The Helper Will Come

-


Scripture: John 15:26-27 (ESV)

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Devotion:

            When John wrote this, the Helper had already come upon the disciples. Jesus’s words had proven true again. The Helper was, of course, the Holy Spirit that fell on the disciples on Pentecost. In addition to all the more spectacular miracles the Spirit brought about on that day was this gift of remembrance. The New Testament writers all had this miraculous assistance through the Helpers ministry. This ministry gift does not get the praise it deserves. Speaking in tongues, healings, words of knowledge, etc., all tend to stand out in our minds.

            As I age, I pray for this gift from God more and more. My memory seems to become less reliable every day. With all the pressures of Apostleship pressing down on them, the first disciples must have appreciated this gift more and more with each passing day. Jesus’ promise and the fulfillment of that promise no doubt seemed more and more dear to the first disciples. As verse 27 states, the disciples themselves are being called to tell of the wonderful, marvelous acts of Jesus to the believers and non-believers. They needed the Spirit’s help.

            The Helper’s gift of bringing important things to the minds of believers did not cease after the Apostle’s Day. While the Spirit reveals no new truth about God, He brings to mind the truth already revealed in scripture. I confess that without the Spirit’s help, my witness would not happen often. The Spirit still reveals important texts to me as I converse about Jesus and the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Many a missionary can attest to this gift of bringing scripture to mind while witnessing to Christ.

            Let us rejoice in the beautiful gift of Spirit-aided memory. God is always standing ready to help those who are witnessing. We can aid the Spirit if we commit to the practice of scripture memorization. The more of the word we have in us, the easier it is to call to mind the Scripture when we need it. The more of the word lives within us; the easier it is for the Spirit to jog our memories when needed. Let us pray for the Helper to come and aid our memory.

Prayer:

            Lord, thank you for the gift of memory. Whether ours is sharp and in shape or dull and need of sharpening, you stand ready to help us in our time of need. Thank you for the gift you poured out at Pentecost. We are grateful for both the spectacular and the less obvious gifts. Help us, Lord, to be faithful witnesses to your power in the world. Let us spread the gospel by the power and help of the Holy Spirit. All glory to God in the highest. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more