I Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and HIM crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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Paul came to the church "in weakness, and fear, and much trembling."
And Paul "determined not to know any thing" except Jesus Christ, THE WORD. He was not going to try to tell entertaining and seemingly wise stories to entice the flesh of man. He wanted them to stand in the power of God, trusting in God.
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Some people look for clever stories which will entertain and entice the listener.
God showed me to read the Bible continuously, day by day, and when I got before people, to speak that which was called to my attention, allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work through HIM.
Sometimes I would be reminded of a section of scripture. I would have the congregation look at that area of the Bible. Other times, a dream or situation showing God working, would come to mind and I would share that.
But all things shared were edifying, building the congregations in the faith in God and showing the way of God on this present earth.
When we speak, it should be to edification, to exhortation, or to comfort.
Exhortations are often warnings for the church.
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One of our church group had made out a list of things she wanted to say to her adult aged children who were arriving at her house any minute. I happened to call her at that time, just before they arrived. I learned what she had done in planning out what she was wanting to say to them. I told her, "Don't do it." Trust God to bring forth that which HE wants said.
She threw her list away and everyone was spared needless conflicts.
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John 14:26 Jesus says ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The other person speaks, and into your mind will come an example, a scripture, a dream ... share that.
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Another scripture used by God to teach me to rest in HIM, to trust HIM, and to allow HIM to speak through me rather than me figuring out something to say, is the following.
John 5:30 Jesus said ... I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and MY judgment is just; because I seek not MINE own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent ME.
Jesus just walked about and when someone came to HIM, HE spoke that which HE heard from God the Father. The will of God was done that way.
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The apostle Paul said: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. II Tim. 2
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Once I was playing golf with two women, one a Church of Christ woman and the other a Methodist. At one point one of the women began speaking about not judging. (I felt she was directing this at me.) She continued to speak about how some people are always judging others. The Holy Spirit rose up in me and said through me, "If you judge someone is judging, aren't you judging?" She gasped. It was like a pin poking a balloon letting the hot air out.
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John 6:63 Jesus said ... It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Learn to trust in God what HE wants spoken. Just speak that which God brings to your mind as the person is standing before you.
Often after the person I have been speaking with leaves, I will have other things come to mind that "I could have said." But I always know, if God had wanted me to speak those things to that person, then those things would have been brought to my mind when that person was standing there.
Everything is resting in God and trusting in God.
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For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the MIND of the Lord, that he may instruct HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
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In the NT church, all who belong to God are "sealed" by the Spirit of God.
The Spirit of God is the "earnest" of our salvation.
Ephesians 1:4-14 According as HE hath chosen us in HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before HIM in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of HIS will,
To the praise of the glory of HIS grace, wherein HE hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In WHOM we have redemption through HIS blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of HIS grace;
Wherein HE hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Having made known unto us the mystery of HIS will, according to HIS good pleasure which HE hath purposed in HIMSELF:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times HE might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in HIM:
In WHOM also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of HIM who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS own will:
That we should be to the praise of HIS glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In WHOM ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in WHOM also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of HIS glory.
II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
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In the OT it was not so. Not all had the Holy Spirit. But in the NT church, unless you have the Holy Spirit, you are not of God.
Romans 8:9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of HIS.
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Why is the Holy Spirit in us so important? It is because of what HE is and because of what HE does for the believer.
Before Jesus was taken into heaven, after HE was resurrected from the dead, HE met with HIS disciples.
Acts 1:4-5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith HE, ye have heard of ME.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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Without the power of the Holy Spirit speaking through us, what we say will be in vain. Therefore we cannot witness of HIM until we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter. Also it is by the Holy Spirit that people are convicted of their sins.
And specifically, Jesus says the Holy Spirit does the following for the believer.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God who searches the heart of God and reveals to us God's thoughts about what we are doing and what we are about to do. I Cor. 2
The Holy Spirit:
- Teaches us all things
- Reminds us of what Jesus has said
- Guides us into all truth
- Shows us things to come
So the Holy Spirit is critical to those who are of God and causes us to know the way of God and to be able to walk in the way of God on this present earth.
By the Holy Spirit we also know others who are of God.
(There are many in churches who are not of the Spirit of God but are of their own flesh and their own minds and their own way of thinking which seems reasonable to themselves. They follow their own reasonings. We who are of God see spiritual things and we follow the Spirit of God.)
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