Holy Spirit & Me - RJ

Welcome & acknowledge all the different types of Mums (lost a baby, thise that mother other peoples children, those that have lost their mother, those that didn’t have a mother)

Pressure to have it all together - Insta Mums

Motherhood is the most humbling experience ever

Birth plans.....most useless thing ever!

You can be great at sport etc and then become a Mum and have absolutley no idea what you are doing!

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NKJV

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The power of Jesus Christ is perfected in our weakness. As a follower of Jesus, the apostle Paul learned that God’s strength was more easily seen in his moments of weakness.

Acts 1:8 NLT

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

1. God’s Power works best in Weakness

Paul boasted of his weakness because it brought God into his life with stunning power. Paul became an empty vessel and Christ lived through him, accomplishing amazing things. This great privilege is open to all of us. Only when we empty ourselves of our own sufficiency,can we be filled with something better. When we are weak, then we can become strong.

So often we pray for strength, when in actuality what the Lord wants is for us to remain in our weakness, utterly dependent upon him. Paul went on to say, "That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Our human weaknesses continually open the way for more of the Lord's power and grace to shine through us.

Paul learned to delight in his troubles and weaknesses because they brought the blessings of God to rest upon his life. This word rest in verse 9 conveys the image of Christ's power spreading over Paul like a tent.

Holy Spirit in you & camped over you!

We think our physical thorns will hinder us from serving the Lord when in reality, the very opposite is true. They are perfecting us so that Christ's divine power can be revealed through the window of our human weakness.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” These comforting words are for you from God! They are a signpost pointing to joy in suffering and peace beyond our ability to fully understand. This grace comes from God in a constant flow of super-abundant sufficiency in our suffering so that the power (Gr. dunamis; glorious inherent power, able, capable) of Christ will be displayed in us when we are weakest.

“Dunamis” is a Greek word and means:

“act of power” (Young’s); “miraculous power, ability” (Strong’s); “natural capability, inherent power; capability of anything, ability to perform any-thing; then, absolutely, not merely power capable of action, but, power in action” (Bullinger’s).

“Dunamis” is used 121 times in the New Testament and translated into the following English words:

ability power abundance strength meaning violence might virtue mighty deed wonderful work mighty work worker of miracles miracle and mighty

Ephesians 3:20 NLT

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:16 NLT

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

2. Holy Spirit is our Comforter & Counsellor

PARACLETE - The word “paraclete” comes from the Greek word parakletos, which means “Comforter” or “Counselor” or “one called to the side of another.”

Never abandoned - NO MATTER HOW LOUD THE DEVIL LIES!

John 14:15–18 NLT

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

John 14:27 NLT

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

In this verse, we are reminded that to have the Holy Spirit as our paraclete means that the Spirit is guiding us through the Word and in truth. God indwells in us through the Holy Spirit — He is with us in both the happiest and the more difficult times in our lives.

3. Turning our why into a what

So often we ask why?

A better question is - What are you teaching me?

Kelly Testimony

Pray for the Mum’s