AUGUST 7

The Spirit in You

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Perhaps you saw the news story from May of this year…A passenger with no flying experience was forced to land a Cessna plane after the pilot had an apparent medical emergency.  The unnamed passenger radioed Air Traffic Controllers, “I’ve got a serious situation here.  My pilot has gone incoherent.  I have no idea how to fly the airplane.” How scary that must have been for that passenger!  He started the plane trip with a pilot, then suddenly he was on his own, all alone!  I imagine he listened very attentively to the instructions from the air traffic controller!  Would that we might approach life with a similar spirit of attentiveness and dependence on the Spirit who indwells us?  That we might echo that sentiment as we look to the Spirit — “I have no idea how to live this life!”

Our passage distinguishes between two different groups of people—those who have the Spirit of God and those who don’t.  Everyone falls into one group or the other.

Perhaps it would be good for us to review some important foundational truths regarding the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is a person—not an it, a force, or an energy.  Holy Spirit is a Divine person—the third person of the Trinity.  This Divine person indwells every believer in Christ! We know this is true because of the promise Jesus made to His disciples: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).  He “will be in you,” Jesus promised, and so it is for everyone who trusts in Him.  You’ll find that same truth clearly articulated in other passages (1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:13, and 1 John 4:13).

Jesus called the Spirit, the Helper, which means one called alongside to help.  Since the moment of saving faith, you’ve been indwelt by the Helper.  Wherever you’ve been and whatever you’ve gone through, you’ve never been alone.  Though it is possible for you to quench the Spirit, or grieve the Spirit, He has never left you and never will.  His ministry is to mediate the presence of Christ to you, in you, and through you.  This ministry is so intimately intertwined with Christ, He is even referred to as the Spirit of Christ.  Throughout your journey, He’s been directing your focus to Jesus, as a pilot keeping you on course!  How blessed you are in His indwelling presence!

Charles Spurgeon has spoken of how blessed we are: “You that are believers have the most forcible reasons to hold the Holy Ghost in the highest esteem; for what are you now without him? What were you, and what would you still have been, if it had not been for his gracious work upon you? He quickened you… He gave you understanding…He awakened your conscience… He gave you abhorrence of sin… He taught you to believe, and made you see that glorious person who is to be believed, even Jesus, the Son of God. The Spirit has wrought in you your faith and love and hope, and every grace. There is not a jewel upon the neck of your soul which he did not place there.”

SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart;
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

Chorus: Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart

I have ceased from my wand’rings and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And my sins which were many are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart. [Chorus]

I shall go there to dwell in that City I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart. [Chorus]

Songwriters: R.h. Mcdaniel / C.h. Gabriel; Since Jesus Came Into My Heart lyrics © Word Music, Llc

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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