When was the Holy Spirit Given?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carla on October 29, 2013 at 2:15pm

The enemy certainly knows where to hit us...and satan's also very good at getting us to look deeply into our pain, rejection, failings and our struggles, and when he gets us to that place he hits us with condemnation and guilt.  I think that is where depression can have it's way with us (if it's not medical).

 

This is the place where we need to remember who we are.

BLESSED, CHOSEN, ADOPTED, ACCEPTED, REDEEMED, FORGIVEN AND LOVED.

Sometimes we need someone to come alongside us to remind us who we are when we can't remember on our own.

 

Seek, will you hear that message today?

 

 

Permalink Reply by RoyW on October 29, 2013 at 2:34pm

Amanda,

Do you think any of us have arrived? We are all totally dependent upon our Lord. However, it is not God's complete will that you continually see how far you are from His perfect plan for you. This life is only a beginning of that which is to come. We will never arrive while in this world. I continually encourage you to accept yourself and enjoy the ride. God has His hold on your life and you are safe in Him. You are too busy browbeating yourself. You (we all do this) fix your eyes on yourself and not upon Your perfect Lord. He is your righteousness. He is all your righteousness. 

Seek, Jesus came to save you. Have you asked Him to save you? Then, of course He will save you. We are completely healed, now. This flesh is a fallen mess. We do our best to control it but we never lose sight of our Lord Jesus. We are victorious because He is victorious. We have conquered because He conquered and that victory is credited to us NOW. We fight constant battles. Some we appear to win and do we ever feel good about ourselves. Maybe, just maybe I am that overcomer spoken of in His Word. Then, we lose a battle or two. We become despondent, even heart-broken. We are in love with Jesus and want so desperately to please Him. Do you love your son? Is he perfect? Is your love dependent on his actions? Of course not and yet you are a human lover. He is a divine lover and He allows nothing to separate us from Him. 

We all fail. Some seem to fail less than others but that doesn't make them better? No, we are all still totally dependent on Him for our righteousness and holiness. 

Sometimes some of us boast too much. We tell of our victories but hide our failures. Forgive me if I have done that. I don't know what my ratio is to victory versus failures but I can guarantee the ratio is not good. That is why we have to focus on Him to keep our sanity. Otherwise, we just give up. I know He will never ever forsake you. But do see His victories. Focusing on His victories does seem to ease the pain of our failures. 

I love Jesus and I know you do as well. You are His special child. You belong to Him. He came to give you live and that life more abundantly. You now have that life within you regardless of where you are in your spiritual walk. He gave you that special gift. I might suggest to stop performing and start living but you are probably way beyond that. 

Believe it or not, we are all in one way or another right where you are. Maybe some are not fighting the same spiritual battle but we are all fighting. Here, let me help you lift that sword of the Spirit that you speak of. Watch it rise as you snatch it from its sheath and fight against these inner thoughts that seek to defeat you. You see, the sword of the Spirit, He has been moving on you. It is not your sword. It is His. Whenever He came, He is certainly here now. As Jesus said, "He will be with you and will be in you." He is residing within you now. That sword speaks of His Word and His Word says you are righteous because He is righteous. 

No matter how successful you become in winning your battles, you will never be more righteous or holy than you are right now. You will never have the sense of accomplishment in yourself. You will always be wanting to improve and seek His favor. You already have His favor. You have His glowing smile. He loves even you. 

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on October 30, 2013 at 12:11pm

Php 1:6 NIV84  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

He will finish what He has started, always.

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 30, 2013 at 12:12pm

Yup Amanda.  That's what I hate about the depression so much.  All the negative thoughts seem to override everything and I'm so exhausted from fighting and exhausted even from those thoughts, which is why I think I'm so tired so often.  And I've been more and more positive, so when that comes on and I fall into that negative well, I can't stand it.  And I can't seem to claw my way out.  I keep thinking of Joseph being PUSHED into a pit, not because of anything he did.  But he couldn't get out of the pit.  Someone had to help him out of it. 

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 30, 2013 at 12:14pm

I just pray He finishes it LT before I lose what little of my mind I have left. 

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 29, 2013 at 3:24pm

Carla, it is not a matter of hearing that message.  I KNOW that message, by heart.  But when that cloud comes over me, I cannot believe in it, can't hold to it, and I'm so exhausted with the depression, I can't even mentally fight those thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Carla on October 29, 2013 at 3:29pm

Seek,  

 

It has to be fought spiritually.  It goes beyond a 'knowing'.  Perhaps it's in the receiving.

 

Ephesians 6:10-18

 

I hope your counselling session goes well tonight... I'm praying for that.

Permalink Reply by Amanda on October 29, 2013 at 5:31pm

I'm afraid anymore to say Satan is behind any kind of trouble, to make accusations against the Accuser. But I think we ought to be able to recognize when it is Satan -- there must be some way we can tell if it's God or Satan or God using Satan, etc ... If we attribute something to Satan, we may actually be resisting something that God is doing, (like breaking someone or helping someone learn to die to self) and we are supposed to resist Satan but not resist the Spirit. 

Would God use something like depression? I don't know anything for certain other than Romans 8:28, and I'm afraid to say farther.

When hardship comes in my life, I am looking for the way of discerning the meaning of it as to whether it is God's discipline, or is a trial to grow spiritually, or is from Satan tempting me, or is from living in this fallen world where fallen people do fallen things, and me too.

Discipline would only come from God, I know. But, some ask and I ask, too, why would God use the wicked and their evil ways to discipline His children? I can understand God rebuking us through conviction or through the rebuke of friends, sermons, Scripture, and every other means, and when the rebukes go without recognition, God will discipline. I can see where God might possibly work through depression to that end. 

However, I will say, "Au contraire" to regarding all depression that isn't medical as being from Satan. We can construct it ourselves as a defense mechanism in an attempt to numb ourselves from terrible emotional pain. Satan attacks and tempts from the outside but we struggle on the inside with the self and the flesh, etc ... This much I do know from my own experience. Does God work through all of this for our good? Yes or no or maybe?

Also, the armor doesn't stop attacks but helps fight through them and this Scripture also mentions prayers and praying for each other helps. I believe God only does some things because we prayed -- in His foreknowledge, He knew what we'd pray and has it worked into the plan. See James 5:17-18. 

Also, in my own experience, it really hasn't been about knowing   or even receiving the message "BLESSED, CHOSEN, ADOPTED, ACCEPTED, REDEEMED, FORGIVEN AND LOVED." I empathize with Seek here. It's about seeing the application of it in my life. I know it's not about feeling these things. It's about having a weak faith and wanting to see that I am these things. But we walk by faith, not sight. It truly is about faith, but not versus unbelief. Believers are not also unbelievers. I want to see. My faith is weak and I have the need to see right now. Hopefully, that will change. 

It's about faith in the sense that faith is measurable. If one has only a weak faith, it doesn't mean one has no faith. And there are different facets of faith, too, such as new birth, protection, providence, etc ... In all areas of faith, I have faith but in many areas, it's weak faith. 

In the NT what I see (after the cross and for born again believers) what I see is the strong and the weak. It's like the barometer of faith runs between weak being the lowest reading and strong being the highest reading and it registers different readings in all the areas of faith for each believer, if you can understand what I mean. But I'm still learning, so if I'm in error, please correct me.

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 30, 2013 at 7:27am

That's the problem Carla, I fight it spiritually and it yet I'm so overwhelmed by so much, and so many medical issues keeping me tired and exhausted that I don't have any fight left when it keeps hitting me and won't let up despite all the efforts to fight it.  I've fought for days sometimes.  Sometimes I manage to push it hard enough it goes away, other times, it keeps hitting and hitting until I'm so worn down that I can't fight it any longer and then it comes at me full force.  I'm physically and mentally exhausted to the point that there is no fight in me at times.  And God says He will fight all our battles and go before us.  So all I can figure is that there is a reason He is permitting this.

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 30, 2013 at 7:53am

I've seen even those who seem to have strong faith buckle under massive pressure for a time.  So I don't even think it's about weak faith.  Mine's a very new faith compared to many.  Harvey actually told me before many Christians have this same issue when still new.  That surprised me and I told him how come everyone tells me they never doubt(ed) God and tell me my faith is weak, etc. etc. like they've never gone through it.  He said believe me, most people have and just won't admit it.

Permalink Reply by Carla on October 30, 2013 at 9:51am

Seek,

I agree that the spiritual battle is intense for new Christians..  It's intense for all of us, I don't think you would find anyone deny that. 

 

God will bring you through this, just continue to keep your gaze fixed on Him.  I understand it's hard with so many frustrations and stress in this life.  This world is not our home, we're just passing through....that's also why it's hard because we know this is not how things are supposed to be.

 

I'm reminded of Paul in 2 Tim 4:6-8... he says he has fought the good fight and finished the course, he's kept the faith.

This tells us there is a race to finish and a 'fight' of faith to fight  (see 2Cor 10:3, 1 Tim 6:12).

 

We face struggles which strengthen us to finish. 

 

Trials and Temptations-James 1

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^a whenever you face trials of many kinds,  3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.  10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.  11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.  17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Permalink Reply by Seek on October 30, 2013 at 10:19am

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters

I keep wondering on that one.  Considering it pure joy sure doesn't cause it to feel like joy.  There are verses that also say it will bring about a joyful ending and joy comes in the morning.  So I'm guessing to consider it joy doesn't mean you'll feel joy during it.  Which makes me wonder when peeps say a Christian isn't supposed to look sour and we're supposed to always smile.  Grrrrr

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