Day 27 - Whose You Are Makes a Difference

Through the Spirit we enjoy adoption as children of the Father.

Did you know that a Mississippi River boat pilot is paid more than $300,000 per year? Now that’s nice work, if you can get it. According to a 2001 article in The Times-Picayune, state river pilots make $321,000 a year (remember, that was in 2001!). Quoting from the article, “Given the generous pay and modest working hours, the jobs [river pilots] are among the most desirable in the local maritime industry. They also are among the most exclusive. Of the 100 people elected to become river pilots in recent years, 85 are related to other pilots...”

I guess it really is “who you know"...or at least who you are related to if you want to sail the Mighty Mississippi!

In Ephesians 1:1-14, Paul enumerates multiple spiritual blessings in Christ. In verse 5, he says, “In love He [God] predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will...”

And what does that adoption status get us?

Look further down at verses 13–14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.

The Life Application Bible says this about these verses: “The Holy Spirit is God’s seal that we belong to Him and His deposit guaranteeing that He will do what He has promised. The Holy Spirit is like a down payment, a deposit, a validating signature on the contract. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us demonstrates the genuineness of our faith, proves that we are God’s children, and secures eternal life for us. His power works in us to transform us now, and what we experience now is a taste of the total change we will experience in eternity.”

This is a full sail of the wind of the Holy Spirit. This is our identity as children of God, saved by the royal blood of Christ, and now full members of God’s family. What an amazing gift. We are not almost God’s children. Adoption in God’s family does not mean distant, second class, or expendable. We are not a “labor of love” in the way the world may think of us. We are God’s treasure. Our adoption comes with the guarantee that we are co-heirs and the apple of His eye.

How will you look at yourself differently when you have a full sail of this promise?

How will you love and treat others differently when you have a full sail of this promise?

Who do you know that could sure use a full sail of this Holy Spirit wind?

Day 26 - Good ≠ Saved

The Spirit sets us free from our sins. We can’t do that on our own.

Read Acts 8:26-40.

When my children were young, I taught them how to score a baseball game. We used scorebook forms, I taught them the positions and their numbers and the designations for scoring. We would practice scoring while we watched baseball games on television. We would challenge each other by describing difficult plays and asking how to score them. My kids are still very good at it and even beginning to teach their own kids how to score a game. But even though they’ve been scoring games for years, and they’re good at it, they’re still just spectators…active ones, but spectators all the same.

The Ethiopian eunuch was a good man. He was a scholarly kind of guy. He read in his spare time. He even read the Scriptures in his spare time. But that didn’t make him a follower of Christ. It didn’t forgive his sins.

It took the Holy Spirit to do something in his life that no amount of effort or interest on his part could accomplish. Let’s join the Spirit as He moves in the Eunuch’s life like a wind filling his sail. The Spirit sent Philip to where the eunuch was riding in his chariot and reading the Scriptures. The Spirit led Philip to strike up a conversation with the eunuch to ask him what he was reading...and if he understood it. The eunuch was a good guy. He invited Philip to ride in the chariot with him so they could discuss the Scriptures.

The Spirit led Philip to tell the eunuch all about Jesus Christ and how He could save him. And when the eunuch saw water, he asked Philip if he could be baptized. Philip went into the water with him and baptized the eunuch. At that point freed from his sins, he goes on his way rejoicing! He is moved to salvation and then filled with great joy! It took obedience and willingness on the part of the eunuch for that to happen. In our metaphor, this is how he raised his sail to catch the wind!

Getting into a sailboat, even casting off and moving in the water, doesn’t make me a sailor. I can only do so much for myself. And without the wind, even a great sailor goes nowhere.

It can be a difficult thing to accept that a person is a good person...and also accept that, good as they are, it doesn’t mean their sins have been forgiven or that they are saved. No one can do that for themselves. No one. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.

Day 25 - Better Than Houdini

The Spirit sets us free from our life of sin. We can’t do that on our own.

I admit to a certain fascination with the life and accomplishments of Harry Houdini. Just in case you’ve never head of him, he was a famous escape artist who lived in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He was famous for his daring and seemingly miraculous escapes, often involving straightjackets and submersion in water. Audiences were amazed and morbidly fascinated with what looked like near-death escapes. Although some of his “secrets” have never come to light, he has explained several of his tricks in his writings.

But there are no tricks or secrets involved with us being freed from our sins. That is simply something that we cannot do on our own or for ourselves. The Holy Spirit sets us free from the grip of sin. What do you think of when you read that last sentence? What does it mean to be in the grip of sin? What would it mean to be free from sin’s grip? I think of it as being set free from enslavement. Sin conquered me and held me captive. I was under its control. I felt powerless against the temptations and impulses that bombarded my daily life. Like a prisoner, I was locked in the grip of sin’s enslavement. Jesus even says that everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). But this is not the end! Every temptation is just as much an opportunity to do right as it is to do wrong. Through the Spirit we can experience victory.

Take a few minutes to read 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6.

Did you ever see the movie Gladiator? ‘Do you remember when Maximus was captured? He was marched, with other prisoners, through the streets of Rome, so that the conquerors could show off their captives. At that time, it was customary for the victors to place their soldiers in front of, among, and behind the “parade” of captives, waving burning incense to their gods. This was symbolic in a couple of different ways. It was an incense offering of thanks and praise to their idols. But it also served to rub in the defeat of the captives. Therefore, the incense was a sweet smell to the victors, but when the captives smelled it, they realized they had been defeated…and no matter how good it may have actually smelled, to the captives it was the aroma of slavery and death.

As a parallel, when Christians hear the gospel of Christ, it is a sweet smell—that of victory. When seekers come to belief and obedience to God’s Word, it is the sweet smell of the Spirit’s victory over sin. But to those whose lives are lived willfully against God, it is not a sweet smell. It is an aroma that convicts them of their wrong doing. But this very real dichotomy invites us to make a decision. Will we engage the Spirit and experience victory? Or will we grieve the Spirit and reap the just conviction of sin?

A sailor must decide whether to work with the wind, or to fight the wind. Obviously the second choice is a battle you can’t win! The Spirit desires to work with us to steadily lead us away from captivity into the triumphant march of the free.

How would you characterize your “march” right now—defeat and captivity or victory and freedom?

Day 24 - Not Guilty

The Spirit sets us free from our life of sin. We can’t do that on our own.

It is so comforting and encouraging to know that God, through Christ, pronounces us “not guilty” in regard to our sin. It’s the total opposite of the words “no hope.” Because of Jesus, we are declared righteous in God’s sight. But who has not felt the sting of repetitive sin? Most of us have probably felt like giving up, or at least that God is ready to give up on us. We imagine that God is ready to say, “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” because we continue to struggle with sin. We are especially plagued with self-condemning thoughts. We think, “How could I have sinned like that when I know better?”

As adults, we become fairly conversant with the law of our country. In some cases, though, we don’t know about a law until we’ve broken it. But just as there are laws that condemn us, there are laws that keep us safe and secure. It’s the same for sailing. There is a specific branch of the law for the sea. While it can condemn, it also can protect and help. It is true in most arenas of life that if we are looking for a way around the law…it will lead to trouble.

Romans 8:1-17 begins with the words “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” The Spirit of life is the Holy Spirit. Not only was the Holy Spirit present at the creation of the world (see Genesis 1:2), but He is also the power that frees us from the grip of sin. From Him, we receive the power we need to walk the Christian walk and live the Christian life.

Have you ever worried whether or not you are really saved, whether or not you are really a Christian? A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God living in her or him (Life Application Bible, notes on Romans 8). If you have demonstrated your love and obedience to Christ, acknowledged Him as Lord, been baptized into His death, then the Holy Spirit has come into your life—you are a Christian. Oh, if you’re waiting for a “feeling,” you may have to wait a long time. You can know that the Holy Spirit has come into you because Jesus promised us that He would. You can believe that eternal life comes through Christ, you can live like He has directed you, you can find help and comfort in prayer, you can be empowered to serve God, and you can be a part of God’s plan to extend the borders of His Kingdom.

Is this a comfort to you? Or does it make you anxious?

Are you sure of your salvation and your Christianity?

If not, what do you want to do about it?

Day 23 - There’s Power in the Spirit

The Spirit gives us the power to witness for God to the ends of the earth. He equips us with the strength we need to accomplish God’s purposes.
Have you ever heard someone described as “book smart” versus “common sense smart?” Even if you haven’t, those phrases are pretty self-explanatory.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the “foolishness of the wisdom” of the world. What does this paradox mean to us? Our society today worships power and money and affluence. And yet Jesus came to us as a meek, humble, poor servant. He offers salvation to those who believe.

Have you noticed how often our faith in God is mocked or scorned in media? What are some things you’ve heard or seen that portray faith as less intellectual or even ignorant?

But Paul assures us that skill and wisdom won’t get us into His kingdom, but simple faith does. Who can brag about simple faith? No one. We can never do enough to earn our way into heaven. Salvation is totally from God through the death of His Son, Jesus.

Paul was actually very intelligent. Yet he shared the simple message of Jesus Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. In the same way, the Holy Spirit will give power to our words and use them to bring glory to Jesus. Paul’s confidence was in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was helping and guiding him. Oh, he didn’t just open his mouth and let words fall out. He combined studying God’s Word and preparation with his reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide his words.

Any sailing enthusiast will tell you that if there is no wind...you just sit there in the water. The Spirit gives us the power and the strength we need to accomplish what God would have us to accomplish. If there is no Spirit present in our life…well, we don’t accomplish anything. But sailors also know that even a great wind will not move the boat without setting the sail to catch the wind.

Are you willing to open your sail directly to the Holy Spirit?

Have you ever just “sat there in the water” because you didn’t tap into the Spirit? When was that? How could you have done that differently?

Day 22 - Perfect Packing

The Spirit gives us the power to witness for God to the ends of the earth. He equips us with the strength we need to accomplish God’s purposes.
Recently, my parents have found themselves living in two houses, in two different cities, concurrently. Selling one house and moving to the other hasn’t happened as quickly as they planned. So, some things are in the city and some things are in the country. For example, the washer and dryer live in the city…not in the country anymore. So going back and forth is sometimes quite challenging.

Since this is not the first time this has happened to them, they (well, my mom) have gotten pretty good at packing to go from one place to the other. However, it never fails that you are one place and really needing something that’s at the other place. Been there, done that? It’s really frustrating. But it’s really encouraging when you need something, go looking for it, and realize that you have packed perfectly and have everything you need.

In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians. It’s a pretty all-encompassing prayer, at that. He actually prays for all of the people in the past who were Christians, all the people who are Christians now, and all the people who will become Christians in the future. He prays that the Christians would know how total God’s love is. The Life Application Bible (NIV) notes say that Paul tells them that God’s love reaches every corner of our experience. The notes say that His love is wide—it covers the breadth of our own experience and it reaches out to the whole world. His love is long—it continues the length of our lives. It is high—it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep—it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death. And it is available to us from the Father through the Spirit.

The very first America’s Cup yacht race in 1851 (which was originally called the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, but was won by the schooner America, and called America’s Cup from then on) took place in a course that sailed around the Isle of Wight. The America defeated 15 yachts from the Royal Yacht Squadron. When the Queen of England asked who came in second, the reply was, “Ah, Majesty, there is no second.”

There are many fascinating stories in America’s Cup racing lore. They may differ in detail depending on who’s telling the story. But in the end, they all center on a common theme: catching the wind—a full sail of wind—and running with the wind. What a great concept to compare the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

But are we content to float along whether at half-sail or even against the wind?

Are we so busy with what’s happening on deck (the busyness of our lives) that we forget we’re in a race?

Day 21 - Batteries Included

The Spirit gives us the power to witness for God to the ends of the earth. He equips us with the strength we need to accomplish God’s purposes.

How many Christmas Eves have you stayed up putting toys together, only to find out at the very end that the batteries needed were not included? Or you get your child just the toy they want, but you don’t notice that the package says in very tiny print that the batteries needed are not included? How maddening!

There is an amazing two-volume set in our New Testament written by a doctor named Luke. His first volume is His Gospel, an account of the Life and ministry of Jesus. The second volume, Acts, is the story of the early church and its growth throughout the Roman Empire. Luke begins Acts where he left off in his gospel—at the Ascension of Jesus. Take a moment and read Acts 1:1-11.

During the years of Jesus’ ministry on earth, the disciples continually wondered about His kingdom. When would it come? What would their role be? In the traditional view, the Messiah would be an earthly conqueror who would free Israel from Rome. But the kingdom Jesus spoke about was first of all a spiritual kingdom established in the hearts and lives of believers. God’s presence and power dwell in believers in the person of the Holy Spirit.

I am grateful that the power of the Holy Spirit is not dependent on something as earthly as batteries. That’s an oversimplification, but you can follow my meaning. How would the early disciples have even considered fulfilling Jesus’ missional command to take the gospel throughout the world if Jesus had not promised to provide the energy and the power?

Sailors depend on the wind to fill their sails and move them along. We depend on the breath of God to fill our sails and move us along. We must put ourselves in the path of the Holy Spirit in order to catch a full sail of wind. The Spirit gives us the power we need in order to be witnesses for God everywhere. He has given us everything we need in order to accomplish God’s purposes. This being true, we may be facing a dilemma:

1. We carry the gospel to the world until we run out of strength.

2. We don’t carry the gospel to the world.

3. We fill our sails with God’s power—the Holy Spirit!

This leaves me without any excuses. Does it leave you without excuses?

What excuses have you been using that have limited your power to witness for God?

Day 20 - The Rookie

Our Counselor provides the teaching—and the reminding—of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and He gives us strength. He guides us in the way we should go.

A rookie is a novice. There have been a few notable rookies. The thing about being a rookie is that it’s encouraged for a rookie to have a mentor assigned to them—someone they can ask questions to and who will be there to remind them and encourage them. For Christians, that would be the Holy Spirit.

Take a few minutes to read 1 John 5:1-14.

John is laying down some real fundamentals here. He says in verses1-3a:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is love for God: To obey His commands.

Really very simply stated, if we love God, we love our brothers and sisters. The converse of that is this: If we don’t love our brothers and sisters, we don’t love God.

At the end of the passage he reaffirms that we as God’s children can know with unwavering confidence that we have eternal life. John anchors these fundamentals in the Spirit’s testimony: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in agreement concerning Jesus Christ. He says in verse 10: “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all in 100% agreement concerning our place in God’s family, and our value to Him and each other.

Here is the rookie check-up. Ask yourself: do I love my fellow Christians? Do I act and talk like I love them? Or do my words and actions and thoughts tear others down?

Even avid, experienced sailors do mental run-throughs of what they know they are supposed to do-especially when the seas are rough. They ask themselves if they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. If we, as children of God, keep seeking the guidance of the Spirit, we will take advantage of what is there for us to tap into.

Day 19 - Context Is Everything

Our Counselor provides the teaching—and the reminding—of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and He gives us strength. He guides us in the way we should go.

Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

Have you ever noticed how certain subjects, hobbies, or careers have their own vocabulary? People who enjoy woodworking talk in terms of sanding, routing, scrolling and such. People who enjoy cooking talk in terms of piping and sifting and shredding. Folks who enjoy skateboarding also talk about shredding and reference the pipe, but it means something totally different. It’s the same for sailing. People who sail talk about different kinds of sails- mainsail, jib, spinnaker, topsails. Context is everything in these areas. Sometimes I’ve been around some of these conversations and although I understand the words themselves, I don’t understand the context.

Paul uses language in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 that some in his audience understand while others do not. It’s not that they don’t understand the actual words; it’s the context that eludes them. And it eludes them because they are not spiritually mature in Christ. Paul references the prophet Isaiah (64:6) by quoting, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him,” in verse 9, then follows it up with verse 10, “but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.”

Because we can read the larger context, we understand that Paul is referencing Christ’s saving sacrifice offered on the cross. The Spirit has revealed the deep and compelling message of salvation through Jesus to us. This message of hope doesn’t come, however, without some very humbling truths. We are sinners. We need to be saved but cannot save ourselves. We must humble ourselves before the truth of our condition. Paul says that the man without the Spirit doesn’t accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. That’s because discernment comes from the Spirit. He says that as Christians, we have the mind of Christ.

Have you ever felt like there was conversation with a deeper meaning going on around you? How did it make you feel?

How does it make you feel to know that we have been given the mind of Christ?

Day 18 - Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Our Counselor the Holy Spirit provides the teaching—and the reminding—of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and He gives us strength. He guides us in the way we should go.

How good are you at following driving directions? Do you prefer words, a list, or a map? One of the most helpful things for me whenever someone gives me directions is to have a landmark or reference when I’ve gone too far and missed a turn or missed the destination.

So I give directions that way. If someone calls the church office and asks for directions, I give them directions, but always end with “and if you get to Austin Elementary (or the fire station at Spalding and Roberts), you’ve gone too far and need to turn around.” You know…just a heads-up so that they don’t keep driving.

Remember those Beginner Sailing Tips from discoverboating.com? The last one on the list is:

• Practice makes perfect
  Don’t try to teach yourself all the sailing basics. Invest in a good sailing course, research guides and books, and learn from friends with experience.

You can make the application and draw the parallel between this tip and a life with the Holy Spirit. We are being called to give ourselves fully to God, but this journey will not be easy. It requires directions. We need help navigating the obstacles in our path. Jesus references this in John 15:18-16:4. Take a few minutes and read this passage.

John records Jesus giving the disciples a critical heads up. He tells them, “Don’t be surprised when Evil uses you for target practice and hates you. Evil honed its skills using me for a target first.” Evil and Hate are such strong words. But they are the right words to use. Evil hates good. It hates good and wants to vanquish it. Just as in sailing, the forces around us are not always in our favor.

But Christ’s message helps us see the Holy Spirit’s witness as a guide. Verse 26 reads, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me.”

So here is the One who comforts, advises, encourages, and strengthens us, and He is testifying about Jesus. He continues in verse 27, “and you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” Then Jesus finishes the passage by letting them know He’s telling them so they won’t be surprised or caught off-guard when it happens.

Have you felt the sting of evil?

Did you also feel comforted and strengthened by the Holy Spirit at the same time?

Day 17 - A Captive Audience

The Spirit helps us know what to say—and how to say it—when we are in perilous or uncertain situations. He helps us to bear witness during these times.

Read Philippians 1:12-30. Can you imagine writing such a bold witness in times of great stress? I am especially blown away by verses 20–21.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!

Paul writes—in answer to what seems to be a question—about being a prisoner in chains. The Christians in Philippi are concerned as to how he is doing. In a very Paul-like way of answering, Paul first tells them how the church is doing, then how he himself is doing.

Picture this: you are the guard assigned to Paul’s house arrest, sometimes chained to him. How long do you think it will take before Paul starts telling you about his life and what a difference Jesus could make in your life? Not long. Not long at all to give his witness about how the Holy Spirit is helping him face every minute of every day.

When I taught school in California, there was a curriculum (sort of an interdisciplinary curriculum) called The Voyage of the Mimi. The Mimi was a sailing vessel that was a whale-watching expedition. Each season of the voyage represented a whale-watching season. Although the crew was the same each season, there were always interns working with them. Each time, the interns may have known a little about sailing in the beginning, but by the end of the season, there were practiced and worked smoothly with the crew. They were captive learners; they couldn’t be on board the vessel and not participate. And in that regular participation, they became sailors.

When Jesus calls disciples, it is His goal that we become like Him (Luke 6:40). This meant they would need to learn how to rely on the Holy Spirit as did Jesus. But this process would take time, openness, receptivity, and practice. You’re not born with a gene that automatically rejoices while you are chained to the walls of a prison cell! This willingness and ability to witness under any circumstance is an acquired spiritual quality that comes through our desire to live engaged with the Spirit.

Are you willing to witness how the Holy Spirit moved in your life? Are you willing to be a captive learner?

Day 16 - Why Pick on Stephen?

The Spirit helps us know what to say—and how to say it—when we are in perilous or uncertain situations. He helps us to bear witness during these times.

Let’s look at an example of this. Read Acts 6:8-15.

Stephen was one of the men chosen by the apostles to serve within their community. Apparently, he did more than serve—he preached as well. And this made some of his fellow Jewish countrymen really mad at him. Some scholars say that they felt threatened that Stephen was insisting that true worship no longer required temple rites. So they launched their own smear campaign against Stephen, twisting his words to sound like he was attacking God and the Law of Moses. They even produced false witnesses and had them testify that Stephen said that Jesus would destroy the temple and change the customs Moses handed down.

In response to these charges, Stephen gave the longest speech recorded in the book of Acts, indicating how important it was in the story of the apostles and the church. Just before the speech starts, we read in verse 15, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

That description was Luke’s way of indicating that the Holy Spirit was upon the one who was speaking. This was no “off-the-cuff” message!

Now I’m sure that Stephen knew the history lesson he was about to give his accusers would make them even angrier, bur the words he used were positively inspired. That’s exactly what they were- inspired by the Holy Spirit. In fact, as he closes his message in the face of their fierce opposition he states, “You always resist the Holy Spirit!” Stephen had the confidence in Jesus’ words recorded in John 16:1-15 outlined simply: Tough times will come for the disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will be right there with you, bearing His witness as you bear witness. Stephen trusted this promise.

Have you ever been “over your head” in a conversation or a situation and you used just the right words-but you really weren’t sure where they came from? Credit the Holy Spirit. He helps us know what to say and how to say it.

Take few moments to recall that particular moment in time. Was the Holy Spirit helping you? How?

Day 15 - Bearing Witness

The Spirit helps us know what to say—and how to say it—when we are in perilous or uncertain situations. He helps us to bear witness during these times.

Romans 8:16 (New English Translation)

The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s Children.

Romans 8:16 (Today’s New International Version)

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s Children.

What does it even mean to bear witness?

The word used here is equivalent to the concept of testifying or giving testimony. We know what a witness is—it is a person who saw and experienced something and then tells about it. We have learned in the last weeks and months about passive witness vs. active witness. But it doesn’t stop there—it’s not just testifying or giving testimony. It’s confirming testimony.

There are so many legal dramas on television these days. I confess that I do like both of the NCIS dramas, as well as CSI: New York. Have you ever noticed how pumped the good guys get when they find corroborating witnesses? You, know, witnesses whose testimonies match? That’s the concept here. The Spirit testifies with our spirit—we corroborate. I love being in step with the Spirit.

Have you seen many sailing movies? Every one I’ve ever seen has scenes in it where the sailor and the wind are as one—moving gracefully and powerfully across the water. This passage (Romans 8:16), is THE REASON we are in this series on the Holy Spirit. We have two powerful images, that when combined can transform our world. The Spirit is the wind. Our receptivity to His presence and influence in our lives is like a spiritual sail. The wind of the Holy Spirit is HIS WITNESS that you are God’s child! Of everything the Holy Spirit wants for us, His greatest witness is that you have royal identity. You have a future of eternal happiness, joy, freedom and security, guaranteed by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5 and Ephesians 1:13-14). You are an heir of the King, a co-heir with Jesus, the child of God!

Imagine what life from this moment forward could be like if you had the wind of this Holy Spirit witness filling your sail!

Day 14 - What Does the Spirit Do?

When the Holy Spirit lives in us, there are several things that ought to be part of our lives. Francis Chan, author of Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit encourages us not to merely skim the “list” like a grocery-store list or to-do list, but to spend time reading about them, meditating on them, and asking for them. We will be exploring these facets of the Holy Spirit over the next several weeks.

• The Spirit helps us know what to say—and how to say it—when we are in perilous or uncertain situations.
• Our Counselor provides the teaching—and the reminding—of what we need to know and remember. He guides us in the way we should go.
• The Spirit gives us the power to witness for God to the ends of the earth. He equips us with the strength we need to accomplish God’s purposes.
• The Spirit sets us free from our sins. We can’t do that on our own.
• Through the Spirit we enjoy adoption as children of the Father.
• The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins.
• Where the Spirit is, there is freedom and life.
• Because of the Spirit, we abound with hope and are filled with joy and peace.
• The Spirit gives us gifts—each one of us—that bless the Body.
• When we are led by the Spirit, we bear a fruit that includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When I look at that list, I am humbled at what gifts are offered to me. I want to be a vessel that turns its sails in such a way that I can catch the wind of the Spirit.

How do you feel about these gifts?

Do you believe you have access to them?

Will you commit to reading about them and praying for them in your own life?

Day 13 - The Holy Spirit Is NOT a Substitute

The Holy Spirit is NOT a substitute for the Father, but He is deity.

Acts 5:1-4

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.

Back to Ananias and Sapphira—that couple who tried to convince Peter and the apostles that they were giving all of the proceeds of a sale of land to the church for their use for the saints in need. Remember them? Peter told them that they had lied to the Holy Spirit and lied to God.

Peter didn’t say that the Holy Spirit told God that they had lied to Him, and then God did something about it. Rather, Peter spoke confidently to Ananias and Sapphira that they had lied to the Holy Spirit—deity.

If you are a parent, you know that kids seem to instinctively know how to play one parent off against the other. You know what I mean. It goes something like this:

Child: “Mom, can I spend the night/go to the mall/etc. with Sarah/Michael/etc.?”

Mom: “Ask your dad. I know he wanted you to do some chores.”

Child: “Dad, Mom said I could spend the night/go to the mall/etc. with Sarah/Michael/etc. if you said it was okay. Can I?”

Dad: “Well, if your mom said it’s okay, it’s fine with me.”

Child: “Mom, Dad said it was okay for me to go.”

Mom: “If your dad said it was okay with him, it’s okay with me.”

In this scenario, and dozens more like it, the parents are manipulated because the child goes back and forth between them. That’s not how it is with the Holy Spirit and with God the Father. There is no back and forth. The Holy Spirit is deity. Everything involved in loving and obeying the Father is also applicable to the Spirit.

Are you willing to give Him control?

Day 12 - The Holy Spirit Is NOT Passive

The Spirit is NOT passive, but active and involved.

John 16:7-8, 13-14

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you…But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all 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. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

Have you ever gone fishing in a boat that came equipped with a fish finder? That kicks “drowning worms” up a notch, right? All it takes is the signal that there are lots of fish under the boat to turn even lazy fishermen into active and involved participants! Visualize it. Nice warm day, pleasant breeze, not caring if there’s a worm (or whatever bait you choose) on the hook…versus dropping your line in the water and hardly getting your line set before it jerks and you haul fish in as fast as you can bait your hook. That’s how the Spirit is in our lives—active and involved.

In an earlier post (Sailing Is Easy), I mentioned that the second step of learning to sail involves steering. More exactly, it involves steering accurately. The article says, “This takes most folks about five minutes to learn, maybe ten for those who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. But you can’t trim (adjust) your sails properly unless you can steer a straight line.” Hmmmm...steering...that’s something important to consider as we put ourselves into the position of catching the wind of the Holy Spirit in the sails of our vessels.

Does the thought of giving the Holy Spirit that kind of active reign in your life make you excited...or frightened?

Day 11 - The Holy Spirit Is NOT an It

Chuck Swindoll writes this about the Holy Spirit:

There are some things the Spirit of God is not. Let me point out three or four erroneous ideas that many people have about the Holy Spirit…I have often heard Him called an “it”…so let’s start there.

The Spirit is NOT an “it,” but a distinct personality.

Look at John 14:14-17.

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—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.

It’s kind of overwhelming, isn’t it? But we don’t have to understand everything. I don’t understand all the properties of wind, but I am convinced of its power. Similarly, the power of the Holy Spirit is incredible and awesome. And I know Him. And He knows me and lives in me. His power is both universal and personal. His understanding and knowledge are both infinite and intimate. He knows you and me. And that passage reveals thrilling truths:

• The Spirit is a powerful person, not an impersonal “power.”
  
• The Spirit is present around us and in us. His influence comes from the outside and from the inside. He is not swayed in any way by our struggles or weaknesses, but he is also an internal guide, empowering and directing us from the core of our being.
  
• The Spirit is a truthful counselor. He is not a deceiver, manipulator, or ruthless dictator. He comes alongside with us to guide us.

According to discoverboating.com, “Sails work by ‘catching the wind’ only when the boat is sailing directly downwind.” Just as the wind is alive and when used properly can drive you toward what feels like the perfect day, so is the Spirit alive when He is at work in our lives.

He is not a destructive storm; but rather, He is the exact mix of guidance and strength to move us closer to God and the abundant life He promised.

What will it take for you to come to grips with what you can understand about the power of the Spirit? Are you willing to try?

Day 10 - The Holy Spirit Is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient

Zechariah 4:6

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit”’ says the Lord Almighty.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Psalm 139:7-8

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Just as God the Father is all-powerful, everywhere, and all-knowing…so, too, is the Holy Spirit. Just as I acknowledge that our Father is present wherever I am and knows everything I do and think, so I must acknowledge the Spirit’s presence and knowledge and power. That’s so vast, isn’t it?
Wikipedia defines some physics of sailing. Under “Energy Capture” it says this:

The energy that drives a sailboat is harnessed by manipulating the relative movement of wind and water speed: if there is no difference in movement, such as on a calm day or when the wind and water current are moving in the same direction at the same speed, there is no energy to be extracted and the sailboat will not be able to do anything but drift. Where there is a difference in motion, then there is energy to be extracted at the interface, and the sailboat does this by placing the sail(s) in the air and the hull(s) in the water.

Now let’s examine our spiritual movement. Would you characterize your spiritual life as a ship plowing through the water with the wind billowing in your sail? Or do you find yourself disappointed that others seem to be moving on while you are adrift?

Let’s consider the power of the wind of the Holy Spirit:

• Always Present (Omnipresent)
• Limitless Power (Omnipotent)
• Perfect Guidance (Omniscient)

When we take advantage of the Holy Spirit’s presence, power, and knowledge, we—as vessels—extract energy from the Spirit. Let’s try this today. Let’s look for a decision today where we can take direct advantage of the presence, power, and wisdom of the Spirit.

Day 9 - The Holy Spirit Has His Own Desires and Will

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.

Back to Beginner Sailing Tips from discoverboating.com:

• Become familiar with sail control.
  The best sailors are the ones who are able to adjust sail settings to take the best advantage of different wind and water conditions.

• Respect the boom.
  Some of the most common sailing injuries are a result of not being aware when the boom is about to swing. To avoid a bump to the head, or even worse, being knocked overboard, one of the most important beginner sailing tips to always remember for both passengers and crew is to be conscious and respectful of the boom at all times.

Wow. The Spirit knows me. He knows me so well that He gives me gifts to accomplish His will. Remember last fall when we learned about compassion and had the opportunity to help others in need, because someone so generously gave us the means? Isn’t this kind of like that? The Spirit has given me the abilities, the gifts, to help and teach others…and to live as He would have me live. He wants to work in us, on us, and through us.

The better we come to know the Holy Spirit and become familiar with His sail control, the more open we are to His work in our lives. When we get into difficult times due to the worldliness and evil that are out there, the Holy Spirit can guide us through because He knows us so well. But because He is both the wind, and the one who desires to set our sail, we can find ourselves at odds with Him. When it is His desire to chart a new course for us and change our reading we may be caught off guard. Like a sailor who gets a nasty knot on his head when the boom swings, so we may pick up a few bumps and bruises when we wrestle with the Spirit over direction and control of our lives.

Test your “Holy Boom” awareness as you navigate your day. How do you respond to the choices before you?

Do you pray for His guidance? Do you seek His wisdom from His Word?

Do you wrestle with decisions so that you give yourself the opportunity to truly submit to His will?

Day 8 - The Holy Spirit Has Emotions

 

Isaiah 63:7-10

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so He became their Savior. In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy and He Himself fought against them.

 

Ephesians 4:29-32

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind a compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Beginner Sailing Tips from discoverboating.com:

• Choose calm, uncrowded waters
• Follow sailing basics for safety

There are certain sailing basics for safe boating that should go without saying, no matter what your level of expertise. These include always telling someone before you go out on the water, always bringing a flotation device and knowing in advance how to swim.

 

Just as there are basic sailing tips to help keep us out of trouble and from grieving those either watching us or waiting for us, there are some basic things about the Holy Spirit that we need to know. We want to learn these and practice them so that we don’t grieve the Holy Spirit. When you read or hear the words “grief” or “grieving,” what thoughts or memories come to mind? You may think of sadness, or mourning, or even anger over a loss. What do you think grieving the Spirit means? How might you grieve the Spirit? How might we as a church, a community, or a nation grieve Him?

 

Does it come as a surprise to you that the Holy Spirit has emotions? God’s Word gives us examples of Jesus’ emotions, and we read about God’s emotions, but if we haven’t spent much time getting to know the Holy Spirit, we may not be aware of His emotions. How does it make you feel to know that the Spirit has strong emotions where you are concerned?

 

Day 7 - A Prayerful Mind of His Own

Romans 8:26-28

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

What a great word—intercede. Synonyms for it include intervene, mediate, plead, negotiate, and arbitrate. Encarta Dictionary defines intercede this way: 1. plead for somebody—to plead with somebody in authority on behalf of somebody else, especially somebody who is to be punished for something.

The idea of intercession reveals some key characteristics of the Holy Spirit. This passage clearly states that the Spirit has a “mind” that the Father “knows.” In 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 this divine interaction is viewed in reverse. In this passage it is the Spirit who searches and knows the mind of God. This speaks to the divinity of the Spirit and the unity of God. But it also gives me amazing encouragement! As the Spirit indwells and intercedes for me, He is connecting me to my Father and Creator! We…the struggling and stumbling followers are being brought before God the Father by God the Spirit!

I have seen a couple of movies in which sailing was prominent in the theme. Usually, there is a master sailor and a learner. And the learner usually makes mistakes and some are pretty costly. But the master sailor always is there at hand to guide and encourage...and correct mistakes.
There have been many times I wished for someone to intercede on my part. It’s why millions of people use tax preparers to do their income tax. If the IRS has questions, they can ask the tax preparer on behalf of the taxpayer. Interceding is how attorneys make a living. The attorney goes to the judge on behalf of their client. It’s why there are technical support phone numbers with most software–-so that when we don’t have the words to explain or express ourselves, there is Someone who can.

I am comforted by the knowledge that when I don’t have the words to express myself to God, the Holy Spirit goes to the Father in my behalf. How does the phrase “helps us in our weakness” reveal the heart of the Holy Spirit as He intercedes for us? It sounds to me that His pleas to the Father on my behalf are filled with compassionate concern. Maybe that is why He is called our “comforter.” Does that comfort you?

Day 6 - The Holy Spirit Is Eternal and Holy

John 14:15-17

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—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.

You know what? I get this. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is eternal. The Bible tells me that. It tells me that He existed before time. The same is true for God, the Father. He is eternal. So, if I believe it about God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, then I certainly believe it about the Holy Spirit.

'Holy' means worthy of worship or set apart for a specific religious purpose. We read in the gospel of John about Jesus’ promise to His disciples that the Spirit will be with them forever (14:16). The Spirit is not just a flighty, whimsical spirit who comes and goes like the wind. He is also an eternal being. The Spirit is holy, as well. Obviously, we commonly call Him the “Holy Spirit,” and this is reinforced throughout the New Testament (see also Romans 1:4 and Romans 5:5 for two examples).

But consider this truly amazing fact: Because the Spirit is holy and dwells in us, our bodies are holy sanctuaries from God's vantage point. Too often we disdain our bodies as the source of sin and our fallenness; yet they are precisely where God the Spirit chooses to dwell (Forgotten God by Francis Chan; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Beyond this sense of individual "holy indwelling," scripture extends this metaphor to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit transforms the entire body of believers into His dwelling (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22). His presence in us individually and corporately infuses us with eternal perspective, strength, joy, and purpose.

You can't see the wind, but you can see its effect on things. Sailboats rely on the wind in order to move. They rely on something they cannot see. A sailboat waits in expectation for the wind to fill its sails.

The Holy Spirit moves in us. We can’t see Him, but we see His effect on us and on others. Does that excite you with its possibilities?

Day 5 - The Holy Spirit Is God

Acts 5:3-4

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Have you ever heard of wind shear? Wikipedia says that "wind shear affects sailboats in motion by presenting a different wind speed and direction at different heights along the mast. Wind shear occurs because of friction above a water surface slowing the flow of air."

If we continue our analogy of the Holy Spirit being the wind and we are the vessels, then if I (the vessel) create a friction that slows the wind (the Holy Spirit), something bad will happen unless we can get rid of the friction.

Are you familiar with this story in Acts 5? In the previous chapter, a man named Barnabas (the same guy who goes on mission trips with Paul later on in the book of Acts) sold a piece of land he owned and gave the money to the apostles for them to use for the church as they saw fit. The Bible doesn’t tell us anyone’s reaction to this event.

However, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, it tells us, also sold a piece of land. They gave part of the money to the apostles, just as Barnabas had. Apparently, though, they wanted the apostles (and the other Christians) to think that they gave all the money to the apostles. Clearly their unholiness created friction with the Holy Spirit.

Peter called them out. He point-blank asked Ananias why he had lied to the Holy Spirit, and then told him he hadn’t lied to them (the apostles), but to God. It did not end well for Ananias and his wife.

In this scripture, Luke uses the Holy Spirit and God interchangeably. Can you do that?

Can you think about the Holy Spirit as God?

What would make Him real to you?

Day 4 - The Holy Spirit Is a Person

John 14:15-17

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—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.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Wikipedia defines the physics of sailing with this sentence: "A sailing vessel moves forward because of the reaction of moving air on its sails." It goes on to say, "The most basic control of the sail consists of setting its angle relative to the wind."

The wind is alive. It is no wonder the inspired writers of the Bible used that word derivative to describe the Holy Spirit.

For those of us who are parents, do you remember finding out you were going to be a parent? Parents can now find out the gender of their baby pretty quickly. That’s when it really becomes real. That seems to be when we stop referring to the baby as "it," and call the child "he" or "she."

Similarly, when we come to recognize the Spirit's presence and accept that reality, He becomes a Being, a person...and someone real.

Does the Holy Spirit seem real in your life?

Do you want Him to seem real?

Day 3 - What The Holy Spirit Is...

John 14:26

But the Counselor, 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.

Another article on basic sailing instructions gives some...you guessed it...basic information. It says: "Sailing can be almost like flying. As your boat moves along with the wind, the sound of the water and the breeze on your face will give you a sense of freedom. Your boat almost comes to life as it is bobbing along, acting in direct response to the wind and the sea." Did you catch that? "...acting in direct response to the wind and the sea." How do we begin to act in direct response to the Holy Spirit?

There are some things that we read in the Bible that tell us exactly who the Holy Spirit is. Have you ever given much thought to the Holy Spirit and how He is at work in your life? Or do you kind of shy away from much talk or thought or study about Him? Recently, I had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: "The Holy Spirit is kind of like the cruise control on my car."

Another: "Oh yeah? How’s that?"

Me: "Well, the resource is there for me to use to help me drive consistently and maximally—within the set limits, of course. The problem is I want to retain control of my car and its speed…just the prescription for speeding tickets."

Another: "I don’t use it much."

Me: "What? Cruise control?"

Another: "The Holy Spirit."

Over the next seven days, we’ll be looking at Scriptures that tell us exactly who the Holy Spirit is and how the Bible describes His work. Look up each passage and read what the Bible says about Him.

Can you recall a time when He worked in your life?

Have you recognized in your life when you have worked and lived in direct response to the wind of the Holy Spirit?

Day 2 - Sailing Is Easy

Sailing is Easy is the title of an article I found on the internet. The writer says:

To be a competent sailor, you need three basic skills: first, you must be able to tell which way the wind’s blowing…Second, you must be able to steer accurately…Third, you must learn to recognize when a sail is properly trimmed…And that’s sailing in a nutshell. Doesn’t sound hard, does it?

Really? Now, to be fair, I left out some of the comments concerning those three steps. We’ll get to them later.

Let’s shift gears mentally and go back to the idea of catching a full sail of the Holy Spirit’s wind. Look at the first of the basic skills of sailing—you must be able to tell which way the wind is blowing. It makes total sense to me—a non-sailor—that if you want to catch a full sail of wind, which is to be desired if you want to make progress, you have to work with the wind…or perhaps, said differently, you have to put yourself in the position to let the wind carry you along.

Have you experienced one of those crazy storms where the wind seemed to be blowing from all four directions at the same time….and that it made it seem like it was raining sideways. We’ve all had some times in our lives when we have felt that same way emotionally and spiritually. So, how do we catch a full sail of the Holy Spirit when it seems like we’re being blown around and blown away by circumstances?

Take a few moments to read 2 Peter 1:12-21. Pay particular attention to the last phrase in that passage: “…they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word for the concept of “carried along” (or “moved”) literally means to be borne along as the wind in the sails of a ship.

This is the first and most important message of God concerning the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is present. We may have felt or recognized Him sometimes more than others. You may wonder if you have felt Him like others do, or even at all. But God’s promise is that He is present and wants to fill our sails—wants to carry us.

What is a situation you are in, or a challenge you are facing where you could sure use a full sail of the strength, guidance, and presence of God’s Spirit?

Day 1 - A Breath of Fresh Air

Job 33:4

The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

This came as kind of a surprise to me, but did you know the Bible actually talks a good bit about air? The Old Testament calls it ruach (Hebrew) and the New Testament calls it pneuma (Greek). The Bible we use doesn’t usually translate the words as “air,” but rather it’s usually translated “breath.” Sometimes, it’s called “wind.” And other times, it’s translated as “spirit”—as in “the Holy Spirit” or “the Spirit of God” and similar phrases.

Since we are beginning this journey in the spring of the year, many of us may have had to clean up tree limbs (and trees!) that have been blown down by storms. We have all witnessed firsthand the strength of the wind. In especially stormy seasons we become more attuned to the weather forecasts to be prepared. And the closer to bodies of water one lives, the more likely it is to hear weather reports mention water craft warnings when there are storms forecast.

Just imagine being in a boat on the water when the wind kicks up! On the one hand it could be fearful, but on the other, very exciting. If I think of the Holy Spirit in terms of being a wind, and I think of myself as a vessel powered by that wind, it fires my imagination to think of the possibilities: movement, power, adventure, and discovery!

Most folks these days are recreational sailors. I have heard many of them glowingly describe the perfect sailing day as one in which they catch a full sail of wind. Their vessels practically skim over the water and it is exhilarating.

What if I lived my life like that—trying to catch a full sail of the Holy Spirit’s wind? What would my day look like? Would I make decisions differently? How would it look to those around me? And herein is the foundational question of our study and the answer to why we titled it "Catch the Wind."