The Advocate

Have you experienced having a key mentor leave you? What a beloved teacher? Or maybe a well thought of pastor? How did you take the news? Were you upset? Distraught? Feeling hopeless? Sad? Have you applied those thoughts and feelings to the apostles when Jesus was leaving them?

When a key mentor of ours must leave, especially if they are passing from this world, can have a significant impact on us. We may experience wide range of emotions. The same is true for a special teacher or pastor. The impact they had our lives causes us to reflect as their time with us comes to a close.

The apostles were no different. As the time was nearing for Jesus to go to the cross, He explained to the apostles that He must leave them. Their hearts were saddened. They did not want Him to go. Their feelings are understandable. They had been with Him for about three years and seen amazing things happen, learned a lot about the kingdom of God, and had a desire to continue with both.

Jesus tells them they will not be left alone. Once He has left them and returned to heaven, He is sending the Advocate, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to be with them. In fact, Jesus says that unless He goes, the Holy Spirit will not come to them. Yet, it is by the gift of the Holy Spirit that they will grow in understanding of God’s kingdom and how he is going to spread his kingdom to others around the world.

We are given the Holy Spirit, too. We may wonder what the difference is between the apostles and ourselves. I believe the biggest difference is we are not nearly as open to listen to the Holy Spirit as the apostles were. They had been with Jesus and trusted Him implicitly. We learn about Him through Scripture. Our willingness to put our entire heart into our belief without seeing Him in person can be a challenge. Yet, we can. It is our decision.

I pray we all decide to fully trust Jesus’ promises. I pray we seek to listen to the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us accept the Holy Spirit and follow his guidance in our lives. Trust Jesus’ promises. Accept the Holy Spirit. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Better Communication with God

Yesterday we wrestled with not having the right words to express ourselves. We also discussed the Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf with sighs too deep for words. Today, let’s take a look at how God the Father and the Holy Spirit interact so that God knows what we need.

First, read through today’s passage. Notice that God searches the heart—our heart. He goes through our heart with a fine-tooth comb. He knows exactly what we are feeling, thinking, and our desires. He knows if we have a heart for him or for worldly things.

We are then told that God knows the mind of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is actually the one who searches our heart. Why do we know that? The Holy Spirit lives inside us. Jesus asked the Father to send him, and the Father sent the Spirit to live within us. Therefore, it is the Spirit of God that searches our heart.

Since they are One, the Father knows the mind of the Spirit. As soon as the Spirit has ascertained what we are feeling and thinking, the Father knows it as well. The Holy Spirit transmits the information in sighs too deep for words. Or, put another way, in heavenly language that we cannot understand, but the Father does.

This is what we refer to as the Spirit interceding on our behalf. Why? Because God the Father has willed it to be that way. Isn’t that amazing?! The connection between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is instantaneous. And because the Spirit lives within us, both the Father and the Son know exactly what we are feeling and thinking at any given moment.

Why is this important to us? When we understand how we can communicate with God, we do a better job of communicating. When we know that God knows, we can be comforted in knowing he will take care of it. For we know that God works all things to the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28)—the very next verse!

I pray we all understand how God knows what we are feeling and thinking. I pray we know the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. I pray each one of us better communicate with God and find comfort in his knowing. God knows you. God knows your feelings. God knows your thoughts. The Spirit intercedes for you. God works all things for your good.

Romans 8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Too Deep for Words

Have you ever been at a loss for words? Have you had a deep feeling that you simply could not adequately describe? Have you had a longing for something that words couldn’t fully express? Did you find it frustrating? Did it feel as though those feeling were a bowling ball in your chest?

We may experience times when it seems as though words cannot express what we are feeling. Sometimes words seem to be inadequate to describe what we want are feeling deep inside. It may even happen when we are praying and attempting to express ourselves to God.

God knows we cannot always express ourselves adequately. He knows there are some things that words just can’t describe. So, what do we do in those situations? We do the best we can. We express them as best we can in words and in our feelings to God. He knows those feelings. The Holy Spirit interprets those feelings that we cannot put into words.

Interpreting how we feel is one of many reasons we are given the Holy Spirit. We can take comfort in God understanding us deep within our core, deep within our spirit. God’s Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit on a level we cannot fully understand. Yet, God understands, and that is all we need to know.

As the Apostle Paul tells the church in Rome, the Holy Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Fully knowing that God has made a way for us to communicate the deep things in our inner being can be comforting for us. And even if it is not, God will still bring us comfort by acting in our lives because he understands. Know that we can communicate with God on a level we cannot fully understand.

I pray we all release our deep feelings to God. I pray we ask the Holy Spirit to communicate what we cannot. I pray each one of us find comfort in knowing God understands, even when we cannot put it into words. Trust the Holy Spirit to communicate for you. Turn your deep feelings over to God. Know that God understands. Be comforted by God’s understanding.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

Meditate on God’s Word

Have you ever spent time in meditation? Have you even thought about it? Do you think meditation is something people who isolate themselves from the world do? Do you think it is only for monks? Have you considered how meditating on God’s Word could change you?

Meditation is not something we think about much in our culture. Why should we? We are so busy running from one event to another, constantly on the go. If we are not on the go, we are entertaining ourselves with the television or a smart phone. Meditation is the last thing we think about.

But meditation is a time of seeking and learning. It is a time of going deeper with God. In meditation we can gain a better understanding of who God is and how he works in our lives. Lest we think meditation can only take place in a locked room or on a mountaintop, we can meditation sitting on a porch swing or sitting quietly on our couch.

We can even do smaller forms of meditation while driving down the road. We can be thinking about a passage we read that morning while driving to work. Of course, don’t close your eyes while driving. Still, the concept is simple. Read a passage, then think about that passage while doing something else. Ask God to help you understand it in a new way. Personally, I find mowing my yard a good time to do this kind of meditation.

God is pleased when we meditate on his Word. He is happy to provide us additional insight to the meaning of a passage. We merely need to add it to our daily lives. Start this practice, read a short passage a few minutes before you head out the door for work. Think about it and pray about it while you are driving. You will find it makes your day a lot better.

I pray we all spend time meditating on God’s Word. I pray we take time to plan time to meditate. I pray each one of us read Scripture and ask God to reveal to us the meaning he has for us. Plan meditation. Read Scripture. Meditate on God’s Word. Ask God to reveal its meaning.

Psalm 104:34

May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

for I rejoice in the Lord.

Jesus Ascended to Heaven

How do you view Jesus’ ascension? How does it impact your life? Is it just another piece of Christian history? Does it cause you to rejoice and celebrate? Does it have a profound impact on you? Do you share it with others?

We often mention that Jesus sits at the right hand of the throne of God. This implies that He ascended to heaven. But how much do we think about His ascension? It is a remarkable event. One that only God can make happen.

We are told in Luke 24:52-53 the apostles rejoiced and went to the temple to bless God. Luke expounds on this in Acts 1:12-14 by saying they gathered together and devoted themselves to prayer. Witnessing Jesus ascend to heaven had a profound effect on them.

As we ponder Jesus’ ascension, spending some time to think hard on it, it can have a profound effect on us as well. We are told in Revelation 1:5 that Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. In other words, He rose from the dead. The same verse also states He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Within the chapter, we hear of Jesus returning, just as we are told in Acts 1:11.

The combination of Jesus rising from the dead and ascending to heaven gives us great hope. For He told us that is going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). Jesus had to ascend to do that. We can celebrate His ascension knowing He is preparing a place for us and interceding on our behalf before the Father.

I pray we all celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ. I pray we have great hope because of His ascension. I pray each one of us know that Jesus is preparing a place for us. Celebrate Jesus’ ascension. Put your hope in Him. Know He is preparing a place for you. Jesus is interceding for you.

Acts 1:9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Why Wait?

Why wait? Why not go get what you want right now? Does it matter that your purchase must be put on a credit card that you will pay later? Why not satisfy your desire now? Have you noticed it seems our culture runs on credit? Are you living on credit right now?

Credit is something we all use. We buy things using a credit card knowing the bill will come due later. Sometimes we pay the credit card off as soon as we get the bill. Other times we must make monthly payments for several months to pay it off. Credit has become a way of life.

But hasn’t credit always been a way of life? We have always owed a debt we cannot pay. That is one reason Jesus came—to pay our debt for us. His payment cancels our debt. But that is not all. He not only cancelled our debt but gives us more than we deserve. He gives us the Holy Spirit.

The apostles had to wait for the Holy Spirit to be given to them. It was not until Jesus has ascended to heaven that they received what He promised them. When the Holy Spirit poured out over them, they were overcome with blessings and joy. They were granted insights to God they did not previously have. But to receive them, they had to wait.

Waiting can be challenging. Waiting can feel excruciating. Yet, waiting can result in something far greater than we can imagine. Waiting can be a blessing itself and result in a far greater blessing. Listen for God to guide you in waiting and determining when to move forward. Be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Put your faith in God, knowing he has something far greater for you…and wait.

I pray we all know that we live on credit. I pray we know we are blessed by the gift of the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us will wait for God’s blessing, putting our faith in him and his promises. Jesus has paid your debt. You have been given a great gift. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Wait for God’s guidance.

Acts 1:4-5 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Truth or Untruth

Belief is a funny thing. We can believe anything. Think it’s not true? It can be proven with a little experiment. I have seen it done in a classroom. It is a psychological experiment. You need about a dozen or so people who know each other, but not well. That’s why a class is a perfect setting.

You randomly choose one person to leave the classroom. You then tell the remaining people what you want to convince the other person of. Make it something that seems plausible, even if untrue. Have the person return and tell them what you want them to believe. All the others chime in and say it is true. You will convince the person who left the room it is true.

This is a relatively simple psychological exercise to go through. It is safe in a classroom, because you can then correct the untruth by telling them it was an exercise, and it isn’t the truth. However, this same thing happens outside our classrooms every day. One person convinces another something is true, even if it isn’t. They then convince someone else. The next thing you know, there are dozens, hundreds, or even thousands believing falsely.

On the other hand, the opposite is true as well. It only takes one person to convince someone else of the truth. Those two convince someone else. And, once again, before long you have dozens, hundreds, and thousands convinced. This is how the early church grew. The gospel message was spread by the apostles and other disciples. And it all started with Jesus revealing the truth of God. We can continue to spread His truth to the people we know today.

I pray we all decide to convince others of the truth. I pray we spread the truth of the gospel. I pray each one of us take Jesus’ words with us and tell His message to everyone we meet. Know the gospel message. Take it with you. Tell everyone you meet. Spread the truth of God.

John 17:7-8 “Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

Reflect On Life

What is life to you? Do you consider life nothing more than breathing, interacting, working, going, and thinking? Is life more than that to you? Have you ever thought about what life is? Have you given any thought about eternal life, living forever?

Life can be funny, difficult, and strange. Odd things happen during our lives. We face challenges. We may even say that life is stranger than fiction. When we reflect on our lives, we see how it changes from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year.

Our lives intersect with so many other lives. So many, that we cannot recall everyone we have met, interacted with, and perhaps even called friends at one time or another. The older we get the more people interact with. Some pass from our memory while others have a lasting impact. But do we think about why that is?

Someone who has taken time to point us in the right direction often stays in our memory bank. This is especially true if that person pointed us to God and turned our life from a life of lostness to a life of being welcome into God’s kingdom. When we are pointed to Jesus, get to know Him personally, and allow Him to have the deep positive impact He can, the person who helped us to do will be someone we hold dearly in our memories for rest of our lives.

Why? When we have Jesus, we have eternal life. That eternal life is one in which we live with God forever. There is no end. It is perfect in all facets. Sadly, if we don’t have Jesus, we do not have that perfect life forever. This is a great reason to both submit to Him and tell others about Him. We, too, can be someone who has a deep positive impact on someone else.

I pray we all pause to think about life. I pray we recognize the different seasons of life we experience. I pray each one of us will accept Jesus into our lives and tell others about Him. Reflect on life. Recognize the season you have come through. Accept Jesus. Live in Him. Tell others about Him.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Major Decisions

Do you seek advice and guidance when needing to make major decisions? Do you take time to research all the possibilities and determine the pros and cons of each? Who do you seek out to provide you advice and guidance? Do you spend time in prayer, asking God for guidance?

When we have major decisions, we often seek advice and guidance from someone we trust. The people we seek guidance from have often made a similar decision during their lives. We seek to learn from their experience. They help us identify the pros and cons of the options.

There are a few keys to seeking advice. The first is seeking advice from someone we trust who will think through the options and provide sound advice. The second is that we listen intently and weigh the information carefully. The third is to ask God to guide us in determining the best option for us.

The first key is easy and often done. The second one can be more challenging. The advice we receive may not be what we want to hear and we either ignore it or don’t give it much weight. The third key is far too often not done at all, yet it is perhaps the most important key of all.

When we earnestly seek God’s guidance, praying fervently with open hearts to hear it, he provides an answer. The answer may not come in verbal form. It may be as simple as a calmness comes over us when we consider one option or a tightening in our chest and anxiety overcoming us. If we have prayed to God to guide us, these types of feelings are his way of providing us with the best answer.

I pray we all seek advice and guidance. I pray we seek someone we trust will provide sound advice. I pray each one of us will ask God to guide us and heed the guidance he provides. Seek advice. Seek guidance. Listen to a trustworthy person. Weigh the options. Ask God to guide you. Follow his guidance.

Acts 1:24-25 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Connections

Have you given any thought to the part you play in life? Have you ever sat in a public spot watching people and wonder what part each of them play? Have you considered even those you think are bad fill a role? Or, that God can use what a bad person does for good?

We typically go about our lives without a lot of thought. We may plan what we are going to do today. We may plan a vacation months in advance. We may plan our education. We may even plan when we will have children. But we do not typically think about how we fit in the bigger picture.

Everyone plays a role in life. We are all connected to someone, somewhere, somehow. Think about all the connections to other people you have. There are family, friends, co-workers, schoolmates, and people we meet while shopping. Each of us have a connection and influence on them, just as they do us.

Even those who do bad things have influence. Judas certainly had an influence on how God’s plan played out. Peter recognizes that Judas had a role to play. Before we get off track and blame God for what bad people do, we must remember that God is always good. He will not entice or encourage someone to do bad. However, because he knows what they will do, what is in their heart and mind, he will use what they intend for bad to bring good out of it.

If you have never taken time to think about the big picture, I encourage you to do so. Look back over your life and recognize how different people have had an influence on your life. See where God has worked in your life, both through good influences from people and by using a bad event to bring about good in your life. As you realize connections among all of us, you will become more aware of your own actions.

I pray we all see God at work in our lives. I pray we see the connections we have with others. I pray each one of us use our realization of connections to be more aware of our actions. See God at work. See how God uses bad for good. See all your connections. Be aware of how your actions impact others.

Acts 1:15-17 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus—for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”