“If you love Me, obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”
Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
Jesus replied, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:15-26 NLT
Someone once asked me if I thought having Jesus here on earth or having the Holy Spirit living among us was more desirable. I had to think…on the one hand, I can’t imagine walking and talking with Jesus! Asking Him all kinds of questions and just sitting in His presence, soaking it in that I am with my Savior. But Jesus was human, here on earth, and He couldn’t be everywhere. Yes, He traveled from place to place and spoke to many but physically He could only be in one place. However, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere…in every believer…all at the same time! And, really, to have the Holy Spirit is to have Jesus.
The Spirit has so many jobs. When we have fallen backwards, and we keep doing the same thing over and over and for some reason, we just cannot stop..the Holy Spirit will give you the strength. When we have been in the valley for oh so long, He will pull us up from where we are. He is our Comforter, our nurse when we are sick. He is our Advocate, our Encourager. And He ministers to both the head and the heart. He gives us the strength to endure the hatred and evil in our world. There is so much evil and so much persecution and Jesus knew there would be.
Nothing that is happening today is a surprise to Jesus. He knew there would be many terrorist groups that would harm His people and He knew that the Holy Spirit would give them the endurance to fight and to die for Him if need be. Oh friend, the Holy Spirit is your Friend. He is straight from God the Father, given to each of His children that accepts Jesus as their Savior. He is here to remind us of all Jesus taught us and gives us a whole new way to look at life. He gives us a peace that passes all understanding.
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Have you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life? Are you so tired of trying to do it all on your own? Or maybe you just needed to be reminded that you aren’t alone and that the Holy Spirit is waiting to give you whatever you need. Just call on Him today. Whichever one it is, let’s pray together:
Dear God, Thank You for loving us. I know that I am living my life right now on my own and I need You. Today I ask that Jesus come into my heart, into my life, to be my Lord and Savior. I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and He died for my sins. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to know You better. In Jesus’ name, amen.
