Have you ever had something terrible happen to you and through it all, you felt Someone, the Spirit of Counsel. had gone ahead of you and was with you, helping you all along the journey to get through it? That just happened to me.
We came back home from a beautiful wedding. I splurged with some foods I had not been used to eating, then topped it off with a snack of peanuts. Immediately, BOOM, intense gastrointestinal pain hit me hard.
Our son called and while he was on the phone with my husband, I asked him if he had any advice for me. Having a naturopath doctor himself, he told me exactly what to do. I ordered the products he advised.
Meanwhile, a friend sent me an invitation to a meeting where a lady would be ministering to pray for healing. It was still almost a week away!
The night before the meeting, my husband asked me, “Ann, have you ever had your appendix removed?” I had been holding my right side.
“No! If that was it, I would have been dead by now.”
Inside, I knew that surgery was where I was headed, because fever was starting to come upon me, and tenderness over the appendix had been there for a while.
The next morning, I knew I had two choices: go to the meeting, or to the Emergency Room.
I went to the house meeting. When it came time for Joanna Coe Herndon to pray, she looked at me and said, “When you came in, I knew you needed a miracle TODAY!” I nodded yes.
She laid hands on me and prayed. I got up and bent over. The pain was gone. When I got up the next morning, I felt new inside, I could walk normal and put on real clothes.
But I knew I had to learn what the underlying problem had been. Before this happened, we had ordered a book for no special reason, Time Bomb: A Genocide of Deadly Processed Foods by Joe Horn and Allie Anderson. What happened to me had happened to him time and time again until he lost 16 inches of his intestines—which was not necessary. I told Jim, “Give me that book!”
The products I ordered came in and they helped me heal fully and feel even better. I learned how to change my diet and what foods and chemicals to avoid; how to read labels, etc. Throughout the whole ordeal, I felt the Holy Spirit with me, and He taught me more about Himself.
In this fourth of the Seven Spirits of God series we will discuss what is the Spirit of Counsel from Isaiah 11:2: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him (Jesus), the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (NKJV).
The Spirit of Counsel is not a ‘what’ or ‘it.’ He is a ‘who’ – a Person with a capital P, a personal Helper, not merely an energy force that brings a person to a state of consciousness of ones’ own divinity and ‘oneness’ with all things.
Who Is The Spirit of Counsel—the Helper?
The Seven Spirits of God are one: The Spirit of the Lord. Yet, each of the seven are one aspect of His wonderful and mighty, eternal Being. Just too wonderful, deep and incomprehensible! But let us try to comprehend.
John 14:26 NKJV tells us the Counselor is the “Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” He is our Helper. Other translations, for the word Helper, say Advocate, Intercessor, Comforter, Strengthener and Standby.
At Jesus’ birth, it was prophesied he would be called Emmanuel, meaning God with Us. How much more can God be with us than to be a 24/7 Helper and Comforter? The interesting thing is, though, that Jesus could not even be all this to his disciples when He was on earth. They found themselves fearful many times when Jesus was not right there with them.
Only after Jesus’ death and resurrection, was He able to send the Holy Spirit who would indwell their hearts to truly be with them 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Thus, the words of Jeremiah were fulfilled: “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people . . . For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Jer. 31:33-34 NIV).
What the Spirit of Counsel is NOT?
Sadly, western society has embraced the notion that we can be our own god; in other words, we don’t need to surrender our heart and deepest self to a higher Being outside our body.
Caryl Matrisciana reveals the truth about New Age enlightenment and writes her story in her book Out of India. She was born in India and lived there for 19 years, witnessing the effects of Hinduism and Yoga that kept India in bondage. It frightened her as a child.
Her family moved back to London, England, after India gained its independence. In London, she was introduced to “A New Spiritual Gospel,” the “New Age Movement,” and discovered its roots were in the religion she thought she’d left behind.
This discovery was during the production of HAIR and the song, Age of Aquarius. The new way of thinking was to travel into their bodies and into inner worlds, led through guided imagery, visualization, rhythmic music, and enthusiastic energy – to merge with the universe.
Through powerful suggestion, colors meshed, and individuals joined together in one cosmic force – a force she eventually learned to call “God.” From there, the worshipers were invoked to chant, ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.”
Did these people know they were actually praying to an Indian deity? She thought. Why were Westerners so enthralled with a religious activity that didn’t incite much enthusiasm even among its own people in India?
Just as Hare Krishna was glorified, so was Yoga! And its association with drugs, reincarnation and a new spiritual experience. The Yoga Caryl remembered in India was a serious, intense, arduous discipline. Its disciples were taught by avowed spiritual masters to be prepared for death.
Caryl had many misgivings about it all, but at age 20, she yearned to find the ‘light’ promised in this new way of thinking. She was being conditioned in the 60s by a powerful religious and political structure: globalism as the goal, and peace as the promise.
This spiritual enlightenment can be encapsulated in these four points of the New Age:
1. God is seen more as a flowing energy or creative force that exists in all things rather than as a personal God who is distinct from man and creation.
2. Man is seen as divine, essentially a part of God. [Is this not humanism?]
3. Salvation for the soul is something attained when one becomes an awakened soul by understanding one’s divinity and ‘oneness’ with all. This awakening comes about through the use of various rituals and mystical practices that help remove one’s attachment to the world.
4. The gap between good and evil is eradicated. In other words, there is no evil – all is divine. It casts the more serious charge that the ‘old ways’ only serve to impede the progress of a society bent on an upward evolution to a higher consciousness – the new power.
“Christian Yoga” – in reality, there can be no such thing. The positions and movements have meaning for the Hindu. The West is deceived into thinking they can divorce yogic practice from its spiritual aspects simply by ignoring or redefining them. Eastern meditation in general has been given a new ‘look.’
For example, Thomas Keating in his book, Open Mind, Open Heart, renames Eastern meditation techniques as “centering,” “contemplative prayer,” and “transformed into Christ.” Pastors and doctors are teaching Yoga. The YMCA has adopted it.
At the Hindu University of America in Orlando, Florida, a professor of Yoga philosophy and meditation states, “Yoga is Hinduism.” And its purpose is to bring a god-consciousness and death [stopping body functions and breathing] through reincarnation in order to postpone having to face the true reality – the real Creator God. Their supreme being is Brahma, the infinite, all-embracing ever blissful consciousness. Everything is part of this deity – cows, monkeys, and idols of half man, half animals.
This worship’s goal, also, is to invoke the Kundalini serpent power, to open pathways in the spine for the flow of Kundalini energy. This opens the third eye. When this is released, body movements become serpent-like. Drugs and Yoga both shut down life’s reality. However, Yoga is endorsed as a beneficial mind-body exercise.
During a casual conversation with a spirit-filled pastor, he said, “In a prayer line, a lady came up to me and started manifesting like a snake.” He nor I did not know the origin of this evil at the time. Now I know, and so do you. We can cast it out in the name of Jesus, and share the Truth.
Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. –Leviticus 19:31 NKJV).
How Does the Holy Spirit Counsel?
During the morning before the prayer/healing meeting I opened my Passion Translation bible and read Psalm 139: 4-5. I didn’t know at that time how much comfort it would bring.
3–4 You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
and you know all the words I’m about to speak
before I even start a sentence!
You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
5 You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,
and in kindness you follow behind me
to spare me from the harm of my past.[a]
You have laid your hand on me!
This is a perfect example of what Psalm 119:24 means, “Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.” God’s word is His Word to us. Simple, but Oh! So comforting to the soul and to our hearts when they come at just the right time.
The Holy Spirit Counsels Through Godly People
Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king in Judah. “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart (2 Chronicles 25:2 NKJV).
When he was to make war against Edom, he hired 100,000 men from Israel to help him fight. But a man of God came to him advising him not to let these men go with him. He listened to this advice and released the men from war.
However, ‘after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of his enemies, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
“Therefore, the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?” (2 Chron. 25: 14-15).
Amaziah’s heart revealed his lack of surrender to the One and Only Lord God, and he worshipped gods that could not even rescue his enemy. He listened to one godly man, but not the prophet.
He said to the prophet, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?” Then the prophet ceased, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”
In the process of time, a conspiracy was made against Amaziah, and he was killed by his enemies. Nowhere in the Scripture does it say he sought the Lord’s counsel and God’s heart about any decision he needed to make. In contrast, the Psalms are full of King David’s conversations with the Lord and God’s counsel to him.
What Does the Christian Believe to Be Able to Know the True Spirit of Counsel?
1) The Lord himself exalts above all things His name and His word, the holy Bible. For any person who comes along beside Him to do the same, He will bring signs following (Psalm 138:2; Mark 16:19).
2) There is only one God, the Creator and Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father’s name is Yahweh (Hebrew); Jesus’ name is Yeshua (Hebrew), and He is God.
3) Jesus, the Christ and Messiah, was born of the Virgin Mary, incarnate without human father––through the power of Holy Spirit. Jesus led a sinless life, took on himself our sin on the cross, was brutally crucified, suffered and died, and went to hell so we don’t have to go there. He paid the price for our sin, but LIFE eternal is only for those who believe and accept this free gift of grace.
4) Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today, sits at the right hand of the Father, and through the Holy Spirit empowers people on earth, who believe, accept and receive Him by faith.
5) We are accountable to God to live a life separated from sin and to seek love to be the highest aim. It is our responsibility to contribute by word and deed to the spread of this Gospel of Jesus, the Christ – the Messiah.
6) We believe that Jesus died and rose again and will return again. According to the Lord’s own word . . . “we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive, and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1Thessalonians 4: 14-18 NIV).
We Can Bring Comfort of Peace and Joy to Others
These words from Psalm 139: 5:
You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
5 You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,
and in kindness you follow behind me
in the New King James Version of the Bible say, “You have hedged me behind and before.” Meaning, the Christian is in God’s grasp, and nothing or nothing can take him/her out of His hand.
In addition, by having accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. we have the Spirit of Counsel in our hearts. We then also become counselors of peace and joy (Prov. 12:20). Thereby, we will comfort those with which we have been comforted by God.
All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TPT
What trial have you come through with the Spirit of Counsel’s help with which you can comfort others? This points to your purpose in life.
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You may find this chapter from my e-course helpful: How to Hear God’s Voice in Making Decisions – Line up the 3 Harbor Lights: God’s Word 80%; Godly Counselors 10%; Circumstances 10%
More Scriptures of Spirit of Counsel and Comfort
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him? Isaiah 40:13
Wow to the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Isaiah 30:1
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. Proverbs 15:22
For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6
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Here it is, just plain and simple: DO NOT reprove the scorner, scoffer or mocker!! As plain as day, just don’t do it God says! I wish I’d learned this sooner.