Paul's Blog

Preparation of the Holy Spirit

In Luke 4:1 Jesus, freshly baptised in water and filled with the Holy Spirit, is led by the Spirit into the desert and during this time we are told that Jesus was tempted by the devil. What it interesting to me is that much of the spiritual battle here seems to be over the way that Jesus should interpret the scriptures in the face of subtle attempts by the devil to distort them. It is also interesting that the devil's distortion of the scriptures could have led to Jesus embracing a distorted ministry that would not have been what he was intended for.

In 1 John 2:27 John tells his readers that they have an anointing who will teach them about all things. His readers were very likely being encouraged to follow Gnosticism, which was a form of distorted spirituality that was not compatible with the scriptures. I would suggest that when John refers to them having an anointing who will teach them he is referring to the Holy Spirit (see John 14:25-26 and 1 Cor 2:12) and John’s encouragement to his readers is to listen to The Holy Spirit so that they are not deceived.

At the end of Luke’s account of Jesus in the wilderness we are told that Jesus returns in the power of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that for Jesus to move into the power of the Holy Spirit He needed to let the Holy Spirit take him through a period of preparation in which he overcame the temptations that could have distorted and therefore ruined his ministry. Equally the early church that John wrote to were a people who were discovering a new spiritual power in the Holy Spirit and they also needed to overcome the temptations that could have distorted their ministry for God and to the world.

We all have something we are called to do for God. We may have been baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit yet we may not have begun to move in the Power of the Holy Spirit. This may be because we are in a preparation process where we need to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit to overcome the attempts of the enemy to distort our calling. But I wonder how many of us never get through that process and remain in the wilderness, enjoying the presence of the Holy Spirit and enjoying salvation but never really moving in the power of the Holy Spirit in our given area of calling. Even worse I guess it is also possible that some have listened to the distortion and have carried out a distorted form of ministry that never fulfils them or others and that may even be destructive to their faith and the faith of others. Let’s seek to let the Holy Spirit reveal the scriptures and the ways of God to us so that we can move in His Power and do the works of Jesus.

Be Prepared

Psalm 1 - What Sources You?

A couple years back I discovered that my cholesterol level was slightly up and since then I’ve developed the annoying habit of checking saturate levels in various foods that I want to eat. Annoying because, in truth, I don’t want to know what the saturate level is, I just want to enjoy a good fry up or a tasty pastie! But the reality is, ignorance is not bliss. Whether I am conscious of the bad fats I’m putting into my body or not, the effect they have on me will be the same. The old saying “what you put in determines what you get out” is sadly true.

Similar principles apply when we think about spiritual life. Psalm 1 opens by comparing the impact of wicked counsel and sinful company with the impact of the scriptures on our lives. Wicked or sinful counsel or company it seems will slow us down (notice the progression in the Psalm - walk, stand and then sit), a bit like the influence of bad foods on the body. But sourcing ourselves on the scriptures is like “a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” The picture is of growth, fruitfulness, prosperity and stability.

I guess the challenge this gives me, is what am I allowing to influence my life? Do I keep the scriptures as my primary filter? Do I chew them over day and night as a way of keeping my thinking straight? Do I delight in them?

It may also be helpful to notice that ignoring the warnings on the food packet about high saturate levels won't stop those saturates having a negative effect on my body. Ignoring the “warnings” that we may sense about the influence of a particular voice, media or person on our lives doesn’t mean that the influence will not have a negative effect on our spiritual lives.

I don’t think this all means that we should leave the rat race altogether and live in a monastery or the like but I do believe the Psalmist want us to think about what we allow to shape our thinking (counsel) our behaviour (our “walk”) and our speech (“mockers”). His goal is that we are blessed in life. What we put in will affect what we put out. Do I want a blessed life?