Our Ups & Downs!

How will God help us in our ups and our downs?
 
John 14:15-18
“If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.  No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 
 
We all have moments that change us for a few minutes or even a lifetime. Sometimes we get into an accident with our car, and that's a lot of cost. We also have times when things break, like the refrigerator, washing machine, and water heater, all at a cost. When we have someone close to us who has the disease, it is dealing with that process, which could be the rest of your life. Something simple could be breaking a bone, and one would need to wear a cast for several weeks.
 
“I believe I was 11 or 12 years old. The next week, we were going to Disney World for the first time. Currently, I was playing baseball and got into a pickle. I was running between second and third base back and forth, as they kept throwing the ball back and forth as well. One of the turns, my foot stayed, and the rest of my body turned around! Crack! I was devastated at that moment. This would need to be in a cast for seven weeks! When we got to Disney, instead of my leg holding up our Disney trip back, we got to go to the front of the line with my crutches.” 
 
This leads us to another question: what do we do when we encounter a moment that changes our lives?
 
I found out yesterday that I need to have a hip replacement in my right leg.

• Do I freak out or get mad?
• Do you ignore it and move on?
• Where do I trust God with every detail of my life?

 
That is where John 14 comes into play!
If I trust God, I not only have Jesus who looks after me, knows me, inside and out. I now have a second advocate who helps me make decisions in life.
 
Advocates can be…

• Noun: "She is a passionate advocate for education reform".
• Verb: "The group does not advocate the use of violence".
• Verb: "Environmentalists advocate reducing carbon emissions."​

From a Biblical perspective, an advocate knows us, loves us, and leads us. The Holy Spirit and Jesus are both our advocates. The Holy Spirit is in us and challenges us to do what is right or wrong. Something that we used to go to for compensation, the Holy Spirit tells us we don't need that now. When we do something right, the Holy Spirit rejoices with us.
 
"Years ago, my wife and I were doing street ministry. You met with a 20-something lady who was waiting for her man to get out of prison. Her path and life for compensation were that she drank a lot, and she got through life. As we talked to her about Jesus, we introduced her to a whole new way of thinking. She was very interested in our conversation. We invited her to church, where she genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. My wife began meeting with her weekly to help her learn how to follow God. One time, she came crying. She explained to my wife that when she went to grab one of the beers, she instantly started crying. And she didn't know why. My wife explained to her the power of the Holy Spirit, who convicts us in doing something that won't help her."
 
We hadn't even talked about the Holy Spirit yet.
She experienced God through the Holy Spirit!
 
Whatever your moment or decision, you have two advocates: Jesus & The Holy Spirit!
You are never an orphan; God is always there!
 
John 14:15-18
“If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.  No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.