Hempfield UMC

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13) Reflection: The ultimate role of the Holy Spirit is not guidance but communion. Jesus Christ desires to live within us and to share his life with us. He accomplishes this by sending his Holy Spirit to reside within our soul. Through the spirit we can walk with Jesus day-by-day and moment-by-moment. This union is a joy…

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27) Reflection: There is a problem in prayer that we will soon discover. Our prayers should be in alignment with…

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) Reflection: Surprise! Not everyone who is teaching about Jesus is doing so by the Spirit. In fact, some people who are teaching about Jesus are doing so by the power of evil spirits who distort God’s truth. A healthy bit of skepticism is, well, healthy! God does not want us…

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) Reflection: The “flesh” refers to our material desires, whatever they are. Without the Spirit, we naturally desire the things of this world. But when the Holy Spirit comes, we begin to pursue the things of God. The Spirit and the flesh are opposites so that we cannot pursue both simultaneously; we must make a choice. Walking by the Spirit means that…