I find that the answer to anything at all is – Holy Spirit please start in me
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What did Jesus come to do?
Luke 4:17-21, Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath, he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.” Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”
What did Jesus want us to do?
John 14:12-18, I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do—yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you. “When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will come back to you.
What did Jesus say to the disciples when the crowd was hungry?
Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
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If the Holy Spirit is not involved, I end up giving these young men bible studies or pat answers. If He is involved, He gets to the heart of a matter. So, I find that the answer to anything at all is – Holy Spirit please start in me…
What is God’s answer to all of the problems in the world?
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Where is the first place that this prayer needs to take effect? In me. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in me…without His rule in me how can His character be shown to others? Without His will being done in me how can I know how to hear the Holy Spirit prompting? How can I do what Jesus did? How can I be what Jesus wants me to be to others?
Why hasn’t God done anything about the world’s problems?
He has – He has sent His people. Followers of Jesus are sent into the world to reveal God’s character, do His works and share His words. In this way the world will hear, and see and know what the Father is like, and understand and experience what He has done for them. Jesus constantly sought the face of the Father to know His will and therefore know what to do in the situations that He encountered, to glorify Him. Whether Jesus’ answer to people was “Yes” or “No” or “Not Yet” it always brought glory to the Father because that was His purpose. Without that yielding to the Holy Spirit and a focus and intention to glorify the Father come what may, our own efforts can become vague and purposeless and, in the end, although well-meaning and maybe very time-consuming, fruitless.
A prayer for the new year?
These few imperfectly formed thoughts take me to a prayer for the New Year. It goes something like: “Holy Spirit please start in me. Lord, I know that means trying to find ways of spending more time in Your presence so that you can work on me and so that I can learn to hear You better and You can fill me more. Help me to be hungry for that time with You, so that people can see You in me, and I may do those things that You have already prepared for me to do and above all bring glory to Your name. Help me Lord because although this is what I want, I am inconsistent and weak in my determination to set the time aside to seek Your face”.
Here is a song link by Keith Green and an extract from the lyrics which are about the Lord “starting in me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVgPQm06g2c
I wanna to take Your word and shine it all around, but first help me to just to live it, Lord
And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown for my reward is giving glory to You
Oh, Lord, please light the fire, that once burnt bright and clear- replace the lamp of my first love, that burns with holy fear
A seasonal offering with the same conclusion by Matt Maher can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW4c6DcxgGc
May the Lord bless us as we “start with Him” in 2024.
Author: Chris Pearson
May God bless and enrich your life
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