, travels with me, prays with me, pastors with me, and has reared our children with me. She is always with me. We are side by side, close at hand, and alongside each other all the time. When two people are close in this way, they profoundly affect each other — even to the point where they begin to share the same attitudes, feelings, personality traits, habits, and gestures. In fact, they eventually know each other so well that they don’t even have to ask what the other person is thinking — they already know.

The spiritual mentor-disciple relationship Paul and Timothy shared was probably similar in certain ways to the kind of close relationship I just described. Paul and Timothy had walked together for many years, spreading the message of the Gospel throughout the Roman world. To some degree, Timothy no doubt had picked up some of Paul’s gestures, mannerisms, and thoughts, and he probably even sounded a little like Paul when he preached. The close relationship they shared allowed the truths of Paul’s life to be transferred into Timothy. That is a natural consequence of this kind of intimacy.

This level of closeness is exactly what the word para refers to where it is used to form the compound word parakletos, or “Comforter,” in John 14:16 and the other three references listed above. Thus, we see that the Holy Spirit is close by and alongside each of us at all times. His relationship with us is not a distant one that requires us to beg and plead for Him to draw near. He is always with us.

As we saw in the June 1 Gem, the Holy Spirit comes to reside inside us at the very moment we receive our salvation. However, this is not the full story. The use of the word para in John 14:16 reveals that He also comes alongside us to assist us in our daily affairs and to bring the reality of Jesus Christ into our lives. From the moment the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts, we can continuously rely on His partnership to help us overcome any obstacles we might face in life.

In other words, when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into your life to provide you with the assistance Jesus would offer if He was present in the flesh. Whatever Jesus would do to assist you, that is precisely what the Holy Spirit will do. He dwells in you as a permanent Resident and as the most reliable Partner you’ll ever have in this life. That is why some newer versions of the New Testament translate the word “Comforter” as “Standby.” The word “Standby” perfectly describes the Holy Spirit’s close, side-by-side position in you from which He helps, empowers, leads, and guides you every step of the way.

There is no doubt that this word para describes the alongside ministry of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you were raised in a wonderful Bible-teaching church just as I was, but you have never experienced this kind of intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit that I am describing to you. If not, today would be a great time to lift your hands and declare, “Holy Spirit, I receive You as my side-by-side Partner!” Then get ready for a divine adventure that never stops as He takes you to ever-higher levels in Him!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, I know You live inside me, but I never understood that You are also side by side with me as my Partner in life. I have treated you like an invisible Guest, when, in reality, You have been sent to me to be at my side as my Helper and Standby in times of need. Please forgive me for overlooking and ignoring You when You have been waiting so long to assist me in life. Today I throw open my arms and my heart, and I say ‘Welcome, Holy Spirit” — I receive You as my side-by-side Partner who has been called alongside my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that from this moment onward, I am wide open to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent the Spirit to be my Helper, and I certainly need His help. I will no longer ignore Him or disregard His presence in my life. I open my heart, mind, and soul to His ministry, and I will endeavor to recognize His voice, His leading, and His guidance, and I will strive to receive His supernatural help.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Of course the Holy Spirit lives inside you! But have you experienced moments when it seemed like He was right alongside you — side by side — assisting you in decisions and actions that you needed to take? In what ways do you need to cooperate with Him more?
2. What were some of the times when you really experienced the “Standby” ministry of the Holy Spirit? Have you ever recalled those moments or shared them with someone else? Take a few minutes to tell a friend how you’ve experienced the ministry of the Spirit in your life.
3. After reading today’s Sparkling Gem, what are you going to do differently to embrace the “alongside ministry” of the Holy Spirit in your life? In what area of your life do you most recognize the need for His help?

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter….
— John 14:16

As Jesus fellowshipped with His disciples that night in the Upper Room, He taught at length about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In fact, He covered so much material that it took three chapters in the gospel of John to relate it! However, one of the most important points Jesus made is found near the beginning of all He shared with His disciples. He said, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter…” (John 14:16).

In today’s Sparkling Gem, I want you to take note of the word “another.” This is the Greek word allos, which means another of the very same kind. By using this word, Jesus was sending a clear message that when the Holy Spirit came, the Spirit would be just like Himself. The Holy Spirit would perfectly represent Jesus in every way and duplicate His life and ministry. He would mirror Jesus to such a degree, in fact, that whatever Jesus would say is exactly what He would say, and whatever Jesus would do is exactly what He would do. To the disciples, this statement must have been very encouraging because it let them know that the Holy Spirit’s presence would make it seem as if Jesus was still there among them.

So when John 14:16 uses the Greek word allos to describe “another” Comforter, it tells you and me that Jesus was telling us, “The Holy Spirit and I are identical in every way, so by having Him, it will be as if you still have Me!”

Sometimes I hear people express how they wish they could have lived 2,000 years ago when Jesus walked the earth. But if we believe the words of Jesus in John 14:16 about the Holy Spirit and His likeness to Jesus, then we should not regret that we weren’t there 2,000 years ago. Jesus taught that if the Holy Spirit resides within us, it is identical to having Jesus walk amongst us in the flesh.

So if you want to know what the Spirit of God is like, look to Jesus in the four gospels, for He taught that the Holy Spirit exactly mirrors His own character, power, and actions. This is another reason why it is so important for you to get the story of Jesus down deep into your heart. As you learn what the Master did, how He acted, and how He responded to different situations, it will help you to know the Holy Spirit better — for He and Jesus are identical in all of these ways. And whatever Jesus did is exactly what the Holy Spirit will lead you to do in every situation of life as you lean on His guidance and direction from within.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for speaking to me about how the Holy Spirit perfectly represents Jesus in my life. In light of this, I ask You to help me gain more understanding regarding the four gospels and their account of the life of Jesus. I understand that if I know Jesus better from the New Testament, it will help me become more familiar with the way the Holy Spirit thinks and acts. Now I understand that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are similar in every way, so I desire to open my heart to the Holy Spirit in the same way I open my heart to Jesus.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that reading the four gospels — and getting to know Jesus better through reading them — is a top priority in my life. According to what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit, I now know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are identical in how they think, act, and behave. Therefore, as I get to know Jesus better from the New Testament, it will prepare my heart and mind to better recognize and know the voice and promptings of the Holy Spirit in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Since Jesus and the Holy Spirit exactly mirror each other in how they think, act, and behave, what are you doing to get to know Jesus better and prepare yourself to become more familiar with the Holy Spirit?
2. Do you have a Bible-reading plan to take you through the four gospels? Start searching for a plan to lead you through these four books of the Bible so you can become better acquainted with Jesus — His ways, His works, and His will.
3. Since Jesus and the Holy Spirit exactly mirror each other, how does this help you get to know the ways of the Holy Spirit better?

God Isn’t Looking for Aristocrats, Cultured, or High-Born People

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….
— 1 Corinthians 1:26,27

Through the ages, God has always delighted in choosing normal people to do His business. If you consider yourself to be a normal, average kind of person, that means you are just the kind of person God is looking to use!

First Corinthians 1:26 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.…” Do you see the word “noble” in this verse? It comes from the Greek compound word eugenes. The first part of the word is the Greek prefix eu, which means well or good. The second part of the word is the Greek word genes, from which we get our English word for the human gene. When these two words are compounded together, the new word portrays people who are well-born or who have excellent genes.

In ancient Greece, the word eugenes meant men of high descent, such as sons of kings, politicians, or others from the upper crust of society. It referred to individuals whose ancestors had been powerful, wealthy, rich, or famous. These were high-born, blue-blooded, cultured, refined, courtly, pedigreed, aristocratic people who sustained their lofty positions in society based on their birth.

Examples of this class of people would be members of royalty who held their exalted positions in society whether or not they personally merited those positions. They were born into the upper crust and stayed there simply because of their family name or relations.

Modern examples of eugenes are sons and daughters of kings and queens who retain their royal posts simply because of the blood that runs in their veins. Other examples would be the sons and daughters of famous and beloved politicians. Although the offspring themselves may not have  accomplished anything significant, their famous last name has sealed their fame and place in society. They were born with a “name” that gives them lifetime guarantees and access to privileges that are not available to common people with unknown names.

But the word eugenes can also refer to people who carry the seed of genius as a result of the good genes with which they were born. An example of this category of eugenes would be the family of Albert Einstein.

Some years ago, I was visiting a pastor in New York City who told me an interesting story about a visit he had with the niece of Albert Einstein. He was amazed to discover she had five earned doctorates and held several prominent positions in universities in New York City. Like her uncle Albert, she was endowed with genius in her genes, and it carried her all the way to the top of every field in which she became involved.

Let me give you another example of “good genes” as portrayed by the Greek word eugenes. Before the Russian revolution, noble families owned the lands and controlled the territory of Russia. In 1917 when the Red Army seized power, all of Russia’s rich decoration and regal royalty came to an abrupt end. The nobility was killed or fled to foreign countries. It looked as if history had buried them forever.

Thank God, today the communist regime is gone. In its place, a brand-new rich Russian class is emerging. People often ask, “Who are these new super-rich Russians?” It is interesting to note that many of them have the same family names of the old ruling class that dominated Russia before the 1917 revolution. The nobility that runs in their veins is too strong to be held down. Once again, it is taking them to the top of society.

The Russian nobility were endowed with powerful genes. These genes have been passed down to the present generation. Now the offspring of the Russian nobles are reassuming positions of power that were once occupied by their grandparents. This tendency to rule and reign is in their genes.

The word eugenes describes both kinds of people — those born into famous families who enjoy the inherent privileges of their last name, and those who carry a streak of genius, talent, or superiority in their genes. These are “the upper crust” — the ruling class or aristocracy of the world.

However, Paul says that God hasn’t specialized in calling this category of people. Take a look at world history, and you’ll see that God hasn’t primarily specialized in using kings, queens, royalty, politicians, scientists, philosophers, writers, movie stars, or celebrities to advance His Kingdom. From the onset of time, God has reached into the hearts of ordinary men and women. These are the ones who most often accomplish mighty feats through His grace and power.

So if God isn’t looking for the upper crust of society, He must be looking to “the lower crust” — in other words, to the ordinary, usual, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical kind of people. This means that if you come from a normal, average background, you are possibly the very one God wants to use!

Yes, God has called the rich and famous as well, but it is the regular folks who most often find themselves chosen by God to carry out His will in the earth. He specializes in using ordinary people, just like you and me. That is why Paul goes on to say, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.…”

The word “foolish” is from the Greek word moraino. The word “moron” also comes from this Greek word. My thesaurus gives these other synonyms for a “moron”: idiot, imbecile, halfwit, numskull, dimwit, dunce, blockhead, dope, ignoramus, lamebrain, jerk, or twerp!

The truth is, no one is an idiot in God’s view. But the world often views people whom God chooses as being nitwits, lamebrains, and idiots. It is worth noting that the word moraino was used in Paul’s time to depict people whom the world scorned, made fun of, and treated with contempt.

Because much of the Early Church was comprised of servants and slaves, most of the people in the local congregations were very uneducated, uncultured, clumsy, crude, awkward, and unpolished. It wasn’t that they were stupid. They had simply never been exposed to or taught about manners, culture, and refined behavior. Reared and treated as servants since birth, they’d never had a need to know these skills.

However, the early Christians’ lack of polish made them look stupid in the world’s eyes. In fact, the Roman Empire at first looked upon Christianity as the religion of stupid, poor people because it grew so rapidly among the lower slave classes.

Yet Paul says, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.…” The word “confound” is the Greek word kataishuno. It means to put to shame, to embarrass, to confuse, to frustrate, to baffle. The word “wise” is again the word sophos, referring to those who are naturally brilliant, intellectually sharp, or especially enlightened. Paul is saying that God calls people whom the world considers morons in order to put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, and baffle those who think they’re so smart!

So if anyone has ever called you an idiot — if you’ve ever been called a stupid imbecile, a jerk, or a twerp — it’s time for you to rejoice! This makes you a candidate to be used for God’s glory!

The following expanded version of First Corinthians 1:26,27 gives a fuller picture of the Greek words used in this verse:

“For you see your calling, brothers, how not many of you were especially bright, educated, or enlightened according to the world’s standards; not many of you were impressive; not many came from high-ranking families or from the upper crust of society. Instead, God selected people who are idiots in the world’s view; in fact, the world sees them as imbeciles, jerks, real twerps. Yet God is using them to utterly confound those who seem smart in the world’s eyes….”

Therefore, even though you may not have any genius residing in your genes nor any nobility running in your blood, that isn’t a strike against you! You can’t lay claim to these factors as excuses for not being used by God! God isn’t looking for people who are geniuses or well-born, high-class blue bloods. He’s looking for anyone who will say yes to His call! So if you consider yourself to be just a regular ol’ person, it’s time for you to start rejoicing again! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me stop making excuses for why I think God shouldn’t use me! It’s time for me to stop ignoring the call of God and to accept the fact that He has laid His hand upon me and wants to use me in this world. Forgive me for putting this off for so long, but today I accept Your call. I reject all excuses for any further delay, and I gladly embrace what You are telling me to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that I am exactly the kind of person Jesus Christ wants to use! I may not have the blue blood of nobility flowing through my veins, but I have been touched, cleansed, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. That blood qualifies me! With the Word as my guide and the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, I have everything I need to do anything Jesus ever requires of me. I am quick to obey; I do not hesitate; and I am faithful to carry out every assignment that He gives me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Thinking back on those who were most mightily used by God throughout the ages, do you know from which class of society most of them came?

2. Now think about those whom God is greatly using to touch the world and confound society today. What class of society do most of these people come from? What kind of education did most of them have when God first started using them in a notable way? How many of them have blue blood running in their veins or would be deemed geniuses by the great universities of the world?

3. What does this tell you about God’s ability to use you?

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
— John 14:16

I can’t begin to imagine how alarmed the disciples must have felt when Jesus told them that He would soon be leaving them. Jesus had often warned them that He would be leaving, but that evening in the Upper Room, as they spent their last hours together, the full weight of this reality began to dawn on the disciples — and it put them in a state of panic and dismay. John 14:2 tells us that Jesus was aware that their hearts were troubled.

It was natural for the disciples to feel sorrowful at the news of Jesus’ imminent departure. Living and walking with Jesus was more than they had ever hoped for in this world. With Jesus at their side, their lives had been filled with adventure, excitement, joy, victory, power, healing, and miracles. What would life be like without Jesus? Would it ever be the same? Was this the end to their dreams?

Feelings of insecurity and uncertainty would have been normal for any human being in the disciples’ position. They had grown dependent upon the physical, visible presence of Jesus — something we’ve never experienced and therefore cannot fully comprehend. But in the midst of the disciples’ fears, Jesus promised them, “I will not leave you comfortless…” (John 14:18).

As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, the word “comfortless” is from the Greek word orphanos, which is where we get the word orphan. As noted before, the word orphanos could describe children who had lost their parents, or it could describe students who were abandoned by their teacher. In both cases, it is the picture of younger, less educated, less knowledgeable people feeling deserted by those they trusted and looked to for guidance.

Jesus had become a spiritual Mentor to the disciples. For more than three years, these men had walked with Jesus and depended entirely upon Him. During those three years, Jesus’ voice had been the only voice they had followed. They walked in His footsteps, and they explicitly followed His directions. As a Mentor, Jesus had taught them everything — how to cast out demons, how to heal the sick, how to travel in ministry, and on and on. The full extent of the spiritual training Jesus imparted to His disciples includes far too many truths to list here. In fact, Jesus had taught them everything they knew regarding spiritual matters.

But in John 14, Jesus made it clear that He would be leaving His disciples. Later that night, He was to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, judged before the religious leaders of the city, sent to be judged by Pilate, then by Herod, and then back to Pilate again. And following these harrowing experiences, He was to be scourged, crucified, and buried. All of these events would occur in a mere matter of hours from those moments when Jesus sat with them in the Upper Room and told them that He would be leaving. They simply had no idea how quickly He would be physically taken from them.

But Jesus knew. That is why it was so important for Him to take that last evening to teach the disciples about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew they would need to depend on the Holy Spirit as completely as He had depended on Him. So Jesus took His last hours to instruct them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and introduce them to this spiritual Partner who would be become their new Teacher and Guide in the world.

Jesus told the disciples in John 14:16, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter….” The word “pray” is Greek word eratao, which was a legal word that described a lawyer who would argue a case in a court of law. It is interesting that this is the Greek word most generally used in the Gospels to describe Jesus’ prayer life. This particular word indicates that it was so crucial for the survival of the disciples that the Comforter would be sent that Jesus was going to the Father to present His case in that matter. This case would be so concrete — so clear and unmistakable — that the Father would respond to Jesus’ request by sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, as His replacement to the disciples.

Imagine how important the ministry of the Holy Spirit must be for Jesus! Jesus was making the case clear to the Father that He must send the Holy Spirit, for the disciples — and then later the Church — would not survive without the Holy Spirit’s help and assistance. The very fact that the word eratao is used to describe Jesus’ petition to the Father tells us that the coming of the Holy Spirit was imperative. Jesus treated this request as one of the utmost importance. And if Jesus treated this subject so importantly, then we must treat it with equal importance.

So I encourage you to seriously ask yourself this question today: How importantly do I treat the subject of the Holy Spirit in my life? And whatever your answer, make it your priority in the days ahead to learn how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work in your life on a deeper level than you ever have before!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, I admit that I have often neglected to acknowledge Your presence in my life. I repent, and I ask You to please forgive me. It’s not that I’ve tried to ignore You; I have just been ignorant of Your role in my life and how deeply I have needed Your fellowship. I confess that I’ve even had fears about opening my heart more deeply to You because of things I’ve seen and heard others do that seemed a little strange. Forgive me for being closed to You when, in fact, I cannot live the Christian life without Your power and Your help. Right now I take the next step to invite You to move powerfully in my life. I take down all the guards, and I decide to trust You to bring Jesus closer to me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that the Holy Spirit works mightily in my life. I am not afraid to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s power. I acknowledge that I cannot successfully live the Christian life without His involvement, so I open every part of my life to Him and to His powerful workings. As a result, I am filled with spiritual power; I am supernaturally led by the Spirit of God because I am a child of God; and I am being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. As a result of my fellowship and obedience to the Holy Spirit, my Christian life is filled with victory and adventure!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Have you treated your relationship with the Holy Spirit as seriously as Jesus treated it? If not, why not?
2. Do you attend a church where your fellowship with the Holy Spirit will be encouraged or discouraged? If your church does not encourage you to go deeper with the Spirit of God, why are you still attending that church?
3. What concrete steps can you take to start developing a deeper fellowship with the Holy Spirit? For example, you could read books on the Holy Spirit that will take you deeper in your spiritual walk, or you could listen to teachings on the subject of the Holy Spirit. What other things can you think of to do to enhance your fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

You Are Sealed and Guaranteed by God’s Spirit!

In whom also after that ye believed,  ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
— Ephesians 1:13

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard on the telephone! A beautiful and very expensive piece of Russian porcelain that we had sent to a dear friend in the United States had arrived broken in pieces! It was so broken that it couldn’t be put back together again. What made this situation even worse was that this was already our third attempt to mail this piece of porcelain — and every single time we had tried, it had arrived broken!

We were so frustrated with these attempts to mail this porcelain that we decided to personally carry it on the airplane with us the next time we flew our transatlantic flight to see this friend on the other side of the world. Although it was a huge piece of porcelain and very difficult to carry, the only way we could be assured that it would arrive safely was to personally and gently carry this delicate object ourselves. Finally, the day came when we boxed up the large porcelain, packing lots of stuffing around it. We brought that bulky box with its fragile cargo onto each airplane that carried us to our destination. When we finally delivered the exquisite gift to our friend, she rejoiced to see that it had finally arrived at her house without a single broken piece and without a scratch!

If you’ve ever received something in the mail that was broken, you can probably relate to this story. Or have you ever ordered something by mail that you were so excited to receive but that was a big disappointment when it arrived? When you opened the package, did you find out it was so poorly made that you had to return it to the sender?

Or have you ever ordered a product with the promise of a certain delivery date, only to have the arrival of the package delayed so many times that you nearly lost your temper with the company from whom you ordered it? All these scenarios can leave you feeling very frustrated and disappointed, can’t they?

Well, in the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul lets us know that God Himself is waiting for a special delivery package! He is so excited to receive this package that He has personally done everything necessary to ensure that it will arrive intact, complete, with no defects, and without a single piece of it being broken or scratched. He has also done everything necessary to make sure it arrives right on time!

Notice that Ephesians 1:13 says, “…In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” Today I want to draw your attention to the word “sealed.” This word comes from the Greek word sphragidzo. This is extremely important.

Seals were used in New Testament times to guarantee that the contents of a package were complete and not defective. Such a seal would only be placed on a package if the product had been thoroughly examined and inspected to make sure it was fully intact and complete. If it were broken, defective, or faulty, the guarantor would not put his seal upon it. The seal was proof that the product was impeccable.

Such seals were also put on parcels before being mailed to their final destination. Parcels bearing such “seals” were usually sent by extremely wealthy individuals. These seals, which bore the insignia of a particular wealthy or famous person, meant that this package was to be treated with the utmost, tender care.

To seal such a package, the sender poured hot wax onto the flap of the envelope or the string that bound the box. Afterward, he pressed his insignia into the wax, leaving a visible, distinctive mark. This insignia alerted everyone that the package was the possession of a wealthy or powerful person. Therefore, the “seal” guaranteed that the package would make it to its final destination.

Well, the Bible says you are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit of promise. This means there is nothing incomplete or defective about you. When God made you new, the last thing He did was check you out, thoroughly examining and inspecting you before placing His final seal of approval on your heart.

In Ephesians 1:13, Paul says that if you belong to the Lord, you have been “sealed” with the Holy Spirit. For God to “seal” you with His Spirit means that you are God-approved! Your contents are intact and in order. You should never again view yourself as if you are “damaged goods.” You’re not damaged! You are approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. You have the seal of God’s approval, so start acting as if you’re special. God thinks you are very special!

The “seal of the Holy Spirit” is also the guarantee that you’re going to make it to your final destination. God is the One who inspected and packaged you. He also put His guarantee on you to ensure that you’re delivered to His ordained destination for your life. That means you should never complain that you’re not going to make it. Of course you’re going to make it. God will see to it!

When demons see the seal of God on your life, they know they are not to mess around with that package. You’re a special package, to be treated with special care. Angels watch over you and guard your safe passage from one place to the next. Evil forces may attempt to delay the timing of your arrival, but the seal of God in your heart guarantees that you’ll get there.

An interpretive translation of Ephesians 1:13 could be the following:

“…The moment you believed, God thoroughly examined and inspected you to make sure that you were fully intact and complete. Because He found nothing in you broken, defective, or faulty, God put His seal upon you — the ultimate proof that He found you to be impeccable. That seal meant you were approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. It was His guarantee that you are going to make it to your final destination.”

This should tell you how intensely God longs for your arrival in Heaven! He Himself has inspected you, sealed you, and guaranteed you. Now He watches over you to see that you make it all the way into His Presence, where He eagerly anticipates that day when He will see you face to face. So whenever the devil speaks to your mind or your flesh screams that you’re not going to make it, rebuke those lies and point to the seal God has placed on your life!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so thankful today that You have sealed and guaranteed me! Forgive me for those times when I speak badly of myself, judge and condemn myself, or put myself down in front of others. I should be proud of and thankful for who I am, because the blood of Jesus has cleansed and redeemed me. You were so convinced that I was free of defects that You sealed me with Your Spirit, giving me Your ultimate seal of approval. Help me appreciate the great work You have done inside me! Thank You for guaranteeing, overseeing, and assuring me that no force on earth and no demonic powers can stop me from arriving at my ultimate heavenly destination!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am “sealed” with the Holy Spirit. My contents are intact and in order. I am approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God. Because God has “sealed” me, it is guaranteed that I am going to make it to my final destination. When demons see the seal of God on me, they know they are not to mess around with me! I am a special package, to be treated with special care. Angels watch over me and guard my safe passage from one place to the next. Evil forces may attempt to mess with me, but the seal of God guarantees that I’ll arrive safely and complete!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you view yourself as “damaged goods,” or do you see yourself as approved, endorsed, recognized, affirmed, sanctified, and notarized by the Spirit of God?

2. If you don’t view yourself the way God does, what scriptures can you begin to memorize, meditate on, and confess to renew your mind to the truth of who Jesus Christ has made you to be? Why not make a list of those scriptures and put them in a visible place where you can frequently be reminded of them?

3. Do you know some believers who are struggling with their self-image and could use a little boost from a friend to help them think higher of themselves? If so, why don’t you take a little time today to go out of your way and let them know that they are approved and endorsed by God?

I am not leaving you comfortless: I will come to you.
— John 14:18

I was raised in a wonderful church where we were doctrinally taught very well. But as I grew older, I began to become more and more spiritually hungry. It seemed there was a gaping hole inside my heart, and I yearned for more than what I knew about the Lord. That is when I began to learn of teaching about the ministry of the Holy Spirit that was different from anything I had ever been exposed to previously. Hearing those fresh teachings changed my life because they introduced me to the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit in a way I had never before experienced.

Starting today, I want to begin talking to you about those teachings on the Holy Spirit that so dramatically changed my life. To begin, let’s go to the Upper Room where Jesus gathered His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion; where He washed their feet; where He served them Communion; and where He took time to teach them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The teachings about the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave in the Upper Room will be the basis for what you are about to read in the first 20 Gems of June. Then the Gems from June 21 onward will be drawn from various other scriptures that I believe also teach us vital truths we must know about the Holy Spirit.

On that last night when Jesus was in the Upper Room with His disciples, He knew that He was leaving the world and that these moments were actually His last opportunity to teach them. There was a myriad of subjects Jesus could have taught His disciples that night, but He knew that in His absence, they would need a powerful, ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit. Consequently, Jesus devoted His last opportunity to teach them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In John chapters 14, 15, and 16, we find teachings by Jesus that are devoted primarily to the Person, power, and work of the Holy Spirit. We don’t know the amount of time it took for Jesus to teach His disciples about the Holy Spirit during His last night on earth with them, but it’s clear from these three chapters that He dedicated a significant amount of time.

That evening Jesus told the disciples that He would soon be departing the world. By reading John 14, it is clear that the disciples were tempted to despair when they heard this heavy news. They were tempted to feel abandoned, so Jesus told them, “I am not leaving you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18).

Let’s begin by looking at the word “comfortless” used in this verse. The word “comfortless” is a translation of the Greek word orphanos, and it is where we get the word orphan. A literal translation would be, “I will not leave you as orphans….” But in the time of the New Testament, this word had a wider range of meaning, for it was also used to describe students who felt abandoned by their teacher. However, whether this Greek word was used to describe orphans who had lost their parents or students who felt abandoned by a teacher, it always conveyed the idea of a person who felt deserted by someone whom they trusted and to whom they looked for guidance.

Jesus promised that although He was leaving this earth, He was not abandoning His disciples. He would come to them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who would exactly represent Him to the disciples in every way. By sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus was sending a personal replacement to take His place among the disciples — One who would be with each of them all the time. This would be far better than when Jesus was on the earth and could only physically be in one place at a time. In fact, Jesus later said that the coming of the Holy Spirit would be far better for them (see John 16:7) because it would herald the unlimited presence of Christ in the earth. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ could reside with every believer in every place on the earth simultaneously.

Once Jesus was exalted at the right hand of the Father, He took on the role of our Intercessor for all eternity (see Hebrews 7:25). Once seated, He poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Church (see Acts 2:33). Today the Holy Spirit is that Member of the Godhead who operates in the world. Christ is Lord over the Church, and the Holy Spirit carries out His Lordship inside the Church. We live in the age when the Holy Spirit operates in the world.

In Ephesians 1:13, the apostle Paul taught that the moment you receive your salvation, the Holy Spirit enters into you and serves as God’s covenant seal on your life in Him. Therefore, if you have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has come to take up residency inside of you. Hear me clearly — the Holy Spirit is a Resident in the life of every person who has surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In fact, Romans 8:9 says it is impossible to personally know God unless you have the Holy Spirit residing inside you. So rest assured, if you have come to that moment when you gave your life to Christ — that is, you surrendered to His Lordship — then the Holy Spirit has sealed you and has permanently moved into your heart. This means your heart is not just a hotel where He occasionally visits. Your heart is His home.

As glorious as it is that the Holy Spirit lives inside those who believe, this does not guarantee that they experience fellowship with Him. So today I’d like to ask you: What kind of fellowship do you have with the Holy Spirit? Is He a neglected Resident in your life, or do you actually experience regular, intimate fellowship with Him?

That night in the Upper Room, Jesus promised His disciples (and us) that when He ascended to Heaven, He would not abandon us like orphans or like students who had been deserted by their teacher. He promised that He would come to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus kept His word! But just as any person must be recognized to be experienced, we must on purpose recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit if we are going to experience fellowship with Him in our lives.

If you have never stopped to recognize the Holy Spirit in your life or experienced what I call the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, today would be a wonderful time for you to begin! Just open your heart and say, “Holy Spirit, thank You for living inside me. Starting today I want to begin enjoying fellowship with You!”

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, I want to begin enjoying fellowship with You. Since Jesus depended on You, I know that I need to depend on You too. So right now, more than ever before, I express my inner yearning to begin a new and deeper journey in learning how to have fellowship with You. I want to know You; I want to know Your power; and I ask You to come alongside and help me as Jesus said You would do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I acknowledge that because I am a child of God, the Holy Spirit lives inside me as a continual Resident. He longs to have fellowship with me and to reveal the depths of Jesus’ love to my heart. I repent for the times that I have ignored Him and treated Him as an unrecognized Resident. From this moment onward, I confess that I will live with an awareness of His presence and that I will embrace the wonderful ministry that He has come to provide for my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in your life? If yes, how would you describe the experience of fellowship with Him to someone else?
2. Can you recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you? If yes, how would you describe the way you recognize His voice?
3. Have you had moments when the Holy Spirit led you in a supernatural way that dramatically affected your life? If yes, what were some of those moments, and what happened as a result?

Are You Tired of Waiting For Your Fruit-Producing Season?

Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,  as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
— Colossians 2:7

Have you ever been so frustrated at waiting for a fruitful time in your life that you said to the Lord, “When is the fruit-producing season ever going to start in my life? I’ve worked, believed, and waited, but I am a little tired of waiting to see the fruit I long to see in my life. How long do I have to wait, Lord?”

I encourage you today to stay on track and refuse to give up, because you’re about to reach the greatest period of fruitfulness you’ve ever known. Before a fruit-producing tree reaches a time in its growth when it blossoms and bears fruit, first it sends its roots down deep into the earth where it can draw on a constant source of nourishment. Then as it continues to be nourished from below, it begins to send its limbs upward and outward.

During the life of that tree, it must endure the elements of every season — the heat, the cold, the sleet, the rain, and the snow — before it ever blossoms. Because those roots are deeply tapped into a continuous source of strength, nourishment, and energy, the tree is able to outlast all the seasons and eventually become a fruit-producing tree.

Psalm 1:3 uses the example of a tree to declare that when a person is rooted in God’s Word, he is “…like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

If you are wondering how long it is going to take before your fruit-producing season finally arrives, don’t get too discouraged! The bigger the tree, the greater the need for that tree to send its roots down deep into the earth to draw nourishment and to give it a firm footing against the wind, the weather, and the elements of the different seasons. That continual nourishment will also protect the tree from pestilence that may try to attack it through the years.

In light of this, consider what the apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:7: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” I want you to especially notice the word “rooted” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word ridzo, which means to be firmly and deeply rooted, making the object fixed, steady, stable, and strong. This is the picture of a strong tree whose roots go down deep and reach its source of nourishment. The tree is also held securely in place by those roots, regardless of the weather or the environmental opposition that comes against it.

Rather than complain that it’s taking too long for your fruit-producing season to arrive, you need to thank God for this time in your life! Take this time to send your roots down deep and tap into the strength of God’s Word and God’s Spirit. If your roots are securely fixed in Jesus Christ, you will outlast every season, every foul climate, and every storm. Eventually you will enter into the finest fruit-producing season of your life, your ministry, your family, or your business.

Honestly, you need to thank God that things haven’t happened faster in your life! Have you ever seen someone who reached success too quickly? That person usually loses his success just as quickly as he gained it because he didn’t have the roots and the experience necessary to maintain the success he gained. When people achieve success too quickly, it often means they don’t have the roots, the depth, and the sure foundation to bear them up in the difficult times they will encounter as they go through the seasons of life.

So take this time to work on your personal life, your mind, your thinking, your discipline, your finances, your weight, your relationships, and your behavior. While you are waiting for that fruit-producing season to come to pass in your life, use this time to put off the old man and to put on the new man (Colossians 3:9,10). Spend this phase of your life wisely by renewing your mind to the Word of God (Ephesians 4:23) and being certain your affections are set on things above, not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2).

If you use your time wisely, there will be no wasted time in your life. But if you just sit around and complain that it’s taking too long to get where you want to go, you will waste time. Sitting and complaining doesn’t make anything happen faster — and it often further delays the manifestation of the answer you’ve been waiting for.

So refuse to belong to those who are grumpy and complaining all the time. Instead, look at this time in your life as a blessing sent from Heaven to help you get yourself rooted deeply in Jesus Christ! Then send your limbs upward and outward as you tap into the power of God. Eventually you’ll begin to see blossoms budding in your life, signaling that you are about to enter your long-awaited season of bringing forth much fruit!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for not sending success to me too quickly. I know that if I had achieved success earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready for it. In fact, I might have destroyed it due to my own lack of experience and my immaturity. Help me embrace this time in my life as a time of preparation. Help me to truthfully analyze every part of my life in order to see what areas need to be more deeply rooted in You. I want my roots to go down so deeply that no storms of life and no attacks from the devil will be able to move me from the place where You have called me. Help me to stay so fixed, firm, strong, and stable that once I enter the fruit-producing season, I will never leave it!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am firmly and deeply rooted in God’s Word. As a result, I am fixed, steady, stable, and strong like a tree whose roots go down deep. I am tapped into the life of Jesus Christ, and He has become my Source of nourishment. I am held so securely in place that I am unaffected by the storms of life and the pestilence that the devil tries to use to attack me. I will outlast every season, every foul climate, and every storm. I am about to enter into the finest fruit-producing season of my life, my ministry, my family, and my business. My fruit-producing season is getting ready to begin!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever seen people quickly reach success, but it seemed that they lost their success just as quickly as they attained it? Can you name specific individuals who come to mind as examples?

2. What were the reasons these individuals gained and lost success so quickly? Reflect on this question for a while; then write down your observations.

3. What do you need to be doing differently in your own life to make sure you don’t ever fall into the category of those who quickly gained and quickly lost success?