Holy Spirit

Verse
Then he said, "Son of man, get all these words that I'm giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own. And now go. Go to the exiles, your people, and speak. Tell them, 'This is the Message of GOD, the Master.' Speak your piece, whether they listen or not." Then the Spirit picked me up. Behind me I heard a great commotion — "Blessed be the Glory of GOD in his Sanctuary!"

— Ezekiel 3:10-12 msg

Thought
God is inspiring his messenger through the work of the...

 

Verse
"Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you." The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. "Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day.”

— Ezekiel 2:1-3 nlt

Thought
Ezekiel had seen an amazing vision during a horrible time in the life of God's people. Ezekiel...

 

Verse
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

— John 20:21-22 msg

Thought
After Jesus' resurrection, he reminds his closest followers of three gifts he is leaving with them, all of which find their origin and functional power in the presence of the Holy Spirit...

 

Verse
After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done ... complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

— John 19:30 msg

Thought
Jesus died because he allowed himself to die: he offered up his spirit. He had completed what God had called him to do! Can we do that? Can we accomplish what God wants to do through us? I believe with the help of the Holy Spirit we can (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). But one of the great promises we have is that the Spirit will not leave us — death does...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'"

— John 16:15 nlt

Thought
The source of our truth is God, the Spirit of Truth who will tell us everything he has received from the Son and make it clear to us. John talks about the Spirit as the anointing that teaches us all things about Jesus and helps us know truth from error (1 John 2:17-21). In this context, Jesus has emphasized that the Holy...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you."

— John 16:12-14 msg

Thought
I love packages that come by special delivery...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "So let me say it again, this truth: It's better for you that I leave. If I don't leave, the Friend won't come. But if I go, I'll send him to you."

— John 16:7 msg

Thought
Many of us have often longed to have been alive and seen Jesus as he ministered and taught while on earth. Yet Jesus is emphatic, it is better for us that he has gone to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit as our Friend and Guide. We have Jesus' life and teachings to guide us into God's truth...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes — the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father — he will confirm everything about me."

— John 15:26 msg

Thought
I have always been amazed at how Jesus uses the last few hours of his life to prepare his followers for their ordeal as he faces the cross, their wonder in his resurrection, and their amazement at his ascension. There is so much happening all at once that is so unexpected. They are eyewitnesses of...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left — feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught."

— John 14:25-27 msg

Thought
I hate goodbyes...

 

Verse
[Jesus said,] "This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! I will not leave you orphaned. I'm coming back."

— John 14:17-18 msg

Thought
The Holy Spirit is all about truth: the Spirit inspires the truth that is taught, empowers the truth that is lived, and brings about the true fruit in our...