PERSONAL FAITH
by Ricky Doc Sauceda
John 14:15-21
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
“If you love me, keep my commands. 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. 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. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Sometimes we grow up following what we are taught, without knowing what it is all about. We have an idea and understand the goodness of our faith...but it has not yet become personal to us. I shared that thought with my bible class students last week.
I told them that it takes a need in our lives to bring us to a level of one choice...pray or not to pray. Why? We are in a moment of need due to life's circumstances for one reason or another. There is a myriad of life of events that can cause us inner turmoil.
In a time such as that is when we can focus on knowing who it is that can help us in a way that no one else can. It is amazing what God can do for us when we fully give our heart to Him. We don't have to be perfect...we don't have to be all spiffed up...we don't need to be anyone else than who we are.
God designed each and every one of us. He knows us completely and loves us for who we are. All that He seeks is for us to love Him back.
In prayer and life, we need to remember Him moment to moment. Every day...not just on our day of community worship. For we are the houses of God...we are His holy temples...we, His children that He dwells within by His Holy Spirit.
When we believe in Him, love Him and receive His Son as our Lord and Savior...we become "Spirit filled." He is with us from that moment on. This is the personal experience and it is everlasting.
I bless you in the name of our Father and of His Son and of His Holy Spirit.