God's Spirit Present With You
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God does speak
I heard a story recently, probably not true but it makes a good point, about a man who went to apply for a job as a Morse code operator. He went to this large noisy office, a telegraph clicking in the background, all kinds of sounds, and the receptionist told him to wait with the other candidates. He sat down. But a minute later he popped up and went into the boss` office. A few minutes after that the boss came out and said, "The rest of you can go home, I`ve just hired this man." The others said, "That`s not fair. We`ve been waiting all day, and he just barged into your office uninvited." The boss said, "yeah, well the whole time you`ve been sitting here, the telegraph in the background has been clicking out in Morse code, `If you understand this message come on in, the job`s yours.`" This is the only guy that heard it. God is always speaking. The question is: Are we listening? That takes time, and getting familiar with his voice through prayer and scripture. I personally find it helpful to clear my mind when I`m trying to pray; just try to offload everything I`m thinking in stream of consciousness until finally my mind gets clear, so if God wants to speak I can hear him. God does speak.



By: Scott Dudley
Category: God's Spirit Present With You
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Rely on the Holy Spirit
If we know Jesus, his spirit lives inside of us and gives us the power to become authentically good people. Now that doesn't mean that his spirit is going to overtake us and turn us into zombies, and force us to be good, or take away every temptation, which is just another word for choice, because then we wouldn't be humans, we would be puppets. So the spirit is more subtle. His power comes in those nudgings you get that say, ?Do this? or ?Avoid that?, or the way he calls certain scriptures to mind. Or it comes in the ways that over time our desires begin to shift, so that even if we still repeat certain sins or bad habits, as time goes on we want more and more to break those sins and bad habits. And even if we don't want to be good in a certain arena, over time the Holy Spirit can help us at least want to want to be good. And that's a first step. Receive God's love, turn to Jesus, follow the grand positive, rely on the Holy Spirit.



By: Scott Dudley
Category: God's Spirit Present With You
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The Holy Spirit
We cannot be like Jesus on our own; we need his spirit to help us do that. The Greek word that Jesus uses to describe Holy Spirit is Paraclete. Paraclete means to come alongside of someone. A Paraclete was someone who was called into court to help the accused, or someone called into the army to give the troops courage, or called in to give advice in a difficult situation. It means Consultant, Comforter, Strengthener, Trail-guide. The Holy Spirit does all of those things. That means that when I'm tempted to do something I know isn't right, there's a voice that goes off in my head, and it's the Spirit. It says, `Scott, I know you think you want this thing, but deep, deep down I know you want more. I know you want an abundant life; I know you want eternal life. I know you want to avoid this sin.` Notice what the Holy Spirit does not say to me. The Holy Spirit does not say, ?You rotten little creep, you should feel ashamed being tempted like that.? That's Red Legs talking. The Spirit says, ?Scott, deep down I know you want more than this, so don't settle for this temptation.? That's the Holy Spirit helping me to live the abundant life. Now, as I've said before, the Holy Spirit doesn't overpower us or force us to follow Jesus' teachings. He just nudges us. And our job is to cooperate with those nudges.



By: Scott Dudley
Category: God's Spirit Present With You
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"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in (alt: among) you." ( John 14:16-17)

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." ( John 14:26)

"When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry before hand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit." ( Mark 13:11)

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." ( Matthew 28:20)

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" ( Matthew 28:9-11)


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