I Will Pour Out MY Spirit

The Holy Spirit calls me on this day to be thankful, and then reminds me of the Father's great promise recorded in Joel 2:28 and again in Acts 2:17:

In the last days, God says, 

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy

your young men will see visions

your old men will dream dreams

even on my servants both men and women

I will pour out my Spirit.

I doubt that any who know God's Word and sees what is going on around the world would argue that these are not the last days spoken of by the Prophets of old. The collapse of societies everywhere speaks to the reality that our times are coming to an end.

This means that time is short for the salvation of the lost. The stakes are high: lost souls yet to find their way into the Kingdom of God. It is God's unfailing mercy that He is willing to pour out His Spirit and give evidence of Himself though supernatural signs and wonders to the unbelieving world.

So, I listen with eager ears to what the Spirit is saying to me. I am compelled to desperately seek the spiritual gifts promised and now confident that these are the days and times when a "spirit filled", supernatural walk with the Lord is not only possible but necessary to fulfill God's purpose for those of us with the privilege of being alive at this great, grand finale of man's days upon the earth. This is a time of the final harvest and we have been chosen to participate in it.

I speak to a lot of God's people and we all seem to be full of the same desire: to know and operate in our Spiritual gifts, under the anointing by the Holy Spirit that can only come from our Heavenly Father.

God is speaking to all of us who believe and His Spirit is calling for us to walk in the fullness of our potential. Our gifts strengths and talents are given for such a time as this. But to have the power and authority and anointing necessary for us to glorify our Father and our Lord, and to share His Gospel unto the salvation of the lost, we must be under the control of His Holy Spirit.

Today, I praise God and thank Him for His Holy Spirit who speaks to all with an ear to hear. I praise God for what is about to take place in the Body of Christ and through the witness by His people of the miraculous signs and wonders that the Spirit of Holiness is working.

Jesus said to the unbelieving world, "even if you do not believe in my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 10:38) May we, the Church of the Living God, be able to speak the same word, having miracles we can point to as the evidence.

Get ready Church, for a mighty move of His Spirit. Pray that each one of us will co-operate with His Divine Will, and do our part as the Spirit desires to use each one of us and the gifts He will impart.

The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Angels in our World

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  When YHWH created all things, humanity was not the only "beings" He created and breathed life into.  At what point in eternity these celestial beings were created is not know through scripture.  We know they exist and that they, like us, have a Divine role and position associated with God's purposes.

Lately I have been moved to share testimonies of the lessons I have been taught through Divine intervention.  This morning the Lord reminded me of the time He sent 2 angels when I was stuck on the side of the road.        

While usually "invisible" to our human eye, once in a while angels might take on the form of a human to assist us when we need help here on earth.  Hebrews 1:14 gives a bit of an understanding as to the role the angels play in the everyday lives of believers.  "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth (on a mission) to minister for (by, through, or for the sake of) those who will inherit salvation?"  Such was Paul's understanding of these celestial beings we call angels.  

There are many instances of Adonai's Divine intervention through His angels written about in Scripture but I wanted to share a personal story of my own.

It was a fall evening in California and as the sun was setting, a storm began to sprinkle down rain. I was on the freeway making a last minute rush delivery to a customer and running late.  Speeding down the 91 in Riverside heading into Anaheim, I heard a sound like a helicopter over head.   Fearing it was the speed police I slowed down and moved from the 4th lane into the 3rd lane.  I still heard the sound and moved into the 2nd lane but then realized the noise was coming from my car. 

I pulled all the way onto the shoulder shut off the engine and realized I'd had a blowout in my right front tire. Praising the Lord for His protection from loss of control and a worse catastrophe, I got out to see the damage. Sure enough, totally flat right front tire. I know how to change a flat so I got out the jack and tools.  

As  I was getting those things out of my car, I was praying that the Lord would help me change the tire, but in my fear of someone stopping on the freeway and the potential harm, I also prayed that no one would stop even to help.  

I found the spare, and set about to change the tire.  Unfortunately, the lug nuts had been put on with a machine and I didn't have the strength to loosen them in order to remove the flat tire.  The tension in my heart was welling up as I was late on the rush delivery and no way to finish the tire change.  I put my head in my hands and pleaded that the Lord give me the help I needed to get the lug nuts off.  I was waiting for a surge of supernatural strength.

Just then, a man appeared out of now where and approached me saying, "You look like you could use some help".  I looked around for a car and saw none.  I responded that I could use some help getting the lug nuts off the tire.  He said he could do that and told me to go into the driver's seat and put on the breaks.  I noticed he stood up so I went around the car to where he was standing and looked at the tire.  He said "Can you take it from here?"  I said "sure, I can change a tire" and with that he walked away and when I turned back around, he was gone and the lug nuts were in the hubcap. Total answer to my prayer.

Scratching my head on that one, I was talking to the Lord and laughing at myself.  Next time I will ask for all that I need.  Why didn't I ask for the tire to be changed? Many reason I suppose, but next time I will present the complete need to my Heavenly Father.

Just as I am pondering the lesson about asking for more not less, another man walks up to me from the other side of the car and says, "you look like you could use some help".  The exact words the first "man" spoke.   I looked around and again no car.  I responded better this time.  "Well, actually I could use some help changing this flat tire."

We were both looking at the lug nuts in the hubcap and I explained someone ese had stopped earlier and removed the lug nuts for me. 

He asked if I thought it strange that this man would remove the lug nuts and not change the tire?  I laughed at myself and I told him "not when you know how I prayed". He proceeded to change the tire and get me on my way. I  noticed he had no car and asked if I could give him money for his help and a ride somewhere?  He said "no, I'll just go over there and sit under that tree",  which was part of the landscape off the freeway. I drove away marveling as to how the Lord brought not one but two "strangers" to assist me.  

That experience taught me a lot about prayer; make it complete to the need you are praying about. About angels; they come in a "variety" of looks and these two looked quite scruffy. About our Heavenly Father; never underestimate the sudden appearance of His Heavenly hosts and their role in helping us in big and small ways.

I know for a fact there are angels in our world and I'm thankful to have them keeping us in all our ways.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

 

        

The Power of God's Love

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  Infirmity has been an unwelcome presence in our home and stayed longer than we liked.  The forest does not respect the rest that is needed and weed sprout up when no one can pluck them out of places where they do not belong. 

The Holy One uses all things in my life to teach me ad instruct me in the knowledge of Himself and to help me understand our relationship.  Being down in the weed fest of the forest brings up visions of the National Geographic show about earth, post humanity  and how vegetation will take over all our habitations.

Being overwhelmed at the view from my back door would be the understatement of the year as I see all the living areas overtaken by undesirable vegetation.  Weeds can quickly overgrow a garden and choke out good fruit, much like wrong thinking can despoil righteous works.  

The Holy Spirit begins today's lesson as I turn my attention to His gentle Presence and away from the problem of the weeds.  I hear Him say, "Many people want a relationship with Me only for the love of My power, not for the power of My love."

I have to admit, I was expecting to hear more about weeds and tares than about a "power" problem.  His wisdom begins to impact my thoughts and I realize the Truth behind the statement. At the advent of His first coming, many were looking for a powerful King Messiah, who would rescue them from the power of Rome and establish a kingdom for them here on earth.

God's chosen needed only a powerful King for them to rule and reign on earth. Imagine the disappointment when Jesus was mocked and crucified and did nothing to defend Himself or punish those who impaled him on their death stake.

Luke 23:35, "The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at Him.  He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the chosen One".  Even the thief on the cross voiced his exceeding disappointment that this "Messiah" wielded no power that he could tap into.  Luke 23:39, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him "Aren't you the Christ?  Save yourself and us".

Until Jesus came to show men the Father, God was distant and unapproachable except by a few and not very friendly or relational except to a few.  His power was not in question, but His love was.

The power side of humanity wants to have and control the power.  There is nothing new under the sun, so as we manage our relationship with our Lord we need to be aware of our flesh lust for power.  

We can know God as Father, and we understand Jesus came to save, but with the miraculous model of supernatural power that laced the ministry of the Messiah, we can fall victim to the possibility that a relationship with the Creator might become a power-grab of sorts.

I am sure there were some heady moments when the Lord sent out his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and evict demons from their human habitations.  Left unchecked, pride can rule our flesh life and make us altogether unfit for any assignment to serve the Holy One.

By His words to me this morning, I know the Holy One wants me to assess myself.  I know that He sees things in me that I may not detect and they are often times things about our relationship or my understanding of His being that need correction.

If I love my Lord I will pay attention when he tells me things that may be bothersome or a grief to Him.  Rather than defend myself, I must ask Him to show me what He sees.

Back in the day before His first coming, the people were looking for a King Messiah.  Instead Jesus came as a suffering one.  The cross cut through all their pride in relationship and the thoughts of being on the "winning team".  Loyalty to their friend, Jesus, cost them their very lives and so it is for us today.

For those who may be thinking that Christianity is like a "power grab" and that the power of Heaven delegated to the saved means an easy road and constant victory with temporal blessings for the asking, they might need to take another look at the Cross.

One of the clear distinctions our Lord made by His voluntary crucifixion unto death, is that He died to restore a relationship lost;  not through human power but through Divine love.

What does the Lord want me to glean out of today's counsel?  I see it boils down to a motive check.  Do I seek the Lord for what I want or need Him to do?   Or do I seek Him for who He is in relationship?  The sacred romance can be tainted by a love of power and desire to be on the winning team of this life.

Trials and temptations come hard and fast.  Some days I meet the brick wall of silence from Heaven and realize it is shaped like a cross.  These are the days when our true motives in following Christ get tested and checked.

Are we captivated by the love of His power or by the power of His love?

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

Cure for the Sin of the Soul

 The Holy One calls to me this morning.  He always brings a refreshment to my soul.  Even as He is working to purify my "stinkin thinkin", His Presence brings relief.

The accuser of the brethren (as Satan has been described) hurls his insults at my mind.  The attack begins during the watches of the night, just under the radar of my conscious awareness.  The enemy begins early to try to infect my thoughts and make his evil presence known on the battlefield of my mind.

I am thankful that Holiness wakes me each morning with reminders that He rules my life; that the enemy can hurl his insults and take his potshots at me, but in the end my relationship with the Holy One always prevails unto victory.

Today, as the enemy reminds me of past failures that seem to relate to current issues, the Holy One speaks:  "The past does not dictate the future.  You are a different woman today than the one who got deceived years ago".  His gentle voice and sweet love floods my soul.  The One who knows me better than I know myself comforts me.  There is no guilt, no condemnation, no bitter words or even an innuendo that suggests rejection.

The Holy One continues,  "We see sin differently than you do".  Since the "opinion" of Trinity is the only one that counts, I press in to hear what  my Lord has to say to me on this subject.  "The sins of the flesh that you are so prone to focus on are temporal.  The laws I have given for the temporal, affect the best interests of your flesh life in a fallen world.  The more important sin to be dealt with is the sin of the soul and My Law in that regard affects the best interest of your Spirit life for all eternity.

I am always amazed at the simplicity of Truth.

The sin of the soul is willful independence from the One who created us.  The sins of the flesh are just symptoms of the sin of the soul.

Humans seem to be in the constant turmoil over the flesh failures, and  thinking that our Savior, Jesus Christ,  came to offer one more tool for the "big" issue of sin management.  Or worse yet, one more impossible requirement to an already inexhaustible list of what is required to have peace within.

Far from that, the Savior came to obliterate once and for all the "soul sin" that separates us from our Creator God, and that which is the source of all the "flesh sins" we see being carried out in ourselves and others.

God, Himself,  has offered the only way to cleanse the "soul sin" we are all infected with at birth; the soul sin that leads to soul death for all eternity.

Jesus was sent into this fallen world to bring the cure.  We always quote John 3:16 as God's great love for us but the next verse brings additional clarity regarding the Heart of the Creator for His beloved creation I.E. each one of us.  "For God did not send His Son into the world (of people) to condemn the world (of people) but to save the world (of people) through Him".

"For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

From God's end the problem is solved. The cure has been granted for any who would choose to take it. Jesus came and did what was necessary to save every person ever born from the "soul sin" that causes death of the person/soul for all eternity.

Now,  the big question we each, individually, must answer is: "will I take the cure?"

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?