The halfbaked Bard

Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. Eph:1:13-14 The process starts with belief. Once you believe, you are marked ( infact you were marked - past tense. That in itself is another writing). Marked with a seal ie. the promised Holy Spirit. Seal is something which denotes ownership or belonging. The Lord's possession are we (v:14). His precious property. He has put His seal of affirmation upon us, so that the devil cannot lay claim. The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life is the evidence , the guarantee that you belong to Him. Is the Holy Spirit active in your life? Are you receptive and responsive to the nudgings of the third person of Trinity? The Holy Spirit of God. How serious am I about the presence of this Holy One in my life? As a friend. As an Advocate. Who influences my conscience, who shows the correct path. Who ...

Acts:8:39 The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. Philip was a man full of the Holy Spirit. Fully led by the Holy Spirit. The Lord said to him. He obeyed. The Holy Spirit guides him. He obeyed. The Holy Spirit snatched him away. He found himself preaching the Good News. Being guided by the Holy Spirit means not going according to your plans. Not that you should not have ambitions and desires and plans. But be available and obedient to His ways. Abraham relocated his tent again and again. For He has plans to prosper you. Plans to give you hope and future. His ways are always higher and better. Always remember, that we are strangers and aliens in this world. Live with the concept of eternity. There is a life after death. That is our home. We are sojourners here. And therefore how do we live here? As led by the Spirit. Obeying the still small voice. Obeying the nudgings of the Spirit. Obeying what He tells absolutely and completely. Like Philip, being led by the Holy Spir...

Acts:8:3 If Saul could be changed, I could be changed too. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,  The old has gone; behold the new has come. That is His plan; from one glory to another. Saul; a man who approved of Stephen's killing. The one who was determined to destroy the church, Became the Apostle of the Gentiles. The persecuter becomes the persecuted. How did the Gospel change the perspective of this man? How did this News become good to him? Because of the encounter with the person Jesus. Because of the influence of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a process in a Christian. But is it really happening Is holiness really progressing in you? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to change you? Or are you comfortable in your old ways? In your own self centred cocoon, do you want to reside? In your own negativities, do you want to continue? No! I am not what I used to be. Start your day with positive affirmations. Till yesterday, what you were - that is dead. The H...

Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? Acts:7:51 Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? Rejecting the Way. Rejecting wisdom. Resisting the way you should walk. Stubborn. Persistent to rebel. He has words of wisdom But you wouldn't listen. Fists raised in rebellion. Choosing your own way. Your choices. Your ambitions. Your dreams. Frustrated. If that path is not taken. You think you know the best Forgetting you have a creator God, who knows it all. Trust. Love. Joy. Peace. Gentleness. Kindness. Expected fruit that the Spirit gives. But you are yet another genre. Fret. Hatred. Tensed. Angry. Frustrated. Selfish. No way of reflecting your Master. He is showing the way to trod. Looks the narrow and difficult path. But with Him, all things are possible. And if you keep resisting the Spirit. You will one day grieve Him. You wouldn't be able to take a choice  In accordance with the Spirit. Beware. Your tied hands wouldn't let you. The very hands which you have tied...

Acts:6:1-7 The seven men were selected for distributing food for the widows. But these seven were chosen as those who were well reported and full of the Spirit and wisdom. Such a menial job, but such high qualification. One of them, Stephen, has been described as man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. No job is menial. You might be the church choir leader or the one who preaches. Or you might be the least important person in the choir. Or you might be the one who wipes clean the chairs. In God's eyes both are the same, whether you do it faithfully and with thankfulness - that is what matters. That makes it even more significant. Each job has its own value. Each job entrusted to you is important. Whether you are a student or a teacher, a doctor or an engineer or a daily wages worker, do it as if you are doing it for God. It has to be impeccable. Give your best shot. Do it with full heart. Image courtesy: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-maintain-a-wooden-dining-table-165...

Acts:2:1-13 It is often common to see, when there is a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, it is being misinterpreted with logical reasoning. The first manifestation of the coming of the Holy Spirit was people speaking in tongues and it was misinterpreted as drunkenness. Whether it is really true healing? Whether it is a gimmick? Whether we can give a more logical explanation to it than divine intervention? Why can't my futile human brain accept the fact that God can work in unnatural ways (which is natural for Him). Why do I trust in things which I see alone? I am not saying, you should believe in every such things that happen as divine intervention. Discernment, the Spirit Himself will give. The Holy Spirit is alive. He is God. His manifestations are real. We should be aware and we should believe that there is another realm which is difficult for us to comprehend, but not infeasible to believe. Image credit: https://www.mexperience.com/mexicos-mystical-wind...

I will send Him to you. John:16:7 The work of the Holy Spirit is -  1. To convict the world of its sin, of God's righteous and coming judgement. 2. To guide you into all truth. 3. To tell you about the future. 4. To teach you everything. 5. To remind you everything that the Son has told. The Holy Spirit, the third person of Trinity, has been given as a gift, as a Helper, as an Advocate to lead you farther to the Father through the Son. He is always there with you. The most neglected person of the Trinity, while He is always available.  He is the One who gives His fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Ask and it shall be given unto you, is the promise. So if you don't have it, it is because you don't ask. And because you don't ask the right person. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by neglecting His nudgings by revelling in sin. Do not belittle His presence. Remember He is in you always. Image courtesy...

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  Matt:12:31-32 So I tell you every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven - except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.  What exactly does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? To attribute a definite work of the Holy Spirit to something else like chance or happenstance or luck or 'it so happened'. It can also be nullified attributing it to a result of your hard work and discipline.  So again, if you attribute the Holy Spirit's power to something which has no connection to Him. Even the demons have powers (though a little).  So how do we know? How do we discern? V:33 A tree is identified by its fruit. If it spreads the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control,...