Experience Forgiveness In the Body of Christ

Colossians 3:12–14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Corrie Ten Boom shares this true story in her book, The Hiding Place: 

It was a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck.  He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time.  And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"  His hand was thrust out to shake mine.  And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?  Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand.  I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer.  Jesus, I cannot forgive him.  Give me Your forgiveness.

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened.  From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.

Take a moment and reflect on the story of Corrie Ten Boom. How can this story help us to forgive those who have wounded us?

Are you harboring anger and bitterness toward any people in your life?  Are there people in your life that you need to extend forgiveness to?

EXPERIENCE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scriptures:

Romans 12:6–8, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Thought: It takes all the people of God to do all the work of God.

I was awake at 3 am sitting in the recliner complaining to God about something I had no reason to. It was immature for sure, but it bothered me enough that I could no longer sleep. As I sat in my pity party, God was not pleased, and He let me know it. Like a Father disciplining His son, he said to me, “You can continue to sit there and sulk, but you are cursing and not a blessing. I have given you gifts that that can bless the situation, but you are choosing to curse.” I had a decision to make; I could use my gifts, or I could withhold them.

God has uniquely gifted each of us by the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to The Body of Christ, our community, and the world. Instead of withholding our gifts, we are to be good stewards of our gifts and use them for the sake of the Kingdom.

From our January 30^th devotional, we discovered the ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives to help us live transformed lives. However, our experience with The Holy Spirit does not stop there; He gives us gifts to work through us. All of the gifts are to bring glory to Jesus, build up the Body of Christ, and empower us to reach the world for Christ.

Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13; and 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 list the different spiritual gifts which are categorized in the following ways:

Leadership gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, (These are called the five-fold ministry gifts).

Verbal gifts: preaching, teaching, prophesying, evangelizing, speaking in tongues, and interpreting tongues

Manifestation gifts: prophecy, faith, miracles, and healing 

Serving gifts: generosity, hospitality, and encouragement

Some gifts are more expressive and prominent, but none are more significant. Whatever gifts we have, we are to steward and strengthen. At Centerpointe, we encourage everyone to go through a group called Focus where you will discover your spiritual gifts and personality style in order to find your divine design.

You may also be interested in an online assessment. This free link can be taken before your Life Group meeting: https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts-test-landing

Refection:

What are your spiritual gifts and how did you discover them?

How are they helpful in your life?

How are you using your spiritual gifts to serve the Body of Christ and your local community?

Prayer:

For a list of spiritual gifts, also read Ephesians 4:11–13 and 1 Corinthians 12:7–11, 

EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

Thought:

On our kitchen table, you will find a small, round, metal dish holding a variety of fruit. You might discover bananas, oranges, tangerines, grapes, apples, peaches, or grapefruits. They are meant to be snacks if you get hungry or something to grab as you go out the door. At the moment of this writing, four small oranges look like they have been there for a while. No doubt they will be replaced after Esther comes home from the grocery store.

Imagine for a moment our lives being as that dish on God’s table, containing fruit for others to enjoy as they interact with us. The fruits of the Spirit are the character traits found in our lives that reflect the nature of Christ.

As we grow in our walk with Jesus, fruit begins to naturally grow because He is daily transforming our lives to be more like Him.  Fruit is the by-product of Christ’s control; it will naturally improve as your relationship in Christ grows.

It is from our fruit that the world gets a taste of who God is. The Spiritual fruit we bear makes the unbelievers hungry for the things of God. Dr. Dell Tarr, one of my university presidents, taught that the fruit produced in our lives is for the weary travelers around us. It becomes one of the most dynamic evangelical tools God has ever created. Here’s the way it works:

When you find a weary traveler and when he says, "I am sick of the church," you say to him, "Have a grape." He takes it and tastes it. He says, "That is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted," and you invite him to take another. So when he comes struggling and limping to you and plucks a grape from your hand, he says, "Wow! That’s good! You must be a real Christian.

The true sweetness of service, the care, the genuine love, the giving, and sacrifice are something that blows him away because the world doesn’t have it. The world is alien to this. When you are full of meekness, joy, peace, faith, and love, he will say, "Where did you get that and where can I get some?"

The Fruit Inspection Quiz

Think about each fruit in your life. Give yourself a grade, 1 being the weakest and 7 being the strongest.

LOVE                        1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

JOY                            1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

PEACE                     1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

PATIENCE              1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

KINDNESS             1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

MEEKNESS           1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

FAITHFULNESS 1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

GENTLENESS     1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

SELF CONTROL  1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

Decision:

Based on what you read and the results of your quiz, what areas of your life need to be adjusted?

What are ways a person can improve on the quality of spiritual fruit?

  

EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scripture:

Acts 1:4–5, “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.””

Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 6:7, “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Thought: Empowered for Purpose

Before Jesus departed for Heaven, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from Heaven. On the day of Pentecost, that is exactly what happened: they received power which resulted in a large number of people being saved. Isn’t it interesting that the people closest to Jesus were not yet equipped to do the work of Jesus until they received the power of the Holy Spirit? What was true then is true today. 

I often define a Pentecostal church as a Christ centered, Bible believing Body of Christ that believes the Holy Spirit is actively working today. All of the gifts of the Spirit found in the New Testament are still available for the purpose of proclaiming the Good News to the world.

The power of pentecost is purposeful

The word “power” in the original language is the Greek word dunamei. From dunamei we derive our words dynamic and dynamite; however, dynamite was not invented at the time of the early church. Jesus is talking about a force that is so powerful it cannot be stopped. This is a divine power imparted to us through His Spirit.

In the past, the Pentecostal Church was often thought of as strange. Many people did not believe that the gifts of the Spirit were still in operation today, but the results are now in: millions of people around the world are coming to Christ because the power of the Holy Spirit is breaking through difficult places. Today, the Pentecostal Church is the fastest growing Christian church in the world. 

EXPERIENCE THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Thought:

Life is full of challenges. We can count on that. The good news is that we can rely on someone who can help us, and sometimes carry us through life’s ups and downs: the Holy Spirit, which resides in every follower of Jesus. It is empowering to occasionally review just precisely what the Holy Spirit does so we can boldly face life. Scripture gives us clear job descriptions of The Holy Spirit. Below is a list with scriptural references.

As you read through this list, reflect on the times in which the Holy Spirit worked in each area. For example, as a pastor, one of my daily prayers is for wisdom. Many things come up that I am ill-equipped to handle on my own. Some decisions impact people’s lives, and I want to make sure I am not operating in my strength and understanding. I know that many times, the Holy Spirit gave me insight into a situation when I was stuck.

Writing this devotional is another example. I thought I would be able to whip these out without a problem. I had collected my notes all year, but when I started writing, I found myself overwhelmed with the task. I had no idea of the time it took to write three paragraphs for each day.  If it had not been for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you would not be reading this today. 

The Works of the Holy Spirit with Scripture Reference:

1.           The Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. 1 Peter 3:18

2.          The Spirit calls us to God. Revelation 22:17

3.          The Spirit convicts us of sin. John 16:8-11

4.          The Spirit sanctifies us. 1 Corinthians 6:11

5.          The Spirit testifies to Jesus. 1 John 4:13; Hebrews 10:15

6.          The Spirit gives us new life. Ephesians 2:1-5

7.           The Spirit leads us into a deeper relationship with God. Titus 3:5

8.          The Spirit leads us away from worldly desires. Romans 8:5

9.          The Spirit resides within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19

10.      The Spirit seals our salvation.  Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30

11.       The Spirit guides us. Acts 13:2; 16:6

12.      The Spirit prompts us in worship. Luke 10:21

13.      The Spirit empowers us to witness. Acts 1:8

14.      The Spirit helps us pray. Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; Ephesians 6:17,18

15.      The Spirit teaches us. John 14:26.

16.      The Spirit leads us into truth. John 15:26; 1 John 4:6

17.       The Spirit comforts us. John 16:7

18.      The Spirit transforms us. 1 Corinthians 6:11

19.      The Spirit helps us remember God’s word. John 14:26

20.     The Spirit helps us lead a godly life. Galatians 5:22-23

21.      The Spirit gives us spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

22.     The Spirit speaks to The Church. Revelation 2

23.     The Spirit works to unite believers. Philippians 2:1-2; Ephesians 4:3

24.     The Spirit gives us strength. Ephesians 3:16

25.     The Spirit gives wisdom and revelation. Ephesians 1:17

26.     The Spirit gives us a new prayer language. 1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-16

27.      The Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for the Church. 1 Corinthians 12

28.     The Spirit produces fruit in us. Galatians 5:22

Experience the Presence of The Holy Spirit

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

Romans 8:15, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Thought:

Some quasi-Christian groups describe the Holy Spirit as a force, like in a Star Wars movie: impersonal, external, and able to be harnessed. However, the Holy Spirit is not an external force to be called up by some experience; He is a person that resides within us, confirming our relationship with Jesus and the Father. If we only think of Him as a force, we will be tempted to try and use him for our purposes, when the opposite should be true: he wants to use us for His purposes, as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Daniel Henderson writes in his book, Transforming Presence:

If we think of the Holy Spirit, as so many do, as merely a power or influence, our constant thought will be, ‘How can I get more of the Holy Spirit,’ but if we think of him in a biblical way as a Divine Person, our thought will rather be, “How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?’ The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence or power that we are somehow to get a hold of and use leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who so thinks of the Holy Spirit and who at the same time imagines that he has received the Holy Spirit will almost inevitably be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if he belonged to some superior order of Christians. —R.A. TORREY  (pg 85)

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, where he has permanent residence and is the constant reminder that we belong to God.

A helpful illustration for me, when thinking about the Holy Spirit, is one of water and a glass. Before we come to Christ, the Spirit is around us, drawing us to Jesus and convicting us of sin. When we accept Jesus as Savior, He fills us the Holy Spirit, and no one gets less of the Holy Spirit than another person. He dwells within us and works in many ways, including the supernatural.

What does it mean to you to know the Holy Spirit is not an outside force, but one that resides within you?

Take a moment to celebrate and thank God for the Holy Spirit that resides in our hearts.

How do you maintain an awareness of the Holy Spirit within you?

Experience the Person of The Holy Spirit

Introduction:

Over the next six days we will take a journey down a familiar path for some readers and an anxious one for others; however, it just might have the most profound impact on your Christian development. When we take this path, we will meet the one Jesus left to reside in us. Although it is likely you have heard of Him; you may not have been exposed to His personhood, purpose, or His transformational presence. He is the third person of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit.

Scripture:

John 14:26, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Acts 10:37–38, “You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

Thought:

People love mysteries. Writers and filmmakers depend on this fact. How many CSI television shows can there be? One for every city I guess. We watch and our minds work to solve the mystery with every clue given to us along the way. We don’t like mysteries we can solve right away, but we also can’t tolerate mysteries that can’t be solved in the end. We want to be in suspense, but we are not built to live there. We simply can’t put up with things we don’t understand, and the spiritual life is no exception.

Trying to understand the Trinity is like trying to solve an unsolvable mystery. The Father is fully God, Jesus is fully God, and The Holy Spirit is fully God. It doesn’t make sense.  It’s not reasonable or logical that God could be both three and one, yet the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. John 14:26 show us Jesus speaking about The Holy Spirit, which the Father would send to believers. Our Acts 10:37-38 passage demonstrates three distinct persons were working together for one common purpose: “doing good.” Jesus’ baptism gives us another example. The Spirit descended on Jesus and God, the Father, declared from heaven, “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. John 14:26 show us Jesus speaking about The Holy Spirit, which the Father would send to believers. Our Acts 10:37-38 passage demonstrates three distinct persons were working together for one common purpose: “doing good.” Jesus’ baptism gives us another example. The Spirit descended on Jesus and God, the Father, declared from heaven, “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

John Bevere explains it this way:

“Water (H2O) can manifest as three different forms. Temperature determines whether H2O will appear as a solid, liquid, or gas. Water’s substance – its molecular structure – never changes one iota, but its expression will change based on its environment (the temperature). In the same way, God’s central makeup doesn’t change. When you see the Son, you see the Father; and the Spirit was sent to reveal the Son to us (see John 17:21; Ephesians 1:17-18). God is one in purpose, and yet He has three expressions (Persons) who perform unique functions. Though there are three Persons, there is only one God.”

John Bevere uses H2O to illustrate the Holy Spirit. What other ways have you heard that help you understand the idea of Three in One?

Experience God's Voice, pt 2

Experience God's Voice pt 2

Scripture: 

1 Kings 19:11–12, “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. The voice was not in the fire or thunder, but in the still, gentle wind.”

Thought:

Every once in a while it would be nice for us to hear God in a burning bush or some other dramatic fashion. It happened in the Old Testament; God spoke through earthquakes, fire, angels, prophets, and visible writing on the wall. Why can’t he talk to us in dramatic ways today?

Today, God speaks to us in much more subtle but no less important ways. In the New Testament, God spoke in a dramatic fashion only a few times, and most of those times, the purpose was to affirm that Jesus’ divinity. We hear reports of that still happening, especially to Muslim Background Believers who have seen Jesus in a vision or dream. Although these accounts are incredible, we are still left with the question: how we can hear God’s voice in our life on a regular basis? We know He is not silent. 

In 2013, on a mission’s trip to Argentina, I felt God speaking to me about giving part of our church’s building fund money away to the local Bible school. At first, I thought it was just my own internal voice, so I waited and prayed. When I got home, I ran it by Esther, and we prayed together. I processed the idea with our board, and we also prayed together. Because this money was designated for another purpose, I needed to ask the Centerpointe membership. In that meeting, we could sense that God was in this. We voted together to send the money. In this example, we can see a filter for us to discern if we are hearing from God:

1. Do we have a sense that the Spirit put this decision on our hearts? We ask God for wisdom and discernment.
2. Is it in line with Scripture? God will never go against His Word.
3. Does it lead others and us into a closer walk with Jesus?  
4. Is there confirmation from trusted Godly people?
5. Is there a sense of peace? God also speaks to us in the negative, by withholding a sense of peace.

Reflection:

Name a time when you clearly heard God asking you to do something but you questioned whether or not it was God speaking. How did you come to the conclusion that it was God?

Besides the filters listed, what are other ways we can know if God speaking to us?

The Holy Spirit doesn’t always ask us to do the dramatic; He even speaks to us in our daily routines. How does he do this?

Decision:

Based on your reading and reflection, what decisions do you need to make?  

Prayer:

Lord, may your people slow down enough to listen to your voice and live in obedience to it.

Experience God's Favor

Day 17: Experience God's Favor

Scripture:
Psalms 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us, and may He establish the work of our hands, yes establish the work of our hands.”

Thought:
In July of 2014, Esther and I drove our daughter, Kristi, to Cleveland, Tennessee to visit Lee University. Walking around campus, I noticed that every building had an engraved stone with the scripture reference, Psalms 90:17. We later discovered a bronze statue (pictured here) of a man sitting on a bench with his Bible opened to the same verse. In this verse, the writer is portrayed as a desperate soul who recognized his temporary presence in this world and wanted to leave a meaningful legacy. This became my theme verse for July and also the messages I would preach in August and September of that year. I have since quoted this verse in prayer more than any other. 

It is often said, “Favor is when people like you and you don’t know why,” and this is true to some extent. Favor unlocks doors you thought were closed and brings opportunities you would not have expected. 

Favor is not something we earn; it is freely placed upon us by the grace of God. It is a gift. However, like a blessing, we can put ourselves in a position of favor. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

The second part of Psalms 90:17 speaks to our desire for lasting impact. The Life Application Bible notes, “Because our days are numbered, we want our work to count, to be effective and productive. We desire to see God’s eternal plan revealed now and for our work to reflect his permanence.”

Significant changes are happening at Centerpointe Church as we dream of our future. Our prayer is similar to the psalmist: Lord, whatever we do, let it be for your honor and glory because this is the only way it will mean anything for the future generations. 

Reflection:

In what ways have you experienced God’s favor?

How do you know what God’s favor looks like?

In what areas do you need God’s favor?

Decision:  
Based on what you have read and what God is saying to you, what decisions do you need to make?

Prayer: