Facets of Faith

Welcome to FACETS!  As we start to dig into the persons of God this month, we wanted to preface with a bit about what we believe. We believe in one God who exists in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three individual facets of one magnificent God. There are numerous scriptures throughout the New Testament that reference the three persons of God individually, and together, giving us glimpses of the personality and characteristics of God. If you wrestle with the thought of one God in three persons, we encourage you to lean into the confusion, pray, and ask God to further reveal Himself. We pray you find comfort in the greatness, and vastness of our God knowing that we will forever have more to learn about Him.

How do we talk about the trinity, the Godhead three in One? Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Relationship with ALL are of equal importance. One is not more significant than the other. We need all aspects of God.  More of Him. Less of us.  More of Him. Less of us as He leads us. As He grows us. As He grows us to know Him more, and as we do, we grow to know ourselves more. Because we are made in His image.  Mind blowing!  I know.

There have been times when I’ve run into the arms of my loving Father like a little girl in need of comfort (no matter my age).  When I need to feel safe and loved, I turn to Him. He showed me how I am celebrated, that He was there the day of my birth (before actually) and He rejoiced. He celebrated me because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Him. You too, sweet one, are fearfully and wonderfully made by a Father who sees you and knows you, who fashioned you in your mother’s womb. (See Psalm 139) He delighted in you that day and every day since. Even in your sin, mine too.  He doesn’t delight in our sin; he delights in US, in spite of our sin. That’s EXACTLY why He sent His Son!  He sent Jesus to cover our sin with sacrificial blood. He loves us THAT MUCH.  Can you imagine? Our sin couldn’t go unchecked. He can’t taint holy with our sin. The sacrifice was needed, so we would no longer be separated from God.  (See John 3:16)

He is rich in mercy.  I need it. We need it.  Not sure? Take a look at the world. Hate, division, murder, violence, angry words.  Without God directing our steps that’s what we’re left with.  Heaven knows we need His mercy.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,  in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world and according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,  among them we all also once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God,  not of works, so that no one should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.─Ephesians 2:1-10 MEV (emphasis added)

Because of His great love, He richly reaches toward us with His mercy.

There was a time when I called on the name of Jesus, because His name brings salvation. That sweet moment when amazing grace sweeps in for the rescue.  I’ve had that moment.  Have you? If not, let me tell you. It’s life changing! My life is beautiful and peaceful now, not perfect, but so good, because Jesus saved me.

I used to have despair; now I have hope. I used to have depression; now I have joy. I used to have promiscuity; now I have purity. I used to have unrest; now I have peace. I used to be lost; now I am found.

If you don’t know Jesus but would like to, it is quite simple. All you need to do is say a prayer something like this from your heart (that’s the most important part – your heart is what He wants the very most).

Jesus, I don’t know you, but I desire to know you.  Thank you for your precious gift of forgiveness for every one of my sins: past, present, & future.  I do need hope, and joy, and peace, and purity of heart which brings that peace. I need those things and somehow my heart tells me having you in my life will lead me to those. Help me to know You more. Help me to know of Your great love, of Your great love for me. And help me to follow Your ways all the days of my life. Make a difference in my life, LORD, so that I can make a difference in the world. Thank You for celebrating the very day I was born. Help me to learn more about Your deep love for me and the world I live in.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, please let us know. We’d love to celebrate with you.  For God’s Word says there is much rejoicing in heaven when another precious child of God comes to know Him.  You are His, sweet one, forever. You will never be alone again. God has a name, Immanuel. It means God is with us. God is with you. Forever. Soak in that. Feel God’s smile upon You.

Jesus’ name is the name above all names. I needed His rescue. God’s Word says we can come to the Father, because Jesus has cleansed us of our sin. We are righteous, because Jesus made us righteous. We can enter the holy presence of God, because we are made holy through His sacrifice.   If you have accepted Jesus in your heart, you are righteous. No shame. Freedom from sin. That’s pretty incredible, right?

And for those of us who have a relationship with Jesus, let us not miss this moment afresh. Let us not forget the hour we first believed as the lyric goes. Let us hold tight to that moment and every saving moment since.

These faith moments help us when life gets hard.  Like 2020. When we wonder what on earth is going on?  Yet still, if we sit silent, we see God in our moments.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.

─Psalm 46:10 MEV

 

When the world feels weary, isn’t it good to know God gives us the command to rest in Him. We can be still. We can be still because we know God. That’s where peace that surpasses understanding stems from: a growing knowledge of the goodness and power of God.  It’s how we rest.

God the Father, God the Son, but what about God the Holy Spirit? That’s where some folks can come to a screeching halt of misunderstanding.

For whatever it’s worth, here’s what I know.  The Holy Spirit is not weird.  (Some people are, but not Him.)

Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus said this:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever:  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him, neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be in you.”

─John 14:15-17 MEV

The Counselor, the Spirit of truth, He is the Holy Spirit. We were blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit to help teach and guide us.  God’s Word says we are given the deposit of the Holy Spirit when we are saved.

Jesus also said this:

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.─John 16:7 ESV

Jesus SENT us the Holy Spirit. He said having the Holy Spirit with us is for our ADVANTAGE.

As I have grown to know the Holy Spirit more, I grow to desire to know Him more.  This is the space God has probably been growing most in terms of my understanding of the trinity. As I try to “be still” He speaks to my heart.  Stillness isn’t easy, but it is when we hear the Holy Spirits’ desires for us and others.

If you didn’t know the Holy Spirit and I had to tell you about Him from my vantage point (as small as my perspective is), I would say He is incredibly sweet.  He lets me in on secrets and He sends me on fun assignments of kindness.  As I see how His adventures play out (sometimes I get to see), I am delighted at God’s loving goodness. That’s His nature: kind, compassionate, tender, and loving.

As I pay attention to how He works in the world, it brings me joy.  Who knew in 2020 we could have joy?  With the Holy Spirit imparting divine wisdom, peace, comfort, and revelation, we can.

He has been growing my heart to align more closely with His.  I certainly haven’t “arrived” in this, but I am more attuned to Him and His desires now.

And He blesses me so much as I see and know His presence guiding me, my life, and the lives mine intersects.  Sometimes, a “chance” meeting with a stranger.  Sometimes, the perfect timing of a call or a connection with a friend.  His melody perfectly orchestrated when we slow down and listen to what the Holy Spirit desires to speak to us and through us.

When I have slowed enough to listen, I am told I am loved. I am shown I am loved. I feel seen and known, because the Holy Spirit brought wisdom from above. And it delights me that now He uses me.  His Spirit ministers through my hands and heart, your hands and heart too if you know Him and slow to listen to Him. He is speaking to us. Even now.

The Holy Spirit is not weird. He is wonderful! He is kind, loving, and true.  Remember, He is the Spirit of Truth. God cannot lie. He will tell us the truth about ourselves, Himself, and others as we need to know it (and some of their stuff is really none of our business).  What we need to know to effectively minister to others, that’s what He will tell us.  Sometimes we are doing His work without even knowing it.  My guess is that is often the case.  Why?  Because God is always doing something beneath the surface we are completely unaware of.

I think of the work He was doing in my heart well before I was saved.  Back then, you would never have imagined who He is making me into.  Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you were in prison, and now He has set you free. Maybe you were once an addict, and now the only thing you are addicted to is Him.  This is the beauty of the Spirit at work in our lives.

I like to think of myself as a secret agent for God sometimes.  When I can slow down enough to engage with Him and His missions, that’s when He uses me most.

Just this past week the Holy Spirit has done these things.  To be clear, I am bragging on Him.  He is a Mystery, but a Mystery I want to know more of, to be more a part of as I get to participate in His plan.

The Holy Spirit grows us up in our faith. Certainly, this is not where I started (listening to God and carrying out missions). I started in the ditch of life. In His love I have grown. In His love I will grow some more. Until the day I die, I will be being taught by the Holy Spirit how to be a better ambassador for Him.  That’s my way of saying I don’t always get it right, but when I do? It brings a smile to my face even now.

Last Saturday, I attended a virtual conference with a friend. Over lunch break we shared our hearts about much, and specifically about our children. We talked about the power of prayer from our mama hearts that we know God hears.  The next session was a spirit-filled prayer for attendees, including us.  As the speaker helped us enter a peaceful space (ushering us into God’s presence), part of her prayer was about the prayer of mothers for their children. She talked about how God hears our prayers for the ones we love so much.

It was as if God used her to encourage my friend and I that He’d been right there at the lunch table with us. He heard our conversation, and He hears our prayers. I walked away encouraged because the Holy Spirit had ministered to me through the voice of one of His saints.  His well-timed voice dispenses hope.

That’s why it is so very important for us to be still and listen.

Who does God want us to encourage?  Who does God want to use to encourage us?

In the weary world of 2020, I can guarantee we all need encouragement. The Holy Spirit knows that, and He will use those of us willing to be that for each other. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing?

On my way home after the conference, I felt the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart.  Don’t turn the radio on. I have something to tell you.

It made sense to sit in silence, to decompress from the day. So much had been said. God had been speaking all day through each woman delivering messages we needed, I needed.

I asked what God wanted to say. And waited.  Sometimes, I can be too fervent in wanting to hear, almost causing distortion. I want to know.  Finally, I settle down enough that He can speak through my mental chatter without having to crash through. It’s almost like He just kind of lets me squiggle a little and then He slips something in when the opportune, settled moment happens in my brain.

Have fun.

God told me to “have fun”.  Sometimes, I do need reminding of that.  Life can be serious.

I had shared with my friend earlier in the day sometimes the more serious life feels, the more fun and joy we need to infuse.  I do think there’s truth in that. We have to counterbalance the weariness of the world in the every day difficulties and in the large, looming pandemic challenges.  The harder those things are, the more fun we need to have.

As a child I was silly and fun. As an adult I can be serious, not that serious is bad. But neither is fun and silly.

The Holy Spirit also said to my heart, You having fun is one of the greatest witnessing tools you have to show Me to the world. 

I believe that to be true and why the enemy tries so hard to weigh us down with worry.

Joy. Fun. They are a weapon. And as God said, a most effective witness tool.

It took effort not to look at my text messages.  Several had come over during the conference. I knew there were “things”, things to attend to. I didn’t know what because I’d turned my phone over, knowing if I saw a text I wouldn’t be able to emotionally engage in the conference and what God had for me.  So those ignored texts became the place God called me to linger.  No radio. No texts. Be with Him.  It became a matter of trust. Did I trust Him that the sky wouldn’t fall if I spent 20 more minutes with Him during the car ride home without glancing at my phone?

Almost home I passed by a man, a woman, and a child. The man held a sign that read something like this, Out of work. Please help my family. However you can help.  It was that sentiment if not those exact words.

I had driven past because I had somewhere to go that evening.  (Not to mention my unknown texts.) But the Holy Spirit didn’t let me get far.  My car made it to the next Home Depot entrance where He placed on my heart,

Turn around and give them (x-dollar amount).

I pulled into the semi loading area of Home Depot, navigated my car past the garden center, through the parking lot, and pulled my car near the family.  I felt prompted to get out of my car, walk over to the dad, and hand him the money.

As I did, I told him this, “Jesus loves you.  He told me to turn my car around and come to give you this money.  He sees you, and He loves you.”

I have no idea what God will do with that, but that’s an awesome point.  We do not know what the Holy Spirit is up to in anyone else’s life.  What if I had disregarded His prompting to sit quiet in my car for a 20 minute ride home?  I can tell you I most certainly would have been mentally engaged in whatever work was calling me. And I would have missed it!  But God’s grace had me be still a little longer with Him. He gave me a sweet message to have fun, and I got to see His goodness play out in the smallest of ways through me.  And it was kind of fun too.  Being sent on assignment is fun.

Maybe you needed to hear that.  God’s assignments shouldn’t feel heavy and burdensome, another thing we have to do.  His assignments are covered by His grace. He’s doing the heavy lifting.

So, if things feel heavy, hand those over to God. Have fun. And let His Spirit do the work.

Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.─2 Corinthians 3:17-18 MEV

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Looking to engage some more?

I encourage you to read Acts chapter 2 as a start (or referesher) on your journey to learn more about the Holy Spirit.  The early church was greatly impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit.  If you look at how the Spirit came upon the Church and then Peter preached the sermon of his life with power and impact for God’s kingdom, I hope you  are encouraged.  The power of the Holy Spirit is available to you and me today as well.  Let’s “be the Church” through the power of the Holy Spirit who does the heavy lifting.