The discussion about the Holy Spirit between Max & Lisa Harper - Max Lucado Message

hi friends I'm Max loo did you know that the Bible makes more than 100 references to the Holy Spirit Jesus says more about this counselor than he does about the church marriage finances and the future in my new book help is here we'll take a deep dive into who the holy spirit is and how to access the joy power peace and purpose he offers be encouraged help is here available now at maxlucado.com [Music] hi everybody Max loo here from my home to yours thanks so much for joining me for today's encouraging word hey everybody Erica here with Team LC and we are continuing our series about the Holy Spirit based on Max's book help is here we're so excited to share with you a special conversation Max had with Lisa Harper a best-selling author and Bible teacher listen now to part [Music] one hey y'all it's Lisa Harper and I am just about to be on live with um America's favorite pastor and surely one of mine my friend Max Luc Max has a brand new book out called Help Is Here find finding fresh fresh strength and purpose and the power of the Holy Spirit it is studing hey Mr Max man you for Sore Eyes I'm so happy to see you good to see you and did I see a beautiful little girl running behind you there she you know what she is story in your you are going to believe it Max she's almost as tall as you are oh my goodness she yes and I actually had so much fun with her because I showed her your book and Missy in school is practicing breath prayers they're teaching her to breathe in the Holy Spirit and so I showed her in your new book where you talk about breathing in Jesus and she was so exciting she remembers talking to you in the San Antonio Airport so so you've got your one m and one buyer of the fan well she's a delight oh she's a I'm pathologically biased but she's a pretty extraordinary child I am so grateful you wrote a book on the Holy Spirit are you really I I am I grew up Max you know this I grew up um my mom was Baptist to the Bone and my dad was a symbl of God so I always say I'm bab toast but the there was so much dis arity between my mother's understanding of Holy Spirit and my father's understanding of holy spirit that I felt mostly I just got confused about the Holy Spirit I told somebody oh 10 or so years ago do you remember when um when Jimmy Carter was president and remember they they tried to keep Billy Carter in Georgia because he was oftentimes um less than presidential and his actions you know he started Billy beer in the Iran cont Y and so it's like even though he was related to the president I I think those on the Democratic National Committee tried to kind of keep him quiet that's I think what I did with the Holy Spirit for years I could get God the Father I could get Christ the son I know we have a trinitarian God so holy spirit is part of who God is but I just didn't understand him and frankly was a little afraid that you know if I started studying tongues of fire might come down on my head in Cheesecake Factory or somewhere really embarrassing and so I just really wrestled with what does it mean that he's my paraclete what does it mean when Jesus says I'm going to be with a father but I'm leaving you Spirit outside of those stereotypical denominational confines and so oh I love that you wrote this what prompted you to write it Max well um first of all thank you Lisa for letting me have this conversation with you and and hello to you and hello to all your wonderful wonderful audience and friends um we're in New York City this morning I'm not right after Fox and Friends yeah yeah so uh it's been a it's been a great week and and and to have the opportunity to talk about the Holy Spirit on National Television it's just a remarkable thing yeah I think such a good thing you know we timely thing during this episode in history where people are desperate for Hope and security and we in fact that's my answer to your question um I think we are a weary people uh weary with um squabbles weary with uh Sol attempted Solutions but Falling short uh weary with u um pursuing life from a um a secular Viewpoint that really doesn't have a world view for the invisible and inexplicable we're we have been conditioned as a western culture I I think I think this is a a fair statement we've been conditioned to only trust what we can see or taste or feel and the Holy Spirit uh is as Jesus said a wind he's like a wind where he comes where he goes we cannot say he he he is mysterious and and he is the Holy Spirit you know even that word Spirit uh is is uh uh a bit intimidating and consequently uh we we U oftentimes back away from our understanding I think also in in the church Lisa I'd love to get your thoughts on this um we have uh reacted to the two extremes one extreme is that person who has a a backstage P to the Holy Spirit right who seems to you know know something that I'll never know and they love to talk about their gifts and right and and and kind of platform their gifts right on the Other Extreme is that person who whose primary words when it comes to the Holy Spirit are don't and won't right you know right he won't do this don't try that and they feel like it's their uh role to to um clamp down maybe or monitor what's happening L we get too crazy right so those are the two extremes and right and maybe you were raised in a background where you saw I was I was raised with both yeah and with my parents divorced when I was little and I was raised with both and I think too I saw I because I saw both extremes I tended to I tended to have a really hard time because they both they both just didn't resonate with me I thought one as you said seems elitist and very privatized yeah and then the other one I saw a real lack of freedom and Liberation there and I I I wrestled for years Max I went my first go around in seminary when I got my Master's I I I had a lot of questions about spirit and um I I went to a wonderful Seminary but there were a lot of cessationists so I just thought oh goodness even asking the questions in an academic theological environment my first experience was that just exposed the fact that I was emotionally based as a Believer um or how I was made to feel and so there was there was a long season for me of going Lord I I've got to have your wisdom because I want all of you I don't he didn't come as a binary God he came as a trinitarian God and I'll tell you I had something so resonated with the lot so glad you went to Ezekiel I thought you would but I felt like that was just the whole book was great but that was my favorite a year and a half ago I was hospitalized with covid and it was tricky there the first day and a half or so they weren't sure that they were going to be able to stabilize me and that's what came back to me over and over and over again was that passage you talk about in Ezekiel where Ezekiel goes to the valley of dry bones and I had learned of course the the name for Spirit in the New Testament is Numa and it's it's where we get the word breath from he's our breath the wind is not just you that's not just a fanciful term he is our very breath and so the pneumologist came into my room a couple of days after they stabilized me because someone had told him that I I talked about Jesus for a living and he said I am so sorry to uh to be the one to tell you but I just don't want to give you any false hope he said Lisa you will never um be able to to teach or preach again because your lungs have been so eviscerated you're never going to be able to carry more than two minutes of residual air and you know I couldn't speak I I just had a croak at that point um my lungs were pretty damaged but I said do do you remember the Greek word for Spirit in the New Testament and he looked at me like I have three heads you you could tell he thought how much medication are they giving her and he kind of looked qu I'm sure he did I just think the question through him and I said it's Numa of course this isn't a croak of a whisper I said it's Numa I said Doctor it means breath and I said I am so grateful you saved my life but with all due respect you don't have the right to tell me me if I'll have breath again because that's my spirit that's holy spirit so I by the grace of God I've come from being kind of afraid of the Holy Spirit to he's my breath he's my comforter he's my pericle he's the one who reminds me every morning I get to call the king of the universe dad so it's taken me a long time to and again I'm not saying I fully understand Holy Spirit your book help helped me so much have a healthy framework um and even to fling the door open a little wider I at this stage of life I'm not ruled by fear the way I used to be so if he messes things up a bit have about it I want I want more Liberty but I just love that you demystified him I hope so I I do um I love the way you're describing him as as our comforter our friend you've used the word pericet uh quite a few times and and in in case somebody doesn't know that's the word that our savior used in the upper room discourse uh when he spoke and really introduced his followers to the Holy Spirit and that was the occasion that he said I must go away so that the paraclet can come and that's a beautiful word it it simply means to come alongside right I believe it's the Phillips translation that actually calls the Holy Spirit the one who comes alongside I love other other translations uh use the word comforter or intercessor or Advocate and all of those are are beautiful pictures uh our friend Robert Morris in in Dallas is the one how first heard called the Holy Spirit my unfailing friend and I I love that it's just a beautiful beautiful picture and to think that our unfailing friend is uh everpresent ever powerful and what Jesus was telling his followers was I at least in part I need to go away so that the paraclet can come and be for everyone what I have been for you uh just as you have been close to me uh within you know within my shadow now everyone in the world every generation Every Nation will have complete access to the the heaven Heaven's Helper because I won't be restricted by a body or by geography right and so what a what a gift and this was such an important gift he he told them after his uh resurrection and before his Ascension he said you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you go and wait go and wait until the Holy Spirit comes so even though they had been with Jesus for 3 years and heard everything he had said and eaten so many meals with him they were not ready how much more so uh are all of us needing and and and uh in desperate need of the Holy Spirit um oh more so now I think than ever before I agree I certainly certainly in modern culture you see our desperation for spirit it's just revealed in our lack of [Music] peace hey this is Dean alone Lao Max and I are so thankful you joined us for today's encouraging word please subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a single message for more information about Max's Ministry please visit max.com until next time stay encouraged [Music] [Music] Hello friends Susan here with Team loo we're excited to announce a fresh take on Max's bestselling 365-day devotional Grace for the moment notetaking Edition each page of this beautiful leather soft Edition has plenty of room to pen your own prayers and insights you can order your copy of Grace for the moment notetaking Edition now at Max loo.com hi friends I'm Max loo did you know that the Bible makes more than 100 references to the Holy Spirit Jesus says more about this counselor than he does about the church marriage finances and the future in my new book help is here we'll take a deep dive into who the holy spirit is and how to access the joy power peace and purpose he offers be encouraged help is here available now at maxlucado.com hi everybody Max loo here from my home to yours thanks so much for joining me for today's encouraging [Music] word did you know that the Bible makes more than 100 references to the Holy Spirit Jesus says more about this counselor than he does about the church marriage finances and the future clearly an important topic but how do we practically experience the holy spirit in our everyday lives in my new book help is here we will take a deep dive into who the holy spirit is and how to access the fresh strength purpose and power he offers I sat down with Susan Lian from Team loo to talk about the whole Holy Spirit and hopefully answer some of the questions you might have I hope you enjoy the conversation and be encouraged help is [Music] here Jessica an wants to know how can she discern between her own conscience and the voice of the Holy Spirit well again we lay down their big idea right the big idea uh the the Assumption the promise that we're standing on is that the spirit of God dwells within you the spirit of God dwells within you in order to lead you to lead you and he does so with two tools the verse and the voice there is the verse there is the scripture the Bible we open the scripture yeah and the scripture teaches us uh the Apostle Paul said take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God so the word of God is the sword of the spirit and I would suggest that the primary communication tool of the holy spirit is the Bible uh he speaks to us through scripture his will is found in his word the Old Testament says your word is a is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path uh the crowd says your value depends on your net worth but scripture says you matter because God Made You the crowd says do what you want it won't hurt the Bible says there's a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way unto death the crowd says if there's a God he doesn't care about us scripture says for God so loved the world that he gave his one one and only son so every time you have a challenge you can either hear the voice of the crowd or the voice of the Covenant God's scripture and so to follow the spirit you trust scripture scripture has an answer for any issue you face in fact I I think people underestimate how practical scripture is I have an example uh for this from my days in South America my wife and I lived in in rational Brazil back in the 1980s and uh the the law was a little little fuzzy as to whether or not missionaries needed to pay income tax to the government of Brazil our income was from the US so technically it was untaxable however we were living in Brazil we use the services we use the roads should we not pay tax I was really trying to follow the spirit on this particular uh this kind of a mundane uh issue should I pay tax so I thought I wonder if the Bible has to say anything about this and so I I scrolled down through the concordance I looked at the word tax and I took me to a a unique story in which Jesus told Peter that as Jews they weren't really obligated to pay taxes to the Romans but we don't want to upset these Tax Collectors Jesus said so he sent Peter to the lake to fish and he said after you catch the first fish open its mouth and you'll find a Coin take that coin and give it to the tax collectors for you and me who would have imagined who would have imagined that the spirit of God would use the word to tell me what to do on something so practical so I went fishing just kidding no I already had the coin I just needed to know whether I should give it I would propose to you that that God will give us the guidance uh through his scripture he he leads the Holy Spirit leads us through the verse and then he leads us through the voice now the voice might be your inner sense I've heard it described as a knowing an knowing within uh that results from the scripture interacting with your inner self that voice might be wise counsel might be a dream might be a vision I mean there was an occasion in which the Apostle Paul and his companions attempted to enter a city but the spirit did not permit them that's in Acts chapter 16 and soon thereafter a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia stood up and pleaded with him come over and help us and so Paul heard the spirit directing him and he obeyed a woman named Lydia was baptized and Europe had its first convert now I know what you're wondering in what Manner did they hear the voice of the spirit I don't know I don't know was the voice Audible I don't know did the spirit speak through one leader to the others I don't know we simply are not told maybe the clouds in the sky formed in the shape of letters and spelled a word I kind of doubt it but I don't know what I do know is that the spirit spoke and as we grow in our relationship with Christ we learn to sense the nudges the promptings the corrections the direction of the holy spirit this is a delightful part of Walking In step with the spirit again the big idea he indwells you the big idea he wants to lead you so assume that he will help you seek his will through his word seek his will through your heart wait for a response and as we grow in him we begin to discern and learn to hear his voice thank you for that wonderful explanation and and Max I know I've heard you said this before too those two things are always going to agree right where we're not going to hear something from the Lord that doesn't line up with his word and that to me is comforting as well if I'm not sure I can always go to his word and check it there so that's a wonderful Assurance as well hey this is Dean alone Lao Max and I are so thankful you joined us for today's encouraging word please subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a single message for more information about Max's Ministry please visit max.com until next time stay encouraged [Music] [Music] Hello friends Susan here with Team L we're excited to announce a fresh take on Max's best-selling 365-day devotional Grace for the moment note taking addition each page of this beautiful leather soft Edition has plenty of room to pen your own prayers and insights you can order your copy of Grace for the moment notetaking Edition now at max.com hi friends I'm Max loo did you know that the Bible makes more than 100 references to the Holy Spirit Jesus says more about this counselor than he does about the church marriage finances and the future in my new book help is here we'll take a deep dive into who the holy spirit is and how to access the joy power peace and purpose he offers be encouraged help is here available now at [Music] max.com hi everybody Max loo here from my home to your thanks so much for joining me for today's encouraging word hey guys Max loo here hope you had a great Thanksgiving week we're entering the last few episodes of our series about the holy spirit that is based on my new book help is here I sure hope you've enjoyed it today we're going to talk about the mission of the Holy Spirit yes he has a job and that is to give life what does that mean and how can we receive this life the story of Ezekiel will help us find some [Music] answers when Jesus described the Holy Spirit he did so with four words the spirit gives life John 6 and: 33 the spirit gives life here Jesus a member of the Trinity describes a member of the Trinity which is for words in English the spirit gives life and so when the members of the godhead were divvying up the responsibilities God the Father father said I'll take provision and protection God the son said I'll take salvation and Redemption and God the spirit said I'll take Revelation and life distribution he reveals the son and then he gives life full life robust life energetic life renewing life life isn't that what we need vast majority of people are missing him in fact the vast majority of Christians don't understand him a survey conducted of people who believe in the Holy Spirit revealed that only one in four believe that he is a he 75% of those who believe in the Holy Spirit describe him as simply a force a jolt a burst of power well no wonder it's hard to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit I mean who can be friends with electricity the person of the holy spirit is a person who hears you who longs to lead you who dwells within you who has valtion who has an assignment who has a desire and that one bumper sticker size description the spirit gives life you need proof boy do I have someone for you to meet his name is Ezekiel Ezekiel and the story of Ezekiel could be given this title breath on Bones here's why Ezekiel was a radical wide-eyed Prophet who served as a thorn in the collective side of Israel in 6th Century BC he was ever on their case urging them to turn away from foreign idols and toward their living God they did not listen consequently the nation of Babylon attacked and utterly annihilated their wonderful City Jerusalem was left in ruins it would be somewhat like if Washington DC were ransacked the capital was destroyed the White House was burned down all the Hebrew people the people of Jerusalem were marched to Babylon in what would turn out to be 70 years of Exile the these once proud Hebrews were devastated and from their place in Exile here was their declaration recorded in the Book of Ezekiel they said our bones are dried up and our hope has gone we are destroyed so this was a dark dark chapter in the history of ancient Israel again 587 BC you got it on the time slot here some six centuries before the birth of Christ there's a Prophet by the name of Ezekiel and through that Prophet God spoke and here's what God said to them this is God speaking here's what I'm going to do I'm going to take you out of these countes speaking of Babylonia and I'm going to gather you from all over and I'm going to bring you back to your own land here's a promise I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean I'll give you a new heart I'll put a new spirit in you again God speaking I'll remove that stone heart from your body and I'll replace it with a heart that's God willed not self-willed and I'll put my spirit in you with a capital S this is not just enthusiasm this is the holy spirit I'll put my spirit in you I'll make you Poss make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands you'll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors you'll be my people and I'll be your God note who's active in This Promise God God God delivers God performs the heart transplant God visits the people God rescues the people God creates a desire in the hearts of the people to do his will do you find this to be a stunning Assurance to give people who have just been taken into Babylonian captivity apparently Ezekiel did because the next event was a field trip into the valley of Bones God's spirit this is Ezekiel talking now God's spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plane strewn with bones he led me around and among them a lot of Bones there were bones all over the plane Dry Bones bleached by the sun bones Death Valley it was bones everywhere no life to be found no musicians singing no children playing no dancers dancing only bones and while Ezekiel was looking at this Valley of Bones God asked him the question of the hour here it is son of man can these bones live what a question I've never been to the valley that Ezekiel visited but I sat next to a person on a flight who told me that his life had lost all meaning I've never walked the valley of dry bones but I've listened to a suicidal mother describe a dark place from which she could find no exit I've never Ste through a field of femurs and rib cages but I have spoken to a young man whose life was rubbed raw by opioid addiction I've not gazed at Acres of fleshless forms and lipless grins but I have witnessed the high and mighty once proud left humbled and wordless at a funeral not knowing what to say at the unwelcome reminder that a grave awaits us all I've not found myself ankled deep in dry bones but I have looked into the mirror and seen a pastor whose faith has run dry and he wonders if this hard heart could ever soften again can these bones Live Well Ezekiel was a man of vision but not even Ezekiel had enough Vision to venture and answer so he deferred here's how he responded he said Sovereign Lord you alone know and so the lord gave a command to Ezekiel here's what he told him then he said to me prophesy over these bones and say to them oh Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord thus says the Lord of God to these bones behold I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live and I will lay Senus upon you and cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live and you shall know that I am the Lord Ezekiel is told to stand and look over this valley of dry bones and prophesy as if to welcome the Holy Spirit to come and bring about a miraculous work and he did he did he did as he was told and as he prophesied guess what Ezekiel began to hear a grand rattling bones clicked and clattered and reconnected senu appeared out of nowhere to hinge the joints skin spread and ref fleshed the skeletons and the Ravine of Bones became a collection of bodies one stacked upon each other but the bodies still had no breath there was no evidence of beating hearts or breathing lungs so God told Ezekiel to let loose another Proclamation then he said to me prophesy to the breath prophesy son of man and say to the breath thus says the Lord God come from the Four Winds oh breath and breathe on these slain that they may live now watch this so I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and they stood on their feet an exceeding great Army we may have brains in our heads we may have tongues in our throats we may have chins we may have shoulders we may have knees we may have femurs but if we do not have the spirit of God we do not have life we don't we're a stack of bodies and we zombie about clueless as to the meaning of life trying to figure out where we're headed bumping into each other hurting people causing pain absolutely clueless because for lack of the spirit there is lack of life we may appear as if we have life but apart from the spirit there is no life Jesus said he gives life the spirit gives life the flesh is of no avail apart from the spirit of God unless we miss the message God delivers the punchline he says and I will put my spirit in you and you shall live and I will place you in your own land and then you shall know that I am the Lord I have spoken I have spoken I will do it declares the Lord and did he ever those people exiled in Babylonian captivity repopulated the city of Jerusalem he returned them to their land he did it again those spread all over the world were returned to their land in 1948 he kept his promise and those people were given their land again and God will do it again he will populate this Earth with his Kings his Queens his children his daughters his sons his priests his priestesses we understand do we not that this life is not about this life but the life that is to come and our God is a God who takes people out of captivity and he promises them and he simply urges us to lift up our eyes and look into the future because what the spirit did then the spirit does still this is not midlife crisis you're dealing with this is not a grumpy mood you're passing through this is not going to be solved by purchasing a new car a new house or a new spouse you're talking we're talking when God does healing he goes deep deep deep into the spirit into the soul and he does what the best counselor the finest Pastor the wisest psychiatrist cannot do he brings life he brings life it is not his will that you lead a lifeless life and it's not his will that you try to find living water through broken systemns it is his will that you turn to him and him alone and let him give life dry marriage he can enliven it dead in career he can breathe on it scattered remains of yesterday's dreams the spirit of God can reassemble and rekindle bones and turn them into living beings I wonder if you'd allow me to pray for you before we wrap up Heavenly Father how hungry we are for life the life that comes from you the life that cannot be taken or diminished would you please Heavenly Father grant us this life this life that comes by walking in step with the Holy Spirit we receive you yet again even even today thank you Father for each one of these your children in jesus' name amen hey this is dinolan Lao Max and I are so thankful you joined us for today's encouraging word please subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a single message for more information about Max's Ministry please visit max.com until next time stay encouraged [Music] n a [Music] [Music] is [Music]