Events in April 2025

April 7, 2025

John 14:16 I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor recognizes Him. You recognize Him because He lives with you and will be in you.

Advocate, Counsellor, Monitor, and Comforter.

His gifts and graces would encourage their hearts. The expressions used here and elsewhere denote a person, and the office includes all the Divine perfection. The gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon the disciples of Jesus Christ and not on the world. This is the favor God bears for those who believe in His Son and His work on the cross. The Holy Spirit will abide with every believer forever as the source of holiness and happiness.

John 14:26 The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you.

John 15:26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify on my behalf.

The Holy Spirit will uphold the cause of Jesus in the world, despite the opposition it encounters. Believers, inspired and encouraged by His influence, will bear witness to Jesus the Messiah and His salvation.

John 16:7 I am telling you the truth. It is for your advantage that I am going away because if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment - of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Jesus' departure was necessary for the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Jesus' death, which was His going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but His Spirit is everywhere, in all places.

If you are depressed, the Holy Spirit can help you with encouragement.
If you are discouraged, He can help you with new strength.
If you are afraid, He can help you by calming your fears.
If you are struggling, He can even ease the struggle.
If you are alone, the Holy Spirit can be your friend.

This Helper given is God's provision in Jesus' place to meet you at your point of need.

If the Holy Spirit is in me, that means He is with me all the time and walks alongside me, so when I feel alone, the reality of the Holy Spirit's closeness to me, both near and within, means I am never truly alone.

You receive the companionship of the Holy Spirit when you trust in Jesus Christ for salvation from your sins.

April 9, 2025

The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Knowing that the Holy Spirit has come to offer us help in so many ways should increase our interest in and focus on Him. He is a gift from God sent from above so that we will have all we need to live out the victorious kingdom life fully.

Exploring the ability of the Holy Spirit to help in a person's life:

Romans 15:13 Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In believing what? In believing the great truths set forth here in Romans, we see the tremendous realities of our most holy faith - setting man's ruin by sin and his redemption through Jesus Christbefore us. When we believe this, we are filled with joy and peace as we look on in hope to the fulfillment of it all at our Lord's return, walking before God in the power of the indwelling Spirit who alone makes these precious things real to us.

All sorts of true joy and peace subdue doubts and fears through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

A rushing, mighty wind came with great force. This was to signify the powerful influences and working of the Spirit of God upon people's minds and, thereby, upon the world. Thus, the convictions of the Spirit make way for His comforts, and the rough blasts of that blessed wind prepare the soul for its soft and gentle breeze. There was an appearance of something like flaming fire, lighting on every one of them. According to John Baptist's saying concerning Christ, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, burns up the dross, and kindles holy affections in the soul, in which spiritual sacrifices are offered up as in the fire on the altar. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, more than before. They were filled with the graces of the Spirit and, more than ever under His sanctifying influences, more weaned from this world and better acquainted with heaven. They were more filled with the comforts of the Spirit and rejoiced more than ever in the love of Jesus and the hope of eternal life: All their griefs and fears were overcome. They were filled with His holy gifts, possessing miraculous powers to further the gospel. They spoke not from prior contemplation, but as the Spirit dictated.

Acts 4:31 When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly.

God gave them greater degrees of His Spirit, and they were all filled with Him, more than ever, by which they were encouraged and enabled to speak the Word of God boldly.

I know I shall not be confounded when I find that the Lord God helps me by His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit helps me get through each day. He reminds me of the hope set before me, that I am known and loved by Him and that He will never change or abandon me.

Lord, give me Your grace to go on steadfastly in my work and not to fear the face of man.

1 Live by the Spirit - Guided by the Spirit April 1, 2025 Galatians 5:13 You were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another. vs. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. vs. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit, let us also be guided. The good news is that the corrupt nature which remains in us shall not have dominion over us. But there should be a desire after holiness. The fruits of the Spirit, or of the renewed nature, which we are to do, are named in verse 22 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit, let us also be guided. (vs 25) In my search for joy and happiness, I will add that the fruit of the Spirit will make me agreeable and happy if I cherish and cultivate them. Romans 6:12 Don't let sin rule your mortal bodie so that you obey their desires. Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace. So, I may be saved, but I must be careful to resist the sins that are not entirely rooted out in this life and strive through Divine grace so that they will not prevail in my mortal state. Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To focus our minds on human nature leads to death, but to focus our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace. vs. 8 Indeed, those who are under the control of human nature cannot please God. What is the principle of my walk: the flesh or the Spirit, the old or the new nature, corruption or grace? By the Spirit, the Law of love is written upon my heart, and though I do not fulfill the righteousness of the Law, yet, bless be to God, it is fulfilled in me. Seeking to bring forth more abundantly those good fruits, which are, through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God. Read more

2 A Happy End April 2, 2025 James 5:7-11 So be patient brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious crop from his land, being patient with it until it receives the fall and the spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Strengthen your hearts because the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain about each other, brothers, or you will be condemned. Look! The Judge is standing at the door! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord. We consider those who endured to be blessed. You have heard about Job's endurance and have seen the purpose of the Lord - that the Lord is compassionate an merciful. Let me serve my God and bear my trials as those who believe that the end will crown all. My eternal happiness is safe if I trust to Him: all else is mere vanity, which soon will be done with for ever. Read more

3 Like a Tree Planted by Streams April 3, 2025 Psalm 1:1 How happy is the person, who does not take the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in the seat of mockers. But He delights in the Lord's instruction, and meditates in His instruction day and night. he will be like a tree planted by streams of water yielding its fruit in its season. The psalmist speaks more directly about true happiness in this short Psalm than any philosopher, or even all of them together. While the philosophers only beat around the bush, God has placed the answer right into our hands. To meditate on God's word means to engage in thoughtful self-reflection about the profound truths it contains, focusing our minds and being fully attentive. We should consistently view the word of God as our guiding principle for behavior and the source of our comfort, keeping it in our thoughts at all times, day and night. For this purpose, any time is suitable.. Read more

4 Finding Happiness April 4, 2025 We are happiest when we are delighting in God's promises and commandments. Psalm 112:1 How happy is the person who fears the Lord, who truly delights in His commandments. "Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee." Augustine of Hippo - Confessions, The truth, is there is a void in the heart of every person, and that void can only be filled by God through Jesus Christ, not by any created thing. Happiness is a gift from God that can be fully known only in a proper relationship with Him. 2 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance through the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In every situation, I have learned the secret of being full and going hungry, of having too much and too little. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 2 Corinthians 4:17 This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison. He has designed the human heart to experience its most incredible ecstasy in worship, its most profound satisfaction in serving, and its greatest love through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are living in fellowship with Him, we can expect to be happy regardless of our temporary circumstances. When joy and hope are based on that which cannot be taken away, true happiness is found, and God is pleased. Read more

6 Happy Are They Whose God is Jehovah April 6, 2025 Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I'll be with you; through the rivers, they won't sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you won't be scorched, and the flame won't set you ablaze. The Grace of God a Constant Comfort True believers are valued in God's sight; He delights in them. Although their trials may feel like walking through fire and deep waters, they need not fear any evil as long as God is with them. Stay faithful and be encouraged. Do not let anxious fears overwhelm you. Psalm 61:2-3 From the end of the earth, I will cry to You whenever my heart is overwhelmed. Place me on the rock that's too high for me, for you have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength before the enemy. Psalm 124: 4 (If the Lord had not been on our side), then the flood waters would have overwhelmed us; the torrent would have flooded over us; the swollen waters would have swept us away. Happy are the people whose God is Jehovah, a God all-sufficient. Read more

7 Another Helper April 7, 2025 John 14:16 I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor recognizes Him. You recognize Him because He lives with you and will be in you. Advocate, Counsellor, Monitor, and Comforter. His gifts and graces would encourage their hearts. The expressions used here and elsewhere denote a person, and the office includes all the Divine perfection. The gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon the disciples of Jesus Christ and not on the world. This is the favor God bears for those who believe in His Son and His work on the cross. The Holy Spirit will abide with every believer forever as the source of holiness and happiness. John 14:26 The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you. John 15:26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify on my behalf. The Holy Spirit will uphold the cause of Jesus in the world, despite the opposition it encounters. Believers, inspired and encouraged by His influence, will bear witness to Jesus the Messiah and His salvation. John 16:7 I am telling you the truth. It is for your advantage that I am going away because if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment - of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus' departure was necessary for the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Jesus' death, which was His going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but His Spirit is everywhere, in all places. If you are depressed, the Holy Spirit can help you with encouragement. If you are discouraged, He can help you with new strength. If you are afraid, He can help you by calming your fears. If you are struggling, He can even ease the struggle. If you are alone, the Holy Spirit can be your friend. This Helper given is God's provision in Jesus' place to meet you at your point of need. If the Holy Spirit is in me, that means He is with me all the time and walks alongside me, so when I feel alone, the reality of the Holy Spirit's closeness to me, both near and within, means I am never truly alone. You receive the companionship of the Holy Spirit when you trust in Jesus Christ for salvation from your sins. Read more

8 To Be With You *Always* April 8, 2025 John 14:16 I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor recognizes Him. But you recognize Him because He lives (abides) with you and will be in you. The Holy Spirit's help is not transient, offered for only a short time, but is available forever. John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. Abiding with the Spirit means you are involved with Him all the time. Bring the Spirit of God to bear in all we do. Consider Him a constant friend and companion who is always at hand to talk with, ask of, and hear from. If we intentionally abide with Him, we are serious about His work in all life circumstances. Galatians 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. Prioritize your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Abide in Him, and He will provide you with strength while enhancing your motivation and desire to persevere. Move toward the Spirit and observe the wonders He can achieve. Read more

9 All We Need April 9, 2025 The Gift of the Holy Spirit Knowing that the Holy Spirit has come to offer us help in so many ways should increase our interest in and focus on Him. He is a gift from God sent from above so that we will have all we need to live out the victorious kingdom life fully. Exploring the ability of the Holy Spirit to help in a person's life: Romans 15:13 Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. In believing what? In believing the great truths set forth here in Romans, we see the tremendous realities of our most holy faith - setting man's ruin by sin and his redemption through Jesus Christbefore us. When we believe this, we are filled with joy and peace as we look on in hope to the fulfillment of it all at our Lord's return, walking before God in the power of the indwelling Spirit who alone makes these precious things real to us. All sorts of true joy and peace subdue doubts and fears through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability. A rushing, mighty wind came with great force. This was to signify the powerful influences and working of the Spirit of God upon people's minds and, thereby, upon the world. Thus, the convictions of the Spirit make way for His comforts, and the rough blasts of that blessed wind prepare the soul for its soft and gentle breeze. There was an appearance of something like flaming fire, lighting on every one of them. According to John Baptist's saying concerning Christ, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, burns up the dross, and kindles holy affections in the soul, in which spiritual sacrifices are offered up as in the fire on the altar. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, more than before. They were filled with the graces of the Spirit and, more than ever under His sanctifying influences, more weaned from this world and better acquainted with heaven. They were more filled with the comforts of the Spirit and rejoiced more than ever in the love of Jesus and the hope of eternal life: All their griefs and fears were overcome. They were filled with His holy gifts, possessing miraculous powers to further the gospel. They spoke not from prior contemplation, but as the Spirit dictated. Acts 4:31 When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly. God gave them greater degrees of His Spirit, and they were all filled with Him, more than ever, by which they were encouraged and enabled to speak the Word of God boldly. I know I shall not be confounded when I find that the Lord God helps me by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps me get through each day. He reminds me of the hope set before me, that I am known and loved by Him and that He will never change or abandon me. Lord, give me Your grace to go on steadfastly in my work and not to fear the face of man. Read more

10 Remembering God in Times of Trouble April 10, 2025 Psalm 77:1-3 I cry out to God! I cry out to God and He hears me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; my hands were raised at night and they did not grow weary. I refused to be comforted. I remember God, and I groan; I mediate, while my spirit grows faint. Doubts and fears arise from the lack and weakness of faith. Psalm 77:11-13 I will remember the Lord's deeds; indeed, I will remember Your awesome deeds from long ago. As I meditate on all Your works, I will consider Your awesome deeds. God, Your way is holy. What god is like our great God? The remembrance of God's works serves as a powerful remedy against distrust of His promises and goodness, for He is unchanging. Psalm 77:16-19 The waters say You, God; the waters saw You and writhed. Indeed, the depths of the sea quaked. the clouds poured rain; the skied rumbled. Indeed, your lightning bold flashed. Your thunderous sound was in a whirlwind; Your lightning lights up the world; the earth becomes agitated and quakes. Your way was through the sea, and your path through mighty waters, but Your footprints cannot be traced. If I have entertained doubts, I should immediately redirect my thoughts to meditate on God, who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, so that with Him He might freely give us all things. Read more