Tag: Holy Spirit

Your Temple

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 25:1-11, 17-18, 23-24, 31-32; 26:1-2, 7-8; 27:1-2; 29:43-46 (day two) 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19

Such detail. From the dimensions to the colors and fabrics there is an excruciating amount of detail contained in these passages. All of these elements that were designed to honor the Lord must have been exquisite. Nothing was left to chance, and only the best would do to honor the Lord.

We no longer have a tabernacle or arc, but we have the Holy Spirit which has decided to take up residence in us. So how does all those details from Exodus apply to this “new” tabernacle? Everything matters! Our speech, our thoughts, and actions all reflect our character which should show the character of Christ. Our lives should honor the Lord in every aspect. If the Lord took such care with a physical structure, how much more will he care for an eternal being? For we are created to follow the Lord through eternity. Let us maintain beautiful temples for him while we are here.

God’s Glory

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 24 (day four)  God is initiating a covenant with Israel.  It is a covenant based on all of the words of the Law that He delivered to Moses.  Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders of Israel saw the God of Israel.  What an awesome sight!  Yet, He did not stretch out His hand against them.  When Isaiah received his commission (Isaiah 6), he too saw the Lord.  He was afraid for his life.  It pleased God to give these leaders a glimpse of His glory to inspire them to lead.  What will it take for us to lead?  We have the written Word of God…thousands of years of His working to redeem mankind.  We have the Gospel message…Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave…paying the full price for our sin.  When we obey the Gospel, we have the Holy Spirit, living within us to give us understanding and power.  We may not have seen the Lord physically, but we have seen His hand at work.  Are we going to lead?

Let God Do His Part

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 14:1-4, 10-31; 15:1-2, 20-21 (day four)  There are some things that we are responsible to do and some things that God takes responsibility to do.  Verse 15-17 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16 As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.”  Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade had a definition for witnessing.  “Successful witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”  Key for us is to know and do what we should be doing and letting God do what He is responsible for.  He is glorified through our obedience and trust!

Pray/Pause

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 1:8-22, 2:1-10 (day five)

Pause Front Logo

Today marks the beginning of Freedom Weekend.  Over a hundred teens from across the city will gather in homes for a weekend designed to gather them around God’s Word in study and community.

The theme/emphasis is “Pause”.  Research shows that with the flood of information, images, and messages that daily cross their eyes, ears, and minds, this younger generation has a tougher time focusing and attaining significant depth in their thinking and processing.  They are masters at multi-tasking.

The scripture prescribes a different kind of attention needed for spiritual thinking and growth.  “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Will you Pray for these teenagers this weekend?  Will you ask the Holy Spirit to give them a hunger to know God and to carve out moments where they set aside activity and distraction to learn and listen to the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures?

If it’s true for teens, it’s true for adults.  Will YOU Pause each day to listen, to learn, to know God ?

That You May Believe

Re: Verse reading–John 20:10-31  (day four)
It was the ultimate goal of John when he wrote his gospel…verse 31, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”  It should be the goal of every believer to give this same witness to everyone we have contact with.  Why should this be our goal?  Just to have numbers to boast of?  No…it is like one beggar telling another beggar, where to find bread.  When Jesus breathed on the disciples so they received the Holy Spirit, they were a new creature.  They had a new perspective of life…they had new goals…they had a new love for others.  The same gift is ours!  John was bold in his witness and we should be the same.  Fear of man, lack of love, or disobedience may hinder our witness to others.  Ask God to remove any barriers in your life and to use you to lead others to Christ.

Testimony

Re: Verse reading—John 19:28-42 (day three)
“The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true.”  The testimony of the church is that the Bible is the written word of God, infallible and trustworthy.  But the Bible didn’t just drop in from heaven.  Rather, “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  That is to say, it came to us through the eyes, ears, and minds of human beings.  It’s for human beings because it’s by human beings.  It’s what they heard.  It’s what they saw.  It’s what they knew.  It’s the truth.  The glory of the sovereign, triune God’s creative, redemptive work of unspeakable grace got written in a way that human beings can read it and understand it and find salvation through it.  The Bible: the mysteries of heaven revealed through a voice we recognize as one of our own.  Trust it.

Magnify Him

Twenty-fourth Day of Advent

‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭39-56‬ ESV

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. (‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭39-56‬ ESV) ‬‬‬

I LOVE worshipping with young people, with the abandon that comes when a teenager has, at last, received confirmation that the Lord is GOOD, that He is Who He says He Is, and that she belongs to Him.

Every Jewish girl, every night: Lord, make me a woman fit to bear Messiah. This angel – this story – IT HAPPENED, it was more reality than any other day. But if it’s true, then Cousin Elizabeth will understand. This will make sense. I’m going there to see her – NOW; I’m keeping this secret for now… So to the hill country – Hebron? – she travels, she knocks. Elizabeth shouts. IT’S REAL – YOUR WORD IS REAL – IT’S ALL TRUE – YOU ARE SO GOOD!

And out spills this song – the Magnificat – from a poor, young girl. The overflow of a heart that KNOWS His goodness. This, perhaps the most profound song in all the Bible.

This Christmas, count His goodness to YOU, to your family. He has indeed filled us with good things.

Sing THIS song. Sing YOUR song. Sing it every day to your children, your grandchildren. SHOUT it to this hurting, broken world. Magnify Him. He has indeed filled us with good things. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Sandi Faulk

Re: Verse reading – John 8:31-47

Newborn Hope

Twenty-third Day of Advent

Luke 1:67-79New International Version (NIV)

Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

What parent hasn’t held their newborn child for the first time and spoken to them words of love, full of hope for their future. It was no different for Zechariah. But Zechariah’s words were different, they were prophetic. His son John was given an assignment by God – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17). This would not involve repaving streets throughout Judea or cleaning up storefronts or eloquent speeches presented before a crowd of well-dressed people. No, John would prepare the people by giving them “knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” How do you prepare people for a message of salvation? You help them see their need for a Savior. John would awaken hearts long dead to personal sin, comfortable in their self-righteousness. He would prepare them for their Savior by causing them to see their sin and calling them to repentance. What will you do to prepare your heart today? Start by presenting to Him a clean heart. He deserves nothing less. Jesus died so that you could experience the embrace of your Heavenly Father as He speaks to you words of love, full of hope for your future.

Emily Cox

Re: Verse reading – John 8:31-47

Thank You? Thank You!

Re:Verse reading–Ephesians 4:17-5:20 (day five)
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father

Giving Thanks for all things is an indication of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Only the Holy Spirit can help a person understand at a deep invisible level that at the center of both triumphs and tragedies is a loving God who acts and works for the Glory of His Name and the Good of His People. The songs, prayers, and declarations are dramatically different in each circumstance, but all will reflect the work of the Holy spirit- an attitude of thanks, trust, and hope.  John Piper says, “giving thanks for all things is an outrageous idea unless you have a deep, Biblical theology of God’s sovereign goodness.”  Our hearts can cry out “Thanks” at some level each day even if it’s with a question mark (amidst burdens and questions) or exclamation point (when we clearly see God’s visible work and provision).

New Self

Re:Verse reading–Ephesians 4:17-5:20 (day four)  Who is it that Paul is writing to?  Gentiles.  Or, more accurately, saved Gentiles.  He is telling the church in Ephesus not to walk as they used to walk…in the futility of their mind.  And why were their minds futile?  Because of the hardness of their heart.  It was their heart that directed their minds.  Darkness…callousness… ignorance…all of this was changed by the light of the Holy Spirit who came to dwell in their heart.  They were to now walk in a new life…they were changed by the presence and relationship with Christ.  Life was new and Paul admonished them to let their actions reflect their changed heart.  There was a reason why the Gentiles were rejected by God and Paul is teaching them to put aside any sibilance of those lifestyles so they could avoid the wrath of God.  Does your life reflect any of the unfruitful deeds of darkness?  All things become visible when they are exposed to light.  Allow the light of Christ to shine through you.