Holy Spirit

Verse
"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

— Revelation 3:22 tniv

Thought
Jesus has told us that he stands at the door and knocks, waiting for us to open up to him (Revelation 3:20). This invitation is for believers, for Christians, for those who claim to follow Christ. We can so easily find our passion lost to being lukewarm. So Jesus speaks to his churches and urges them, and us, to hear what the Spirit says. In this case, be earnest and repent —...

 

Verse
As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

— 1 Peter 2:4-5 tniv

Thought
As we have seen the last few days, the church is the temple of the living God. God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. But unlike the many temples built during this time, God's true...

 

Verse
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

— Ephesians 2:20-22 nlt

Thought
In the reading for yesterday and today, we have been reminded that the church, God's family, is something precious and holy and sacred to God...

 

Verse
You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred — and you, remember, are the temple.

— 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 msg

Thought
What often gets lost in this passage is that the you is plural — ya'll in Texas speak. The congregation, the local church, is the temple of God. God lives in us and among us. So when damage is done to the local church...

 

Verse
"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

— Revelation 3:13 tniv

Thought
Jesus urges us to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. In this context, the focus is on his promise to make those battling strong opposition to their faith into a permanent and heavenly temple for God. While earthly buildings will crumble and fall, they are promised a permanent place in a permanent dwelling in which God lives. Throughout the New Testament, the...

 

Verse
For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

— Philippians 1:19-20 nlt

Thought
The Spirit of Christ helps us in so many ways. This help is unleashed through the prayers of others. This help leads to...

 

Verse
While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.

— Acts 4:31 msg

Thought
I love the phrase "fearless confidence"! In the face of threatened persecution from the very same people who put Jesus to death and made them cower in fear just weeks earlier, this rag tag band of Jesus followers is filled with fearless confidence. How is this possible? Three...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ... When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

— Luke 12:8-12 tniv

Thought
Jesus gives us two incredible promises. First, he assures us that if we publicly confess our allegiance to Him, then he...

 

Verse
"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

— Revelation 3:6 tniv

Thought
The Holy Spirit wants us to know the Lord's will. The Spirit wants us to know and live the Lord's truth. But for the Spirit's message to make a difference in our lives, we have to open our ears and our heart. More than merely understanding the words spoken, the Holy Spirit wants us to listen for the heart of God in his commands and understand the will of God who spoke them. Our...

 

Verse
Then the Spirit of the LORD came on me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind."

— Ezekiel 11:5 tniv

Thought
The Spirit of the Lord brings us the message of God. The Spirit inspired God's messengers to convince us and convicts us with God's truth. In this instance, God's Spirit speaks through Ezekiel and reminds God's people that he knows what they are thinking — God knows...