Tag: Bible

Christians… without the Holy Spirit?

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The general belief (among Christians) is that the Holy Spirit comes and remains in the Christian at the moment of belief. However, as I’ve read more about the Holy Spirit’s presence and work throughout the Bible, I’ve found that it’s more complex than that.

Acts 5:32 adds to the layer of complexity involved in the Holy Spirit’s work and presence in the life of a Christian. It reads: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

In Acts, we find that there is a contingency. God gives the Holy Spirit – but He gives to a specific group of people – those who obey Him.

Just by logic, we can conclude that people who are disobedient to God do not have the Holy Spirit. And what is obedience? It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s listening to and following Him. It’s keeping His commandments and honoring Him.

We have to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit, is well, HOLY! The Holy Spirit isn’t going to dwell and live in just anyone or anywhere. Conditions must be met, and one of those conditions is obedience to God.

David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet in his disobedience, he prayed something so profound, he says “God, please do not take your Holy Spirit from me.”

David was no stranger to the power of the Holy Spirit, and he was also not a stranger to the absence of the Holy Spirit either, He had watched Saul fall into complete disarray – tormented by an evil spirit when God’s Holy Spirit was removed. Saul hadn’t always been that way. Before being crowned king of Israel, the Holy Spirit fell on him with such power that people asked the question, “Is Saul among the prophets?” But Saul wasn’t obedient to the commands of God and as a result suffered the consequences.

Let us not take the Holy Spirit for granted. Let us not assume that the presence of God will remain with us despite how we live, think, or speak. Let us not grieve His Spirit and resist Him through disobedience, but instead, let us run our race with endurance, trusting God, loving Him, obeying Him, and honoring (with reverence) the privilege of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Exodus 16 – Lessons in the Manna (Bible Study)

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In the Book of Exodus 16, we see the first instance of God providing food for the Israelites – manna to be exact. There are several lessons that I’ve learned about this particular chapter.

The first lesson in the manna is that we MUST trust God for our daily provision.

When God first provided the manna, the Lord gave specific instructions to gather what they needed for the day. Of course, not everyone listened to God’s instruction. Some people gathered enough for two days. The people who gathered for two days discovered that their manna had maggots in it. They couldn’t eat it. The lesson is that we have to trust God for our daily provision. When we try to provide for ourselves we fail – and by fail, I mean that we cannot rise to the competence of what God can provide for us when we trust in Him. We have what we need when we allow God to provide for us.

Only God can provide for us physically and spiritually. When a person tries to provide themselves with what they think they need spiritually – it’s called religion. Religion can do very little for a person’s soul. It’s far better to be spiritual than religious. Only the Holy Spirit can provide the spiritual abundance we need to sustain and strengthen us.

The second lesson in the manna is that what God graciously gives, we must industriously gather.

God provides, but we must do our part too. We can’t sit idly by and do nothing. Faith without works is dead. We are co-laborers with Christ. We have a role to play, and it’s easy to become unbalanced – some people rely on themselves completely and have lots of work without faith – and others have faith and no works. You have to trust God completely and solely, but God expects you to do your part. We must pray, seek His Face, listen to His voice, walk in obedience and love, and make good decisions. God expects us to choose blessings and life. God provides everything we need to live a godly life, and He has equipped us for the work that He’s called us to do, however, let’s not forget that we have a role that we must fulfill. As God provides, we must be industrious in using what He has provided.

The third lesson in the manna is that when you honor God’s Word, He provides everything you need for the following day.

God told the people to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that they could rest on the seventh. Once the Sabbath day arrived, some people went out into the fields expecting to find manna to gather. But, there was no manna. However, because of God’s instructions to gather twice as much on day six, the people still had provision. The Israelites were learning that God prepares a person for their future when they are obedient to Him and listen to His instructions. The Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this; none are ever losers by serving God.

The final lesson in Exodus 16, is that Christ, Himself is the True Manna.

Yeshua calls Himself the Bread of Life, and indeed, He is. Manna sustained the Israelites for many years, and they had all the nourishment that they needed. If you’ve ever studied nutrition, then you know that the body needs many vitamins and minerals to function. Whenever there is any deficiency of any kind, illness and sickness creep in. A deficiency in any vitamin or mineral will cause symptoms.  For example, if you’re feeling fatigued you might be lacking vitamin D; or if you’re cold all the time, there might be an iron deficiency. However, the Israelites were healthy and strong – Scripture says there was none feeble among them. The manna had everything they needed to stay strong and healthy – and so it is with Christ – He is everything we need! Everything we need is in Yeshua – He is the Bread of Life, the True Manna.

People-pleasing is a Bad Idea

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Galatians 1:10 – For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10 is clear: No one can please everybody.

Each person is going to like aspects and parts of you while disliking parts of you. It’s very rarely that you’ll find someone that likes all of you, and if you do, then you should just marry that person. With that said, different people will want you to behave in a different way – people will have their unique version of who they think you are at your best – this may differ widely. You can’t be who everyone else wants you to be, or even who one particular person wants you to be. Sometimes you can’t even be the person you want to be because that might even be a bad idea.

So here is what I suggest, be the person God wants you to be.

People-pleasing is vanity. It’s like grasping for the wind. It’s a miserable existence to live your life trying to please people. However, trying to live a life that is pleasing to God is far from miserable. People pleasing produces anxiety and fear – discontent and frustration, but God-pleasing produces peace, courage and clarity.

Most of us are guilty of trying to please people. Throughout the Bible, we see men of God attempting to please others. King Saul is a good example. Saul lost the kingdom because he was so focused on pleasing those around him. God gave the kingdom to David, who wasn’t a people-pleaser, but was instead a man after God’s own heart.

I know what it’s like to fall into the trap of wanting to please someone. My life got much easier, far more peaceful and focused once I stopped caring what people thought, and cared more about what God thought. When you can get free of the opinions of others, it’s incredibly liberating. I thank God that He is so merciful and has warned us against people-pleasing.

There are two simple truths that you need to remember:

First, you can’t control what other people think about you. Focus on what God thinks about you. Is God pleased with you? That’s what matters. If God is pleased with you then you are on the right track – His opinion is the only opinion that’s important.

Second, understand that your self-worth isn’t dependent or contingent on someone’s opinion. Your self-worth must be rooted in Christ, and Christ alone. Usually, at the heart of people-pleasing, there is a self-esteem issue or a confidence-conflict. This is something that many of us struggle with. The enemy is a thief, and one of the things that he attempts to steal is our confidence. When you lack confidence and have low self-esteem, it’s easier to fall into the trap of people-pleasing.

Remember how much Yeshua loves you, so root your sense of self-worth in His love. Know that God loves you, and that is all that matters.

Put your trust in God, seek to please Him and put your trust in Him alone.

Tithing Your Time

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Giving isn’t a command – it’s encouraged. And it’s encouraged with good reason because when we give, it transforms us. We evolve into better people when we are generous and unselfish. The doctrine of tithing often focuses on money, but another area that we often overlook is time. While being generous with our money transforms us; giving our time is also transformative.

Many years ago after getting my first “real” job in a corporate environment, God showed me that He wanted me to tithe. I soon realized that money wasn’t the only area of my life that I needed to surrender to God. Time was a part of my life that I had kept entirely to myself. I went to church on Sundays, but God wanted more for me. And so, I began the habit of tithing my time. There are so many different ways to tithe your time, but below are just a few.

Serve in your church – if there are areas of ministry where your church needs help, jump in. Many churches need help with the children’s ministry, or perhaps the church is looking for volunteers who are willing to pray for others or greet visitors at the door. Church is an excellent place to tithe your time.

Volunteer – Homeless shelters, foster homes, crisis centers, hospitals, libraries, and many other places need volunteers. We are all put on earth to help each other. Helping others fulfills our purpose, and is a beautiful way to tithe our time.

Give God the first of your day – In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give a tenth. Before they paid workers, bought property, or did anything else, they tithed. You can tithe the first of your day by dedicating your mornings to God. When you wake up in the morning before you do anything else, pray.

Your Home Is Your Sacred Space

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After creating a prayer closet in my former home, I realized two things. First, I realized that I should have carved out the space sooner. Second, I realized that I wanted the peaceful energy that was in my closet to permeate the rest of my house. I stopped praying in just one space and now make it a point to pray, sing, and worship all over my home – the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen – I want my whole house to feel like shalom…. not just the prayer closet.

I do think it’s wise to have a sacred space.

It’s comforting to have a sacred space, and there is power in spiritual ritual and discipline. It’s beautiful and calming to enter a familiar, light space and know exactly why you’re there. But I also think we need to remember to bless our entire house, and speak God’s love and goodness into each room.

I think that we shouldn’t have A sacred space, but rather our homes should be THE sacred space where we’re overwhelmed by an atmosphere of love and peace.

One of the easiest ways to consecrate your home is to incorporate consecration into your home cleaning routine. Before you clean a room, pray over it, consecrate it, and bless it.

Incorporate consecration into your cooking and meal prep – when you walk into the kitchen, bless the room and pray that good, healthy, delicious meals would come from the kitchen. One of my favorite verses for the kitchen is Exodus 23:25.

You can do something similar with your living and recreational areas – ask God to make them places where good memories are created – spaces of love and laughter.

Your home can and should be a sacred space.

Recognizing the Voice of God

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You need to be able to recognize God’s voice so that you don’t confuse it with the enemy’s voice. When you don’t know God’s voice, the possibility for deception is there. You might think that what you hear in your heart, mind, or from other people is from God, when it’s not. Being able to hear and recognize His voice and distinguish between His voice and Satan’s is imperative.

God’s voice has distinct characteristics based on His nature. God is a God of love, order, clarity, encouragement – these are all characteristics of God portrayed in His voice. So, while Satan condemns, God convicts. The enemy discourages, God encourages – the enemy confuses, God clarifies. When you understand the character of God and the Word of God, you’ll recognize His voice. His voice is gentle, beautiful, confirming and brings about peace in your spirit. God doesn’t bring anxiety and fear.

Some people think that hearing God’s voice means hearing the audible voice of God. There are plenty of people waiting to hear God’s voice, assuming that it will thunder from heaven (and it can) – but because it hasn’t, they assume that God has never spoken to them. But God speaks in more than one way.

God can speak to us through other people.

He often speaks to us through His word.

He speaks to us in a still, small voice – sometimes it’s just a whisper in the heart.

God can even speak through music. I once asked God a question when I was a little kid and He immediately answered me through a song that was playing on the radio. I was so surprised and delighted I never forgot that moment. God speaks to us in numerous ways, so listen for His Voice.

The Psychology of Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

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Not many people like change. Change is hard. But change is good. Change is inevitable. It is through change that we grow, and learn, and evolve. So we need change, and the best way to cultivate change in our lives is to break out of our comfort zone… at least, every once a while.

For many, the simple thought of breaking out of the comfort zone might provoke feelings of unease.

Asking someone to step outside of their comfort zone is essentially asking them to (voluntarily) place themselves somewhere they’ll feel insecure and vulnerable. Most of us have been wired to fear vulnerability and any other situation that makes us feel exposed.

The comfort zone is the place a person feels in control. When a person is outside of their comfort zone, they lose a sense of control over their lives, and this is particularly hard for people who suffer from perfectionism or just general insecurity.

However, people don’t operate at their best when they are within a comfort zone. The comfort zone breeds complacency, which breeds familiarity and begets mediocrity. People are at their best when they are ‘just’ outside of their comfort zones.

Throughout Scripture there’s a consistent theme – men and women of God who are pushed outside of their comfort zones.

Spiritually and psychologically very subtle things occur when a person is pushed out of their comfort zones. When a person is pushed out of their comfort zone, they quickly realize that they can’t rely on themselves. Being in unfamiliar territory is a reminder that we need God. It’s a reminder that we cannot trust in ourselves. It’s easy to forget these things when everything is stable. But then we are pushed outside of our comfort zones we are reminded that we need a higher power to help us.

Being pushed out of a comfort zone helps us grow. It stretches who we are and broadens our perspective of the world.

Being thrown completely out of your comfort zone quickly dismantles pride. The “need to be in control” and pride are linked… but pride quickly diminishes and is replaced by humility when a person no longer feels in control.

Below are two things you can do to break out of your comfort zone.

First, start to pray radical prayers. Instead of asking for the things that you normally ask for, start praying and asking for more. Pray big prayers. Big prayers require big faith – so stretch your faith by beginning to pray big prayers.

Second, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and lead you into new things. Perhaps there are areas of your life where you feel at ease, but you are yearning for more. Ask God to open the doors so that you can experience more – and when the doors open step through them fearlessly – in faith.