Pastor's Blog

Basically, what we see here is that the Spirit of God knows. Obviously, the Spirit of God has an intellect. May I suggest to you that many Christians do not know that the Spirit of God knows. They say they know, “Oh yes, the Spirit of God knows,” but they do not know. You see the Spirit of God knows the need. He knows what needs are present in a given congregation at a given time.

Have you ever heard people say, “That preacher? He was talking about me. Why doesn’t he have the courage and talk to me directly if he has something to say?” I have been accused countless times of having been informed. “Who told Beuttler about me? Oh I know: He’s staying in Sister ‘So and So’s house, and she told him all about the church. No wonder he knows so much about us.”

The fact is, I do not like to stay in anybody’s house at any time. When I’m in meetings, I do not accept social visits. I like to stay where I belong. That way, I hear nothing; I learn nothing. Nobody can fill my ear except the Lord. Then when you touch things that are present, people can’t say, “Well, he has been informed.” The Spirit of God knows.

I remember speaking in the States. I had never been to this church before; I did not know the pastor; I came right from the train to the platform. The service had already begun. After the service a lady walked up. How shall I describe her? Well, she had big fists, and she had her fists on her hips, and came right up the center isle swinging her torso belligerently. She says, “Preacher, I have a question.”

I could tell her belligerence. I said, “Well, what’s the problem?”

She said, “You’re the problem. Listen preacher, you were talking about me for a whole hour and a quarter.” I said, “I was not talking about you, not to my knowledge.” She said, “Are preachers telling lies too? Listen young feller, you weren’t only talking about me for a whole hour and a quarter, but when you said such and such a thing, you were even pointing your finger at me. And you say that nobody told you. Somebody told you all about me.”

I did not know one thing. To this day, I do not know what she had in mind. The Holy Ghost knows. Instead of throwing bricks or stones at the preachers who talk right to our need, to our condition, we ought to thank God that the Spirit of God knows the place we’re in; and knows how to direct words toward us. The Spirit of God knows.

He knows everything about every one of us. And so we ought to treat this Spirit of God with due respect, not only have an eye for Him, but respect the Spirit of God as a person. At this point, I want to point out to you that the Spirit of God has emotions; the Spirit of God feels. We need to respect and reverence the Spirit of God. He has feeling; He’s sensitive. I am taking you for a moment to Isaiah 63:7-10. We are now getting into some specific aspects of the Spirit of God.

“I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:7-10

Will you just notice this in passing: “In all their affliction, he was afflicted.” This is God now, the Father in His loving kindness. Those of us who are afflicted have the comfort of the fact that the Lord is afflicted with our affliction.