Doctrines of the Faith: The Spirit in You

As we continue to look at Church Doctrine and consider the Third member of the Trinity, we find this gem from Paul: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God…we have received the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand…” (1 Cor 2:10, 11, 12). Put simply, because the Holy Spirit is God, He knows how God thinks. He “hears” God’s thoughts. Because the Holy Spirit indwells believers, He reveals those thoughts to us – Jesus said “He speaks what He hears” (see John 16:13-14). And when He speaks to our spirits we are convicted, commanded, comforted, challenged, encouraged, directed, and inspired. (Which, by the way, is how Peter explained the transmission of the Scriptures: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but man spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).)
What are we to do with the Spirit’s messages? Obey. Paul called it being “controlled by the Spirit,” “living according to the Spirit,” and being “led by the Spirit.” How does work? We “set [our] minds on what the Spirit desires.” We “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2). When the Spirit says one thing and the world says another, we choose to meditate on and obey what the Spirit has said. The world tells us that God has no authority over us. Paul said that we are “obligated” to submit to God’s Word and His Spirit. And if we don’t? Paul said we are not God’s children. God’s children are Spirit-fed, Spirit-led, Spirit-filled people. (See Romans 8:1-17)
There is another aspect of the Holy Spirit in us that I want you to grasp. Paul said in this same passage that “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (v. 16). Why is that important? Because the enemy and the world will try to tell you the opposite. Satan will hound you that God has rejected you because of your sin, that He could never love you. The Spirit says you are God’s child and God loves His children.
Give heed to the Spirit; believe and obey Him, Beloved. He is the very Life of God in you.

Advent 2023: Waiting for Jesus

“Simeon’s Moment” Ron DiCianni

The old man shuffling through the temple courts was a common sight. You could tell exactly what time of day it was when Simeon came around. Same gait, same expression, the same sense of yearning. But today there was something different about him. He was excited, his eyes darted around and his feet moved as if every step was determined by a force outside of himself. Suddenly his weathered face lit up like a thousand candles as his arms extended towards a young couple. With Jesus cradled in his arms the old man began to speak in the sing-song voice of worship: “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

Just then an old woman came up to the little group, her eyes bright with wonder and fixed on the infant in Simeon’s arms. “This is Him! This is the One! Oh, praise the name of the Lord – He has sent the Redemption of Israel!” Simeon smiled at Anna and nodded his head in agreement with her proclamation. They had both held tightly to the assurance that God would one day comfort and redeem His people and he was glad to share this glorious moment with his friend.

For the two elderly people, the baby was the fulfillment of a promise they had long held to and yearned to see. Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, had been assured by God that he would see the Hope of mankind before he died. Anna, widowed early in her life, had dedicated her years to worship, fasting, and praying for the Messiah to come. It had been such a long time – not just their lifetime, but hundreds of years for the oppressed nation of Israel. In the temple courts that day, their faith was rewarded and they received the child with great Joy.

How do you hold on when the promise of God is a long time in coming? Just like Simeon and Anna did – with faith. They never wavered in their expectations. They never stopped believing that every promise God made was as sure as His name – El Emunah, The Faithful God. Beloved, His name still stands today. You can wait in faith because God is still always and forever faithful. Christmas is the blessed proof that He will never fail to do what He says He will do.

How to be Saved

I was reading at the very end of Luke’s Gospel about the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in chapter 24. Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus and joined two disciples walking there. They talked about what had occurred in Jerusalem in recent days. They were talking about Him. But “they were kept from recognizing Him” (v. 16). He explained the prophecies from the Scriptures about Himself and joined them for a meal. “He took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it and began to give it to them.” And something happened. “Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him . . .” (vv. 30-31). Hold that thought.

A few verses later, after the two men rejoined the Eleven, Jesus appeared to them again. But they did not believe it was really Him – “because of Joy and amazement” (v. 41) – until he again joined them for a meal of broiled fish. He reminded them that He had told them these things must happen to fulfill all that had been written. Then Luke said, “He opened their mind so they could understand the Scriptures” (v. 45).

In my Bible, verses 31 and 45 are parallel to one another and I have drawn a line to connect the two because this is how the Holy Spirit works to bring people to Christ. He opens their eyes so they can recognize who Jesus is – the Son of God and He opens their minds so they can understand the truth about Him – that He is the risen Lord. Jesus also said the Holy Spirit will convict the sinner (Jn 16:8) – an act that takes place in the heart.

Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Salvation is not a decision merely based on emotion. It is the conviction that you are a sinner in need of a savior. It is recognizing and accepting Jesus as the Savior you need. And it is a conscious choice to follow Him day by day.

Is there someone you love who needs salvation? Pray that the Holy Spirit will touch their eyes, their mind, and their heart to see and know and believe. Or maybe the one who needs salvation is you. Beloved, Please reach out to me and let me share Jesus with you. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

Way Maker

I get it dear one. Some days it feels like you are both drowning in the sea and wandering through a desert.  Yes, it’s possible to feel both at the same time. I’ve been there more than a few times. God gets it too and He promised to make a way.  “This is what the Lord says – He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;” “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:16,19).

At times our emotions seem like an overflowing sea, thoughts rushing this way and that, pulling us under and threatening to take our very breath.  For a split second, we come up for air – “I believe!”  In the next the waves crash over our head again – “But I am afraid!”  God promises to make a path through the waters of fearful thoughts and discouragement that threaten to drown us.  He promises dry ground to cross over to the other side.

And we are also in the desert where nothing grows and all seems lost – walking through a season of drought.  Health issues.  Grief.  Family tension.  Divorce. Heavy responsibilities.  Financial struggles.  Too much to do and not enough time to do it. They beat down like the scorching sun as we wander over the sand looking for an oasis.  God promises to make a way here too – to provide streams in this wasteland.  Not to drown us like the sea, but to refresh and restore us.

Our Father meets our needs for rescue and for refreshing.  He gives us dry ground and cool springs.  He never fails to notice us wherever we are – even when we’re in two places at once.  Even when we’re someplace we’re not supposed to be. Oh, my drowning, wandering friend – let me throw you a lifeline of hope.  You don’t have to fear because God hears you, He is with you, He fights for you, He will never leave nor forsake you, and He promises to help you.  He knows where you are this very minute, and He knows what you need right now.  And He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

He’s proven Himself faithful over and over and over again throughout history. He’s proven Himself faithful so many times in my life. He will be faithful to you. Whether it’s the waves or the desert heat Beloved, God knows and He will help you. He is the Way-Maker.

Acts: A Winsome Witness

I remember a plaque on the pulpit of a church that said: “Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” Paul said, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). But we are wise to remember that sometimes we must “show” the word of Christ before we can earn the right to share it. Paul and Silas did just that. Please read Acts 16:16-40.

Paul and Silas angered some shysters who made money from a girl who was possessed by an evil spirit. They started a riot and the pair were stripped, beaten, flogged, and thrown in prison. They were kept in the innermost cell and bound with their feet in stocks. If that were you or I chances are pretty good we would be most unhappy. We certainly wouldn’t be in a holy state of mind.

But Paul and Silas did not allow their circumstances to determine their hearts and they spent the night “praying and singing hymns to God” as the other prisoners listened (v. 25). Suddenly an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. The prisoners’ chains were broken and the doors flew open. Not just for the missionaries, but for everybody (v. 26). That in itself is extraordinary, but the bigger miracle may be that no one ran away.

The jailer, expecting a mass escape, “drew his sword to kill himself,” but Paul assured him, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (v. 27, 28). The jailer came to them trembling and asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (v. 30). And they shared the gospel with him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (v. 31). The man and his whole household believed and were baptized in the middle of the night.

Someone said, “The greatest witness is to tell people you are a Christian and not act like a jerk.” I’ve met some Christian jerks. You probably have too. Paul talked often about “gentleness” in dealing with the world and Peter said, “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet 3:15). We have a powerful, life-giving message to share, but nobody will listen if it comes from arrogance and finger-pointing.

Beloved, are you a winsome witness for Christ?

When God’s People Pray

I’ve been praying for someone for a very long time. I’ll be honest and tell you that I gave up on those prayers for a time. I saw no way that God could work in this hard-headed, hard-hearted person’s life. But in reality, I had not given up on them, I had given up on God. James said that “the fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Do you believe God will answer your prayers? Acts 12:5-17 illustrates how often we pray without faith in God to answer.

The apostle Peter was in prison. The situation was very grim. His fellow apostle James had been beheaded by the evil King Herod. Now Peter, under the careful guard of sixteen soldiers (v. 4), was set for trial the next morning, with the same fate. Peter was considered the chief of the apostles. He held great respect and authority in the Christian church in Jerusalem. Verse 5 says, “Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Oh, the power of praying friends! And the power of the God who hears those earnest prayers!

An angel of the Lord appeared in Peter’s prison cell amid a bright flash of light and awakened the sleeping apostle. He hustled Peter into his clothes and shoes and out of the prison, miraculously passing all the guards and the iron gate, which opened by itself (v. 10). Peter quickly made his way to the house where his friends were gathered, praying for him.

His knock was answered by a servant girl named Rhoda, who ran to tell the group of prayer warriors – leaving Peter still outside the gate. What was their response? “’You’re out of your mind,’ they told her, ‘It must be his angel’” (v. 15). But wait. What had they been praying for so fervently? God had answered their prayer and they didn’t believe it. They finally opened the door and were astonished.

Too often we pray and doubt at the same time. It’s as if we’re saying “God, I’m going to pray for this person or this situation, but I really don’t think you can do anything about it.” No wonder it seems like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Friends, we need prayers of faith. We need to pray believing that God hears and will answer. The next time you pray for rain, Beloved, don’t forget to grab your umbrella on the way out the door.

In Case of Emergency

I recently read an article about a well-known actor who was raised in a religious home but years later concluded that he did not believe in God. He wants to find meaning in this life rather than worry about the next life. Oddly, he says he still prays on occasion, but when he talks to God it is in times of fear rather than out of belief. That describes the state of faith for most of the world.

Think back to 9/11/2001. I probably don’t have to remind you of what happened that day. It was the darkest day in our nation’s history.  It was a day we desperately needed hope. Republican and Democrat members of Congress gathered shoulder-to-shoulder on the steps of the Capitol and sang “God Bless America.” The following Sunday, with the entire nation still reeling from shock, churches across the country were full to overflowing. We ran to God in our grief and fear. But it didn’t last long. Within a month, church attendance was back down to pre-9/11 numbers. And God was again forgotten. In the 22 years since Congress has made laws against God. How can He bless us now?

Some people are content with God on the shelf. They bring Him out when there is a crisis then set Him back when life calms down. Just like the actor, there is no belief, no relationship with their Creator.  It begs the question, why bother to pray to a God you don’t believe in in times of fear? Isn’t that hypocrisy in its truest form? That is the pattern Israel displayed throughout the Old Testament. Over and over and over again they moved away from God until they encountered trouble and then they called to Him for rescue. And rescue He does. And the cycle would start all over again.

If you hear nothing else I say today, hear this: God is not an option. He is not a good-luck talisman. He’s not an emergency deity. The great missionary pioneer, James Hudson Taylor said, “Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all.” That means you cannot take Him and leave Him at your whims.  At the same time, He is the God who loves you and desires a deep and abiding relationship with you. I agree with the Psalmist who said, He is “the God of my Life” (Ps 42:8). He is everything to me.

Beloved, is God your all-and-all? Or is He your “God-in-case-of-emergency?”  One brings the fire truck; the other brings “gladness of heart” (Ecc 5:20).  The choice is yours. Choose well – choose for eternity.

Acts: Saving Faith

After Stephen’s death, followers of The Way were scattered all around the region because of persecution and as they went, they proclaimed the gospel. One of those traveling preachers was Philip, who was among the first disciples chosen to minister to the church (Acts 6:1-6). This would be a good place to stop and read Acts 8:1-25.

Philip went to Samaria, preached Christ, and performed miracles of healing and casting out demons. His ministry brought the Samaritans “great Joy” – and a lot of attention (vv. 5-8). Cue a man named Simon who was a very popular sorcerer. He was called “the divine power known as the Great Power” (vv. 9-11). That is until Philip came along and they were introduced to the power of Lord Jesus Christ. The text says that Simon believed and was baptized and began to follow Philip, astonished by the miracles and signs he performed (vv. 12-13).

When word of Philip’s ministry got back to the apostles in Jerusalem Peter and John came to help. They prayed for the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit (v. 15). Simon wanted it – not the Holy Spirit, but the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to others. He saw it as another magic trick that would make him popular in the new community of faith. He offered the apostles money if they could give him this power (v. 18-19). Peter saw right through Simon and rebuked him, declaring that his “heart is not right,” and he was “full of bitterness and captive to sin” (vv. 21-23) and he should repent. We never know if he did.

If everything in the Bible is meant to instruct us (Rom 15:4), what are we to learn from Simon? I believe we are looking at the difference between intellectual faith and saving faith. There is a “faith” that acknowledges the existence of God without trusting in God. James said, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (Jas 2:19). Satan knows all too well that God exists, but he still rebels against Him. So do people. Hebrews 4:2 says that people hear the gospel, but it is “of no value to them, because [they] do not combine it with faith.” This faith is marked by obedience and utter dependence on Christ.

Christian service is not a means to popularity, although some super-pastors have made it their gravy train. Jesus said that those who belong to the world are loved by the world, but those who belong to Him are hated by the world (Jn 15:18-21). I believe Simon’s faith was not saving faith. Sadly, I believe the same could be said for many who claim to be Christians. This is too important to gloss over. Beloved, how’s your faith?

Do You Believe?

What does it mean to believe? And in what should we believe? Is it enough to believe that there is a God? A lot of people agree to the presence of some supreme being in the universe, and many will call him God. And many believe that a man named Jesus taught the ways of God and exemplified His heart of love, compassion, and grace. But what makes one’s belief right or wrong? John explained the difference: “Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son” (1 John 5:10).

The heart of the Christian faith is to believe what God has said about Jesus Christ. God declared, “This is my Son” (Matt 3:17: 17:5), and that gave divine weight to everything Jesus said and did. John said that when men reject Jesus and His words, they are saying that God is not truthful nor trustworthy. When I say I am a Christian, I am not making a statement about my assent to the truths of Christianity; I am making a statement about God’s trustworthiness through His Son.

When I was younger in my faith, I thought my salvation depended on how hard I believed. It finally dawned on me that it wasn’t my dogged determination to hang on that saved me. It was God’s faithfulness to do what He promised to do. God said that Jesus is His Son, that His death was sufficient to cover all my sins, and that His resurrection ensures my eternal destiny. I believe what God said. It is the foundation of my faith.

Beloved, if you believe what God has said about Jesus, you are blessed in every way; for this life and life eternal. You are blessed because you stand on the confidence of God’s testimony, not on the traditions of men. You are blessed because “you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40). Your faith will be made sight and your hope in Christ will be confirmed. In heaven’s chronicles, your name will be recorded among the great saints of human history, and you will be commended with those who pleased God by their faith. What a blessing it is to believe!

He is Risen, Indeed

I’ve pondered and studied and all my words fall short. On this glorious Resurrection Sunday, hear the Word of the Lord.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed,

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen! He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as He told you.”

Mark 16:1-7

The tomb is still empty. Jesus is still alive.  And because He lives, you and I can have eternal life in heaven with Him. Beloved, There is no better day to repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ than Easter Sunday.