Holy Spirit

[In his revelation to John, Jesus said,] "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ... Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

—Revelation 3:20, 22 NIV

Key Thought


Jesus told us that he stands at the door and knocks, waiting for us to open up to him. His invitation is for believers, for Christians, for those of us who claim to...

 

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 NIV

Key Thought


As we have seen the last few days, we as the church are being built into the temple of the living God. God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. But unlike the temples built...

 

Together, we are [God's] 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

Key Thought


In the readings for yesterday and today, we have been reminded that the church, God's family, is something precious and...

 

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 MESSAGE

Key Thought


What often gets lost in this passage is that the "you" is plural — "y'all" in southern parts of the USA. The congregation, the local church, is the temple of God. God lives in us and among us. So...

 

[In his revelation to John, Jesus said,] "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

—Revelation 3:13 NIV

Key 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 who are battling strong opposition to their faith into a permanent and heavenly temple for God. While earthly buildings will crumble and fall, the disciples are promised a permanent place in a...

 

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

Key Thought


The Spirit of Christ helps us in so many ways. Paul, as he was writing to the Philippians from prison, knew that this...

 

[About the disciples in Jerusalem after Peter and John were threatened and then released from prison, Luke wrote:] 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 MESSAGE

Key Thought


I love the phrase "fearless confidence"! In the face of threatened persecution from the very same people who put Jesus to death and who...

 

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

—Romans 5:5 NIV

Key Thought


When our son was small, and we were new parents, we couldn't imagine loving anyone else like we loved him. In our limited experience, it was intimidating to think about having another child because we wondered if we could love another one the same way. The amazing thing about love, however, is that the...

 

[Jesus said,] "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, 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; Luke 12:11-12 NIV

Key Thought


In these verses, Jesus gives us two incredible promises. First, he...

 

[In his revelation to John, Jesus said,] "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

—Revelation 3:6 NIV

Key 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 hearts. More than merely listening to the words spoken, the Holy Spirit wants us to listen for the heart of God in his...