Host the Holy Spirit
I don’t personally know of anyone right now that is having an easy time of life. Most of the people in my sphere of friends are actually having a pretty difficult time. Those who are believers and those who are not.
Marriages are hurting. There’s affairs, divorces, and betrayals of grave magnitude. Parents are hurting and grieving. Kids feel like their worlds are just in chaos. Young adults are trying to make their way in this extremely difficult and chaotic world. People have recently become widows or widowers. There’s suicide. There’s accidents. There’s all kinds of awful life going on.
Reality is, it’s always that way. It’s always been that way since the beginning of time…all the way back to Adam and Eve being in the garden of Eden and the serpent going at them. There is nothing new under the sun. Take a look at their story. It stinks, to use polite words.
Another reality is… for those who have given their lives to God, who have put their faith and trust in Jesus as the Son of God… there IS hope. Just like the name of our church… “Living Hope…” We have a hope that is ALIVE!
We don’t have to cower in bed under the sheets. We don’t even have to go through it alone. I can’t imagine how those without Jesus are making it through. My cousin’s adult son, here in Tucson, committed suicide about six months ago. It was the first funeral I’ve ever been to where the people just had absolutely NO hope whatsoever. They were in such turmoil.
And now six months or so later, my cousin who couldn’t take the pain and hopelessness of loosing her son any longer, tried to commit suicide herself. My friend… This is not us. This is not who we are. This is not our legacy. We HAVE a HOPE and a FUTURE. Please see that. We are the children of God.
This hope and this future that we have is in Jesus Christ our Lord! This battle that we are in is NOT against “flesh and blood” enemies. Don’t forget that. This battle is against the evil rulers of this world.
Take heart my friend and stand strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. This means, stand there and let him fill you with HIS strength. Get your strength from God. This is one reason He gave us his Spirit…. to strengthen us. To give us the power we need to make it through all the "awful" that will come, because of this super broken world.
Put on the full armor of God today and stand there, strong. Then, when this battle does end, because it will, you will still just be standing there. Let God fight this. Be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
On Sunday, we agreed as a group, that the Word of God was given for our benefit, right? We agreed that the “do’s and don’ts" in the Bible are for our benefit. We agreed that it’s true for all of the Bible, not just what we pick and choose, correct?
So, if the Bible tells us so often to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s for our benefit. It’s not to make us look silly or lead us astray in anyway. It has real and true benefits. We absolutely need the Holy Spirit. Who wants a job without “benefits?!” No one… we all look for jobs that come with benefits. Why? Because we NEED those benefits.
Just like with all that the Bible tells us to do, we have to make the decision. We have to get up and do something about it. God is not going to force us to do anything. He treats us like adult children… He tells us what is best, but we have to make the decision and do it.
If we want all the benefits, tools, and weapons that are available to us, we must be a host of the Holy Spirit. Like Pastor Larry Neville preached this past Sunday, it takes our participation…because He is not going to force His way in.
We often forget that Jesus was a human just like us. That he was tempted just like us. He felt whatever we are feeling right now. He had to make decisions on a daily basis just like us to follow God, OUR Father.
But one thing he had that many don’t… is the infilling and baptism of the Holy Spirit. He knew how very important this is to our successful and victorious Christian lives. That’s why Jesus told the disciples not to go anywhere until they “received the Holy Spirit.” That’s when they would receive the power to make it through all the awful that was going to be coming.
My friends, you can make it through this. The Holy Spirit is right there, where you are, waiting to help you. Call out to Him, “Holy Spirit, I need you. I want to be baptized and submerged in your Spirit. I want to walk in the power of your Holy Spirit. Baptize me and fill me fresh, in the mighty name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord!”
It is the Spirit who gives us life. Our flesh and our souls (psyche) are NO help with this. The Word of God is spirit and life for all your flesh. Walk by faith in the Word of God. Put the Word into you daily, however you can… read or listen, but put it in. And then walk according to it. Don’t let how you feel and what you see be the lord of your life today. Be full of the Holy Spirit.
We love you and are praying for you.
-Shauna Neville
My Prayer:
“Lord, I thank you for my brother/sister. You know and see all the pain and hurt that they’re going through. You know their heart. It might FEEL like he/she won’t make it through, but help him/her to stand upon your Word. Your word is life and healing to all our flesh. Fill fresh and baptize my friend with your Holy Spirit, right now in the name of Jesus.
May he/she walk away from this little letter refreshed, strengthened with full confidence in you, who you are, your Word, and who they are in you. Make it real and evident in his/her heart and life that you have the final say and that you have nothing but good plans for him/her.
May he/she follow all your ways today as he/she lives his/her life and may he/she live his/her life worthy of his/her calling for he/she has been called by you to do the good things that you planned a long time ago.
Let YOUR Kingdom come and YOUR will be done in his/her life and family’s life.
Thank you that you are the God who sees, heals, restores, provides and loves.
We love you.
Amen!”