NS Ministries

In the 12^th chapter of Romans the Apostle Paul cautions us: “…so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.” (Romans 12:3 CEV) Reading between the lines he is also telling us not to think of ourselves lowlier than we should.

One of the things I over the years come to understand that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate example of humility – the Holy Spirit will always point away from itself. Jesus said in the 4^th chapter of Luke that the Spirit of the Lord was on him. The Spirit was in Jesus. And in the 5^th chapter of John Jesus gives us insight not only in how he was able to minister as it did but also into the ultimate humility of the Holy Spirit. “…Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19 ESV)

It was the Spirit working in him that gave Jesus the ability to do the things he was able to do yet the Holy Spirit always made it look like it was Jesus. That is important for us to understand because it is by the Spirit working in us that allows us to do the work of Jesus yet at the same time the Spirit does not take credit for what we do the Spirit gives us the credit.

There are times in our lives when the flames of the Spirit reach great heights but our EGO’s get in the way and rather than give credit to the Spirit we take the credit.

There are times in our lives when the flames of the Spirit reach great heights but out of our brokenness we cannot see how high the flames really are.

But in spite of our weaknesses and in spite of our failures there is one thing I can say without a doubt the SPIRIT IS IN US! And our greatest need is to try as best we can to understand what that not only means to us but what it does for us as well.

There are two scriptures that were given thousands of years apart that are absolutely necessary for us to consider before moving on one you have heard me use many times and each time I read it, it becomes more meaningful and powerful for me.

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29 ESV)

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63 ESV)

Perhaps the first thing we need to understand about the Spirit in us that is gives us a new life – the old passes away and gives new life – a life in the Spirit. It is when we come to full grips with our newness of life that the flames of the Spirit will begin to rise higher and higher. But before coming to grips with our new life we need to first bury the old life and again we must momentarily look over our shoulder slowly and methodically bury each of the three categories we discussed earlier.

When we consider John 6:63 and Joel 2:28-29 we can begin to see that it is the Spirit in us that gives us the mind of Christ and as we begin to embrace our new life the mind of Christ in us becomes stronger and stronger.

In a sense the Holy Spirit is the ever presence of Jesus and since everything Jesus was able to do was through the Spirit in order understand what the Spirit wants to do with us and in us we need to look at what Jesus did for the people of his day. So what I would like to do is to change the theme from – the Spirit is in us – to – the mind of Christ is in us. We need to do that to more fully understand what the Spirit in us is trying to accomplish.

One of my favorite scriptures of Jesus is found in Isaiah 42:1-7 MSG:

Isaiah 42:1 MSG

"Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations.

God begins by telling us that we can depend on Jesus.

However, there’s another side to this verse that is what the Spirit in us is willing and trying to do. God is telling us that we are his servants and he is giving us the spiritual resources we need to become his servants. And because we have chosen to heed his call to servant-hood he is pleased with us. And it is his Spirit that not only bathes us but is in us as well that empowers us to become ensigns of Jesus.  

Isaiah 42:2 MSG

He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades.

Remember we talked about the humility of the Holy Spirit? Most of the work the Spirit does in your life is behind the scenes deep in your heart where no one goes but you and God. In the 2^nd chapter of 1^st Corinthians Paul writes:

“For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1^st Corinthians 2:10-12 ESV)

Paul in the 16^th verse follows up with perhaps the greatest blessing to us from God through the ministry of the Spirit within us – “But we have the mind of Christ.”

Isaiah 42:3-4 MSG

He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped until he’s finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching.”

We have been given the mind of Christ…that we might understand the things freely given us by God. There are a few things we need look at closer.

Verse 3 tells us that no one is beyond God’s ability to bless. And Paul tells us that there are no limits to those blessings that come to us from him.

Verse 4 tells us that God works at his own pace his people to bless! But even though his pace seems to be at a standstill nothing will stop him from completing his work in you – nothing (I need to remind you) that is except you.

It doesn’t take much of a life for the Spirit to take up residence but it does take an open invitation.

Before moving on we need to be reminded that this verse is not only referring to Jesus but it is also a reflection of what we are to become and how we are called to bring ministry to ALL PERSONS.  

Isaiah 42:5 MSG

GOD's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, who breathes life into earth's people, makes them alive with his own life:

“It is the Spirit who gives life!” We discovered in verse 63 of John 6. Verse 64 reads, “But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) While there are no Judas’ here there are among us those who have not been able to believe 100% that God’s own life resides in them.

Perhaps you are one of them because life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would.

Perhaps you are struggling trying to believe that so-and-so really has the Spirit in them.

Perhaps you are struggling trying to find the Spirit here or you are struggling with finding where you fit in not only here but in the world around you.

Isaiah 42:6 MSG

"I am GOD. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,

·         “To live right and well” –We cannot live right and well on our own! We need to surrender EVERY aspect of our lives and allow the Spirit that is in us to give of the power and encouragement to do so. In the Spirit walk right and live well!

·         “I have taken responsibility for you” –It is the Spirit whose responsibility it is to see that the flickering flame of our lives grows stronger, brighter, and higher not ours. However, the Spirit will only work with our complete cooperation.

·         “Kept you safe” –Because of some of the things we have endured there are times when it is hard to believe we have been kept safe but need I remind you that you are sitting here. Keeping one safe does not mean keeping one from danger. Verse 4 of the 23^rd Psalms reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

·         “Set you among my people” –God sent his Only Begotten Son into a hostile world with a message that in him all hostilities can be turned into peace. Should we not expect to be sent likewise?

Isaiah 42:7 MSG

 …to make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. 

·         “Releasing prisoners from dungeons” –Of all things the Spirit does for us and in us it to release us from ourselves! There are chains that bind us to ourselves preventing the Spirit to really bring Jesus alive in us and experience the peace and freedom that come with Jesus’ life in us. Some of those chains are to mention only a few: sin, prejudice, broken dreams, broken relationships, hopelessness, helplessness, poor self-esteem, depression, uselessness, overly burdened.  When presented to Jesus allowed the Spirit has been given the responsibility to  dissolve each chain. The Spirit very much alive in you NEVER disobeys!

NEVER!

The Spirit is in you therefore, “By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the kingdom.”   

AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO HEAVEN WITH YOU!

AMEN!