Enlightened and Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Good morning. I greet you in the name of Jesus this morning. Why don't we begin this part of the service with prayer.

If we all could just stand for a moment of prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we pause before you this morning with thankful hearts, thankful for the words that were shared, the challenges that were given. Lord, you know each one of our hearts as parents, we desire the best for each one of our children.

Lord, we just pray for each parent here this morning. Just pray that they would have the wisdom, the discernment, the courage to present a clear gospel to each one of their children. Lord, we pray that you would be with the remainder of the service here.

Pray that you would anoint me with your spirit and pray that I would just be a channel. A channel for your words going to your people. Lord, you've been faithful in the past.

We expect you to do that again. These things we pray in your name. Amen.

You may be seated. Some weeks ago, I was sitting in the break room at work and I took a call on my cell phone. The caller identified himself as the Lancaster County Sheriff.

It was about 9.30 a.m. in the morning and I was advised by the caller that I was to be at the Lancaster County Courthouse at 9 a.m. that morning for jury duty. I apologized and said I never received a letter in the mail. I asked them, what address did you send it to? Well, he gave me the correct address.

Okay, I was sure I hadn't received a letter. I know the U.S. mail can be unreliable. So I suppose it's possible that the letter got lost or misplaced or something.

He indicated I was not in trouble, but there was something that needed to be done fairly promptly. And if I don't cooperate, I could possibly be charged with some type of felony. At this point, I was starting to get at least somewhat suspicious that this was not a legitimate call.

But I wasn't 100% sure. So I firmly stated that I want to see this in writing and then I can seek legal counsel. I indicated I was done talking.

And right before the call was disconnected, he swore to himself or to somebody that was next to him. Then I felt fairly confident that I was not talking to the Lancaster County Sheriff. And then on March 4th, about a week or so ago, in the Lancaster newspaper, there was an article about a Mannheim resident who was scammed out of $12,000 by someone impersonating the Lancaster County Sheriffs.

And I went on to the Lancaster County Sheriff website, and I found this scam alert that they had posted there. And part of it says, Lancaster County residents have been receiving an increasing number of scam telephone calls from persons impersonating Lancaster County Sheriff's Office deputies. The scammer may use the names of an actual deputy sheriff and have also demonstrated the ability to clone the sheriff's office telephone number, and more recently, the actual voice of the sheriff and or the voices of the members of the sheriff's office, end of quote.

You know, scam calls are not uncommon. Very few of us actually fall for them. It's really sad that this Mannheim resident was deceived into paying out that $12,000.

Money can potentially can be restored or replaced one way or another. But it's even more sad, more concerning when people are deceived about things that are eternal in nature. If we lose out in temporal things, it's not the worst thing.

It's only temporal. But if we lose out in eternal things, it matters for eternity. One area of Christianity that has much confusion and frankly, deception are the teachings and practices related to the Holy Spirit.

You know, anything from misuse of the or misunderstanding of the gift of speaking in tongues to faith healers who fake healings to enrich themselves or charismatic prophets who think they're doing well if two thirds of their prophecies come true. Some of these things have a scam like scam like feel to them. So to protect ourselves, should we not be increasing our understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit? It's a large topic that I believe needs to be taught regularly.

The scripture speaks of being baptized by the spirit and being filled with the spirit. And we speak of walking with the spirit and being led by the spirit. And the title of the message today is enlightened and powered by the Holy Spirit.

To begin, I'd like to look at an aspect of the Holy Spirit that I find somewhat intriguing. I like to look at a number of the passages of scripture that talk about the seven spirits of God in Revelation one, four and five, with the introduction that John gave to the revelation of Jesus Christ. He said, John, to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne.

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. John points out to his audience, the seven churches which are in Asia, that grace and peace are available to you. And where does that grace and peace come from? It comes from the Trinity and he describes the Trinity here.

First, the God, the father that's defined as from him which is and which was and which is to come. Then God, the spirit there in verse four from the seven spirits. If you notice your Bible probably has the word spirits capitalized from the seven spirits which are before his throne.

God, the son, which is from Jesus Christ. Another time we see the seven spirits mentioned is in the vision that John has in the throne room of God in chapter four of Revelation. First five and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

The seven lamps of fire represent the seven spirits of God. Then again in Revelation chapter five, verse six, we have another reference to the seven spirits of God. And I beheld and though in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into the earth.

This lamb who represents the son of God is a living lamb that appeared as if he were were slain. And then this lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which the passage identifies as the seven spirits that God sent into all the earth. So are these eyes, are they blind? No, they see everything.

The seven spirits that were sent forth into the earth. Indicate imply that God is omnipresent. That he is he is every everywhere present.

The Holy Spirit is visiting earth and has revealed himself to many people simultaneously. Consider the many church services with true believers in them that are happening right now across through the eastern time zone. I believe God is present in every one of those services.

Consider the many true believers who get up each morning and read their Bibles and sense God speaking to them in a personal way. Is not the spirit of God present with each one of them? Does not his presence show that he cares for each each one of us? The spirit revealing himself as eyes shows that God cares. When we look someone in the eyes, it is personal.

You see the real person. God wants a close personal relationship. I believe we can have a deeper, more meaningful, more permanent relationship with God than with any human relationship.

Can you sense the eyes of the spirit watching you? Not in a creepy way, but in a way that is caring, comforting and concerned about what is happening in our lives. How often have you sensed the presence of God? God desires a relationship with us. Too often, our human relationships are fraught with conflict, driven by perhaps selfishness or pride.

Think about this. When we relate directly with God, who is the only selfish and proud person that can possibly be present? Me. When I'm relating to God, the only potential proud and selfish person is myself.

You know, if we want a deeper, closer relationship with God, we need to put away our selfishness and our pride. James 4.8 says, draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Then he continues.

It's a wonderful promise. There. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

It is not God who limits the quality of relationship with us. It's us that limits the quality of relationship that we can have with him. Why is the Holy Spirit, who is one part of the Trinity, presented as having seven parts? I don't know.

It just is. There's a related passage in Isaiah that gives seven traits of the Spirit that was upon Jesus. And I believe it's connected with this thought.

That's in Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 and 2. Getting there in verse 1. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Who is this rod out of the stem of Jesse? It's Jesus. He was the descendant of King David, and his father's name was Jesse.

And a rod would be symbolic of Jesus's kingship. And in verse 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. The sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit that will rest upon Jesus as the Messiah.

You know, seven is the number of perfection and of completion. The Holy Spirit is perfect and complete. His ministry is so extensive that it takes seven descriptors to give a complete picture.

And the Holy Spirit indwelled the Son of God. He and the Son are one. Jesus had within him this sevenfold spirit.

And I like to just go over those seven spirits that Jesus had within him, that are identified here in Isaiah 11. The first one is the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.

And Jesus could say that I and the Father are one. Number two is the Spirit of wisdom. I marvel at the wisdom Jesus used in answering his adversaries.

You know, a classic would be, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. What an answer. I marvel at that.

He also had a spirit of understanding. Jesus, during his ministry, spoke with understanding. When dealing with those who wanted to execute a woman caught in adultery, he responded, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

After they all left, he told her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. He understood her heart and how she would respond to his love.

I don't have a historical record. I couldn't find it. I tried briefly.

But I want to believe that this lady began living a pure and moral life. I want to believe that. The spirit of counsel.

Number four, Jesus had the perfect balance of truth and mercy in making a path for this woman to be spared of her life. He did not violate the law. Nor did he excuse her sin.

Five, the spirit of power. He was able to calm the storm on the sea with a mere spoken word. And then later, Jesus said, came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

He had six. He had a spirit of knowledge. God is all knowing.

He knows the future. He knows the past. The spirit of fear of the Lord.

Jesus submitted himself to God the Father. And he did this willingly. In the same way, we should willingly submit to the all three parts of the Trinity.

It makes sense to submit to the spirit of God. Who has all wisdom, all understanding, perfect counsel, all power and all knowledge. It would be foolish not to.

Next, I'd like to look at a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I've heard it said that if you want to understand God the Father, study the law. If you want to understand the son, study the Gospels.

If you want to understand God the Spirit, study the symbols given in Scripture. The first one I'd like to look at is found in Exodus 25. Read a couple of verses there.

The entire passage is 31 to verse 40, but I don't think I want to read every one of those verses. But beginning there in verse 31, Exodus 25. And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold.

A beaten work shall the candlestick be made. His shaft and his branches, his bowls, his knops and his flowers shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it.

Three branches of the candlestick out of one side and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side. Then jumping down to verse 37. And thou shalt make seven lamps thereof, and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

And then in verse 40. And look that thou make them the candlesticks after their pattern, which was shown thee in the mount. So these candlesticks, that design came from heaven.

You know, when Israel was building the tabernacle in the wilderness, they fabricated this golden lampstand with three branches coming out of each side. I'm assuming you're familiar with it. Could perhaps show, could have put a picture along.

But this lampstand with seven lamps was set to give light in the room right outside the holy of holies. And as I said, the design of this lampstand came directly from God to Moses and the light that was given by the fire in the lamps represents the enlightenment that comes from the spirit. Light is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Do you think there's possibly a connection between the seven spirits of God and the seven lamps on this lampstand in the temple? We were given a description of the construction of it. However, many details are left to speculation. The King James Version refers to it as a candlestick.

It was actually a lampstand with seven lamps that burned olive oil. They use the talent of gold, which is about a hundred pounds of gold. The Temple Institute is preparing to restart the temple worship and they have recreated a seven lamp stand for the for use in the rebuilt temple.

And it was made out of bronze and they use about 95 pounds of gold and the electroplated that gold over top of that bronze. It's a pretty good sized lampstand. Incidentally, it was a wealthy Ukrainian Jewish Ukrainian who provided the funds to make that happen.

This menorah is currently displayed in Jerusalem near near the Temple Mount. And the purpose of that menorah was would be to give light in the new in the new temple. And in the past, the purpose of the menorah was to give light in the tabernacle.

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit also also gives light. I have fond memories as a child that when the electric would go out and it was dark outside or it would get dark, my mother would get the kerosene lamp off of the shelf and light it and set it on the kitchen table. It was sort of an adventure, an exciting novelty to me at the time.

Today, with the more reliable electrical grid and proliferation of batteries, I assume very many very few households outside the old order community would even have a kerosene lamp today. Those lamps are fueled more by a refined paraffin based lamp oil. And I like to set a lamp up this morning for you just to give you a visual.

Of what a lamp would be. It's not a if I had or knew somebody that would have a menorah that would actually burn. I would have perhaps tried to track that down.

But I want to set this here. This is one that we had sitting around the house here for a while. It doesn't get used.

So why don't we just use that here this morning. So I had it burning here this morning. So we'll see if it works here.

If I get the lamp globe on that will help control it a little bit. There we go. So there we have a small imperfect representation of what one of those seven lamps in the temple would have would have looked like.

But also illustrates the light that is given by the Holy Spirit. And God revealed the light of his word to the holy men of God. We see this in 2 Peter 1 9. We have also a more sure word of prophecy.

Where unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man.

But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The word of God is the light that shineth in a dark place. This light is the Holy Ghost speaking through holy men.

And this prophecy this word of God was not man's idea. But these holy men were moved by the Holy Ghost. And scripture cannot be privately interpreted.

We can't interpret scripture any odd way to justify our ideas. I mean, we need to take the obvious meaning. And then this interpretation should be confirmed by others.

It's just not me and God. We need each other. And this is one area where we need each other.

And we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Give yourself a little bit more light there. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, there's a number of verses I want to look at here.

Beginning here in verse 9. But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God have prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit. For the spirit searcheth all things.

Yea, the deep things of God. God through his spirit has revealed to us things that were formerly hidden. The patriarchs did not know Abraham that was mentioned here this morning.

Moses. They did not know the things, the things that we know. There's a sense in which, hopefully that thing's working right.

There's a sense in which God's spirit communicates directly with our spirit, revealing to us those deep things of God. Primarily through the word of God. We need to be careful when we hear people say, God told me to do this or to do that.

Be careful. Be careful with that. Or God told me this about you.

Be careful. For what man knoweth the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God. Paul is pointing out that the spirit of man is understood by man and the spirit of God is only understood by God and not man.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Since we have received the spirit of God within us, we now have a more spiritual understanding than the unsaved world around us because we have the spirit of God dwelling within us. God has freely given us this knowledge about the things of God and we are taught by the Holy Ghost through the revealed word of God.

And this is part of the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit. There in verse 14, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. The natural man has not received the things of the spirit of God because they're foolishness to him and they are spiritually discerned and the natural man is not spiritual.

So what can we do to give space, to give opportunity for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us? I'm going to ask for some thoughts from the audience here. You know, the Holy Spirit is not pushy. It is gentle like a dove.

You know, what can we do to open ourselves to this light from the Holy Spirit? Anyone, just shout it out. It's fairly obvious. It's not difficult.

Pray, right. It's definitely a key part of it. Prayer to facilitate our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Fellowship. Fellowship with fellow saints, right. Anyone else? Study the Word, right.

Study the Word. Read the Word. Memorize.

Meditate on it, right. Anyone else? James. Seek, right.

We have to hunger and thirst after that relationship with God. Draw nigh to God. Richard.

Trust and obey, right. Acts of obedience, especially those that go against our flesh, draw us closer to the Spirit. Yeah, very good.

There are, yeah. Read the Bible. Meditate on Scripture.

Maintain a pure and holy thought life. Listen to good messages. Present the truth to others, whether it's through family devotions, witnessing to your neighbors, or teaching, fasting, and just having, like Brother James said, you know, an open, an open heart to the Spirit.

And one other thing is darting our eyes. Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount said these remarkable words. The light of the body is the eye.

If therefore thine eye be single or healthy, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.

So what does it mean to have a single eye or a healthy eye? A healthy eye can see clearly and understand what they're seeing. It can discern between the pure and the impure, between light and darkness. With healthy eyes, our whole being will have light.

Jesus says thy whole body shall be full of light. We can see clearly to walk around obstacles and accomplish good purposes in our lives. If we guard our eyes and look at good, beneficial, and pure things, our eye will be single.

It will have an effect on our entire body. We will have light throughout, throughout our whole body. If someone has a healthy eye, can't you see a certain clarity, a certain twinkle, if you will, in their eye? It just comes through.

And what does it mean to have an evil eye? An evil eye gazes on evil to the point where it loses its perception. It corrupts the entire body and then in turn corrupts those around them. Without healthy eyes, the body gets filled with darkness.

Satan knows this and tries to destroy us with pornography, romance novels. He tempts us with the desire to accumulate material possessions, viewing, consuming media that is impure, that promotes acoustic themes, that promotes ungodly lifestyles, will eventually lead to the whole body being filled with darkness. We each have a choice of what we allow to enter into our eye gate.

We have a choice at what we look at. We need to guard our eyes. What we watch impacts our entire bodies.

This morning, my desire would be that for each of us to do those things that give space, give opportunity for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. By allowing the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, we can be filled with light and be a blessing to those around us. With Holy Spirit enlightenment, we will learn how to have a healthy eye or a single eye.

I'd like to look next at the vision in the book of Zechariah chapter 4, starting in verse 1. Zechariah chapter 4, verse 1. I didn't bookmark this thing. It's a vision that was given to Zechariah. And the angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

And he said unto me, what seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold with a bowl set upon the top of it and its seven lamps thereon and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl and the other upon the left side thereof. So in the temple, the lamps needed to be manually filled. But here in this vision, it was kind of an odd vision from Zechariah's perspective.

Here the lamps were being filled continuously. There was gold pipes coming from the olive branches and going directly into the bowls to fuel the lamps. It's a picture of a continuous supply of oil.

The message of this vision was to encourage Zerubbabel in his work on rebuilding the temple. In Zechariah, there in verse 6, if you jump down to verse 6, Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. God is saying it's not human might or power that will accomplish the work of God.

It is the spirit of God. It's the sevenfold spirit of God. And the oil for the lamps represents the Holy Spirit in the sense that the Holy Spirit has an unlimited supply of strength and power.

Are we using the oil that God has given to each one of us? You know, think of the possibilities. As long as we're doing the will of God in our lives, the Holy Spirit is working with us and through us. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

It fuels our ministry. It powers our ministry. The Holy Spirit is a source of power for all believers.

Acts 1.8, Jesus said to his disciples, But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Ephesians 3.6, Paul was praying that the Ephesians would be strengthened by the spirit. And he said that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.

Each believer has access to this power. If we try to do the work of God with our own strength, we'll eventually burn out. To avoid burnout, we need to depend on the power of the spirit.

An example would be Jacob. He used human trickery to enrich himself. However, there came a day when Esau was ready to kill him.

He was at the end of himself. Esau was stronger than him. Then he turned to God.

Second Corinthians 4.16 says, For which cause we think not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. If our work is like a lamp continually being filled by the Holy Spirit, our strength will renew day by day. When we do the work of God in our own strength, we are functioning like a candle and will eventually burn out.

When we serve others in our own strength, our ministry will be tainted by the flaws in our flesh. The natural man cannot minister well to the spiritual needs of others. To nourish others spiritually, we need to allow the spirit of God to flow through us.

What other properties of oil would parallel the work and character of the Holy Spirit? Anyone? I'm not giving you a lot of time to think about it, but what are some other properties of oil that would be parallel, that would illustrate a work of the Holy Spirit? Anyone? Just healing, right? The Holy Spirit has healed many people. Physically, spiritually. We anoint those that are sick with oil.

It reduces friction. It lubricates. If we're driven solely by the Holy Spirit, should we not have smooth or at least smoother relationships with others? If we are seeing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, that should lubricate our relationships.

Any others? These are good. Oil gives light. The burning of oil gives light, just like the lamp here.

David Bersow distills the book of Romans down to six key points. The last point is that all Christians, after an initial salvation by faith, are required by God to walk faithfully and to produce godly fruit for the rest of their lives. We have a helper, and that helper is the Holy Spirit.

Scripture warns us not to fall away. There are exhortations in Scripture to continue our walk and to not falter. In Corinthians it says, Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

As we get closer to the end of time, I believe that the spiritual deception is going to be more deceptive. I just encourage each one of us to be so closely connected to the Spirit, that when the spiritual scammers come around, that you detect and walk away from their deception. The real challenge is that each one of us has a window in our pocket or purse that we can tap and watch a multitude of these scammers.

When we see the spiritual scammers pop up in our feed, whether it's a live recording or some AI slot, can we just not tap on it? Can we use discernment as to which voices we listen to? Some years ago, quite a few years ago, I was speaking with a young lady back at the fireplace who's not doing well spiritually. She was no longer living with her parents and I was simply encouraging her to seek the truth. She commented, There are so many points of light.

There is a sense in which she's right. But not every point of light is truth. What appears to be light can actually be darkness.

There is one true source of light and truth and that is the Holy Spirit. May God give us the discernment that we need. This morning, we looked at the sevenfold nature of the Holy Spirit.

We noted that the Spirit is everywhere present in the world and that he cares and comforts us. We looked at how the Holy Spirit enlightens us with truth. Well, that's interesting.

I think I lost track of my last page. Just give me a moment here and we'll see if I can... You pray for me, then I can find it. Because I'd really like to share this with you.

Is it possible? All right. I guess I didn't double check. The very last page is somewhere in the digital world of my computer at home.

So, I just want to just close here just thinking about the thought of guarding our eyes. Because I really think that that is where each one of us, that is the daily battle. That is the daily battle that we have.

Those are the choices that we need to make every day. When we are tempted to look at something that is not pure. Something that will bring damage to our spiritual life.

Can we just learn to look away? Can we just learn to not tap on that temptation? The world is not our friend. It is trying to draw us away from God. It's trying to draw us away from the Holy Spirit.

I just want to encourage you this morning to just search your hearts. Listen to the Holy Spirit. And if it is, and if the Spirit is speaking to you, there's just a, that there's a need to make a confession.

To make a confession to God or to make a confession to others. Because today is the time to confess and to change. Not tomorrow.

Today is the day that we can make a difference in our lives. That we can find that peace and that joy in our relationship with God. I recently came across a little note that intrigued me.

A minister was saying that he would receive letters from other spiritual men. And instead of saying sincerely or yours truly. The closing would be yours, comma, repenting and rejoicing.

There is a joy that comes from repentance. Yours, comma, repenting and rejoicing. I just want to leave that thought with you this morning.

The thought of being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Being empowered by the Holy Spirit. And of guarding our eyes.

So we do not hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May God add his blessing. 321.

321. 321. 321.

321. 321. 321.

321. 321. 321.

321. Amen. Uri.

I will dismiss you and your group shortly. I'm not sure where you're at. There's just a few comments I'd like to make.

My heart is full. I'm not quite sure how to even say. But I know what's the burden of my heart.

James, thank you for the message. I don't know how you're feeling. How you're processing.

What we heard this morning. But I am convinced if we ever need God. in a day, in a generation, in a society, it's today.

We must have the Holy Spirit. Period. You know, one of my increasing burdens the last number of weeks is God needs men.

God needs men. And how can we be men? How can we be the men that God calls us to be? And the only way we can be the men that God calls us weak, frail, sinful human beings to be is we need God. I need God.

You know, one of the key things that marks the last days that we live in is deception. You know, I probably told some of you the story how I visited my brother several weeks ago. Last week, my other brother visited my brother living in terrible deception.

And to somehow think that we can somehow make it through life and be the men God calls us to be and be trapped in sin, it don't work. We can't be the holy men God calls us to be. Part of the burden that I just really have on my heart this morning is, you know, we put a pretty high level of expectation on our sisters, and we know that.

I'd like to see us raise the bar on the expectation with us men to be the godly men God calls us to be. And I'm sorry, men. I'm sorry, young men, that we have to live in a society, not a society, a generation and a time where all of us carry in our pockets what we carry in our pockets.

Whether we're making a mistake or not by having these tools in our pocket or not isn't really, we could talk a long time about that, but we carry those things in our pockets. And we pull those things out of our pockets. And what an incredible distraction.

Satan knows what he's doing. And all we have to do is click a button, and nobody knows. And nobody knows.

And how easy it is to do. You know, my years of living the Christian life, I believe there's times I was floundering with deception and toying with things. But I'm thankful today that God is faithful.

I was reading the passage of Scripture this morning in 2 Thessalonians, I think it is, about God sending strong delusions. It's part of the day and age we live in. It's talking in the context of that passage of Scripture about the Antichrist and the pressure he's going to put on the world.

I don't like to focus on that too much without focusing on the fact that even more than that, God is wanting us to avail ourselves to the Holy Spirit so we can be the men. I'm focusing on men this morning that God calls us to be. And I believe it's God's will and God's desire that each one of us walks to the best of our ability in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and responds to God.

I appreciated the practical side. And I don't know what your notes are that were lost, James, and that's okay. But I appreciated the practical side.

I heard prayer. I heard fellowship. I heard study of the Word.

I heard seek. I heard trust and obey or walking in obedient faith. And I heard guarding our eyes to the many pressures that God puts on us.

You know, we could give an invitation and we could do all those things and put pressure on us as men. But my appeal to us this morning is, and I'm targeting men, sisters also, I'm not targeting men. I'm holding it out to us as men.

Men, if we're trapped, find somebody. God doesn't want us to be trapped. May I just say it that way? I'm finding more and more there's many men that are trapped in these devices that we carry in our pockets.

And so few know, and it's so easy to just, well, it's shameful. No, I believe it's real men who step out and say, I need help. I want freedom.

I want to be free. I want to be a man. I want to be the man that God calls me to be.

We need the Holy Spirit, but if we are trapped, and let's keep in mind, I believe one of the things that marks the last days that we live in is deception. Satan would like us to believe that we can just toy with sin and toy with these things in our pockets and somehow walk with God and be the man God calls us to be, and it just doesn't work. My appeal this morning would be, and I'm looking at the men, we need the Holy Spirit of God.

And if that's where I find myself, let's be men and find a man. Yeah, come to God, but, you know, we can come to God and we can go around and around and falter and fail. And, yes, God is enough, but I think we all know the reality of opening our hearts to men and accountability and praying together and seeking God together if we're trapped.

In fact, I just so appreciated that picture in Zachariah of that oil. You know, I believe God wants to fill us this morning with His Holy Spirit. Such a beautiful picture.

There's much more that could be said, and I'm sorry for prolonging it, Brother Urie. You can be dismissed at this time with all the children that are part of your group and youth. God bless you.

Look at that, no running, walking in godly order. God bless you. All right, well, I don't know that I have much more to add.

Is there anything that anyone has to add to what was said or confession or encouragement or amen? I agree we need the Holy Spirit. Anyone, raise your hand and we'll get a mic to you. It would be a blessing just to hear a little bit of response or confession or whatever you have.

Nathan in the front. If there's anyone else, you can raise your hand and we'll get another mic to you. I just want to say amen to the message.

I really appreciate it. I appreciate the practical outworkings that were presented. I think so often we think of Holy Spirit filled life as being a rather nebulous head in the clouds type of thing, but it really isn't.

It's really down to earth. It's just really pressing into God and being led by Him. And I want to learn more of that.

I feel I have a lot to grow. It's something God's been pressing on my heart, as Brother James shared there towards the end, which I really appreciate, about if we're going to be effective in ministering to others, we have to be led by the Holy Spirit and we have to depend on Him. And I recognize that too often it's trying to figure things out on my own, and I want to learn more about depending on God's Holy Spirit to empower me and enable me to ask us all to.

This is not just for leadership. This is for everyone. We all need to learn to walk in the Spirit.

That's a command that's given, walk in the Spirit, that we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Amen. Thank you for bringing that out.

You know, it's easy for us to somehow get an idea this is something up there in the clouds, something unattainable. But it's just a practical outworking of following God and responding to those promptings. And maybe sometimes we need to talk to a brother.

I had a situation like that this week. I was driving along, of all things, and drove by something that reminded me of something, and I thought, I wonder if God is in this. And I called my wife and I said, Honey, I just had this, maybe it's a crazy Brian brainstorm, but an idea of something that you and I ought to be doing.

And her heart clicked with it. And we gave it a little bit more thought. And it's like, you know what, amen, let's do it.

To me, that's the simplicity I view of walking with God. And it's a blessing and it's a blessed life. Any more thoughts, Vlad? As I've been growing, one thing that's come to me is that I would say I'm not a person that would speak my mind very often.

I'm more likely to repress it and just keep it inside myself. But God has been teaching me, and I would say at least partially through my wife, to talk more and to express myself. And you can say that people shouldn't be flighty and just speak their mind whenever there are some thoughts that are left unsaid.

But how often do we leave good thoughts unsaid? How often do we feel like we should say something there, something of encouragement, something that is a blessing to others, something that has blessed you, and you want to bless someone for that, and we leave that unsaid. And how often is that? That's not just our thoughts. That's not just what's coming to our mind.

It's what God is leading us to do, and we just push that back and don't say it. Amen. Thank you.

Anyone else? Oh, Susie over here. Thank you for the messages. It was thought-provoking, and I was not going to share, but Vlad actually made me.

I was convicted for not. God bless you, sister. But I have been doing something that was, I must admit it was a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning at home.

I like being by myself, but the Holy Spirit is a person. I talk to the Holy Spirit out loud. I sit down.

I don't hear the Holy Spirit talking to me, but I feel the presence of the Lord. So I enjoy just being home alone and out loud, visiting with the Holy Spirit, and I find great comfort in that. So I encourage everyone to do that.

It's a little different in the beginning when you're by yourself to just talk and nobody is there, but I find a peace doing it. I do it more and more, and I'm enjoying it. I encourage everyone to try it.

It's wonderful. It's a blessing of walking with God, isn't it? Thank you for listening to this message. We trust that it has been a blessing to you.

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May the Lord Jesus bless you.