Today we have two items in our Shepherds Voice. One is a short encouraging devotional and the other answers a question put forward regarding the Holy Spirit. Enjoy....David Jones

KEEP IN SHAPE......TRAVEL LIGHT!

The Christian life is like climbing a mountain. For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger.

Christina Rossetti wrote:

“Does the road wind uphill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.”

Whether our climb is easy or difficult, we need to be in shape spiritually and to travel light.

To be in shape spiritually, we need spiritual nourishment and exercise. We need to spend less time reading about the Bible and spend more time studying the Bible. Then we need to apply what we learn—carefully and vigorously—to our lives, to live out daily what we have taken in.

To travel light, we need to lighten our loads. Some of us may need to trim off excess weight. Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend. (Remember the caution: “Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.”)

When the disciples were sent out two by two, they traveled light—“without purse, bag or sandals” (Luke 22:35, NIV).

QUESTION: Is the Holy Spirit a person or a force?

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of personality and is not merely an impersonal force. In John chapters 14, 15, and 16, for example, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as "He". Jesus also referred to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter or the Counselor (John 14:16 and 15:26). This title conveys the ideas of advising, exhorting, comforting, strengthening, interceding, and encouraging.

In addition, the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is God Himself. In Acts 5:1-4 a man who lied to the Holy Spirit is said to have lied to God. The Holy Spirit is also described in the Bible as having the characteristics of God and doing God's work. He convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11) and gives new life to those who trust in Jesus (John 3:8).

That He is the third Person of the Holy Trinity is made clear by His inclusion with the Father and the Son in such Bible passages as Matthew 28:19. Here the apostles are commanded to baptize those who receive the Gospel "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people, anointing them for a specific task or purpose (Exodus 31:1-5; Numbers 24:2). In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), assures them that they are children of God (Romans 8:16), enables them to live the Christian life (Romans 8:9, 12-15), and gifts them for Christian service (1 Corinthians, chapter 12).