Spirit of God: Paraklétos

Spirit of God: Paraklétos

by | May 10, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“We thirst for Your presence
Send down Your rain
Here in this moment, a holy embrace”

Spirit of God, Phil Wickham

“15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

John 14:15-18, NKJV

What a powerful thought: “I will not leave you orphans; I (ME, MYSELF – Jesus) will come to you.”

The Holy Spirit is Jesus alive in us.

Jesus says, comforting the disciples, that the Father will send another Helper. The word Helper here is translated from the Greek ‘paraklétos’ which can also be translated as ‘advocate’ or ‘attorney’.

An advocate presents evidence.

There have been many ‘helpers’ from the Old Testament to the New – evidence of God’s presence in the world. In the Old Testament God would appear to Abraham (Gen 18:1-15), Jacob (Gen 32:24-30), and Manoah and his wife (Judges 13) and Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15). He would appear to Moses and speak from within a burning bush (Exodus 3:2-10). The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, would see Him as the Fourth Man in the Fire (Daniel 3:16-28) – and all of Israel would see Him as a Pillar of Cloud and Fire  (Exodus 13).

Besides these ‘theophanies’ there were of course also dreams, visions, prophecies, miracles, signs and wonders – other visible manifestations of God’s glory and presence.

In the New Testament God Himself steps down from His throne in Heaven to walk in our midst – the ‘paraklétos’ in flesh and bone. Evidence of God With Us. 

In talking about the Holy Spirit Jesus talks about yet another ‘paraklétos’ – and insists “I will come to you.”

A common misconception, especially in our South African context, is that the Holy Spirit is somehow a different being altogether – completely distinct from Jesus. Biblically we should understand that there is only One seated upon the Throne – and He is the same One enthroned within our hearts, seated there through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. 

Jesus was the ‘paraklétos’ – providing evidence of God WITH us.

The Holy Spirit is the ‘paraklétos’ – providing evidence of the same God IN us.

The Holy Spirit is Jesus alive in us.

The proof of His presence. The Holy Spirit is our comforter in times of sorrow, His presence is a balm to the broken heart. 

He is our guide, helping us navigate the storms of life by reminding us of His Word and making it come alive in us. 

If Jesus was, while walking the Earth, the embrace of God made flesh – then the Holy Spirit is the very breath of God breathed into our lungs, the resurrection power of God in our lives.

The Holy Spirit is the resurrection power of God – working not only in us but also through us. In understanding the Holy Spirit correctly, as the Spirit of Jesus – the Spirit of the Living God – in understanding the Oneness of the Godhood and our communion with Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, our understanding of our Kingdom purpose is not only enlarged but also becomes more practical.

If the Holy Spirit is Jesus alive in us – the presence of God living and active in our hearts – then the next step is Jesus alive THROUGH us as we become His hands and feet, the tangible evidence of His presence in the world around us.

The Holy Spirit is the ‘paraklétos’ – providing evidence of God IN us but also becomes the ‘paraklétos’ – providing evidence of the same God THROUGH us as His hands and feet, all the more visible as we become more and more conformed to the image of Christ:

“18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Through His presence IN us we become His presence IN the world.

Prayer: Lord, as I contemplate Your glory, transform me ever more into what You would have me be. Let me do, all the more, what You would have me do. Through Your Holy Spirit, Lord, empower me to be Your presence in a broken world, Your light in the darkness – so that others might see You in me and through me. Come breathe in me and through me, O Lord. Let Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, here in our hearts and lives. In Jesus Name. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer: Kingdom Come

The Lord’s Prayer: Kingdom Come

by | May 9, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Father, let Your Kingdom come
Father, let Your will be done
On Earth as in Heaven
Right here in my heart”

The Lord’s Prayer, Matt Maher

“6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:6-8:

Jesus, in teaching His disciples to pray, starts His prayer with: “‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

The prayer starts with an emphasis on the coming of His Kingdom. 

Jesus commands His disciples, upon their asking if the kingdom will be restored to Israel, to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

With the Holy Spirit comes the power, dominion and authority of the Kingdom of God – the power of Christ IN us by which He works THROUGH us to affect the world AROUND us.

God wants to establish His throne within our hearts.

He wants to reign and rule IN us and THROUGH us.

Jesus’ ascension is the crowning of His exaltation – the point at which any doubt of His divinity is completely removed. He very much is the physical manifestation of the Right Hand of God.

Before the ascension Jesus was fully God, and fully man walking on the Earth, leading His disciples through word and deed. After the ascension He is still fully God but now leads us through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, moving in our midst and enthroned, not only in Heaven, but also in our hearts.

His ascension does not make Him less present in our lives, but rather, makes Him more present as He pours Himself into every vessel willing to believe and waiting to receive.

He commanded the disciples, at His ascension, to wait in Jerusalem.

What are we waiting for?

My social media is full of people talking about church growth and revival – but almost none of them even mention prayer. 

In Bible college we used to sing a song which roughly translates as, “early in the morning, and late in the evening, I will wait for You upon my knees…”

The mistake that many of us have made is that at the first hint of an encounter with God’s Spirit we leave the upper room and stop waiting – but there is always more – more of Him to be found. The waiting should never stop. We should always be waiting on God for a richer, fuller and deeper experience of who He is.

How can we ever get enough of an infinite God?

God moves in prayer. His will and purpose for our life is conceived in His heart and birthed in our prayers. Revival comes forth from the womb of prayer.

I want more of God in my life. I want His Kingdom established here in my heart. I want His will to be done here in my life – and then through me in the lives of others.

I want to invite you today to want the same. 

Whatever we have experienced of God, it is not even the tip of the iceberg. There is more – there is deeper.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, saying: “Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done in the earth as in Heaven…”

Let us wait upon the Lord.

Prayer: Jesus, be my desire. Let me not look to the left, or to the right, but let me keep my eyes fixed upon You. I pray Lord that You would come and guide me, lead me deeper into Your heart and will for my life. As I wait upon You today Lord pour out Your presence. Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done here as in Heaven. In the Mighty Name of Jesus – the Name above every name – Amen!

 

Manger Throne

Manger Throne

by | May 9, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Glory be to You alone
King who reigns from a manger throne
My life, my praise, everything I own
To Jesus the King on a manger throne”

Manger Throne, Phil Wickham

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Matthew 11:29, KJV

In reading the book of Revelation there are some awe-inspiring, intimidating, and sometimes even terrifying images of Jesus.

He is described as having eyes like fire, a voice that roars like many waters, His words coming from His mouth like a sharp double-edged sword (Revelation 1:12-20).

Revelation chapter 4 describes Him as being seated on the throne – surrounded by rumbles and peals of thunder and flashes of lightning on a sea of glass – surrounded by elders and angels crying out holy!

In Revelation 19 we read the following description: 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:king of kings and lord of lords. (NIV)

These glorious descriptions of Jesus command reverence – He is worthy of our highest praise – and there will come a day where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all creation.

He is the Name Above All Names, the King Set in Zion.

In the Old Testament we read that Elijah called down fire on the men of King Ahaziah. Certainly Jesus, as the Messiah, at His coming in the Gospels could’ve come with fire and showed the world who He was.

Instead of stepping down with the Hosts of Heaven and the sounding of trumpets, in all His awesome Glory, He chooses to come in meekness – our Dear and Gentle Saviour, our Good Shepherd and the Lover of our Souls.

“Come and learn from Me…” He says, offering us peace instead of judgement, rest for our souls.
The Will of God for humanity has never been calamity or destruction.

It has always been reconciliation.

So He comes as the Olive Branch – the Peace of God comes and walks in our midst. He comes, meek and mild – Jesus comes as the Lamb of God, the sacrifice for our pardon.

At the same time He is very much the Judgement of God, the Lion, the One Called Faithful and True with the eyes of fire, the voice of many waters and the vestments dipped in blood – riding upon a white horse, His Word like a double-edged sword, and accompanied by all the Hosts of Heaven – seated upon the Throne in Heaven. He is the Love of God, but also the Wrath of God.

In Luke 12:54-59: Jesus tells us to wisely discern the times we are living in.

This current dispensation of grace will only last while it lasts.

Jesus says, “learn from Me…”

In this current dispensation we are His hands – extending the Olive Branch of His peace, joy, love and righteousness. We are His feet upon the mountains bringing Good News. We are to be His agents here upon the Earth, ministers of reconciliation.

It is time we take our call seriously.

Charles Spurgeon shared the following thought: “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

Let us discern the time we are living in and not waste it. Let us encourage our family, friends, neighbors – any and all who have ears to hear – to turn to the Lord, to take up His yoke of gentleness, peace and love – so that we may all stand together with the Hosts of Heaven behind the One Called Faithful and True, rather than on the other side, upon the Day of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, give me a burden upon my heart – a need to see revival and restoration among Your children. I pray Lord that You would open doors for me to share the Good News of Your Kingdom. Give me the right words Lord, help me speak truth in a broken and lost world that I might see others come to You. Help me live a life surrendered to Your will. Help me Lord to take seriously my calling as a minister of reconciliation and equip me through Your Spirit to lift up the banner of Your mercy and grace and work for the expansion of Your Kingdom. In Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

Come All Ye Unfaithful

Come All Ye Unfaithful

by | May 9, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“O come, all you unfaithful
Come, weak and unstable
Come, know you are not alone
O come, barren and waiting ones
Weary of praying, come
See what your God has done”

O Come All Ye Unfaithful, Sovereign Grace Music

“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke 15:1-2, NKJV

The word ‘prodigal’ is defined as being wasteful.

In Luke 15 the Pharisees and the scribes – the religious folk of the day – complain about Jesus receiving and eating with the undesirables of their society.

“This Man receives sinners and eats with them…”

Jesus responds with a series of three parables.

The first is the story of a shepherd who loses a sheep and leaves the 99 to go find the one. When he finds his lost sheep he calls his friends and family and they all rejoice together.

The second is the story of a woman who loses a gold coin. When she finds it she calls her friends and family and they rejoice together.

The third is probably one of the most misunderstood of the three stories that Jesus tells. We get distracted by the sin and shortcoming of the young man who squanders his inheritance – and ignore the purpose of the story altogether.

It is the story of a father who loses a son – and when the son returns the father calls his friends and family together so that they may rejoice, but the eldest brother, who had stayed behind is upset.

He says to his father: ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ (Luke 15:29-30, NKJV)

The first two stories end with a similar refrain – the thought that when a sinner comes home all of Heaven rejoices.

The story of the prodigal son does not have this refrain.

The eldest son in this case is just as ‘prodigal’ as the one who had left. He represents the Pharisees and the scribes.

Many in the church today are represented by the eldest son. There is no love for the sinner, the backslider, the addict, the prostitute…

But Jesus is married to the backslider (Jeremiah 3:14-15). He desires their return to the fold.

Shall we then, as the hands and the feet of the Father, refuse to seek them out? Shall we then, as the hands and feet of Jesus and agents of His grace, refuse to welcome them with open arms?

Are we perhaps the prodigal eldest son – wasting God’s grace by keeping it for ourselves, stashed away somewhere on a shelf – or are we sharing the joy unspeakable and full of glory, the hope of a restored life and eternal communion with Christ with our struggling brothers and sisters?

The church squanders its inheritance by receiving the grace that saves but refusing to become conformed to the image of Christ.

Both sons are the ‘prodigal son’, but only one ever gets restored in the parable. The one who had left and come back broken, empty, weary and burdened. The son who had been in his father’s house had absolutely no idea how far he had fallen and how wasteful he was being.

And so it is with the church. The parable of the prodigal son is a call to introspection. Is our judgement of others preventing us from seeking them out, welcoming them and loving them as Christ would have us do?

The father answers the eldest son with these words: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ (Luke 15:31-31, NKJV)

Let us go then and receive the sinner, break bread with them, welcome them home. Even if they fall a thousand times, let us be there, willing like our Father in Heaven, to forgive, to love and to help them back up – as many times as it might take.

If you are perhaps more like the younger son today – the one who left and devoured his livelihood with harlots – consumed by the idolatry of sin and carnality – weak, unstable, barren, unfaithful – Jesus is calling you home!

Addicted, tired, bitter, guilty, fearful – Jesus is calling you!

And you don’t have to do it alone. No matter where you are in the world, reach out. Send me a message or an email (andre@adlabuschagne.co.za). We want to journey with you. You are not alone.

Prayer: Lord, help me be more like You. Break my heart for what breaks Yours and open my eyes so that I can see what You see. Help me love my neighbor. Help me love the sinner. Help me love the backslider. Give me the desire to see them saved. Equip me, Lord, through Your Spirit to reach out and call them back home. Equip me through Your Spirit, Lord, with the necessary grace to guide them, to make disciples and above all to help them back up when the slip, slide or fall. Help me stay true to Your Word and Your Will as I strive to be more like You. In Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

Manna For Today

Manna For Today

by | May 2, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“There’s mercy in the waiting
Manna for today
And when it’s gone I know you’re not
You are my hope and stay
When the sea is raging
Your Spirit is my help
He’ll fix my eyes on Jesus Christ
And I’ll say that is well
Oh I know that it is well”

You’ve Already Won, Shane and Shane

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 8:3, NIV

In Exodus 16 the Lord sends bread from the sky – the Manna which we have so often heard about as a symbol of God’s provision – these frosted flakes reminiscent of coriander seed, white and tasting of wafers with honey that fed the camp of Israel.

An interesting aside is the direct translation from the Hebrew. The Hebrew word ‘Manna’ is not so much a description of the thing itself, but rather a description of the feeling it elicited in those who saw it – the word Manna, or Mahn, translates as “what is it?!

So baffling was the provision of God in the desert that the people walked around, wondering loudly, “what is it?!”

The Israelites took, day by day, whatever they needed for their homes and nothing more – processing it into bread to eat.

Numbers 11:8: “And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. (KJV)”

The fear of tomorrow, at first, did cause some of the people in the camp to hoard more than was necessary – but it would spoil overnight and breed worms.

The Manna was for today. It was an exercise in trust.

If we really think about it, our needs are always temporal – we are hungry until we get fed, thirsty until we drink, and so forth.

Jesus makes a very important point when He tells us to consider the lilies and the birds. Are you not worth more?

The truth is this, God had better in store for them. This whole exercise in trust was to get them to the Jordan River where they would ‘write their final faith exam’. 

Yes, today you might be waiting and praying for that  increase or promotion, but you are missing the manna in the situation – the opportunity to prove yourself. The manna needs to be processed into bread.

Yes, today you are waiting for ministry doors to open – for a platform or a pulpit – but you are missing the manna in the situation – study to show yourself approved, getting down on your knees and seeking His presence. The manna needs to be processed into bread.

Today you are waiting for your family relationships to be restored but you are missing the manna in the situation – the opportunity for fellowship and communion with your loved ones, the opportunity to build a relationship right now. The opportunity to reach out and plant the seeds of reconciliation is there  – now! The manna needs to be processed into bread if you are to make it to your Jordan.

But often we get discouraged, not being mindful of God’s timing and process, waiting for the big things and missing out on the miracles of our daily lives.

There is a point in their wandering where the people grew tired of the Manna that God was providing. They craved other food – forgetting the goodness of the Lord and how He had seen them through. Even though they were getting meat in the evenings, they craved more.

Numbers 11:31-34:31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Kibroth Hattaavah translates as the “graves of craving’.

God is giving you the ingredients for your daily bread – the bread that will sustain you all the way to your own Jordan. Let us not look to the left or to the right – but let us trust that the Lord knows what He is doing. This is the secret to contentment.

Let us eat with gratitude that which God prepares for us. Let us trust in Him knowing that His ways are higher than our own.

If we desire more, let that more be more of Him – and not the temporary satisfactions of this world.

God knows what we need. Keep waiting. Keep trusting – the land of His promise awaits those who are faithful and do not get sidetracked by the lusts and cravings of the carnal mind.

He will see to every need on your way to the banquet spread out for you.

Prayer:Lord, in the waiting, let my eyes be set on You. As those who have come before me in the faith have prayed, if You provide the bread and water, that will be enough. Help me bring my own desires into submission to Your perfect will, trusting fully that You know what You are doing. Help me see that Your plans for my life will always be better than the plans I have for myself, and do not let my small ambitions get in the way of what You want to do for me, in me and through me, in Jesus name. Let me run this race with endurance and stay true to my faith in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.