Clarity When Needed

Do you wish you had someone who could provide clarity during times of uncertainty? Do you wish you had someone who could explain confusing things to you? Do you wish there was someone who would remind you of the things you have forgotten?

We live in uncertain times. It would be great to have an explanation for it and to know it would all work out. With all the confusion or point and counterpoint going on, it would be nice to understand it all. As we get older, it would be wonderful to remember many of the things we have forgotten.

Uncertainty, confusion, and failing to remember some things is right up the Holy Spirit’s alley. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, Advocate as he is called in today’s Scripture, to help us in our times of need. Honestly, the Holy Spirit is in us to help us all the time, because we are always in a time of need, whether we want to admit it or not.

The Holy Spirit will bring things back to our mind, especially passages of Scripture, when we need it, if we rely on him. I can personally attest to that. We may not remember the exact book, chapter, and verse, but the text will come back to us. Even if the exact text doesn’t come back, we will be able to paraphrase it with the proper meaning.

The Holy Spirit also gives us clarity when we experience confusion. Again, we must rely on him to provide that clarity. This means learning to be in touch with the Holy Spirit all the time. When we take time to ask God to provide clarity and listen for the Holy Spirit, we will hear the clarity God wants us to hear.

I pray we all rely on the Holy Spirit at all times. I pray we trust the Holy Spirit to provide clarity. I pray each one of us will trust the Holy Spirit to bring back memories when we need them. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Trust him to provide clarity. Trust him for recall of memories. Trust God to provide.

John 14:25-26 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Ask and Receive

Are there things you wish you could have? Are there things you wish you could change? Have you played the game ‘what I would do if I were a king or queen for a day’? What did you decide? How much would you change? What if I told you that you could have your desire?

We all have things we would like to change. We likely have thought about what we would change if we were in charge of the world for a day. Likely, our decisions are good for some and not so good for others. Why? We cannot see everything and cannot think of everything.

However, there is a way to get our deepest desire…if it is aligned with the desires of God. Jesus promises us that whatever we ask for in His name, He will grant it. But that is not an invitation to ask for worldly things. It is a promise to grant us what we ask for when we are asking for what God desires. So, how do we go about that?

First, we need to know what God’s will is. We need to know God’s Word. We need to understand God’s way of thinking. We need to listen for the Holy Spirit to guide us. When we listen to the Holy Spirit and desire what God desires, what we ask for will be granted. It is that simple. Yet, simple does not equate to easy.

Because we live in the world and are often overtaken with worldly desires, our desires are not often in sync with God’s. To have his desires, we must give up our worldly desires. We must give up all of ourselves to be filled fully with God. When we do that, we will ask in accordance with his will. Then we will be granted what we ask for.

I pray we all strive to give up our worldly desires. I pray we seek to know God’s Word. I pray each one of us will listen for the Holy Spirit and ask for those things that are in accordance with God’s will. Give up worldly desires. Know God’s Word. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Ask that God’s will be done.

John 14:13-14 “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Truly See God

Do you find that you have lots of questions? Does it seem like you have more questions as you get older? To whom do you go to with your questions? Who is your trusted advisor? Have you received the answer but not understood it? Did you fail to see or hear it?

We have lots of questions as young children. When we get into our teens and twenties, we think we know it all and have it all figured out. As we continue to get older, we start questioning if we really know what we think we know. We start asking lots of questions again.

I can remember thinking I had the world by the tail when I was in my twenties. By the time I was in my forties, I realized there were a lot of things I didn’t know. As I continued to age, I started asking even more questions, even if not directly to someone else. I was questioning myself. I was questioning what our national leaders were doing. On occasion, I even questioned my faith.

Philip asks Jesus to do something. He seems to be a little unsure. What he hadn’t realized is, Jesus had already provided the answer to him. Philip had missed the fact that Jesus was showing him God in earthly form. Philip had heard Jesus’ teachings, seen His miracles, and lived with Him for about three years, but Philip missed this key piece of information.

We can miss it, too. We can attend church services for years, participate in Sunday school, and participate in Bible studies, and yet miss truly seeing God. How can this be? Just like Philip, we are encountering Jesus in a variety of activities, yet not putting the pieces together. We hear teaching about Him. We partake of Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. We spend time in prayer. But it only when we open our hearts and minds to hear His message and open our eyes to see Him, that we truly see God.

I pray we all open our hearts and minds to God. I pray we ask God to open our eyes. I pray each one of us puts the pieces together and truly sees God in our worship and in our daily lives. Open your heart and mind. Open your eyes. Put the pieces together. Truly see God.

John 14:8-9 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Heir with Christ

What does it mean to you to be an heir? Do you wish some long-lost aunt, or uncle would leave you a fortune? Are you concerned about sharing your inheritance with someone else? What if there is no inheritance? Have you worried about nothing all along? What then?

The possessions and money left by someone who dies can be a troublesome thing. It can cause family members who profess their love for one another to be at one another’s throats. If someone inherits a lot of money, they can quickly become a completely different person.

All of us who put our faith in Jesus have an inheritance coming. Yet, there will be no fighting over it. There will be no arguing. There will be no dissension. For all of us will inherit what God rightly decides we will inherit. Not only that, but we will also all be with the Father and the Son forever. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us that we are join heirs with Jesus Himself.

As children of God, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. It is by the Spirit that we cry out to God in joy and in anguish. Yet, when we inherit eternal life, we will only cry out in joy. Yet, Paul also tells us that we must suffer with Christ. That doesn’t mean going to a cross. It does mean bearing our cross daily. It means putting up with ridicule and persecution along the way.

Why should we bear our cross? Because we love Jesus that much. Yes, there will be an inheritance far more wonderful than we can imagine. But that cannot be our reason for bearing our cross. If we are only bearing our cross for a reward, our reward will be what we receive in this world, not what God would love to give us. All of this requires a humble heart. It requires a heart that submits to God.

I pray we all know we are heirs with Jesus Christ. I pray we trust in God’s inheritance. I pray each one of us will humble ourselves before God, bearing our cross, and submit to him. You are an heir with Christ. Trust God. Humble yourself before God. Bear your cross. Submit to God.

Romans 8:15b-17 When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Loving Father

Do you have good parents? Were they loving, supportive, and understanding? Do you enjoy being with them? If not, do you long for a parent who can provide you all those things? Are you willing to accept those things from God? Do you know that he will provide them?

It is unfortunate that there are bad parents in this world. They fail to be the loving, supportive, and understanding parent we all desire and need. It is sad that some of us have experienced parents who have all but abandoned us or perhaps have abandoned us.

Yet, we are promised that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He will send the Holy Spirit to live within us. When we follow the Holy Spirit, we are children of God. That means we have a loving Father who will always provide for us. He will work everything out for our good, even when we do not always understand how he will do that.

Not only that but the Holy Spirit who is given to us is the Spirit of strength. With the Spirit in us, there is no need to fear nor to go backwards into a life that is disobedient to God. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the sign that we have been adopted into God’s family. We are now a brother or sister of Jesus Christ.

When we come to the realization that we have a loving Father and the Spirit of God living in us, we become bold in our faith, yet not offensive. We do not fear the world but seek to do God’s will. We know that God is on our side, that he has our back, and that he will provide all we need to do what he wants us to do. When our faith is that strong, it is amazing.

I pray we all know that we are children of God. I pray we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us trusts that God will provide for our needs as we do what God wants us to do. You are a child of God. Follow the Holy Spirit. Trust God will provide. Do the will of God.

Romans 8:14-15a For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption.

Awesome Creation

Do you like to be in nature? Are you amazed at the variety of animals in the world? Have you taken time to notice the different types of animals around you every day? Are there any specific animals that amaze you? Have you wondered how the idea to create them came about?

There are amazing animals on this earth. Some of them are quite large. Others are tiny. Some run across the ground. Some swim in the sea. Others fly through the air. Some are vicious. Others are timid and skittish. Some have dull colors. Others are bright and brilliant.

I enjoy watching the hummingbirds as they dart around the feeders we have around our home. They chase one another around to get to the feeder or in an attempt to keep it to themselves. The males do their mating dance by flying back and forth in swoop while chattering away. And it never gets old watching them fly backwards at times. Yet, they are skittish. Any time we open the door to step outside they immediately fly away only to return the moment we are no longer considered a threat.

We could list the sheer size of the blue whales, the colorful Mandarin Duck, or the tiny Etruscan shrew which weighs as little as 1.5 grams. There are animals of all different sizes and all different colors. All of them were created by God and represent his brilliance, imagination, creativity, and perhaps his humor. If for no other reason, the impossible variety of animals should cause us to be amazed at God.

I pray we all take time to notice God’s creation. I pray we look at the various creatures we encounter in our daily lives. I pray each one of us are in awe of God for all that he has created. Notice God’s creation. See his creatures every day. Be in awe of God’s creation. Be in awe of God.

Psalm 104:24

O Lord, how manifold are your works! 

In wisdom you have made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures.

God’s Love In Us

Do you feel loved? Are you still looking to be loved? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? Have you given up on love? What would you think if I told you love is living within you? Have you noticed it? Will you open yourself to it?

We may believe that finding love in this life is a challenge. We may think it is hard to find the love we are looking for. If we are looking for a perfect human partner, we would be correct. For there is no such person walking the face of this earth.

However, there is a perfect love and we can experience it. When Jesus prays for all of us in John 17, He prays that we will believe based on what He has said and what the apostles also state. He then states that He has made the Father known to us so that his love will be in us. Catch that? When we come to know God the Father, really know him, his love will be in us.

This is not to negate or limit God’s power. No, it identifies our limitations. Just as Jesus has told us we can not serve two masters, we can not know the full extent of God’s love until we get to know him well. It is our inability to worship two masters, which means we seek to follow the world more than we seek to know God.

How do we get to know God? First and foremost, by reading his Word. John Wesley then adds three more ways—experience, reason (critical thinking), and tradition. Each of them contribute to our getting to know God more fully.

I pray we all seek to know God more fully. I pray we set aside following the world. I pray each one of us knows that as we get to know God more fully, his love will be within us. Know God more fully. Stop following the world. Follow Jesus. God’s love is in us. Show God’s love.

John 17:26 “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

Jesus Prayed

Do you know that Jesus has prayed for you? Do you know why He prayed for you? Do you know that He continually intercedes for you? Does it make you feel a little better knowing that Jesus is on your side? Do you like having Him with you at all times?

Jesus prayed for us when He was praying for the apostles in John 17. He prayed that we would believe in Him because of the gospel the apostles would spread. He prayed that the apostles and us would be one. He wants everyone who believes in Him to be one.

Why does Jesus want us to be one? He wants us to be one so that the world will believe that God sent Him to be our Savior. We must be one, of the same mind, united in our belief in Jesus to show the world He is the Son of God. We must be one to carry out the mission He has given us, which is to continue to spread the gospel and bring others to Jesus.

If we are divided, the world won’t believe the gospel. If we are divided, we cannot carry out our mission. The body of Christ, the church, will be ineffective. We will continue to see churches close. We will continue to see the world gone amuck. We will continue to see evil dominate this world, tearing it apart. Rather than allow all those things happen, let’s unite in the name of Jesus.

I pray we all know Jesus prayed for us. I pray we believe the gospel message of the apostles. I pray each one of us will decide to unite with one another to show the world that God sent His Son. Jesus prayed for you. Believe the gospel. Be united in the name of Jesus.

John 17:20-21 “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Wrongly Accused, Part 2

Yesterday, we saw that Paul and Silas had been wrongfully accused. Though Paul had cast the spirit out of a slave woman who could foretell the future, he had done nothing wrong. Yet, the authorities took the side of the accusers and had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison.

Not only were Paul and Silas put in prison, but they were also put in the innermost cell and their feet were fastened in stocks. The jailer had followed his orders from the authorities to the best of his ability. He had done all he could to ensure they could not escape.

Yet, Paul and Silas did not mope around and feel sorry for themselves. Instead, they sang hymns to God, praising him for sparing their lives. They ministered to their fellow prisoners with their singing. Their faith was shining through in their singing, their positive attitude, and refusal to succumb to their situation.

God had plans to use them. He shook the prison and caused the doors to be opened and their shackles to be loosened. But that was only to identify the mission he had for Paul and Silas. The jailer was frightened to the point of preparing to kill himself rather than facing the authorities. This is where Paul steps in. He tells the jailer to stop, that all of the prisoners are still there. Ultimately, Paul and Silas tell the jailer the good news of Jesus and baptize him and his entire family.

We can learn from this experience of Paul’s. Even when we think things are going badly, God is always working. He has a plan. We may not see how God is working in the moment, but we cannot give up our faith. We are to continue to believe God is in control and will work everything for our good.

I pray we all learn from Paul and Silas’s experience. I pray we trust God is continually working. I pray each one of us will hold onto our faith and believe God will work it all for our good. Trust God in all situations. Hold onto your faith. Know that God has a plan. Trust God to work it for good.

Acts 16:25-26 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

Wrongly Accused, Part 1

Have you ever been wrongly accused of something? Have you done something correctly but been accused of doing it wrong? How did you feel about that? Did you feel dejected? Did you feel abandoned by God? Did it all work out in the end? Did you praise God?

Being wrongly accused of something can cause us to be defensive and angry. Being accused of doing something wrong, even though we did it correctly can cause us to be frustrated and confused. We may wonder what we did wrong and feel like we are being singled out.

The Apostle Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, like felt all those things while they were in Philippi. There was a female slave who could tell the future. She could see that Paul and Silas served God. She followed them around proclaiming this, likely in a loud voice like a town crier giving a warning of enemy soldiers approaching. After several days of this, Paul turned on her and cast out the spirit that allowed her to make her proclamations.

When her owners realized she could no longer make them money by foretelling the future, they captured Paul and Silas. They brought them before the city authorities, who also functioned as judge and jury in the Roman legal system. We are not told that Paul or Silas defended themselves, unlike other times Paul was brought before Roman authorities. Based on what is recorded, it appears Paul and Silas simply accepted the punishment assigned.

What can we learn from this example? First, Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit. We can reasonably assume Paul knew God planned to use this incident for his purposes. Second, Paul and Silas submitted to God’s plan. Third, Paul and Silas believed God was using them to spread the gospel and this was merely a speed bump.

I pray we all seek to be in sync with God’s plan. I pray we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. I pray each one of us trust God has a plan and we choose to follow his plan for our lives. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Follow his guidance. Know God has a plan. Trust God. Follow his plan for your life.

Acts 16:19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.