Who Has Bewitched You?

Dear Saints:

 How dare we think we can live the Christian life in our own strength and our will-power. Paul will say to the Galatians:

 “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” 

 “Bewitched”? Yes, that is exactly where we may be right now in the church. We are at place in our individual lives and collective church lives where we are often doing and living without the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We have the technology; we can make things happen instantly by pushing some buttons and we are going at a high speed and not paying attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Our actions are often political, mechanical and materialistic. Lord, help us!

As we continue our study of the book of Revelation (please read the entire chapters 2 and 3), it becomes very obvious the intent of Jesus. The Lord said to all the seven churches, seven times:  

 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” Revelation 2:7. Jesus wants us to hear and live by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to live as a disciple and follower of Jesus.

 Right before He ascended to heaven Jesus said: “8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts1:8.

In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit did come as Jesus promised. Apostle Paul confirms the presence of the Holy in us. Listen: “4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 4:4-7

Do you see yourself described in the above scriptures? Son (daughter) of God; filed with the Spirit of God; heir of God; not a “slave”; always crying “Abba, Father”?  Awesome. That’s who I am in Christ. How about you? Can you take just a moment and cry out “Abba Father”, I need you right now and every time.

So who is this Holy Spirit we so often neglect?  Hear Jesus: . 15 “If you love Me [Jesus Christ], keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15-18.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God we believe in – God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.  Notice the word “another Helper” or "another Advocate" or "another Comforter".  Jesus is our Helper but now He is sending us another “Helper” who will live in us. 

Do you need help living every second? I do. I cannot do without the Holy Spirit for one second. Can you or would you? You can see why Jesus, seven times and emphatically say: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”.

The last time I checked, I see that I have two ears. I believe you do have ears too; we must hear the Holy Spirit. Do you want “TRUTH”? He is the “Spirit of Truth”  and you will not hear truth from the world but only from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will abide and live in us and with us forever. When Jesus says, I will never leave nor forsake you, that’s the Holy Spirit He is talking about. I thank God I am not an orphan even though my earthly parents are gone.

 Apostles Paul will close by praying:

 “13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”.. that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 and 16.

I pray the same for you and me. I thank God for the Holy Spirit who makes  me acceptable and who daily sanctifies me. If you don’t know this truth, you will be depressed and filled with guilt. We must therefore

 “Be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:18-20. 

25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25. We must hear the voice of the Holy Spirit before we act. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”. Revelation 2:7. Please first check-in with Holy Spirit. What are you hearing and doing? Lord, please help us to hear and do.

Amen.

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