The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT: OUR HELPER

In John 15:26 and John 16:7, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples. In these verses, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Comforter, Advocate, Helper, or Counselor depending on the Bible translation you are reading.

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” John 15:26 NIV

“But when the Helpercomes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,..” John 15:26 NKJV

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforterwill not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. John 16:7 KJV

However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. John 16:7 

Therefore, the role of the Holy Spirit is all-encompassing. He is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Standby.

What a joy and relief to know that we do not have to labor through life because God is always with us, and our victory is secure in Him!

~ beautifulinJesus.com

God’s Promises

 

10 Promises of God

1. God promises to strengthen you.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:14-16 ESV)

2. God promises to give you rest.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT)

3. God promises to take care of all your needs.

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

4. God promises to answer your prayers.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 ESV)

5. God promises to work everything out for your good.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

6. God promises to be with you

“I will not fail you or abandon you. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9NLT)

7. God promises to protect you.

“This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” (Psalm 91:2 NLT)

8. God promises freedom from sin.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9 NLT)
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

9. God promises that nothing can separate you from Him.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV)

10. God promises you everlasting life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

This is not an endless list of the promises of God, no, in fact, there are over 3,000 promises in scripture. I encourage to take hold of the promises listed, but as well, continue to search the Word of God – meditating, memorizing and praying into existence all the promises that are tucked away and available to you as a believer.  As you do, you will watch God respond to your faith by fulfilling his promises in your life.

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1: 20 NLT)

~ JamesRiverChurch.com

What Would Jesus Do

“... to be conformed to the image of his son...”

Romans 8:29

The Bible tells that, as believers in Jesus, we are to be conformed to His likeness (Romans 8:29). We are to put on the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). Every minute of every day we should strive to behave as Jesus would behave if He were facing the situations that we face. Therefore, what daily choices should we make in order to be more like Jesus? In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter five, we find Jesus telling a group of people how His followers should behave. Using this chapter as a rough outline, let us examine how we can make choices that make us more like Jesus Christ.

Christians Must Rely Daily on a Close Relationship With God

The first characteristic of a follower of Jesus is that we must recognize our inability to save ourselves, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3 ESV). We must be aware of our spiritual needs, not just our physical needs. As Christians, we must keep in mind that the ability to live a holy life comes from God. We do not live the Christian life by our own power. Our spirit, apart from a relationship with Jesus, is too weak to stand against the temptations and forces that seek to destroy us. We must be ever vigilant to fan the flames of our relationship with God.

I try to be in a constant conversation with God throughout the day

Christians Should Be In Constant Prayer To God

We must pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), so that we will be confidently walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. I try to be in a constant conversation with God throughout the day. Instead of merely thinking to myself, I direct my thoughts toward God. I ask Him questions, share my feelings, and listen for His response in my spirit. In this way, I try to stay engaged in communication with Him, so that my every decision and action will be guided by Him.

Christians Should Choose To Be Empathetic

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4 ESV). Believers should show compassion; caring about others when they hurt. Sometimes, when a person is going through a rough time or tragedy has crashed into their lives, all they need is someone that knows what they are going through to ride it out with them. The love of Jesus tells us to be the person who comes along side the hurting one and help them through their trials.

Christians Should Choose a Godly Attitude Concerning Success

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5 ESV). Believers must not exhibit the kind of arrogance that pushes people away. Oftentimes we think that the way to be successful, whether it is in business or during an argument, is to knock others out of the way. Jesus was not that way and He does not want us to be that way. Many non-Christians say that the main characteristic of Christianity is ‘arrogance’, we should choose to refuse to be arrogant.

Christians Should Choose To Control Their Anger

As Christians, we must not engage in uncontrolled anger. Colossians 3:7-9 tells us that the believer is no longer controlled by things like anger, but now is able to resist the urge to engage in sins of that nature. The Bible tells us that one can be angry at the things God is angry at, such as sin and the hurtful, harmful ways men act, but we must not sin because of our anger (Ephesians 4:26).

Christians Should Choose To Seek Holiness

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6 ESV). The believer’s overriding desire should be to be holy (I Peter 1:15-16). Much of our culture views nothing as off limits. The motto with many today, as it has been for some time, is still “If it feels good, do it”. Our sin-soaked media taunts and tempts us to do things that God does not want us to do. We must be aware that we face this every day, and we must live in the life of the Holy Spirit in order to be able to resist the temptation to become like the world (Romans 12). The Bible promises us the resources to overcome temptation (I Corinthians 10:13), we must choose to utilize those resources.

Christians Should Choose To Extend Mercy To Others

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7 ESV). The Bible tells us to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us (Luke 6:27-29). We must not get caught up in the idea that we should get even with someone who has done us wrong. God tells us that it is not our place to take revenge or to get back at those who do us harm. We must leave those kinds of judgments to God (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). A passage in Luke chapter 7 says that even sinners love those who love them first. We are to love those who do not love us and, in this way, we will show the love of God and be blessed in the process. This is acting as God acts (Luke 7:32-36).

The Christian Should Choose Daily To Study God’s Word

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8 ESV). It is by reading, studying, and applying God’s Word that we are changed by it. We know the character of God better as we study His Word, and we are strengthened against the onslaught of a wicked world (Romans 12:2). God has given us His Word in order that we might have a written record of His dealings with humanity, so that we would know His will, and so that we will know how we should respond to Him. However, we must be diligent to read and study the Bible, and let it, and the power of the Holy Spirit, change us into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

The Christian Should Choose To Be a Force For Good in the World

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9 ESV). The Christian should be a force for conflict resolution, rather than fuel for the fire of arguments. Not only should the believer in Jesus not be a source of unnecessary friction or conflict, but we should also seek to be ambassadors of peace. When it is within our power, we should try to resolve conflict and bring peace to situations of unrest.

The Christian Must Choose To Endure Suffering For Jesus’ Sake

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:10-12). Jesus was persecuted and crucified for our sakes and He tells us that we will suffer also, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ESV). Jesus did not say that we might have trials and difficulties in this life; He said that we would have them. However, He also promises us that He will be with us through those difficulties and will see us through them.

Conclusion

God has given humans the ability to choose. We can choose to engage in our relationship with God, through Christ, or we can choose to neglect the things that it takes to keep our relationship with Him vital and energized. It is by an act of our will that we choose which direction we will go with Jesus. Will we choose not to do the things that keep us close to God, allow our relationship to drift away from Him, and possibly shipwreck our faith completely?

My prayer is that every believer will do the things it takes to grow closer to Him, and be transformed into one who exhibits the very traits of our loving Creator. The choice must be made by each of us.

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-would-jesus-do-10-daily-choices-to-be-more-like-him/#ixzz7TAczRO8j

Trusting In God

 “Trust in him at all times, pour our hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:8

“Trust that I am with you always.  In faith, talk to me about your thoughts and feelings, your struggles and pleasures.  Believe that I care for you deeply and I hear your prayers.  Seek my help with confident anticipation.  Be on the lookout for all of the ways I am at work; in you and through you.  Rejoice that you and I together can do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine.  Remember that nothing is impossible with Me, and refuse to be intimidated by daunting circumstances.

~ Jesus Always by Sarah Young

God’s Two Greatest Commandments

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are these: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Galatians 5:13-23) and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). What an overwhelming assignment! 

In our own strength, we will find success out of reach, but the Lord has provided a way for Christians to accomplish the impossible. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us (Gal. 5:22-23). The first quality listed is love, and the remaining eight are actually descriptions of how it is conveyed.  

Love isn’t produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grapevine. In a similar way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God’s love so we can express it to Him and to others. 

Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness, it’s God’s doing, not ours. Even the adoration we offer Him isn’t something we produce in our own heart apart from His assistance. Though the command to love is enormous, God’s grace makes it possible. 

~ In Touch Ministry- Charles Stanley
 

Living Courageously

“Be strong and courageous.”  Joshua 1:9

Courage doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. You can’t be courageous unless you’re facing something that makes you want to shrink back.

Christians stake their entire lives on Jesus Christ, and he equips us to deal with life on his terms, with his courage.

Jesus lived courageously

Despite intense resistance from both the spiritual and secular leaders of that day, Jesus lived courageously and always spoke the truth.

He knew his followers were afraid; they dreaded the time when he would leave them and return to his home in heaven.

That’s why he promised to send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly. That same Holy Spirit empowers you and me today.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the all-sufficient grace of God, we can face with confidence every challenge, crisis, and catastrophe.

Stand on these promises from the Bible

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Prayer

Dear God, I want to face life with courage. Give me faith to stand firm for what I know is true. I believe that Jesus is alive in me, that the Holy Spirit empowers me to live with confidence, and that Your grace is sufficient for every situation. Amen.

~ medium.com