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Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Desires

Why do we want the things that we want? There is always a reason behind our desires. Some of them are not so good as others, but a reason none the less.

As part of our salvation our spirits were washed and regenerated, that is, we were born again in our spirit which means we are now connected to God in spirit.

not out from works, the ones in righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5

But the one knit together with the Lord is one spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:17

Our spirit is our rational part

For what human intuitively knows the things of a human except the spirit of the human, the one in Him? 1 Corinthians 2:11

Because we are now connected to God in our rational, intellectual part and the Holy Spirit indwells us, He impacts our desires. So the next time you have a desire to do what is right, that desire is not coming from you; rather, it is a direct result of the Holy Spirit expressing to you His desire for you in that situation. Don’t take these desires lightly, they are not natural to our human nature and are contrary to it.

But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will never bring to completion the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the desires of the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are against one another in order that you do not do the things you desire – Galatians 5:17

Now we do not want our sin nature taking advantage […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – DesiresLuther Walker2023-12-14T08:41:58-08:00

God’s Desires for the Christian’s Life

As members of the body of the Christ, God has revealed to us His desirous will for our lives. We are not to sleep as unsaved do, but arise out from them so that Christ shines in our lives. Not governing our lives as fools, but as those who are wise, because the days are malignantly evil, understanding the desirous will of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:15-17).

God reveals in Scripture many things about His desires for the life of a Christian. As we do what He has already revealed we learn how to identify His will in any situation; our knowledge of His will becomes a full experiential knowledge, not just head knowledge (Colossians 1:9).

What God has specifically revealed concerning His desirous will for you as a Christian

Present your body as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1

This is a logical response to the fact that Christ has purchased you. He gave Himself in order to redeem us from our lawlessness (Titus 2:14). We are bought with a price and therefore are to express a proper opinion of God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20)

It is a one time act, giving to God what is rightfully His. Since we belong to God we should not serve men (1 Corinthians 7:23). Regardless of what position you have in life, serve God within that position, rather than man.

Bring transformed from the renewed mind that we now posses in Christ, Romans 12:2

Not being outwardly conformed to this world, as ones who are masquerading, but being transformed from the inside out by using the new mind we now have as a result of salvation, (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the soulish man does not receive the things […]

God’s Desires for the Christian’s LifeLuther Walker2023-11-23T14:09:58-08:00

Communicating our Needs and Desires to the Father

One of the ways we communicate with the Father is to make a request on our behalf or for the benefit of another.

To Receive What You Ask for, we are to ask according to His desirous will

And this is the confidence which we have towards Him, that if, perhaps, we ask, as a lessor to a greater, something according to His desirous will, He hears us. And if, perhaps, we intuitively know that He hears us, that which perhaps we asked for ourselves we intuitively know that we will have the thing asked for which we ask from Him, 1 John 5:14 – 16

We are to ask in faith

Taking God at His word. He states that if we ask according to His desirous will we will have what we have requested.

When asking for wisdom Scripture states …but let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the doubting one yields as a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed, James 1:6

God is able to provide beyond what we could even consider possible. God spoke the universe into existence, what could you possibly ask that is beyond His natural ability to perform?

Now to the one having the natural ability to do exceedingly above all things which we ask for ourselves or think, according to the natural ability, the one working in us, Ephesians 3:20

Notice: No response from God is not an answer to your request, it means He did not hear you.

Why Do we Ask but not Receive?

We ask so that we can freely spend it according to our own pleasures

You ask and you do not receive, because you ask incorrectly, in order that you […]

Communicating our Needs and Desires to the FatherLuther Walker2023-12-14T11:21:48-08:00

Pleasing (ἀρέσκω)

Pleasing (ἀρέσκω) expresses the concept of acting in a fawning manner to win favor or to act in a way that is pleasing. Therefore, it has a negative, flattery, and a positive, pleasing, side to its meaning.

On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter danced before Herod and his guests to please him, instigating a response from him that resulted in a promise of a reward. This allowed Herodias to have John the Baptist put to death for calling out Herod’s unlawful act of being with her (his brother’s wife), for she had already instructed her daughter to ask for his head when the King offered her whatever she wanted because she pleased him, Matthew 14:6.

At the beginning of the Church, before the complete revelation concerning the Church was given, the first assembly in Jerusalem faced an issue with the care of the widows among the Hellenistic Jews. This issue required substantial attention and would impact the disciples’ ability to minister to the saints. To address this, the disciples called the multitude together to discuss selecting men who would handle the day-to-day affairs of the assembly, including ensuring that all widows were adequately cared for. This solution would allow the disciples to focus on ministering the Word instead of serving tables. The proposed resolution pleased the multitude, creating the position of Deacon, Acts 6:5.

The desires and works of the flesh cannot please God, for they are carnal in nature and, therefore, hostile to God, Romans 8:8. Because God imputes Christ’s death and resurrection to us, we are able to walk in newness of life, free from slavery to the sin nature, Romans 6:5-6. However, when we try to live the Christian life through law, the result […]

Pleasing (ἀρέσκω)Luther Walker2024-09-05T05:52:16-07:00

Inherent power (δύναμις)

Inherent power (δύναμις) describes the potential for functioning, the ability or capability to carry something out.

Inherent ability is often translated as, “power”, “wonders”, “mighty works”, or “miracles”, which can cause a lot of confusion in understanding what is being expressed. However, when we go back to its roots, we find that it refers to a person’s natural innate capacity or talent without the need to be taught or trained.

In Matthew chapter eleven, verses twenty through twenty-three, Jesus rebukes Chorazin and Bethsaida for their unbelief because of all the many manifestations of inherent ability that were done before them. In comparison, if these works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, these cities would still remain. However, in the day of Judgment, it will be more tolerable for these cities than for Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated His authority by bestowing inherent ability upon the twelve disciples. He sent them to Israel to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God, equipping them with the inherent ability and authority over demons and diseases, Luke 9:1.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the inherent ability of God, 1 Corinthians 1:18. The gospel of the Christ has within its words the inherent ability to save, Romans 1:16. It is important to clearly and without modification state the good news by which we are saved that is laid out by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Christ died on behalf of our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Unlike the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens, which could […]

Inherent power (δύναμις)Luther Walker2024-08-15T05:57:37-07:00

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