Author: Hal Hollister Ministry

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11

The time is now with Christ! He sees the blight of society and the decay in His Church.

This narrative is not about bibles stories that took place thousands of years ago and have lost significance in our society. It is about the judgment of God today.

The word from Christ today is “Now is the time change your ways.”

If you have been reading my blog you probably think I am fixated on the truths in Romans 13 and my comments tend to be repetitive. You’re probably tired of hearing the same old thing. I’m tired of this too!

However, God is fixated on this subject. He will not release me from His feelings about the importance of coming awake to Christ and realizing that your salvation is near and is the most important priority with God.

The virus is a precursor of things to come from God. How many plagues does God have to inflict upon us to get our attention?

God will no longer tolerate those who straddle between light and darkness. You and I have to stand in the bright light of Christ devoted to His values.

Imagine a fence constructed by God separating light from darkness. You cannot cross this fence into darkness and then return to the light.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Your inner nature has been designed to live for self and this will never change.

There is only one way you can awaken from your sleep and walk in the light of Christ.

Accept the reality of Christ crucified and live through the work of the Cross. This is asking for the blood of Christ to cover your sins and giving God permission to crucify your self nature.

This has nothing to do with religion, laws, or works. It is a decision to be born again and live in the character of God. It is not a free pass from sin; it is an invitation to the Holy Spirit to take authority over your life.

You agree to live by faith trusting Christ to meet your every need and walk with Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. This decision will give you tremendous freedom because you do not have to try and change yourself. It is up to God!

The Living Christ will make you into a new creature reflecting the character and personality of God.

 

“He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:15

The intrinsic quality of Christ is He lives in all believers in the person of the Holy Spirit. And, Jesus has commanded you and I to worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

This narrative is about the purpose and function of the Spirit of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the life of Christ. He wants to share the Living Christ with you but will only come by invitation.

Think of the Holy Spirit as a person who wants to be your close friend.

The Holy Spirit will introduce you to the reality of Christ and He gives you the ability to live in oneness with God.

This is how He works in the life of a believer:

He speaks to you. Be still and listen for a His voice.

He gives you wisdom and protection through the omniscient eyes of Christ.

He teaches you the values of Christ.

He gives you visions and dreams.

He perform signs and wonders through you.

He convicts you of sin and causes you to look at your motives.

He is grieved by your unconfessed or habitual sin. This will cause Him to distance from you.

He fills you with the fruit of the Spirit including the love, joy, peace, and patience of Christ.

He brings the scriptures to life. They become alive and powerful. You see Jesus for who He is.

He equips you with the gifts of the Spirit to be an effective witness for Christ.

He blinds you at times making it impossible to see ahead.

He tests you to prove your faith is steadfast in Christ regardless of the troubles in your life.

The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to help you know Christ and to prepare you to be a strong witness for Him.

The Holy Spirit hates religion. He gives you the freedom to operate for God without becoming encumbered by laws or rules.

The works of Christ were finished on the Cross. The Holy Spirit is the source enabling you to do the works of Christ. All else is just empty religion!

 

The word from Christ today is “Take Me seriously” and is based on text in Romans 13.

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:11-12

The most important thing to understand today is lethargy and apathy will no longer be tolerated by those who desire to live with Christ.

The status quo of your life has to change regardless of who you are. This transition has to be from living for self to coming under the authority of Christ through His Spirit.

You and I cannot straddle between light and darkness. The judgments of Christ are here and all are accountable for their actions. The virus is just a wake up call to prepare us for the future actions of God.

You cannot sidestep Christ any longer. You must choose to live by the values of Christ; “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

The righteous shall live by faith not by sight. This has to be the guiding principle in your life. It cannot be just a nice platitude or an intellectual concept.

You cannot be crucified with Christ unless you give up your independence and right to yourself.

Christ crucified is your only hope for life. Jesus died for all. The Cross offers forgiveness for sins and the authentic life of Christ.

The work of the Cross has set all free from the laws of religion and the work ethic taught in our churches.

The Cross is alive today through the intercession of Christ to break the manacles of sin and draw all to the Living Christ.

He lives so you and I can live!

The love of Christ is epitomized in the words of Jesus; “Not My will but Yours be done.” 

Christ is a God of love and compassion. The love of Christ is demonstrated in convicting you of sin. This is an endless process. You see yourself for who you are.

The love of Christ causes you to examine your motives. You quickly learn that you are a self driven person and can never come close to the holiness of Christ.

The love of Christ puts you through severe testing. He wants to break your self reliance and desire to live for self.

The love of Christ does not protect you from the world; it provides you with wisdom and peace to deal with the challenges of life.

Christ will never allow you to frame Him as a predictable God. He thinks and acts unlike you and His ways will always mystify you.

Christ wants your devotion to Him above all else. He works in diverse ways to create your obedience and loyalty to Him.

At times, Christ will seem harsh and aloof. This a part of His learning process.

Christ knows you better than you know yourself. His purpose is to do a deep work within your personality to refine you into the character of Christ. This can be very painful at times. You are forced to see your inner self and you become filled with remorse over your sinful condition and actions.

Christ wants you to live with Him through the Holy Spirit. Walk with God in your “born again” identity as a new creature in Christ Jesus. This is where you will find the life of the transfigured Christ.

The love of Christ lives in the moments of your life. Forget the mountaintop experience and find Him in the ordinary and difficult moments of life. He thrives in meeting you in the challenges of everyday life.

The overriding goal of Christ is to teach you to live by faith. He wants you to believe in the promises of God and not what you see with your eyes. And, the promises of God come by faith and are not influenced by your works, good deeds, or keeping laws.

Faith is the biggest obstacle for all believers. Your natural tendency is to try and please God through works. And, religion teaches you to substitute works and laws for faith in Christ.

Without faith you cannot please God!

“Without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The word from God today is “nomenclature” which is defined as a system of names or terms used in a particular field of study or community.

What is the nomenclature of God for the Body of Christ? Here is the soliloquy from Christ Jesus for living with Him today:

Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

I alone am God and there is no one like Me.

My ways are perfect and honorable.

Worship Christ in Spirit and Truth.

You will find Me in My Word. My word is perfect and will never fail you.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Rejoice in My greatness and trust in My promises. They are all yes and amen.

There is no variation or shadow of turning in My Word. It stands forever.

The Lord is my light and my salvation. I am the reason for life.

I am coming soon and all will see My majesty and bow down before Me.

Walk by faith not by what you see.

My judgments are perfect and reflect My heart.

Rest in My greatness. I will do for you what you can never do for yourself!

Come unto Me and I will fill you with the life of Christ.

“For in him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28

Complacency is the word from God for today. It is defined as finding uncritical satisfaction in one’s achievements. It is living with a sense of self preservation.

Most people find security in their marriage, work, material possessions, or health. This attitude engenders complacency through self efforts and neglects the values of God.

Complacency is also pervasive in religion. You pray, go to church, and try to be a good person. You are finding your security through your own efforts to please God and not through your faith in Christ.

Complacency is accepting half truths about God. It is easy to accept the gift of salvation and the goodness of God. But it is a different story to accept the fullness of the Cross.

The security of Christ is the antithesis of complacency.

This security comes from the Word of God and is not based on what you see with your eyes. This security is mostly invisible and is detached from your emotions or experiences in life. It is an unyielding belief in Christ grounded in His Word.

Complacency is a lackluster attitude about God. You are placing your security in self efforts and judging God as a failure in your life.

The security of Christ is in His Word and never relates to the conditions of your life. In fact, God takes away your security because He wants you to live through Him.

Faith is an up and down experience for most people because of the influences of fear and doubt. Our feelings grieve the Spirit of Christ and drown out His promises.

Our faith is reflected in the good moments of life and never in the agony of dying on the Cross with Jesus. Faith brings the life of Christ. Complacency brings death and destruction.

Today, invite this truth of God to dwell richly in your heart and to replace your fear and doubt. “All the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen.”

Christ will never fail you. He keeps His Word!

 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

The biggest fallacy in Christianity is the failure to understand or teach the significance of this statement above concerning the Cross.

The Cross asks you to give up all your rights to God and live for Him. There are no ands, ifs, or buts. You lay down your life for Christ without any expectations.

You will never know the reality of Christ until you give God your independence, your goals, and your self motives.

The misconception is doing what you think will please God and forgetting it’s not what you think is important but what God wants in your life. He knows you better than you know yourself.

God does not think or act like you. He is a perfect spiritual being without any ego. He is an omnipotent God and your destiny is in His hands.

Meeting Christ on His terms embodies the words of Jesus; “Not My will but yours be done.”

Christ operates in unpredictable ways.

Human logic cannot define the reality of God.

Christ wants your loyalty above all else. This has to be built on His Word and never on the conditions in your life.

God will test you to the ends of the earth to get this point across. I am God and will do with you as I desire.

Religion seriously impedes your ability to know Christ. You find Christ by abandonment to Him not by works, rituals, or keeping laws.

Christ wants to bless you abundantly but you have to accept His Word without compromise.

We are facing the judgments of God today because we have accepted secular beliefs and the hypocrisy of religion.

Jesus wants you to accept Him for who He is and not define Him by the standards of religion. He lives so you can live!

The Holy Spirit is the only way you will come to know the Living Christ. He will bring the life of Jesus into your reality. You will see Christ for who He is and live in respect and awe of His greatness and glory.

How can I please you today Christ Jesus? Show me your ways and help me to conform to your thinking patterns.

Keep me as the apple of your eye!

 

“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. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:16-17

The word from God today is about living in a symbiotic relationship with Christ. This is defined as a close and mutually beneficial relationship between two parties.

In this relationship, you and I are a servant and not the master. We live in submission to Christ and this how we experience His life and become a powerful witness for Christ.

Your decision for Christ opens the door to a personal and embracing relationship with the Living God. You live for Christ and He promises you the gift of salvation and shares His life with you.

As a new creature in Christ Jesus you are born again. All things become new.

The sanctifying work of Christ is not for you. It is to draw people to Him. You should not strive to be righteous; you should strive to follow in the footsteps of Christ.

The purpose of life for Jesus was to be obedient to His Father. As a disciple of Jesus, your purpose is to be obedient to Christ.

Jesus dined with His disciples near the end of His ministry on this earth. After the meal, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. This act was designed to show the disciples they were clean in the eyes of God.

Then Jesus charged His disciples to do the same thing in their lives. Reach out to those living in darkness with the love of Christ and demonstrate how they can come clean before God.

The cleansing of the feet was a symbolic gesture on the part of Jesus. The disciples were not free from sin or anointed with the Spirit of God but they all belonged to Jesus except for Judas.

The disciples would stumble and face many hardships in their lives but they were assured of the gift of salvation.

The challenge is how can you and I wash the feet of those around us? This can only happen if you are living in oneness with God through the Holy Spirit.

Only God knows who is willing to accept the gospel and the perfect timing for this to take place. He also knows the most effective way to touch someone with the love of Christ. This why it is so important to be tuned into God through His Spirit.

Another important aspect of ministry is intercession. This is the most powerful method of bringing down strongholds and setting people free to accept the gift of salvation. This is accomplished between you and God through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said “He who believes in Me out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water.” The Living Water is the life of Christ dwelling within you and is manifested in your words, actions, and demeanor.

The Living Water is given freely to all those who have an open heart to God and seek Him out through diligent prayer, living in the Word, and yielding to the Holy Spirit.

The goal of a believer is to be filled with the Living Water and free from any sin that grieves the Holy Spirit. This will enable you to walk confidently with God and be a powerful witness for Christ.

Your ministry with Christ will only be as effective as your oneness is with Him. He wants a symbiotic relationship built on love, devotion, trust, and friendship.

“Instead of your shame you shall have double honor” Isaiah 61:7

The salvation of the Lord is a decision to live for Christ.

You are clothed with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. Jesus has anointed you with His Spirit for good works.

The response to the gift of salvation is to rejoice with God and be joyful in all things.

You belong to Christ and are a member of the “set apart” people of God. You are a light shining in darkness.

The role of a disciple is to be a servant of God living out the values of Christ. You are a priest of the Most High and entitled to the double honor of God.

The question is how can you and I receive the double honor of Christ? You have to take Christ seriously. He died for you!

The upmost priority is to be clothed with the garments of Christ. You will find these clothes in Christ crucified. They are repentance from sins through the blood of Christ and the resurrected power of Christ living in you through the Holy Spirit.

You cannot wear the garments of Christ through your works, abiding in laws or practicing religion. This will only bring condemnation, hypocrisy and self pride.

You lack the ability to be “Christ like” but your faith in the promises of God will mold you into the character of God.

Christ wants your loyalty above all else. “Not my will but Yours be done” should be the goal for every believer.

Knowing the Living Christ will teach you the values of God and equip you to be a powerful witness for Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please God!

 

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9

The word from God today is clandestine which is defined as “kept secret or done secretly”.

It is impossible to keep secrets from God or hide things from Him. God is omniscient and sees everything. He knows every detail of your past, present, and future.

You cannot practice clandestine living and expect the favor of God.

God exposed the sin of Adam and Eve. They were unable to hide this from the Lord God.

You and I were born to live for self. We want to satisfy our fleshly indulgences whether for sex, food or alcohol, drugs, immoral activities, money, or success.

This desire to live for self can only be harnessed by submitting to the Holy Spirit who dwells within you. This is why God teaches “He who is within you is greater than he who is in the world”.

You will succumb to the temptations of the world without the power and restraint of the Spirit of Christ.

The reality of humanity is you and I are weak and unable to live a life pleasing to God. So we choose to act in clandestine ways.

God is like an X-ray machine. He not only sees everything; He examines your motives. You can’t get away with anything dealing with God.

God exposes your inner nature for the purpose of showing the contrast between who He is and who you are.

The epiphany of Christ is seeing yourself through the eyes of God and then seeing the greatness and glory of God. This creates a decisive action to meet the Living Christ.

You realize all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and your only hope for life is in Christ. You have reached your “born again” moment.

You are now on a journey of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus and old things begin to fade away and all things become new. Clandestine living habits are crucified and slowly disappear.

You live in oneness with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. For in Him, we live and move and have our being.