Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

Adam was oblivious to sin until he ate the fruit from the tree. You and I know the difference between good and evil but the question is how do we deal with this threat to our spiritual being?

As a believer, you have many challenges in dealing with sin.

You have a genetic disposition for sin that has been passed on to you through your family ancestry.

You were born with an inner condition that is in rebellion against God and wants to live for self. This will never leave you as long as you are living on the earth.

Finally, you have to deal with Satan who wants to tempt you into entering the world of evil. He is prowling around looking for you to open a door so he can destroy your life.

We also live in a world that is not under the authority of God. You can be attacked at any moment by Satan working through others.

How do you deal with this matrix of sin? The answer can be found in this powerful truth in Romans.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. This law was created by God and is your only hope to avoid sin.

Think about it this way, you have the Holy Spirit residing in you. He is the essence of Christ Jesus. So the challenge is to walk in the Spirit or yield to the flesh? This conflict will never end so you have to make the choice about sin or living for God every moment of your life.

If you yield to the Holy Spirit you can be free from the bondage of sin and live a life pleasing to God.

You won’t be perfect and you can never match up to the standards of God but the Holy Spirit is your only hope to present your body as a living sacrifice to almighty God!

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. Galatians 3:5-7

God spoke to Abraham and made a promise to Him by faith. Abraham believed God.

This covenant was actually made through Jesus without the knowledge of Abraham. Jesus told the Pharisees “Before Abraham was, I Am”.

If you are a believer, you are a descendant of Abraham and an heir to this covenant.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The foundation of a relationship with Jesus is built on hearing and accepting the Word of God by faith. There is no other way.

The promise of salvation can only come to you by faith. Without faith you cannot please God or live in His kingdom.

God supplies the Holy Spirit and performs miracles in your life by your faith in His promise to believers.

Many believers come to Jesus by faith and then quickly transition to works or religion to placate God. Faith gets lost in their pursuit to please God.

Your walk of faith will bring the promises of God into your life. No one is justified with God through works. There is no obligation from God for those who attempt to work for their salvation. God will only respond to your unyielding faith in His promises.

Abraham heard the voice of God calling him to leave his homeland. He gave up his security, inheritance, and protection to follow God by faith on an unknown journey.

The question is are you living by faith and following the voice of the Living God?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The most important question to ask yourself; “Is the Lord really your shepherd?” Have you abandoned your life to Christ Jesus or are you just going through the motions?

Do you believe your help comes from the Lord who created the heavens and the earth? David lived out this truth every day of His life.

Faith is trusting God for your every need regardless of your circumstances. It is walking by faith not by sight. You believe the Word of God is alive and powerful and build your life around the promises of God. By faith you appropriate this precious truth into the depth of your heart and soul; “My God will supply your every need according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus”.

It is also important to differentiate between a want and a need. God promises you shall not want for the basic needs of life. However, some wants and desires fall into the category of waiting for the perfect timing of God. Think about your wants from the perspective of God and praise Him for His faithfulness!

As a believer, you live with Jesus through different seasons. There is a time of abundance and a time of deprivation. So you have to learn to be content with what He gives you.

God does not think or act like you. He may choose to fulfill your wants in an unconventional way. The Israelites wanted crops and livestock for their sustenance but God gave them manna from heaven.

The good news is God desires to give you an abundant life and bless you with more than you ask or think. Remember, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!

You cannot substitute religion or works for faith. God calls you to walk by unyielding faith believing He calls things that don’t exist as if they did!

His name is wonderful!

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” Exodus 20:18-19

This event took place at the base of Mount Sinai after God had given the Israelites the Ten Commandments.

God was on top of the mountain and there was thunder, lightning, sounds of a trumpet, and the mountain was smoking.

The people were terrified and distanced themselves from God. They told Moses we will listen to you but not God for fear we will die.

Moses told the Israelites not to fear because God has come to test you by showing His glory and power. God wanted the Israelites to experience His terrifying fear so they would not sin.

The challenge is are you willing to come into the presence of God and hear His words. It is much easier to hear the words of God through a pastor or read the Bible. There is no real threat to your life.

However, when God speaks you cannot skirt the issue. You have to obey or fall into disrespect of God. This is why many believers keep an arm’s length distance from God. They don’t want to hear the truth of God. It is too convicting and heart wrenching.

God desires to speak to you and demonstrate His glory and power. It is terrifying to come into the presence of God but it is a life changing experience.

Your encounter with the Living God will cause you to fear and respect Him because of His greatness and glory. You will personally witness the terrifying fear of God and know in the depth of your heart no one can compare to God and He is your only hope for life.

Invite the Living God to show you His presence and be open to hear His words. Your life will never be the same!

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

Most people meet their living needs through their work or investments. Jesus looks at this much differently. He tells you when you have material needs and are lacking find your help through the words spoken by the mouth of God.

God demonstrated this truth to the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness. They were humbled and hungry and had no comprehension of the power of God to feed them supernaturally with food from heaven.

The point of this truth is to take your needs before the throne of God and live by His words. God might speak directly to you or speak through the scriptures. Build your life on the promises of God and walk by faith trusting God to meet your every need.

Find your hope in the words of God not through the ways of the world. Jesus was hungry because He had fasted for forty days. Satan offered Him an easy way to satisfy His need for food. Just turn the stones into bread! However, Jesus lived in oneness with His Father and was determined to satisfy His need through the words of God.

God knows your every need before you come to Him. He may choose to work in a predictable manner to meet your needs or perform a miracle from heaven. However, you can be assured God will meet your needs in a way that will bring all the glory to Jesus, the Son of God.

Remember, it is not by your might or your power but by the Spirit of God. Jesus lives so you can live!

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
on those who hope in His mercy” Psalm 33:18

The Bible is filled with admonitions to fear the Lord. What does this really mean to a believer?

The fear of the Lord is simply a deep respect, appreciation, and honor for almighty God. It is believing God rules with greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty.

It is an understanding in the depth of your heart that God has power and dominion over the heavens and earth and your destiny is in His hands.

The fear of the Lord is not about punishment. It is a realization God is loving and compassionate and wants to give you a prosperous and abundant life. It is a desire to live under the canopy of God who provides wisdom, protection and strength.

The fear of the Lord is accepting God rules with justice and retribution. He blesses and He curses. God holds you accountable for your actions and you cannot escape His judgments.

The fear of the Lord is an acknowledgment there is no hope in this world and your only safety net is in the promises of God.

The fear of the Lord is grasping the transcending nature of Jesus. He is above all things, through all things, and in all things. Jesus has no limitations. So as a believer, you can approach Him with confidence and boldness for help to overcome any challenge in life.

The fear of the Lord is abandoning yourself to Christ Jesus and making your priority to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The cornerstone in a relationship with Christ Jesus is living by faith and seeking God out for your every need. You cannot substitute religion or works in place of walking by faith.

Faith is trusting the promises of God without any evidence or proof. Faith never judges God by your circumstances. Faith is understanding God call things that don’t exist as if they did.

Without faith it is impossible to please God!

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job 1:9-11

This week Jan and I suffered a vicious attack from Satan. We are both physically fine but we went through a stressful and chaotic experience. It was also very costly and diverted us from the life of God.

The question is why does God allow Satan to afflict believers? This is a complex question with no simple explanation. The most important truth to remember is God is greater than Satan and can restrain his efforts at any time.

In the example of Job, you find a blameless man who walked by faith with God and lived an upright life. God allowed Satan to viciously attack Job and he lost virtually everything but his life. God did this to prove to Satan that Job would remain faithful to God regardless of the traumatic experiences in his life.

So at times God will lift the hedge of protection around you and allow Satan to afflict you. This is designed to test your faith and demonstrate God has power and dominion over Satan.

You can also open the door to Satan by pursing an evil temptation. This happens when you accept an ungodly thought in your mind and allow the thought to become a desire. Sin is conceived inside you and then will be easily worked out in the reality of your life. This is why you need to flee from every ungodly thought. And, when in doubt over a course of action take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

You can also unconsciously open the door to Satan by failing to pray for wisdom and protection prior to beginning a new day or special endeavor. It is also vitally important to invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and to submit to the leading of the Spirit.

If you are doing work for the kingdom of God you can expect to be tormented by Satan. He hates Jesus and wants to destroy His influence in the world.

Remember, you are in a war between light and darkness. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy. He is a deceiver and a liar.

Stand firm and resist the darts of Satan! Equip yourself with the full armor of God and utilize the weapons provided by God.

Embrace yourself with the truths of God.

Live by faith in the righteousness of God.

Walk in the shoes of the gospel of peace. Seek peace and pursue it in all aspects of your life.

Defend yourself against the darts of Satan with the sword of the Spirit praying and making supplication in the Spirit to our awesome God. Be watchful at all times and persevere with prayers for the saints.

Wear the helmet of salvation which is your assurance of living with God forever.

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!

“Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.” John 3:11

I woke up this morning with these words of Jesus alive in my heart.

Jesus speaks to all believers and shares what He knows and has seen. But many choose to accept what feels comfortable and turn a deaf ear to the reality of Christ Jesus. It is like filing part of Jesus into a dead letter box.

It is very difficult for most believers to accept the totality of Christ Jesus. It will bring pain, suffering, and death. The alternative is to accept religion as a substitute for the Living God.

The call from God is to commit all of your life to Jesus.
A disciple lives out the life of Jesus. He does not play act but walks with the Living God. For in Him we live and move and have our being.

If you allow Christ Jesus to be all and in all you will experience the transfigured life and Jesus will be the most important person in your life.

You can only become alive to God by yielding to the Holy Spirit. Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will see God.

Choose to live for God and become from free from religion. Accept the wholeness of Christ Jesus and live by faith trusting God for your every need.

Set your priorities on living for God and you will experience the greatness and glory of God!

There is no one like Jesus and He wants to be your very best friend!

“Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.” Hebrews 3:9

The Israelites were God’s chosen people and were a special treasure to Him above all the people. God took the Israelites on a forty year trip through uncharted waters. They had very little security except the hand of God.

The Israelites knew their destination and were given laws by God to live by on this trip. God provided for all their needs in a very unworldly manner and lead them by a pillar of cloud.

The Israelites rebelled against God time after time and fell into unbelief. They were a stiff necked and stubborn people. Most of them died in the desert and did not enter the Promised Land.

If you are a believer and yielding to Jesus you can expect to be taken on a trip through uncharted waters. God wants you have unyielding faith in Him without any evidence or proof. This is God’s method to strength your faith and test your allegiance to Him.

God does not like the predictable because it removes His importance from your life. He wants you to mirror David who lived by “My help comes from the Lord who created the heavens and earth.”

Faith is believing in God regardless of the circumstances in your life. Faith is understanding God calls things that don’t exist as if they did.

When you fall into uncharted waters fear and anger can easily arise to distort your emotions and cause you to fall into unbelief. God did not give you a spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind. Come to God seeking His strength, wisdom, peace and compassion to deal with the uncharted waters.

Do not lose heart on your trip through the uncharted waters. God knows your destination and will provide for your every need according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

Remember, it is not by your might nor by your power but by the Spirit of God. Wait on Jesus and you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Your life may not make any sense to you today but it is perfect in the eyes of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God!

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15

The Holy Spirit has three primary purposes.

He convicts the world of sin specifically those who do not believe in Jesus and those believers who have strayed away from God.

He demonstrates righteousness can only be found in Jesus who lives with His Father in heaven.

He executes judgment on the ruler of this world and those living in darkness.

The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. The Bible will not merely be words written in a book. The scriptures will come alive and have a powerful and life changing effect in your life.

The Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority. He will speak the words He hears from Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will tell you things to come as He listens to the omniscient voice of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus and guide you into living a life pleasing to Him.

The Holy Spirit is continuously at work to purify you with the life of Jesus. This is the process of dying to self and living for God and is mostly accomplished below your consciousness.

The Holy Spirit will take what belongs to Jesus and declare it to you. In fact, He will also share the things of God with you because all things of the Father belong to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will give you dreams and visions to guide you into the pathway of Christ Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will make intercession for those around you who are in bondage to Satan. This is accomplished by working through you to bring down strongholds and set people free.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to the truths of Jesus. You may hear someone speak (or prophesy) to you and the Holy Spirit will touch you with a warm physical sensation to validate the truth spoken to you is from God.

The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus. He is the only way you can live in oneness with Jesus.

Jesus lives inside you and desires to have a personal and vibrant relationship with you. Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will experience the reality of God.

He lives so you can live!