Over the past few days I've read and meditated on the book of Jude as well as 1 John. Jude is so relevant to the modern day church it is scary! Almost as if written yesterday it addresses the issue of false prophets, false teaching "with swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage" (v16), and an attitude of grumbling and complaining, walking according to the lusts of the flesh. I don't want to be the one Jude is describing here! The solution... verse 20,21... build yourself up by praying in the Holy Spirit, keep on loving God and sharing that love, and stay focused on Jesus who gives us eternal life.
1 John also deals with deceptions of the last days but focuses on the issue of sin in the lives of believers, overcoming it, and living holy lives. As I've written before, I believe strongly that a holy life is the very foundation for sharing in the privilege of carrying God's manifest presence. As with Jude, 1 John also highlights the importance of loving God and living in community which outworks love with each other.
Of course these are the briefest of summaries, but in my quest to carry His presence I come to understand once again the need for holy living, the importance of love and by extension compassion, and our need for total dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Over the past 3 days I have felt a strong pull of the Holy Spirit to just be with Him in my devotional time. To allow Him to fill me, but more than that to just simply BE present and allow Him to be present to me. He is doing something and I feel that I am about to get to know Him! Perhaps something that many believers never do.
I found myself praying this:
Holy Spirit, come and take control. Become all encompassing of my life, become BIG over my life. I don't want to administer You, I want You to have the freedom to do whatever You want in, through, around and all over my life. The authority I have in this earth, which is the authority the Father created me to carry through His design in Adam, the very authority You need to operate through, is the authority I now give to You. I place it back in your hands. As opposed to me operating and making some space for You to move, I choose for You to operate and make space for me to be used if needed. I choose not to administer You, but for You to administer me, You steer this ship. Thank You!
1 John also deals with deceptions of the last days but focuses on the issue of sin in the lives of believers, overcoming it, and living holy lives. As I've written before, I believe strongly that a holy life is the very foundation for sharing in the privilege of carrying God's manifest presence. As with Jude, 1 John also highlights the importance of loving God and living in community which outworks love with each other.
Of course these are the briefest of summaries, but in my quest to carry His presence I come to understand once again the need for holy living, the importance of love and by extension compassion, and our need for total dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Over the past 3 days I have felt a strong pull of the Holy Spirit to just be with Him in my devotional time. To allow Him to fill me, but more than that to just simply BE present and allow Him to be present to me. He is doing something and I feel that I am about to get to know Him! Perhaps something that many believers never do.
I found myself praying this:
Holy Spirit, come and take control. Become all encompassing of my life, become BIG over my life. I don't want to administer You, I want You to have the freedom to do whatever You want in, through, around and all over my life. The authority I have in this earth, which is the authority the Father created me to carry through His design in Adam, the very authority You need to operate through, is the authority I now give to You. I place it back in your hands. As opposed to me operating and making some space for You to move, I choose for You to operate and make space for me to be used if needed. I choose not to administer You, but for You to administer me, You steer this ship. Thank You!
