Tag Archive: Holy Spirit

Love Never Behaves Inappropriately, a personal aside

To understand how to love people in each specific situation, I must ask God and listen to His answer. This is particularly important for me because of my condition. I can’t fake it.

Encouragers/ Exhorters: Be who you are!

Each member has his or her own gifts, which are not the same as those of other members. The Church needs all our gifts. We are to be the persons that God has made us to be fully, unreservedly, completely in proportion to the faith. To Encouragers/ Exhorters, God says: “Be who you are!” The rest of us would be in a bad place without you!

Warning: Spiritual Encouragement/ Exhortation Causes Paroxysms!

If we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, we should expect to see some earthquakes, volcanoes, seizures, fires, and other things that drastically change the lives of the people around us–though in a good direction–toward love and good deeds.

One who is born of the Holy Spirit is unpredictable like the wind, and so we will be, if we live by Him.

What is born of the Spirit is unpredictable, like the wind. But we generally prefer to avoid individuals who can trigger the types of violent course correction—paroxysmon—spoken of in Hebrews 10:24.

God’s Work and Voice in Me, Part 7E: God’s Voice in the New Testament

The voice of God as found being spoken to various people in the New Testament, both publicly and privately.

Part 7C: God Speaks to Us–He Never Quit Speaking

This post and the linked video discuss a few New Testament passages in which God tells us that he intends to continue communicating with us. This set of passages have at least plausible interpretations that do not require present-time vocal communication. The next video will cover passages that appear to require current-time spoken communication.

You Are Not the One to Build, Part 7A: God Uses No Cookie Cutters

God uses our uniqueness and gives unique gifts and roles. He does not make interchangeable, cookie-cutter believers for our administrative convenience. Examples: the first deacons, Stephen, Philip. Paul and the anomalous New Testament prophets.

You Are Not the One to Build, Part 6B: Spiritual Gifts: God Works through us for His Purpose

The modern emphasis on first identifying my “gift” so that I may then “help” God develop it gets the matter exactly backwards. The important thing isn’t identifying my gift, it is offering my body as a living sacrifice so that the Spirit may exercise any gift He chooses through me. Then any gift I am observed to be actually exercising can be identified as my gift, and its exercise will be genuine and have God’s power.

The Mind of Christ, and Rejecting It

God speaks to us individually, and also collectively as his Body. We must hear him and walk with him individually and also depend on each other for his voice. Believers all have the mind of Christ, but none of us alone has all of the mind of Christ.

God Speaks to Us through His Spirit

God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit, who must teach us–by building within us–everything we truly know of God. God also speaks to the world through us, by his Spirit who is building his image within us.