Test the Spirits

Have you ever tested the spirits? Have you discerned whether they are from God or are evil? Do you make the effort to ensure you are being led by the correct Spirit? Do you know there are different kinds of spirits roaming this world?

In some ways, our culture has glamorized spirits and deflected the importance of discerning between them. There are television programs that hunt ghosts and are about dead people walking around. This time of year, we see movies about evil spirits, people being chased by them, and sometimes those spirits turning to good.

We are told by the Apostle John to test the spirits. He was not talking about ghosts, but the spirit of another person, as well as evil spirits. On the one hand, he was speaking of testing what other people profess. The belief being it was the inner spirit of a person where their beliefs were held. From their inner spirit, they spoke their beliefs, gave advice, and lived their lives.

On the other hand, he had witnessed evil spirits in the world. He had seen Jesus cast out demons. He knew firsthand that demons existed. I think we have forgotten there are evil spirits roaming the earth and making every attempt to steer us in the wrong direction so as to separate us from God.

John tells us how to discern between the spirits. It is really quite simple. Either the spirit confesses Jesus Christ came into this world or not. The spirit guides us closer to Him or it doesn’t. Much like John’s gospel, he writes in his first letter in black and white terms.

I pray we all ask God for discernment. I pray we test the spirits. I pray each one of us chooses to follow Jesus and the spirits that guide us in His direction. Test the spirits. Discern between spirits. Choose to follow Jesus. Choose to listen to the spirits that point to Him.

1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Spiritual Language

Have you ever heard someone speak in tongues? Do you know what it means to speak in tongues? Can you speak in multiple languages? Have you experienced the ability to speak in a language that no one else understands?

Speaking in tongues, as spoken of in the Bible, has raised much debate. Some believe it is merely the ability to speak a foreign language. Others believe it is the ability to speak an angelic language. And still others believe it is speaking in a spiritual language.

Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13:1 speaking in tongues of angels and tongues of men. However, he discourages doing so in the assembly of the church as being of no use practical use, unless someone can interpret it. Why? One of the main purposes to gather as a church body is to build up the body. If someone is speaking in a language that no one else understands, they cannot be building up the body.

As for speaking in a spiritual language, some believe this comes upon a person in a type of ecstasy brought on by the Holy Spirit. The person speaking is praising God, or perhaps the Holy Spirit is speaking through the person, in the language the Holy Spirit uses. In Romans 8:26, Paul tells the church in Rome that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray because we do not know what to pray.

As Paul states, being overcome by the Spirit to speak in a spiritual language is not something that should be done in a congregational setting. Perhaps Paul was saying this should be done in private, where the person overcome can communicate with God directly and thereby be edified or built up. The gift of speaking in tongues is a wonderful gift when used properly.

I pray we all know the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. I pray we know there is a spiritual language. I pray each one of us will invite the Spirit to speak to us and build us up. Pray in the spirit. Pray with the Spirit. Know the Spirit intercedes for you. Be wise in language use. Use the appropriate language to build up one another.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

Trust Jesus

What evidence convinces you something is a fact? Do you need to be a witness of it? Will you listen to the testimony of witnesses? Does the reputation of the witness matter? Do you look for signs of truth? Will you throw away the truth if you do not have confirmation?

Getting to the bottom of things can be challenging. We are bombarded with misinformation, half-truths, and outright falsities in today’s culture. We see them on every social media platform, in advertising, and even in our daily news.

We experience partial truths based on partial information. This is not say that all of them are intentionally misleading us. Unfortunately, there are times when we only have a few pieces of information and must make a decision based on what we know at the time. As more information becomes available, we can change our decision based on the new information. Science works in this way. Technological advances cause corporate leadership to continually change decisions.

However, there is a truth we can trust. There is truth that only gets better as we dig deeper into it. We have the Truth Speaker. We have witnesses. We have angels testifying to it. We have miracles that verify it. The truth I am speaking of is the truth of God’s Word—Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew writer speaks of the testimony about Jesus. He speaks of our salvation. He speaks of Jesus announcing it during His ministry on earth. He confirmed it in the signs, wonders, and miracles He performed. The Hebrew writer goes on to state we have witnesses who testified to it after Jesus was resurrected. We have all the evidence we need to put our faith in Him.

I pray we all accept the truth of Jesus. I pray we accept the salvation He offers. I pray each one of us trust the evidence presented, including the signs, wonders, miracles, and witness testimony. Accept the truth. Accept salvation. Trust the evidence. Trust in the miracles. Trust the witnesses. Trust Jesus.

Hebrews 2:2-4 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Miracles Witnessed

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? If so, what kind of miracle was it? If not, do you want to see a miracle? How do you define miracles? Are they supernatural? Do you believe all miracles come from God? Have you heard someone say they can grant a miracle?

Miracles amaze us. We cannot explain them. We may have witnessed one. We may have heard the testimony of someone who has witnessed one. It may have been a miraculous healing. It may have been a miraculous saving. It may have been any one of many different possibilities.

I have heard stories of miraculous healings. I have heard doctors be unable to explain the healing that took place, whether it was the healing of an organ or the elimination of a disease. I have heard of miraculous savings. Someone survived with no injury an auto accident that police investigators say there is no way they should have survived, let alone be unscratched.

We can attribute those miracles to God, largely due to no one being involved in them. How do we explain a miracle that happens after someone prays over another? Did God work through the person praying? Did God answer the prayer? Does God give people the ability to grant miracles today? The answer to all these questions could be yes. What we do know is God grants miracles to achieve his work in this world.

We also know that miracles often come during an extremely difficult time. Things are usually dire when the miracle occurs. There is no other option than a miracle. So, do we really want to see a miracle? To see a miracle, we need to be close to a situation that only God can fix.

I pray we all believe in miracles. I pray we know that God grants miracles according to his will. I pray each one of us listen closely to the stories of miracles, but not need a miracle ourselves. Believe in miracles. Know that God grants miracles. Listen to the stories of miracles. Do not desire to witness a miracle. You are a miracle.

Galatians 3:5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

Serving in God’s Grace

What does serving others mean to you? Is your focus on what you can do for them? Do you reap any benefits from serving others? Do you prefer others to serve you? Have you thought about your service being a grace from God?

Serving others comes in many forms. We may serve by helping a student understand their math equations. Our help may mean the difference between getting a passing grade or failing the class. We may serve by helping someone clean their house.

But serving may also mean encouraging someone to accomplish something they thought was not possible. It may be your encouragement that keeps a person going down the right path. It may be your encouragement that entices a person to try something new.

Serving is giving. It is giving a part of yourself. It is giving your time and energy to someone else. It is setting aside your preferences to provide for someone in need. It is sharing God’s grace with someone who needs it.

Mercy is also a serving spiritual gift. When you show mercy, do you not demonstrate the servant nature of Jesus? Yes, mercy is difficult for us, but only because of our pride. Following in Jesus’ servant footsteps is to show mercy to those who need it.

God has given us His grace and to be a faithful steward of it, we must serve one another. The heart of a servant, servanthood in the flesh, is what God has called us to. Serving others is serving God. It is walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

I pray we all choose to serve one another. I pray we follow in Jesus’ servanthood footsteps. I pray each one of us will choose to serve others through helping, giving, encouragement, and mercy. Give to one another. Show mercy to one another. Help one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Encourager

Are you an encourager? Do you build others up? Do you give them a word of encouragement to achieve their goals? Do you spur others on to new heights? Do you give them the heart to keep pushing through when things get tough? Do you strengthen their resolve?

Being a person of encouragement comes naturally to some people. Not so much for others. Those who are encouragers boost those around them. They increase the energy of those who are running slow. The encourager restores the belief another has lost.

Encouragement can be the difference between success and failure. I remember running my first marathon. About mile fourteen my legs started cramping. It was my fault. I drank too much water the day before so I would be hydrated and thereby flushed all the electrolytes out of my system. Needless to say, I did not make that mistake the next year.

But there were people along the route who kept encouraging me and the other runners to keep going. It was tough. I had to walk some, massage the muscles, and run again. I finished the twenty-six plus miles. I don’t know if I would have without the encouragement along the way.

We can encourage one another to continue going during our dark times. We can encourage one another to hold on to our faith when we are tempted to walk away. We can encourage others to come to faith in Jesus Christ through both words and actions.

Encouragement is a gift of the spirit. We can all encourage at some level. But there are some who have an extra helping of the gift of encouragement from the Holy Spirit. Those folks are special. They are the energy and motivation factor for those of us running the race.

I pray we all encourage others to hold on to their faith. I pray we encourage others to come to faith in Jesus. I pray each one of us truly appreciate those who are gifted with encouragement. Be an encourager. Appreciate encouragers. Encourage one another. Encourage others to come to faith.

Acts 15:30-33 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.

Hospitality

How hospitable are you? Do you welcome others into your house? Would you invite a family member to stay with you? Are you willing to host family members for several days, weeks, or even months? Would you do so for a fellow Christian?

Being hospitable comes naturally for some of us, while it is a significant challenge for others. Maybe we should first describe hospitality. It is not throwing a party but inviting someone in as though they were family. It is opening your home to host and care for them.

Hospitality was a key trait of the Hebrews of the Old Testament. It continued to be key to the early Christians. It was expected of a Christian to welcome any other Christian into their home, especially if it was a travelling apostle, preacher, teacher, or messenger. The host would provide a place to sleep, meals, and information about the local area.

Being hospitable comes from the spiritual gifts of giving, helping, and serving. All of them contribute to being hospitable. We may be especially gifted with these gifts. We may not. If we are not, we can ask God to gift us with them. Desiring to have these gifts is key to us acquiring them. God is willing to gift us to better serve one another.

Even if we are not gifted with these spiritual gifts, we can work toward being hospitable. We can train ourselves to be hospitable. It often means overcoming fear and anxiety, but we can ask God for that as well. Our challenge is to desire to be hospitable to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I pray we all desire to be hospitable. I pray we ask God for the spiritual gifts to be hospitable. I pray each one of us will welcome our brothers and sisters in Christ with the love of Christ. Ask God to make you hospitable. Ask for the spiritual gifts of giving, helping, and serving. Desire to be hospitable. Welcome your brothers and sisters.

Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

In Sync With God

Why do you do what you do? What is your reason for going about your daily tasks? Is there a motivating factor that spurs you on? Can you define what it is that causes you to work hard? Are you doing everything for the glory of God?

We all have a reason for going about our daily lives. Sometimes it is a goal we are working toward. Sometimes we cannot put our finger on it, and it may seem we are simply muddling along with no goal nor a significant reason.

Let me make a confession. I am not a person who typically creates a five-year or ten-year plan with a goal in mind. Sure, I set goals. But I have never been one to plan in great detail how to reach those goals. What I have done is identify two or three smaller goals as steppingstones toward the larger goal. Though I have not always been a Christian, I have always trusted God to reward me for my work.

But trusting God to reward us for our work is different than working for his glory. What is the difference? The first viewpoint means we are working for ourselves. The second means we are working for God. I can be a store clerk and be working for God. I can complete all my tasks as though they were for God (and they are when he is the reason). How is this for God? When we have a smile on our face, a joyous attitude, and work hard, people want to know why. That opens the door for us to tell them about God.

When our whole purpose in life is to glorify God, everything we do becomes better. Glorifying him is not window dressing, but an internal change of heart. When our heart is in sync with God’s heart, we serve him and serve others.

I pray we all evaluate our reasons for going about our daily lives. I pray we stop living for ourselves and start living for God. I pray each one of us puts our heart in sync with God’s. Make God the reason for living. Make getting your heart in sync with God’s your goal. Do everything for God’s glory. Serve God. Serve others.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Given a Trust

Are you a person who carries out requirements? When given a task, can you be counted on to complete it according to directions? Do you faithfully adhere to the specifications you are given? Are you carrying out the task given to you by God?

We are tasked with completing a variety of tasks in our daily work. Depending on your specific job, you may be carrying out hundreds of tasks a day. Your tasks may be as varied as the rainbow. You may become very good at multitasking.

I know our jobs can be complex, require a variety of skills, and require diligence. As a pastor, I must read Scripture, commentaries, and other educational books. I must oversee the maintenance of a building, worship services, committee meetings, and other employees. I must ensure administrative tasks are completed, visit members in the hospital and nursing homes, and provide oversight of finances. When all of these are done, I am to provide a vision for outreach into our community and grow the church. I understand how complex a job can be.

We all have one job in common. We have all been given a trust—the gospel of Jesus Christ. What is a trust? Think of a trust fund left to an heir. It is invested to grow and provide an income to the recipient. The same is true of the gospel. It is to grow in each of us. We are to use the growth to plant the gospel in others.

The trust also provides an income. In the case of the gospel, the income in an abundant life. Our lives become better the more we know and the deeper we delve into the gospel. As we understand Jesus’ commands, His teachings, and His example, our lives improve. We gain in peace, love, and joy.

I pray we all care for the trust we have been given. I pray we invest it wherever and in whomever we can. I pray each one of us delves deeper into the gospel to see an improvement in our lives. Know that you have been given a trust. Grow in your understanding of the gospel. Plant seeds. Invest in the gospel. Improve your life. Live the abundant life.

1 Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Good Reputation

Do you desire to stand out? Do you like to have people point at you and say, “she is a wonderful person”? Have you thought about it? Have you taken steps to make it a reality? Do you know what steps you need to take?

Even if we are not a person who seeks the spotlight, we often desire a good reputation. We want people to say what a wonderful person we are. We may even want our great personality pointed out publicly. And too often we do not work at making it a reality.

What must we do to cause people to say good things about our personality? First, we must work at it. We must recognize we are broken—all of us. We are born into a sinful world. We are inundated with sinful examples of behavior. To become a person with a reputation of being cheerful, thoughtful, and generally good requires us to make a conscious effort toward that goal every day.

The Apostle Paul tells us to stop our grumbling. Well, that is not easy! Take inventory of the number of times you grumble in a day. We complain about the weather. We complain about our jobs. We complain about our siblings. We complain about our spouses. We complain about our parents. We complain about just about everything. To stop grumbling means we must change our attitude and outlook on life.

He goes on to say we must stop arguing. Now, do not mistake that for rolling over and allowing others to mistreat you. We can have healthy debate. In fact, healthy debate is something our culture has lost over the past twenty or so years. But arguing for argument’s sake should not be done. That is being a contrarian. That is simply looking for a fight.

I pray we all stop our grumbling. I pray we exchange arguing for healthy debate. I pray each one of us seek to change our attitude and outlook on life, seeking to be a person others point out as good. Seek a good reputation. Seek a change of attitude. Commit to working at it. Stop grumbling. Stop arguing. Have healthy debate. Be a star. Hold to the word of life.

Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.