Bad Day?
Are things not going your way?
Have you ever had one of those days you wish you could just get a do-over for? I mean, a day where everything seems to be going wrong?
In the book of Acts Chapter 28 in the Bible, the Apostle Paul had been arrested and was being taken to Rome. On the way, however, the ship encountered a terrible storm and was to be shipwrecked. When all the men aboard the ship made it to the island they were shipwrecked near, they were welcomed by those living there. The islanders had made a fire for them because it was raining, and Paul and the others were cold and wet.
Paul had gathered some wood to throw on the fire, and when he went to put it on, a viper came out of the woodpile and latched on to Paul’s hand. Paul simply shook off the snake into the fire and went about his business. The islanders began to think that Paul must have been a really bad man for this to happen, and they waited for him to either swell up or fall dead. They imagined Paul was getting justice even though it might have appeared he had escaped it. But remember, Paul simply shook off the snake into the fire. Paul wasn’t letting the day, the circumstances, the rain and the cold, or the opinion of those who were misguided get to him. Not even the snake that should have been the last straw couldn’t get to him.
I mean, having been arrested for no good reason, made to get on a ship that you warned both the guard and the captain about sailing in at that time, and then being caught in a bad storm for days until shipwrecked on an island and then being snake bit. I would call that a bad day. It appears Paul saw it as an opportunity.
I think because Paul was not overcome by what was happening to him, he was able to be available to the Holy Spirit for whatever He might wish to do to bring these islanders to Jesus in faith.
Acts 28:7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.
Paul’s walking in the fruit of the Spirit, even when in the natural, there seemed to be sufficient justification for him to get all negative and complaining, set him up for divine opportunities.
Here is the leading citizen’s father lying sick with fever and dysentery, which in those times could be a death sentence. However, Paul is not so caught up in himself that he cannot be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Paul is ready to be a blessing to someone else despite the horrible circumstances he has been forced to endure unjustly at the hands of others.
Paul went in and prayed and laid his hands on the man, and the man was healed! So obvious a manifestation of healing was this that the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. Paul seems to be moving among these people the way Jesus did among the Jews.
Bad days can become opportunities for those who are in tune with the Spirit and refuse to let themselves become victims of their circumstances to the point that they surrender their attitude to that of dejection rather than victory. Walking in the Spirit is for every situation we face, not just the ideal days that go well. Are you sure you’re having a bad day?
Shaken
Are you shaken?
Have you ever heard someone say, “It shook me to my core?”
How about, “I was shaken by it?”
This is a way of describing someone who is emotionally or physically disturbed by something that took place. This kind of thing can challenge a person’s confidence and resolve.
Being shaken can occur when certain expectations that were built on a set of beliefs are challenged in a way that seems to indicate an impossibility of the expectations being fulfilled.
It can happen when someone believes something about a person only to find out that what they believed has been proven to be wrong.
Such events can have an impact on our mental state, and when they do, it means we are shaken.
This kind of thing can occur many times over in a person’s life. So what can be done to defend against such shakings?
There’s an interesting quote remembered in Acts that speaks to this. Peter, in referencing the execution of Jesus and the potential for disappointment and shaking that it could produce, said,
Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:
“I foresaw the LORD always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
Whenever I am on a beach, I like to find a reference point to look to because when you’re in the water, the current tends to move you away from your starting point. This can be a lifeguard tower or some other fixed-position item that stands out to me. By having such a reference, I know when I am getting away from where I should be.
For Jesus, this practice was also true. According to this prophetic psalm concerning Jesus, He kept the Lord before His face. He observed the fixed position of the Lord as being at His right hand. Why did He do this? So that He might not be shaken.
Jesus would be made to suffer horribly, and in such a manner, it could cause the strongest of men to question who they are, what they’ve done, whether it was worth it, and so on. But Jesus remained steadfast in His resolve and His knowing. He wasn’t shaken. He was so fixed on the Lord and His promises to Him that even His flesh rested in hope. He endured the cross by way of having a fixed position in the Lord. One aspect of His great hope was the fact that He had a promise that He would be made full of joy in the presence of God.
Have you become aware of the promise of His presence so much that it produces great hope in you? Have you become convinced that His presence is always with you to the point that whatever happens to you, you can still experience joy because of His presence with you? Do you know the ways of life as He shows them? If you do, you will not be shaken. You’ll live prepared for whatever may come your way, knowing with confidence that He will never leave you, nor will He ever forsake you. The hope of the promise of His presence is key to not being shaken in life.
Confident Knowing
Are you certain?
My previous devotional sharing was about Get Behind Me and dealt with how Peter spoke from the flesh to Jesus and how others spoke to Paul similarly. Both instances had good motivational meanings but were rooted in a natural understanding of things instead of the spiritual.
I want to encourage us today by describing how Jesus and Paul avoided being swept up in what was spoken to them. Jesus clarified that Peter had allowed himself to be used by the enemy when he spoke. Jesus also made it clear why it was off base.
Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Notice the accurate assessment of Jesus regarding the motivation of Satan. “You are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
It was incumbent on Jesus to have discernment rooted in His certainty of God’s will for Him. Because He was so in tune with God’s will, He could easily discern that these words were from the enemy and rooted in the flesh.
The same was true for Paul.
Acts 21:12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Paul was ready to suffer whatever came his way because of the word he received when Jesus first called him.
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Paul knew he was appointed to suffer things in Jesus’ name as he preached the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. He expected such things and had accepted them as part of his mission and calling. He perceived it as part of how he was to glorify Jesus and make Him known.
Because of how confident Paul was of this, he could easily resist the sentiment of friends desiring that he avoid such suffering. Paul knew God’s will for his life, which equipped him with discernment to know when and what to resist. By confidently knowing God’s will for your life, you are most equipped to discern what to say yes to and what to say no to. A confident knowing is to any believer’s advantage.
Get Behind Me
Ever spoke out of turn?
In the Bible, the Gospels record how Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus spoke of how He would die. When Peter spoke this, Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan, because you are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of man.” Mt 16:23, Mk 8:33
It is possible to think you are helping someone when speaking to them because you are very aware of the cost they face in the natural over something. Thus, you seek to persuade them not to do what they should do. If they are following the will of God, for you to speak according to natural reasoning, it is to be like Peter was with Jesus.
Acts 21:10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
In this case, the prophet Agabus accurately spoke what the Holy Spirit showed him. The others were moved by their emotions and natural reasoning. Agabus was moved by the Spirit in prophecy.
It is not prophecy to use one’s natural reasoning and powers of deduction to speak to another believer in Jesus.
Like Peter, doing so can open the door for the enemy to attempt to persuade someone not to follow God’s will for them. You may mean well because you love the person; thus, your motives are well-intentioned as far as you can know them. But it could be going against what God has already clearly shown them.
I do not think Peter was determined to be used by the enemy with Jesus. I am sure the others present when Agabus came to Philipps house to see Paul had no intention of persuading Paul against the will of God. Thankfully, in Paul’s case, the others finally ceased.
Acts 21:14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
Notice that this phrase, “the Lord’s will be done,” did not refer to whether or not Paul might get well from a sickness. It was about the will of God for Paul’s determined direction.
It is not trite to speak to someone about what they believe is the will of God for them. That’s why it’s not advisable to insert your idea of the will of God for them.
To avoid a “Get behind me” scenario, make sure it is the Holy Spirit moving you and not your powers of reasoning in the natural. Don’t be a “Get behind me” person.
Know Him
Do you know Hm?
Each evening before bed, my wife Sheila and I pray. I always request that the Lord give us good dreams and that He will use them to grant us revelation of Himself. We pray about many things, of course, but I strongly believe our spirit never needs sleep and can, therefore, commune with God and that such communion can have a positive effect on our souls through our subconscious.
It might sound a bit mystical to some, but I assure you that many relationship revelations have come to me in my sleep. Just this morning, as I was nearing awakening, I was dreaming about pondering the way of the Father and the matter of Paul’s desire to know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings.
Somewhere between AD 60 - 62, Paul, in Scripture in Philippians 3:8-11, spoke of how he had counted all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. Then he goes on to speak of how he had suffered the loss of all things and counted them as rubbish, that he might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that he might know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, he might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
This matter of knowing Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings has intrigued many, and I have heard many different takes on it.
As I was dreaming, I thought of how absurd it would be to think of a Father looking at his son and saying, “If you really want to know me, son, you need to experience something.” In my dream, the father then took his son to be infected with a horrible illness, looked at him in that illness, and said, “This will help you know me better.” In my dream, I saw this as foolish.
It then came to my mind that Jesus was never sick in His earthly body that we have any record of. Yet almost every take I have heard over the years regarding knowing Christ according to His sufferings has involved the idea of sickness being something God uses to reveal Himself to us at some deeper level. Yet there’s not one place in all of the Bible that teaches us that one of the traits of God is sickness, nor does it teach that He has ever experienced sickness or that He had anything to do with the existence of sickness on this earth. One of God’s names is Jehovah Rapha meaning the God who heals.
When Paul speaks of knowing Christ according to His sufferings in Philippians, he speaks of how Christ had given up everything to do His Father’s will and come to this earth to reconcile us and how Christ humbled Himself even to the point of death on the cross. Paul had just spoken of how he had counted all things lost. The things he had counted lost were things that he, as a man, could have boasted in foolishly as though they merited the favor of God for him. Being conformed to the death of Christ is a matter of being willing to even die with the same attitude as Christ. “Nevertheless, Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.” Jesus suffered in Gethsemene even to the point of sweating drops of blood to reach that place of being reconciled to the will of the Father to die on the cross. Paul was getting nearer to his death and had suffered other things like a shipwreck, prison, being bitten by a viper, being stoned, whipped, and falsely accused, but he hadn’t yet faced the finality of death. He was in prison and would face the loss of his head in AD 64, just a short time after he penned this letter to the Philippians. He knew his death was close at hand for certain this time.
The quest of Paul was to know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death.
This man knew Christ well, and here he is about to complete his journey of fellowship with Jesus on this earth. This is not a sickness passage! It is a reconciliation to God’s will for my life, even to the point of my death, from the place of fellowship with Christ’s passage! It is a knowing His goodness passage to the extent that powerful enabling grace walks me through the valley of the shadow of death without any fear of evil because I know He is with me! Oh, that I might know Him!
Compromise
What are you willing to settle for?
Compromise is the acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable.
It could just as easily be defined as settling for less than what has been set as the standard.
When the word compromise is often used among believers, someone might think of a person giving in to sin. It is usually the kind of sin defined in Scripture by the law or described by Paul in his letters to the Corinthians or Ephesians.
Yielding to sin is indeed a form of compromise. My question is, is it the only form of compromise in Scripture?
Suppose a young person felt called to a specific sport, and that was all they talked about and began the difficult journey of training for. However, they later began pursuing other things, which cut into their time to train for what they said was most important to them. Would you consider that to be a compromise?
In the Scriptures, the apostle Paul identified a compromise and wrote a letter to churches in a region to correct it. It must have been a super serious compromise for the Holy Spirit to move Paul as He did to write the letter and say what he said in it.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
In this case, the compromise involved three parts: first, listening to the wrong gospel; second, agreeing, at least in part, with that wrong gospel; and third, the effect such an acceptance had on their behavior.
When the gospel’s grace is treated as insufficient, that is a perversion of the real gospel. When Christ alone is set aside for other things that appeal to self-achievement and set up attitudes of superiority and comparison among believers, that compromises the real gospel.
Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Under the New Covenant, the work of Christ on our behalf is magnified and elevated, and it holds the place of greatest importance. We do not put our trust in anything other than His obedience on our behalf to bring us boldly before the throne of grace. Our confidence for the removal of sin is His blood, our hope of forgiveness is in His death at the cross, and our release from bandage is purchased by His blood and secured when He nailed the handwriting and ordinances against us to His cross, forever removing them.
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Not walking in the freedom Christ purchased for us at the cross is a compromise—the most serious and grievous compromise of them all. It starts with who we listen to and agree with. A little leaven will leaven the whole lump. I strongly encourage you not to give in to compromise.
No Longer The Same
Has anything changed for you?
If I told you that God does not look at human beings according to their race, lineage, or geography, would you be offended?
Prejudice is generally born from an over-identification and preoccupation with such things.
When Jesus died on the cross, He took these issues out of the way, along with another even larger issue that caused division among people.
In the natural, we tend to notice people based on what we see. God only sees two kinds of people on this earth: those who are His by the new birth in Christ and those who are not because they have not yet believed in Jesus and been born again or have refused to believe and rejected the message of life and hope in Christ.
God sees past our outer frame, which the Bible calls this earthly tent, to the core of who we are. He knows whether or not we have truly come to know Jesus Christ. God knows what true transformation looks like because it creates a heaven-born new species.
During the time of the law, a great prejudice existed on this earth. Jews were considered to be the qualified race, and all other races were outside that place of being special and favored. It was the Law that created this separation. Through the eyes of those under the law, there were only Jews and Gentiles on the earth. Jews were special, and all others were not. This created a hostility between the two groups.
But when Jesus came, something amazing happened.
Ephesians 2:14 For He (Jesus) Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
True New Covenant understanding annihilates racism and prejudice because anyone who becomes a New Creation knows they did not earn it. They do not possess it through special privilege based on their race, social status, level of intellect, geography of their birthplace, or anything else.
I hope that the primary thing that leaps out of that passage from Ephesians straight into your heart and understanding by way of revelation is this: “setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations.” I hope you were profoundly impacted by the second thing: “Create in Himself one new humanity out of the two.”
Jesus took away the very thing at the division’s center. By doing so, we now see people, regardless of skin color or natural origin, as potential brothers and sisters based on believing the gospel, confessing Jesus as Lord, and thus becoming born again. One New Man in Christ! We are truly no longer the same as we were before we came to know Him! We become one in Him.
Kingdom Good News
What is kingdom good news?
Have you ever wondered what the phrase “gospel of the kingdom” means when you read it in the gospels?
Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
The Gospel of the Kingdom means the good news of the kingdom. That wouldn’t carry any weight without demonstrating why it is considered good news. Jesus demonstrated that it was good news by healing all kinds of sicknesses and diseases among the people.
We have millions crossing our border because they have been told things are way better in the United States than where they come from. There is an appeal to a better kingdom than the one a person is currently part of.
To preach the good news of the kingdom, there needs to be a reason why it is good news. Jesus demonstrated why the kingdom was good news every time he healed the sick, cured a disease, cast out a demon, raised the dead, or did one of the many miracles He performed. Jesus never preached a powerless gospel.
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples in Matthew 10, He told them to do as He had done. They were to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.
For those who have been told this type of ministry was just for Jesus’s original apostles, the twelve, Jesus later sent out seventy in Luke 10. They, too, were told to heal the sick and tell them the kingdom had come near to them.
The Kingdom has a culture. The culture of the United States is very different from other cultures. Kingdom culture is very different from all other cultures anywhere. There are benefits to being part of the kingdom of God. When one is born again, they become part of the kingdom as a new creation.
Some try to say this kind of supernatural ministry died with the first apostles. Others would even say it died when the Bible was made. Jesus said something about believers that should cause anyone to reconsider such statements as being in error.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
If such supernatural works ended, would that mean there would be no more believers?
Concerning the gospel of the kingdom, which we have already seen is to be demonstrated when preached, Jesus said,
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Scripture’s language supports the idea of a supernatural church until the end of time because those who believe in Jesus have signs following them and continue to bring kingdom good news to others.
Final Words
What would say if you knew it would be the last time you could say anything?
When someone is going away, knowing it will be the last time you will see them, either for a very long time or for good, they do not waste their words. For this reason, the last words are deemed the most important.
With that in mind, what were Jesus’ last words before leaving this earth?
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
I find it very interesting and important that Jesus would say this to His disciples before ascending into heaven.
Some have tried to imply that these actions were for the disciples then, those men called the Apostles of the Lamb who had followed Jesus during His earthly ministry. However, it is clear that Jesus is letting them know what preaching the gospel will produce when others believe it.
According to Jesus, believers are supposed to have supernatural signs following them. Jesus is preparing His disciples to know how the gospel produces fruit when believed and what kind of fruit they should expect to see.
Today, we have teachers who seek to downplay the supernatural evidence of faith, and some even come out against such things. Some are brazen enough to say such things are of the devil. Like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Satan, there are those today who accuse men and women of faith filled with the Holy Spirit of doing the work of the devil.
If tongues are of the devil, then why doesn’t every drug dealer utilize them? Why aren’t they prolific in our prisons? Why aren’t they common in the bars and the brothels?
If healing isn’t for today, why did Jesus set it as one of the signs that would follow a believer?
When looking at much of the church, one might think there are no more devils around. Yet Jesus said casting them out would be one of the signs of a believer. We find Paul in Scripture exercising the serpent rule when he shook off the viper that had latched onto his hand into the fire.
Jesus did not suffer on the cross to produce a dead, lifeless religion. He did give His life to establish doubt and unbelief and make the crowning point of His suffering about what we can do to improve ourselves morally and merit God’s love. Jesus gave Himself to produce new creations that could be filled with the Holy Spirit and represent Him on this earth according to the working of His mighty power exhibited when He was raised from the dead.
Final words still matter today. Jesus’ DNA has not diminished with time. God is not subject to time or the law of entropy. He does not age, lose strength, or grow weary. His DNA does not devolve or evolve; it is constant. What Jesus did before and after His ascension Is still being done today. His final words still stand just as they did on that day when He spoke them. Much of what I hear from some seeking to teach the church is unknowingly a declaration that God is getting old and Jesus has changed His mind and is no longer about what He said before He ascended. I’m afraid I have to disagree! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! His final words still stand, and the church needs to return to the place of faith that believes what He spoke and opens their hearts and minds to the reality of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, preaching the real gospel of the New Covenant, and exercising the authority given by Jesus to advance His kingdom on this earth. His final words matter!
Fake?
What about counterfeits?
Some well-intentioned but sadly mistaken teachers have misconstrued Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians about the coming of the lawless one.
They desire to take verse 9 in that chapter and apply it to anyone who walks in the power of the Holy Spirit and sees miracles, healings, signs, or wonders in Jesus’ name. They teach that those doing such things are in error, and some even claim that they might be heretical.
They seem to ignore verses 10 -12, which speak of not believing the truth concerning righteousness and not being saved. It speaks of people given to the error of the lawless one because they had pleasure in unrighteousness. This kind of language was used in other places regarding merely religious people who trusted more in themselves and their ability to obtain righteousness rather than trusting in what Jesus died to provide.
The New Covenant Scriptures teach us clearly that our righteousness comes from being born again by grace through faith in Jesus. We are made righteous with God’s own righteousness by coming to Jesus. Many who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and preach the gospel are leading men and women to faith in Jesus, yet they are being falsely accused of being in league with Antichrist.
I was raised as a young boy to think in such a way because of the denomination my parents were devoted to and the doctrines they taught that opposed the things of the Spirit while mainly focusing on a self-obtained morality instead.
Jesus said something that should not be ignored when He was accused of casting out demons by the power of the devil.
Matthew 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, will his kingdom stand?
When I was a kid, my aunt dabbled in witchcraft. She did some impressive things, too, so people would ask her for favors and such. But she was not promoting righteousness in Christ while she was doing these things. She was promoting herself and the self-interest of others. It was an exercise of pleasures in unrighteousness.
Those preaching Jesus and calling others to follow Him in faith as new creations by believing in the gospel and being born again while demonstrating the power of the Spirit to heal and for miracles to occur for the blessing and benefit of those in need are not promoting self-interests.
We should recall how Jesus also corrected His disciples when they targeted someone casting out devils in Jesus’ name who were not a part of their group.
Luke 9:49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”
If someone is moving in supernatural power while promoting the gospel of Christ and people are coming to Jesus in faith to follow Him and being filled with the Holy Spirit this should cause rejoicing.
Unfortunately, some have dismissed the examples we find in Scripture, claiming that such things have passed away. As a result, they think that their ministry is to warn everyone against anyone who actually walks in the power of the Holy Spirit to promote Christ and His kingdom.
The fact that Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light does not make every supernatural work a fake. Those who teach in such a way as to cast doubt on everything supernatural are not helping others. For a fake to exist, a real must also exist. We would not dare say that all US currency is fake simply because counterfeiters have produced fake bills. The wholesale labeling taking place where anyone moving in the power of the Spirit is accused of being fake or heretical or in league with the antichrist is sad, and it is misleading many in the body of Christ, and it sows an unwarranted division in the church. The church we find in the Scriptures used the evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit to know that churches were legitimate and people were truly born again. Today all one has to do is pass a Bible trivia quiz and they are considered legitimate. This would imply that there is a greater trust in man’s ability to deduce things on his own based on his intellect from Scripture than it would the need to rely on the aid of the Holy Spirit, who was sent to help us and reveal all things pertaining to Jesus.
Contrary Desires
What about temptations?
Try harder is one of the most popular phrases regarding rising above a situation, problem, or struggle. This mantra calls on all the strength one has in one’s willpower and physical abilities to overcome.
While it is amazing what determined human beings can do, there is no true freedom in going it on one’s own. Especially when it comes to spiritual growth and fulfilling the will of God in one’s life.
Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love, you should serve one another. 14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is accomplished within the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). 17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. 18 But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. 19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, 20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), 21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you again, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. 25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit, we have our life in God, let us go forward by walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
No believer has a temptation, a problem, a situation, or a struggle so great that the Holy Spirit cannot help them rise above it.
No one is ever led by the Holy Spirit to yield to a wrong temptation or to give up and give in to something that is not the will of God for them.
By walking in the Spirit, we avoid fulfilling the lust of the flesh. There is no promise of never being tempted in our flesh. Being tempted in our flesh is not a sin but a fact of life. But whether or not we yield to temptation is important. The way to avoid giving in is by submitting to the Holy Spirit instead of the yearning of the flesh.
This means there has to be trust in the goodness of the Holy Spirit and His claim to be for us and that He is here to help us. If a person is afraid or mistrusts the Holy Spirit for whatever reason, they are not likely to turn to Him for help in avoiding the temptations of the flesh in the many ways described in Galatians.
Freedom from being controlled by contrary desires is made possible by the Holy Spirit, not our willpower and human strength. Knowing right and wrong is not the answer. Keeping rules in our strength leads us to compare ourselves with others to measure how effective we are at it. Knowing Jesus and submitting to the Holy Spirit He baptizes us with and receiving the fire He brings with HIm is what keeps us from these contrary desires.
Unaware
Do you know?
On June 4, 2021, Cathy Boone, a homeless woman, died in a warming shelter, unaware that she had inherited $884,000. Her mother had passed in 2016 and left it to her daughter, but it was never claimed.
That is a sad story, no doubt. But even sadder is that many miss out on the fullness of the inheritance Jesus left for them.
Let me frame it a little differently. Most believers I meet have no issue with believing that Jesus died to pay for their sins and provide salvation. They will easily say that by the blood of Jesus, they were forgiven and cleansed of their sins. This is very true, too! Praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus and for the blood that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. I know my past, present, and future sins have been paid for at the cross. I too rejoice when someone comes to know Jesus and is water baptized and has their name written in the Lambs Book of Life. Jesus made sure that we knew the importance of that and rejoice in it.
But is that the totality of what Jesus accomplished at the cross and in His resurrection and ascension?
Is it possible He gave His life to provide even more to us as an inheritance so we can live effectively here and now?
If you read the devotional before this one, you will notice that Jesus taught us to ask for the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
He was not teaching us to ask to be saved at that moment; He was instructing us to ask for the Holy Spirit and expect to receive Him.
Because of what I see in Scripture, I believe Jesus’ death was for far more than just saving us, delivering us, and getting us into heaven. I believe a big part of what He was willing to give His life for involved the Promise of the Father which is the Holy Spirit.
When the Law Covenant was issued, certain amazing promises were attached to keeping it—promises of abundance, health, peace, prosperity, victory, long life, etc. The only problem was that the Law relied on the power of the flesh, and thus, all the benefits of inheritance from it were restricted by the weakness of the flesh. Israel failed to benefit from all the fullness of blessing promised in the Law because they failed to keep it as they should. At least they were aware of the promise of inheriting blessing and hope. They just could not consistently comply with the conditions to receive it.
The sad thing today is that many believers are unaware of what all was covered by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. They are ignorant of the scope of His completed work. because they are unaware, they stop short of all that is meant to be supplied to us as a result of the faithfulness and sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus communicated one of the primary reasons why He was going to die, resurrect, and then ascend back to the Father. It was so that the promise of the Father could come to us.
John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
This matter of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a side issue to Jesus, who is the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It is of great importance in the scope of our inheritance, and it is something Jesus greatly desires that we take full advantage of. But like the homeless woman Cathy Boone, it will be missed if we are unaware. Are you aware as Jesus desires you to be aware?
Why Ask?
Have you asked for it?
Every week, money goes into my bank account. But to access that money, I have to utilize a tool like a debit card, check, or withdrawal slip, akin to asking for what is already mine. I do not know anyone who thinks it strange that they do these things.
Jesus said something that I believe is worth considering today regarding asking.
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
I have a question here. If receiving the Holy Spirit is automatic at salvation, why is Jesus teaching His disciples to ask for it?
Why didn’t Paul speak and behave like everyone saved is already filled with the Holy Spirit?
Why did the apostles send Peter and James to Samaria to ensure believers were baptized with the Holy Spirit?
Jesus is speaking specifically about the Holy Spirit. He is not referencing a salvation experience in Luke 11:13.
When speaking to the church at Ephesus, Paul said the following,
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore, do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
It is unwise not to know what the will of God is for you personally and for the fellowship of believers He has joined you with. It is unwise to seek to feel good using too much wine or a drug of some kind. If you want to be full of joy and feel good in your soul, then be filled with the Holy Spirit. First, be a New Creation in Christ by being born again. If we believe with our hearts that Jesus is the son of God and that God raised Him from the dead and then confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we are saved. Once that is done, we are ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit. How? Ask for it!
Jesus made this matter a simple one. If you believe that Jesus isn’t a liar, that Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire, and that Jesus would never offer you anything that is not to your advantage, then asking for this should come easy, and receiving it is simple.
Your only hindrance is that you believe there is a hindrance. Questioning the goodness of God and doubting that whatever He prescribes is for your good is what hinders you from receiving all the good God wishes to do in and through your life through the work and power of the Holy Spirit.
Why is it we can see a doctor we hardly even know, and he or she can prescribe a medication that gives warnings of all kinds of side effects, yet we will spend good money to get it and take it as instructed, trusting it will do us good, but when God has prescribed to believers the Holy Spirit and His power some struggle with the idea of it?
My grandkids know I have things for them at my house like great refreshing filtered water and some drink drops to add if they like. They also know they will get water and drink drops if they ask for them. Why are they so confident? They know they are loved, believe that I am good to them, and desire to bless them every chance I get. They do not wonder if I will give them something dangerous or harmful to them.
There is still a need to ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, or it would not be found in the Scriptures under the New Covenant writings. The real question is, are you asking for it?
Your Advantage
Have you received?
Have you ever been told by someone that something you least desire in a moment will be to your advantage?
Usually, when we hear such a thing, we deem it something we do not wish to pay much attention to.
But what if it involves something of great importance?
John 16:5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The men following Jesus did not wish to think of Him ever departing from them. Jesus would remain with them in the flesh if they could have had their way. But Jesus knew that something they would need could not come to them until He left.
Jesus even describes what will happen when the Holy Spirit comes.
He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. What will this look like?
Conviction of sin - Because they do not believe in Jesus
Righteousness - Because Jesus ascended to His Father and is no longer here on earth.
Judgment - Because the Ruler of this world is judged.
The Holy Spirit did not come to convict believers of sin because if they believe they are no longer in sin but are instead made righteous with the very righteousness of God. Jesus nailed to His cross everything that was against us. He paid for our sins, past, present, and future.
But what is this help that will be to our advantage that Jesus referred to?
Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Jesus was speaking about the promise of the FATHER! That promise made by the Father involves power that comes from on high! It is supernatural empowerment.
This is a power with no earthly origins. There is nothing natural about it. It does not originate with human beings. It originates with God, and it comes from the same source that brought into existence everything that was created. it is no ordinary power! It comes packaged in a person too! The person of the Holy Spirit.
Whenever we see the Holy Spirit involved in something and at work, there are things that exceed the ability of human effort transpiring. It is to our advantage because the will of GOD is greater than our human ability to accomplish. The Holy Spirit is needed! Jesus said so Himself! If Jesus says it is needful, I believe with all my heart that He knows what He is talking about. Jesus laid down His life for our advantage of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Have you taken advantage of your advantage?
What Happened?
Have things changed?
Do you ever find yourself amazed at how much something has changed?
Do you ever recall something that now is no longer given the same level of consideration even though it was a value of great importance at one time?
Do you know what it means to be marginalized? Marginalization happens when someone or something is not mentioned, given much attention, or asked to participate in things of importance. It is akin to sitting in a dark corner of the dugout in a baseball game and never called on or thought of as being essential to winning the game.
Is it possible that, in many ways, the church at large has done this to the Holy Spirit? After all, He is seldom mentioned. He is not often called upon to participate or allowed to have His way. Sadly, He is more than often just an afterthought. This is unlike what we find in the New Testament Scriptures.
WHAT HAPPENED?
A man was not allowed to do something as practical as serving widows food in the early church unless he had a good reputation and was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Acts 6
Today, men can serve as pastors and elders who bear the responsibility of teaching and leading the saints without believing that there is such a thing as being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Scriptures admonish believers to walk according to the Spirit, and they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Today, many believers are told the difference between what is right and wrong from a Law perspective and expected to simply choose from their own power and strength to get free from it. Sadly, they are not encouraged by the grace of God to turn to the Holy Spirit for help and to rely on His power. Is it possible that much of the continual struggles with sin in believers’ lives is tied to their perspective regarding the Holy Spirit, or should I say the lack thereof?
WHAT HAPPENED?
Is it possible that by marginalizing the importance of the Holy Spirit through the establishment of religious strongholds of thinking rooted in deductive reasoning as opposed to Holy Spirit revelation, the enemy has successfully kept many in the church from the freedom that is meant to be theirs in Christ?
Paul’s reaction to men claiming to be disciples was to ask a question. Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? Acts 19 KJV 54-55AD at least 22 years after Pentecost!
The apostles in Jerusalem heard how many were saved in Samaria and water baptized when Phillip had gone down and preached to them. However, they were concerned because it was not reported that anyone who had been saved and water baptized had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. So they intentionally sent Peter and John to Samaria to lay hands on all who had believed for the sole purpose of making sure they were all baptized in the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit was important!
Today, the church is content with just getting someone into the waters of baptism. It’s as if that’s the final thing. More often than not, there isn’t even a mention of the gift of being filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving power, and becoming a witness for Christ. It’s like water baptism is a starter in the game, and the Holy Spirit sits in a dark corner of the dugout as though He isn’t even present.
WHAT HAPPENED?
When it came to Gentiles being included in the plan of salvation and it being acceptable to the Jewish Apostles and elders in Jerusalem, Peter had to witness the only examples in Scripture where the Holy Spirit filled believers as soon as they believed in Jesus, even before they were water baptized. It led Peter to say, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Acts 10:47 AD 37 at least 4 years after Pentecost.
Peter witnessed them speaking with other tongues and prophesying just as the 120 had done in that upper room long before. The Holy Spirit was not an afterthought in the minds and hearts of the Apostles who laid the foundations for the church. Should He now be an afterthought?
WHAT HAPPENED?
I submit this thought to consider on this day. Do you really think you can accomplish God’s will for your life in your own power and strength? Do you really believe that the things God has for us to do and to be are so small that it would only require human initiative and strength to accomplish? I say emphatically, absolutely not! I need the power of the Holy Spirit always so that I might do the will of God and advance His kingdom on this earth until Jesus comes again or I pass on to heaven. It’s time that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, be respected and given His rightful place in the church.
Just as at creation, the Father imagined and willed, the Son was the word spoken, and the Holy Spirit was the power that made it all happen, so it is still today. Scripture testifies that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit it was how John the Baptist described His ministry. Should we not also then emphasize the importance of the Holy Spirit?
Unmistakeable
Did you know?
When I was just a boy, sometimes my four brothers and a cousin or two would do something dumb. Using a modified fork, we would hold hands and form a line, and then the first boy would stick the fork in an electrical socket. We all felt the electricity in our bodies, but whoever was on the end really felt it.
Now, that was something we all experienced, so if someone had tried to tell us we were not electrocuted and felt the surge of electricity in our bodies, we would have said they were the ones who were crazy because we know what we experienced. It was real, felt, and has not been forgotten over the years. There’s something about the experience of power that marks us. It was crazy what we did, but it is even more crazy for someone to try to tell us it never really happened.
I know the day I first was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. It forever marked me, and there have been many more times in my journey. He has freshly filled me to overflowing, including recently. I often get filled because I enjoy His company and empowerment to do God’s will for my life.
If all I had was an intellectual idea to stand on, then a superior debater of a higher intellect than my own might be able to persuade me to forfeit what I thought I first knew. If all I had was information to convince me, then information could also rob me of my confidence. But when I have a real, tangible experience with God where His supernatural nature invades my ordinary life and changes me dramatically, that cannot easily be shaken. I know what I experienced, and I know He is real.
In Muslim nations, people have supernatural visions of Jesus and are getting born again. As a result of it and then filled with the Holy Spirit. We know their experience is powerful and real because they are kicked out of their families, and some face the threat of death. They were not intellectually convinced of who Jesus is; they had an experience with Jesus that convinced them and now empowers them to endure the persecution they now face as a result of believing in Him. They were not just born again; they experienced the power of the Holy Spirit.
Many today argue to defend their lack of experience, and as a result, many have fallen away. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to empower us and keep us steadfast in the faith when we receive Him and rely on Him. The New Covenant is a Blood and Spirit Covenant. It is not a Law Covenant.
The New Covenant is about walking according to the Spirit. It is not about getting a list of do’s and don’ts to follow and then setting out in one’s own strength to comply.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Jesus made it clear before He ascended,
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive power! Unmistakeable power! That power enables us in all kinds of ways to fulfill the will of God for our lives. It is the power that separates us from this world and binds us to the will of God. It is the power that enables us to do things that are bigger than our natural talents and abilities. The will of God will always exceed our own abilities and talents. It will always require the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to realize. The Holy Spirit’s power is unmistakable and very vital to every believer. No man-made doctrine will ever do away with this truth or our need for the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-based Covenant will always require a Spirit-based resource.
Were There Not Ten?
Are you thankful?
A lack of gratitude and giving honor where honor is due is unpleasant. The enemy delights in it because it withholds a testimony of the goodness of God at work on the earth. All it takes to stir up excitement in hell is for a believer who receives something from God to withhold their testimony of his goodness and love from others.
Jesus encountered this during His own time here on earth.
Luke 17:11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Ten lepers received the mercy and goodness of God through the ministry of Jesus, but only one, a Samaritan, returned to give glory to God for what he had received from Him. Maybe he had no sense of entitlement due to being a Samaritan; I can’t say for certain, but it sure seems that way.
This is one miracle during Jesus’ ministry that, although it was meant to glorify God, it appeared that the enemy was the winner. The enemy successfully robbed God of the testimony that the other nine were meant to bring in that moment and time. Of course, we now, down through the ages, have the testimony of what took place because of the gospel writings. So, God still triumphs. But I believe He would prefer that this story have included the testimony of the other nine.
Bearing witness to the work of God and giving thanks so that others may see and know of His goodness is not a small thing. It is very important. Withholding gladdens and pleases the enemy.
Whenever God moves in a person’s life, and He is made real to them through their encounter with Him, it is important that they testify to His goodness and His mercy and return and give thanks to Him for the abundance of His love and compassion.
The Holy Spirit uses these occasions to help someone’s faith rise above their doubts. He uses it to turn their eyes to Jesus and what He can do and has already done. The enemy wants it silenced for this reason.
Our Father is not going to feed one of our brothers and then withhold from us and let us starve. He is no respecter of persons. He invites all His children to the table to dine. He is not going to love one child and hate the other. He loves all who are His by grace through faith in Christ. But it can appear to onlookers that such is not the case when the testimony of His love and goodness are withheld, and glory isn’t given to Him as it should be for His activity in one’s life.
We can be like the one leper who returned to give glory to God and offer His thanks, or we can choose to be reserved and keep it to ourselves like the other nine. The other nine, mind you, do not appear in a good light within the Scriptures, which should register with us as something unpleasant to God. However, The former leper appears before us in a good light as having brought pleasure to Jesus and glory to God. I think I prefer being of that sort. I hope you do as well and will make it your aim and practice to find ways to always give glory to God for His work in your life.
Power
Ever encountered His power?
What comes to your mind when you hear this word, Power?
This word can apply to so many things in so many ways. Jesus spoke this word to His first disciples.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus said they would receive power. Dunamis means ability, abundance, power, strength, mighty wonderful work, and violence.
When the Holy Spirit comes on a believer in Jesus, He enables that believer to do things beyond their natural abilities. He imparts boldness to move believers beyond their limitations into the possibilities of God’s will.
If a believer is hampered by intimidation and fear, they are not walking filled with the Holy Spirit as they should. Being filled with the Holy Spirit enables boldness, confidence, and enablement to do, say, and be something greater than our natural selves might otherwise imagine saying, doing, or being.
God has a plan for every believer. His will and purpose will always exceed our natural abilities and talent. He is not limited to our natural abilities because He empowers us to do according to His good will and pleasure.
We limit ourselves when we think of ourselves only according to who we think we are in the natural. Thus, when He reveals His will, it seems too ridiculous to imagine doing to us, and we shrink back from it. His will is according to whom we have become in Christ Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit given to work in and through us.
If we fail to believe the gospel and its message of becoming a new creation made fit to receive the Holy Spirit, we will struggle concerning the will of God for our lives. We will struggle because we only see our own natural abilities and talents and measure what comes to our minds and hearts based on those limitations. But according to the gospel, we are capable of anything God says is ours to do and to be.
Natural-based thinking will limit us to doing life according to the flesh as opposed to the Spirit, and that leads us to desire to only measure ourselves based on morality standards and with comparison to others. If we are a good boy or girl compared to most, we think we must be walking with God. But such thinking is very off base with the truth of the gospel. The gospel is not about being good boys and girls strictly in a moral sense. It is about being supernatural children of the living God equipped by the Holy Spirit to be and to do according to His good pleasure. It transcends merely being morally astute and on point. It goes further to the place of His divine purpose for our lives, fueled by His supernatural power at work in us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
You can go to church every Sunday, sing the songs with feeling, pray the prayers, and search the Scriptures in a powerless reality. When the reality of the gospel and the promise of the Holy Spirit are left off the table, all you are left with is religious practices meant to make you feel better about yourself but powerless to affect change on this earth. God gives power! Jesus offers us power! He intends that we affect things in the direction of His will. Powerless Christianity is dangerous; it is like a useless drug that prevents those under its spell from gaining any real advantage from the operation of the Holy Spirit and the power that He brings with Him. Powerless Christianity cannot truly bring anyone to the place of realizing the will of God for their lives with the awareness that even though it is bigger than they are, they are enabled to embrace it with confidence and faith, assured of success based on the help of the Holy Spirit. We need His power! Many need to break off the shackles of powerless Christianity and step into the supernatural reality where they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do and to be.
Drunk?
Ever been mistaken as being drunk?
When I was around nine or ten, I remember riding with my family from Indiantown, Florida, to Stuart, Florida. Along the way, my dad pulled over and picked up three hitchhiking young people: two girls and one boy. The boy had a strange-sounding cough. I still remember that after my dad let them out, he commented how they must be on dope. He said that the boy’s cough wasn’t a sick cough but rather a cough someone develops when they are smoking dope. He also deduced that their behavior and language were that of young people smoking pot. He never asked them if they were on drugs or smoking pot. He just assumed so based on what he had observed about them.
I remember one time responding to an emergency involving my mother. She was staggering around and saying things that made her come across as being delusional. Her neighbors were accusing her of drinking too much and being drunk. Once I got her to the hospital, she was diagnosed as being severely dehydrated and low on sodium. They immediately put her on an I.V. within a couple of hours, she was normal again. The assumptions of her neighbors based on the behavior they witnessed could not have been more wrong. She had not been drinking.
The wrong assumption issue has been around for a long time. The first disciples of Jesus experienced it on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came as promised by Jesus at the appointed time and had manifested to them, on them, and in them. After all John the Baptist had declared clearly that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. One of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit that day was cloven tongues of fire resting on each one of their heads. The second manifestation was them praising God in other tongues, which I believe were heavenly tongues.
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
At this time, people from many other regions and places were present in the area, and they heard the praises of God being spoken in their native tongue. This, to me, was the Holy Spirit gifting them with the interpretation of tongues. When that happens, a heavenly language is heard as if it were your native language. But what I find interesting here is what some said mocking this event.
Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
There’s that common occurrence of blaming drunk. Sometimes, when there is a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, people behave differently than they normally would. Have you ever been so happy it made you giddy? Have you ever seen a child get the giggles just because they were experiencing a happy moment that overwhelmed them? We refer to these manifestations as uncommon behavior. This often occurs when the Holy Spirit fills and overflows a believer in Jesus. I call it being overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord and saturated with the oil of gladness. They are not drunk but could easily be accused of being so simply because they act differently than they normally would, and with good reason. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us in overwhelming measure, we powerfully experience the goodness of God and often receive revelations concerning Him that spark gladness and rejoicing within and without. It often unveils the love of Jesus to us in a tangible manner.
I’ve had such experiences in my journey with Christ, and I can testify that I have sometimes felt so at ease, so carefree, so at peace, and so full of joy. I sometimes found it hard not to feel weak in my knees and just laugh and giggle and rejoice in Jesus. I wasn’t drunk on an alcoholic beverage and was not on a drug. But I am sure someone who does not know any better might assume I was. Drunk? Not as one might suppose, overwhelmed with goodness and power? Absolutely! I will never want to be afraid of being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, as each time I have experienced it, I have come away from that encounter transformed by a revelation of Christ I did not before possess. I want to be being filled always!
The Holy Spirit And Miracles
Do you have the Holy Spirit and miracles?
The idea of not earning favor and experiencing the benefit of wonderful things is very foreign to us in the natural. Under the system of this world good things are earned and require diligent effort and sacrifice to obtain.
Whether we like it or not, we often carry this ideology into the kingdom when we are born again. Our minds are not instantaneously and totally renewed to agree with the ways of God and of His kingdom. We need to hear Him speak and have our minds washed with the water of His word.
Take, for instance, the availability of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of miracles. Many in churches believe this is obtained by way of sacrifice and diligence. They are, for whatever reason, unaware of what it says in the Scriptures about this.
Galatians 3:1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely, it was not in vain, was it?
5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
Paul is clearly instructing these believers to return to the foundation of faith that first brought them the experience of the power of transformation and the Holy Spirit working among them.
I did not have it all together when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I was still unaware of some things, and bit by bit, He was working them out of my life. There are still things He reveals and removes from me to this day, and he replaces them with what is Christ-like and kingdom-based. But amazingly, He was and is still powerfully moving in and through my life.
The gift of the Spirit is not a law-based conditional matter. As long as someone is born again and believes they can receive what was promised by the Father, they will receive it. Belief is the key.
When Paul says the meaning of Christ’s death was made clear to them, He is saying they were made to understand they did nothing to earn anything from God. Jesus did it all at the cross. He took their sin at the cross and gave them His righteousness. Our receiving from God all the things promised are premised on this foundation of work accomplished by Christ. Nothing is received based on keeping the law of Moses. False teachers had ventured into Galatia and were teaching that in order to complete their salvation, they needed to keep the Law of Moses. They were being deceived into embracing false instructions, which hindered their continuing transformation according to the work of the Holy Spirit.
When we get back to the real gospel, the right gospel, the Holy Spirit is free to work in and through us as He wishes. We then get to experience all that He brings with Him. Miracles, healing, gifts of the Spirit, revelation concerning Jesus, and so much more are a part of the package. Believing the right gospel is the key to it all. Faith in Jesus, as it is meant to be, unlocks everything Heaven offers. Heaven has been open since the cross, but it seems closed to those who doubt that Christ took care of everything for us. The law will strengthen doubt every time. Look to the cross and understand what was done on it by Jesus. Believe He completed the work needed, and it is applied to you. Then, let your faith come alive to receive all the Holy Spirit is and desires to do in and through you!