The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Love Is Indispensable
1 Corinthians 13
And yet I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love Wins. God is Love. Amen. Amen.
The Holy Spirit: Spirit of Jesus
I am feeling Holy Spirit and so with all the Love and Praise given to Jesus and Father; I also know this is much needed and closest to My Heart’s Mind Today and Forever. I feel it when it is happy and please and this too is a voice of God as I know if Holy Spirit is please then Jesus and Father are also please.
Holy Spirit also know to be Spirit of Jesus The Bible emphasizes such a close relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit that it states both the Holy Spirit and Christ live in the believer
Dec 10 addition and it is also important for todays coming article.
Matthew 1:20-21
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
This too very clear and relevant as is all the bible yet the connections missed by many are with me; given to me by Holy Spirit to give.
Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.
1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Romans 8:9-10
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness..
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Ruach: Spirit/Wind/Breath
The Hebrew word ruach can mean spirit, breath, or wind, suggesting God’s powerful, life-giving force or a strong wind.
John 3:5-15
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Dark Spirits: Demons and Evil Entities
“dark spirits” refer to malevolent supernatural entities often called demons, devils, unclean spirits, or evil spirits, which Jesus confronted, casting them out using God’s power, while the Holy Spirit is the divine spirit associated with God. These “dark spirits” are considered fallen angels, working against God, but are subject to His ultimate authority, often described as part of Satan’s hierarchy, seeking to corrupt people.
How They’re Described in Scripture
Demons/Daimonion: The most common term for evil spirits, often causing physical and mental afflictions. Unclean/Impure Spirits: Emphasizes their impurity and opposition to God’s holiness. Spiritual Forces of Evil: A broader term for the hierarchy of evil powers, including rulers and authorities in the dark world. Satan’s/the Devil’s Spirits: Referring to the leader and his followers.
Jesus’s Relationship with Them
Authority: Jesus demonstrated supreme power over these spirits, casting them out with a word, showing the Kingdom of God had come. Distinction: He contrasted his power (by the Spirit of God) with the devil’s power, highlighting that evil spirits are still under God’s control.
While “dark spirits” isn’t always the exact phrase, it effectively describes the biblical concept of demons/evil spirits that oppose God, which Jesus battled and overcame, differentiating them from the divine Holy Spirit.
The Seven Spirits of God
Seven Spirits of God” aren’t seven separate entities but rather a symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit’s fullness, perfection, and manifold ministry, as described in Isaiah 11:2 (Spirit of the Lord, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, Fear of the Lord) and referenced in Revelation, symbolizing God’s complete presence and power working in the world and believers, especially Christ. These descriptions highlight different aspects of the one Spirit’s empowering, guiding, and sanctifying work, showing its complete presence.
Isaiah 11:2
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
Revelation (e.g., Rev 1:4, 3:1, 4:5): Uses the “seven spirits before the throne” and “seven lamps” imagery, linking them to God’s pervasive presence and judgment, often associated with the perfection of the Spirit.
Revelation 1:4
Greetings and Doxology
John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Revelation 3:1
To the Church in Sardis
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Symbolism of “Seven”
In biblical numerology, seven often means completeness or perfection, so “seven spirits” implies the fullness of the Holy Spirit, not multiple beings.
Common Interpretations
One Spirit, Many Facets: The most common view is that these are descriptions of the single Holy Spirit’s comprehensive work, not distinct spirits.
Spiritual Gifts & Virtues: Some traditions (like Catholicism) link these to the seven gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord) received at Confirmation, helping believers live righteously.
Angelic Beings: A less common view connects them to the seven archangels mentioned in some Jewish texts, though biblical interpretations lean towards divine aspects.
In essence, the Seven Spirits of God reveal the comprehensive power, wisdom, and presence of the Holy Spirit in its perfect and complete manifestation, especially in the life and work of Jesus and in the lives of believers.
