The Armor of Love

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Posted by A. on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 7:05am

The Holy Spirit is our Counselor. He is the only one who can guide us into the ultimate truth. He speaks only what he hears, and He brings glory to Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He tells us what is yet to come and convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-15). When we rely on our Counselor, He will testify, teach, and remind us of the words of Jesus and sanctify us when we belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Wow! His power helps us “put off” our former way of life, which is “corrupted by its deceitful desires” and “put on” the new self, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:17-24). The Holy Spirit will keep us filled (Ephesians 5:18) all the time with truth, peace, and joy if we intentionally draw upon His power to strengthen and sustain us. We don’t need to seek the world’s source of comfort: drugs, alcohol, sex, material possessions, careers, etc. "The sword of the Spirit, the word of God" protects us through prayer and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:17) As believers, the body of Christ, the church, we need spiritual gifts. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit gives them to us, so we can build each other up “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). These are the gifts, all given to edify the body of Christ: first of all, apostles, prophets, teachers; then miracles, also evangelists, pastors, serving, encouraging, contributing, leadership, showing mercy, gifts of healing, gifts of administration, and speaking in different kinds of tongues. Oh how thankful we can be that Jesus cared so much for us that He never left us alone when He ascended back to heaven! Do you rely on Him for your truth and your spiritual gifts? Elaine Email: elaine@armoroflove.com The Holy Spirit
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THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Posted by A. on Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 6:45am

We have glimpses of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, He is the undergirding presence and power in Jesus, in all believers of Jesus, and in the church. Because Jesus could only be one place at a time while on earth, after He returned to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to become our Comforter and Counselor. He is with us all the time and will remind us of everything Jesus said while here on earth (John 14:26; 16:7). “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit would testify to us about Him; become our seal of God’s merciful saving rebirth and renewal in His blood (Titus 3:5-7), and be the power and strength of our Godly wisdom and enlightenment (Ephesians 1:11-14; 17-19). The Holy Spirit is “poured out upon us” when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He must continue that work in us through His sanctification, meaning, we live under His power and strength until we become mature “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-16). Not only is the Holy Spirit “poured out upon us,” He is given to us “without limit” (or measure) (John 3:34). And, we ourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in us!” (1 Corinthians 3:16) Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, … streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-39). It is breathtaking! The power IN ALL BELIEVERS is like the power and strength God “exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him … in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Elaine Email: elaine@armoroflove.com The Holy Spirit
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THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Posted by A. on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 6:42am

Do you fully know or understand the third Person of the Trinity--God the Holy Spirit? We will look at His Person and work from the Holy Scriptures to find how important it is to submit to His influence in our lives. In his book, The Promise, Tony Evans points out, that we think we know all about Him, but generally know very little, and only rely on the Holy Spirit if we think we can’t do everything in our own strength. In Old Testament history, we hear the voice of God, Himself, in creation and how He chose the Jewish race to carry out His purposes and plans (Deuteronomy 7:6): Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), the twelve patriarchs, sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel and Judah, the tribe of King David (1 Samuel 16:13, 23:2), from whom Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be born (Micah 5:2), The Holy Sprit was present during all of Old Testament history as well, but, we only hear about Him when special power and skills were needed. For instance: the journey of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Nehemiah 9:20, 30); Bezalel, whose special skills helped beautify the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:3), Moses leadership (Numbers 11:24, 25), Gideon (Judges 6:34), Samson (Judges 14:19; 16:28), the prophet Elisha (2 kings 2:9), etc. We see the Holy Spirit's presence, immediately, at the creation of the world (“the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”) AND the creation of man: “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness …” (Genesis 1:2, 26). He was present at the time of the flood, when God was “grieved” at the wickedness of the people He had created and said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever,” then proclaimed His destruction of the whole population, except for Noah and his sons, eight people who “found favor” with God. We will find, as Evans says, that “His role is the indispensable factor in determining whether you win or lose spiritually, whether you are a failure or a success as a Christian.” Elaine Email: elaine@armoroflove.com The Holy Spirit
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THE COST FOR DAILY BREAD
Posted by A. on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 10:12pm

Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). He also said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). This part of the Lord’s Prayer is usually understood as our petition to God for our daily physical nourishment. We have God's promise to provide our daily food when we pray. He also tells us we need not worry or be anxious about these daily needs (Matthew 6:25-32). However, we have a greater need, said Jesus, in verse 33. We must FIRST seek Christ and his kingdom and righteousness, then our daily physical needs will be given to us as well. Every day we need “bread” for our body AND for our soul—food from the revealed Word of God—the Bible. We go to great lengths to provide, our physical daily bread. However, what we think we need, may be completely different than what God knows we need. I believe, the more time we spend seeking Him FIRST, the more contentment we will have with His knowledge of our needs and we will also increase our trust and faith in Him (John 6:27). At the close of the John 6 discourse, “On hearing Jesus’ teachings about seeking Him as “the bread of life,” many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (6:60, 66). Is this a “hard teaching” for you to accept? Is this why so many of us Christians neglect the study of the Bible or just seek God occasionally? Yet, Jesus assures us that “if we seek Him” daily, he will provide both our spiritual food as well as our physical food. Obeying Jesus does work! It is not a hard teaching! Elaine Email: elaine@armoroflove.com Love never fails
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DAILY GODLY ASSURANCE
Posted by A. on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 8:50pm

Joy: the deep abiding assurance that God is with us each day no matter the circumstances; through any trial or blessing we may encounter. “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,” then, my joy in you will be complete (John 14:10,11). Peace: Jesus will keep us free from anxieties, worries, fear, anger, grumbling, bitterness, envy, self-seeking, sexual immorality, or any other sin and temptation. Jesus said, “In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Forgiveness/love: Jesus’ prayer for all those who will believe in Him through God’s Holy Word, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. … May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20, 21, 23). Patience: Jesus is “the vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” All who remain in the Vine “will bear much fruit; apart from me [Him] you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5). Kindness/goodness: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. … You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. … This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:12, 16-17). Hope: Therefore, … we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. … And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:1, 5). “Daily” follow Jesus within, The Armor of Love, Elaine Email: elaine@armoroflove.com Love always perseveres
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