Sharon Jaynes- If you were going off to war, and knew you’d be put on the front lines and probably wouldn’t be coming back home to your family, what would you tell them?
Jesus was in that very situation as He shared His last meal with the disciples in the upper room. All along, He had given them clues about how His earthly life would end and the purpose for His brief life here on earth. But they didn’t understand.
They refused to believe their king would be anything other than worshiped as He had been when He rode into town on the back of a donkey and was hailed with palm branches and praise.
I imagine during their last meal together, Jesus went through a mental list of what He needed to tell His friends before He went to the cross. John records those precious moments in John 13–17.
Those words are some of the most endearing of Scripture and ones I read time and time again. I encourage you to read those chapters and place yourself in that room with Jesus, for you, dear one, are one of His disciples, and the words Jesus shared with the Twelve are meant for you as well.
Let’s look at one word of comfort and instruction regarding a special parting gift Jesus was leaving His trusted friends. He said:
If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them (John 14:15-21).
Did you catch that the Holy Spirit had been with them, but now He was going to be in them? What difference do you think that would make in someone’s life? What difference has that made in your life?
After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and transformed a bunch of bungling cowards into powerful, prophesying preachers. They commanded the lame to walk, cast out demons, preached to the masses, confronted angry crowds, and laughed in the face of death.
They changed the world.
On that glorious day at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the worshiping believers, a new day was unleashed for the church. The Holy Spirit now resides in every person who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 8:9). The Spirit of the living God has empowered us with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-22).
Then why don’t we exercise that power? Because we don’t believe.
In developing countries, it is not unusual to hear of miraculous healings, signs, and wonders, and even the raising of the dead. No one told them those things don’t happen anymore. Praise God for that! They believe in the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and expect God to show up when they call on His name.
Oh that we would put our sophisticated, over-educated minds aside and go to God as children who believe He is who He says He is and does what He says He will do.
When we come to Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:14), as a seal upon our hearts (Ephesians 1:13), and as a permanent resident within us (Hebrews 13:5).
But we have the choice to stumble about in our own strength, saying “I can’t,” or embrace the power of the Holy Spirit and say, “I can.”
Today, I’m choosing to access the power that is already mine. What about you?
Let’s Pray
Lord, I’ll be honest, sometimes I forget that I even have the power of the Holy Spirit in me. I stumble about like I’m spiritually blind rather than walk surefooted like an empowered child of the King. Help me to access the power that You have already given me. Help me to understand what that power looks like. Help me to understand the person of the Holy Spirit better.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
Today’s Truths-
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another advocate to help you and be with you
forever--the Spirit of truth" John 14:16-17 (NIV).
“This is what real love is: it is not our love for God;
it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our
place to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10).
Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting
up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2 (NKJV)
Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting
up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2 (NKJV)
~ Max Lucado- When it comes to love, be careful. Take a good look around. Don’t force what is wrong to be right. Be prayerful. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as he loves.
“God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fill our hearts
“God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fill our hearts
with his love” (Romans 5:5).
Today's guest post- Prayer as Incense
Christy Lindsay-
"People in my church call me a prayer warrior. Their term makes me a little uncomfortable, since it implies engaging in battle. Those in our armed forces fight hard to keep us free. When people apply the term to me, I feel as if they’re misusing it."
Today's question-
What's better than the pursuit of God?
It takes someone who cares and who is looking for God to see Him. A striving within will bring a desire to know truth. We need to pursue what it is that God is doing by reading His Word, the Bible.
When we respond, the Holy Spirit will direct us to be supple and obedient to His leadings. It's through repentance and asking for forgiveness that He will gently guide us to know the Father. He is our Encourager and Comforter within those of us who believe in Christ's atoning work on the cross, death, burial, and resurrection.
There's nothing more important than our pursuit of peace with the Creator-God, as He loves us and desires fellowship with us!
What's better than the pursuit of God?
It takes someone who cares and who is looking for God to see Him. A striving within will bring a desire to know truth. We need to pursue what it is that God is doing by reading His Word, the Bible.
When we respond, the Holy Spirit will direct us to be supple and obedient to His leadings. It's through repentance and asking for forgiveness that He will gently guide us to know the Father. He is our Encourager and Comforter within those of us who believe in Christ's atoning work on the cross, death, burial, and resurrection.
There's nothing more important than our pursuit of peace with the Creator-God, as He loves us and desires fellowship with us!
List of recent sermons of CFC ministers. CFC Potsdam church has a live service at 10 am Sunday's for shut-ins. If for some reason you can't make it to the church you usually attend, click on the above link, and still get fed!
Upcoming posts-
#71 Your Prayer Controls Your Work
17th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#72 Prayer Prepares God's Blessing for Each Service
19th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
Hand in Hand
21st- Saturday's post by Toni Campbell
#73 Your Prayer Must Saturate Message Preparation
24th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Due
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Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)
Jean's published book Paper back $7.95
(Be sure to "look inside" to see contents
through the 2nd devotion)
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