Holy Spirit

Verse
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

— Revelation 2:11 tniv

Thought
I remember the old Wolfbrand Chili commercials when we would see a steaming bowl of chili and a voice off camera would say something like, "When was the last time you had a big, steaming, bowl of Wolfbrand Chili? Well, that's too long!" Let's re-phrase that. When was the last time you were part of a church...

 

Verse
So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

— 1 Corinthians 12:3 nlt

Thought
As we think of God as Father, Son, and Spirit, our minds quickly become overwhelmed. God is greater than our greatest thought and more complex than our most insightful moment can help us comprehend. But there is a truth that I believe we can all understand. The Spirit will never lead us to say anything...

 

Verse
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed [Spirit-inspired] and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

— 2 Timothy 3:16-17 msg

Thought
As you open your Bible, imagine the Holy Spirit standing in front of soft clay or un-chiseled marble. As you read the Scriptures, the Spirit takes those Scriptures and begins to...

 

Verse
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who are victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

— Revelation 2:7 tniv

Thought
Jesus uses the Holy Spirit to speak to his people, his churches, in the second and third chapter of the book of Revelation. But don't you believe that if we seek God and are striving to worship God empowered by the Spirit, then the Spirit will also speak to us in...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth."

— John 4:24 nlt

Thought
Growing up, I loved to play hide-n-seek. Sometimes I liked to be found. Other times, I loved the seeking and discovery of those who were hiding. I especially loved it when there was a surprise find — they surprised me or I surprised them. In worship, we can love the surprises, but we need to ditch...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "But the time is coming — indeed it's here now — when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.”

— John 4:23 nlt

Thought
Genuine worship involves the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised this kind of worship to the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus poured out his Spirit at Pentecost and the church was born. The early disciples were filled with the Spirit as they prayed and sang. We are encouraged to pray in the Spirit and to be filled with the...

 

Verse
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.

— Jude 20 tniv

Thought
So much of our physical world is dependent upon power. Yet the spiritual world is even more about power than the physical world. One of the great avenues of power — a place where power is available to us and flows through us — is prayer. We are commanded to rely on this power and not our eloquence, position, or physical might. So as we pray each...

 

Verse
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

— Ephesians 6:18 tniv

Thought
The Holy Spirit is our constant assurance of our access to the heart of God. The Spirit intercedes for us and communicates our words and our emotions according to the will of God. Like in all worship, the Holy Spirit fills us, is among us, and participates with us as we seek God. In...

 

Verse
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

— Revelation 4:2 tniv

Thought
The book of Revelation is a series of visions John received while worshiping in the Spirit on the Lord's Day! Rather than having a key to enter the gates of heaven, God sent the Spirit to bring him there in a vision. Think how much more powerful our weekly worship times would be if we would think of them as a time where the Holy Spirit would give us...

 

Verse
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

— Ephesians 5:18-21 tniv

Thought
One of the reasons worship with other believers is so important is because it releases the Holy...