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Category: Holy Spirit

Ascension – Jesus returns to Heaven!

Jesus has left His disciples in Acts 1:9-11, and Pentecost is a week away. Jesus has returned to Heaven, sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus had to leave the earth to allow the Holy Spirit to come upon us. Jesus has promised all believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. What? Why? When? Where? How? You need to ask yourself all these questions and more.

Why do I need a ghost, a spirit, the Holy Spirit?

We need the Holy Spirit because it is God. God in our lives! Wow! How exciting is that! God in our lives.

I needed Jesus because I was chasing money and success. I did not get the full benefit of the Holy Spirit until everything was about God. God first. I needed to chase God!

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to us who are believers in Jesus Christ. Read Acts 1:9-11 or Luke 24:45-53. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit. If we do not believe in Jesus, then we will not receive the Holy Spirit or God in our lives. We do not get God in our lives, but we do not get the benefits of a believer in Jesus Christ. The benefits are described in Bible scriptures, but here is the most obvious:

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Who does not want the benefits of the Holy Spirit? I have answered the questions who, what, when, where, when, why in these three scriptures, but is it enough? How about people who do not know Jesus Christ? Can they get the Holy Spirit in their lives?

The Holy Spirit works in all lives of believers and non-believers. The Bible demonstrates this concept in the Old Testament, but we are skipping this concept. We want to stay on how the Holy Spirit will work for Christians.

I am a believer in Jesus Christ, but I do not feel the Holy Spirit. What is wrong? What can I do? Help?

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit in you. You received it the day you believed in Jesus as Lord and savior. It might not be as powerful as in the Pentecost event, but it is in you. What you need to do is feed the Holy Spirit in you. How? You do the regular disciplines of a believer in Jesus Christ regularly.

  • Pray
  • Repent your sins
  • Read your Bible
  • Gather in Bible studies and Church
  • Worship God in thought and actions – church, music, serve, Christian books, Christian blogs.
  • Serve others
  • Share the Gospel – Jesus
  • Anything to glorify God or to make Him number one in your life.

This is a shortlist of things to do. The key is to do it daily and multiple times daily. The Holy Spirit will grow in you. There is no doubt in my mind.

If you want me to pray for the Holy Spirit to increase in your life, then contact me. If you need more information: ask me, and there are plenty of books about Christian disciplines.

Also, our study. Pentecost occurs 9 days after Passover. This year it falls on May 31, 2020, but we will do our study on May 28, 2020, at 7:30 PM central on Zoom. Visit Seekers – Help Me Believe for more information.

Scriptures

Acts 1:9-11 (NIV)After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into Heaven.”

Luke 24:45-53 (NIV) 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Ascension of Jesus

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into Heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

God is Good

There’s no way to describe how great God is or how much God loves you. I’m sitting at the beach after finishing my mini-book that’s free right now on Amazon and my first book of poetry which is in pre-order on Amazon. I do not have the link to both of them right now but if you go search on Amazon Conrad Birmingham goes right to them. This book is a compilation of my poems for last 10 years s uphowing my life. I guess it’s really an autobiography, but I did not see it that way when I was writing the poems or the book.

I’ve learned a lot from these writing experiences. I’ve learned:

1. Slow down. Enjoy each day. Live this day to the fullest.

2. Everything should be about God. I know that’s hard. I know you can’t be perfect because of Adam and Eve. You need to try to do the best you can and repent of your sins when you can’t be what God wants you to be.

3. Give more than you take. I wish I gave more when I was younger than I took. All of my relationships would have been better and healthier. I know that’s comes through wisdom which comes from the fear of God. Praise the Lord

So in summary?

1. What can you do today right now to make your life better?

2. What can you do right now to give mercy to others and to make their lives better?

3. How can you honor God more right now today, right this second?

Pentecost is May 31st

Pentecost occurs 50 days after Passover. This year it falls on May 31, 2020, but we will do our study on May 28, 2020, at 7:30 PM central on Zoom. Visit Seekers – Help Me Believe for more information.

We celebrate Pentecost as a time that believers in Jesus Christ first receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Before we read Acts 2, we will talk about how the Jewish people celebrated Pentecost and why and what happened right after Jesus ascended into heaven before Pentecost.

Pentecost or Feast of Weeks

Pentecost is the Greek word for the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks is the Jewish people’s celebration showing respect for God because he provides support, maintenance, and living for His people. The Jewish people were expected to travel to Jerusalem and to offer their tithe of their wheat harvest. This is one of the three celebrations that required the Jewish people to go to Jerusalem. The other two are Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. During Passover in early spring, the Jewish people worshiped God and offered the first fruits of their Barley harvest. During the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall, the Jewish people praised God and offered their tithe of the final harvest, such as grapes and olives.

Jewish tradition has Moses receiving the law from God on Mount Sinai, and the Jewish people would gather and read the Ten Commandments. They wanted to live in community with each other, and this is how they would remember their responsibilities to God and one another.

Action

Turn to Exodus 20:1-17 and let us read the Ten Commandments

Questions

  • What do you think about as you read the 10 Commandments? Ho-hum? Boredom? I know this feeling.
  • What if we celebrated what it says, and we applied it in our lives daily. Would it make a difference?
  • Spend a few minutes and contemplate the Ten Commandments and what it means in your life. Share it with your family.

The full lesson for May 28th is on located here – Pentecost Lesson

Comment on Lesson or Blog, Leave a Review for Conrad or Ask Conrad a Question

My Faith

My faith is permanent. I am saved, and I will always be saved. I have my passport stamped to heaven, and I am going. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be with God forever when I die. My salvation is secure.

I grew up going to church, and I went to a Christian school until high school. I had good Christian teaching. I saw the good and bad of Christians in school, and it hurt my faith because the Christian teachers were hypocrites with favorites. It was sad.

After College, I was a banker, and then I bought and sold businesses. I quit going to church and reading my Bible. I got very, very far away from God. All I was worried about was making money. Somewhere along the way, I knew something was missing, and I needed more. I started reading the Bible in 1997. My grandmother was a strong Christian, and she died in 1998. She was 100. I was driving home from one of my businesses struggling with business issues and life issues, and I had a vision. In a group of clouds, my grandmother talked to me. She told me it was all true and it will be ok. Don’t worry. It was a fantastic experience, and I did not tell anybody about it for a while, but it changed my life immediately.

I read my Bible every day. I prayed every day. I quit reading other books except for Christian publications. I went to church on Wednesdays and Sundays. I joined a Sunday school. I was baptized or born again in 2000. I quit cursing, and I cared about other people. I stayed in my first marriage (unpleasant marriage) for another few years. I started participating in church ministries. My attitude changed from a greedy, selfish, mean spirited person to a generous, kind person. I still have my moments, but I am nothing like I was before I was born again. People noticed.

I began very evangelistic reading and studying different ways to share the gospel. I made it my duty to share the gospel. I look for opportunities. I have planted many seeds, and I have harvested a few. God used me to harvest a Muslim. What an experience.

My vision of God is straight out of Revelations when God is on the throne, and the martyrs are under the throne, begging him to finish it – to bring justice. When I think of God, that is what I imagine now. 

I have taught Sunday School, small groups, and children groups. I was so busy for Christ; I taught children at the local trailer part on Sunday, small group Sunday night, small group Tuesday, and Thursday night. The best thing they were all different people. I learned more from teaching than I ever learned from reading and studying. What a blessing.

I have never been on a mission trip because I feel I am on mission every day. I visited homes sharing the gospel, passed out tracks, visited individuals in the hospital every Wednesday for a year or two, took children to summer church camp, slept overnight with homeless in programs, gospel, teach small groups, and became a Stephen Minister. 

Stephen Minister is a layperson program where you take 40 hours of training along with continuing education weekly. As a layperson, you are assigned people from the church to help through their grief. If it is a severe issue, then you pass them on to the pastor. I did this for three years, and it was difficult. I had some interesting people, but they were hurting humans. I took on this challenge because I was not very emphatic, and I wanted to become more caring. A better listener. A great rewarding experience. I use the tools that I learned every day.

I believe Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead, and if you believe this, then you are saved. You have your salvation. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation because of the example of the thief on the cross. I think works come from your belief, and you want to help others. I believe the more works you do, and the less sin you commit, the closer you get to God. The Holy Spirit is increased in you, and it is how you get closer to God. If you do not do works and you sin, then you lose the strength of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence in you is reduced. I have moved up and down on the Holy Spirit scale. I love God. I am saved, and I am excited about my faith.