The Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
The Christian life only works when we allow the Holy Spirit to live His way of life through us!
We can achieve a measure of goodness in our activities through our own strength; but it is only surface goodness. We live that way to meet up to other’s expectations, or to assuage our own conscience, or to try and live up to a moral standard; but that goodness does not flow from who we are — our inner life. We are still fallen beings, full of selfishness and pride and independence.
The restoration of our inner lives is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. His inner life overflows with goodness and the fullness of God’s character. As we say to Him, “I can’t live that way, but You can, and You are in me”, He not only changes the way we act, but changes our very inner being to be more like Christ. Then the godly life just flows from you, instead of draining you.
God wants you, rather than trying hard to live for Him, to allow Him to live supernaturally through you.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Holy Spirit -Ephesians 1:13-14
The Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Our experience of the Holy Spirit here in this life is a foretaste of how wonderful heaven will be!
In today’s verses, the Lord is telling you that when you heard the message of the gospel and put your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and you were born again, something else very significant happened too. God put a seal of authenticity on your salvation, a guarantee that one day you would experience the fullness of glory in heaven. That seal, that guarantee is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in your life.
In Romans 8:23, Paul refers to it as “the first fruits of the Spirit” which make us long for glory. Like eating the first apples of the season gives you an idea of what the season will be like, experiencing the Spirit is a little taste of what heaven will be like. The presence of God, the glory of God, the love of God, victory over sin, closeness to God — all these things the Spirit wants to fill your life with now!
Ephesians 1:13-14
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Our experience of the Holy Spirit here in this life is a foretaste of how wonderful heaven will be!
In today’s verses, the Lord is telling you that when you heard the message of the gospel and put your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and you were born again, something else very significant happened too. God put a seal of authenticity on your salvation, a guarantee that one day you would experience the fullness of glory in heaven. That seal, that guarantee is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in your life.
In Romans 8:23, Paul refers to it as “the first fruits of the Spirit” which make us long for glory. Like eating the first apples of the season gives you an idea of what the season will be like, experiencing the Spirit is a little taste of what heaven will be like. The presence of God, the glory of God, the love of God, victory over sin, closeness to God — all these things the Spirit wants to fill your life with now!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Romans 8:14- The Holy Spirit
Romans 8:14
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Expect the Holy Spirit to lead you!
In Acts 8:29, when Philip was walking on the Gaza road and a chariot went by, it says, "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.'" As Philip followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, it led to a wonderful opportunity to talk to one of the leading government officials of Ethiopia about Christ, and the man put his faith in Jesus!
When the great Council of Jerusalem met in Acts 15:28, James came out of the council meeting and said, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials."
The Holy Spirit wants to lead you in two ways. As you make yourself available to God for Him to use you in other people's lives in this world, the Spirit will guide you so that you are fulfilling His plan for you, just as He guided Philip. The main thing is your availability to Him.
And in your own personal spiritual life, the Spirit wants to lead you into the great life-changing truths. He wants to transform you from the inside out! God's message to you today: make your life, your mind, your heart totally available to God, and you can expect the Holy Spirit to guide you in life!
"For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Expect the Holy Spirit to lead you!
In Acts 8:29, when Philip was walking on the Gaza road and a chariot went by, it says, "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.'" As Philip followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, it led to a wonderful opportunity to talk to one of the leading government officials of Ethiopia about Christ, and the man put his faith in Jesus!
When the great Council of Jerusalem met in Acts 15:28, James came out of the council meeting and said, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials."
The Holy Spirit wants to lead you in two ways. As you make yourself available to God for Him to use you in other people's lives in this world, the Spirit will guide you so that you are fulfilling His plan for you, just as He guided Philip. The main thing is your availability to Him.
And in your own personal spiritual life, the Spirit wants to lead you into the great life-changing truths. He wants to transform you from the inside out! God's message to you today: make your life, your mind, your heart totally available to God, and you can expect the Holy Spirit to guide you in life!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Eight Specific Reasons Why Christians Suffer
Eight Specific Reasons Why Christians Suffer
by Joyce Meyer
This is a great link to aid understanding of why it is often the Hard road to travel as followers of Jesus.
I dont know about you, but i find it extremely comforting to know that there is some'one' out there that understands.
But Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you]” (John 16:33).
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Isaiah 58:13-14
Isaiah 58:13-14
"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honourable, and honour it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
It honours and pleases God greatly when we set aside special time just for Him and do not allow anything else to steal our attention!
"Desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word." There is no intrinsic value in self-denial. Christianity is not a religion of asceticism, but of the fullness of life that God brings us.
But there is still great value in having times where we purposely deny ourselves the normal pleasures of life for no other purpose than honouring God as more important than ourselves and our comfort. Making the Lord's day special or taking a day to fast and focus on God - these kinds of things serve notice on our flesh that it is not in control, that God is the most important thing in our lives.
How can you deny yourself in a way that honours God this week?
"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honourable, and honour it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
It honours and pleases God greatly when we set aside special time just for Him and do not allow anything else to steal our attention!
"Desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word." There is no intrinsic value in self-denial. Christianity is not a religion of asceticism, but of the fullness of life that God brings us.
But there is still great value in having times where we purposely deny ourselves the normal pleasures of life for no other purpose than honouring God as more important than ourselves and our comfort. Making the Lord's day special or taking a day to fast and focus on God - these kinds of things serve notice on our flesh that it is not in control, that God is the most important thing in our lives.
How can you deny yourself in a way that honours God this week?
Friday, June 8, 2007
Isaiah 40:28-31
Isaiah 40:28-31
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
Learning to "wait for the Lord" is one of the most important patterns to establish in your life!
There is a source of inner strength that the secular world knows nothing about, and that source is God Himself. God has set up life in such a way that we are not able to face life victoriously without Him. Neither do we have the strength to minister to others in the way He desires, without His enabling.
Are you wearing out? Have you come to the end of your own strength? Are you "stumbling badly"? God wants you to learn to "wait for the Lord". He wants you to wait for His leading before moving forward, even with something good. He wants you to wait for His provision, to wait expectantly for His anointing on your ministry. Learn to pray and ask God for His enabling in your life.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Isaiah 40:15-18
Isaiah 40:15-18
“Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
God is more significant than everything else that exists put together!
As Isaiah gropes for a way to compare all the nations of the earth to God, he keeps going to greater extremes to find a fitting comparison. Compared to God they are “like a drop from a bucket…a speck of dust on the scales…fine dust…not enough to burn…as nothing before Him…less than nothing…meaningless”.
Finally when he cannot make the comparison any more extreme, he says, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
How foolish we are to ever put God on the sideline in our lives, to view Him as a convenient aspect of life. He is so much more important than anything else in our lives that there is not even any way to express it meaningfully.
Put God first, and your life will be as it should be: less stressed, more balanced, joyful and meaningful.
“Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
God is more significant than everything else that exists put together!
As Isaiah gropes for a way to compare all the nations of the earth to God, he keeps going to greater extremes to find a fitting comparison. Compared to God they are “like a drop from a bucket…a speck of dust on the scales…fine dust…not enough to burn…as nothing before Him…less than nothing…meaningless”.
Finally when he cannot make the comparison any more extreme, he says, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
How foolish we are to ever put God on the sideline in our lives, to view Him as a convenient aspect of life. He is so much more important than anything else in our lives that there is not even any way to express it meaningfully.
Put God first, and your life will be as it should be: less stressed, more balanced, joyful and meaningful.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Isaiah 30:9-11
Isaiah 30:9-11
“For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD; who say to the seers, ‘You must not see visions’; and to the prophets, ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel’.”
Not all the things you need to hear from your Bible teachers are pleasant!
The Apostle Paul tells us that in the last days, people will pursue Bible teachers who “tickle their ears”. That is, the Bible teachers who are popular will be those who simply tell you what you like to hear (2 Timothy 4:3).
But God wants you to know that what you like to hear is not always what you need to hear. When you are choosing your Bible teachers, make sure you choose those who are willing to teach what is unpopular, who don’t only teach the “feel good” truths of the Bible. It is healthy for your spiritual life to be convicted and challenged about how you live.
You need to go beyond the surface, elementary teachings of Scripture and get into the in-depth study of the Bible that will make you a mature believer, able to discern what is right and wrong, and able to teach and counsel others.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Isaiah 29:13-14
Isaiah 29:13-14
"Then the Lord said, 'Because this people draw near with their words and honour Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote; therefore behold, I will once again deal marvellously with this people, wondrously marvellous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."
What God cares about is not your outward religious activities, but the condition of your heart towards Him!
If things are not too good in your daily inner relationship with God, you don't like for other believers to know about it; so you continue to use spiritual language that makes it seem like things are good. The danger is that it gets easy to live in this way, and we can come to convince even ourselves that this outward show is the real thing.
God is showing us today that just as He can astound us by His marvellous blessings, in the same way, He will astound us with His "marvellous" messing-up of our fake Christian life in order to let us see that it is our heart that matters.
Don't let yourself be satisfied to outwardly look like things are great between you and God. Don't settle for fake when the real thing is marvellous. Do whatever it takes to keep your heart sensitive and responsive to Him.
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