And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 Amp)
I know many people who have for various reasons decided to seek professional counseling to help them work through life difficulties they have experienced. Some were restored by counseling but for others it seemed to have little effect. I've noticed that those who readily accepted the credentials and abilities of their counselors fared far better than those who questioned or in some cases openly mocked the individual who was trained to and trying to help them.
It is similar for those of us who have invited Christ into our hearts.
Jesus asked our heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell the hearts of all Christians. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby)... He did not come because He needed anything from us, but rather to be a companion Witness in our lives. He does not live in everyone ...the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive..., but instead indwells the hearts of born again Christians. Those outside of Christ, the world, cannot receive Him ..because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him... He exists in their presence and is very active in their world, but their lack of acknowledgement of Christ shields Him from their view. It is as if they were standing in a hospital Emergency Room bleeding to death, unable to see the help that surrounds them.
Through Christ, the eyes of our Christian hearts have been opened and we ...know and recognize Him. He is ever and forever present and active in our lives ...for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. When He arrives, He comes as an X-factor, subtle and unknown. We don't yet know His voice or leading. We may fear His power and are reluctant to cede control to Him. But over time a relationship is birthed and we come to know, trust and love Him.
And yet, repeatedly, I close my heart to His goading and guidance and spend frustrated hours wrestling with life's difficulties by myself. What must Holy Spirit be thinking as He watches me ignore His input? He never shouts louder, but the problem isn't the volume of His voice. The problem is that I am listening less, or worse, I turn my back on Him.
C. W. Studd put it like this long ago -- How little chance the Holy Ghost has nowadays. The churches and missionary societies have so bound Him in red tape that they practically ask Him to sit in a corner while they do the work themselves.
Paul said it like this -- For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8 5-8)
My prayer this morning is simple. Lord, let the Spirit dominate and my flesh submit.
Have you listened to your Counselor (Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby) lately? The power, wisdom and counsel of our loving Father has been placed within us. All we have to do to receive it is ask and listen.
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