What does the good Book really Say?

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Comment by Kimmie on April 22, 2009 at 8:46pm

Hi Rita that was really deep and very informative. As I read I realized that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in me. Not because I'm perfect but because I see my sin. There is this on going battle inside me. My eyes are open to my owe short comings and my desire is to be in God will . I ask you my friend, to pray with me that I hear and listen for God instruction
for God isn't anything; He is everything! ( Good reading)

Comment by Deacon Shamayara on April 21, 2009 at 12:03pm

Chris & Deacon Rita, thank you for posting and getting the discussion started. I want to be able to sit down and read through all of this again before the week is over and give my 2 cents. Thanks for sharing....

Comment by Christopher Abram on April 21, 2009 at 11:42am

Christians often wonder and even sometimes go to the extent of doubting if they have really been born again of God's Holy Spirit. Even more so do LGBT Christians. We keep playing those old tapes that we have been taught by our parents, grandparents, and community. But what does the good book really say? What are some strategies we can use in trying to ascertain or evaluate our own personal spiritual state? Since the Holy Spirit is spirit, it is not someone we feel, touch or sense in the ordinary way that we might discern a physical object. So we can't talk about having the Spirit in those terms.
So then, how can we know we have the Holy Spirit?
Let's take a small quiz.

1. Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9)?
2. Are you moved during prayer to God by things that sometimes surprise us (Romans 8:26-27)?
3. Do we have a desire to obey God in love and bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:6-18, 22-25)?
4. Do we love everybody the same and demonstrate love through kindness every opportunity we get, even to the least of them (James 1:27)?
5. Do you honestly feel the need to avoid things of the world that are against the teachings of Christ (1 John 2:15-17)?

If you can honestly answer "yes" to these questions, you can have assurance that God's Holy Spirit is leading you.

Manifestations of the Holy Spirit
Gradually, as we live in Christ, we will find clear marks of his presence in our thoughts, action and life. 1 John talks about these manifestations. As Spirit-filled Christians we will have a new:

• Desire to please God (2:5).
• Assurance of pardon (2:1-2).
• Willingness to face opposition (3:13).
• Delight in the company of fellow Christians (3:14).
• Generosity of spirit (3:17).
• Know that Your Name Is Victory (4:4; 5:4).
• Understanding of life and set of priorities (5:20-21).

If you can honestly see that these manifestations in our lives, we should have confidence that the Holy Spirit is still working in us. We should be careful not to deny these manifestations, as though we are not worthy of them, however. It is not pride to know we have been born again of God. We should be humbly thankful for God's mercy in bestowing his grace upon us.
We can always have confidence in the fact that once God begins to work with us and gives us his Holy Spirit, he will never leave us. Despite the ups and downs of life, despite the problems we may have, we can have assurance in God's faithfulness. In the words of the apostle Paul: "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" (Philippians 1:6).

Comment by Deacon Rita Barrett on April 19, 2009 at 9:26am

Hello Family, I am glad to be in this group. I love journeying into Gods word to see how She can give us daily wisdom. Here is my question for us to "chew" on...
How Do You Know When You Have the Holy Spirit?
There is an old saying that goes like this: "Everybody who is talking about heaven ain't going there". In the same way, I believe that it would be safe to say that everybody who is talking about the Holy Spirit doesn't have Him. I say this because Jesus Himself said that not everybody who would say," Lord, Lord", would enter into the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 7:22,23)
I think the main reason some folks don't have the indwelling of the Spirit is because the majority don't want the lifestyle that the Spirit brings. There is a kind of conflict of interest. A kind of I do but I don't. Like the man who had the dog who he named Stay. He would say, "Come, Stay. Come, Stay." and you can imagine how confused this made the dog! Many of us do this knowingly or unknowingly with the Holy Spirit. Our prayers say, "Come" but our lives say "stay". It is not my purpose in this discussion to talk about how we can know that we have the Holy Spirit to say, "I don't have the Holy Spirit, but neither do you", or "I've got it you don't". The whole purpose is that we might have a clearer picture of what the Holy Spirit does in the life of the Christian and it is my prayer that each of us are blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus said he would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13) and who obey Him. (Acts 5:32) Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that we would abide in Him. After all, Jesus, Himself, said that He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:1-9). It is the Holy Spirit that makes this relationship possible. So, how do you know when you have the Holy Spirit? I don't believe we should use a "miracle" yardstick to measure the blessings of God or the work of the Holy Spirit. The sure test of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the fruit of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control are what being full of the Spirit is all about.

Have a Blessed week, Deacon Rita

Comment by Deacon Shamayara on April 14, 2009 at 10:29am

Good Day Everyone, I hope everyone is feeling blessed and highly favored in the Lord. I just wanted to welcome Christopher to the group as well as wish safe travels to those who will be traveling across the highways and by-ways to get to Rodchester. I hope to see you all there!

Comment by Christopher Abram on April 11, 2009 at 6:11pm

Hello everyone. My name is Christopher Abram. I'm from the Unity Center in Riverside, California where Reverend Elder Benita Ramsey is the Pastor. Christian Education holds a specific place for me in my heart. I'm interested in learning from my friends and family about their various perspectives on the bible. So let's chop it up.

Comment by Deacon Candidate Annette on March 10, 2009 at 1:47pm

Deacon thank you so much for sharing that poem. It's exactly where I am right now. It spoke to my heart

Comment by Deacon Shamayara on January 27, 2009 at 5:07pm

No problem. I loved it and wanted to share it with everyone.

Comment by Tricia on January 27, 2009 at 4:25pm

Hello Deacon Shamayara,

Thanks for sharing that with us. I recently went to a church service and the title was "To Whom Do You Belong" that really hit home for me. The story you shared ends with " We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense." I think someones trying to tell me something :-)

Comment by Deacon Shamayara on January 26, 2009 at 1:28pm

Hello Family,

I just wanted to share this...


CLEANING HOUSE FOR 2009

Last Week I threw out worrying, it was getting old and in the way.

It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST
(Didn't have time to read it anyway).

Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories,
(Remember how I treasured them so)?

Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST.

Threw out I might, I think and I ought.
WOW, you should've seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, I hadn't talked to in a while.

His name is GOD the Father, and I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself.

Like PRAYER, HOPE, FAITH and LOVE,
Yes... I placed them right on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door.

I FOUND IT- it's called PEACE. Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice.

Looks good around the place.

For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning,
Get rid of the things on the shelf.

It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF.
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!!

May the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing
that
you will not have room enough to receive it all.
.
May the Lord bless you exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever
hope for.

Keep the Faith!!!

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life
isn't going to make sense.

Keno Enge
#8-Soror So Sorry
FA 08 "The Dramatic Diamonds"
Beta Gamma Chapter
Beta Phi Omega Sorority, Inc.

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