Seven Degrees of Me: discipleship

Showing posts with label discipleship. Show all posts

Sunday, June 20, 2021

The Lord is the Spirit

and Happy Father's Day

First, I want to say "Happy Father's Day" to all of the dads out there.
If your dad has moved on to the next life like mine has, I want you to know how much my heart breaks with you. We will all be reunited someday.
Remember also our Father, our Creator who looks after you day and night. Give Him your praise and love always. He has sent to each of us a Helper so that we'll never be alone.

But 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 have said to you.

John 14:26 ESV

William Newell wrote this a long time ago:

“Many sincere people are yet spiritually under John the Baptist’s ministry of repentance. Their state is practically that of the struggle of Romans Seven, where neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit is mentioned, but only a quickened but undelivered soul in struggle under a sense of ‘duty,’ not a sense of full acceptance in Christ and sealing by the Holy Spirit.”

If this sounds like you; if your "state" is one of struggle, then maybe you haven't fully accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. Pray about it. Seek help and guidance from the Lord, and from your Pastor or Elders.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

You may also like:
- "Father's Day" from 2015
- "Returning Home" from 2019 (my husband and I reconciled approximately 4 months later)

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Please join me this week in praising the Holy Spirit. Pray that those who consider themselves Christians yet bear no fruit come to question whether the Spirit is living within them. Let's pray that if they are not yet truly saved, they seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Let's pray that if they are saved, they grow in their faith and strive to become more Christlike. May we recognize those who are living on either cusp and offer them discipleship. Pray for words, encouragement, and guidance to help those who are lost.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #HolySpirit #Christian #salvation #comfort #discipleship #wisdom #fruitofthespirit #bearfruit #FathersDay #helper

Saturday, June 19, 2021

John 7:37-39

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:37-39 NKJV

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I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #HolySpirit #Christian #salvation #comfort #discipleship #wisdom #fruitofthespirit #bearfruit

Friday, June 18, 2021

My writing process

Every morning, as soon as I wake up, one of my first thoughts is what am I going to write? Most of the time, a thought comes to me right (unintended pun: write/right, lol) then. I quickly pour my coffee, sit down at my laptop, and away I go.

Other times I have to go through several Bible verses before I find one that speaks to me. Then, once in a blue moon, no words seem to come at all. Those are the days that I feel kind of empty like the Holy Spirit stepped away and left me alone to fend for myself.

I know He didn't, but I think those days serve an important purpose. They remind me that my words come from Him, that I am dependant on Him, and that sometimes, I need to ask Him for help - even though He knows what I need.

This isn't to say that my words are God-breathed, but I think it's safe to say (and hopefully doesn't come across as boastful in any way - I'm not perfect and am very aware of that) they are God-inspired. I trust that whatever I write, God will use it to reach at least one person. I trust that it will be the exact thing that someone needs to read today.

The Holy Spirit lives within each of His children. If He is such an integral part of our being, shouldn't we take the time to build a relationship with Him? Study the Bible and get to know His character. Ask God to reveal His presence to you.

Maybe you read about my big God experience, but in case you missed it, you can read it here: Faith as a mustard seed.

Luke 12:12 speaks to me (and to you):

The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them. (The Voice)

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (NKJV)

Thursday, June 17, 2021

The fruit of light

I couldn't figure out where to stop and start with today's scripture, so I narrowed it down as best as I could (this is all really great information. I love how Paul explains things!)

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:6-21 ESV

(Emphasis mine)

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I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #HolySpirit #Christian #salvation #comfort #discipleship #wisdom #fruitofthespirit #bearfruit

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

To bear fruit

I love this photo. When I first glanced at it, it reminded me of babies wrapped in blankets. The figs are the babies' heads, and the leaves are the blankets. It made me think of how the Holy Spirit wraps us up in His loving arms when we are babes in Christ. He protects us just as these leaves are protecting their precious fruits. Eventually, the leaves will open and the fruit will mature. It will be picked and eventually offer nourishment to a stranger.

To bear fruit is to be Christlike. The Spirit gives us this fruit. I really like what David Guzik (EnduringWord.com) wrote:

Fruit has several important characteristics.
· Fruit isn’t achieved by working, but is birthed by abiding.
· Fruit is fragile.
· Fruit reproduces itself.
· Fruit is attractive.
· Fruit nourishes.

I often think of the barren fig trees in the Bible. One was a parable (Luke 13:6-9) and the other an event where Jesus cursed the fig tree for not bearing any fruit. (Mark 11:12-20) Non-believers watch believers. I believe they want to see that we're different, that we have special "insight" and peace. They even recognize the ways in which we're different. How many times have you had a non-believer ask you to pray for them? I think that shows that they want to believe, that they know there's truth to what we say, but they're just not quite there yet.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

You may also like:
- Bear more fruit
- My word produces fruit

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I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #HolySpirit #Christian #salvation #comfort #discipleship #wisdom #fruitofthespirit #bearfruit

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Learning from the Holy Spirit

This is really good stuff. Paul explains the Holy Spirit so well, and the fact that we can only understand God's wisdom because the Holy Spirit reveals it to us.

From 1 Corinthians 2:

9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

This is what God has prepared for us in the here and now if we love Him. (It's paraphrased from Isaiah 64:4).

Sometimes I find reading Paul's letters a little confusing, but the rest of this chapter seems crystal clear. Mankind, who doesn't have the Spirit, cannot understand the mysteries of God, but those of us with the Spirit have the potential and the desire to comprehend what He imparts on us. God shares this information with us freely, but I believe we need to actively desire to know it. In other words, we need to pray for understanding and comprehension before we dive into the word. We need to pray that He reveals wisdom to us. Sure, we have those AHA moments, but think how much more we could be understanding if we open ourselves up to receive it.

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Verse 15 below isn't saying that believers can't be judged or shouldn't be judged. David Guzik wrote: "Paul is not saying that every Christian is above every criticism (after all, much of this letter is criticism). The point is clear: no natural man is equipped to judge a spiritual man." (Found at EnduringWord.com)

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

I just love to research and learn, so all of this just feeds into that. There are so many concepts and teachings in the Bible that we, as humans, cannot comprehend because of our finite minds (the Trinity, for one), but God wants us to understand as much as humanly possible while we're here. Then, when we get to Heaven, I believe, it's going to be like, "POW" and everything else is just going to make sense. It's really exciting if you think about it!

P.S. I really like the above photo because it has a "3" on the coffee cup. I immediately thought of the Trinity teaching us.

Monday, June 14, 2021

The magnitude of the Holy Spirit

What is your perception of the Holy Spirit? I picture Him as the "comforter" (John 14:25-26) who dwells within us. Since He dwells within each one of us (believers), I see Him as my size. It wasn't until we were discussing Romans yesterday in Women's Bible Study that I realized the breadth and magnitude of the Holy Spirit. I mean, I knew He was huge, Omni-everything like our Father and Jesus, but still, I pictured this more personal, scaled-down version, too. Then I read:

"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 dwells in you."

Romans 8:11 ESV

Think about that...the Holy Spirit who "raised Jesus from the dead" is the very same Holy Spirit who dwells within each of us and comforts us! Isn't that amazing?! I have no idea how many times I've read that passage, but I'm thankful that this time, it sank in. We as believers are so very blessed to have the Holy Spirit with us always. He comforts us, guides us, encourages us. He's that still small voice inside of us. What a blessing!