Posts Tagged ‘mind’
In the passage of Matthew 1:18-25, we read of Jesus’ birth. I would like to stress that these verses not only speak of Mary being a virgin and with-child, but more powerfully it speaks of Mary being with-child by the works of the Holy Spirit. Going back to the context and the time in which Jesus was born, the Jewish culture thought of the Holy Spirit of having very definite functions.
According to the Jewish idea, the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to man. It is the Holy Spirit who taught men of God what to do. The Holy Spirit taught the prophets what to say. It was the Holy Spirit, throughout the generations and ages, that brought God’s truth to man. So then, Jesus is the one person who brings God’s truth to men.
To put it another way, Jesus is the one person who can tell us what God is like, and what God wants us to be. It is in Jesus alone that we can see what God is and what man ought 
to be. Before Jesus came into this world, the Jews only had vague ideas and quite often wrong ideas about God. But Jesus could say, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9).
In Jesus, we see the love of God, the compassion, the mercy, the seeking heart and the purity of God. This cannot be seen by anything else in the world. Before Jesus came into this world, man did not know what goodness really was. In Jesus alone we see true goodness, true manhood, true obedience to the will of God. Jesus came to tell us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves as well.
The Jews also believed that the Holy Spirit enabled men to recognize the truth once they saw it. So it is in Jesus that men’s eyes are opened to the truth. As humans we are usually blinded by our own ignorance. Our minds are darkened by our sins and we go astray because of our own prejudices. Jesus is the one who opens our eyes when we are ready to see the truth. Jesus is so glorious in this fact because He knows when we are ready to hear something and when we are not ready to accept something as the truth. He knows the perfect time to open our eyes. Life can be quite different when Jesus teaches us how to look at things.
Seeing Yourself As God Sees You
Posted on: May 15, 2013
Ever wonder what God really thinks of you? How often have we said to ourselves, “if people really knew the real me……”? God knows
the real you. He knows your thoughts, your desires, your likes and dislikes. He knows your past. He knows your future. God knows your heart! It is in our hearts that the real you and me exist. We may be able to say the right things or get people to believe we are one way when we are not. But God sees our true character, the part of us that no one sees.
“Nothing in all creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.” (Hebrews 5:13 NLT)
I’ve been in situations before when no one believed me. No matter how much I argued or tried to convince them I was telling the truth, they still thought I was lying. This was very frustrating and in a way, I felt hurt. This was especially true in the beginning of my sobriety. My family and friends couldn’t trust me or believe anything that I said. This mistrust was of my own doing, I realized that. But I took great strength and comfort knowing that God knew the truth. God knew my heart. I eventually would answer back saying, “You can choose to believe me or not. That’s your choice. But God knows my heart and whether or not I am being truthful.”
God knows the truth about every one of us. And yet despite all our faults and mistakes, He loves us unconditionally. We don’t have to put on a front with God or try to convince Him we have changed. He already knows. When God chose us to be His children, He already knew what He was getting Himself into. We are no surprise to Him!
God sees us as His created children. Gen. 1:27
God sees us as humans who struggle with sin. Rom. 7:19
God sees us as capable, loving and strong. 2 Tim. 3:7
God sees our thoughts and intentions. 1 Sam. 16:7
God sees us as valuable. Matt. 6:26, 10:29-31
God sees our potential and possibilities. Rev. 3:8
There are so many hurting people in this world. I come into contact with many different kinds of individuals in my daily life. I have noticed there is a common thread amongst most of them. This common thread is the fact that these people are lonely. They feel rejected. They are broken. They don’t like themselves and carry much guilt and anger. If I can uplift them in any way I would tell them they would feel so much better if they could just see themselves as God sees them. That He loves them and will never abandon them. That God is with them constantly, even before they open their eyes in the morning, He is there for them.
“….do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
The Holy Spirit Is Emotional
Posted on: August 3, 2012
When I think of someone being “emotional”, I picture in my mind a female crying. To think of the Holy Spirit as being emotional is a totally different story. But it’s true, He has emotions.
The Bible tells us that we are capable of grieving the Holy Spirit. To grieve means a deep mental suffering, usually done alone and in silence. To mourn is more of an outward display of sorrow but grieving is done inwardly.
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30
Grieving is an emotion. Sorrow is an emotion. Grieving the Holy Spirit by what we say or do is a big deal. It’s not like just simply hurting someone’s feelings.
The Holy Spirit can be grieved when:
- we return to the things from which we should have been set free
- we don’t forgive others
- we hold onto bitterness and resentment
The Bible also talks about “quenching” the Holy Spirit. This means “restricting” the Holy Spirit. We can restrict the Holy Spirit by not doing the things we are suppose to do. For example, instead of thanking God, we are ungrateful and question what God is doing.
What are some of the things the Holy Spirit does for us?
~ He gives us assurance of our salvation. If we have grieved or quenched the Holy Spirit, we won’t feel close to God and may begin doubting our salvation.
~ He teaches us and helps us remember Scripture.
~ He leads us into holiness and moral living. If the Holy Spirit is restricted then fleshly desires will be more evident.
~ He produces fruit in our lives, such as love, joy, peace, kindness, etc. Grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit will produce just the opposite.
~ He reveals the deep things of God to us.
~ He comforts us.
~ He intercedes for us in prayer.
I know when I grieve the Holy Spirit I can feel it. It doesn’t feel good. It’s like an aching in the middle of my chest. The best thing to do is pray and repent of my sins. And after that, not continue in the very sins I was asking forgiveness for.
“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].” 1 John 1:9
A little about me........my name is Michele and I am a born-again Christian. I was saved as a teenager and graduated from a Christian high school. I am a mother of one son who is the world to me. Despite my upbringing, later in life I fell into a life of self destruction which led me down many dark paths. I am a recovering addict and alcoholic and I have a great passion for Christ and His amazing power to heal even the worst cases. I am living proof of the miracle of God's power to change your life and way of thinking. Nothing is impossible with God. 
By His Grace 