COMFORTER 07/08/11

COMFORTER

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you. Jn16:7.

The Holy Spirit is the comforter and in some versions it is given as “Advocate” We see in OT in the life of Samson, the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him and when the work was over the Holy Spirit was taken away but in the NT period as you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, the Spirit of God dwell in you.

The worldly friends may leave us at anytime but God is the only one who will be with us eternally.  He is the best and permanent friend. Our friends may become a trouble makers but our friend Jesus always dwells within us as a comforter and comforts you as a good friend. Today we are going to meditate the characteristics of the Holy Spirit and in what all way He intercedes for us. Romans 8th chapter gives us a clear picture about the Holy Spirit.

GUIDE:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Rom8:14

If the Holy Spirit speaks to us and says to do something He will be there to lead us when we surrender to Him. If our friend do not talk to us we will be very anxious to find out why they are not talking to us and will be waiting for their call. And if the Holy Spirit do not talk to us there is something wrong in us. The Holy Spirit is promised to everyone as a comforter, the time we accept Jesus as our Saviour. The Holy Spirit is our guide and He is faithful to guide us. Not only for the ministers of the Lord but for every believers the guidance of the Holy Spirit is crucially important. We need to read the Bible and get the guidance from the Holy Spirit, we should not ask for further confirmation from God when the things are clearly written in the Bible. And even if you are prophesied something negative which is not according to the Bible then that is not the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Though we cannot hear the audible voice of God, He will speak to us in some other way. If He says us to stop something we should do it immediately without any second thought. If the Lord says, “Do not talk with that person, you should not. Otherwise you will get in to trouble”. God desires each and every one of us to come under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Once I thought of conducting a meeting and wanted to call a Pastor for that and I asked God for a confirmation. I said God I am going to Mount Road and if it is Your will that this Pastor is your choice of this meeting send his car before me or else I should see his car around that place. And I was just passing the mount road his car has just overtaken my car. I told my driver to overtake his car and stop the car just infront of his car. And that is Pr.Jeevanandam’s car (the one I had in mind) and thus I got a confirmation from God.

There is a reason behind everything in the believers life. If we are getting delayed in case of your car tyre got punctured or your train or bus is delayed, you are being protected from some danger. My father was working in North Indian Air force and chief Pastors were with him. During the night a believer came and entreated him to come to his house as his wife was suffering from severe illness. And he has the habit of asking God for permission in what all he do. So he prayed and God told him to go immediately. He asked the fellow pastor whether he wanted to come along, as he was tired he said no Pastor I am tired you go and come back. So he went off with that man. When he came back the fellow Pastor was beaten up so badly and he was bleeding. When he was asked for the reason he said, Pastor I should have come with you, after you left this place some people came in search of you and as they thought that was me they beat me up very badly and went off.

And another day some other people came to him and requested him to come to their place and as usual he prayed and God said, “Do not go with them” and he told the fellow pastor, “I am not going with them”, “Do you want to go with them?” He remembered the past incident and said, “Yes, I will go with them” and went off without asking God’s permission and he came back beaten up badly.

We should always get the counsel of God in what all we do whether it is small or great. Never think we should ask God only for great things. I heard about a lady who always asks God for everything, even in her cooking. And the Holy Spirit guides her to put so much of rice and curry to cook and when her husband inquires her, “Why so much of rice for two of us?, she replies “God told me to do so”.  At the right time God’s people come to their home and have enough food and go. And they are blessed.

May God continue to speak to us and guide us. When you stop listening to His guidance it will be difficult for Him to intercede with you.

Prayer: Lord, You are a guide to the blind. You are a light to those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Instruct me and teach me in the way which I shall go: Guide me with thine eye. I believe, Thou shall guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

HELPER:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: Rom8:26

Many times we expect somebody to be our helper but they themselves will be the trouble makers but the Holy Spirit is the one who truly helps us in our weaknesses. We can plead Him for any sought of help. Any sickness, weakness, emergency: call on Him in prayer and He will answer you. He will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’Jer33:3.

Indian Government has arranged some free ambulance facility, if we dial 108 they will come and pick up the patient to the hospital and we believe it is also God’s doing. Mat10:8 says, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” Sometimes we feel that we are left all alone and no one is there to direct us, but God will help us directly or through someone.

I was amazed by the incident which I saw in the discovery channel. Mrs.Shade,23years old, 9months pregnant of Maryland, USA. She drove her car to visit the Doctor and the car got skit and fell into the near by pit which was full of water. She was not able to detach her seat belt and come out. She was crying for help and there was no one to help her and the car began to sink. Suddenly an ambulance came and lifted them up and took them to the hospital. The Doctors said it is off 27 hours she was dead and they tried to rescue the baby. When they operated and brought the child alive, the mother got back her heart beat and was alive. She spoke in the Television and said she would like to know who called the help line. The ambulance people said that the traffic police on that area informed us. So she went in search of the traffic police to thank him but there was a shocking news waiting for her. She came to know that there was no traffic police for that area. Then she realized that it was the doing of the Holy Spirit. I can give you so many examples like this. Those who need the help of the Holy Spirit lift up your hands and pray with me.

Prayer: Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, You be my helper. For You shall deliver me when I am in need, when I cry and when I had no help. Your strength is made perfect in weakness, Your grace is sufficient for me, O lord. Assist me and heal me and let the power of Christ rest upon me.

PLEADER:

But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom8:26

The Holy Spirit is an advocate who pleads for our infirmities and weaknesses with much groanings. He pleads in place for us to make us do things, which is impossible for us. When you ask for the help of the Holy Spirit He will plead along with you to God for you and the pleader is always with us. Remember when we pray the Holy Spirit pleads along with you and you are not praying alone.  The Holy Spirit says, “I plead for you and give you victory over everything and help you to overcome everything”

Prayer: Holy Spirit thanks for being with me when I pray and plead for my sake. God, Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word. Be merciful to me Lord.

WITNESS:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Rom8:16

Do not worry thinking that there is no one to give good testimony about you. We know that God’s testimony is true, He alone knows the heart and truly testifies about you. Daughter-in-laws say I do everything in my house and my mother-in-law never appreciate me and her daughter won’t do anything at home but she always appreciate her and takes care of her. Even when she is sick she will get up from the bed briskly and do everything for her daughter but even in good health she won’t do anything for me. And mother-in-laws complain about their daughter-in-laws. When people talk bad about us there is no need for us to justify before them, It is God who justifies and testifies. What can man do unto us when God is for us. Worldly testimonies are often partial and false witnesses but our God testifies a true witness about us.

Prayer: Father, Help me not to expect any appreciation or testimonies from man but I want You to testify about me. Help me to do only the right things which is according to Your will and receive a good testimony from You. Amen.

LIFE-GIVER:

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Rom8:11

The Holy Spirit revives us both spiritually and physically. The lord is creating new organs in the body for His people who are in need of that. As Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. Jesus spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went His way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.  I guess, here Jesus remembered the creation of Adam from sand. That man was a born blind. So Jesus made eyes out of the clay and then gave life to it. The Lord is the only God who gives life. God is doing great miracles right now for you. The Lord is able to create new things for you. He is always with us to fulfil our needs.

Prayer: Father, You have said, “That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” Yes Lord You have prepared and created everything for me and give me good health to enjoy the blessings You have blessed me with. Amen.