1st session with Brother Emmanuel... "How to walk in the Spirit"
"One must realize that in the Plans of God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit Himself is at work in the world today and He will be so until the ends of time. Jesus as you will recall made it very clear what the role of the Holy Spirit is:-
The role of the Holy Spirit is to SANCTIFY us. Sanctify us means to help us become holy and be ready for Eternal Life.
Yes, the role of the Holy Spirit is also to Reveal Jesus completely to ourselves during our life time - And also to empower us to do even greater things than Jesus himself has done during His life time.
As members of the Catholic Church and as Catholics, if we are ready for a more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit that exceeds anything we have ever thought possible, put on this evening you seat belts and listen attentively to what I have to reveal to you...
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I am neither a world wide evangelist nor an official pastor of our church. But like you, I do not want to lead a dry, boring and dull Christian life. I want to walk closer to God, to hear His voice, and to have an exciting and wonderful journey with Him. Join me in that journey.
In the world today, millions and millions of Christians are satisfied to settle for the dry shadow of Christianity that knows about the Word of God, and not the God of the Word. Are we of that category?
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." is an incredible invitation from the Creator of the universe. God does not desire us to worship Him with our lips and rituals only every Sunday in service. But to enter into a genuine relationship, so close and loving, where He knows our heart, and we know His heart.
I do not know about you, but I used to feel that God is distant. But the bible says that the cause of this is not God, but I! My desires and focus on material possessions, entertainment and religious worship created a wall between God and me.
Good news! If we are willing to humble ourselves and open up our hearts to receive Him, He will fill our body with His Holy Spirit and reveal to us the truth about Himself,
Prayers will no longer be like chanting a wish list to God that doesn't seem to be paying any attention, but will be like a fulfilling chat or heart to heart conversation between best friends where each shares the deepest secrets of their hearts. Are we ready to have a heart to heart chat with God? With Jesus?
This is only possible when we know the Spirit of God, purchased by the blood of Jesus when He died for our sins 2000 years ago. I know that I know that I know when you begin to know the Holy Spirit more and more, you will have a passion for God that burns like a fire in your heart!
Keep on Walking by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit suppresses in us the evil impulses of nature as we trust Him to do so. As we cooperate with Him in the work of sanctification He enables us to be victorious in the Christian life.
It is our responsibility to submit our life to the control of the Holy Spirit.
In the context of a church biting, devouring and destroying Christian fellowship, the apostle Paul admonished Christians to "walk by the spirit". Conduct yourself under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Let the inward impulses of the Holy Spirit continue to control your behavior. Today in the context of a materialistic, atheist and fun-power-selfish filled world, the same reminder from St Paul can, and is being admonished unto us.
The Spirit is the source of all good and gracious impulses in our life. He works within us, enabling us with sanctifying power. The Spirit gives us wisdom and direction and by His help and power, we live and overcome the inevitable temptations, sorrows and joys in life.
The present tense of the verb "to walk" indicates a continuing condition or need. Paul is encouraging us to keep on doing what they have been doing, i.e., "Keep on walking by the Spirit." Keep in step; don't fall out now.
It is our responsibility to make the Holy Spirit the rule of our life. We must live continually in and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let the Spirit always continue to direct our life, and when He is guiding our life, "we will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
How does the Christian fulfill the "righteousness of the law" without becoming legalists? Romans 8:4 tells us "walk after the Spirit." "So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4)
Instead of biting, devouring, and consuming one another, which is the result of fulfilling the desire of the flesh, let the Holy Spirit produce His kind of righteousness in our life.
As a believer, let us "keep on walking" through life depending on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God for His guidance and power.
The emphasis the apostle Paul is making is, this submission to the Holy Spirit is the responsibility of the individual. The Holy Spirit does not operate automatically in each one of us... We do not become robots when we believe in Christ. However, as we Catholics do yield to the Spirit's control, the promise is that we emphatically will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Paul uses a strong double negative to reinforce this great truth. The Holy Spirit wants us to be obedient and when we do obey Him, we overcome these evil desires (vv. 19-21). Let us therefore this evening, commit ourselves anew to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to lead us, mould us, and help us to walk with Him all the days of our life.
This great Biblical truth frees us from going to the extremes of liberty as license and lordship as legalism. True Christianity is neither license nor legalism. We have been set free to live Christ. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery" (5:1). The Holy Spirit frees us to live in that spiritual freedom. He frees us from the penalty and power of sin and will one day free us from the presence of sin. The Bible teaches us that the human body is not sinful; it is neutral. However, when the Holy Spirit is in control of the body, we live in a manner that pleases God. It is when the Holy Spirit is not in control that we live in a way that fulfills the desires of the flesh-- the old nature with its sinful behavior. We cannot win the spiritual victory by our own personal strength or will power. Once we let the Holy Spirit guide us, "then we will never satisfy the passions of the flesh." The promise is realized in those who continually walk or live by the Spirit. Those who walk by the Spirit will definitely not fulfill the desires of the flesh. This is the only assurance that we will not yield to the power within us that leads to sinful behavior. We will always know who or what is in control by the work (vv. 19-21), or the fruit (v.22-25).
Is this not an encouraging teaching showing us what the HOLY SPIRIT can do to each and everyone of us who surrender fully to Him and let Him guide us and lead us to Jesus who finally will lead us to the Father?"
- From Bro. Emmanuel (adopted from an article)
Every Wednesday, 8pm @ Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, St Thomas Room (Singapore, Woodlands)
"One must realize that in the Plans of God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit Himself is at work in the world today and He will be so until the ends of time. Jesus as you will recall made it very clear what the role of the Holy Spirit is:-
The role of the Holy Spirit is to SANCTIFY us. Sanctify us means to help us become holy and be ready for Eternal Life.
Yes, the role of the Holy Spirit is also to Reveal Jesus completely to ourselves during our life time - And also to empower us to do even greater things than Jesus himself has done during His life time.
As members of the Catholic Church and as Catholics, if we are ready for a more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit that exceeds anything we have ever thought possible, put on this evening you seat belts and listen attentively to what I have to reveal to you...
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I am neither a world wide evangelist nor an official pastor of our church. But like you, I do not want to lead a dry, boring and dull Christian life. I want to walk closer to God, to hear His voice, and to have an exciting and wonderful journey with Him. Join me in that journey.
In the world today, millions and millions of Christians are satisfied to settle for the dry shadow of Christianity that knows about the Word of God, and not the God of the Word. Are we of that category?
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." is an incredible invitation from the Creator of the universe. God does not desire us to worship Him with our lips and rituals only every Sunday in service. But to enter into a genuine relationship, so close and loving, where He knows our heart, and we know His heart.
I do not know about you, but I used to feel that God is distant. But the bible says that the cause of this is not God, but I! My desires and focus on material possessions, entertainment and religious worship created a wall between God and me.
Good news! If we are willing to humble ourselves and open up our hearts to receive Him, He will fill our body with His Holy Spirit and reveal to us the truth about Himself,
Prayers will no longer be like chanting a wish list to God that doesn't seem to be paying any attention, but will be like a fulfilling chat or heart to heart conversation between best friends where each shares the deepest secrets of their hearts. Are we ready to have a heart to heart chat with God? With Jesus?
This is only possible when we know the Spirit of God, purchased by the blood of Jesus when He died for our sins 2000 years ago. I know that I know that I know when you begin to know the Holy Spirit more and more, you will have a passion for God that burns like a fire in your heart!
Keep on Walking by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit suppresses in us the evil impulses of nature as we trust Him to do so. As we cooperate with Him in the work of sanctification He enables us to be victorious in the Christian life.
It is our responsibility to submit our life to the control of the Holy Spirit.
In the context of a church biting, devouring and destroying Christian fellowship, the apostle Paul admonished Christians to "walk by the spirit". Conduct yourself under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Let the inward impulses of the Holy Spirit continue to control your behavior. Today in the context of a materialistic, atheist and fun-power-selfish filled world, the same reminder from St Paul can, and is being admonished unto us.
The Spirit is the source of all good and gracious impulses in our life. He works within us, enabling us with sanctifying power. The Spirit gives us wisdom and direction and by His help and power, we live and overcome the inevitable temptations, sorrows and joys in life.
The present tense of the verb "to walk" indicates a continuing condition or need. Paul is encouraging us to keep on doing what they have been doing, i.e., "Keep on walking by the Spirit." Keep in step; don't fall out now.
It is our responsibility to make the Holy Spirit the rule of our life. We must live continually in and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let the Spirit always continue to direct our life, and when He is guiding our life, "we will not carry out the desire of the flesh."
How does the Christian fulfill the "righteousness of the law" without becoming legalists? Romans 8:4 tells us "walk after the Spirit." "So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4)
Instead of biting, devouring, and consuming one another, which is the result of fulfilling the desire of the flesh, let the Holy Spirit produce His kind of righteousness in our life.
As a believer, let us "keep on walking" through life depending on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God for His guidance and power.
The emphasis the apostle Paul is making is, this submission to the Holy Spirit is the responsibility of the individual. The Holy Spirit does not operate automatically in each one of us... We do not become robots when we believe in Christ. However, as we Catholics do yield to the Spirit's control, the promise is that we emphatically will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Paul uses a strong double negative to reinforce this great truth. The Holy Spirit wants us to be obedient and when we do obey Him, we overcome these evil desires (vv. 19-21). Let us therefore this evening, commit ourselves anew to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to lead us, mould us, and help us to walk with Him all the days of our life.
This great Biblical truth frees us from going to the extremes of liberty as license and lordship as legalism. True Christianity is neither license nor legalism. We have been set free to live Christ. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery" (5:1). The Holy Spirit frees us to live in that spiritual freedom. He frees us from the penalty and power of sin and will one day free us from the presence of sin. The Bible teaches us that the human body is not sinful; it is neutral. However, when the Holy Spirit is in control of the body, we live in a manner that pleases God. It is when the Holy Spirit is not in control that we live in a way that fulfills the desires of the flesh-- the old nature with its sinful behavior. We cannot win the spiritual victory by our own personal strength or will power. Once we let the Holy Spirit guide us, "then we will never satisfy the passions of the flesh." The promise is realized in those who continually walk or live by the Spirit. Those who walk by the Spirit will definitely not fulfill the desires of the flesh. This is the only assurance that we will not yield to the power within us that leads to sinful behavior. We will always know who or what is in control by the work (vv. 19-21), or the fruit (v.22-25).
Is this not an encouraging teaching showing us what the HOLY SPIRIT can do to each and everyone of us who surrender fully to Him and let Him guide us and lead us to Jesus who finally will lead us to the Father?"
- From Bro. Emmanuel (adopted from an article)
Every Wednesday, 8pm @ Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, St Thomas Room (Singapore, Woodlands)
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