“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2Corinthians 13:14 KJV). We have much more to do with the Holy Spirit than we think. His presence is so pervasive, we tend to discount Him or not make legitimate attempt to account for His work in us. More likely, we think of His influence in more dramatic settings such as Pentecost. But, the Spirit has a small voice, too. To the degree anyone listens to His voice, they are in communion with Him. When someone ceases to commune with Him, then they grieve Him. “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). Those who continue to the end are the elect of God. LORD, work in our hearts to not grieve Your Spirit. Teach us to treasure Your influence and keep away whatever makes You distant from us. Make us holy, for You are holy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Holy Spirit Teaching
Taking God At His Word
To take God at His word is to accept His word on anything without further verification. If He said it, He meant it. “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 KJV). Treat God’s words with the same respect you would want God to treat your words. If you say what you do not mean, then treat God in the same fashion. If that sounds horrifying, then give God’s Word the respect it deserves! When interpreting or arriving at a conclusion on the meaning of anything in Scripture — including Bible prophecies — the interpretation that justifies God the most in making it understandable is the goal. If the plain or literal sense is most understandable, then God’s Spirit has communicated His message to you. If it only makes sense figuratively, poetically, or allegorically, then so be it. Our goal is to best justify God for whatever He said — literal or figurative. If the biblical translation of the original text makes the meaning obscure, then the modern reader is disadvantaged in arriving at a proper interpretation. If the biblical settings of the OT or NT recipients of the original texts are not understood, again, the modern reader is disadvantaged. Philip was used in the salvation of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8), because he understood the context and meaning of Isaiah 53, which was being read. Whether God uses a Bible translation, a Bible scholar, Philip the Evangelist, or a humble cross reference, such as the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, it is the Holy Spirit illuminating and teaching the text. “But the anointing [Holy Spirit] which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1John 2:27 KJV). Glory to God!
We Need A Miracle 