Jesus' Prayer

John 17:11

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

What a great petition that Jesus prayed for us personally…he asks his “HOLY” father to protect us by the power of his “name” so that we can be one like he and his father are one.

Can you imagine a life where we are one with our Father like Jesus was?  I can’t.  Yet, that’s what Jesus prayed for us.

God, our Father, is holy.  His name is all powerful.  He has given that name to us.   So that we too can be holy, and be one with him and experience ALL of his goodness and glory.

It’s a process, this holiness thing.  It only happens as we surrender to his holiness, his power, and his name, so that He is our everything.

We are still in the world, but there is coming a day when we no longer will be…and just like Jesus…we will go to our Father’s house…forever...one with Him.

If then...

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

I love this verse!

We know how to give gifts to our children, we love to do it, it pleases our hearts and theirs and yet…we doubt that our heavenly Father enjoys it so much more when he gives good things to us!

The Holy Spirit is a gift that he gladly gives to those who ask.  It’s the embodiment of his power and love within us through his son Jesus Christ.  He came and lived a sinless life so that we could experience that same holiness, though we sin often.

I don’t know of a greater demonstration of love than that!

When our kids disappoint us or walk over us or abandon us, we are tempted to write them out of our will, shame them, and leave them.

But God never does that.  He dwells in us and will never leave us.  He’s that Good.

Ask the Holy Spirit to come, to guide, to lead and to provide.

He promises to do so, because he loves us, he loves his son, and he wants us to know we are his children…and he is a good father.

The Wilderness

Luke 4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.

Right after Jesus’ amazing experience of God being pleased with him, alighting on his head like a dove, we now read that the Holy Spirit is with him in the wilderness leading him.

The Holy Spirit isn’t just with us in good times, but in lean times as well.  The wilderness is a place of wandering, thirst, wondering, and lack.  However, it can be a place of great solitude and holiness, if we allow the Spirit to lead us.

How does he do that? 

He speaks to us, guides us, and just asks us to follow one step at a time, THROUGH the temptations and seasons of lack.

There is no purpose or intent for the wilderness to be a place where we shrivel up and die.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  It’s a place where we can and will thrive against all odds – because of the Holy Spirit in us.

That’s a great comfort and a great source of hope, no matter where you are today – under the cool waters with a dove nearby – or out in the desert with no water in sight.

Well-Pleased

Luke 3:22

and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

This is the end of the verse from yesterday.

When John acknowledged the Holy Spirit and gave preference and might and power to the Worthy One, he then baptized Jesus and the Holy Spirit came in bodily form like a dove – and God spoke.

He said that he was pleased with his son.

He was pleased that his son obeyed his purpose, came to earth, was born and lived among men, and was going about his Father’s business.

I don’t know what that must have felt like – to have the holiness of God descend upon you – but it must have been great.

Have you ever felt his presence that strongly, like a dove lighting on your head?  I have not.  But I think it would be awesome.

There is a place and a time and it’s occurring daily, as we allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us and we can then physically feel and see his presence as he changes us into His image – to be holy – so we can have fellowship and relationship with the God the Father who loves us.

Not Fit

Luke 3:16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John recognized that he was unholy and “not fit” but that the one who was holy and mighty was coming.  He pointed to the one who was mightier than he was.

That is a mark of holiness…when we realize that we are unworthy, unfit, and powerless in the presence of the Worthy One, the Mighty, and the All Powerful God.

To baptize includes being immersed in, to go under and come out of, and we are promised to experience that in the Holy Spirit…along with the fire…the refining.

It may sound “spooky” or totally “out there” but it’s anything but.  It’s just an overcoming presence of his holiness over our weakness and it's igniting us to be like Him, because he loves us and wants us near.

That’s amazing, isn’t it?

And it’s something to be desired.

Whatever

Mark 13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

We now read about how this Holy Spirit, the One who placed Jesus on earth as a baby, now dwells in us to enable us to stand against persecution and even..arrest.

That’s a powerful Spirit.

We live in uncertain times in an uncertain country.  And there are Christians across the world and some even here, who are being persecuted for their faith. 

However, we are told not to worry about what to say, because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and will give us what to say when we need to say it.

Isn’t that great comfort and assurance?

The Holy One is no longer out there, up there, over there…but he’s in us and available and ready to help us in times of great need.

Holy Spirit

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

This is the first time – now in the New Testament – where we read of the word “holy” associated with “spirit” – Holy Spirit.

Jesus is now coming to earth to fulfill his purpose of bringing God’s holiness to man, to offer him a way – the only way – to the holy God. 

Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.  That holy part of God did the miraculous of impregnating a virgin, but also did the unthinkable of coming to dwell among unholy people, all to bring them to the Holy One.

We saw the creation of mankind and all existence in the beginning of the Old Testament in Genesis, and now we see the creation of hope for all people in the beginning of the New Testament in Matthew, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

He is holy.  He is divine.  He is amazing.  He is mine.

We just celebrated Christmas, the birth of Jesus.  Now that it’s a new year, let’s celebrate the Holy One who came and who now desires to dwell in us – to make us holy – to experience his presence.