BIBLICAL LIVING 101 -
The Holy Spirit - SUMMARY & APPLICATION
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This week, we are going to wrap up our discussion on the Holy Spirit, closing out this study series on practical living - by attempting to boil it down and summarize it for you, taking as a PRACTICAL example, the current political controversy now roiling these United States.

We do this to demonstrate the very real world application of the wisdom in scripture to real life, to put our money where our mouth is (we have said the Church cannot be an ostrich but we have to apply ourselves) and also to encourage you... and for space reasons have not opened with scripture this week (its all in-line).

This short series on the work of the Holy Spirit can be found here...
http://tabernacleoftheholyspirit.org/spiritual-gifts

The overall series on Biblical Living covering a wide ranging array of topics here ..
http://tabernacleoftheholyspirit.org/…/bible-study-bibl… ..

We really encourage you to visit the website where you can find material more easily organized than forever having to scroll on Facebook.

Our anchor passage for this week is in Isaiah, Chapters 61-66 where God almighty Himself summarizes His Work on the planet. We will walk through most of Chapter 61 together today, but we highly commend your reading that entire portion off scripture to get the full impact of what we are attempting to communicate below.

1. Is 61:1. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me..."

" And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he -taught- in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as -his custom was-, -he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day-, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 'And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.

And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." - Lk 4:14–21 (KJV)

Summary points:

a. In the Gospel of Luke, we see that Christ's first action after being anointed by the Spirit was to go into the wilderness and be tested by Satan. Having passed that Test, His FIRST work on His return to Galilee was TEACHING!! Prior to His anointing, He always FULFILLED the Law - we are told that it was 'his custom' to go the synagogue every Friday (!) - as an observant Israelite. This Friday, He stood up to read, and essentially revealed Himself to the congregation!

b. It is important to realize that Christ, here and in Isaiah, is speaking of ---the Spirit's mission---(not His!), and He identifies Himself as a normal Human Being - anointed with the Spirit of God! Son of Man, was His favorite title for Himself, and as a Human, He is telling the congregation that He has been anointed to carry out God's will on this planet!!!!! SO ARE YOU!!

THE TAKEAWAY FOR US : Christ told the disciples not to minister in their own strength, but to WAIT for the Spirit. He Himself EMBODIED that, waiting for 30 odd years for His Time to come! WE, as HIS DISCIPLES, anointed with the SAME EXACT POWER and AUTHORITY, can DO - whatever HE DID! - not because of how cool we are, but its because it's GOD that does these things (as we have repeatedly said). YOU CAN DO IT - BECAUSE IT DOESN'T DEPEND ON YOU! (now that's a test of logic right there...) GOD is the one who appoints and anoints, and its GOD's plan & purpose, carried out in GOD's power, THROUGH His Servants! Hallelujah!

Application : Kings and rulers rule at God's pleasure. He sets them up, He tears them down at His Will for His purposes and glory. If God puts somebody in a position, no one can take him/her down by their own strength, it is God who oversees it all. Those who are mourning can take comfort from that, those who are rejoicing, be sober and realize this fact! :-) In the end, all things work together for good to the benefit of Gods' elect.

2. "...to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,..."

The mission of the Spirit is explained in detail now, and we have gone through these areas in our series on spiritual gifts. Healing for the body, Renewal of the mind, the breaking of mental strongholds, healing those who have been emotionally tortured, imprisoned and scarred by acts of evil. He gives us beauty to replace ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of -praise- to combat the spirit of heaviness and depression, that we may look like the TREE's (remember the photo of the Tree) of righteousness that HE (Doctrine of election) HAS PLANTED. (Done deal)

Summary point:
The Gospel is deliverance from the FEAR of Sin, Death, and the Penalty of God's Justice against our transgressions of the Law. God's WORD is the Light that reveals Him to the spiritually blind. His commands and statutes tear down mental strongholds and man made institutions of race, gender bias, ethnic hatred, false religion - by directing us to TRUTH, and away from lies and confusion! The work of the SPIRIT is to TESTIFY OF CHRIST, and enable HIS DISCIPLES to be SALT & LIGHT in the world, showing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and dedicate their lives to worshiping God in SPIRIT & TRUTH, walking in Love, and subjecting every daily decision and action to His Lordship (obedience and doing what is right instead of what your flesh, or convenience would have you do).

Application: Apply Wisdom and Discernment of Spirits to get to the heart of a matter. Seek Truth (Facts) not opinions. Look for evidences of either (a) the fruit of the Spirit (gentleness, patience, long-suffering etc.) or (b) examine conduct for lies and deception. Its very simple. What have we seen so far? Here are the FACTS:

a) A republican president was elected that did not get a majority of the popular vote. This has happened before, its part of the process.
b) What is new, is that this process was influenced by multiple political agendas (as is typical). The President's campaign was accused of collusion with Russia to influence the electorate, and hence the election process. The Mueller report, an investigative document prepared by the DOJ & FBI , while stopping short of FORMALLY indicting the President on criminal charges (due to legal technicalities),uncovered enough evidence of questionable behavior, that resulted in prison terms / fines for some members of the campaign team.
c) This same alleged behavior, was most recently evidenced in a document released by the White House (the infamous "not a verbatim" call transcript with the President of Ukraine), and now, a public invitation to the Govt. of China to do the same.

What has been the response to this, and what comfort or joy can we derive from this tragic situation?

1. The Rule of Law still prevails. This country was founded on Biblical principles, the FIRST of which is : God doesn't really like KINGS who are less than perfect - Israel was to be guided by His Law, and Priests who could interpret it correctly for His People. The Rule of LAW is what defines -this- country... and nobody is exempt.
2. The ideals enshrined in the Constitution (including the right to bear arms) were put in the Constitution for a purpose. We do not live in a dictatorship. We live in a republic, where WE, the PEOPLE, choose our elected representatives to WORK FOR US, under the terms and conditions of the Law, and their OATH of office. An oath sworn on the Bible has significance. IF we don't like the Laws, we can change them, but NO ONE PERSON, by DESIGN, can do that. It is heartening to see the Old Institutions come to Life and STILL PROTECT US TODAY!.... let us raise up and rebuild the "former desolations", the "desolations of many generations"... let us let the process work out. It will triumph over individual personalities.
3. The dedication to truth. A whistle-blower (regardless of his/her political motives) is going to be judged on the -facts- of his/her allegations. The right approach is to uncover the facts. We applaud the Administration for releasing the transcript (maybe they had no choice), we applaud the oversight committee process for allowing participants on both sides of the House to present their views, and question witnesses. We applaud the career public servants dealing with Finding the truth, however,painful - is to be prized. Some demonstrations of this Administration (Sharpie on a NWS weather map and the consequent brouhaha...) are to be deplored.... it is a bad sign when truth (emergency reports from a responsible government body) are devalued and a lie needs to be put on artificial support.
One warning sign from experience is when people attack the person or anything else, instead of the real issue. This is a typical strategy to deflect and confuse. Lies are always a bad sign -- we have grown to expect (!) , & ignore those (!) from our leaders and statesmen. This is troubling! Lies in the Media (TV/Social Media/Print press with limited ethics) are troubling. Journalism (remember that term?) is a quest for truth, and it was a journalist that uncovered wrong-doing in the Nixon administration. Let us take joy in the courage of these people who put their own lives in jeopardy to bring us the truth that topples regimes and dictators!
"Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." - (Nu 5:13–14). God is not a Republican or Democrat or Liberal or Conservative. He is for Truth!
4. Is the focus of our Administration what you see listed as goals of the Spirit? Let us pray for Statesmen and not politicians to lead us... but it's also our fault. If we pick people that are focused on staying in office, as opposed to working for us, we only have ourselves to blame!
Regardless of how the current process works out, we must be reconciled to the fact that foreign and domestic interests will be trying to influence the upcoming elections by means -both- legal -and- illegal.
It behooves -us- therefore, to apply Biblical principles to evaluate those that are seeking our vote for public office ... and not vote for candidates who just SAY they believe in the Bible. It is the only way to effect lasting change. The best way is to examine their stand on issues - here's the key ones and our stand on them for your convenience:

1. Abortion : No. BUT... education, exemptions, and the rights of the individual must be respected. God gives us all choices, and the accountability that goes with them. You may not respect a choice some one makes, but you may not interfere with their freedom to make that choice! Love instead of hate, and try to find ways to save those lives.
2. LGBTQ .... : Fellow humans. Some given over by God Himself to make a point. You are called to love them, pray for them, and view them as also made in Gods image, and as much deserving of Grace as you are. We have addressed marriage, gender and homosexuality in our posts in this series and we commend them to your attention.
3. Socialism. Helping the Poor and Needy is not socialism. Wealth is a tool to glorify God. Riches are a snare causing you to trust in them instead of God almighty. We have discussed Money, Taxes, Riches... you don't need to be a socialist to love your fellow man as yourself. Just think about what that means and how a billionaire can hoard his wealth when he sees needs around him/her. How can we help our fellow citizens be -as successful as others-, as they pursue life, liberty, happiness? America is the land of opportunity - even overcoming historic racial biases to elect a black President.
4. Healthcare. God is a Healer, and His will is to heal everybody. Enough said.
5. Medicare. Honoring your father and mother means providing for them as they provided for you. Stealing from Medicare is wrong.
6. Gender Equality/Wages/Equal Opportunity. God created Woman to be an equal companion to Man... a help fit for him. As humans, either of them can do anything they want, but will be happiest doing what they were created to be.
7. Immigration. The OT Laws, and the NT Laws say we are to love those that are truly hurting. It does not ask us to turn a blind eye to malicious actors. We can apply technology, and Laws on the books to this problems.
8. Guns. The NRA has a commercial interest in the sale of firearms. Since we (as citizens) cannot overthrow the government with these weapons, they are useless (per the original intent) other than for sport and self defense. Other than thrills, tactical firearms have only one goal. To kill and destroy as many, as effectively as possible. Is that biblical?

3. "But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God........ "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God;For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

This is who we are. Kings and Priests that know His Law, and Live by it! Saved by His Grace, covered with His Righteousness, glittering with jewels and ornaments of good works! Hallelujah!!

Let this cheer you, as you walk through these events, and through life in general. These sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us!

Don't let the enemy lie to you that you are NOT GREAT! Purchased by His blood, made in His Image, and destined for Glory...

America was great long before people tried to "restore" it. Founded on the Bible, and supported by God, we are the Light on the Hill that cannot be hidden. If this Light is in darkness, what hope can we hold out to the world? The comforting fact is that the MAJORITY of Americans are honest, decent people, that have been lied to for centuries. We need Godly discernment, and it is our own ignorance of the Word that has brought us to this pickle... but God is faithful, He will deliver us!

"For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." (Is 61:11)

He has sworn it, and will perform it. He has torn, and He will bind up. He put us to death, but has revived us again with Christ on the third day, and as Christ came at the end of the Former Rain (Word of the OT), so will He COME at the end of the Last Days, as the Latter Rain of the Spirit (NT) keeps falling upon the earth.

We may have trials and tribulations, but we do not FEAR. An arrow that flies by day may injure us, but we are not AFRAID of it! We have the Spirit of POWER, LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND. We must put on the whole armor of God to stand against the enemy in this evil day, knowing that if we resist him, he will FLEE! We are not to try to use his stratagems of deception, lies and false promises - but speaking the truth in Love, are to grow up (like trees!) into Him who is our HEAD, our BRIDEGROOM our GOD!

We leave you with these words of encouragement as you start to do life with the Spirit...

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from -the LORD-, which -made heaven and earth-.He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." - Psalm 121

"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Nu 6:24–26)

Shabbat Shalom .... and Hallelujah!

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We will be taking a brief break to consider what we should study next - your input is most welcome!

Solomon says the reading/writing of many books is wearisome.

We agree! :-) Having walked through the Law, Parables, Revelation, and this Series + the Holy Spirit teaching + Apostolic guidance on REAL church... - truly there is nothing more to say to you than start to walk in Love :-).

All of that content is on the website, and we are a planning a redesign to make it easier to find what you are looking for. We would be interested to know if you think a free ebook (PDF) that condenses the teachings would be valuable to you. Let us know!

So we are done with doctrine, but are very much looking forward to walking in the Word with you! If you need your weekly read, we recommend checking out the articles on the website till we return. Something for everyone :-). May God richly bless and keep you, and we will be back soon! Pray for us! :-) (probably stirred up a hornets nest with this one :-0)