Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
John 14:26 (emphasis added)

I don’t know why we don’t look at word meanings more. Not just in our own languages, but in the original ones the material was written in. There is a lot of insight to be had looking at what things mean. Especially if you believe your source. It’s important and with so many search engines and apps out there, it’s simple as well.

In English, ‘all’ means the whole amount, quantity, or extent of. As much as possible. The whole number or sum of. In the Greek, the word ‘panta’ used means all, the whole, ever kind of. All, any, every, the whole. Followed by things. All things. Anything. Everything. The whole thing. That about covers it, doesn’t it? The Holy Spirit within us — sent by the Father (John 15:26) in the name of Jesus — will teach us. The Greek is ‘didaxei’ and means to teach, direct, and admonish. So if you need to learn anything, be taught anything, directed in anything, or admonished in anything then the Holy Spirit is there for you.

All things. Everything. The whole thing. Anything at all. Of course, you need to listen. That’s the key. Listening is important. The Holy Spirit talks to us all the time. We know because of what His mission is. It’s to be with us all the time. Our constant companion. “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and they God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are” (2 Corinthians 3:16-17). “Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The Holy Spirit enables us to worship God (Philippians 3:3). He comes to assure us of our heritage (Galatians 4:6). He comes to help us unify each other as members of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:3). He comes to empower us in our ministry to each other as well as our ministry to the world we met day to day (1 Corinthians 12:7). To wield the spiritual gifts He graces us and the heavenly communication He emboldens: “Follow after love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God, for no one understands, but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.”

The Holy Spirit reveals to us God’s presence because He dwells with us. “I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3). He is with us ALL the time. Everywhere we go, everything we do. That’s important to keep in mind, not because we have some kind of watch dog ready to pounce. Instead, we have someone with us who loves us unconditionally and who wants only to build us up, help us to abide in Jesus, and improve us in every way. For us, the best way to be is to think the way God thinks, speak the words God speaks, and do what God wants done. That means getting ourselves more and more in line with the Word. “But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit. But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things” (1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

It’s important not to limit the Lord. We live in a complicated world. It’s full of technology, advancements, and doo dads that weren’t even imagined in the dreams of the patriarchs of the bible. Thing is, though, the Lord God created the entire universe (and maybe others if scientists are on the right track). There is nothing in it that surprises him. Or astounds him. Or confounds him. While the language of the bible may be all chariots, horses, and spears, the Lord isn’t limited by the time period in which it was written. He is as comfortable with quantum physics, computer science, neuroscience, or planetary geology. The Collatz conjecture doesn’t even rate as a preschool problem for Him. It doesn’t mean that He’s going to whisper the answers to your calculus test, but it doesn’t mean that he can’t. No matter what our knowledge deficiency, no matter the problem that is facing us, HE isn’t stumped.

What does that mean? Well, the Holy Spirit can talk. Will talk. And won’t avoid talking. You can ask, He can answer. He is also the conduit by which we most frequently hear the voice of Jesus. Not that Jesus can’t and won’t talk separately, but He will also talk to the Spirit and let the Spirit speak to us. Because He dwells in us, so why not? After all, John 16:13-15 says “However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and will declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you.”

Now THAT is communication. Jesus speaks only what the Father tells Him to (John 12:49-50). The Holy Spirit speaks whatever He hears – and He is the Spirit of Jesus too (Trinity, three in one, right?) so… Basically, there is nothing that God cannot communicate to us. There is nothing that He cannot teach us (about this world and about His Kingdom). There is no mystery that cannot be explained once we have had our minds renewed to the things of God and walked in a life of repentance getting close to Him by seeking the Father’s face. When we can handle something, He tells us. When we can’t, He helps work us toward it. He is a God of movement. To be a follower of Jesus is to be moving forward. Ever forward, never retreat (Romans 8:31).

This also means that we should be looking to Him for the source of information. Yet, we tend not to. We should have a running dialogue with Him throughout our day. Smith Wigglesworth was once asked how long every day he prayed. He answered that he didn’t ever pray longer than twenty minutes. But that also, he never went twenty minutes without praying. His attitude was that prayer is a lifestyle of constant and consistent communication with God. Paul felt the same: “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Prayer without end. Constant patter. Jesus told us to be like little children? Well, if you’ve ever been around one you’ll know that THEY NEVER SHUT UP. But we’re not to babble (Matthew 6:7). The Lord will meet our needs, so we only go to Him with thanksgiving, praise, wants, guidance and situations we find ourselves in.

We don’t talk His ear off. We communicate. Say what is on our hearts, believe in what we say about the Word, and thank Him for what He’s doing. Giving Him room to move. Listening. God NEVER ignores a prayer. But we have to pray according to the Will of God or nothing works (1 John 5:14-15). The Word is the revealed Will of God. Take advantage of that tool. Take advantage of your helper, counsellor, and corrector. There is great joy in being corrected. No, it doesn’t feel great when we are in the wrong. But when we get ourselves into the right of the will of God, oh the joy. The feeling of being cleansed and knowing that you are right before the Lord. It’s a weight directly off your soul.

Not sure what the Word says about the Will of God? If you are reading the Word with the intent of understanding it and submitting to what you find there, we have the PROMISE of JESUS HIMSELF that the Holy Spirit will remind us. He can remind us of ANYTHING that we have meditated, studied, and read into our hearts. There is real value with memorising scripture, but there is just as much if not more to be familiar with the Word. To listen to it, listen to teaching about it, read it, study it, get commentary on it, check cross-references, and anything else that comes to mind. The more Word we get and submit to, the more of the Will we walk in. And that is the ONLY place we should desire to walk.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Hebrews 4:16

Who doesn’t need help? With issues? With relationships? With feelings? With the situation in and around the world that we find ourselves in? Pressures, anxieties, worries, financial pressures, stresses, and everything in between. The feeling of being lost. The lie of being vulnerable. It builds and builds and builds and who can you turn to? Good news. The Father loves you. Jesus loves you. The Holy Spirit loves you. And they made a way. We have the right to approach the Throne of Grace. Us. The dirt (Psalm 103:13-14). But through the sacrifice of Jesus, our spotless lamb, and His resurrection into life we too can be raised. We can become IN JESUS new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are not subject to the old rules. Our old DNA. We can age, but not deteriorate. We can walk in victory. We don’t have to lose. We don’t have to suffer loss in the way the world thinks about it. We are allowed to enter into the Courts of Heaven and participate IN JESUS with what we see there. We are beloved children, not estranged, snooty relatives. Don’t let the lie of distance take over your thinking. Stay connected to Christ. Remain in God’s yard. Accept correction. Repent IMMEDIATELY of wrongs. Don’t stay out of the Will of God. Use what His Grace gives you. Victory. New Life. Salvation. Freedom. Peace. The Peace that wipes away the sting of everything the world throws your way. Don’t take less than what God gives. He ONLY gives good things.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.