Focus on Being Loved

Focus on Being Loved

Did you know God loves you as much as He loves Jesus?

What is love to you? They asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the GREATEST commandment in the law?" Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is LIKE IT: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the laws and prophets hang on these two commandments." 1. Love God 2. Love others. 3. Love yourself as you love others and God. LOVE GOD: This is a huge topic but one that Jesus summed up when He said, "If you love me, you will do what I say." We must learn to obey the Scriptures and DO them. LOVE OTHERS: The Scriptural purposes of prosperity are ultimately about loving others - social transformation brings about the reform of the Kingdom. This is the God kind of love that confers blessings to others. With a loving state of consciousness we can transform society. This transforming love has no expectation of return. This God kind of love should be a central part of our meditation and confession. We must love others in the same way that Jesus loves us. Jesus came, died, and rose again to demonstrate the Father's love to us. We are imitators of God and He gave Himself up for us (Eph. 5:1-2). Remember -- faith works by love. Love is the fuel for your life of success. Understanding the Divine purpose of your life is the imperative that will navigate the rest of your life! LOVE YOURSELF: Well, the first two parts seem easy for believers. It's that last one... "love yourself" where most fail. Most of this teaching will be dedicated to changine your mindset about yourself and your surroundings. We can't truly love others without FIRST loving ourselves (love others AS you already love yourself). Most of us wonder HOW God could love us at all - it's a wonder! Especially when we know who we really are. But, if you don't love yourself, then Prosperity will be difficult. Without loving yourself, your purpose on earth can never be fully activated. Right now, do you feel unreservedly loved and cared for? How does it "feel" to be loved? How do you know when someone loves you? What it means to you to love someone else? How do you express love? What you believe about being genuinely, unconditionally, and eternally loved will create your belief system and your character. Your concepts of love come first from your parents and environment. Your perceptions about how you were loved and treated as a young person have created a "mind set" within you - that is the main factor that formed your personality and character right now. Your mindset it the expression of who you are. If your mindset believes that you have to make everyone happy for them to love you, then you will just always run around trying and failing to make them happy. Experiences of rejection, guilt, and shame can profoundly affect you. If you think you have to conform (mind, obey) to be loved, or have to earn love by "doing" something, it will prevent you from understanding your purpose. When you learn to love yourself, the way you relate to others will change. Your environment will change. You are unique and one of a kind. When you realize who you are, your soul will shout, sing, and dance! Knowing you are LOVED gives you identity. It gives you hope in your future. 1. God loved you when you were a sinner and still spiritually dead. 2. Jesus died for you because HE loves you. 3. The final prayer of Jesus was, "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME" (Jn. 17:23). Did you see that? God loves you as much as HE loves .... Jesus! How can you fathom that? We must absorb the truth that Christ is IN US -- in you and me. Our all-powerful God doesn't prefer some people more than others. In the book of Galatians 2:6-9, Paul talks about Peter, James and John as the pillars of the church. Yet, he said about them, "Whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no one." IF you don't love yourself and think of yourself as special, you are saying that God is wrong in dying for you. Learning to love and accept yourself changes the way other people relate to you! You'll find a huge difference as you progress in this self-love. Out of a God of Love, all things were created. He knew you before the foundation of the world and He ALREADY wrote your name in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Holy Spirit is calling you to a finished place. There is no pushing or tugging -- just a call to come closer. You may not always "feel" loved, but God simply promises that NOTHING will ever separate you from His love (Rom. 8:35-39). God created you exactly you. You are incredibly special. Psalm 139:13 (NLT) explains that...Every day of your life was recorded in God's book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Notice that God has a great plan for every day of your life. God can and will do the impossible through you, or He isn't God. Loving yourself is a PIVOTAL understanding for you to obtain your full spiritual heritage! The purpose of life itself is all about learnng to love and be loved! The Greatest factor in obtaining a prosperous life, is to know without doubt that God loves you, listens to you, cares for, accepts, and connects you to Himself, His unfathomable love, and His sincere care continually reach out to fill you with Himself. If you don't "KNOW" you are loved, you will not be able to fully express love or properly dispense Prosperity. Loving yourself brings harmony and synchronicity to your life. Everything else will fall into line. Prosperity means that you intentionally align yourself with the SOURCE - which is the God of Love. Align yourself to His holy Word and dare to believe it! Your beliefs, expectations, and feelings about who you are will create your world. You cannot focus on Kingdom prosperity until you have an awareness of already being fully accepted by God - right now. Unworthiness, doubt, and pessimism limits the possibilities of your future. Negative thoughts about others wastes energy and short circuits your success. You are individually created with God's image and likeness. The primary reality that each believer must have is to know that the God of love dwells within. You are not God, but you can be the manifestation of God on this earth. Jesus told us His LOVE secret two thousand years ago, and it still is the only answer. If you choose to view your life as one of LOVE, you activate everything to respond back. Reciprosity is Kingdom language - you reap what you sow. God's ultimate purpose for you and through you is to know yourself IN CHRIST and Christ IN You. When you are secure in being loved, you can focus on what your purpose! We're not talking about being self-centered and selfish. This is not about being SELF serving. We're talking about you learning to love yourself so that you CAN fully love God and others. Only then, will you have a right motivation to be able to proceed into obtaining your destiny! Loving God, loving yourself, and loving others is the Great Commission of your life. Having success in life demands that you love yourself, love others, and love God. That's how you you fulfill your God planned destiny. It is not more holy or more noble to deny your mind, deny your soul, or deny your body. We are supposed to integrate ourselves and co-exist as one functioning unit. It does not make you closer to God to be poor or sick. If you live in unexpressed potential or function, you will be unhappy. It is absolutely Scriptural that you would want to enjoy your life. You must totally get rid of any trace of the notion that there is or may be any force in the universe - or any poverty minded deity who wants to keep you poor and/or sick, or who is able to make you poor, or who's objectives can possibly be served by keeping you in poverty or sickness. And also, you need to illuminate all fear that YOU have to "GET GOD'S APPROVAL" He already does love you, accept you, and approve of you. It is His ultimate desire that you finish your course and be successful. CONFESSION: "The Bible says I am as important to God as Peter, James and John. God loves me as much as He loves Billy Graham. YES, He does! He love me as much as He does Jesus! John 17 The cloud of witnesses stands on tiptoe looking over their heavenly balcony just waiting to see the astounding things I will achieve for the glory of God. I am as spiritually blessed as anyone else. I expect to be blessed. The Lord wants to make me a powerful force in His Kingdom." Love is not a state to be achieved, but a recognition of a condition. You are already loved and therefore, you are love.

FEARLESS LOVE

Fearless Love (1 John 4:18)

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (NIV)

1. The Protection of Perfect Love (there is no fear)
This gives us security and when we have perfect love we will make other people feel secure around us.

2. The Power of Perfect Love (drives out all fear)
This enables us to change and experience freedom from fear and all its forms.

3. The Potential of Perfect Love (being made complete in love)

-living without condemnation

-living free from rejection

-living free from judgment

-living free from fear of man

-living freely in a love that totally accepts you, forgives you, and restores yous

4. The Problem of Imperfect Love (the one who fears...)

When we are not living in the knowledge of God's true love for us, we

cause other people to become enslaved through what we teach about God.

The Father's Blessing

The Heavenly Father's Example

God Blessed MANKIND before we were created, “God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”Genesis 1:28

We as Christians are fruitful, multiply and have dominion because God SPOKE blessing over us before the foundations of the earth.

Yes, HE SPOKE A BLESSING!! Blessings must be spoken, for life is in the power of the tongue.

It’s amazing that by the simple act of faith in speaking blessings over another person, we can ACTIVATE the power of GOD!

Spoken blessings not only apply to fathers speaking blessings over their children, becauseEVERYONE has the power to bless others in the name of the Lord.

God Blesses Abraham

God called Abraham and blessed him: “Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your kindred and from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great: And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you: And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” Genesis 12:1-3

The Father Gd has blessed us and makes us a blessing to others. “And you shall be a blessing”.

Isaac Blesses His Son’s

Isaac blessed his sons, but Jacob stole Esau’s blessing.

Esau and Jacob were grown men! Gen Ch. 25:27 “So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents”.

Gen. Ch 27 verse 26 “Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come near now and Kiss me, my son.’” Verse 27 “ And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him…”

A father’s blessing is extremely important. It opens Heaven’s window to Divine favor in one’s life. When Isaac discovered that he had been deceived, not having blessed the first-born son as he had thought, he “trembled exceedingly” Genesis 27:33.

When Esau realized his brother had robbed him of the coveted blessing, he was furious and“cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry” Genesis 27:34. He begged his father for a blessing for himself. Esau’s desperate plea for his father’s blessing reveals just how important

A father’s blessing is. His entire future welfare rested on this blessing. So, he said to his father, “Have you not reserved a father’s blessing for me?...Have you only one blessing, my father.” Genesis 27:36,38 Whereas Isaac spoke a blessing on Esau.

God Blesses His Son

At the time of Jesus’ baptism and inauguration into the ministry, the Heavenly Father blessed His Son. “Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’” Mathew 3:16,17.

Father God spoke this 3 times to Jesus.

We find the Heavenly Father speaking words of approval and blessing. Jesus was blessed with the anointing of approval and blessing. Jesus was blessed with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, equipping Him for the ministry and sacrificial death that lay ahead.

Jesus had not yet performed a miracle nor delivered a sermon.

He was blessed as a Son (for who he was) rather than for what He had done.

Jesus's first words delivered in a sermon were:

(Mat 5:1-3) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying

(Mat 5:3) Blessed .......

FATHER’S BLESSING

God has called you by your name,

_________________ and speaks your identity to you. Father God has chosen you to be His child, called by His name, adopted into His Kingdom to inherit all of His love in Jesus, our Savior and Lord. You a member of His family and we bless you to know your identity in Him. Father God created you to know His love, to receive it and share it with others. We bless you to know this destiny in your heart and soul. You are called to live as a child of God, chosen and loved, forgiven and cleansed, released and set free. Father God speaks His blessing over you now and releases you into the authority and responsibility of womanhood/ manhood.

The Father says: My child, I love you! You are special. You are My gift to mankind. I bless you with the healing of all wounds of rejection, neglect and abuse that you have suffered. I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only I can give, a peace beyond comprehension. I bless your life with fruitfulness—good fruit, much fruit and fruit that remains. I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath. I bless you with health and strength of body, soul and spirit. I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others. I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You are like a tree planted by rivers of water. You will prosper in all your ways. I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with Me. You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. I bless you with pure and edifying relationships in life. You have favor with God and man. I bless you with abounding love. You will minister God's comforting grace to others. You are blessed, my child! You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

Thought Life by Pastor James Farmer

Our thought life before we were born again and after being born again should be different like night and day. The fact remains that we all struggle with our thought life. Romans 8:7 tells us, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” It says here that your mind is at war against God. Your flesh doesn’t want to do certain things at times. Especially regarding spiritual matters. There are a lot of spiritual things that can be tough on your flesh.

Appetites are developed in life. Habits are developed. Desires are developed. Your thought life is developed as well. You feed all those things too. I’m not crazy about broccoli, but when you put cheese on it, it is a little easier to eat. That’s a developed appetite. There are all kinds of wrong thoughts and “habitual thinking” which can create wrong processes in your life. When I say “habitual thinking”, I am talking about the way you have been programmed either through the way you were brought up or through your own consistent way of thinking. Much of who we are and how we act is a reflection of how we grew up. How we think is a reflection of our feelings and experiences in life. It is always good to ask yourself at times, “What are the most dominant thoughts in my mind and heart right now?”

We should take an inventory of what is going on in our thought life. What are you allowing yourself to dwell on? If you dwell on “Twinkies” you’ll go get one or a Little Debbie snack! We only resist what we want to resist. It’s one thing to think on it, but it’s another thing to yield to it. Can you see the seeds that have been sown in your thought life over time? Everything in your life begins as a thought. What you allow yourself to dwell on can change your destiny.

Thoughts that are dwelt on and pondered will eventually lead to actions. You don’t just wake up one day and find your life in shambles. All those things started as a thought that was planted into your mind and you let it take root and grow. It is in our mind that the battlefield rages. Most of the hardest battles that we face in life are faced in our minds. The battleground is truly between our ears!

Have you ever had weeds in your yard? Weeds can really be a problem if you let them go unchecked. If you don’t take care of your yard, those weeds will creep in and multiply until they take over and choke out your good grass. What do you do with weeds? Well, you use certain products that you can spray or sprinkle on your grass that will defend against weed “attacks”. Your mind can have “weeds” that creep in. You resist them at first and they go away. But over time, if you dwell on them, they will multiply.

What do you do? Well, going to church and having a daily devotional and Bible study plan, and having godly relationships can be like getting your mind “sprayed” with the Word of God. That can make a big difference. What you are doing or not doing can make a difference as well. Just like you would spray for weeds in your yard, you need to keep your mind sprayed too. The more you spray, the more you will find that those “weeds” in your thought life will start coming down one, two, three, four and they are NO MORE! You will find yourself coming to a point where it is a rare thing to struggle with those “weeds” in your mind. It will be rare that those wrong thoughts come up. When they do surface, they will be much easier to deal with because you keep them sprayed. Remember, weeds will grow and multiply if you leave them alone and don’t deal with them.

You can keep the doubt out by allowing the “abundance of the heart”, God on the inside of you, to be the “playmaker” of your life. One preacher once said, “It’s a whole lot easier to pull up a weed than to cut down a tree.” Deal with yourself and your thought life. Keep yourself and your flesh sprayed with the Word of God.

It is so vital that we be very selective about what we plant in our soul (which, of course, is our mind, our will, and our emotions). Philippians 4:8-9 tells us, “Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (The Message Translation) Think right and your harvest in your personal life will be joy, health, long life, prosperity, peace of mind, and stability.

What do I do to insure my stability in the walk of life? The Bible tells us in Psalm 103:1-5, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

You know, we have so very much for which to be thankful! I like another really good word, “grateful”. The word grateful, in the Webster’s Dictionary, means: appreciative of benefits received, expressing gratitude: affording pleasure or contentment: pleasing; pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated. Wow! Psalm 103:1 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. There are many times in life that you need to just tell yourself to bless the Lord! Thank Him! Praise Him! Your mind will say a lot of things that will not remind you of God’s goodness in your life. Verses 2-5 tell us of His goodness and that we should “forget NOT”! Amen! Again, you have so much to be grateful for! Sometimes you just need to tell yourself so that you always “KEEP” your joy and peace in any circumstance or situation. Be grateful!

Here are a few things to “Think On”!

• Get the right “Spray” on your “Weeds” (Your thoughts).

Get into the Word of God. Hang out with God. Stay there! Read and meditate and be a doer of the Word. There are many bystanders in life, but participators get results. Be a doer of the Word. Spray your mind by being a worshiper. Spend time worshipping Jesus apart from church, apart from anything else. You worship Him and make it intimate by fellowshipping with God one on one. Fill yourself with Him. Spray your mind with the Word. Renew your thinking according to Romans 12:1-2. Get the right “spray”.

• Direct your affections.

Lot set his tent toward Sodom and Gomorrah. He set it toward that direction and he wound up there! Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. “ You direct what you dwell and think on. You direct what you have an affection or a craving for. You are the director of your life. You alone sit in the director’s chair. You call the shots. You yield to and do what YOU WANT. It’s time to DIRECT your affections.

1 John 2:15-17 from The MessageTranslation reads, “Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.”

Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. Direct your affections!


• Ask God To Help You.

We have a responsibility to do that which we know is right. But there are many times in life where we need help. John 15:4-8 out of The Message Translation reads, "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relationship is intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is - when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”

When you need help, run home to the Lord. Hook up and let Him help you to grow. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” You cannot do it all yourself, you need His grace and strength to move upward and onward in Him.

God wants you to walk a life of joy and victory every day. God wants you to walk in His peace and in His joy. God wants you strong and stable because you are HIS NAMESAKE in this earth. Live for Him and consistently and habitually yield yourself to His Word and His way.


Prayer: Father, I thank You that I have the mind of Christ. I have Your wisdom. My mind is continually being renewed to think exactly like Jesus. Because I am diligent to Your Word, my thoughts tend only to plenteousness. Every thought that I have is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Jesus! Amen. (1 Cor 2:16, 1:30, Eph 4:23-24, Pro 21:5 & 2 Cor 10:3-5)

WHAT IS HOPE?

Hope is the confident expectation of the goodness of God. Faith, hope and love together, the power triplets.

Somewhere inside, Faith is CRAVING HOPE so that it may give substance & proof to unseen realities!

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and… rest in safety" (Job 11:18 NIV). Don't Worry, Hope!

Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom. 5:5

Hope is based on the Nature & Character of God--not optimism or wishful thinking!!!! Hope in God!

When Your HOPE Perspective Changes, Everything Will Change!

I know the thoughts that I think toward u, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, & not of evil, to give you an expected end.(hope) JER 29:11

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 42:5 – Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Job 14:7 -For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Proverbs 13:12 – Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 119:114-Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Hosea 2:15 – And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope:

Zechariah 9:12 – Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

Romans 4:18 – Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope;

Romans 15:13- Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Ephesians 1:18 – The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Colossians 1:27 – To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1 Timothy 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Hebrews 6:19 – Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

WHO IS HOLY SPIRIT PART 2

Here are some characteristics, attributes and symbols of Holy Spirit:

Acts 5:3-4 Eternal

Heb. 9:14 Dove

Matt. 3:15 Blasphemy

Matt. 12:31 Conceived of

Matt. 1:18,20 Lord

2 Cor. 3:18 Omnipotent

Luke 1:35 Wind

John 3:5 Resist (Unbelief)

Acts 7:51 Baptism

Matt. 3:15 Spirit

1 Cor. 2:10 Omnipresent

Psalm 139:7-10 Fire

Acts 2:3 Insult

Heb. 10:29 Led by

Luke 4:1 Spirit of God

1 Cor. 3:16 Will

1 Cor. 12:11 Can be Lied to

Acts 5:3 Filled with Power

Luke 4:14,18 Spirit of Truth

John 15:26 Loves

Rom. 15:30 Can be Grieved

Eph. 4:30 Witness of Jesus

John 15:26 Eternal Spirit

Heb. 9:14 Speaks

Acts 8:29; 13:2 Can be Quenched

1 Thess. 5:19 Raised Jesus

Rom. 8:11 The Works of the Holy Spirit

Access to God - Eph. 2:18

Inspires prayer - Eph. 6:18; Jude 20

Anoints for Service - Luke 4:18

Intercedes -Rom. 8:26

Assures - Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:6

Interprets Scripture - 1 Cor. 2:1,14;

Eph. 1:17

Authors Scripture - 2 Pet. 1:20-21

Leads - Rom. 8:14

Baptizes - John 1:23-34; 1 Cor. 12:13-14

Liberates - Rom. 8:2

Believers Born of - John 3:3-6

Molds Character - Gal. 5:22-23

Calls and Commissions - Acts 13:24; 20:28

Produces fruit - Gal. 5:22-23

Cleanses - 2 Thess. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:2

Empowers Believers - Luke 24:49

Convicts of sin - John 16:9,14

Raises from the dead - Rom. 8:11

Creates - Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4

Regenerates - Titus 3:5

Empowers - 1 Thess. 1:5

Sanctifies - Rom. 15:16

Fills - Acts 2:4; 4:29-31; 5:18-20

Seals - Eph. 1:1314; 4:30

Gives gifts - 1 Cor. 12:8-11

Strengthens - Eph. 3:16; Acts 1:8; 2:4;

1 Cor. 2:4

Glorifies Christ - John 16:14

Teaches - John 14:26

Guides in truth - John 16:13

Testifies of Jesus - John 15:26

Helps our weakness - Rom. 8:26

Victory over flesh - Rom. 8:2-4; Gal. 4:6

Indwells believers - Rom. 8:9-14; Gal. 4:6

Worship helper - Phil. 3:3

WHO IS HOLY SPIRIT? PART 1

Who or what is the Holy Spirit?" Part 1

The Holy Spirit is a real person who came to reside within Jesus Christ's true followers after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven (Acts 2). He is a person not an It, not a What. The anointing which we hear so much about is the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His apostles...

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:16-18)

The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force. He is a person equal in every way with God the Father and God the Son. He is considered to be the third member of the Godhead. Jesus said to His apostles...

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:18-20)

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And all the divine attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are equally ascribed to the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes born again by believing and receiving Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13; John 3:3-21), God resides in that person through the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 3:16). The Holy Spirit has intellect (1Cor. 2:11), emotion (Rom. 15:30), and will (1Cor. 12:11).

A primary role of the Holy Spirit is that He bears "witness" of Jesus Christ (John 15:26, 16:14). He tells people's hearts about the truth of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also acts as a Christian's teacher (1Cor. 2:9-14). He reveals God's will and God's truth to a Christian. Jesus told His disciples...

"The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26)

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit was given to live inside those who believe in Jesus, in order to produce God's character in the life of a believer. In a way that we cannot do on our own, the Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Rather than trying to be loving, patient, kind, God asks us to rely on Him to produce these qualities in our lives. Thus Christians are told to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) and be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). And the Holy Spirit empowers Christians to perform ministerial duties that promote spiritual growth among Christians (Rom. 12; 1Cor. 12; Eph. 4).

The Holy Spirit also performs a function for non-Christians as well. He hovers over unbelievers just as He hovered over the earth before creation. He convicts/convinces people's hearts of God's truth concerning how sinful we are -- needing God's forgiveness; how righteous Jesus is -- He died in our place, for our sins; and God's eventual judgment of the world and those who do not know Him (John 16:8-11). The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

And Holy Spirit also convinces us of our righteousness, righteousness imputed to us. (Romans 4:22)

(Joh 16:8) And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment.

The Holy Spirit is a Person.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned on equal level with God - Matt. 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

The Holy Spirit is referred to as a person by scripture - Rom. 8:11, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you."

The Holy Spirit grieves - Isaiah 63:10, "But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them." And, Eph. 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

The Holy Spirit loves - Rom. 15:30, "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."

The Holy Spirit has a mind - Rom. 8:27, "and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

The Holy Spirit speaks - Acts 8:29, "And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." And, Acts 13:2, "And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. He is fully God. He is eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, has a will, and can speak. He is alive. He is a person. He is not particularly visible in the Bible because His ministry is to bear witness of Jesus (John 15:26).

Some cults say that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than a force . This is false. If the Holy Spirit were merely a force, then He could not speak (Acts 13:2); He could not be grieved (Eph. 4:30); and He would not have a will (1 Cor. 12:11).

The truth is that the Holy Spirit is a person the same as the Father and the Son are within the Trinity.

To be Continued......