Tag: Holy Spirit

Are You Sure You’re Going to Heaven?

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Do you ever wonder if you will make it to Heaven? Do you consider your entrance into Heaven something of which you cannot be ultimately sure until you die? If so, then you need to understand that God has given us a deposit to guarantee our admission to God’s home.

Unlike a physical ticket or admission pass, God’s people receive an unbelievable gift as their guarantee for Heaven. The gift is a Person – the third Person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. He is the proof positive that we have access to Heaven upon our exit of this world.

We read the glorious words of 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 in the New Living Translation, “While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.”

Do you see that my insurance on a new, heavenly, undying, and sinless body is the Holy Spirit living in me? How much more proof could I possibly need, but to have God living in me moment by moment? Despite the struggles and strains of life, in my heart abides the Spirit of God, and He gives me a peace that goes past the turmoil and sadness of this life. He witnesses to my spirit that I do, in fact, belong to God and to Heaven.

Again, we read of the coming day of redemption, the time when we are fully redeemed (bought back) from brokenness and this old world. Listen to Ephesians 4:30 in the English Standard Version: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

The Holy Spirit actually provides the seal that declares that my entrance to Heaven is as good as done! For what more could I ask?

This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Jesus sent His own Spirit to live in His followers when He exited the world and ascended to Heaven. That precious Spirit is the guarantee that we also will exit this world and go to Heaven. Jesus paid for my salvation, and His Spirit witnesses to my salvation. Jesus is the way to Heaven, and His Spirit is the deposit I hold for that day. Until I am able to see Jesus, I have Him living in me by His Spirit.

– Shelli Prindle

Artificial Intelligence – February 14, 2023

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Artificial Intelligence

Serious-minded Christians (and I’m doubtful there is any other kind) ought to be sure they know how to navigate their paper-bound Bibles, how to use Bible commentaries and dictionaries, and how to discern between true and false teachers and preachers. We better also be digesting and studying the Bible at a level that enables our minds to begin connecting all parts of the entire counsel of God’s Word, that we might evaluate everything else in life through the lens of the Bible. We ought to be conscientiously dependent on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and discernment.

Why is this pressing on my heart? One reason is because artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay, and it has advanced by astronomical degrees. Microsoft has developed (and continues to refine) a new version of its Bing search engine that utilizes ChatGPT by OpenAI. A recent article in the USA Today newspaper warned of inaccuracies and slants against conservative viewpoints. Additionally, another article in the same paper noted that Microsoft created an AI model that works behind the scenes to decide what resources to use to answer your question or request.

We know that search engines have always had inherent flaws and biases. This is only going to grow worse, and it is growing worse very quickly.

All of this, my friends, is being used by the antichrist spirit to pull people further and further from God’s truth by bias, deception, and dependence on artificial intelligence, rather than on the human mind God has created and graciously given.

It is the human soul in which the Holy Spirit resides when a person trusts in Jesus for salvation from sin. The Holy Spirit does not reside in artificial intelligence. AI has no ability to depend on God. AI cannot willfully submit to the Lord.

We CAN submit to Jesus. And we better. And we ought to get very serious about our knowledge of, and relationship with, the Lord. The beginning of the end is upon us.

– Shelli Prindle

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Spiritual Inventory – September 19, 2022

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Spiritual Inventory

Are you on cruise control, or are you building yourself up in your most holy faith? Do you take your relationship with Jesus for granted, or are you actively investing in your walk with Him?

Are you going through the motions of everyday life, or are you praying in the Holy Spirit? Are you repeating rote prayers, or are you allowing the Spirit of God to direct what you bring to the Lord?

Is your receiving of the love of God something you think of as past tense, or are you carefully guarding the love of God in your life? Do you treasure it and grow in it?

Finally, are you stuck in thoughts of the here and now, or are you eagerly awaiting the greatest of mercy of Jesus Christ that we shall ever receive – the entrance into sinless and everlasting life? Do you crave the day of full redemption when we shall stand in glorified bodies with the King?

The above is a real checklist for those who claim to be Christians, for the Word of God bears forth the reality of believers. Hear it in the tiny book of Jude:

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21)

– Shelli Prindle

Mark of the Beast / Seal of the Saved

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 In studying Revelation and the mark of the beast, I am more appreciative of the truth of the seal that we believers have. Unlike the mark that worshippers of Antichrist will take (which in the Greek language, is a stamp, imprinted mark, brand, or carved image), the seal we have is the living third Person of the Trinity! We are sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit Himself living inside of us! The guarantee is that He will keep us through this life and through death in order to get us to Jesus and the heavenly reward we have in Him. The only “promise” that Satan makes through the mark of the beast is that one can buy and sell in that wicked economy. Food, however, will not prevent either the earthly or eternal wrath of God.

Thank you, Jesus, for securing our salvation and giving to us Your very Spirit as the promise!

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:9-10)

What a contrast. Wow.

– Shelli Prindle

Who Do We Think We Are?

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In the middle of a Bible teaching session about the Trinity last week, I found myself stopping in my tracks as I read a particular verse to the crowd. The question that immediately bombarded my mind was, “Who do we think we are?” We can be so self-focused. We often look at circumstances with a main concern of, “How will this affect me?”

The problem with that attitude is … the Holy Spirit Himself chooses not to be self-focused – even though He is God! The third Person of the Trinity has every right to receive glory, yet He has chosen to glorify Someone Else!

It hit me right between the eyes – that tremendous statement of Jesus about the Holy Spirit in John 16:14 (ESV, emphasis mine), “He will glorify me.”

If the third Person of the Godhead willingly lifts up Jesus with His very existence, what in the world am I doing? Am I thinking I am better than God, as I attempt to serve myself at any given moment instead of pointing all hearts around me to Jesus?

Does my frustration about situations glorify my own feelings instead of God’s sovereignty? Does my anger at people exalt my wish to be placated more than a longing for God to be obeyed? Does my pride in accomplishment turn people’s eyes toward me instead of toward the Savior? Does my fear glorify ominous circumstances rather than the God of all comfort and hope?

Two of the great mysteries of the Trinity are the willing submission of the Son to the Father and the willing glorification of the Son by the Spirit. We simply cannot get around this clear revelation. And what a loving example for us! The three Persons of the Godhead love one another so much that they willingly do what is essential for our redemption.

Holy Spirit, thank You for making Jesus big for the world. Thank You for lifting Him up that we might be saved by His death and resurrection. And Holy Spirit, please help me to make Jesus the biggest thing in my life. You are God, and You give me the power I need to glorify God. I love you!

You Need a Counselor with a Capital “C”

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Do you feel like you need a counselor? Is your heart heavy or confused? Can you picture yourself sitting in a comfortable chair as you attempt to respond to the suggestion, “Tell me all about yourself”?

How could you ever fully explain yourself to someone else? Even if we had an infinite amount of time to reveal what we know of our experiences from birth to present, we could not disclose everything about ourselves; for we do not know! Our memories are not comprehensive or perfect. Our understanding of the effects of life’s experiences on us is severely limited. We cannot possibly tie together the vast intricacies of our emotions, and the motivations of our hearts remain largely a mystery to our frail minds.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) instructs us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Not only can no other human being – no matter how compassionate or educated – comprehend us, but we cannot understand ourselves. Our tainted hearts deceive us, as they are sick from sin. We need Someone greater to figure us out.

That is exactly where the famous Christmas verse comes into play. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV). In the original Hebrew language, the word “wonderful” means “a wonder, a marvel, an extraordinary thing.” Jesus is the only Counselor who is more than ordinary – greater than human frailty and limitations. He is God the Counselor.

God the Counselor knows everything! Picture the human heart with all its cracks and fissures. Think of all the aspects of your being that you cannot fathom. Envision the hurts and confusion. Now picture God the Counselor knowing every part of your heart – pouring His love into every crevice and filling it with His healing salve.

When Jesus prepared to leave this earth, He said the Father would send us a Helper to be with us forever – the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit is fully God, the third Person of the triune Godhead. He is our Helper – or Counselor. You do not need to go to His office for help; He is with you now. When you sincerely pray, He will intercede for you, since you cannot possibly know how exactly to pray for every circumstance (Romans 8:26-27). He is your Advocate, bringing you closer to God and into His will. He is your Counselor, healing you in ways you cannot see. He drives everything about our personality into alignment with God’s will as we believe and ask Him to. In ways unknown and quite mysterious to us, the Holy Spirit is doing the repair work necessary for our well-being, our wholeness.

Ephesians 3:16-19 assures us that God’s love – through the Holy Spirit – descends deeper into our heart than human comprehension. While we calculate volume in our three-dimensional space as length times width times height, God tells us His love goes to a fourth dimension – a depth beyond our grasp. His healing goes infinitely far beyond the help of any human, to exactly the level we need.

Your proper understanding of our Wonderful Counselor is vital in order for you to act on the promise. Equipped with this truth about our Counselor, meet with Him now – wherever you are. Ask Him to fill in every crack and crevice of your heart . . . and to make you part of God’s unbroken, perfect will.

Unlike any human counselor who can only make suggestions based on severely limited comprehension, God gives commands. He can rightfully tell us exactly what to do, for His knowledge of us and our circumstances is perfect. Rejoice in His Word, the Bible, because its instructions are for your healing. It is the Word of the Counselor, with a capital “C.”

Riding the Updraft

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As I stepped out of my car and onto my driveway, I looked up into the clear, blue sky and spotted a beautiful, large bird of prey. This hawk was sailing in the expanse above, in that familiar circular motion. Without flapping its large wings at all, the bird floated in a large circle a few times. Soon, the hawk gracefully made its way to yet another area of spherical pattern; it did so seamlessly. One second the creature sailed in one circle, and the next second it veered slightly to begin rotating around the next pattern. At no point in the transfer did the bird ever beat its wings. Amazingly, I watched as the creature continued in this endeavor for more than five minutes, riding from one circle to another, until the bird was on the other side of the sky and nearly out of sight. Not once did it flap its wings!

“How graceful,” I thought. As a bird lover, I recognized what was happening. The hawk was engaged in thermal soaring. This flight technique depends on thermal updrafts, which are defined well by Perrins and Elphick (2003), “As the ground warms up in the morning sun, more energy is absorbed by some features than others. This causes the air locally to heat up, forming an invisible, rising bubble. As it rises, more air is sucked in and heats up, and it too rises” (p. 18). The bird I observed that day was literally soaring from updraft to updraft. The hawk migrated by gliding from warm air bubble to warm air bubble – and nearly effortlessly. I cannot even estimate the area it covered without ever flapping its large wings.

This hawk is a bird of prey, as is the eagle. These birds of prey – with long, broad wings – are often known for thermal soaring, an efficient way to travel. As I watched that winged creature in the sky at my home, God struck my heart with thoughts of security. He reminded me of Isaiah 40:31 (NIV), “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” Why did God mention the eagle here? Perhaps because God means for us to realize we need not frantically flap our own wings as smaller birds do!

The thermal updraft on which we are to securely glide is the warm strength of the Holy Spirit. His power and love are what fills our hearts and provides our way to ride from experience to experience in this life. We need not rapidly or desperately beat our wings to make things happen; our Lord carries us by His own presence. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, fully God. He remains with us here on this earth to guide, comfort, and provide. No matter what “circle” we transition to, it is the Holy Spirit who carries us. Our responsibility is to stay close to Him, listening to Him as He shows us where to glide next. We can take time to hear Him and fellowship with Him, because our energy is not wasted in frenzied movement. We are still, and we know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). We spread our wings and ride on God’s strength, and we wait for the day the sphere to which we transfer will be on the updraft to our heavenly home. He will take us there, too.

Reference: Christopher M. Perrins & Jonathan Elphick. The Complete Encyclopedia of Birds and Bird Migration. (Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books)