Everything is done in the Christian by God today through the Holy Spirit of Jesus who is given to live in us after God has chosen us to Himself.
Pam Padgett, was raised Catholic. When she was in high school, one of her schoolmates was killed in accident. This was first time Pam realized a person her age could die. She cried out to God for help.
It is a charming story for she said:
I know there is God, the Father ... and Jesus ... and the Holy Spirit ... but I don't know which one I'm supposed to pray to ... so please see that the right one gets this.
She was then born again.
She knew she was changed in the inside and something of God came into her body. But she didn't know what it was.
(It was the Holy Spirit.)
Sometime later she heard of the Holy Spirit and she cried out, "That's it! ... It is the Holy Spirit inside me."
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Many Christians today do not realize they have been given the Holy Spirit to lead and guide and teach them.
When I was born again, I didn't realize this. My best friend at that time had been a Christian for a great many years. She didn't understand how God works in us through HIS Spirit.
It is so difficult to follow God until you know how God works in us through HIS Spirit.
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God begin teaching me about the Holy Spirit through the following two scriptures.
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.
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The Holy Spirit who now lives in us, searches the heart of God to show us the will of God in the issues we face in this present life.
Mostly we are taught by God by the thoughts the Holy Spirit brings to our mind through concepts or scriptures.
But we are warned, "Try the spirits, whether they are of God ..." I John 4:1
For while God brings thoughts to our mind ... devil also brings thoughts ... and sometimes the lust of our own flesh will cause us to think something.
So we have to determine where that idea came from.
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The thoughts the devil sends are opposite from the will of God and are sent to destroy us.
Ministers often have religious thoughts sent by devils. Thoughts telling that person he needs to go through all the world and preach the gospel. (Sounds scriptural and devil even uses scripture to prove the idea is from God.)
The devil tried to get Jesus to do things to destroy Himself.
Matthew 4:1-10 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But HE answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But HE answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
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Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
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Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (obey me)
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
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You will see from above examples how the devil tried to use scripture to get Jesus to follow him.
It is not unusual for devil to quote a scripture to us to try to get us to do something that would harm us and destroy us ... and lead us to do something impossible, playing off our own fleshly ego that wants to do "great things" for God.
But God says to us:
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
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So to a person like me, the devil says things like, "Come help us ... help train our ministers."
Which greatly appeals to me to do.
But I am 80-years-old and partially crippled.
So Devil says, "But nothing is impossible with God." trying to make it sound reasonable to me.
Devils' goal is to kill me and to stop me from writing on this blog which goes all over the world and shares the way of God with the people of God.
But because I know James 3:17, I know the wisdom that is from God is "easy to be intreated."
Easy:
- uncomplicated
- undemanding
- unchallenging
- effortless
- painless
- trouble-free
- simple
- free from worries or problems
- calm, tranquil, serene, quiet, peaceful, untroubled, relaxed, comfortable, secure, safe.
- without difficulty or effort
God's way is "easy".
So would it be easy for me (an 80-year-old who is partially crippled) to leave my home and travel 1/2 way across the world to "preach the gospel"?
Immediately we see this is not God's plan for me. This is devil's plan to kill me.
Immediately we see this is not God's plan for me. This is devil's plan to kill me.
In 2012, in a dream, God showed me to start a blog.
Is this really God's plan?
Is this really God's plan?
* How much does it cost to do this? no cost
* Is it easy for me to write exhortations for the church? very easy
* Am I equipped by God with skills needed to do this work? spiritual gift of exhortation
* Do I have needed equipment and help to do this? Pam Padgett, retired computer programmer for Fed Ex is one of our own church group. Pam does set up required for blog.
I have computer and all I have to do is type message from my own home and schedule it for publication and it goes all over the world immediately without my having to leave my own home. This is very easy for an 80-year-old partially crippled person to do.
Now you tell me which plan is from God and which plan fits James 3:17.
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These are the ways God leads us by HIS Spirit and keeps us safe from harm and destruction.
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