10-27-18 The First 15

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The Weekly Overview One of the most powerful marks of a believer is transcendent peace. This world offers us no reason to be peaceful. It offers us no reason to be without stress, burdens, cares, and total frustration. But we serve a God who offers us peace in the midst of any circumstance. We serve a God in whom all true peace finds its source. May you discover the heart of your heavenly Father to bring you peace this week. The Scripture “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” - Ephesians 4:30 The Worship Experience Artist: Tasha Cobbs feat. Will Reagan Song: Fill Me Up The Devotional Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In the Holy Spirit, we have relationship with a God who feels, has joy and grief, is happy and unhappy, and has real thoughts and desires for the way we live our lives. The Spirit longs for us to live in communion with him, forsaking that which grieves his heart that we might experience the abundant life that only comes through wholehearted surrender to him. And it’s because he has specific desires for the ways we should live that we have the potential to grieve his heart. If we are to ever experience all that’s available to us in this life, we must learn to pay attention to the feelings, thoughts, and desires of the God within us. We must seek and find peace in our spirits that comes from the peace of the Holy Spirit. Scripture makes a powerful and direct connection between obeying God’s word and peace. Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” Isaiah 32:17 says, “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” And Psalm 34:14 says, “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” The desires of the Holy Spirit for our lives are perfectly aligned with Scripture. In fact, the Spirit longs to bring revelation to our hearts about how to apply and obey Scripture in our everyday lives. He longs to apply his words to our circumstances, situations, and thoughts that we might enjoy all the abundance that comes from obedience to God’s word. It’s vital that we as believers living in union with God learn to take notice of how he feels, what he thinks, and where he’s leading us. We must grow in our knowledge of how he speaks to us and leads us. If you feel unrest in your spirit that doesn’t seem to make sense, take time to ask God if he’s speaking. If you feel weird about doing something, saying something, or thinking something, take a minute to ask God if he’s trying to tell you something. The use of Scripture is incredibly important in growing in peace with the Holy Spirit. It’s so much easier to discern his thoughts and feelings if we have Scripture in our minds and hearts for him to point to. The greatest way to confirm that you are discerning the will of God is to ask him to bring back to mind a Scripture that goes along with his leading. God will never tell you to do something contrary to Scripture. He will never lead you in a direction that is not in perfect alignment with the words he’s so perfectly given you in the Bible. Learning to discern how the Holy Spirit thinks, feels, and leads is an absolutely crucial part of experiencing peace. Engage in the process of growing in relationship with the Spirit. Take notice of ways in which he might be speaking. Ask him to grow you in your ability to think, feel, and act in union with his will. You have a fully loving, powerful, faithful, and able God dwelling within you. May you experience the fullness of life that comes from peace between you and the Holy Spirit. The Prayer 1. Meditate on Scripture about the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you revelation about who he is through the words he’s written. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17 2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness to you. Ask him to teach you to discern how he feels, what he’s thinking and where he’s leading. 3. Take time to rest in God’s presence. Ask him whatever questions you have in your heart and let him teach you. The Holy Spirit will never force his will, thoughts, or desires on us. He quietly beckons us into deeper relationship with him. But once we ask him for his will, he freely gives it. Learn to quiet your heart before him. Take time throughout your day to ask him how he feels about what you’re doing. Make space for him to guide and direct you to the heart of the Father and his will for your life. May you be blessed with a substantial peace and joy today as you learn to live in obedience to the Spirit. Extended Reading:  Galatians 5 CRAIG DENISON is the author and founder of First15, a daily devotional guiding tens of thousands of believers into a fresh experience with God's presence every day. He writes, speaks, and he and his wife, Rachel lead worship to help believers establish a more tangible, meaningful connection with God.