2/8/12- The Spirit who Unites not Divides

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.    

 ¹ How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

 ² It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. (Psalm 133:1,2)

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph. 4:3)

Thoughts: Too often the spirit or spiritual things can be divisive when mixed with a dose of pride.  The pride says something like, "I got it, and you don't" [and ends with that].  So some claim to be the REAL believers because of some gift of the Spirit they have- and the body of Christ is divided.  It can also be true of knowledge- I know about this doctrine and you don't.  But the Spirit brings peace with God and each other.  The communion of the Spirit is the mystical "tie that binds our hearts in Christian love." The spirit enables us to recognize our brother and sister in Christ and brings us together.  The Book of Common Worship reminds us that we also commune in worship with those who have gone before us who are in heaven- angels, archangels and saints singing and praying.  We should be quick to lean into that tie instead of being quick to label ourselves and others in order to make one seem better at the expense of another. 

Prayer: May the communion of the Holy Spirit bind me to my brother and sister that I meet this day, Lord. 

2/7/12- Problems in the Spirit

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.   


 ¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2)

Thoughts: When the Holy Spirit moves, what happens?  Put yourself in the middle of the Pentecostal moment.  Immediately, people think "this is different", "this is weird."  Some even made fun.  They were calling one of the most important human events on earth an unholy moment.  It was not the status quo.  When the Spirit moved, worldly comfort flew out the window, but true lasting comfort came- a comfort with God.  


Prayer: Holy Spirit- breathe on me new breath, new fire, new life.  Help me to find you, the Comforter, my true comfort and hope. 

2/6/12- Role of the Holy Spirit

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.   


 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)


²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (Jn. 14:26)


But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 16:7)


¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:13-15)

(Presbyerian symbol full of Holy Spirit symbols of the dove descending on the open Bible, with flames coming up, and three parallel lines). 


Thoughts: What is the role of the Holy Spirit?  In creation, the Spirit was there, hovering over the waters.  The Spirit seems to especially apply God to our lives- quickening us in regeneration, and giving us God's word (inspiring, preserving, illuminating and convicting it). The Spirit convicts us of sin but also restrains sin. The Spirit gives us gifts.
    Jesus calls the Spirit the parakletos (para=alongside; kletos= called)- literally "the one called alongside to help."  The Spirit is our comforter and advocate, who conveys the presence, love, and grace of God to us. 
     The Spirit helps our spirit groan to God (Rom. 8).  The Spirit gives us the Bible, helps us to pray, gives us communion/fellowship with each other, teaches us and uses us in witnessing to others.  The Spirit makes God real to us today. 


Prayer: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me, melt me, fill me, use me.  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPm7nmudlKM

2/5/12- The Divinity of the Holy Spirit

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.  

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

   The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

Thoughts: In Acts 5 the Holy Spirit is called God.  Later the only sin that Jesus says is unforgivable is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  So God the Spirit is seen as especially holy and to be revered.  In the passage above God the Holy Spirit is said to be omniscient (searching "all things") and is able to be received by all (pointing to His omnipresence).  So if the Holy Spirit is called God and is given the attributes of God, we should consider Him a person proceeding from the substance of God and of that same substance.  The worship of Him is encouraged in the baptism formula (Mt. 28:20), the Apostolic benediction (2 Cor. 13:14), and the prayer of Revelation 1:4.
    The Holy Spirit appears to be the shy person of the Trinity, working behind the scenes and seeking to glorify God the Father and God the Son.  Yet, when we bring the Spirit into the equation of our lives, the power of God often comes.  We should not be afraid to ask the Spirit for help and strength. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, you inspired the writers of scripture, illuminate your Word to me today.  You encouraged and comforted the saints of old, do the same for me this day.  You bring breath and life to what is stale and decaying, bring new hope to me today. 

2/4/12- The Trinity- the Divinity of Jesus Claimed

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory. 


Jesus possesses the attributes of life.
1) He forgives (Matthew 9:6)-  "Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
2) He made himself equal to God (John 5:18)- For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
3) He is pre-existent- (John 8:58)- ⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him.


Jesus is called by the Father His Son
At his baptism- "You are my beloved Son in you I take delight" (Mark 1:10)
At his transfiguration- "This is my beloved Son in whom I delight, listen to him. (Mt. 17:5)
In Gethsemane- Jesus said, "Glorify thy name."  A voice from heaven said, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again."  (John 12). 

(Symbol of the Trinity)


Thoughts: It is one thing to experience Jesus is God.  It is another for Jesus to make His own claims.  He claimed to forgive sins- and then proved it by healing the lame man (Matthew 9).  The Jews claimed Jesus was blaspheming claiming something only God could do- forgive sins. He made Himself equal to God, and the Jews tried to kill Him for that.  Jesus claimed that before Abraham was, he existed.  For this the Jews took up stones to kill him- for He claimed to be God.  Jesus made claims about Himself that no mere mortal could make.  To say that Jesus was just a great teacher but not believe His teaching about Himself is to say He wasn't such a great teacher.  
But more than that is the voice of God that was heard by others- at his baptism, at his transfiguration, and in the Garden before His arrest.  God the Father loved His Son and his voice was a sign of His approval. We too should listen and love Him- putting our hope and faith in Him. 


Prayer: Lord, may I find my hope and faith in you.

2/3/12 - Plurality in the One God- Hints of the Trinity

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory. 


Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness (Gen. 1:26)


And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. (Gen. 3:22)


Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Gen. 11:7)


 “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”(Isaiah 6:3,8)


And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Rev. 4:8)

(Shamrock- St. Patrick used this to help convince the High King of Ireland of the trinity)


Thoughts: Even Old Testament scripture indicates plurality in the one God.  if there is no plurality in the godhead, then why were the words "us" used of divinity?  Some say it is God speaking to the angelic court around Him- but the angels are not made in the image of God.  Some say it is a kind of majestic royal "we."  But there have been believers through the centuries who have seen the us as an indication of a multi-faceted plurality in the essence of God.  Such things hint at the Trinity.
      This same plurality is hinted as a three fold plurality in Isaiah 6 ("holy, holy, holy"), which is made even clearer in Revelation 4:8.  Revelation 4:8 also hints that time itself points to the trinity- "who was, is, and is to come." Time is one, yet time is also clearly past, present, and future.
     This points out that God is not lonely but may exist in Himself.  He made us not because He had to have company, but out of sheer grace and love.  In gratitude to God's love that made us, we should respond in love. 


Prayer: Help me to respond to your love with my love to you and to others. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUXmnwCwERc

2/2/12- Affirmation and Negations of the Trinity

Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. Three persons exist in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are one God, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory.


In the beginning was the word.  And the Word was with God and the word was God...The Word became flesh and lived among us.  (John 1:1,14)

(Symbol of the Trinity)


Thoughts: There are three statements that define the trinity: 1) There is one God; 2) The Father is God, the Son is God, the Spirit is God; 3) Each of these three persons are distinct from each other and from creation but equal in power and glory.  This denies some views, and in their denial it might help us to understand what we affirm in the trinity. 
1. Unitarianism- that denies the divinity of the Son and Spirit.  
2. Polytheism- that denies the oneness of God. The trinity idea also denies the idea of different gods in different gods (which Mormons uphold). 
3. Pantheism and panentheism- which cannot draw a distinction between God and creation. 
4. Modalism- that God appeared in one form but not at the same time in another (like an actor in a play- assuming different roles).  That is when Jesus became human, there was no Father or Holy Spirit. 
3. Monarchism- that one of the three persons was superior to the other two (usually the Father). So the shorter catechism answers "equal in power and glory."  
The Trinity affirms the experience of Christians all over the world of a unified-one God but that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God.  The Trinity means that God is plural enough to be self-existent- with the Father loving the Son and Spirit; The Son loves the Father and Spirit; the Spirit loves the Father and Son.  God's love within Himself also elicits love within us.  


Prayer: Lord, help us to love you as you are full of love.  Give us grace also to love others and ourselves. 


Prayer: