The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”

First and Last Mentions of “Spirit” in Bible

Let’s look at the first mention of the word, “Spirit” in the entire Bible, and then let’s look at the last mention. The first mention of the word, “Spirit” should be in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Sure enough, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, in the second verse, we have the first mention of “spirit” in the Bible.  The first verse of Genesis talks about creation, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Verse 2 begins with the words, “And the earth was without form and void…” It seems like something was wrong on the earth or it was just ready for creation at that point. Then it says that the Spirit of God brooded or hovered over the face of the waters. Here you have the first mention of the Spirit in the Bible. This is a very unique passage.  Here was God with the Heavens and the earth.  God wanted to do something. The earth needed something.  Bible scholars look at Genesis one in different ways.  Many scholars say that Genesis 1:1ff is talking about the original creation. Others say, “No, the original creation was described in Genesis 1:1, and then what follows in Genesis 1:2ff is a restoration.”  I really don’t want to get into that point right now because Bible scholars who love the Lord and who handle the Bible properly come to two different conclusions about that point.  I don’t believe either viewpoint dishonors the Word of God.  Both viewpoints could be argued.

In Genesis 1:2, you have the Spirit of God coming on the scene. Here, in Genesis 1:2, God is about to do something. God is about to do the original creation or He is about to restore things. What happens first?  Verse 2 says the Spirit of God was hovering or brooding over the situation. In our experience as Christians, many times, when God is about to do something, the Spirit of God will come in and prepare our hearts for what God wants to do.  God was going to do some very dramatic things on earth by creating plant and animal life, as well as man. The Spirit of God comes on the scene.  This is the first mention in the entire Bible of the word, “Spirit”.  This Spirit, here, is referring to the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or he Spirit of God.

The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”

Let’s go to the end of the Bible. The last book of the Bible is the book of Revelation. In the last chapter of that book, chapter 22, we have several mentions of the word, “Spirit”. I believe that the last verse that mentions the Spirit of God is verse 17 and it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is the last mention of the word, “Spirit” in the Bible. Here, actually, it is a call or a cry, or an invitation to come. It is not just the Spirit, but the Spirit and the Bride saying, “Come.”  Come to what? Come to the living waters.  This is the last mention of the term, “Spirit” in the Bible, and we find it in the last chapter of the last book, the book of Revelation.  In Genesis 1:2 we saw that the Spirit of God was brooding over the situation before God created.  We also looked at the last verse that mentions the Spirit in the Bible in the book of Revelation. There the Spirit and Bride say, “Come.”  So we have covered the first and the last.

Pray, Let God Worry

Life is full of Worries and Anxiety, So Pray and Let God Worry. Enjoy a short devotional video on “Pray, Let God Worry”

Martin Luther, a 16th century monk was worried about things, so in a letter said to his wife – “Pray, and let God worry”. He did not want her to worry too much.

Pray and Let God Worry

Pray and Let God Worry

See Philippians 4:6 where Paul says: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Life is crazy, we need to work harder and pray more.

Praying with God or God Praying with Us

Sometimes when we pray, it is hard to know who is initiating the prayer.  Is it us or God.  In Romans 8:26, Paul says the Spirit help us to pray.  But sometimes we are seeing a need and start praying.  Other times it seems we sense a need for prayer for someone or something. And then there is times we are with others and they initiate the prayer.

Sunset over the Columbia River

Sunset over the Columbia River

We are praying and asking God for the prayer of God.  Consider what Jesus talks about in John 15:7.   If you are one with the Lord, you are obeying the Lord, you are abiding in the Lord, and His Word is dwelling in you, then you are one with the Lord, and what the Lord wants to pray, you want to pray, what the Lord wants to ask the Father through your prayer, you want to ask the Father.  So who is really praying here?  Is it us praying or is it God praying?  It is kind of hard to understand.

Mount Hood, Oregon

Mount Hood, Oregon

The Example of Elijah in the book of James

James was a man of prayer.  In fact, James 5 talks about a similar principle. The last part of verse 16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Then James goes on to talk about Elijah.  Verse 17, “Elijah was a man subject to like passions…” He was a man, just like we are. He had feelings just like you and I have. Then it says, “And he prayed earnestly” or the literal Greek is, “He prayed in prayer” or, “He prayed in his prayer”.  It is kind of a strange construction in the English. “He was a man of like passions as we are, and he prayed in prayer that it might not rain”. In other words, Elijah had an experience, here, of not praying his own prayer, but praying the prayer of God. You could say he prayed the prayer that God put on his heart, or prayed the prayer that God burdened him with.  Here Elijah was praying the prayer of God.

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

The Prayer Example of Young Samuel in the Old Testament

We have another prayer example of Samuel in the Old Testament.  This is the story of Samuel as a young boy.  He was learning how to serve God and how to do the things of God. He was just beginning, or barely beginning to hear the voice of God.  At one point, he thought Eli, the priest, was calling him, but he eventually learned that it was the Lord who was speaking to him. The phrase that Samuel repeated back to the Lord at this point was, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears.” In other words, Samuel had the attitude that whatever God would speak, he would hear, and whatever God asked him to do, he would do.

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Does God Still Love Us When We are Depressed?

Many times we get low, and God really cares. God does not condemn us when we are low or even depressed. He loves us and cares for us. We need to bring our troubles to God. God is gracious to us when we fail.

Here is a short devotional video on “Does God Still Love us When We are Depressed?”

In the Bible, God, the author does not hide the fact that many people get low or depressed. Consider Elijah, who had a great victory and wonderful miracle at Mount Carmel. Then soon after he was harassed by someone and hid because he was low and depressed. God did not make him feel bad, but instead God found a way to get Elijah some bread to lift him up. I am really not sure why Elijah got so low and almost panicked.

Then there is King David in the Old Testament who many times got low and depressed. When we read the Psalms, the writers many times, especially David, how they were depressed, despondent and just low. David in the Psalms does not hide his feelings, but confesses them to God and brings them to God. David learned how to bring his troubles to God.

Sometimes we are so low we almost (or do) panic.  God is very gracious to us when we fail. So just bring your troubles and depression to God. God still loves us when we are low or depressed.

God and Depression

God and Depression

Psalm 18:6  In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and cried unto my God:
he heard my voice out of his temple,
and my cry came before him, even into his ears

God and Depression

God and Depression

God still loves us.

We need to bring our troubles and depression to God.

We need to bring our troubles and depression to God.

AnimatedFaith.com Cartoon Video

Here is a simple AnimatedFaith.com cartoon video by ‘Dave’.

AnimatedFaith.com has great Devotional Videos.  AnimatedFaith offers many online devotionals in blog and video formats to encourage you in your Christian Life .

AnimatedFaith:
Encourages Devotional Prayer
Encourages Bible Study
Teaches about Pray
Is Educational ….

Dave_Promo_title

The best devotional videos are at www.AnimatedFaith.com

Living for Today

We fall into a situation so many times where we regret the past or worry about tomorrow. I personally forget to live in the present and enjoy what God has given me today. Concerning the past, we can learn from our mistakes, concerning the future, we can prepare and learn to trust God.

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Here is the attitude we need for the future from 1 Peter 5:7. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  So our attitude needs to be one of trusting God for the future.

Our attitude should be thanking God for what we have today and not wishing for things to be different:   This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it  Psalm 118:24.   We should have a thankful heart as Paul talks about in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 In every thing give thanks:for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Live in the now, thanking God for what we have, what He has given us in people, friends, family, relationships, spiritual blessings and material stuff. (Yes, even thank God for our stuff)

Thank Him for negative and hard things that teach us to thank and trust Him.

Sunset on the Columbia River

Sunset on the Columbia River

Thank God for the grace given to us through His Son Jesus Christ who took all our sins away and made a way for us to come to God just as we are. John 1:17 Grace came by Jesus Christ.

A 16th century monk in writing to comfort his wife said “Pray, and let God worry”. That was Martin Luther who did much to bring people back to the Bible and back to Jesus Christ.

Paul shares his attitude towards the past in Phil 3:13. but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Deer in the trees

Deer in the trees

We can learn to accept moving or not moving.  We can accept who we are in God. We can accept what God has given us in talents, friends, relationships, spiritual and material stuff.  We can accept our social and financial level in society, and not wish to be somewhere else. We can accept our marriage as from God, there is not a better mate for us. God did that just right. He has given us exactly what we need.

When we don’t accept we can easily fall into regret for the past and then carry a root of bitterness going forward. Eventually this makes us get old really fast and makes our life (not the other person) miserable. Do not get bitter, it will destroy you.

So our attitude towards the past and future is important.  When it comes to the past we should forgive and forget. Thanking God for all He has given us.  When it comes to the future we trust God and refuse to worry or carry a grudge.  This leaves us living right now in the present thanking God for who He is and all that He has done for us.    For the past, we always learn from our mistakes, for the future, we prepare as best we can and trust God.

Here is a simple way to pray:  “Father God, thank You for what we have, what You have given us and what You will yet provide in the years to come. I give this day to You, I trust You and rely on You for all that we need”.

California Beach

California Beach

The best devotional videos are at www.AnimatedFaith.com

God Does Not Give Up on Us

Everything in the garden was wonderful between God and man. But once sin same in there was a problem, but God does not give up on us. God made a way through His Son Jesus Christ for us to come back to God.

So watch this short video on “God Does Not Give Up on Us”

God never gives up on us.  God loves us, He cares for us.  God is thinking about us every day.  We were created for a purpose, and God does not loose sight of that purpose. He cares so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ.

God Does Not Give Up on Us

God Does Not Give Up on Us

Hard Events Help us Grow in God

Hard events of life help us grow in God. Faith is tested by the events of life. Everything is under the hand of God, both the easy and the hard.

Hard events help us grow in God

Hard events help us grow in God

Almost every person mentioned in the Bible had difficult times. God used every event to bring this person more in the faith and belief of God. God became more real through every situation. At one point the Bible seems just a good book about God, but events in life will make the Bible become part of our life and living.

Insecurities help us grow in Faith

Insecurities help us grow in Faith

Even material insecurities help us grow in Faith.

Consider Elijah in the Old Testament who went through various situations to prove to him that God is real and present, and that God actually cares for what is going on in life. At one point a brook that Elijah was near dried up.  What was he to do. Well, God provided for him. He just needed to keep his eyes on God.  The dried up brook helped Elijah to trust in God for His provision.  God eventually provided, but not in the way Elijah expected.

The providence of God in our lives is sometimes the best education we can get in the ways of God. Even Peter in the New Testament got distracted with something he thought would be great, but God needed to teach him a lesson in looking at Jesus and not being distracted. Consider the points in this video about “Listen to Jesus”.

Peter was the top, number one disciple of Jesus, but he had a lot to learn. It seems he was always being corrected by Jesus. Hard things and hard words helped him grow in faith.

It’s so easy to get distracted with great religious things. Jesus is the main subject and focus of the New Testament. Even the chosen disciples like Peter could get distracted with doing something “great” for God and miss the Son of God, Jesus, who was standing right there.

So watch this short video on “Listen to Jesus”

In Matthew 17,  Jesus takes His top three disciples up to a mountain, and there Jesus was transfigured or glorified. He probably looked like He might appear in heaven. His top three disciples were Peter, James and John. Peter had a great idea, but God did not agree with the idea and so God spoke from the heavens. God said “This is my beloved Son, Hear Him“. Too many times we have a “great idea” for God. But many times God does not agree and may speak to us and tell us to just “Listen to Jesus”. So how do we “listen to Jesus”, the easiest and best way is to just read the Bible.