January 2006 Archives

So, we'll be talking about the Holy Spirit Gift of Discernment this Sunday. Discernment is being able to sense that which is not detected by the 5 "standard" senses, and it comes as a direct result of a Gift of the Spirit.

It represents a communication link between your heart and the Word of God, by way of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

There is a realm, or "world" outside of this one that is, believe it or not, more real than our own, after all, God is Present in it all the time, and wherever God is, True Reality is.

So here we are, blind, cut off, not able to see this realm, sense it in any natural way... and being cut off from God, we're "dead" ... no longer among the Living, spiritually.

Then God sends His Son, Jesus Christ, into our fallen world to exercise His power, and bring us back to life:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:1-9

So, here we are -- brought back to life by Christ, in the Spirit -- and being tended to by the Holy Spirit daily, while we remain in this fallen and dead world.

But God is tremendously efficient, and won't just let us sit here, idle... so through our connection with the Holy Spirit, some of us are given the capacity to Discern what's really happening in the Spiritual realm, by means of an open heart-contact with the Holy Spirit.

This Discernment allows us to sense things that others wouldn't normally sense, and -- through our constant living relationship with the Holy Spirit, to pray for the situation and thereby bring greater Glory to God.

Discernment -- seeing the true Kingdom of God, not with the eyes in your head, but with the eyes in your heart.

So, I've opted to try, once again, to blog regularly. You'll know by the list whether I succeed, but here we go.

So the topic of the day is Talking to God, also known as prayer.

Paul tells us:

Eph. 6:18
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.

This passage means that you need to be chattering away to God all the time, and that you should be praying for all the saints (that's all Christians).

So, how do you pray all the time? Well, Paul explains that also, pray in the Spirit -- meaning be in the Spirit and open your heart to God.

Some may experience this through their personal prayer language, while others may experience this at first as just chatting with God as if he were on speakerphone in your car or something.

Chat -- there's a time for Reverent Prayer, but God made you for a fellowship, for a relationship. He uses phrases like Father, Son, Child, to describe our relationship -- family words. Do you go around submitting requests to your parents in a formalized tone? Nah ... you just talk at them -- they're family.

God wants you to be His family.

Pray constantly -- also known as "talk His ear off", either out loud, or in your mind -- just call the Holy Spirit to give you the words and go...

"...so anyway God, I finished my blog... for the day... now what?"