The Holy Spirit Teaches, Guides, and Counsels Us

The Holy Trinity has been Christian doctrine since the Fourth Century, AD.  Christians believe there is one God, and in the unity of that one God there are three distinct, equal, and divine persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Each has his own ministry (job, role). Please refer to Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Matthew 28:19, 2Corinthians 14:14, 1Peter 1:2, 1Corinthians 12:4-6, and  Ephesians 4:4-6. 

The ministry of the Holy Spirit has many aspects.  For example, He dwells in us and helps us by teaching us, guiding us, and counseling us.

 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  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. 

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But 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 have said to you. (John 14:15-26 ESV)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.                    (1Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV)

 

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.  And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:4-12 ESV)

 

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15 ESV)

 

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:16-21 ESV) 

 

When we read the Holy Bible, we should pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit so that we understand it correctly and can apply it to our lives.  If we read the Bible daily, or at least regularly, when we face problems or need to make decisions, and pray for divine direction, our Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will help us bring to mind the scriptures that apply. (John 14:26)  We should obey the counsel of the Holy Spirit in order to live to please God, rather than our old sinful human nature. (Romans 8:5-11)

 

 

Acknowledgement:  All Bible verses quoted were copied from, https://biblehub.com/

Assimilation

My father was born in Aspen, Colorado in 1917.  He was the son of Swedish immigrants.  The family spoke Swedish in their home, and my father could not speak English when he started the first grade. There was no kindergarten or pre-school back then.  Consequently, he failed the first grade, and was held back from moving on to the second grade. 

The family adhered to “old world” values, and failure was not acceptable.  It was regarded as a disgrace to the family.  My Dad blamed himself for disgracing the family, and he carried that burden for the rest of his life.  So, he would not teach his children to speak Swedish. 

The school sent someone to my grandparents’ home.  They were told that they had to speak English in the home so that the children could understand what they were being taught in school.  They spoke English and Swedish in the home after that. 

At that time, immigrants were needed for the workforce, and they came from all over Europe.  There were Swedes, Italians, Germans, Slavs, Irish, and you name it in the Aspen my father grew up in.  They stayed until the mines no longer yielded up ore, and then many of them moved on.  They all, however, learned to speak English in order to succeed in school and in life.  They became citizens, and by the time their children were raised the families had adapted to American culture. 

My father valued his Swedish heritage, and the “old world” values he was raised by.  He strongly believed in hard work, self-reliance, honesty, strict discipline in the home, God, country, cleanliness, respect for parents, the role of men as head of household, and so forth.  However, he was also an American, and my sister and I were raised to be “American kids.” 

That was the way things were.  Immigrants were expected to assimilate. 

On 1 March 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States of America.  It came as a bit of a surprise to me.  I thought it already was.  Go figure. 

The following excerpt from President Trump’s order may help to demonstrate the need for it and the benefit to all Americans that it brings: 

Section 1.  Purpose and Policy. From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language.  Our Nation’s historic governing documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, have all been written in English.  It is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language of the United States.  A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language. 

In welcoming new Americans, a policy of encouraging the learning and adoption of our national language will make the United States a shared home and empower new citizens to achieve the American dream.  Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society.  This order recognizes and celebrates the long tradition of multilingual American citizens who have learned English and passed it to their children for generations to come. 

To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language.  Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society. 

Accordingly, this order designates English as the official language of the United States. [1] 

It is not bigoted, chauvinistic, or oppressive for the United States to have an official language.  Throughout our history, English has been our language of government, commerce, education, and the common literature.  It should be a requirement of citizenship for immigrants to demonstrate a basic level of proficiency in written and spoken English, and they should be able to comprehend English at a level that enables them to understand what is said to them. 

If you live in China, Germany, or France, you will be exposed to a national culture that has developed for hundreds of years.  The cultures of other countries are often more structured and ridged than ours.  In the United States, it is more difficult to put your finger on what “American culture” really is.  Many of us are hedonistic and others are very religious.  Some of us are politically conservative, while others favor becoming more socialistic.  Almost all of us value individual freedom, almost to a fault, but others want more societal control on individual behavior.  There are those who think that because our history is flawed, our nation is flawed.  Most of us think that the direction of our national development has been one of continuous improvement, and that the USA is fundamentally a force for good in the world.  Assimilation to American culture is more of a way of being than a set of rules. 

Lamp in a Corner advocates for a society in which our citizens are educated to become fluent in more than one language.  We believe that it is a national and individual liability that most Americans cannot at least converse in more than one language. 

It is, however, absolutely fundamental that those who are allowed to immigrate must demonstrate that they want to become citizens by forsaking their loyalty to their former country, adopting our language, and assimilating into our society.  They must positively show that their allegiance is now to the United States of America, including its borders, language and culture, by becoming useful and productive members of our society. 

That is the way things have been throughout our history.  It is the way things should continue.

 

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[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/designating-english-as-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/