Life of Spirit, Faith, and Love
Our New Covenant in Christ
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Psalm 23, we have heard it many times. It is often read at funerals for comfort. I want you to reread this, only this time read it as the sheep looking to be led by the Shepherd. What we see is security and promises because of the Shepherd; but it is incumbent upon the sheep that they follow. In order for them to follow the Shepherd they need to know where He is, which means they must keep an eye on Him; they must always be seeking the Shepherd. The sheep do not know where the Shepherd is taking them so they pull out their sheep guide book and look up where the Shepherd is going. Wait, no no no, that’s not it. They don’t know where the Shepherd is taking them so they keep looking for Him so they can follow. How is it with you? Are you relying on books to tell you what to do? How about the Bible, do you go to the Bible? Or do you seek out Jesus through the Holy Spirit, looking to your Shepherd and following Him! Uh-oh, did I just say not to use the Bible? Doesn’t the Bible have all the answers? Well, yes, and no. The Bible has all you need to know about salvation, about who God is, and about how to walk with God. What the Bible does not have is the answer of what you are to do tomorrow, only Jesus has that; and Jesus will not contradict the Bible.
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4–6)
Now when Paul says “the letter” here, he is more specifically talking about the Law, the Ten Commandments, but considering that the law was written by God and the Bible was breathed by God, we are in close proximity.
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20–21)
If scripture is from the Holy Spirit and is not to be understood by our own interpretation, then all that is left for us is to understand scripture as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. When we read our Bibles we need to seek the Holy Spirit and look for Him to reveal its meaning to us. Thus, if we go to the Bible to find out what we are to do, it will not be the Bible telling us, but the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us showing us what God wants. Remember, though, the Holy Spirit is always with us. This revelation is not just for when we go to the Bible. God is always leading us, but we must be seeking Him.
Let’s back up here a second. I am not saying that you do not know what the scriptures say. You are saved, and you faithfully believe in Jesus Christ, then you have God’s Holy Spirit in you as promised. If you then have the Spirit within you, He is giving you understanding when you are reading your Bible, even when you are being taught by others. You can even see Him working in that uneasy feeling you get when you are being taught error. You probably do not even know this is happening. This is the guidance that it is all about. We need to find it and understand what is going on. Once we see what God is doing, it will be easier to follow Him.
I saw this meme on Facebook today: “Someone, somewhere, is depending on you to do what God has called you to do”
What has God called you to do? What is God calling you to do? We are like blind people groping around in the dark trying to find an answer to this question. Why doesn’t God just come out and tell us what He wants? Think of it like this, when God talked to Moses from the burning bush, He did not tell Moses the whole plan. God told Moses only what he needed to know in order to start his journey. All along the way, God kept meeting with Moses about the next step as Moses was seeking Him. God works with us the same way. He wants us to seek His guidance, to trust Him, and then to follow. The Shepherd does not tell the sheep where they are going, but the sheep follow because they trust Him. Are you seeking God’s leading, and do you trust God when you do not know where you are going?
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
You are beginning to realize that your Christian life has become stale. Church, while good, does not seem to be hitting the mark. You pray and read your Bible. You try your best to be a good person and obey the commandments. You do all this as a good Christian should, but you feel empty. Where is God? You wonder, “Why doesn’t He answer my prayers?” Many Christians feel this way, and many of the ones who don’t feel this way, should. In Revelation 2:4 Jesus tells the Church of Ephesus: “you have left your first love”. How about you, have you left your first love? Would you like to return to Jesus, your first Love? Well, this book has something to say about that! It would be great if I could say to you, “just love Jesus more”, and that would solve your problems. I think you know that there is more to this story than that. We have a new Covenant with God through the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Would you like to know what that Covenant is about? It is about a life of Faith in God. A life of Love, love of God first, and a love of others. It is a life lived with, of, and through God’s Holy Spirit who is within us. Do you want to know how to live this life? When you read this book you will find how God defines these terms: Faith, Love, and Spirit. Also you will discover the pattern of how God has provided His covenants, all pointing to our new covenant in Christ. You are being called to repent and to walk with God, a walk as He has created it to be! God is talking to you! Will you listen?
About the Author
Glenn lived most of his life in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Glenn has no institutional training, Seminary or Bible College. His understanding of scripture and of God come from years of prayer and meditation; of spending time searching and walking with God’s Holy Spirit.
As a young Christian, the Holy Spirit began to show Glenn the legalistic nature of the way we practice our faith. There was something wrong. He was showing Glenn that God wants more from us than what we are giving Him. God was impressing on him that the Holy Spirit has a far greater purpose in our lives than the Church is experiencing. This is the time that Glenn began to walk with his Lord!
Glenn has been walking with the Holy Spirit for many years. He has had many times that he has stumbled and had to get back up. He had to learn God’s voice within himself. He has had to learn to wait on the Lord. It is his experiences, growth, and the teaching and prodding of the Holy Spirit that have lead him to write this book. It is Glenn’s desire to share what he has seen and what he has learned with you. He wants you to know how much God loves you, how He longs to be your God, and for you to be His child.