Hal’s Blog

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:31-32

God spoke to me with the title for this blog and told me to illustrate this spiritual principle with the interaction between Jesus and two men walking on the road to the city of Emmaus.

The men were downcast thinking about the recent events concerning the death of Jesus. 

Jesus appeared to these men incognito and entered into a conversation with them.

After listening to their doubts about whether Jesus was the Messiah, He spoke scripture to them and the words were like a burning fire in their hearts.

The men invited Jesus to have dinner with them and after the meal Jesus revealed His identity to them and then disappeared.

These men will never again doubt the legitimacy of Jesus.

You can have this same experience today with Jesus. 

You won’t find the legitimacy of Jesus through personal testimony. And, you can’t find the Living Jesus by going to church, reading spiritual books or participating in religious activities.

So how do you overcome this cloud covering the face of Jesus?

How does Jesus change from a historical figure in the Bible to reality in your life?

You have to approach the Living God with an open heart. The misnomer is thinking God is distant and cannot be touched. Nothing is further from the truth.

The first step is to reach out to Jesus by faith. Set aside your perceptions or feelings about God. 

This has to be a moment of faith, believing in something you cannot see.

Come to Jesus by faith and make a decision to live for Him. God will seal you with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and will interact with you like the two men in this story who encountered Jesus.

Jesus said 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.

Jesus will appear in your life and there will be no doubt in your heart about the Living Christ.

Jesus may do this through a vision or simply by hearing His voice. Or, you might experience a transfigured moment with Jesus and see His greatness and glory.

There is no one like Him!

There are two roads in life to choose for your journey.

You can try to achieve success through your own efforts. Or, you can walk with Jesus anchored to the Holy Spirit.

Most people elect the first road and some attempt a hybrid approach traveling back and forth between the roads.

You and I are creatures of habit. We eat, drink, work, and sleep. 

The road less traveled allows you to do all these things but you do them as a new creature in Christ Jesus. And, Jesus changes your habits to conform with His life.

Regardless of the road you travel, there will be adversity, pain, and suffering at times. And, you will make mistakes on either road.

So why choose the less traveled road?

This road has no end. You live with God forever.

Jesus shares His attributes with you on this road. He provides you with strength, wisdom, joy, and protection. These qualities cannot be found on earth. They come from Heaven.

This road gives you the ability to walk with the Living Christ and live in the reality of God.

Jesus becomes your best friend and shares His life with you.

You wake up in the morning and hear the voice of God.

On the road with Jesus you live by faith trusting in the promises of God. There are no promises on the road living for self and death is inevitable.

The road with Jesus creates a facsimile of His life. You become reproduced into the personality and character of God. 

The road of self sufficient living will give you short lived moments of success and joy but your final destination is destruction and death.

The less traveled road does not intersect with religion. You have complete freedom from laws and the works of religion.

The intrinsic value of the less traveled road is understanding the greatness and glory of God. 

As a believer you are entitled to own this promise from God; “The eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of mind the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Why do so many people resist the road less traveled? They are blinded to God and live in unbelief, they fear losing control, or they do not know the character of God. How can you reject the God who made the stars and holds them together by His word?

Jesus lives so you can live!

https://anchor.fm/hal-hollister8/episodes/The-road-less-traveled-eshfi2

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

The words of Jesus above explain the miracle of salvation. It begins with the Spirit of Christ. 

You come to know God by His Spirit. There is no other way. The Spirit of God is sent out from Heaven and roams around the world. 

You hear God through His Spirit but you cannot tell where He comes from or where He is going. He is everywhere. 

The Word goes out of the mouth of God and will never return to Him empty. The Word will accomplish what God desires and achieve the purposes for which He sent it. 

The Spirit of God will not strive with man forever because he is a fleshly creature and lives in rebellion against God. 

The Spirit searches for those who do not know God. He speaks the message of salvation to those with an open heart to hear God. 

You have to hear the Word of God and accept Jesus by faith. This will cause you to be born again. 

You become a new creature in Christ Jesus born of the Water and Spirit. The Water cleanses you from sin and the Spirit baptizes you into the life of Christ.

God seals the Holy Spirit inside all believers.

The attraction to Jesus is the ability to live in oneness with Him. The life Jesus exhibited while living on earth is sealed inside you. 

This gives you access to the strength, wisdom, joy, and protection of the Living Christ. 

These attributes come from Heaven and cannot be found in the world.

You can walk with Jesus, hear His voice, and live with Him forever. 

The Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and shares it with you. He is the life of Christ!

“I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” Luke 19:26

The gift of salvation does not belong to you. It is a gift from God. You cannot keep the gift for yourself. This will only bring the retribution of God upon you. 

Let’s explore this subject through a parable of Jesus. This story took place as Jesus was nearing Jerusalem shortly before He was crucified. 

There were two controversies circulating among the people. The Israelites thought Jesus would become King and rule over the world. The religious leaders despised Jesus and wanted to destroy Him. (You will see the thread of the life of Jesus throughout this story.)

The parable begins with a rich master who is going to another country to be appointed king and then will return home.

The master gives ten mina coins (three months of salary) to ten of His servants and tells them to put the money to work. 

But his servants hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king”. This is the atmosphere Jesus lived in prior to His death.

The master leaves to become anointed king and returns home. He checks in with the servants to see how they managed his money.

The first servant doubled the value of the coins. The master said well done. You are a trustworthy servant. He rewarded the servant with authority over ten cities.

The second servant increased the master’s investment by fifty percent and was rewarded with authority over five cities.

The third servant hid the master’s money. He was afraid of the master and viewed him as a hard or severe man. He responded “You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” 

The servant was referring to the master’s faith and how he managed his life. He also thought the master was very demanding of those who worked for him.

The master believed his money was given to Him by God and he was responsible to make it increase. He also believed the seeds for his crops were the work of God and he was accountable to reap a rich harvest. 

The master confronted the wicked servant. He asked  the servant “Why didn’t you put the money in a bank to earn interest? Then the master took his money away and gave it to the first servant.

In concluding this parable Jesus said “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

As a believer, Jesus has given you the gift of salvation. The challenge is what are you going to do with this precious gift?

Here’s how you can make a powerful investment into the gift of Jesus:

Pray vigilantly. Seek the wisdom and productivity of God in all your efforts.

Listen for the voice of God. The Holy Spirit is alive within you and desires to help you in all your endeavors. All you require is an open mind to hear God.

Meditate on the Word of God. This will teach you the values of Jesus and how to appropriate them in your life. 

Treat others with respect and courtesy.

Honor those who have authority over you. 

Pray for the Living Water to flow out of your heart touching those living in darkness. The Living Water is the love, joy, and compassion of Jesus along with all the fruit of the Spirit. 

You cannot be effective in your work unless your motives are in alignment with Jesus. The priority is to make Jesus the centerpiece of your life and commit your works to Him.

Jesus wants your obedience to Him above all else. When He speaks to you respond with a submissive attitude.

The follower of Christ is a member of the “set apart” people of God. You live in the world but you are not of the world. You walk with God by faith believing in His promises.

You will attract others to Jesus through your faith; never by works. People are attracted to the Living Christ not a book of religion.

The authenticity of Christ saves lives!

You can listen to the podcast here. https://anchor.fm/hal-hollister8/episodes/Investing-into-the-gift-of-Christ-Jesus-esd17e

Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word coming out of the mouth of God.”

God spoke to me last night through a dream. I saw a man trying to find success by dealing with the immediate details in his life while missing the bigger picture. He was so enmeshed in trivial efforts they he failed to see the overall plan of God. He was trying to micro manage his life but he lacked forward thinking ability. 

This man could not see his life through the eyes of God. He did not understand the reality of God or how to find his role with God.

The response to overcoming short sighted vision is turning to Jesus.

Here is how you can live on the “cutting edge” of life from the perspective of God:

Ask God to let you see the bigger picture in your life.

Ask God to show you His priorities in the changing times of life.

Don’t look at your life by evaluating your immediate circumstances. Walk by faith trusting in the promises of God.

Make adjustments in life based on the omniscient wisdom of God. 

Find your success through the Word of God. It is not by might nor by power but by My Spirit.

Pray vigilantly. 

Listen to the voice of God.

Remember, wealth gained by vanity will be diminished but he who labors under the authority of God will increase.

What is your role in an upside down world under the judgment of God?

You can listen to the podcast here:

https://anchor.fm/hal-hollister8/episodes/Seeing-the-big-picture-through-the-eyes-of-God-es711f

“For we walk by faith not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Jesus does not tend to give you evidence of His promises relating to the future. And, He does not allow you to see very far ahead. This can be nerve wracking at times and raises the question “Where are you God?” 

How can you have confidence in something you cannot see?

The response is you have to be invested into the life of Jesus. This begins with a commitment to live for Him above all else. Until you make this decision you will be like a yoyo bouncing back and forth between God and living for self.

You also have to understand the attributes of God and experience them in your life. 

Confidence in God comes through prayer, meditating on His Word, and listening for His voice. This discipline is how you will learn the values of Jesus and operate with pure motives. 

God desires to be alive in all the moments of your life. He wants to help you today navigate through all the challenges facing you. He is a Living God!

Confidence in God will increase if you are directly connected to the Living Christ through the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and is sealed inside you. Invite Him to have authority over your life. The Holy Spirit desires to give you properties of Jesus and offers you glimpses of the greatness and glory of God.

The steps identified above will help give you the confidence to walk by faith trusting in the promises of God without the need for proof or evidence. And, this pleases the heart of God. 

After a session with the Living Christ, you should come away knowing what is on the mind of Christ.

This is living in oneness with the reality of Jesus and should be your goal for each day of your life.  

What did God speak to you about today?

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

God spoke to me yesterday about the commitment you and I make to God. The question is are you a “bystander” or a participant living in the reality of Jesus?

No one can make this decision for you. It has to come from your heart.

A bystander is a spectator who watches from the sideline. He is not playing in the game.

If you want the fullness of Jesus you have to let go of the world and be willing to live for Him.

What causes someone to make a radical decision for Jesus and to let go of all their desires and ambitions?

You have to hear and accept by faith the gift of salvation. But it is much deeper than this; you have to have an encounter with the Living God and experience who He is.

This can happen to you today. Be still and simply ask God to show you who He is. Listen for the voice of God and feel His presence. This will be a life changing moment in your life.

The Christ follower seeks outs Jesus with all of his heart. He lives with God in prayer and listens for His voice. He walks with God under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

The decision for Jesus is a commitment to live by faith believing in the promises of God. So whether life is good or filled with adversities you walk by faith not by sight. 

The Christ follower judges God by His promises not by what he sees in his life. He is a man (or woman) of many sins. He goes astray from God at times. He experiences suffering and pain and his life is filled with troubles. 

However, the Christ follower is an overcomer and loves God with all his heart. He has a passion to live for God!

You can listen to the Podcast here: anchor.fm/Hal-Hollister8

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40

This scripture is the response from Jesus to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus confronted religion with the truths of God. 

You can live in the Bible all your life but this will not give you the gift of salvation. And, you can attempt to adhere to the code of conduct outlined in the Bible but you will fail God.

Most believers reject coming directly to Jesus and use religion as a buffer to the Living Christ. The tendency is to accept contemporary interpretations of Jesus and reject the basic tenets of His teaching. Religion is not threatening or unsettling. 

The reality of Jesus will shake up your life. He will transform you into a new creature in Christ Jesus born of the Spirit and Water. And, your life will never be the same. 

The objective of the Bible is to point you to the Living Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life.

There is no supposition, conjecture, or guess work concerning Jesus.

Jesus is the Son of God and has power and dominion over the heavens and earth. Your destiny is in His hands.

No one comes to God accept through Jesus.

Jesus is a Living God and the Holy Spirit is sealed inside all believers. He is the the life of Christ.

Jesus speaks to the people of Christ. If you are a believer you have the mind of Christ.

Jesus offers you unlimited strength, wisdom, protection, and joy. These attributes come directly from Heaven.

Jesus wants you to live by faith trusting in His promises. This is the cornerstone to a relationship with God. You walk by faith not by sight. 

Jesus died so His blood can cover your sins and restore you to God.

The righteousness of Jesus comes by your faith in His promises and trusting Him for your every need. You will never find the purity of God through the works of religion.

Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over you life and you can walk in oneness with Jesus. He will become your best friend and confidant. 

You cannot please Jesus by works, keeping laws, or religion. Your faith will make you whole. 

Jesus wants your obedience without questioning His motives. Obedience is simply complying with the voice of God. 

Your hope for life is the Living Water. This is the life of Christ and is a fountain coming from Heaven culminating in eternal life.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

God spoke to me in the middle of last night with the title for this message. Jesus is an enigma. He is a mystery and at times very difficult to understand.

Jesus told me most believers have “tunnel vision” concerning His purposes.

Let’s try and unwrap this mystery and get a better perspective about the reality of Jesus.

The priorities of Jesus are different than yours. This sets the stage for your journey with God. We want to take from Jesus while His primary concern is changing you into the image of God.

Jesus is a “labor of love” and this is His purpose in your life. Jesus died so you can have the values of His life. He is working at all times to refine you into His image.

Jesus was appointed by God to be an intercessor for all humanity. He is forever at work to set you free from sin. This is the love of God.

Jesus doesn’t think or act like you because His motives are to create His workmanship in you.

This is why your life seems unpredictable and out of control at times.

Jesus wants your unconditional loyalty and obedience to Him above all else. Jesus will upset your life and severely test you to bring you to the point of “Not my will but Yours be done.”

The workmanship of Christ takes place in the moments of your life. This is where He can get your attention not by sitting in the comfort of a church. 

Jesus teaches you His values in the ups and downs of life working through the Holy Spirit.

Another aspect of the workmanship of God involves those people around you. God not only wants to change you but He wants this work to have a powerful effect on others.

Jesus wants you to walk by faith resting in His greatness. This is a lifestyle of trusting God for your every need. You will impress God by living out your faith in all the ups and downs of life and never by your works or keeping laws.

God also reminded me last night that He sets the boundaries in your relationship. They are out of your control. God is always present (ubiquitous) but at times you cannot feel His presence, see His majesty, or hear His voice.

The symmetry of God is varied and ranges from close intimacy, aloofness at times, signs and wonders, and transfigured moments in the glory of God.

Jesus desires to share the fullness of His life with you today but keep in mind His underlying goal is His workmanship.

This is the love of God!

Jesus is the perfect role model for prayer!

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer is a relationship with God. Jesus initiated prayer for you before you were born. Prayer touches the heart of God. Prayer is powerful; it brings the efficacy of God into your life.

Prayer is taking time to be still and listen for the voice of God. Prayer is a two way dialogue between you and God. 

Prayer teaches you the spiritual truths of God and prepares you to be a powerful witness for Him. 

In praying ask God what is on His mind. This is the priority of prayer; living in the will of God.

Prayer is not intellectual, robotic or scripted. The powerful prayers of the people of Christ are guided by the Holy Spirit. He knows how to pray perfectly according to the will of God.

Prayer has no constraints. It is much more than private time with God in the morning and a few moments before going to sleep.

The Holy Spirit teaches you how and when to pray. If you feel a nudge from God during your day pause what you are doing and reach out to your Creator.

I have attempted to define the components of a spiritually healthy prayer life. There is no exact order. Let the Spirit of Christ lead you in prayer. Every day is different with God. 

God wants you to recognize His holiness and sovereignty through praise and thanksgiving. Praise is an acknowledgment of who God is and what He has done for you. And, praise nourishes your soul.

God wants you to pray His kingdom will become a reality in your life and you will be able to accomplish His will on earth as it is done in heaven.

Seek first the kingdom of God through prayer, the Word of God, and listening for the voice of God.

Prayer is the method of starting a new day with God. Commit your works each day to God and pray His thoughts will be established within you.

Ask God to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway.

Prayer is instrumental in laying the groundwork for the spiritual principle of binding and loosing. 

Jesus said whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. This is the arduous work of intercession interacting with God to bring down strongholds and setting people free from Satan. 

During your prayer time the Holy Spirit will bring up the names of people that are on His mind and ask you to stand in the gap for them. Listen to the Holy Spirit. He will show you how to pray for those people entrusted to you by God.

Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. The loosing comes through the Living Water sealed inside a believer. Ask God to fill you with the fullness of the Living Water and empower you to be a light for Jesus touching others through your words, your actions, and your demeanor. 

Reach out to God for all your every need. Ask Jesus to help you live by faith, pray for physical healing, pray for the strength of Christ, pray for wisdom to meet all the challenges of life. This pleases God and reaffirms your faith in His promises.

Pray for Jesus to cover your sins with His blood and to reveal anything in your life not pleasing to Him. Ask for the compassion of Jesus to forgive those who have hurt you.

Pray for inner healing and emotional stability from all the conflicts in life.

Pray against temptations and for deliverance from Satan.

Temptations usually come in the form of the lusts of the flesh. Pray God will reveal any temptations and provide a way of escape. 

Remember, God knows you better than you know yourself and is aware of all your vulnerabilities.

The Holy Spirit is your guarantee against the attacks of Satan and his devious tactics.

Invite the Spirit of Christ to have authority over your life and ask for His protection each day of your life.

Prayer creates the life of Christ!