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Blessings of the Holy Spirit
From 1 Corinthians 2: 1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. 14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny. 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
I date myself by remembering and using this quote from a movie from 1984. I know it's 30 years ago, but it was a scene from "Romancing the Stone" where this novelist, Joan Wilder, i s traveling with an adventurer, Jack Colton, trying to find Joan's sister who has been kidnapped and they find themselves at the gate of these ruthless drug cartel people. The drug people do not like to be bothered but when they knock at the door, the man recognizes Joan because he reads to them from her novels during the night. His reaction and hers, were priceless. She and Jack think they're about to be killed but the man asks, "Joan? Joan Wilder?!" And the doors get flung open, the man announces to his men, "This is Joan Wilder!" The groups responses in awe, "Joan Wilder."
Paul confesses he came with Christ's message "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." But he came knowing "Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and with the message of the wisdom of God that defied the wisdom of the age nor of the rulers of the age. And this, thanks to the Holy Spirit. Once Paul connected with these new listeners, they connected with God and God's Holy Spirit and then they began to understand what Paul was offering. This blessing to understand the things of God or at least to reach the point of declaring the understandable as being a mystery of God, is the mind of Christ, which Paul says you and me possess.
Centered in and walking with God daily gives us that mind of Christ. The slogan made into bracelets and bumper stickers with the W.W.J.D. asked the question, "What Would Jesus Do?" to help guide us in our thinking and decision making. He or she led by God will understand that which they must do and decide because of the possession of the mind of Christ, which is deep personal faith in Christ. Some doors may open, others may not, but we seek on trying to share Christ as Paul did. Our message of Jesus seeks to find others who are "salt and light" as Jesus taught, who seek to being God's flavor and brilliance to those lacking zest for life and a darkness of peace and purpose.
Let's get busy!
PRAYER: Loving God, increase my faith. Truly give me the mind of Christ so that I can share You and Your love with others. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Update: Thank you for your prayers for Nate Pennington, all went well and he is home resting and recovering. Thanks be to God!
