John 14: 16-17a, 26
"And I will ask the Father , and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth.....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."
Jesus made this promise, and his promise was promptly fulfilled. The words, "will remind you," bring to mind the conscience. But the Holy Spirit is more, I believe, than simply a conscience. It is God at work in us, giving us grace, guidance, and showing us the way to love others. For believers, the Holy Spirit truly can be our advocate if we listen. There is a challenge here for me. I am very much in tune when I do something wrong, but I suspect I may miss nudges to do something right. But here we are, with the Holy Spirit dwelling right here inside us. Am I listening?
Holy Lord, guide me, remind me, even push me please! I want to live in your Will. I am thankful for your Spirit, living in me. Amen
Becky, transforming
John 14;17-17a, 26
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 46:10–Be still and know that I am God….The reason for this is that I have learned that I need to be still, quiet, and at peace to hear the voice of my Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us this spirit, this encourager, this counselor and comforter to help us remember all we’ve been taught but sometimes forget in the hustle and bustle of today’s busy world. I know my Holy Spirit will guide me safely through life, but I must take time to be still and listen.
Prayer: Gracious God, I know you are always with me. Remind me to be still so I may hear you, Amen
Tuesday, February 13th, 2024
John 14:16-17 , 26
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (V 26) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Jesus is preparing his disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them in a physical sense. His disciples are troubled by what Jesus says, but…
John 14: 16-17a, 26
“Spirit of truth”: I cannot imagine this simple phrase could have been translated any other way from the original languages. I checked eight different translations and all use the word “truth” or “true.” This is striking to me. No one translates the original text to say Spirit of happiness, Spirit of tolerance or Spirit of progress. The truth is that truth sometimes makes us sad, may seem intolerant and can stand in the way of perceived progress. The idea of truth may seem infinitely malleable to the post-modern world, but this bizarre fantasy does not change the nature of truth any more than I declaring myself the Queen of England. Truth and love are two sides…