The Work of the Holy Spirit

by Inspiration Ministries

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 NASB

Luke described two ways that the Holy Spirit would change Mary’s life. First, the angel told her that “the Holy Spirit will come upon you.” She would experience the presence of the Spirit in new ways.

Second, “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The Greek word here literally means to throw a shadow. To be enveloped as by a cloud. This was the same word that Luke used when describing the experience Jesus had during the transfiguration, when “a cloud formed and began to overshadow them.”

These examples help us see how the Spirit envelopes our lives, overtaking us in ways so overwhelming that we are capable of doing extraordinary things. These changes can take place at any time, in any place. As happened to Mary, we suddenly can be overwhelmed by His presence. Caught up into a spiritual dimension, empowered, changed.

The human mind can find it difficult to comprehend the dimension of the Spirit. But everything changes for those who understand the realm of the Spirit. Who realize that the Spirit operates in a different dimension. How He can change circumstances and enable “normal” people to do extraordinary things.

As a result of this kind of transformation, God’s Spirit can give us insights that are not our own. We can be inspired or supernaturally receive revelations about our own lives, or world conditions. At times like this, others may be tempted to think that we are special. But the fact is that we simply are vessels of His Spirit.

Ask God to help you be sensitive to the work of the Spirit in your life. Be ready for His transforming power anytime, day or night. And remember that through Him, there are no limits.

Who Am I?

By: Kimberly Cash Tate, 1.cbn.com

“I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).

“Who am I?” That’s the question we’re seeking to answer. Admittedly this is my passion, that people know who they truly are. Everything flows from that—your mindset, your choices, your outlook, your mood, and yes, your eternity. A great many go through life believing a lie. They only know the deceiver’s version of who they are. But when you know the truth—God’s version—and you walk in it, you’re set free to live the abundant life He intended for you.

God called Abraham out of Ur. He left behind his native land, family, and his very identity to follow God and the promise of a new land, a new family, and a new identity. In fact, God promised to make an entirely new nation through Abraham—the nation of Israel.

Abraham had a son, Isaac, and Isaac had Jacob (also known as Israel). Jacob had twelve sons, and the entire clan ended up in Egypt due to a famine, where they multiplied in number and then were subjected to slavery for four hundred years. God had told Abraham this would happen, but He also promised that He would bring them out (Genesis 15:13).

Through Moses, God did deliver them from Egypt by a strong hand. But four hundred years was a long time. Generations had lived and died. For those living at the time of the exodus, Egypt was all they had known. Egyptian culture had become ingrained, from the food to the form of worship, which encompassed all manner of gods. God not only had to get them out of Egypt; He needed to get Egypt out of them. What’s more, they were headed to Canaan, another land filled with people whose practices were sinful to God. God told them through Moses, “‘I am the LORD your God. You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you…’” (Leviticus 18:3).

The Israelites needed to know that they weren’t like other people. They’d been set apart unto God. They were different. As God’s people, they had their own identity, their own customs and practices, and their own form of worship—true worship. Much of the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is about grounding them in their new identity as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, where they were to be a light and an example of holiness and righteousness to the world.

You probably know the story. As a people, they never quite settled into the higher identity to which God had called them. Instead, they kept identifying with the cultures around them, aligning themselves with people who didn’t know the true God, adopting their ways. There were bright lights among them, such as Joshua, who declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). But the people as a whole drifted from God. Worse, their spiritual leaders led the way. Instead of speaking God’s words, they spoke their own (Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34).

God had promised blessing for obedience, but because of their unfaithfulness, God allowed His people to be conquered and led into captivity (2 Kings 17:24-25).

Is any of this relevant to us? Absolutely! If you’ve been saved, God has brought you out of slavery too—slavery to sin (Romans 6:17-18). But although God has delivered us “out of Egypt,” there’s still a need to get “Egypt” out of us. All we’ve ever known and believed about ourselves and the world has been filtered through the evil one (Ephesians 2:1-2). But just as God taught the Israelites, He teaches us through His Word so that we can renew our minds to the truth of who we are and whose we are. We have been set apart unto God, and the more we walk in our divine identity and in His divine ways, the more we will enjoy God’s blessings…and shine the light of Jesus to a lost world.

Peace in the Eye of the Storm

Sheila Walsh, Author: faithgateway.com

I woke up and reached over to the bedside table for my phone to see what time it was. It was just three o’clock in the morning. I groaned. I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could. I didn’t want to wake my husband or our three little dogs stretched out at the bottom of the bed. I opened the bedroom door and thought to myself, one more time, “I need to put some oil on that squeak.”

I crept downstairs, lit two of my favorite candles, boiled the kettle and made myself a cup of tea.

“Why on earth am I wide awake in the middle of the night?” I wondered.

I settled into my favorite chair in the den as Maggie, our Yorkie decided to join me. I scratched behind her ears and she fell back to sleep on my lap.

There had been a lot of bad news on television the previous few days. Hurricanes, devastation, wildfires, a mass shooting. It felt as if the world was getting more out of control by the minute. Closer to home, two of my dearest friends had recently been diagnosed with cancer. No warning. Out of the blue, life had changed for them and their loved ones.

In the quiet, I lifted them up to the Lord. I asked for healing, for grace, for strength and for hope. I prayed for those I didn’t know, for those who had lost loved ones, who had lost their homes, for those struggling to find a reason to hope as they faced the reality of what their lives now looked like. Nothing can prepare you to lose everything in a matter of moments.

Sometimes we get a warning when a storm is about to hit. The national weather service issues storm watches and warnings but not everyone has the time or means to get away from danger. Often the poorest of the poor are the most vulnerable and pay the greatest price but truth is, storms hit us all.

Personal storms can move in with lightning speed and devastate the landscape of our hearts and we never saw them coming.

As I sat in the quiet that morning with a gently snoring dog on my lap I thought about you. I thought about the vast numbers of people that I may never meet on this earth but who are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I thought about those of you who are hurting, who feel broken and crushed right now. Although I may not know your name, Jesus does and I lifted you up. The question pounding inside my heart was this,

“Lord, how do we live in the peace You promised when there are storms all around us?”

I picked up the well-worn Bible that I keep beside my chair and opened it to the conversation Christ had with his best friends on the night when He knew He was about to be betrayed. He would have to endure a mockery of a trial and then take that long walk up a hill to face a barbaric execution. John records those profound hours in chapters 13-17 but as I sat in my chair that night, I turned to the verses I had underlined that speak of peace.

I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. — John 14:27 NLT

Peace of mind and heart. Peace that is only found in Christ.

Then Jesus told them that hard times were coming. He tried to prepare them for the persecution that was ahead, for the unprecedented storms on the horizon. And then He said this,

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. — John 16:33 NLT

Christ had just shared some very difficult truth with His dearest friends and yet He said that the very reason He was telling them was so that they could know peace when the storms hit.

What is this peace that Christ speaks of? It’s clearly not circumstantial as He promises it in the middle of trouble. Perhaps it’s easier for you to believe that for others than for yourself but if it’s a promise from Christ then it is true in the best days of life and the worst, for the richest and the poorest among us.

If you find yourself in the middle of a mess right now Christ wants to speak peace to you. Many things in life are a mystery to me but this one thing I know for sure,

God is for you.

He sees you, knows you and loves you. This is what I know about peace,

Peace is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of Christ.

That is my prayer for you.

Father,

Right now, I pray for my brothers and sisters. You know what each one is facing. I ask that Your peace would flood their hearts and minds. In the quiet of this moment Lord, we receive Your peace.

Jesus’ Second Coming

Author: J. Stephen Lang, 1.cbn.com

You don’t hear so much talk about heaven anymore or about when Jesus will return in glory. Too many believers nowadays forget how much the Bible has to say about the end of this present life.

In the past Christians took great comfort from the Lord’s promise that he would return in glory. We can still find such comfort in this belief today. Billy Graham summarized it well: “Our world is filled with fear, hate, lust, greed, war, and utter despair. Surely the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the only hope of replacing these depressing features with trust, love, universal peace, and prosperity.”

“I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds.” Matthew 16:27

“If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.” Luke 9:26

“No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So be prepared, because you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:36-42

In the Gospels, Jesus promises his return but names no specific time. The promise is intended to give people hope, but Jesus makes it clear that it should do more than that. It should cause us to live in such a way that constantly reflects our readiness to meet our Lord.

“The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return — at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.” Mark 13:34-36

“Watch out! Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

You know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “All is well; everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

The Bible ends, appropriately, with both a prayer and a promise: Jesus is coming.

“See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds.” He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:12, 20

Choose Where You Will Stand

Tracie Miles,Author, proverbs31

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)

Several years ago, I began playing tennis and became a member of a competitive team. Each week the team attends a practice clinic with our tennis professional to learn new techniques and strategies. He is always full of great tips and advice to help us improve our game, but one particular week he said something that really stuck in my mind.

He discussed the importance of court position; where we stand on the court could determine whether or not we keep the ball in play and if we win the point. Then he said that although we could not control what was going on in the court, we could always control where we stand.

I thought about how that statement is applicable not only to tennis, but to life. You see, even though we can’t control what happens in the world, we can always control where we stand on issues of righteousness and integrity. Where we choose to stand will be evidence of the role that we are allowing God to play in our lives.

For example, we have no power over the sex, drugs, language and violence on TV, but we can choose whether we watch it or not. We have no power over the content of the movies coming out in the theatres, or how lenient the ratings are, but we can choose what we allow ourselves or our children to see. We can stand for purity.

We have no power to control the beliefs and actions of other people. We cannot control the downfall of morals in our society. We cannot control the decisions that Congress makes, which new laws are put into place, escalating gas prices, politics in the workplace, questionable practices in corporations, liberal tolerance, foreign affairs, war, or the state of the economy.

In fact, sometimes it may seem that we have no control over certain situations in our own lives, much less the things happening in the world. But there is good news – we always have the choice to choose where we will stand in the game of life.

Proverbs 20:5 says, “Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within” (The Message). That is really where court position begins – in the heart. If our faith is strong and grounded, then we will be able to pull from that wisdom when faced with opportunities to choose where to stand, knowing that the power of God within us will empower us to make good decisions.

Our only hope in fighting this battle of good versus evil, in our hearts and in this broken world, is to be prepared to stand tall and firm for Christ, despite what the opposition may bring.

You know, life is a lot like a tennis court. We each have our side. We try to stay on the right side, but sometimes the balls that get thrown at us pull us in the wrong direction. Other times they are difficult to defend, cause us to stumble, or throw us off track. But if we choose the right court position to begin with, that is, to stay on God’s side and choose Him as our partner, we are much more likely to exercise the power we have within us. Drawing deep from the well of God’s wisdom in our hearts, we can do the right thing.

There are times when standing up for our faith may cause us to lose the popularity contest, but it will allow others to see God in us. And, there may even be times when our court position speaks louder than words ever could.

Where will you stand today?

Dear Lord, help me have the strength and faith to stand up for what is right when I am faced with opposition, and not be swayed by the pressures in a fallen world. Help me live a life that glorifies You, instead of just taking the easy road and going along with the crowd. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Safest Place to Be

 Dianne Neal Matthews, 1.cbn.com

The disciples could hardly believe their ears. Had Jesus forgotten how the Jews in Jerusalem recently tried to kill him? Why in the world would he want to put his life in danger by going back to Judea? (See John 11:1-16) But Jesus had just announced his intention to go to Bethany in response to a message that his friend Lazarus was sick. This news alarmed the disciples since Bethany was a mere two miles from Jerusalem; they tried to change his mind. “Rabbi, not long ago the Jews wanted to stone you to death,” they reminded him. “Do you really want to go back there?”

Jesus answered their questions with a metaphor that contrasted walking in the light versus walking in darkness. He explained that people who walk during the “day” don’t have to worry about stumbling because they have the knowledge of God’s will to guide them, but those who walk in the darkness of their own understanding and self-reliance are likely to fall. Jesus understood what his well-intentioned disciples did not: as long as he submitted to God’s plan for his life, no harm could come to him until the appointed time of his crucifixion. Jesus had no need to fear his enemies.

God has given each one of us a purpose and specific work to accomplish for him. As long as we’re doing our best to follow his plan for our life, we don’t need to worry about our safety. Nothing and no one on the earth can successfully interfere with God’s purposes. But it’s dangerous to leave the light of God’s truth and walk down a path of disobedience. It’s foolish to let ourselves be guided by the world’s standards and advice or by our own understanding if those things contradict God’s Word. That would be like traveling down a rocky road on a dark night with no source of light to guide us; we can expect to stumble and fall.

Any time we stray from God’s will, we make ourselves vulnerable to temptations, Satan’s traps, and spiritual deceptions, leading us to make unwise choices that can bring serious consequences. The only truly safe place to be is in the center of God’s will for our life. As long as we follow where he leads, we’ll be protected—even in situations that appear threatening or dangerous to human eyes. Letting our decisions and movements be shaped by obedience to God will set us free from fear concerning our welfare and safety. We may have to walk through some dark valleys on our life journey, but even in the shadow of death we have the security of knowing that we are never walking alone. The Light of the world is always right there with us.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. Psalms 23:4 (NKJV)

The Blessing

By: Gene Markland, 1.cbn.com

Mr. Spock, of Star Trek fame, would raise his hand and say “Live long and prosper.”

This “Vulcan salute,” as it has come to be called, was invented on the set of Star Trek by actor Leonard Nimoy during the filming of the second-season opener, “Amok Time.” What the people didn’t know was that the Vulcan greeting came from Leonard Nimoy’s real-life Jewish heritage. He took it from the ancient blessing the Jewish Priests would bestow upon the Israelites.

The Bible says,

“Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” (Numbers 6:23-27 NLT)

The actual blessing is done with both arms held horizontally in front, at shoulder level, with hands touching, to form the Hebrew letter “shin.” This stands for the Hebrew word for “Shaddai”, meaning “Almighty [God].”

With the hand symbol, the priest was putting the name of God on the people, sealing it upon them.

This is a special blessing God wants all of us to receive. This blessing is so important because it covers us completely in every area of our life, spiritually and materially.

This blessing is so specific that God commanded the Priests to bless the people not using their own words, but rather using an exact formulation for the blessing, prefacing the instruction with the words: “Thus shall you bless.”

This reveals that the blessing comes from the LORD Himself; the priests were a means for transmitting His gracious will. Now that we have Jesus, our Messiah, our Savior, we know that He is The High Priest and that His sacrifice has made it possible for us to enter boldly before God.

So today we can pray, petition, and speak blessings knowing that our voice will be heard, and our words will be fruitful before the Lord our Creator, because of Jesus.

As we continue to study the Priestly Blessing we learn that the people accepted the blessing and responded. So how do we receive and respond to a blessing from our Heavenly Father? We anticipate His blessing with a thankful heart and declare that His Word is so. Here is the blessing that the priests recited, along with the response of the people.

PRIEST: May the LORD bless you and protect you.

PEOPLE: Yes, may it be His will.

PRIEST: May the LORD shine His face to you and be gracious to you.

PEOPLE: Yes, may it be His will.

PRIEST: May the LORD turn (or lift up) His face to you and give to you peace.

PEOPLE: Yes, may it be His will.

You may ask, what does a Jewish blessing have to do with me?

The Bible says,

“And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you” (Galatians 3:29NLT).

So that means that all of God’s blessings are for us to obtain because Jesus paid the ultimate price. Everything he promised pertains to all of His children.

So let us expect the blessings from God and enjoy His goodness. Be thankful for the gift of His Son Jesus, which is His greatest blessing to us each day of our lives.