Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 14, 2024: SOAP #5368: Jeremiah 16-17; Psalm 96; John 16

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 16: 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

OBSERVATION:  I hear Jesus saying that there is so much more that they need to know, but they are not ready to hear it.  There are important things they need to know, but His time for being with them is short; there is not enough time to tell them all they need to know. However, Jesus is not desperate.  There is a plan.

The plan is to send the Holy Spirit.  As the previous verses tell us, the Holy Spirit will bring Jesus words to our memory.  Jesus is not relying on the faulty memory of man, but on the omniscience of the Holy Spirit to remind them!   Wow!

The plan was to send the Holy Spirit.  As the following verses tell us, the Holy Spirit will “guide … into all truth.”  It does not matter that Jesus only had a few hours left with them, the Holy Spirit was coming!   It does not matter that their memories were unreliable, the Holy Spirit was coming!  It does not matter that they would feel abandoned for a short time, the Holy Spirit was coming!   It does not matter that they did not know everything, the Holy Spirit was coming!

APPLICATION:  The Same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus when He was baptized is the Same Holy Spirit that came upon the early church and empowered them to carry out the commands of Jesus.  AND the Same Holy Spirit that was with the early church has continued with the church until today!  

Of course He speaks to us.  Of course He puts thoughts in our mind.  As we learn to submit ourselves to His leading, as we learn to discern the thoughts He brings to our mind, as we put those thoughts into action then God’s plan and actions are expressed in our world.  …and we get to be a part of it!!!   

PRAYER: Lord, I am blest to have the Holy Spirit living in me.  Fill me with His power and teach me to hear His voice.  I commit myself to follow His lead.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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