Category: Holy Spirit

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Counselor Guidance Holy Spirit

Resident Counselor

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 (NIV) Have you ever needed counseling? A counselor helps you unpack your current reality to bring clarity to your condition. The process doesn’t stop there. A counselor helps you navigate the terrain of life to get you to a healthy place where your personal health is vibrant, your relationships are solid, and your view of the future is bright. Sometimes you simply need someone to talk to who will understand your pain and patiently walk with you to a new level of living. The disciples were blessed to have Jesus visibly with them. After announcing His departure, Jesus promised to give them another Counselor. Of course, Jesus was speaking of the person of the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of us at the moment of our conversion. He is the Spirit of truth who becomes our resident Counselor. Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us (Rom 8:34) and the Holy Spirit is living inside of us interceding for us in accordance with God’s will (Rom 8:26-27). We are blessed to have the ministry of unbroken intercession as a result of our possession. The Holy Spirit puts Christ in us and puts us in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col 1:27 Get to know the resident Counselor living inside of you! He is your constant Companion! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Golden Lampstand Holy Spirit Prayer Tabernacle

Tabernacle Prayer: Golden Lampstand

“Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it…Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Ex 25:31, 37-40 (NIV) Have you ever driven through a neighborhood in December to behold the captivating path of luminaries? It is so moving to capture the sight of the streets outlined with paper bags illuminated with candles flickering in the night. The Golden Lampstand illuminated the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. It provided light to the table of the Bread of the Presence and the Altar of Burning Incense. The lampstand had seven oil lamps that provided light for the priest to serve. A candle consumes itself whereas an oil lamp consumes the oil. Jesus has positioned us to be His light in this dark world. The Holy Spirit is the oil that fuels our gracious illumination. You have been saved by the grace of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a luminary for the Lord. Is your neighborhood a brighter place because of your influence? Is your school or workplace different as a result of the light of Jesus shining through your life? Jesus has made you the light of the world. Don’t hide His light. Allow His light to shine through you today in the interactions you embrace as well as the interruptions you face. Is the light of Jesus shining through you? You are a luminary for the Lord. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Prayer Romans

Keeps on Aligning

“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:27 (NIV) Your body is a house of prayer. When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you were adopted into God’s family and your body became the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Indwelling Holy Spirit intercedes for you in alignment with God’s will. As a child of God, you can affirm that Someone is always praying in you and for you. The Holy Spirit keeps on praying and keeps on aligning your prayers with the purposes of God. God created you for His glory and He searches your heart. “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD” (Psalm 139:1-4 NIV). God knows you intimately and He intimately knows the mind of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings your needs before God. Sometimes you don’t know what to pray and sometimes you may pray about something unwisely. The Holy Spirit edits your prayers and brings them into alignment with God’s plan. Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who intercedes to bring the purposes of God to fruition. You are not designed by God to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth in your own strength. God has chosen to take up residence inside of you through the Person of the Holy Spirit. Your constant Companion is the loving and interceding Holy Spirit. You are never alone. Keep joining the sacred communication known as prayer. Be thankful for the intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit living inside you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Prayer Romans

Keeps on Filling in the Gaps

“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26b (NIV) This past summer I had the privilege of serving as a chaperon for some of the fifth grade boys for our annual preteen camp. One of the highlights was free time. All the third, fourth, and fifth graders got to enjoy the zip line, the swimming pool, the water slide, the train, dodge-ball, paddle-boats, and the most amazing go-carts. Once the gate opened for my crew to get into the go-cart action, a few of my guys couldn’t reach the gas pedal. Fortunately, the attendant came to the rescue by inserting a cushion between the rider and the rear portion of the seat. The cushion filled in the gap and enabled each of my guys to enjoy the fun on the track. Then of course, I got to race them! When it comes to prayer, we experience a gap between our being finite and God being infinite. Because of our finiteness and fallibility we cannot perceive fully what God would desire. Therefore, we do not grasp fully what is appropriate in prayer. We are weak in that we do not know what to pray for, since the totality of God’s will is somewhat hidden from us. The Spirit fills this lack through the ministry of intercession. Our deficiency is compensated by His sufficiency. When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in ways that are beyond our human comprehension. The gap created by our humanity is filled by the intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit. He keeps on filling in the gap for us. When you pray, the Holy Spirit edits your prayers to bring your petitions before our Holy God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Prayer Romans

Keeps on Helping

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26a (NIV) Have you ever wondered what to say when you don’t know what to pray? Here’s some wonderful news from God’s Word. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We are finite and have limitations that keep us from always knowing what to pray. The Spirit keeps on helping you carry the load. Living in a fallen world creates stress and distress and discouragement. You need outside help. You need the assistance the Holy Spirit provides. In this life, you combat the weaknesses found in the human condition and you combat the perpetual susceptibility to sin. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 (NIV) The Person of the Holy Spirit living inside of you is your Counselor. The Spirit of truth lives in you and empowers you to live in victory and enables you to overcome adversity. He is your Comforter. When you are unsure of the path God wants you to take, the Holy Spirit living in you, illuminates the path. When you are hurting and feeling down, the Holy Spirit comforts you. He is your constant Companion. You are never alone. You are never without help and without hope. The Spirit of truth equips you to operate in the center of God’s will. He helps you carry the load produced during this earthly existence. Where do you feel weak? Where do you need the Spirit’s help right now? Yield fully to the Spirit’s control. Enjoy the journey God has for you by submitting to the work of the Holy Spirit living in you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Dependency Holy Spirit Romans

Divine Assistance

“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 (NIV) Have you noticed the two roads available to you? One road aligns with your sinful nature and seeks to gratify the desires resident within that nature, yet produces spiritual death. The other road available to you is less traveled and is supernatural. Access to this road is granted by the Spirit and produces life. You cannot fulfill God’s plan without God’s power. The sinful nature must be put to death in order for you to experience the life God has for you. Jesus won the victory over sin on the cross. As John Phillips wrote, “In order to enjoy this victory, the believer must cooperate with God and determine that by God’s grace sin shall not be sovereign.” God has provided everything needed for a life of victory. 2 Pt 1:3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” As a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. He is in you! Does He have all of you? A hallmark of His habitation is divine assistance. The Holy Spirit has you completely when you choose to depend on His power to deliberately choose to crucify the cravings of the sinful nature. Scottish Theologian David Brown remarked, “If you don’t kill sin, sin will kill you.” Fully yielded to the Spirit, you can put to death the misdeeds of the body. By the Spirit, you can live a life of victory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Romans Sinful Nature

Does He Have You?

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.” Romans 8:12 (NIV) Think back to the moment of your conversion. Where were you and how did you come to know Jesus personally? In that moment, a divine transaction took place that changed your forever. In that moment you received the Holy Spirit and you received ALL of Him. Yes! He is in you! Since the moment of your conversion, you have been on a journey of growing as a follower of Jesus Christ. You have been in the process of giving Him ALL of you. In other words, you ALWAYS have ALL of Him, but He may not ALWAYS have ALL of you. So the question is, “Does He have you?” One hallmark of His habitation is decisive action. If you are fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit living inside of you, then you will take decisive action when it comes to the cravings of the sinful nature. In Christ, you are no longer obligated to be loyal to the sinful nature. Surrendered to the Spirit’s control, you choose to not live according to the sinful nature. When a believer starts living according to the sinful nature it immediately produces spiritual death. You cannot be married to Christ and court the cravings of the sinful nature without experiencing spiritual death. You don’t lose your salvation, but you fracture your faith, fetter your fruit, and forfeit your fellowship with God. Your intimacy with the Lord will be devastatingly diminished if you succumb to the desires of the flesh. How do you know when the Holy Spirit has you? He has you when you deliberately choose to NOT live according to the sinful nature. Take decisive action! As Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say, “Don’t give the devil a club to hit you with.” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Sinful Nature Victory

Superbowl Strategy

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Gal 5:16-17 (NIV) Tonight the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will compete for the Vince Lombardi trophy in Superbowl XLV. These two teams have navigated the terrain of intense opposition and obstacles to attain such an envied opportunity to feature their talents on the world stage of competition. Competition is normal in the life of the child of God. There is a perpetual battle in the life of every believer that demands focus and attention. The playing field features two teams, namely, good and evil. Incessant confrontation exists between light and darkness, Spirit and flesh, and God and the devil. Every child of God has to choose to operate in the light, walk in the Spirit, and obey God’s Word. The competing forces of evil seek to keep every believer from moving the football of faith down the field to the end zone of victory. How will you respond to the desires of the sinful nature which are in direct opposition to the Spirit living in you? What will you do with the conflict within? Choose to live by the Spirit and you will not gratify nor satisfy the cravings of the sinful nature. Learn to live in victory over sin by walking in the Spirit. Give the Holy Spirit complete control of your life and your longings. Yield to His leadership. You are a trophy of God’s grace. Jesus has already declared your victory over sin, death, and hell. You play for the winning team! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Sin Nature Temptation

Living in Two Worlds

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Gal 5:16-17 (NIV) Every believer is living in two worlds: the world of the Spirit or the world of the sinful nature. Light and darkness abound. They are in conflict with each other. As a result, the believer has to combat the gravitational pull of the sinful nature. At salvation, a believer receives the Holy Spirit and is made fit for heaven. However, the believer retains the sinful nature and must daily crucify the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Have you been combating the cravings of the flesh? Have you noticed that your sinful nature is addicted to sin? However, you must daily crucify the flesh. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24 NIV). In Christ, you must starve the flesh. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Feed the Spirit living in you and starve the cravings of your sinful nature. Do not be a slave to sin. Choose to be a slave to righteousness. Pray with me: Father, thank You for redeeming me from my sin. You have rescued me from this body of death. You have brought me out of the kingdom of darkness and placed me in the kingdom of Light. Help me to crucify the sinful nature and to live by the Spirit. Enable me to live the Christ-centered life in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to finish strong for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Salvation Soulwinning

No Greater Task

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) God empowers us for participation in His redemptive activity. We cannot operate in God’s kingdom economy without God’s kingdom resources. God’s agenda can only be fulfilled by God’s enabling. Without God’s power, we cannot fulfill God’s mission. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit indwelt the believers and enabled them to speak forth the Gospel. Everyone heard the Good News in their own heart language. This miraculous communication of the Gospel was God’s demonstration that the Gospel is for everyone! What is your spiritual story? How did you come to know Christ personally? What has your life been like since being filled with the Holy Spirit? What does God’s Word say about how a person can be saved? If you have experienced the Gospel firsthand, then you are now ready to witness to Christ’s saving power. You are now ready to share your faith with others. Read Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, and 10:13. God has reconciled you to Himself so that you can join God in reconciling others to Himself. Build bridges to those who don’t know Jesus so that they can have the saving relationship that you enjoy in Christ. There’s no greater task on planet earth! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Power Soulwinning

Infused with Power

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33 (NIV) How is resurrection power evidenced in your life? The apostles demonstrated resurrection power as they testified of the bodily resurrection of the Lord. They combated immense opposition to share the gospel. They were willing to risk everything for the sake of witnessing to the reality of the resurrected Lord. As they gave witness of the Lord’s resurrection, the grace of God was upon them. Could it be that God reserves His resurrection power for the most important task? Is it possible that God unleashes His resurrection power when you join Him in His redemptive activity? When you testify of His redeeming love, God releases His power in you to accomplish His task of spreading the fragrance of Christ. When you enter the spiritual battlefield for the souls of men, women, boys, and girls, God empowers you for the mission. Are you attempting anything that requires resurrection power? Are you living on mission with God to the extent that you are desperate for His divine enabling? God has given you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). As you share the gospel, remember that it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). There’s no need to be ashamed. Operate in the resurrection power God provides. Allow God to take you places you have never been in your love relationship with Him. Trust God to give you the boldness and the courage to confront the culture and to present the wonderful saving news of Jesus. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Pentecost Priesthood of the Believer

Filled with the Spirit

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:4 (NIV) God accomplishes the extraordinary through ordinary people just like you. He gives you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Fulfilling God’s purposes requires God’s power. You cannot accomplish God’s will without being filled with His Spirit. He equips you to do His work His way. The hundred and twenty believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit and communicated the gospel in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Gathered in Jerusalem from diverse cultures for Pentecost, the crowd came together in bewilderment. Each person heard the believers speaking in his own language. Was the miracle in the speaking or in the hearing? There’s no need to debate that issue. The miracle was that God chose to communicate the gospel to everyone. God broke down the ethnic barriers and removed the obstacles to communication so that everyone could hear the saving news of Jesus in his own heart language. The Holy Spirit was at work in both the senders and the receivers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The believers were filled with the Spirit to participate in God’s redemptive activity. The Holy Spirit took up permanent residence in each of them to enable them to continue the ministry of the Jesus. If you are a child of God, you are filled with the Holy Spirit to join God in His redemptive activity. Be sensitive to opportunities God places before you today to make Jesus known. Everyday is Pentecost for the fully devoted follower of Christ. You have the capacity and the responsibility to share God’s redemption story with every unsaved person on the earth. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Prayer Unity

Unified in Prayer

“‘I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’” Luke 24:49 (NIV) Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received what His Father had promised. Jesus affirmed that they would be clothed with power from on high. Upon arrival in the Upper Room, the hundred and twenty believers joined constantly together in prayer (Acts 1:14). They were unified in prayer awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit. How long did they have to wait? Ten days! That would be considered a long prayer meeting. Why did Jesus wait ten days to send the Promised Holy Spirit? Perhaps the hundred and twenty believers needed ten days to purge their lives from sin, selfishness, and strained relationships. Maybe the believers had to extend and receive forgiveness. It is possible that the Lord wanted to give them time to adjust their lives to His agenda. Unified prayer honors the Lord. If you want to see God at work in your life and around you, begin to join other believers in unified prayer. Passionately pursue God in prayer and allow Him to reveal unconfessed sin in your life. Allow God to illuminate the level of your spiritual devotion and the reality of your sensitivity to His activity. Invite God to search your heart and to reveal anything in your life that does not bring Him pleasure. Praying in unity with other believers moves the heart of God. You will form a special bond with those you pray with and enjoy the fellowship God produces. Make room in your life for unified prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Prayer Spiritual Warfare

Standing Firm in the Faith

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Cor 16:13 (NIV) Spiritual warfare is a reality in the life God has for you. Get on your toes and be aware, be alert, and be armed. The devil is real. This is not a time to embrace spiritual apathy or lethargy. This is not a time to retreat. Choose to live in the opposition readiness mode. God has given you everything you need to march victoriously in this life. God has equipped you to overcome the enemy! “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph 6:18 (NIV) Get on your knees and pray. Praying is like flying; when you stop you drop! Nothing will keep you standing like kneeling before the Lord. Prayer is your lifeline. Prayer is your communication connection to the Commander-in-Chief. Stay close and clean. Strive for unbroken fellowship with God. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Tim 6:12 (NIV) Get on your feet and fight. Move from the posture of kneeling in prayer to that of standing to your feet to face the enemy. The armor of God will protect you. God has armed you for battle. Stand firm! Fight the good fight! You may lose some battles, but as a child of the King, you win the war! Satan has been defeated! Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual warfare requires spiritual power that God provides to you by the Holy Spirit living in you. You are the walking tabernacle of the Presence of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Security Trinity

Authentically Sealed

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.” Eph 1:13-14 (NIV) If you believe, you will receive. At the moment of conversion, you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is an instantaneous experience, not a subsequent event. The indwelling presence of Christ, the Holy Spirit, comes to live inside of you. Having believed on the gospel of Jesus Christ, you were marked in Christ with the seal of the Holy Spirit. The seal speaks of authenticity. The seal speaks of identification. You belong to God. You are His creation. You became His child and were adopted into His family when you placed your faith in Jesus alone for salvation. You were marked with a seal. That seal is the Person of the Holy Spirit. Did you notice the Trinity in these two verses? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are expressed in verses thirteen and fourteen. Look closely and you will see “Christ” and then “Holy Spirit” and then “God” which form the Trinity, which means three in one. God created you. Jesus redeemed you. The Holy Spirit inhabits you. Your conversion is the real deal which has been sealed. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Faith Holy Spirit Victory

Fruit Inspection

(Today’s Devotional Submitted by Guest Writer: Louis Miori, Pastor of Pastoral Care, Champion Forest Baptist Church) “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’” John 15:5 (NIV) If you go to the local bookstore, you will find hundreds of book titles in the “self-help” section. While some of these books offer practical solutions to life’s problems, many of these books center on changing one’s outward behavior in one’s own strength. Most of these books encourage intense self-reliance to become a better person and to have a better life. While our culture places a primary emphasis on SELF:  self-reliance, self-improvement, and even self-indulgence, Jesus speaks to the contrary by telling us that apart from Him, we can do nothing! To attain a life of victory, a life of true joy, peace, and purpose, a life where we successfully overcome our hurts, habits, and hang-ups, Jesus endorses a life of complete surrender to Him and complete dependence on Him. As we daily surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, and as we daily declare our dependence on Him rather than ourselves, then He will enable us to live a fruitful life. What kind of fruit is produced when a follower of Christ chooses to totally surrender to and totally depend on God? On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, take a few moments to evaluate the evidence of each of the nine fruit of the Spirit in your life (Gal. 5:22-23). If you truly want to see how the fruit of the Spirit is manifesting in your life, ask your spouse, another family member, or a trusted friend to “inspect your fruit” with this same 1-10 scale. Be encouraged, God loves you so much and wants you to live a life of surrender, dependence, and victory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Holy Spirit Intercession Prayer

Perpetual Intercession

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) Prayer is our privilege and responsibility of engaging in sacred communication with the Creator of the universe. The completed work on the cross has given us access. We can share our heart with God through prayer and deepen our love relationship with Him. Prayer is the avenue through which we maintain a vibrant connection with the One who created us and redeemed us. Doing life in the rugged terrain of a fallen world often emphasizes our weaknesses and our human frailty. We are susceptible to fear, despair, and apathy. In those times of weakness, the Holy Spirit helps us. The Person of the Holy Spirit lives in us and knows us intimately. He engages in the ministery of intercessory prayer on our behalf. Have you ever been in a season in which you did not know what to pray? Perhaps you would say that you are in that season now. Be assured that the Holy Spirit living in you is interceding for you in alignment with God’s will. Your name and your circumstances are being brought before the Creator of the universe. The Holy Spirit is your constant Companion. He will comfort you. He will guide you. Even when you don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit takes your burdens to the Lord through intercession. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Anointed One Holy Spirit Identity Messiah Revelation

Holy Spirit and Revelation

“It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:26 (NIV) The Holy Spirit is not an object, but rather the third Person of the Trinity. God the Father created us. God the Son redeemed us. God the Holy Spirit sealed us. As one of my pastor friends likes to say in reference to salvation, “God thought it, Jesus bought it, and the Holy Spirit wrought it.” Simeon received revelation from God by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had personally seen the Lord’s Christ. God the Holy Spirit communicated this truth to Simeon. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 1:20 (NIV) The Holy Spirit points us to Christ. As followers of Jesus, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and enabled to discern the things that come from the Spirit of God. Our role, as Simeon demonstrated, is to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Sprit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor