I. The law of the spirit – Powerful as any of God’s laws
Law of gravity, sowing and reaping, boiling water
Romans 8:2
Gal 5:16
II. The language of the spirit – Biblical language
I Cor. 2:9-3:5
Experiencing the voice of the Spirit
Isaiah 30 Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying …
III. The liberty of the spirit – Freedom to rise above
II Cor. 3:17-18 (more amazing language)
The freedoms of the Spirit of God – freedom to rise above
Live above sin and be changed – psalm 84
IV. The life of the spirit – Controlled by the Power of God
Experiencing the power of the spirit of God
Control – Eph. 5:18
The Fruit of the Spirit
Gal.5:22; Eph.5:9
Love-joy-peace – personal
Patience-gentleness-goodness – to others
Faith-meekness-self-control – character
Goodness and righteousness and truth -Godly
Experiences With the Holy Spirit
One baptism of the Spirit – I Cor. 12:13
Many fillings of the Spirit- Eph. 5:15-21
Constant anointing of the Spirit -I John 2:20
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:37-39.
One way to try to understand the Holy Spirit is to think of the Spirit as the builder of our Christian life. The Holy Spirit lives in the heart and life of the believer and bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16). This is a blessed relationship we can have with God the Holy Spirit. This is the power and the presence to change our life.
The Spirit lives in our heart and is active and ready to provide direction to us through our spirit. He wants to build our life. We, however, are responsible to provide the material for the Spirit to use. When we place material in our heart that is useful to Spiritual growth the Spirit can be busy building and we will grow in Spiritual maturity.
When we read and study the Bible, when we meditate on things that are pure and holy, when we pray, when we share the Truth, when we fellowship with Godly persons, when we are obedient to the Word – The Holy Spirit is able to take this material and build and we become strong in faith.
On the other hand, when we allow things into our heart and mind that are not useful for Christian living, the Holy Spirit is grieved. He cannot use those things to build a Godly life. When we choose worldly entertainment, when we allow immorality, when we lust after the flesh, when we find time for business and fun but not for God – the Holy Spirit cannot build a strong life within us with those materials.
Think of it this way. If a builder gets a delivery of building materials that are faulty, what kind of building can he construct? If the cement blocks are broken and the lumber is split and twisted, if the drywall is broken and the shingles are torn – how can he construct a strong structure with those materials?
On the other hand, if the materials are sound, the building will be strong. Good quality wood, blocks, roofing, windows, insulation all go together to make a strong structure. It is no different in your life. Good materials mean strength of structure.
What kind of materials are you providing for the Holy Spirit to use to build your Christian life? What kind of life do you want to live? If you are faithful in providing good materials, the Holy Spirit will be faithful in building your life. You will grow in Christian maturity. You will have Spiritual discernment. You will be fruitful in the service of God and His kingdom. You will have the joy of the Lord in your heart.
Stop and think about your decisions each day. Will your activity provide good materials for the Holy Spirit or will it grieve Him? Think about your attitudes, your reading, your watching, your dreams, your longings and wishes. Think about how each of these and all other activities impact your eternal soul and then make the decision to provide the Holy Spirit with materials that will give Him joy as He builds your life.
His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
Jesus inaugurates a new era in God’s gracious dealing with His creation.
”You have heard it was said of them of old time, but I say unto you…
Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament law. He also came to begin a new era of relationship with God. The Jewish leaders continued to keep the law. Jesus gave them and us a new law.
Jesus’ new law is to love God and love each other. He inaugurates this new law in His Sermon on the Mount. He began what is sometimes identified as the “Upside Down Kingdom.” Everything humans think they need to survive is now reversed in this Kingdom.
The poor in spirit inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
The meek inherit the earth.
Those who mourn are blessed.
The merciful receive mercy.
Offenders are to be blessed.
Peacemakers are called the children of God.
The pure in heart see God.
Those persecuted for righteousness inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
Do not retaliate.
Hatred is murder.
Lust is adultery.
There are two ways, two kingdoms, two destinations, two foundations, two masters, two houses. Everything the world values, loses its value. The heart is the goal of this Kingdom.
Actually, the heart was always God’s goal for His Kingdom. Now Jesus makes your heart the heart of His Kingdom. This is the heart of His new era of life. Your heart is the heart of His Kingdom. Your heart must beat with His heart as you live as a member of His Kingdom. That is the message of the Sermon on the Mount. That is the essence of the Kingdom of God. His call on our lives is the heart of His Kingdom as we thus show the world around us how to live.
There are only two kingdoms.
In John 18:36 – Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world
Therefore, my servants do not fight.
There is “My Kingdom” and the kingdom of this world.
Jesus’ Kingdom is The Up-side-down Kingdom relative to this world.
There are Two Kingdoms- The kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.
We need to learn to recognize the differences between them.
Principles: modesty, integrity, politics, music, entertainment, areas of life.
You need to keep the kingdoms separated in your heart, mind, and life.
There are tensions. The tensions are between the kingdoms.
The tensions are at the boundaries where the two kingdoms meet.
The tensions should not be in your heart or mind. They dare not be.
Pro. 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
Do not internalize the tensions and the struggles.
When your heart is divided, you internalize the tensions.
When you internalize the tensions, it divides your heart.
It works both ways.
The tensions are not in your mind and heart.
The tensions are where the kingdoms meet.
The tensions are between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God.
The tensions are between two loyalties – either to this world or to God.
The tensions are between the systems. They must be kept there.
Be fully committed in your own mind. Then you will have peace of mind.
Keep your heart with all diligence. Then you will be settled on the issues of life.
Commit your life to the kingdom of God and you will have peace of heart.
Keep the tensions at the boundaries between the kingdoms.
The tensions are real and are meant to be there.
When you internalize the struggle you allow the Devil to sow doubt in your mind.
The renewing of your mind gives discernment to understand the implications of the two kingdoms.
We have the mind of Christ. Jesus Christ is made to us wisdom……
I Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us:
Wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness Matt. 6:33
And all these things will be added unto you.
The Kingdom of God exists where Christ the King is obeyed, honored and worshipped
That is the call on our lives. Accept and follow Christ’s Kingdom.
That is God’s plan.
When we get to the end of the book of Revelation, we see two churches. Actually this has been true for most of history.
The persecuted Church of the first 300 years encountered Constantine. He offered to support the church in many ways. He offered to remove the persecution. The church accepted his offer.
This caused a division in the church. The original Church rejected his offer while the balance of the church accepted. The organizational church accepted the offer of the civil government. The original Church chose to not accept the offer of the protection of the civil government.
That was the turning point. One church chose to accept civil government protection. The original Church chose to not accept civil protection. There were then two kinds of church.
Revelation chapter 17 explains the church that accepted that protection.
Revelation chapters 19-22 explain the Church that did not accept that protection.
One Church is the faithful bride.
One church is the unfaithful bride.
Those are the two kinds of church.
When we read those chapters we see the stark differences between the churches.
Faithful and unfaithful bride.
True and false bride.
For centuries these two churches have flowed side by side through history. Eventually we reach the final chapters in the book of Revelation.
There is Church and there is church.
There are two kinds of church.
God’s blessing to all mothers today!
Part III – now to all women
You are Women of Promise. You are also Mothers of Promise. You are Eve. You are Sarah. Every man is born of a woman. Your caring nurture is our first taste of life. Your ribs were our home. Your body was our nourishment. Your heartbeat was our song. Your love was our security. Love us and then release us. We now need to seek the “rib” God has chosen for us.
Are you married, seek not to be unmarried. Are you unmarried, seek not to be married. If God presents you with the opportunity, weigh it carefully and choose God’s best for you.
If you are single, do not despair. Singleness is a blessing – Discern carefully about marriage – is it what God has for you or not? God needs women to be wives and mothers. He also needs women who can put all of their energies into His Kingdom work.
You are a ‘mother’ even if you have never married or given birth. God gave you a mother heart. Your mother heart reaches out to those around you who need a mother.
You are absolutely irreplaceable. God has made you for His purpose and His glory. As men, we are honored to be the recipients/observers of that glory. You have no equal. You have no challengers. You have no rivals. We are dazzled and mesmerized by your grace and beauty. We submit to the beauty of a part of God’s heart that He has not placed into us.
As men, we must be ever worthy of your notice. Make us earn your attention. We struggle to understand you. In many ways, we never will. God has put into your heart, parts of His heart that we do not have. You will always be an enigma, a puzzle to us. You will always be a challenge to us. You will always be a fascination to us. That is OK. Real men love that about you.
We grew up as your little boys but, we are destined to be great men of God. Like Hannah with Samuel, direct us to Godly men to grow us into God’s servants. That is where we get the dynamism of God’s strength to be men. When mothers hold on to us too long, we get confused. Give us space. We will grow up. It will tear at your heart but, we will come back to honor you. I promise.
Require integrity of the men in your life. Many will rise to the challenge. A friend told me that he did not know how to be a man. His girlfriend told and showed him. Today, he is a great husband and wonderful father with a family of happy children. You say, it should not be that way. I understand. I agree. But what are we going to do? Turn down all these men and then what?
The current dating/courting scene is confusing. For about two generations now, Dads have done well in raising their daughters as princesses. There is a problem. For every princess we raise, we need a father to raise a prince. Somehow we missed that step in the equation.
What to do? Men can learn. We can be slow but we can learn and we need your help. Enjoy the challenge. We are not your fault. Understood. But we need to work from where we are and here is where we are.
Study the Godly women of the Bible- The prayerfulness of Hannah. The faithfulness of Ruth. The courage Of Esther. The devotion of Mary. The vision of Deborah. The industry of Dorcas. The faith of Lois and Eunice. The determination of the “great” woman of II Kings 4 and the amazing woman of Proverbs 31.
See how God used these gate-keepers in unbelievable ways to bless their world. These women had dignity and courage. God made these women strong. He also gave them a song. Their songs told God’s story in their lives. Their songs were God in their lives. Do not allow their bigger-than-life experiences to discourage you. Just be faithful in the place God has called you to be. Use His strength. Sing His song.
If you not married and want to marry, marry a broken man. You will never be sorry. As men, we are dangerous when we are not broken. We are wonderful after God has broken us. It is not your job to break us. But, it is also not necessary for you to allow us to misuse you. You are not a door mat. You are not a tool. You are not a toy. You are allowed to say no when ‘no’ is called for. Say no gently and firmly. Do not be our mothers. You are our wives, not our mothers. Love, claim and defend that vocation with all of your heart.
If your marriage is struggling and your husband does not heed your appeal, get help. Seek help until you find the needed help for you, your husband and your family. You say, it should not be that way. Understood. But if it is, then be the keeper of the gate of your family. It is not wrong to do that.
You are the bride and men need to be the bride groom like Jesus is. Jesus earned the right to be the bridegroom by suffering and being willing to suffer for His bride. So must men be willing to be like Him.
In ancient Israel the daughters were busy, working with men to build the walls. And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs. Nehemiah 3:12
Together we are the image of God. You need us and we need you. You can count on us to join you as you join us and together we are the keepers of the gates.
Part II
God did design for women and men to be together. It is together that we are the image of God. The masculine and the feminine together complete God’s plan for His creation. Whether married or not, we all need the perspectives that are native in both genders.
As men, sometimes we need some refinement – it is OK for you to address that. Don’t take charge. Don’t be a controller. Don’t be a boss. Don’t be Jezebel. Don’t be disrespectful. Make sensible suggestions. Most men will listen. If they don’t, you know what to do. You do not have to put up with misbehavior from men. Hold them accountable. There are good men who will bless and protect you. Find those men and honor them and follow them. That is Father God’s plan for life
Above all, be Godly. Godliness is the most powerful gate of all. Pattern your lives after the Godly women of the Bible and history. Be one of those women today. You may be a wife and if God wills, a mother. You will raise sons – another generation of Godly men to be accepted by another generation of Godly women to continue the work of God’s Kingdom here on earth until He comes. There is no more honorable task on earth.
You are the keeper of the home. You set the tone for the home. Your joy is the contagion that fills the home with happiness. Your contempt is the contamination that floods the home with sadness. Keep it joyful. Keep your heart close to the Master and your gratitude will bless all who enter your doors.
Since you keep the gate, your submission is voluntary. God has given you that power. Submission is relinquishing that power to God. That does not mean passivity. That does not mean submission to authority that is not Godly. That is also a gate that you keep. Wisdom is the word. Wisdom is sourced in God who gives liberally to all those who ask.
Marriage is not the time for you to capitulate to a controlling husband. Marriage is the time to be joined in a wonderful, mutual life of caring creativity. It is a time to form a team and work together in blessing the community around you. It is a time to be fulfilled as a wife and mother, aunt and grandmother. Marriage is a picture of Christ and His bride. Keep that gate with joy and happiness, not with grudging compliance but with the joy of the Lord in your heart.
As a mother you have been called to be a bride and then to birth a family. That is a high calling. It is the highest calling. You represent God’s will as you accept that calling and live it faithfully every moment of every day. You bring the feminine part of God to His creation.
Jesus’ heart would have gathered His children as a hen gathers her chicks. That is the heart that God placed in you. Only you can demonstrate that to His creation. Men struggle to do that. You do it naturally. You have been called to be mother. Your children call you mother. That is how you are honored. That is the gate you are called to keep.
Biblical Brethren Fellowship 