Main Street Baptist Church

In many Christian circles the Holy Spirit is either neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood. The One given to unite the body of Christ is the center of controversy. This is a nettle which ought to be firmly grasped. So often Christian work is so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him--yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing." ...

The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference."

My daughter's station wagon coughed and choked all the way to the Christian bookstore in the mall. While we stood at the bookstore counter, Connie moaned, "I'm not sure we can make it home in the station wagon. If only Dave had driven the station wagon and left the Dodge Spirit for us!" At that moment she glanced outside the store and happened to see her husband, Dave, rush by on his way to the restaurant next door.

"Dave! Dave!" she called. "Help! We need the Spirit." The clerk came to the counter at that moment. Thinking she had just overheard a devout and desperate prayer, her eyes opened wide--until Connie and Dave exchanged car keys.

Ministries that genuinely touch the world all can be traced to movement of the Holy Spirit. This is a truth that seems lost to today's church.

Called ‘Holy GHOST’ – like Halloween Spook, or nice ‘Casper’

Holy Spirit ‘unseen’ behind-scenes worker, often neglected

Mentioned 90x in OT, 263 in NT

Jesus mentioned 8x as often as Holy Spirit – Holy Spirit focus on Jesus

Holy Spirit Author of Word, not His purpose to focus on Himself

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 1

dDAY 1

2 Cor 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

A boy, flying a kite, was so successful that the kite went out of sight. He stood on the grass with a string in his hand that bent upwards into the sky and out of sight. Someone asked him how he knew the kite was there, and he let them put their hand on the string; they could feel the pull of the unseen kite.

The world does not recognize the existence of God, but those who know Him can feel the drawing of the invisible power that we recognize in every area of life. That is the Holy Spirit tugging on our heart. When others ‘touch’ our lives they will be forced to recognize that we possess something which they don’t have.

PRAY: Sit silently for a few moments, meditating, and feel the ‘tug’ of the Holy Spirit in your heart, connecting you to God’s presence, love and warmth. Thank Him. Try to be conscience all day of that ‘tug’ in your heart. If you can’t sense it, pause a focus on God for a moment. Then you’ll feel Him again.

DAY 2

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Describing the Holy Spirit is like drawing a picture of the soul, or weighing a thought, or explaining an emotion. He can’t be accurately described by words. They fall far short.

We can’t look at the sun, for we aren’t equipped for it. But we can experience the benefits of the suns rays. The same is true of the Spirit. We can’t see Him, but we can experience His blessings in our lives.

PRAY: Think of each and every blessing you have because god lives in you by His Spirit. Thank Him for each one. Take your time and really think, don’t rush through this.

DAY 3

Matt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Kenneth Grahame;s The Wind in the Willows illustrates how we are to feel about God’s Spirit indwelling us. Portraying two animals in the commanding presence of “the Piper,” he imagines the following conversation: “ ‘Rat!’ the Mole found breath to whisper, shaking, ‘Are you afraid?’ ‘Afraid! Of him? Oh, never, never! And yet – and yet – O Mole, I am afraid!’ And, crouching to the earth, they bowed their heads.” That portrayal of a rat and mole, of course, is fiction. But in real life, we too are inclined to say when we think of God, “Afraid! Of Him? Oh, never, never! And yet – and yet – I am afraid!”

It is God’s Spirit in us that assures us that, while we are to respect Him, we have no reason to live in terror of Him. Which extreme are you most guilty of – fearing God so that you don’t feel loved by Him or not respecting His power and glory enough to cause you to worship Him?

PRAY: Whichever it is, ask God to work in your heart by His Spirit so you have the right balance in your heart.

DAY 4

John 7:38 He that believes on me…, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.

In the Bible the Holy Spirit is symbolically portrayed as a dove, as anointing oil, and as a fire. He is also compared to a stream that is always in motion. Jesus spoke of Him in this way, declaring that our of the believer’s heart would “flow rivers of living water.”

The reason many of us are weak and stagnant as Christians is that while we have all of the Holy Spirit, we have not let Him have all of us! We have refused to become clear channels for His mighty power. Sin and selfishness have dammed up the stream of blessing that normally should overflow to others.

Some hill people in India called the Kurkue have a strange religion which demands that they should be filled with demons! When this supreme desire has been satisfied, they believer their lives will be immune to outward attacks from the devil. While they recognize that a “good spirit” has created the world and brought them into existence, they disregard him because they feel he is too benevolent to harm them A missionary who visited this tribe of approximately 100,000 declared, “If the same number of God’s people had as their ultimate aim in life the desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I believe such a blessed surrender would cause a tremendous awakening. The evangelistic results would reach to all corners of the globe.”

In this dry, thirsty world we must make sure our lives bring heavenly refreshment to others. Our filling will lead to a glorious overflowing. Are a river that flows continually or a tap that only drips occasionally?

PRAY: How important is it to you to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How much priority do you put on that? Ask Him to remove whatever keeps Him from flowing through you like a clear river.

DAY 5

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Professor Huxley tells that in the soil of England there lie buried tropical seeds in bewildering variety. They have been brought by birds, by winds, by many agencies. There they lie deeply buried, these tropical potencies, waiting for what? For a tropical atmosphere. Huxley says that if for 12 months there would be in England tropical heat they would be amazed by the coming out of strange seeds, and the land would bloom with tropical luxuriance.

Powers we have never conceived lie buried in your life and in mine, powers put there by God and waiting for their proper atmosphere! Our lives are often too chill, and so the seeds are non-germinant. But if the heat of heaven could come, I think those powers would come out of our hearts in a splash of beauty and glory. We would be amazed to see what God can do through a heart warmed by His Spirit.

PRAY: Ask God to warm your heart to His love and will today so that He can produce through you whatever beautiful thing He wants to produce. Thanks Him for doing that.

1. HE IS GOD, EQUAL TO THE FATHER & SON

OUR PURPOSE IN THIS SERIES

-understand the Holy Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does

-apply that to our lives so can live in God’s power

TRINITY HARD TO UNDERSTAND

GOD HIMSELF IMPOSSIBLE FOR HUMAN MIND TO GRASP

God is not discoverable or demonstrable by purely scientific means, unfortunately for the scientific minded. But that really proves nothing. It simply means that the wrong instruments are being used for the job

Explain the Trinity? We can't even begin. We can only accept it--a mystery, disclosed in Scripture. It should be no surprise that the triune Being of God baffles our finite minds. We should be surprised, rather, if we could understand the nature of our Creator. He would be a two-bit deity, not the fathomless Source of all reality.

God cannot be grasped by the mind. If he could be grasped, he would not be God

TRINITY: Equal in nature

Separate in Person

Submissive in Duties

I. HOLY SPIRIT EQUAL TO GOD THE FATHER & GOD THE SON

Heb 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ (Son) , who through the eternal Spirit (Holy Spirit) offered himself unblemished to God (Father) , cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

LUKE 15 ‘LOST’ PARABLES

LOST SON – work of God the Father

LOST SHEEP – work of God the Son

LOST COIN – work of God the Spirit

BAPTISMAL FORMULA Matt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Name = singular, not names

APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION

2 Cor 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, medium of all blessing

and the love of God, source of all blessing

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Dispenser of all blessing

HEAVENLY WITNESS

d 1 John 5:6-10 This is the one who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

UNITED ACCESS

Eph 2:13, 18 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. … 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

John 16:12-15 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”

Spirit glorifies the Son who glorifies the Father

II. HOLY SPIRIT IS CALLED GOD GOD

Acts 5:3-4 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

Holy Spirit = God, must be given same reverence as Father and Son

When turn from Holy Spirit’s leading open self to Satan’s influence

LORD

EXAMPLE OF Holy Spirit ACTING AS MASTER, LORD

Acts 13:2-4 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

III. HOLY SPIRIT HAS ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD ETERNAL SPIRIT

Heb 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

TRINITY all mentioned in this verse

OMNIPRESENT SPIRIT

OMNI = all, every

Can’t get away from Holy Spirit – everywhere in every one

Ps 139:7-13 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Everywhere at once, but not seen – body

OMNISCIENT SPIRIT

1 Cor 2:10-11 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Knows all about God & His ways,

Knows what will happen as well as what has happened

OMNIPOTENT SPIRIT

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All power to carry out what He knows is best for all

Luke 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Holy Spirit = power of the Most High

Most High = El Elyon

“overshadow” = direct, personal presence of God

same Greek verb used of Transfiguration when cloud enveloped Jesus, Mo, Elij

from this ‘cloud’ voice of God came: “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.”

Holy Spirit the ‘power’ that impregnated Mary similar to way Holy Spirit impregnated

waters Gen 1:2

(creation of life from non-life)

2 miracles man denies today: creation, virgin birth (both done by Holy Spirit)

in each of these Holy Spirit the agent of God, not the center of attention/glory

CONCLUSION

The burden that I want to bring to you this morning is this: God is an important person, and he does not like being taken for granted. Suppose you ask a man, a president of a company, "Who, under God, is the most important person in your life?" He says, "I guess it would be my vice-president for marketing." You say, "What about your wife?" He says, "Oh, of course, I just assumed that. I just take that for granted. It goes without saying." A few people would assume that his abounding love and respect for his wife caused him to forget her. Most of us probably would assume that the reason she didn't come to mind is because she's not uppermost in his affections. The wife wouldn't say, "I am so honored that I'm like the air he breathes. He never gives me a thought." There is in most people's minds no direct correlation between taking something for granted and showing its value as a treasure. We can be certain the wife would say, "If I don't come to your mind when you're asked about your life's priorities, then it's because I'm not important to you. And if you think that I am honored by being taken for granted, you're wrong!" It's possible to take important things like oxygen for granted. If you're taken for granted, you might feel indispensable. But not treasured or honored.

God is an important person; he does not like being taken for granted .

DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 2

DAY 1

God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Gal 4:6

In the country in winter, when one awoke he could look at cabins and cottages with a load of snow on their roofs. But as the day wore on, large fragments would begin to tumble from the eaves of one and then another until the whole heap slid down and the roof was clear and dry as in summer. But here and there would be a home with it’s white mantle unbroken. What made the difference? The difference was found within. The ones with snow on the roof throughout the day were empty, the fireplace cold and dead. The others had life in them, and the warmth from the fire loosened the snow and melted it.

Now someone could have gotten a long stick, broken the icicles, and pushed some of the snow from the roof. But it wouldn’t all be gone, and it would soon be covered again.

So it is with us. We can try to chip away at the accumulation of sin and garbage in our lives, but with little effect. Or we can let the warmth of the Holy Spirit in our heart radiate through us and melt the cold exterior. Which is the case in your life?

PRAY: Ask God to fill you with His presence to such an extent that your cold exterior is warmed with His love and joy. Picture how you and your day will be different when this happens. Ask God to bring that about in you today.

DAY 2

John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

The passenger asked the sailor, “Will you explain to me the phenomenon of the wind?” The seaman replied, “I don’t know what you mean, Sir.” The passenger persisted, “Well, how do you explain the wind which propels your great ship?” the sailor came back, “I don’t know anything about the wind, bit I can hoist a sail.”

Just so with us. We may not be able to explain the working of the Holy Spirit, but we can experience the Spirit’s power in our own life and ministry.

PRAY: Think of times in your life when you had God’s power, wisdom, peace or whatever even though you didn’t understand how it was you had it. Where do you see evidence of God’s Spirit working in your life right now? Submit to His working and ask Him to continue to minister to and through you.

DAY 3

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

The pearl diver lives at the bottom of the ocean by means of the pure air conveyed to him from above. His life is entirely dependent on the life-giving Spirit. We are down here, like the diver, to gather pearls for our Master’s crown. The source of our life comes from above.

God’s Spirit is the One Who is our lifeline. Without Him we’d have nothing. We couldn’t survive spiritually without His life-giving connection to God.

PRAY: Thank Him for your life-line. Praise Him for providing it. Depend on it all day, every day.

DAY 4

Jude 1 Preserved in Jesus Christ.

Do you remember the preserves your grand mother used to make? She would have a big pot on the stove, boiling away, until after several testings the “preserves” were just concentrated enough and were poured into glasses or jars. There could be strawberry preserves, raspberry preserves, currant preserves, peach and plum and apple. Why were they called “preserves”? Because they were preserved against spoiling. Fruits in the raw or untreated state soon deteriorate, decay, and perish. But “preserved” fruits lasted indefinitely because they were impregnated with “sugar.” Sugar was the secret. The fruits were preserved in a sweet sugar syrup. To make good jam, advertises a certain cookbook, “A cup of sugar to a cup of fruit.” Now our text in Jude 1 says that we are “preserved in Jesus Christ.” Could anything be sweeter than that? All true Christians ought to be sweet at all times if they are preserved “in Christ.” Impregnated with Christ, filled with Him. The word “preserved” is “ Toreo ” in the original and means to “guard” against loss or spoiling. The Christian is watched over by the Lord and He guards and protects us.

The more we submit ourselves to Him, the more we meditate upon Him and seek His fellowship, the more we shall become saturated with his sweetness. It is an interesting thing to find that the word “reserved” in I Peter 1:4 is the same word “ Toreo ” in the Greek. Peter says that we have an ”inheritance incorruptible … reserved in heaven.” It is the same word translated “preserved” in Jude 1.

We are “preserved” in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and our inheritance is “reserved” in Heaven for us. What security! We are preserved – our salvation is reserved, and both words mean to “guard against loss or spoiling.” All this should make us sweet like the One in Whom we are “preserved.”

When the sweetness of Jesus completely permeates our being, our lives will have a delightful, spiritual flavor.

PRAY: Thank God for preserving you for all eternity in Jesus by His Spirit. Live today always remembering that you will live forever in heaven with Jesus!

DAY 5 Galatians 4:6 God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.

One of the most beautiful sounds at daybreak is the singing of the birds. What a joy to listen to their happy tunes cheering us on at the start of a new spring day. But their lovely melodies can become so commonplace that we no longer “hear” them. By early summer we grow indifferent to them, then soon ignore their singing entirely. Where once we were thrilled, before long we take this music for granted.

The same thing can be true when God speaks to us. When we first accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation the Bible is precious and love to spend time communing with God each day. As time goes on, however, we settle into a routine that moves away from these things. You may be shocked to realize how long it has been since your really heard and enjoyed God’s presence in your soul. If you start listening again, you’ll hear those wonderful sounds of God again speaking to your spirit by His Spirit. Stop and listen. Hear them?

PRAY: Remember when you were a new Christian? Think about those days. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit so you have the same joy from His presence you had then.

2. HE REPRESENTS THE FATHER & SON

When NANSEN started on his Artic expedition many years ago he took with him a carrier pigeon, strong and fast. After 2 years in the desolation of the Artic regions, he one day wrote a tiny little message, tied it under the pigeon’s wing, and let it loose, to travel 2,000 miles to Norway over ice, snow and death. But he took the trembling little bird and flung her up from the ship, up into the icy cold. Three circles she made, and then, straight as an arrow, she shot south: 1,000 miles over ice, 1,000 miles over the frozen wastes of ocean, and at last dropped into the lap of the explorer’s wife. She knew, by the arrival of the bird, that it was all right in the dark night of the north.

So it is with the Holy Spirit who has come to let the disciples, and us today, know that God is ruling in heaven with Jesus as His right hand.

The Holy Spirit comes representing God the Father and God the Son

MY SPIRIT

Gen 6:3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

God’s Spirit = God Himself

MY = shows relationship

Reflects His love, mercy, grace, wooing them to a relationship to Him

Not God’s will any should perish, Spirit pulled them to Him

When Spirit stopped wooing, striving – judgment came (flood, tribulation)

PROPHECY OF MESSIAH

Isa 42:1-4

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

FULFILLED BY JESUS

Matt 12:18-21

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, ….

Isa 63:10-11 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. 11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people-- where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them,

being grieved proves His personality, too

THE SPIRIT OF GOD (Elohim)

Gen 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Moving, brooding over waters like mother hen

Brought life out of death

Holy Spirit brings life from death in us (salvation)

Holy Spirit gave all life so that light and life, next, could happen

Job 26:13 By his breath (lit: ruach – spirit/breath) the skies became fair;

his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

Holy Spirit operative power behind creation

Job 33:4 The Spirit (ruach, same as 26:13) of God has made me;

the breath (different word than ruach, means wind/breath) of the Almighty gives me life.

God the Father and God the Spirit are One

All that God is, the Spirit is – character & attributes

Just like no distinction between man and spirit of man (so with God & Spirit)

Song: Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me`

Gen 41:37-38 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"

Pharaoh recognized something different in Joseph (others couldn’t tell dreams, etc.)

Others should see something different in us – not us but God / Holy Spirit

Matt 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.

Baptism identified Him with God and Holy Spirit (Trinity)

Laid aside own non-communicable attributes (omni-etc) so functioned by power of Holy

Spirit

Same as us today!

Phil 2:5-9 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD (YHWH)

Isa 11:1-3 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of power,

the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

In OT 23x Used most often with Judges God raised up to lead people

YHWH = Jehovah, Yahweh

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD (YHWH) GOD (Elohim)

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

The Spirit (Holy Spirit) of the Sovereign LORD (God the Father) is on me, (God the Son, Messiah – quoted by Jesus in Nazareth so tried to stone Him)

-Jesus fulfilled His ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit, not own strength

KENOSIS – voluntary non-use of divine attributes

FULFILLMENT IN NAZARETH

Luke 4:16-19 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. …

HOLY SPIRIT PROCEEDS FROM FATHER & SON

John 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

goes out from = Gk ekporeuomai, ‘proceeds, in the process, continually proceeding

Holy Spirit eternally, continually coming from God the Father & God the son

continually proceeding in order to minister to specific needs in our lives

God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts. Gal 4:6

My HEART is the Holy Spirit’s HOME

DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 3

DAY 1

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged (empowered) grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Two deer hunters became lost in the woods. Not knowing which way to turn, one said, “I’ve heard that whenever you get lost in the forest you should shoot 3 times in the air and stay where you are until help comes.” They agreed, and proceeded to shoot and wait. They did this several times to no avail. At dusk one suggested, “We’d better try it one more time before we try to walk out by ourselves.” But the other fellow explained, “We can’t! We’re out of arrows!” They did the right thing, but there was no power in what they did.

What areas of your life lack power, even though you do the right thing? What about your prayer life? How about your witnessing? Maybe your praise and worship? Or could it be your thought life? Then what about your self-discipline? Maybe patience or another fruit of the Spirit? The list could go on.

PRAY: Confess your failure as sin. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit, so you have His power behind what you do. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life where you are doing the right thing but without power.

DAY 2

John 16:6-7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor (comforter, helper) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

When I was a child I often wished that God would speak to me audibly as He did to Samuel and others in the Bible. I envied the people who walked and talked with Jesus. I didn’t realize that now, with God living in us, we have a superior privilege to those who simple had God among them.

That’s why Jesus told His disciples that it was to their benefit that He go, that they were better off with the Holy Spirit in them than He among them.

The Holy Spirit is truly “Christ with us” (Immanuel). The Christ who once lived with us in the flesh now lives in us by His Spirit.

PRAY: Picture how it would be to have walked and talked with Jesus in Palestine. Now picture that same Jesus somehow miraculously living inside you, in your heart. Make Him welcome. Spend some time enjoying His presence. Make an effort all day to think of Jesus with you always in everything by His Spirit in you.

DAY 3

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor (comforter, helper) to be with you forever-

During the time Christ was on earth with his disciples, He was always nearby to help them. Then one day He said He would soon leave, but this didn’t mean they would b/e without His help. He said He wouldn’t leave them helpless. He promised to send the Holy Spirit, Who would be their paraclete , which means “one who is called alongside to help.”

Have you ever had your car refuse to start and needed a jump. Someone brought their functioning car alongside yours and fastened jumper cables. Then, with their power flowing into your weak battery, you were able to start your car. They came alongside you to help you in your time of need. That’s just what God does by sending His Spirit to help us in our time of need.

PRAY: Spend a few moments thinking of times in the distant as well as recent past when God has ‘come along side you’ to help you in your need, giving you His power and assistance. Think of some times you haven’t realized it was Him. Thank Him for each one of these times.

DAY 4

John 14:26 But the Counselor (comforter, helper), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you

The Holy Spirit here is called our paraclete , which means “one who is called alongside to help.” It can also be translated “advocate,” meaning an attorney for the defense. This is true of the Holy Spirit as well as Jesus (I John 2:1). They take our side together before the Judge, pleading the sacrificial offering of Jesus’ own blood for our sins (I John 2:2).

Suppose your were arrested for a crime. Guilty or innocent, you would want the help of someone who could speak to the judge for you, someone who could intercede on your behalf. You wouldn’t want to face the judge alone. So, too, when Satan accuses us of sin, guilty or innocent we want the help of Someone who can speak for us. We have that in Jesus (in heaven) and the Holy Spirit (in us). The Spirit comforts us, encourages us and ministers forgiveness and restoration to us. Who could want a better Lawyer?

PRAY: Think of the last time you sinned and confessed the sin. Picture Jesus in heaven as your Advocate, pleading your case by pointing to His work on the cross. Picture the Spirit countering the condemnation of Satan and bringing cleansing to your soul. If there is any sin in your life at this moment that needs confession, do so now picturing this happening in heaven and in your heart.

DAY 5

Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

I recall a story about a man who had to cross a wide river on the ice. He was afraid it might be too thin, so he began to crawl on his hand and knees in great terror. He thought he might fall through at any moment. Just as he neared the opposite shore, all exhausted, another man glided past him nonchalantly sitting on a sled loaded with pig iron. How like some Christians! Headed for Heaven, they tremble at every step lest the divine promises break under their feet. They need only to look at the context of Isaiah 12:2 to realize that God is their salvation and the Lord is their strength and song.

By resting completely upon Him and taking His promises at face value, we can drive out the paralyzing fear that hinders our effectiveness in serving Christ. The biblical antidote always works: "I will trust, and not be afraid."

God’s Spirit will help us get through whatever we are going through. He will help us accomplish whatever God wants us to accomplish. He is strong enough to hold us up when we trust Him.

PRAY: Where do you need God’s support and help in a special way today? Trust Him to provide that through His Holy Spirit who will hold you up and keep you safe through it all.

3. HE HELPED THE SON

What is your favorite name for mate & why? For God & why?

Jesus’ favorite name for God is ‘Father’

Jesus’ favorite name of Holy Spirit is ‘Helper’ (Comforter, Counselor)

I. HOLY SPIRIT HELPED JESUS

HELPER IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

KENOSIS – Jesus voluntarily laid aside use of communicable attributes (omni, etc) to be like us

Submitting to the limitations of humanity

Still God, but faced life as a man

HOLY SPIRIT the One who helped/comforted/counseled Jesus

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-

Holy Spirit a COUNSELOR, COMFORTER, HELPER

-ministry to JESUS the man!

EARTHLY LIFE & PUBLIC MINISTRY

-Power force behind Virgin Birth Luke 1:35

-Maturing process of Jesus to manhood Luke 2:40,45

-Special enabling for ministry when Baptized Luke 3:21-22

-Led into wilderness & filled Him to face temptation by Satan Luke 4:1

-Ministry for 3 ½ yrs was in power and anointing of Holy Spirit Luke 4:14, 18

-Power behind miracles Jesus did Matthew 12:28

DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS

-Assisted in His atoning work on cross Heb 9;14

-Raised from dead by Holy Spirit power Rom 8:1

vindicated Him from charges against Him by bringing back to life I Tim 3:16

power behind resurrection Rom 1:4; 8:11; I Pt 3:18

Holy Spirit brought His conception (life from nonlife )

His resurrection (life from death)

Guarantees our victory over death, too

-Involved in post resurrection glorification of Jesus John 16:14

RELATIONSHIP OF JESUS & Holy Spirit DESCRIBED AS

-led by Holy Spirit Luke 4:1 (wilderness temptation)

-filled with Holy Spirit Luke 4:1 (wilderness temptation), John 3:34,35

-anointed by Holy Spirit Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb 1:9

-empowered by Holy Spirit Matthew 12:18

-rejoiced in Holy Spirit Luke 10:21

II. HOLY SPIRIT HELPED DISCIPLES

HELPER IN THE LIFE OF THE DISCIPLES

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Encouraged – PARAKALEO (same as prophecied)

Holy Spirit did what it was said He’d do!

III. HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US

A. HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER

PARACLETE = HELPER

Used 4 times in Bible by Jesus for Holy Spirit (all in Upper Room Discourse)

Jesus told disciples He would soon be leaving them – they are devastated

He tells how Holy Spirit will replace Him and their needs would be met

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-

Greek parakletos: ‘helper, comforter, advocate, one called alongside’

Para – alongside

Kaleo – to call

– man called before court of justice to answer a charge against him

But ignorant of the law and unable to defend self calls another to stand by

Same as Greek ‘ADVOCATE’ (name of Jesus I Jn 2:1)

Jesus in heaven pleads our case, applying the blood of Jesus to sin

Holy Spirit ministers forgiveness, cleansing, comfort to our hearts

Gk parakaleo = legal assistant, advocate, plead for another

“come alongside” to help, guide, comfort, direct

“Another” = Greek another of SAME kind ( allos , not heteros )

In the book Healing the Masculine Soul , Gordon Dalbey says that when Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Helper, he uses a Greek word, paraclete , that was an ancient warrior's term. "Greek soldiers went into battle in pairs," says Dalbey , "so when the enemy attacked, they could draw together back-to-back, covering each other's blind side. One's battle partner was the paraclete ." Our Lord does not send us to fight the good fight alone. The Holy Spirit is our battle partner who covers our blind side and fights for our well being.

Holy Spirit SAME KIND as Jesus, replace Him when He is gone, do same work

Holy Spirit = Jesus’ ‘alter ego’

JESUS parakaleo = pleads to God for the Christian

SPIRIT parakaleo = pleads to the Christian for God

JESUS: defends us when Satan accuses us of sin, etc

Jesus our defense attorney - points to blood

SPIRIT: declares to us the abiding comfort of the living God

to minister’s God’s comfort to us in all our needs

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you

John 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

John 16:6-7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

B. HOLY SPIRIT IS ‘JESUS IN ME’

“THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON” = He has same nature as Jesus

Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

Rom 8:15-17 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship . And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,

TRINITY implied

Father = God the Father

Son = God the Son

Spirit = God the Holy Spirit

‘His Son’ = combines God the Father and Son together

focus is on Father-Son relationship

Bible also says we are in God’s family by ADOPTION

In by birth (new birth – born a son)

In by adoption (God adopted us as His own)

“THE SPIRIT OF JESUS” = He does the work of salvation

Acts 16:7 When they came to the border of Mysia , they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.

Holy Spirit kept Paul & co from going to Asia or Mysia

Instead had them go to Macedonia (Europe)

Holy Spirit closes some doors, opens others

Must learn to LISTEN to voice of Holy Spirit within

Holy Spirit shows us GOD’S WILL

“THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST”

Rom 8:9-10 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Romans 8:5-8 life controlled by Holy Spirit

-continual desire to do right 5

-daily experience of life and peace 6

‘Spirit of Christ’ – represents Jesus, brings His benefits

= He assists in the threefold anointed office

-prophet, -priest, -king

Spirit Of Christ = proceeds from and represents Christ

‘Christ’ = Messiah, Anointed One

If don’t have Spirit of Christ, don’t have Jesus so not a believer

“THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST” = assists in balanced ministry of Son

Phil 1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

Paul in prison (Eph, Phil, Col, Phile )

Holy Spirit makes Jesus Christ real to us in suffering, trials

Jesus knows all about pain, suffering – went thru it

DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 4

DAY 1

John 3:7-8 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

This verse could also be translated, “The Spirit blows wherever it pleases.” The same word is used in the original for both “wind” and “Spirit.” The Hebrew word for both is ruach, and its use is governed by the contect. The same is true of the Greek word, pneuma, which is either translated wind or Spirit, as the setting might indicate.

Only the Spirit can bring one to salvation. Only the Spirit can bring power after salvation. He is given as a sovereign gift of grace. It cannot be produced by our efforts, feelings or emotions.

“Dey jeeted me on der windmill,” complained Adolf. “I buy der windmill and set it up on my farm and it don’t work. I don’t pay for it; it ain’t goot . I sit by him one whole day and it make no wind at all.” “Maybe there was no wind, Adolf,” said a friend. “Of course there was no wind! Would I buy a windmill to make wind when there was wind?” Foolish, you say? Yes, indeed, but no more silly than to live a Christian life by our own efforts without the power of the Holy Spirit.

PRAY: Ask God to show you where you are trying to life for Him by your own efforts. It’s probably where you are failing because you don’t have His power behind you. Ask Him to forgive you and fill you with His power.

DAY 2

Acts 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Donald Barnhouse told about when he went to Africa for a visit. He said the first lesson he learned was to find out on which side of the house the wind was blowing. Coming out the front door to sit on a porch, he said they walked first to one end, and then to the other. Generally, a breeze would be in one place or the other, and there they placed their chairs. When the breeze shifted they moved their chairs to where it was.

Thus we must seek the motions of the Spirit. Where is the Spirit moving in your life? That’s where you need to place yourself, allowing Him to work in you. Where is He working in your family? In your church? Be sensitive to what He is doing and put yourself there so you can feel his comfort and allow Him to work in you.

PRAY: Pray about the places and ways God’s Spirit is moving in your life, your family and your church. Make sure you are placed where He can touch you.

DAY 3

John 20:21-22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

On a country road in Formosa, a missionary say a farmer driving a large flock of ducks. There must have been a hundred of them, so tightly packed together that some of their heads could not be seen. The only guidance they had came from the breeze of a large feather fan waved behind them by the driver. If a duck strayed from the group, a breeze was fanned at it, and it returned to the body of the flock.

Thus the Lord leads believers. If they will be led by the wind of the Spirit, He will blow His steady guidance. He never takes stern measures to the believer who accepts the soft caress of His breeze.

PRAY: Listen to what God’s Spirit is saying to you. What guidance, comfort, warning, encouragement or direction is He giving? Listen carefully for His still, small voice. Don’t make Him speak loudly or bring trials to get your attention. Listen. Listen throughout the day. Never stop listening.

DAY 4

He sends out His word, and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. Psalm 147:18

“Look a that wind blow!” said a friend to a neighbor during a violent storm. “I don’t see any wind,” answered the neighbor. “In fact, I’ve never seen the wind!” The friend looked at him as though he had lost his mind and said, “Look at those swaying branches on the trees. The dust swirling about – look at those whitecaps on the lake, look at -.” “Yes, yes, I see all that, but I don’t see the wind! I see what the wind does. I know it is blowing hard, but I don’t see it.” Finally he understood.

Wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God. He too is invisible. We cannot see Him but we can know Him by what He does. When we are filled with the Spirit others can’t see the Spirit in us, but they can see the results of what the Spirit does. Can others see the Spirit working through you? What results of the Spirit are evident in your life? What can you do to better allow God’s Spirit to blow through your life, leaving evidence for others of His presence and work?

PRAY: For God’s Spirit to work through your life, showing Himself to others around you. Ask that He would get the credit for the good things in your, not you. Allow Him to work so fully in your life that others can’t help but notice.

DAY 5

Amos 4:13-5:1 He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth- the LORD God Almighty is his name.

Have you ever wondered why planes always take off into the wind when it seems they would gain speed much faster with the wind behind them? Ask a pilot that and you’ll probably get a look pity as he wonders how foolish you can be.

The reason is that a strong head wind actually assists in the take-off while a tail wind can be very dangerous. The head wind stabilizes the plane, the tail wind carries it out of direction. It’s the opposite for a boat, but not a plane.

The wind in the Bible is a picture of the Holy Spirit. When we row and work we better be going with the ‘wind’ of the Spirit or we won’t get anywhere. But when we cease our working and take a seat by faith in the airplane of God’s salvation, we are borne up and up by this same Spirit. Instead of contrary winds, this same Spirit is the power which lifts us higher and higher. When we stop our “toiling” and vain efforts to do things in our own strength and yield to the Spirit of grace, our safe arrival is assured! It may seem contrary to our common sense, but that’s the way God’s principles work. Why row a boat when you can fly in a plane?

PRAY: Where is your striving in your own strength failing? In your mind sit back and allow God’s Spirit to work in and through you to accomplish that which you on your own aren’t able. Enjoy the ride today!

4. HE IS A PERSON

THE SPIRIT

Num 11:17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.

Num 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.

Num 11:26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.

SPIRIT ( Heb.ruah , "breath, wind"; Grk. pneuma, "wind, breath," the "vital principle," etc.). (Latin, spiritus ):

1. Primary and Figurative Senses:

(1) Used primarily in the Old Testament and New Testament of the wind, as in Gen 8:1; Num 11:31; Amos 4:13 ("createth the wind"); Heb 1:7 (angels, "spirits" or "winds" in margin); often used of the breath, as in Job 12:10; 15:30, and in 2 Thess 2:8 (wicked consumed by "the breath of his mouth").

(2) In a figurative sense it was used as indicating anger or fury, and as such applied even to God, who destroys by the "breath of his nostrils" (Job 4:9; Ex 15:8; 2 Sam 22:16; see 2 Thess 2:8).

(3) Hence, applied to man-as being the seat of emotion in desire or trouble, and thus gradually of mental and moral qualities in general (Ex 28:3, "the spirit of wisdom"; Ezek 11:19, "a new spirit" etc.). Where man is deeply stirred by the Divine Spirit, as among the prophets, we have a somewhat similar use of the word, in such expressions as: "The Spirit of the Lord came .... upon him" (1 Sam 10:10).

His personality is proved by attributes and acts being attributed to Him peculiarly.

His Godhead, distinct personality, and oneness with the Father and the Son, are implied in the baptismal formula enjoined by Christ (Matt 28:19).

He "hears," "speaks," "teaches," "guides into all truth," "glorifies Christ," "receives of Christ's things," namely, from the Father and Son, "and shows them," "brings all Christ's words to His people's remembrance," "shows things to come," "knoweth the things of God," "searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God," and "reveals them" to the Spirit taught (1 Cor 2:9-15); therefore is divine.

In Old Testament the law was in the foreground, the Holy Spirit less prominent; in New Testament the Holy Spirit is prominent, the law in the background.

BREATH OF LIFE

Rev 11:11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Rom 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death

Gen 2:6-7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

BREATH – life force

More than just physical, but all that makes man including soul/spirit

This is what makes us different than animals

Disproves evolution (man advanced animal)

Life finds its source in God (as Holy Spirit brought dead waters to life in Gen 1:2)

Only God is SELF-EXISTENT, no outside cause, no beginning or end

WIND

VISUAL: make a pinwheel, blow on it, blow on hands. HS felt but not seen

Wind good picture of Holy Spirit

Invisible – hear/feel/see results but not it itself

Unpredictable

Exists everywhere, working everywhere in world at once

continually in motion,

experienced in varying degrees

beyond man’s controls

John 20:21-22 And with that he breathed on them and said,

"Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

THE Spirit – only one, distinct from false Spirits (‘God is Spirit’)

THE (article) – PERSON is emphasized

No article – POWER of the Person focused on

HE – not ‘it’ (influence, force) John 14:17; 16:13

John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

John 16 personal pronoun used for Holy Spirit 13 times

PERSONALITY:

Mind, intellect I Cor 2:11

1 Cor 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Will, volition Eph 1:17

Eph 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Emotions, sensibilities Rom 15:30; 8:26; Eph 4:30

Rom 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Rom 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

‘Helps’ – come alongside in race to aid someone in need

we in race struggle, hurt, Holy Spirit alongside, holds up,

get opposite of what pray for? Proof Holy Spirit alongside, helping

‘If they saw big picture, here’s what they’d pray for, they don’t, I do’

edits our prayer so gets to heaven right, answered by God

Actions of a person used of Holy Spirit

Teach Enlighten Guide Strive

Speak Intercede Command Send Call Comfort Work Cry

Pray Lead Inspire

DON’T GRIEVE

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

the Holy Spirit of God = full name/title for Holy Spirit

like ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ full name/title of Jesus

grieve = Holy Spirit person, can be hurt, feel, emotions – by our sin (why does our sin hurt Him? Holy Spirit very sensitive to sin in our lives

Mistreatment of Him proves His personality. He can be:

Lied against Tempted

Resisted Grieved

Despised Blasphemed against

Ignored

Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Take a ‘relationship inventory’ to see if you are grieving Him?

referring to Numbers 20, Jews complained about lack of water at Kadesh, Moses told to

speak to rock and water came forth, instead hit rock 2x

Holy Spirit ‘grieved’ by: lack of gratitude on part of people

Lack of self control on part of Moses

Holy Spirit is COMFORTER, but is still HOLY Spirit, grieved at our sin

Feel His grief in our conscience

DON’T QUENCH

1 Thess 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;

A friend of Vance Havner coined a word by combining the words squelch and quench. He used to say, "Don't 'squench' the Spirit." Havner though it was so descriptive that he often used it in his preaching. Havner said, "We 'squench' the Spirit in more ways than we suspect. We do so when we stifle the desire to speak or act for the Lord. When we criticize or discourage others by an unspiritual attitude, we 'throw cold water' on their inner fire. We have the Holy Spirit as an honored Guest in every Christian gathering, and He can be grieved very easily. A frivolous attitude, a rebellious frame of mind, or a fed-up complacency will do it."

DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 5

DAY 1

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

"Sam's Buy-Line" (Vol. 5, No. 3, Fall 1991) carried an article entitled "Why 99.9% Just Won't Do." It was written by Jeff Dewar, Quality Control Specialist for Teamworks, Inc. He was approaching the subject from a quality-control perspective, naturally. But his words have much greater application than that. Apply what he wrote to our lives. Is it truly necessary to go for "zero defects"? Why isn't 99.9% defect free good enough? This is what life would be like if things were done 99.9% of the time.

We'd have to accept:

--one hour of unsafe drinking water a month

--two unsafe plane landings per day at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago

--16,000 pieces of mail lost by the U.S. Postal Service every hour

--20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions a year

--500 incorrect surgical operations a week.

--50 newborns dropped at birth by doctors

--22,000 checks deducted from the wrong bank accounts each hour

--32,000 missed heartbeats per person year.

Suddenly, the quest for zero defects makes a lot of sense!

What about you? How much sin are you tolerating in your life, excusing it as OK and ‘normal’? How does it appear in God’s sight?

PRAY: Confess every sin in your life, no matter how ‘small’ it seems. Ask God to cleanse you and make you holy by His Holy Spirit. Ask Him to show you every little sin you commit today.

DAY 2

Matt 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

In his powerful book The Holiness of God, R.C . Sproul observed that unbelievers often feel uneasy in the presence of an obedient Christian. The holiness of God reflected in a believer's life makes the non-Christian uncomfortable. Sproul then told the following true incident to illustrate his point.

A well-known professional golfer was playing in a tournament with President Gerald Ford, fellow pro Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. After the round was over, one of the other pros on the tour asked, "Hey, what was it like playing with the President and Billy Graham?" The pro said with disgust, "I don't need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!" With that he headed for the practice tee. His friend followed, and after the golfer had pounded out his fury on a bucket of golf balls, he asked, "Was Billy a little rough on you out there?" The pro sighed and said with embarrassment, "No, he didn't even mention religion."

Sproul commented, "Astonishingly, Billy Graham had said nothing about God, Jesus, or religion, yet the pro stomped away after the game accusing Billy of trying to ram religion down his throat." What had happened? Simply this: The evangelist had so reflected Christlikeness that his presence made the pro feel uncomfortable.

I wonder, do unbelievers sense our godly influence? If we are identified with Christ and walk in holiness, they will -- before we even mention religion.

PRAY: Ask God to use your life as a testimony to others. Pray that your holiness would shine through to others.

DAY 3

Mark 13:11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

One day a young minister was being escorted through a coal mine. At the entrance of one of the dim passageways, he spied a beautiful white flower growing out of the black earth. "How can it blossom in such purity and radiance in this dirty mine?" the preacher asked. "Throw some coal dust on it and see for yourself," his guide replied. When he did, he was surprised that the fine, sooty particles slid right off the snowy petals, leaving the plant just as lovely and unstained as before. Its surface was so smooth that the grit and grime could not adhere to it.

Our hearts should have the same characteristic. Just as that flower could not control its habitat, so we cannot help it that we have to live in a world filled with evil. But God's grace can keep us so clean and unspotted that though we touch every side, it will not cling to us.

If we want the Lord's full blessing and approval, we must heed the admonition, "...keep thyself pure" (1 Tim 5:22). By the cleansing power of His Word and the sanctifying influence of His Holy Spirit, it is possible for the Christian to remain "clean in a dirty place."

PRAY: Ask God to make you clean and holy by His Holy Spirit. Thank Him for making this available to you every moment of every day.

DAY 4

Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Lois K. Blanchard pictures Christ as still walking the streets today. She asks these pointed questions: "If Jesus came to your own home to spend a day or two -- If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do? I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, and all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best. And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there -- That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare; but when you saw Him standing there, could you go to the door, with arms outstretched to welcome Him your Heavenly Visitor? Or would you have to change some things before you let Him in? Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been? Would family conversation be continued at its pace? And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace? Would you be glad to have him meet your very closest friends? Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him stay forever, on and on? Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? It might cause some embarrassment the things that you would do, if Jesus came to your own house to spend some time with you.

Does your ‘house’ need cleansing for God’s Holy Spirit to feel at home in it?

PRAY: Confess anything in your life that might make the Holy Spirit uncomfortable. Ask God to cleanse you and keep every part of your house clean all day long.

PRAY: Ask God to

5. HE IS OF A HOLY CHARACTER

The newspaper gave these facts: Three persons were picked up by police and charged with indecent exposure. The trio said that they had been reading Matthew’s account of the parable of the mustard seed when they thought they were being filled with the Holy Spirit. Acting on the impulse of the moment, they immediately discarded their clothing and covered themselves with mustard. Then they commandeered a neighborhood delivery truck and went for a brief joyride in full view of astonished bystanders. When the police finally stopped them, the offenders pleaded innocent, claiming they were merely trying “to get back to Eden.”

A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this.

-- Jonathon Edwards in A Treatise Concerning Religious Affectations: Works (Vol. V).

HOLY SPIRIT

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Grk . to pneuma to hagion,

HEBREW (qadhosh, "holy," qodhesh, "holiness")

1. The Holiness of God: As applied to God the notion of holiness is used in the Old Testament in two distinct senses: (1) First in the more general sense of separation from all that is human and earthly. It thus denotes the absoluteness, majesty, and awfulness of the Creator in His distinction from the creature. In this use of the word, "holiness" is little more than an equivalent general term for "Godhead," and the adjective "holy" is almost synonymous with "Divine" (compare Dan 4:8-9,18; 5:11). Yahweh's "holy arm" (Isa 52:10; Ps 98:1) is His Divine arm, and His "holy name" (Lev 20:3, etc.) is His Divine name. When Hannah sings "There is none holy as Yahweh" (1 Sam 2:2), the rest of the verse suggests that she is referring, not to His ethical holiness, but simply to His supreme Divinity.

(2) But, in the next place, holiness of character in the distinct ethical sense is ascribed to God. The injunction, "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (Lev 11:44; 19:2), plainly implies an ethical conception. Men cannot resemble God in His incommunicable attributes. They can reflect His likeness only along the lines of those moral qualities of righteousness and love in which true holiness consists. In the Psalmists and Prophets the Divine holiness becomes, above all, an ethical reality convicting men of sin ( Isa 6:3,5) and demanding of those who would stand in His presence clean hands and a pure heart (Ps 24:3 f).

The Old Testament clearly and emphatically teaches that God is "holy." He is "the Holy One of Israel" Isa 1:4, the "holy God" Isa 5:16, and "the Holy One" Isa 40:25. His name is "Holy": "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" Isa 57:15.

God is holy and holiness (is) the moral condition necessary to the health of his universe. ...Whatever is holy is healthy, ...the holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of creation are inseparably united. God's wrath is his utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. He hates iniquity as a mother hated the polio that would take the life of the child. -- A. W. Tozer, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 3.

Billy Graham says real REVIVAL here when man experiences a new awareness of the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God

A NEW SPIRIT

Ezekiel much about Holy Spirit as looks to Israel regathered and regenerated in Land

-Millennial Kingdom, land theirs, peace, etc

-spiritual change and victory for them, too

Ezek 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new Spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezek 18:31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new Spirit.

Ezek 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

NEW = in comparison to old sin nature, old heart we are all born with

Believer ‘new creation’ old things gone, all things become new (II Cor 5:17)

Done by Holy Spirit, not by us!

“Behold I make all things new.”

HEART OF STONE – hard, cold, unresponsive to God

HEART OF FLESH – alive, sensitive, responsive

SPIRIT OF GLORY

1 Peter 4:13-14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

He Himself shares God’s Glory – Holy Spirit Shekinah Glory

SPIRIT OF GRACE

Heb 10:29-30 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Holy Spirit, like God the Father and God the Son, full of GRACE

HEBREWS: Jewish believers undergoing persecution, some who have heard truth of Jesus but not believed tempted to go back to old legal system before heard about Jesus – can’t do it!

Insult to God’s GRACE to turn back to LAW

Zech 12:10-11 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Future restoration for Israel coming – by Grace, not because they deserve it

One day spiritual blinders removed, see what they did to God’s Messiah

Mass revival, repentance, turning to God (in Tribulation)

This will happen during the Tribulation

SPIRIT OF JUSTICE

Isa 28:5-6 5 In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. 6 He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

Isaiah 28 prophecies fall of Samaria, capital of northern kingdom

God come like driving hailstorm and destroy city v 2

Will use Assyrians to do this

Will gobble up city like person eats ripe fig

Awful judgment will lead many to turn to the Lord v 5

God hates injustice, Holy Spirit is HOLY and therefore Just, never wrong or unfair

-we know that He is just and fair with us

-He wants us to be that way as we are filled with His ‘Spirit of Justice’

SPIRIT OF JUDGMENT

Isaiah 4:4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

Context here is of TRIBULATION JUDGMENT on sin of man’s rebellion, rejection

Culminates with Armageddon, then cleanse the city from the blood of the battle

People cleansed by 2^nd coming – believers OK, unbel taken in judgment

Land cleansed by fire to be purified for Millennial Kingdom

Part of being HOLY is judging sin (true of Holy Spirit)

-making righteous, true judgment about sin (not reactions, shoot from hip, etc)

-always done with complete knowledge of all circumstances, heart motives, etc.

-cleanses our sin by fire – removes it, cleanses us

SPIRIT OF LOVE

2 Tim 1:6-7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a

spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

II Timothy Paul’s last letter, shortly before death, to one like a son to him (closest person to him)

In dungeon in Mamartine Prison awaiting death

Still no fear for Paul – Holy Spirit produced power, love, self-control in him

No bitterness, anger, revenge – just LOVE (fruit of Holy Spirit)

SPIRIT OF PRAISE

1 Cor 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

sing with my spirit – no ‘my’ – lit “sing with the Spirit”

Holy Spirit sings praises to Jesus

Holy Spirit puts songs in our hearts, motivates us to sing, directs praise to Jesus

SPIRIT OF TRUTH

John 14:15-16 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Very essence and character of God and Holy Spirit are grounded in truth

Jesus: “I am the way, the truth and the life” John 14:6

Holy Spirit speaks only the truth about God, Jesus, salvation, Christian life, God’s will, etc.

Watch for untruth from Satan, counterfeit to mislead us

“Test the spirits” I John 4:1-4 – see what is Holy Spirit (truth) and what is demonic spirit (lie)

YOUR GOOD SPIRIT

Ps 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Neh 9:20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.

Holy Spirit is GOOD – nothing evil or even neutral about Him

“Goodness” a fruit of Holy Spirit He produces in us Gal 5:22

Because He is good, all He does is also good

So what we get from the Holy Spirit is also good, because He is good.

Nehemiah telling story of God’s faithfulness to the people in past so they faithful to Him now

Specifically talking about 40 years wandering – out of fellowship with God but cared for

Despite their sin and rebellion, God was still good to them
DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 6

DAY 1

Joel 2:28 `And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

A mother, wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away. When eight o'clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted, and only then did they notice the boy up on the bench, innocently picking out, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, "Don't quit--keep playing." Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized. In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and again, "Don't quit--keep playing." And as we do, he augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created.

PRAY: Thank God for His help in your life. Keep faithfully serving Him today in the responsibilities He has given you, allowing Him to reach around you and turn your feeble efforts into something fit for the kingdom.

DAY 2

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A pastor was visiting an elderly woman recently. While there she asked him to get a box of letters from her dresser. As he was getting the letters, he saw a beautiful quilt in the drawer. When he asked about the quilt she said he could take it out and look at it. What a masterpiece! She told him her grandmother had made the quilt as a wedding gift years before. When he asked her why she did not have it on her bed, she said, "Oh, it's too beautiful to use." He thought it sad that she felt her gift was better hidden in a drawer--preserved--rather than used. God gave humanity a beautiful gift, the most beautiful gift in the world. Do we consider this gift something that should be tucked away in a drawer, "too beautiful to use"?

What gifts has God given you that you aren’t using as you should? Take them out of the drawer and put them to use for His kingdom today. Allow the Spirit to work that gift through to His glory.

PRAY: Commit all your gifts to God’s service. Give His Spirit to use each gift He has given you for His glory. Ask for opportunities to use all your gifts for Him.

DAY 3

Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.

You say: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"

God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"

God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28)

You say: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I FORGIVE YOU (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"

God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"

God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"

God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

PRAY: Which of these do you need today? Read the promise as a prayer, asking God to bring it about in your life. Thank Him for doing so.

DAY 4

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the real good of every gift it is essential, first, that the giver be in the gift--as God always is, for He is love--and next, that the receiver know and receive the giver in the gift. Every gift of God is but a harbinger of His greatest and only sufficing gift--that of Himself. No gift unrecognized as coming from God is at its own best: therefore many things that God would gladly give us must wait until we ask for them, that we may know whence they come. When in all gifts we find Him, then in Him we shall find all things. (George Macdonald, Second Series, "The Word of Jesus on Prayer")

God’s great gift to us is salvation, delivered and applied by the Holy Spirit. In the person of Spirit God has given us Himself.

If life is to have meaning, and if God's will is to be done, all of us have to accept who we are and what we are, give it back to God, and thank Him for the way He made us. What I am is God's gift to me; what I do with it is my gift to Him.

PRAY: What ‘gift’ can you give God today? What can you give back to Him for all He has done for you? What are you doing with your life for Him?

6. HE IS A PROMISED GIFT

It has become a central part of modern communications. It is present everywhere we turn: on our documents, our desktops, even around the edges of our computer monitors. It is known as the "Little Yellow Sticky," or more formally as the "Post-It Note." Wouldn't it be great to own the patent on the "Post-It Note!" We use them everyday to make quick notes to ourselves, or to write extra information on a report that is given to others, or to jot down a quick "to-do." Then, at some point in the future, every Little Yellow Sticky meets the same fate. We throw them out. Their usefulness is done, the words they carry are no longer important, and they get tossed!

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33

The verse talks about a time when God was speaking to His people and He was making them a promise. An eternal promise that He would be their God: their protector, their Lord; and they would be His people: His children, the ones He loves and cherishes. It was an important promise and He wanted to write it where they would always remember it. So He wrote it on their hearts. Not on a tablet that could break, or on paper that would fade, and certainly not on a Little Yellow Sticky, that could easily be pulled off and thrown out. He wrote it on their hearts.

Writing on hearts is tricky business. It must start with the One who has an infinite amount of patience and care as well as a Creator's knowledge of the human heart. For anyone else to try this delicate procedure would only lead to disaster. But it also takes a willing heart. A person who trusts the Writer enough to open their heart to His touch. Someone who makes their heart available to be written on.

So how does your heart look these days? Is it covered with the " Stickies " of our modern culture? The opinions that come and go so quickly. The ideas of men that are heard and tossed away like Post-It Note Philosophies. Or is your heart covered with the timeless and permanent words of God. Has He written His promises on your Heart? Let today be the day that you make your heart available to the Author of Creation, the One who wants to write His story on your heart and in your life!

HOLY SPIRIT is God’s post-it note attached to our heart

PROMISE

Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Luke 24:49 I (God the Son) am going to send you what my Father (God the Father) has promised (God the Holy Spirit); but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Gal 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Genesis 12:1-3 God promised Gentiles as well as Jews blessed thru Abraham

Acts 2:32-34 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Holy Spirit upon them in Upper Room is proof Jesus is in heaven

Holy Spirit FIRST PROMISED:

Joel 2:28 `And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Literally fulfilled in Tribulation, by Jewish believers at 2^nd coming

Still true: Holy Spirit prophesied to come

Now GRACE on Bride of Christ before Jewish believers in Tribulation

Peter applied it this way on Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:16

Coming of Holy Spirit = Advent ( like birth of Jesus His advent)

Jer 31:31-34 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,"

declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

NEW COVENANT = new heart

GOD KEPT HIS PROMISE TO SEND HIS HOLY SPIRIT

March 11, 1942, was a dark, desperate day at Corregidor. The Pacific theater of war was threatening and bleak. One island after another had been buffeted into submission. The enemy was now marching into the Philippines as confident and methodical as the star band in the Rose Bowl parade. Surrender was inevitable. The brilliant and bold soldier, Douglas MacArthur , had only three words for his comrades as he stepped into the escape boat destined for Australia: I shall return. Upon arriving nine days later in the port of Adelaide, the sixty- two-year-old military statesman closed his remarks with this sentence: I came through and I shall return. A little over 2 1/2 years later -- October 20, 1944, to be exact -- he stood once again on Philippine soil after landing safely at Ley

59 S. Main Street

Doylestown, PA 18901

Dr. Jerry Schmoyer, Pastor
Phone: 215-348-8086

jerry@mainstreetbaptist.org

Sunday Services:
9:00 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Worship Service

Wednesday Bible Study
7:00 PM Bible Study and

prayer time