Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16

It is frightening to listen to the voice of Jesus because He may turn your life upside down. And, many think it is not possible to hear the voice of God. 

The Israelites would not listen or get near to God at Mount Sinai. This is because the presence of God is intimidating and causes terrifying fear. 

Many believers are taught to trust the words in the Bible and not what they think they may have heard directly from God. 

There is an attempt in religion to downgrade the importance of the Holy Spirit. He speaks for Jesus and dispels the corrupt motives of religion to denigrate the power of God.

As believers, we do want to be corrected or asked to let go of our cherished habits or goals. We tend to define the boundaries of our relationship with Jesus. 

If you do not honor and submit to the Holy Spirit you will be void of the reality of the Living Christ.

The Bible teaches that a believer has the mind of Christ. If he commits his works each day to God he will be infused with the thoughts of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit was alive in all the apostles and spiritual giants like Abraham, Moses and Elijah.

The Holy Spirit gives a believer omniscient wisdom and protection from evil. He convicts of sin and exposes hidden character imperfections below your consciousness.

It is impossible to live in the reality of the Living Christ without the Holy Spirit. He brings Jesus alive and allows a believer to hear His voice and live in His presence.

Jesus is ready to speak to you!

“Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” John 13:16

This speaks to the crux of Christianity. Unfortunately, very few believers ask Jesus to be their master in all the details of life. This is an act of giving up your desires and goals and allowing Jesus to do with you as He pleases. 

If you have been sent into the world by Jesus to do His will then you must be subservient to Jesus who is greater than you. 

Jesus wants to write the story of your life but this requires unwavering faith and obedience to His instructions. 

This is not about works. Jesus wants to build a personal and embracing relationship with a believer.

Jesus desires for you to walk in oneness with Him yielding to the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Jesus and your portal to the powerful attributes of the Living Christ.

The fullness of Jesus will be given to those who decide to live for Him above all else. They will receive the omniscient wisdom of God to protect them from the evil in the world. They will have supernatural strength to deal with all the troubles of life.

Jesus wants to develop a consistent dialogue with a believer. Remember, you have the mind of Christ and He wants to be present in all your thoughts and decisions.

The servant has to be willing to be crucified by the Cross and die to self so he can operate with the pure motives of Jesus.

This is a painful and time consuming work of God. The believer must sever his ties to the world and become completely dependent on Jesus for all his needs.

Walking with Jesus is about seeking repentance for your sins and the cleansing of His blood. This is a daily procedure as Jesus exposes your deeper sins which are hidden from your consciousness.

Commit your works each day to Jesus and pray for His order and simplicity.

Jesus desires to bless the desires of your heart. This comes to fruition to those who zealously seek the will of God for their lives!

 

 

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
^{Psalm 91:1}

Jesus wants to help you but there are conditions required to get His full attention. 

The believer must dwell in the secret place of the Most High. This requires consistent prayer, reading the Bible and listening for the voice of God with an obedient heart to comply with the instructions of Jesus.  

Jesus operates by faith so you must have a lifestyle of reaching out to Jesus for your every need and have unwavering faith in His promises.

The Christ follower must walk in oneness with Jesus anchored to the Holy Spirit. He must zealously seek the will of God and commit his works each day to Jesus.

The Bible instructs believers to set their love upon God and make Jesus the centerpiece of their life.

Jesus desires to have a personal and embracing relationship with a believer. He is not looking for works but for loyalty and devotion in a believer.

Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. All of us have hidden personality traits which prevent our ability to evaluate ourselves correctly. If you give up your right to yourself and surrender to Jesus you will become one with Him and have a new identity and personality.

The Christ follower who consistently practices the spiritual principles above can call upon God and He will answer him. 

God will be with him in trouble and deliver and honor him.

God will satisfy him with long life and show him the salvation of the Lord.

“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Romans 11:16

The remnant of God is described in the Book of Romans as the branches of an olive tree which have been elected by the love and mercy of God. These branches were chosen not by works but by the love of God.

The unbeliever who is not a branch on the olive tree has a spirit of stupor and cannot see or hear the love of God 

The olive tree is the life stream of Jesus.

Jesus is the root of the tree and is holy and righteous. The branches are His chosen vessels. 

God breaks off the branches that are not healthy or useful and grafts in new branches. 

The new branches are like a wild olive tree which is good for nothing. 

The new branches are transformed into holiness by the gift of salvation.

God teaches there should be no boasting from the branches because the mercy and love of God has grafted them into the tree. 

God also reminds all the branches that they do not support the tree but the support comes from the root which is Jesus.

The broken off branches are those who fall into unbelief and are replaced by new branches who come by faith.

The branches on the tree are measured by God to determine their health. The branches who fall into unbelief are broken off and the good branches remain alive and filled with faith.

The branches are to be humble and fear God. Consider the goodness and severity of God in dealing with your relationship with Jesus. He blesses and He curses.

There is eternal hope for the branch which was cut out of the wild olive tree and grafted by the hand of God into the cultivated olive tree. He is entitled to the promises of God and will live with Jesus forever.

If the branch on the healthy tree falls into unbelief and rejects the goodness of God it will be cut off but God is able to redraft the branch that returns to God by faith and repentance from sins.

The responsibility of the Christ follower is to live on the olive tree by faith and submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit. He is a fountain of Living Water touching all those in his life!

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you! Matthew 6:33

Jesus is alive and He wants to give you His life. He wants to share His majesty and powerful attributes with believers. Jesus said a disciple can do greater works than He did.

Why do we settle for a glimpse of the greatness and glory of Jesus when we can have the fullness of His life.

The reason we are deprived of the efficacy of Jesus is due to sin and our stubbornness to live for Him above all else. 

We shortchange ourselves choosing the world over the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus wants all of you but the price is just too costly for most believers who choose to enter through the wide gate.

It is not easy to follow Jesus and die to self. Most believers insist on keeping cherished personal habits and desires for themselves. They are not willing to let go of their independence and sever the ties with the world.

The attitude of making a decision for Jesus and then defining the terms of your relationship is depriving a believer of the treasures of Jesus.

Jesus views His sacrifice on the Cross as a special gift for mankind. He offers all the gift of salvation and the ability to be transformed into His image and character.

Jesus provides His blood to cleanse a human being from sins and to be restored to God. 

Jesus asks a believer to walk by faith believing in His promises and live under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

The world leads to destruction and death and offers no promises.

Place your faith in Jesus who has power and dominion over the heavens and earth. He desires to give you an abundant life filled with His goodness.

Life is short but Jesus is forever!

“Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

This narrative deals with the influences in your life and what you believe about the importance of Jesus.

Many believers look at the facts about Jesus by reading the Bible, going to church or pursuing religious activities, This provides a strong intellectual picture of Jesus as a historical character in the Bible who is now dead. This misconception will block the ability to experience the transfigured Christ or the signs and wonders of our powerful God. 

There are many people who believe Jesus is fiction. Satan has blinded them to the truth about Jesus. They are worldly thinking people and are guided by a self sufficiency discipline.

Very few believers discover the Living Christ. The reason is they cannot make the decision “Not my will but Yours be done.”

If you are serious about Jesus you must seek His will for your life above all else. This decision is just too costly and painful for many believers. 

Jesus wants all of you. He does not want to be your part time God.

You will meet the Living Christ when you surrender to Him and hold nothing back. 

Jesus desires to have a personal and symbiotic relationship with a believer. He wants to speak with you, protect you and guide your footsteps. 

Jesus seals every believer with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and your portal to the promises of Jesus and His powerful attributes.

Commit your works each day to Jesus and submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit and you will be infused with the thoughts of God. He will bring order and simplicity into your day.

The Christ follower prays vigilantly, reads the Bible and listens for the voice of God. Like Abraham he is obedient to the instructions of Jesus without compromise. 

The priority is to have a strong relationship with Jesus built on unwavering faith, obedience and oneness with the Lord.

Meet the Living Christ and your life will never be the same!

“There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.” Romans 3:11

There is no room for self righteousness or thinking you are better than others just because you are a Christian.

We all fall into the same category. Every human being is unacceptable to God. We are contaminated and God wants nothing to do with us. 

All humanity was born with an inner nature to defy God and live for self. It is impossible to see what you really look like on the inside. Only God can see all of your personality including your compulsive behaviors, sexual immorality, and desires to please self.

You cannot get clean through self discipline. You will fail every time. Religion will not change you. 

The only way to get right with God is through the Living Christ. He is the perfect solution to sin. He knows you better than you know yourself. 

Jesus is unconditional love and is a merciful and compassionate God.

The punishment to a human being comes from sin and creates misery, destruction and death. 

God created Jesus and asked Him to be a sacrifice for sin. The death of Jesus was planned by God so humanity could be restored to God.

Jesus died to provide forgiveness for all sin through His blood. The death of Jesus gives everyone the ability to receive the gift of salvation. This gift allows you to live with Jesus forever and be transformed into His character. 

Salvation begins with making a serious commitment to live for Jesus above all else. The decision for Jesus seals you with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Jesus and transforms you into a new creature in Christ.

It is impossible to be perfect in the eyes of God without the blood of Jesus. Salvation will never make you perfect here on earth but you can live a life pleasing to Jesus.

The Christ follower can wake up tomorrow and stand blameless before God without any shame or condemnation. 

Ask and you shall receive!

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

The cornerstone of a relationship with Jesus is living by faith. This defines your standing with Jesus.

We can understand how God operates in the story alluded to in Hebrews 3:9.

The Israelites were delivered out of bondage in Egypt. They personally witnessed the power and glory of God but as soon as they crossed the Red Sea they started complaining and worshipping false Gods.

This lack of faith started when the twelve spies sent out by God returned from checking out the Promised Land. Ten of the spies said Israel could not defeat the enemy tribes and some cowardly suggested returning to Egypt.

This attitude provoked God with overwhelming anger. God responded with the punishment that the Israelites would go on a forty year zig zag journey instead of a three day trek to their new home.

He also said all the adults would die in the desert and not step one foot into the Promised Land. 

Faith is believing in the words of Jesus and not what you see with your eyes. Jesus has power and dominion over the heavens and earth. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Faith is responding to Jesus with obedience. We must learn to do what God asks without wavering or needing any proof. 

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The principles of faith and obedience have not changed. And, Jesus abhors complaining believers. 

If you want the best of God you must live by faith believing in the promises of Jesus.

Build a lifestyle of reaching out to Jesus for your every need and learn to wait patiently. At times, Jesus can seem very slow. 

“That they may be one even as We are one” John 17:20-21

This narrative differentiates between a religious believer and a Christ follower. The religious believer is not in contact with the Living Christ and attempts to serve Him through works. And, it is impossible to discover Jesus through an intellectual approach.

Jesus desires to share His life with a believer. He wants to have a deep and enriching relationship with a believer. Jesus wants to speak with you, be present and alive in your life and demonstrate signs and wonders exemplifying His power and majesty.

The gospel of Jesus did not end in the Bible. The Cross offers the resurrected life of Jesus to all.

The efficacy of Jesus can be discovered by all believers. The starting point is to make an unequivocal decision for Jesus. This is a serious commitment to live for Jesus above all else.

The Christ follower must zealously seek the will of Jesus and walk by unwavering faith believing in His promises.

The decision to surrender to Jesus baptizes a believer into the death and resurrection of Jesus. The believer dies to self and is anointed and empowered by the resurrected life of Jesus.

The believer lives in the world but he is not of the world. The Holy Spirit changes a believers thinking patterns and helps him to sever the ties with the world. 

The “born again” believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ. The believer must submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit and pray each day for the order and simplicity of Christ.

The Bible teaches that a believer can do the works of Jesus. This happens by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.  The disciples were just mere mortals until Pentecost. 

The obstacle to most believers is letting go and living by faith with Jesus.

The disciple cannot expect to be filled with the fullness of Jesus and dabble in sin. The requirement is to repent from all sin and live in the light of Jesus. There are no compromises with Jesus. He wants a clean slate covered by His blood. Jesus is not looking for perfection but a willing heart to change.

Meet Jesus of Nazareth. He wants to be your best friend!

Most believers start off the day with Jesus. This narrative deals with how you can have a rich and embracing time with Jesus. He is alive and desires a personal and symbiotic relationship with a believer.

Come to Jesus with praise for who He is and thank Him for the gift of eternal life. Praise Jesus for His promises. Praise Jesus for His greatness and glory.

We are all unworthy people with many imperfections. Seek out Jesus for conviction, repentance and the forgiveness provided by the blood of Christ.

There can be nothing standing between you and Jesus in your relationship. Ask Jesus to reveal anything grieving the Holy Spirit in your words, emotions or actions.

Jesus is not looking for perfection but a willing heart to change.

Walking with Jesus is about having unwavering faith in His promises and not what you see with your eyes. 

The Holy Spirit must be alive and operating in your life. Give the Spirit authority over your life and you will experience the reality of the Living Christ in all the moments of life.

Your worship time with Jesus should be intermingled with reading the Bible and singing songs to Him or listening to spiritual music. The Psalms are excellent devotionals and I actually pray the words over me.

Listen for the voice of God and journal His words. Remember, you have the mind of Christ and He wants to be in dialogue with you.

Commit your works each day to Jesus and ask for His order and simplicity. 

Jesus wants your devotion and obedience to Him above all else. Jesus is not looking for service. He wants a deep and loyal friendship.

Jesus will transform you into a fountain of Living Water and people will know you have been with Him!