Work of the Holy Spirit

Hey,

Well, it's another day so another evening service. Today's evening talk was about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, and the speaker was Ruth.


Matthew 28:5-7



"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him' Now I have told you."

How does God empowers us?





2 Timothy 1:3-5

"I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

Following Jesus is a struggling with what may seem like impossible challenges but when you trust in Jesus you are not alone and nothing is impossible.



2 Timothy 1:6-7 --> Living on fire with the gospel

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

We need God's fire, Spirit to empower us and God never wanted you to do it alone, he is always with us. Giving you the gift to help which empowers you.





Acts 1:4


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

The gift of the Spirit





2 Timothy 1:8

"So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

Do not be ashamed of following God, but join me in suffering as Paul said and Jesus did for all of us. Focus on living for Jesus.






2 Timothy 1:9-12


"He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."


We have been saved because of God which was planned before time, therefore there is a wonderful future withing for us as death is not the end. We should trust the man who gave his life for us so join me in giving your life to Jesus because he is worth suffering for.





2 Timothy 1:13-14

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

We forget the gospel so easily within our day to day lives and therefore the desires of our hearts, and we should remind ourselves of the gospel each and every day. Guard the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit as we cannot do it alone, but we were never meant to be alone.




Do not let the fire go out



2 Timothy 2:1


"You then. my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Continue to to remind yourself of the gospel and ask for more, don't settle.






Footprints by Mary Stevenson

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

Now for some questions to think about:

* What challenges do you face to live as a christian in your day to day life?

* What would it mean for you to suffer for the gospel?

* What would it mean for you to safeguard the gospel?

* How would you like the Holy Spirit to help you?




Amy x

What am I like?

Hey,

So now for day 2 of the Keswick Convention. I didn't really enjoy the morning service as to me it felt like there wasn't a flow and therefore I couldn't follow it. However, this is just me as my mum could and enjoy the service. Due to this I will just be talking about the evening services only for each post which will be a different day each post.

The talker this evening was Tom James who talked about the transformation by the Holy Spirit and the question 'What am I like?' He talked about 3 point:

1. Unkillable problem in every human heart

2. Achievable goal to reach on your know

3. Can we get from one to the other


Galatians 5:13-26


Unkillable problem in every human heart


Galatians 5:13-15

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command 'Love your neighbour as yourself'. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

There is a misunderstanding of freedom and the effect it has between people. Freedom is not for the flesh but for the Spirit. Our desires pull you away from God, you can't do whatever you want which is part of the conflict between flesh and Spirit.





Galatians 5:19

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery"

Desires feel good but they are selfish, don't just do want you want but look to Jesus.



Achievable goal to reach on your know



Galatians 5:13

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love."

We serve each other and are called to be free, as freedom is 'to love one another' and therefore put others first.









Galatians 5:16-17

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

We are continually in conflict between Spirit and flesh and the path we should choose is to walk with Spirit.






Galatians 5:21-22

"and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

This talks about human character at it's best; faithful, kind and loving therefore becoming more Christlike.








Galatians 5:25

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Have the knowledge that Jesus is mighty and can kill our desires so our hearts and fix your eyes upon Jesus. All the power of God will be by your side, helping you fight the desires of your heart. Submit to Jesus and trust him as by doing this we cannot loose, he replaces our desires. We need to remember that Jesus commands are NEVER to do it along.


Here are some questions to think about;

* Do you find yourself living for 'what you want to do' or 'what the Spirit wants to do?'

* How often do you actively pray for help from the Holy Spirit, submitting to his authority?

* How often do you remind yourself of the gospel - that Jesus has won the fight you couldn't fight?




Amy x

Who am I? Part 2

Hey,

So I went to the adult evening service as I was going to the Stuart Townend concert afterwards and they were reading and preaching about the same verses as we looked at in my young adult group on the first night, but there were some more messages I took from this talk.


Romans 8:3

"For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh."






To overcome the pull of sin, we first need to understand our sin. We are weak to God's Law and God give his son in the likeness of us so that he could condemn the flesh and sacrifice for our sin, therefore what happened to Christ happened to us all as he carried ALL our sins.



Romans 8:9

"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ."

The Spirit is a gift given from God. You cannot save yourself, you need to trust in Jesus to save you.

Proverbs 7:6-27



Romans 8:10

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."

The pull of the sin is a battle as our freedom is not yet complete.





Amy x