Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

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Greater Things Are Yet To Come

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013

By Gary Wilkersonscp3

God wants to do mighty things through us. He wants to express His love to the
world through us. So if we are clinging to one thing that gets in the way of
His accomplishing that—some willfulness, some refusal to trust Him for
everything—He points it out to us.

Sometimes God wants us to add something to our lives before He brings His best.
This may involve something we have not done, so He wants us to ask, “Have I
been slow to respond to something God has asked me to do?”

We find an example of this in Acts, when the disciples added a new member to
replace Judas. While in the Upper Room, they drew lots and chose Matthias. It
seemed like such a small thing. These same men had seen Jesus work wonders,
open blind eyes, cast out demons, even raise a man from the dead. They had seen
God’s kingdom advanced on earth as never before in history. And when Christ
ascended to heaven, He gave them this incredible word: “You will do even
greater works, once I send you My Spirit. He will empower you. Greater things
are yet to come!” (see Acts 1:1-8).

Indeed, these same disciples would go beyond Israel and the Middle East, into
Europe and India and Africa, preaching the good news of Christ to the nations,
all within their generation. What made it so important to add another disciple?
They did it for one simple reason: Peter sensed it was something God wanted them
to do.

“In those days Peter stood up among the brothers . . . and said, ‘Brothers,
the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the
mouth of David concerning Judas . . . For he was numbered among us and was
allotted his share in this ministry’” (Acts 1:15-17). Peter was referring
to Psalm 109:8: “May another take his place of leadership.”

There is a great lesson here for Christ’s church today. That is, never
overlook a nagging issue of the heart, no matter how small. God puts His finger
on these matters for a reason: to reveal our heart’s response to Him. Greater
things are yet to come!

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22808?src=devo-email

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Receiving The Blessing Of The Cross

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By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

God delights in using failures—men and women who think they can do almost
nothing right. A woman wrote to me recently saying, “My marriage is failing. I
seem to do everything wrong in raising my children. I feel like I’m not worth
anything to anybody. I’ve not been a very good wife, mother or Christian. I’ve
got to be the world’s worst failure.”

She is just the kind of person the Lord is looking for—people who know that
if anything good happens through them, it must be because of God. All the
hotshot Christians who go about bowling people over with their great abilities
never impress God. God looked down on a scheming, base, weakling of a man
called Jacob and said, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob . . . I will help thee . . .
behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth . . .
thou shalt rejoice in the Lord” (Isaiah 41:14–16).

Men often use God to achieve fortune, fame, honor and respect. Talent,
personality and cleverness are used to advance God’s kingdom, but He is not
impressed. His strength is perfected in our weakness, our inability to obey His
commandments in our own strength.

God calls us to a life of holiness and separation. He tells us we can be free
from the bondage of sin. His Word comes to us with some impossible challenges:
“Resist the devil. Walk in the Spirit. Come out from among them. Love your
enemies. Leave behind all your fears. Put down your lustful desires. Let no sin
have dominion over you.”

When you think honestly about how little you can do on your own to fulfill
these challenges, you realize how very weak you are. Your heart begins to cry,
“Lord, how can we do such great, holy things?” That is when our Lord takes
over! He comes with such a comforting message: “Lay down your weapons. Quit
trying to be so self–sufficient and strong. I am your weapon and your
strength. Let Me do what you never can do. I will give you My righteousness, My
holiness, My rest, My strength. You cannot save yourself or please Me in any way
other than by receiving the blessings of the cross by faith. Let Me be in charge
of your growth in holiness.”

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22537?src=devo-email

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An Unusual Word

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By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Recently the Holy Spirit gave me an unusual word, one that I did not want to
hear! He said, “You are bound to a very limited vision of the Lord’s ocean of
tender, loving mercies. You have endured much guilt, condemnation and fear
because you have not allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal the vastness of My
forgiving, healing, reconciling mercies. You do not know Me for My tenderness!”

God showed me that this is a root cause for many giving up and falling away.
When sin strikes—when Satan comes in like a flood, when you fall into some
old habit or sin—the devil creates a bondage. First, the guilt comes flooding
in, then fear fills your heart. A sense of total failure and helplessness
overwhelms your soul. At this point, most believers run out of grace—because
their view of God’s mercy is so limited.

Satan comes to you and says, “You’ve reached your limit. You’ve confessed
your sin time after time. There is no way God will forgive you now, because
you’ve sinned against the light. If you return and confess once more,
you’ll turn around and sin all over again. So quit now!”

The devil does not want you to see God’s ocean of mercy; he wants you to see
only a trickle! Because of our ignorance of the forgiving, restoring power of
Christ’s love, we are destroyed. We run out of mercy for ourselves because we
are horribly bound by a limited vision. Our eyes have not yet been opened to the
endless mercies of our tender Father! We are so bound by a false, limited view
of His mercies, we find it almost impossible to believe or accept what James
said: “[We] have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (full
of compassion), and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).

This verse means, “God is easily crushed by our troubles and hurts. He feels
our pain and our failures, and He is kind and compassionate to us. He loved us
even when we were His enemy. Even when we offend Him, He is quick to help,
restore and forgive us.”

The word mercy means “kind and compassionate treatment of an offender under
one’s power.” God has the power to damn us to hell every time we sin; He has us
under His control and can do with us as He pleases. And it pleases His tender
heart to be compassionate, loving and kind toward those who have failed Him the
most.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22159?src=devo-email

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Signature Judgement

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]blue3

I believe God has provided us with a very specific promise for the hard times
that are coming. It was given to Abraham and his seed as an oath.

“The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us,
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without
fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life”
(Luke 1:73-75).

God has sworn to deliver us from every enemy, every fearful thing, so we can
serve Him all the days of our lives without fear. Beloved, hunger is an enemy.
Nakedness and poverty are enemies.

This oath from God must be the foundation of our trust in every crisis,
calamity and fearful time. Memorize it! Let it be your holy argument at the
throne of grace!

In Psalm 121 David has provided us with one of the most powerful Holy Ghost
arguments ever given to man. The entire psalm tells us that all our help comes
from the Lord alone. Psalm 124 is yet another holy argument, your specific
promise to enable you to build special trust.

Right now America is under a “signature judgment” of God. Signature judgments
bear a special mark of God in that they mirror the sins committed against Him.
As these judgments take place before our very eyes, our only answer is to have
Jesus as our shield. Run today to meet Him in the secret closet of prayer. Let
your roots go down deep into Him and know that He will keep you in all
circumstances.

Take hold of the following special promises in readiness for any and all
calamities we may face:

“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. . . . He shall not be
afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart
shall be established, he shall not be afraid” (Psalm 112:4, 7-8).

“And he shall judge the world in righteousness. . . . The Lord also will be a
refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy
name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that
seek thee” (Psalm 9:8-10).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/21418?src=devo-email

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Laying Down Your Burdens

Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013
By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Laying down your burdens requires a powerful act of determination and a kind of
spiritual surgery that only the Holy Spirit can perform.

We see this illustrated in the book of Nehemiah. At the time, the Israelites
had faithfully and diligently rebuilt Jerusalem's gates. But once the gates
were back in place, the people completely overlooked the Sabbath observance.
Every week, long lines of laden-down animals passed through Jerusalem's gates,
going to and from the city market bearing merchandise.

Nehemiah was angered when he saw all this activity on the Sabbath (see Nehemiah
13:15). He warned the people to lay down all their burdens and honor God's
Sabbath, but when they would not listen, he stepped up the level of his appeal:
"Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing
is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?" (verse 17). He was saying, "I
chided them, preached to them, warned them. But nothing worked."

Finally, Nehemiah had had enough so he took drastic action: "And it came to
pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I
commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be
opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that
there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day" (verse 19).

Nehemiah put sentries at the gates. But even then the burden-bearing people
would not be deterred. They camped out all night long, carrying their burdens
around as they waited for the gates to open (see verse 20).

Beloved, your burdens will always be camping outside your mind, waiting for an
opportunity to jump right back in. You may lay them down at night, but in the
morning, there they'll be, the same old worries and concerns waiting for you to
pick them back up.

So, what did Nehemiah do to stop all the burden-carrying? He said, "Then I
testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye
do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on
the sabbath" (verse 21).When Nehemiah came to end of his endurance, he threatened force. And, beloved,
that is just what we are to do to keep all burdens outside the gates of our
minds. Like Nehemiah, we are to cry out from our soul, "This isn't God's way! I
live in the day of Sabbath rest yet my soul is anything but at rest. All my
cares and worries come and go as they please. I must take dominion over these
burdens, at any cost!"
Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/21336?src=devo-email
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Barnabas,Son of Encouragement

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By Gary Wilkerson

I have a lot of respect for Barnabas, a gentle, loving man whose name meant
encouragement. Barnabas had been traveling with Paul evangelizing and planting
churches, but a conflict arose. We read in Acts 15:36-41 that Paul and Barnabas
stopped working together over a young man named John Mark.

Paul felt that John Mark had hurt their ministry by unexpectedly departing and
leaving them short-handed. Barnabas wanted to be kind to John Mark and give him
another chance, but Paul said no.

Barnabas was a man of a different spirit. When the whole world was willing to
reject somebody who seemed like a failure, he did not react in that way.
Barnabas stood up to Paul and said, “I’m not going to reject that young
man.” That is boldness — that’s a different spirit!

When Saul was pouring out accusations against the church, imprisoning
Christ’s followers and putting them to death, who went to him? And when Saul
had an experience from heaven (Acts 9), who went to him? It was Barnabas, the
Son of Encouragement. Barnabas had the boldness in his heart and the different
spirit inside him to say, “I don’t care if this is a false rumor, it is
worth the risk to see if Saul really got saved.”

Barnabas is an example of a man of a different spirit. This spirit has nothing
to do with whether you are a Type A personality. You can be a quiet person,
mellow and calm, and still have what Barnabas had. And most of  all, you can
have what Jesus had.

It does not matter if you are young or old, male or female, for God is no
respecter of persons. The Holy Spirit is longing to fall upon you. You may be
reading this today and inside you are saying, “What are you talking about,
having a different spirit? My spirit is a spirit of alcohol or drugs; my spirit
is a spirit of desperation. I’m lost!”

You know what? God has His eyes on you. God has ordained that you read this
because He is calling on you to rise up and be a person of a different spirit.
Not the spirit of this world, not the spirit of sin, not the spirit of
alcoholism or drugs, but the spirit of God. The spirit of Christ, the Son of
God, can transform your life and make you into a person of a different spirit. 

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/20778?src=devo-email
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Seek Spiritual Discernment

 

 

Read | Proverbs 2

At one time or another, we have all felt confused, uncertain, or misled. We can live victoriously and confidently only by possessing spiritual discernment– ability to see life from God‘s perspective. We need His help to distinguish between right and wrong, good and best, truth and error.

Each day we make many decisions–some trivial and others critical. The Lord doesn’t want us to form judgments based on mere appearance or limited human reasoning. But with the world so full of deceptive information, how would we, on our own, know what to believe? God desires that we see the reality of each situation as He does. We can fully trust the Lord with our relationships as well. Since He knows every person’s heart, the only way we can wisely interact with others is to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit within us.

Although God gives each of His children the capacity for spiritual discernment, many Christians are unaware of it. They stumble through life doing the best they can but fail to use this wonderful provision. Others don’t think they need it. They make choices according to their own knowledge and reasoning, never giving the Lord a second thought. Unless we cooperate with God in the development of His wonderful gift of discernment, it will lie dormant within us.

A discerning spirit begins with a humble, teachable attitude. If you’ve been handling decisions, situations, and relationships through your own wisdom, confess this to God. Then ask for His perspective and search His Word for direction. Your wisdom will grow, and discernment will protect you.
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The Need for Friendship


Read | 2 Timothy 4:9-22

Independence is a prized attribute in our culture, but biblically, it isn’t a worthy aspiration. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the erroneous quote, “God helps those who help themselves.” The very fact that the Lord formed the church–a community of believers–should tell us that He did not create people for self-sufficiency or isolation.

When we place faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us so we can have a fulfilling relationship with the Lord and satisfying friendships with one another. In God‘s design, a close, committed biblical friendship between two believers serves to build both toward Christlikeness. Look at any of the saints in Scripture, and you will find evidence of reliance upon a close friend or confidante for support. Paul, in particular, spoke freely and often of his dependence upon dear companions and encouraged others to form intimate partnerships as well (2 Tim. 2:22).

It’s interesting to me that our modern culture seems to be headed in the opposite direction. The farther our nation drifts from God, the more pervasive our self-sufficient attitude becomes. Neighbors treat each other with suspicion instead of congeniality, and that mindset has invaded the church as well. We’re hesitant to give to others, which in turn makes us reluctant to receive.

Scripture tells us to love one another, bear our brothers’ burdens, and confess our sins to fellow believers (John 13:34 ; Gal. 6:2; James 5:16). In other words, we’re to give ourselves away to others and receive from them in return. That’s how church members can stimulate one another to Christlikeness.

Dr. Charles Stanley

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What’s Your Greatest Passion In Life?

Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, ...

Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8

Just about everyone is passionate about something. For some, the passion of their lives is education. So they continue to grow in knowledge, remembering that all knowledge is rooted in the fear of the Lord.

For others, their passion is work, which can give them a godly sense of fulfillment in life. These people get up in the morning and are excited about the possibilities of a new day. They see their work as not just a job, but a purpose.

Others have a passion for their families, and they aspire to make their homes a place of faith where God is honored and see their family members walk with the Lord. What a wonderful passion to have!

One passion, however, that seems to be missing among many in the church today is that of reaching the lost. If only Christians today would put as much effort into spreading God’s message of salvation with others as they put into their education, work, or families, just imagine what God could do!

We need a passion today for evangelism. Pray that God would give you such a passion to make His name known and draw all people to Himself!

ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED PASSION TO REACH OTHERS WITH HIS MESSAGE OF SALVATION!

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Saying What’s Correct,Correctly

 

Official portrait of Justice

Official portrait of Justice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person.

Colossians 4:6

I remember when I was young, we had a little saying that went, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But as I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered that it’s not true. Words can be devastating. Gossip, slander, rumors, and innuendo can destroy a person’s life.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, during his confirmation to the court, had many terrible things said about his character. At one point, he remarked, “I would have preferred an assassin’s bullet to these proceedings.” That’s how damaging words can be. Yet very often today, many people simply say whatever they think and don’t even consider how it makes others feel.

As Christians, we have the responsibility to speak God’s truth, but to do it in love. Yet, the reality is that many believers slander those whom they’re supposed to love. There’s a difference between speaking what’s correct, and speaking what’s correct correctly.

Words have power. So let your speech be full of grace. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you the right words to say when they need to be said. And above all else, keep an attitude of love and welcome toward all who need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ!

SPEAK THE TRUTH, BUT DO IT IN LOVE, AND ALLOW GOD TO USE YOU TO WARMLY WELCOME THE LOST INTO THE KINGDOM!

Pastor Graham