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What is the good news today?
I love to hear God remind me that I have been changed from the inside out!! I am a new man. A new creation. I have been baptized for the changing of my mind about my missing the mark of God’s goal for my life and raised to a new life with our Master. I have also been baptized in the Spirit of power and changed completely.
The enemy reminds me of the opposite, accusing and condemning me at every turn. His message whispers in my ear. Twisting reality and seeking to steal, kill and destroy me.
I must choose to believe the reality of our Master. May it be so every day!!!
The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Watch closely: I’m sending my preacher ahead of you; He’ll make the road smooth for you. Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!
John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.
As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”Mark 1:1-8
Will I remember to fan the flame?
Some times, ok, many times, I need to be reminded to fan the flame. So the reminder comes. It is now. The Spirit of God gives us power. This is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Why be timid? No reason at all.
I just need to fan the flame. The Spirit is in me. It is in us. No need to be timid at all.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:6 TNIV Bible
Will I see Jesus today?
When God makes a promise, He is true to His word. His Spirit gives power to the word and it comes to pass. It brings peace into our life. Simeon could have done something else about the time Jesus parent’s brought Jesus to the temple. There were lots of choices for him I bet. In fact, he probably had other plans. But the Spirit was on him and led him.
May I listen to God and not worry about my plans so much.
In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:
God, you can now release your servant;
release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
and of glory for your people Israel.
Luke 2:25-32
God is talking
God has been talking to me a long time. I can go way back. Dr. Pirtle spoke the word of God that lead me to Jesus. Jay Fesperman led me into a disciplined life in God. Bob Mumford challenged me to submit to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Derek Prince helped me see how fully I am redeemed. Most recently, Bill Johnson has shown the way to how good God is. Jack Graham shows the way to the goodness of fellowship. Sally Fesperman on how intercession is the way to Gods absolute perfection. On and on it goes. His word right out of the mouths of those I know.
It is a long line of men and women who have addressed me in different ways. And it started way before me. Thousands of years going back to the beginning, the word has come to me through those who went before me. And there were those who proceeded Jesus. In the scheme of things, that wasn’t that long ago. Jesus word holds true today coming to me directly.
It was through Jesus (and the word He spoke) that God created everything that we know as the world and the universe. He created it and it will all be His in the end. It will all belong to Jesus for sure. Jesus absolutely perfectly mirrors God. Everything God is is stamped into who Jesus is now. Because God spoke it to begin with. He is now holding it all together today by the same word He spoke so long ago. He has such powerful words. Oh my goodness, His word blasts forward to make it all happen.
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What fruit am I bearing?
What happens when I live God’s way? (I am pausing here to think on this!!!)
He brings gifts into my life. If I plant fruit in an orchard, I will reap some really tasty treats. That is the way it is. I live God’s way and He gives me fruit.
What kind of fruit is it? Things like affection for others. True caring for them. A passion for life. Serenity and peace. I have a willingness to stick with things. No starting and not finishing. Compassion for God and my friends. I get His gift of a basic holiness that permeates everything I do and the people I know. I find myself involved in extremely loyal commitments. I don’t have to force my way through anything. I am able to marshal my energy.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-26
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Will I stay thirsty?
I am thirsty. I have this desire in my heart. I am desperate for God. Nothing else will satisfy me. It is only Jesus that can quench my thirst.
He has promised living waters. Not just any kind of water. It is living water. It will flow not trickle. He fills me with His Holy Spirit. As His Spirit satisfies me, it flows out to others.
Thank you for knowing and caring!! You are amazing my Lord.
“If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within” (John 7:37–38 NLT)
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What can’t God do?
What can’t God do? It is a simple question. The silence around this one is deafening.
There is nothing He can’t do. Nothing is impossible with Him. Not a single thing. Nada.
May we all have supernatural courage. Let’s give it up for God!! He is so good. He is so great.
He is God.
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Is God serious?
Is God serious? God is very serious about His business. We should take Him seriously. He doesn’t mess around. He put the earth in place. He created it all. From nothing His word was obeyed. Everything that exists is here because He wants it that way. He has a new plan. It is bought and paid for. No need to hold back.
It is still that way. In faith, His gifts abound. His Word is still obeyed. His word doesn’t come back to Him with no results. When He says something, it happens. You can count on it.
God is very serious about His business. We should be too.
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Is it true my heart is wicked?
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezek. 36:26–27)
“This we now know: the heart is central. It matters—deeply. When we see with the eyes of the heart, which is to say, when we see mythically, we begin to awaken, and what we discover is that things are not what they seem. We are at war. We must fight for the life God intends for us, which is to say, we must fight for our heart, for it is the wellspring of that life within us.
Standing in the way of the path to life—the way of the heart— is a monstrous barrier. It has stopped far too many pilgrims dead in their tracks for far too long. There is a widespread belief among Christians today that the heart is desperately wicked—even after a person comes to Christ.
It is a crippling belief.
And it is untrue.“
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What does it take to get my attention?
What does it take to get my attention and to keep me focused? Hard to say some days. There are lots of distractions. Plenty of opportunities to miss God and what He is doing.
God’s life is not for the faint of heart. It is vigorous. It requires focus. His Spirit is the power to make it happen.
The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. ~~Jesus (Matthew 7:14)
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How does the story end?
12 years is a long time. She had tried everything. No one could help. They all tried but it was useless. Nothing else to be done so it seemed. Without hope and condemned to a painful future.
That is until she heard about Jesus. She knew he could heal her. All she needed to do was to touch him and tap into the power of the Holy Spirit in Him to be healed That is what she did and that is what happened. End of the story. She would now live in peace because of the healing power of Jesus.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.’ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’ Luke 8:43-48
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“Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is.” ~~Jesus
Sometimes we are very good at pretending. We want it to look easy. We don’t want anyone to know that living the life God wants us to isn’t as easy as it looks. Jesus challenges us to live a moral life of a whole different way that we normally think. Jesus challenges us live differently. God’s will demands that we love Him first and everyone else all the time. Jesus challenges us to not live in “pretend city”.
Admit that doing God’s will isn’t easy for us naturally. Admit that we need His Holy Spirit to give us supernatural courage. Admit it. That confession frees us up to live a life that meets His goals for us.
“Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 5:29 The Message)
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Where does my identity come from?
Jesus knew before he selected Judas that he would betray him. He wanted him as a part of the 12 regardless.
He knew Peter would deny Him. He wanted him as a part of the 12 regardless.
He knew Thomas would, at his core, doubt Him. He wanted him as a part of the 12 regardless.
He knew John was way too competitive. He wanted him as a part of the 12 regardless.
Would I do that? Probably not. Betrayal hurts. Denial hurts. Doubt hurts. Competition hurts. It hurts to the core. But Jesus also knew that his Holy Spirit would fill them. He knew they would perform greater signs and wonders than He did. He knew that day would come, when, after His resurrection, they would be transformed and fill with Power.
Jesus’ identity did not come from anyone but His Father. And he knew how much His Father loved Him. He knew it in his core. So he could select a bunch of men who would betray Him, deny Him, doubt Him, be way too competitive with each other and yet be open to Him. They would leave Him alone at the most important moment. He knew it. He was grounded in His Father’s love and pleasing Him. He loved them no matter what.
May I do the same. May my identity come from my Father who is so perfectly good all the time. May my love come from my Father who is always in a good mood and has my best interest in mind. May my heart be grounded in Him!!
So be it!!! Whoo Hoo!!!
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Is there a whole lot of shaking going on?
There is a whole lot of shaking going on. It isn’t about the economy or politics. The shaking is God’s World (Kingdom) being established. The shaking is God establishing His new agreement with a people after His own heart. The shaking is His light driving out all darkness. The shaking is His love binding up the broken hearts and healing our bodies. The shaking is His Spirit moving in power.
In God’s Kingdom, there are no political parties. In God’s Kingdom, there is no need for bailout plans, He has all the resources He needs. In God’s Kingdom, there is no need for medical insurance because He is our insurance. In God’s Kingdom, all His benefits are available for us every day.
Clearly, His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He knows what He is doing. He is shaking things up and that is a VERY good thing.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 NIV
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Did Jesus keep His promise?
We are at war. The prize is my heart. Jesus kept His promise. He healed my heart.
I need to prize what Jesus has done. I have a whole heart.
Of course your heart would be the object of a great and fierce battle. It is your most precious possession. Without your heart you cannot have God. Without your heart you cannot have love. Without your heart you cannot have faith. Without your heart you cannot find the work you were meant to do. In other words, without your heart you cannot have life. The question is, Did Jesus keep his promise? What has he done for our hearts? ~~John Eldredge
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Where is the Holy Spirit leading me today?
After his baptism, Jesus learned to live, in the present, with the power of the Holy Spirit. He was baptized with water and in the Spirit. Being in the now with Spirit causes us, like Him, to be led by the Spirit.
Where is God’s Holy Spirit leading me today?
May I live in the Now with Jesus.
Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry. Luke 4:1-2
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Where will I find God’s wisdom?
We don’t find God’s wisdom in the popular philosophies that are floating around. This is not about the “success mentality” we hear so much about. This is not about our mission statement.
It is about what the Holy Spirit will reveal to us. It is about know what God wants us to do. It is about hearing His living word, right now. We won’t find it lying around on the surface.
May I know God, what He wants me to do and understand that is wisdom.
You don’t find God’s wisdom lying around on the surface. (1 Corinthians 2:7 The Message)
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Half empty or half full? Finally the answer
Jesus promises that I will do even greater things than He did.
So … how is this possible? Well, I must follow the way He did it. He emptied Himself. He only 
did what He saw His Father doing. His power wasn’t in who He was. His power is in who His Father is.
So the age old question; “Half empty or half full?” is actually a false question. The answer is: completely empty. That is the answer to the question not asked. I must be filled with His HOLY Spirit.
That is what I must do. What is my Father doing? That is what I should do. His will be done. Here in my house as it is in heaven.
I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19
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Who am I focused on?
Now here is some great advise from the Apostle Paul. He knew what he was talking about. This is how he lived his life in Jesus. Even when in prison for telling about the Good News of GOD, he would celebrate.
When we celebrate GOD, our focus is on Him and not us. May seem straight forward but much of conversation with God is about us, not Him. That is not the way it should be.
Celebrating God gets us focused on what He wants. That is the way it should be. I should do it all day long. From the time I wake up in bed till the time I fall asleep at night.
Celebrate God all day, every day. (Philippians 4:4 The Message)
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Am I wandering around in a fog? Is that a bad thing?
Wisdom. We all want it I think. What is the path? How do we get there?
God is GOD. He has, from before the beginning of time, had a plan in mind. He is executing against it, day by day, year by year, century by century, millennium by millennium. We seek to understand it all but some days we just can’t. It is a mystery. We are wondering around in a fog to some extent.
What we do know is that He has a plan in mind. We trust Him that it will all unfold, just as He has planed it out. His purpose will be achieved and we will see His glory. So be it!!
I want to understand God and have His wisdom. I need to seek out what is His purpose to get there.
God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. (1 Corinthians 2:6 The Message)
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Am I anxious for the right thing?
So I have to suffer a little. It is no big deal. Some days are hard. But there is no comparison between today’s challenges and the good times that are coming. In 
fact, I should be anxious for what is coming next. I can hardly wait. I am eager for what is going to be revealed in us who are His children.
All of creation waits with eager anticipation at our revealing. It is not all clear now but it will be soon.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:18-19
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Can I rest?
REST…i haz it (Photo credit: carrierdetect)
Life is restful in Jesus!! In Him is real rest not temporary relief.
I can just take it easy when I am a partner with Him. He has won the victory. He has defeated death. He is sitting right next to His Father with everything taken care of and in order. Or I can try to work hard and do it my way.
So he beckons me with that wonderful smile on His face. He say, “Hey Mike, come over here. Sit down with me. Why don’t you quit working so hard? Why are you so worried? I will give you rest. Just sit here with me. How does that sound?”
It sounds wonderful!! Thank you so VERY much!!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
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Want wisdom? It is all about knowing Jesus better
I long to know Jesus better. That is it. That is the BIG thing I want in my life. Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. He set the clear example for us. That is it for sure where I need to be going with things.
I want His intelligence. I want His wisdom. I desire discernment in knowing Jesus personally. But the end of it all is to know Him better.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17
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“But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part” ~~Apostle Paul
Saint Paul with a Scroll and a Sword. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Paul depended on Jesus and the Holy Spirit to speak about the Good News. He depended on Jesus completely. While he could be eloquent, he learned that it wasn’t of any use. He must have the power of GOD. That is all that matters. Speaking with the power of the resurrected Jesus.
Can I not rely on myself and depend on Jesus?
“But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part” ~~Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 1:12 The Message)
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“A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls.” ~~King Solomon
An apricot and its cross section (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When we live the life God has intended for us, it is like a tree that gives us delicious fruit. There is nothing like fresh fruit. We all love it. I was at the market yesterday and just had to get some figs and apricots.
That is in contrast to a life of violence. I think this is not just physical. Anything opposite of doing what GOD wants us too is violence against GOD and it destroys our very souls.
Thank GOD for the Holy Spirit of GOD that gives us the power to live the resurrected life of Jesus. Now that is Good News.
“A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls.” ~~King Solomon (Proverbs 11:30)
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What will I say?
Oh man, this hits home with me. I think a lot. I am a thinker. So, I think about what I am going to say. I rehearse things in my mind. Maybe this goes back to my acting and speaking training. So yes … I worry about how or what I am going to say.
I need to trust that my heavenly Father will give me what I need to say. His Spirit speaks in me. So if it is His Spirit speaking in my, why would I worry?
Do not worry about how or what you are to say ; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Matthew 10:19-20
Is it counterfeit?
It is all about love!! May our Father’s HOLY Spirit bring more love!!! How powerful is that?
“The Pentecostal power, when you sum it all up, is just more of God’s love. If it does not bring more love, it is simply a counterfeit.”
—– William J. Seymour (quoted in “Apostolic Faith”)
I am an open book to you
say before I even say it; before I even begin the first sentence. He knows what I am going to think before I even think it. I can’t go anywhere to avoid His HOLY Spirit.Where can I go from Your Spirit ? Or where can I flee from Your presence ? Psalm 139:7
Working up a thirst
It is as if I have been traveling across a desert. A very dry and weary desert. I am so hungry. I am very thirsty for my God. I have worked myself up to it. I just thirst after God. I can’t get enough of Him.
God can do anything
I have ideas. I imagine, “what if”. Some of this stuff is pretty cool!! Does it seem to be far fetched sometimes? Yes, it does. But God can do anything. He can go way beyond my ideas, my dreams. And, He does it through His Spirit which is already at work within me. Wow!!!
May I not limit God to my dreams. May I lean in to hear what He has in mind. It is more than I can ever imagine. His desire for me is greater than my desires for myself.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians3:20
Songs from my heart
What excuse do I find to sing a song to God? I don’t need one. Everything is a reason to praise Him.
May I drink in huge draughts of the HOLY Spirit. May I be filled with Him.
Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20
Wait for what the Father promised
Jesus told them they had to wait. He didn’t have to. He could have given them the Spirit of God right then and there. But He wanted them to wait. And so they did. And they received the Spirit of God and the power that goes with Him.
He didn’t leave them hanging though. He promised the Spirit would come soon. And He did.
We live in a world where we want everything, and I mean everything, now. We don’t like to wait. Patience is not seen as a virtue.
Here is a clue. God is in control. In His government, He isn’t in a hurry. Sometimes he wants us to wait. Our job is to obey.
As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.” Acts 1:1-5
My inner being
My heavenly Father is VERY rich. His riches exceed anything I can imagine. They are glorious. Through the power of His Spirit, He can strengthen my inner being. Jesus, the Master, can dwell in my heart. I must have faith to make it happen.
May I have faith and be strengthened in my inner being. May His Spirit stengthen me.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17
God can do anything
I have ideas. I imagine “what if”. Some of this stuff is pretty cool!! Do these ideas seem to be far fetched sometimes? Yes, they do.
God can do anything. He can go way beyond my ideas, my dreams. And, He does it through His Spirit which is already at work within me. Wow!!!
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians3:20
May I not limit God to my ideas. May I lean in to hear what He has in mind.
Something else to be anxious for
So here is something else to be anxious for. I should keep my arms open. They are outstretched . I am eager for His mercy. I am ready beyond anything I have felt before for our Master’s mercy. I am staying at the center of of God’s love. I am building myself up in in holy faith. I am praying in the Spirit. This life in Him never ends. It goes on and on and on. It is the real life.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21
When I am inadequate
Paul wasn’t afraid to admit that he was inadequate. Now that is something. In fact, he was scared to death.
So where did that lead him? Straight to God. He is able. Nothing is impossible with Him. The Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead was in Paul and is in me.
I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
The Yes of Jesus
God makes a promise. Jesus says YES to it. The Holy Spirit makes it happen in us. Jesus is the great “So Be It” of God. So when Jesus says YES and we agree with Him, the power comes forth. God affirms us in Him. He makes it a sure thing. God puts the YES of Jesus in us. He has sealed His pledge with His Spirit.
This is the complete promise of a beginning in the new plan. His goal will be achieved. That is the YES of Jesus.
Endorsements
Recommendations. Endorsements. Credentials. References. The way of this world. Is this God’s way? Should we be focused on the ways of the past?
The Spirit of God and the fruit of changed lives is all we need. This is the present and endoresments, etc. are the past. What is happening now is what is important. What is God saying today? What is God doing today?
Does it sound like we’re patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we’re not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. The Messian himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
2 Corinthians 3:1-3
May I live today in the power of God’s Spirit. May that be all I need.
A mere stagehand
John was doing some amazing things. People were coming out to see him in droves. He was clear and he was careful. It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. He saw himself as the stagehand. His message about Jesus was amazing:
- He would ignite the Kingdom life in us.
- He would bring a fire within us, the Holy Spirit.
- We would be changed from the inside out by Him.
- He would make a clean sweep in our lives.
- He puts everything in proper perspective.
- Everything in our life that is trash is burned in the fire of His Spirit.
But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” Luke 3:16-17
I resolve to do something out of the ordinary
I resolve to do something out of the ordinary. I commit to living a superordinary life in Jesus. I will live the radical life Jesus called me to live.
It was Henry David Thoreau who wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” I don’t admire Thoreau as a theologian, but I think he largely got it right in this quote describing the normal human condition and maybe the condition of lots of Christians.
I believe a large number of people, perhaps even you, get bogged down in the routines of life. I have nothing against routines, except when they become our master. Much can be said about the righteousness of living a careful, responsible life before God. But, this is not at issue for me in this resolution.
My fear is that the life Jesus lived and died to give us (“I came that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10) can get lost in the devotion to safety and routine. I’m not advocating going out today to partake in some “extreme” thrill sport. I’m simply encouraging you to do something outside of your normal routine, to experience life outside the lines you’ve drawn, to provide yourself with the opportunity to “sing your song.” God is ready to do amazing things. His Holy Spirit is in us and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We can live an extra-ordinary life in Him.
How? Only you can decide for sure, but maybe it’s as simple as, at the prompting of God, taking the long way home from school or work to gain a new perspective on the world right around you that otherwise goes unnoticed. Maybe he wants to perform a miracle in someones life we don’t normally see. Maybe He wants us to be the Good Samaritan.
How?
How do we get things done in God’s world? What makes the difference? Does it happen if we are just strong and force our way through life?
Not in God’s world. It happens by His spirit. The victory belongs to Him no matter how much we plan and get ready. That is the lesson of Jesus. He just did what He saw His Father doing. Sometimes I get confused thinking I should be able to do it all by myself and then get the credit.
May I know in the depths of my heart that it is God who is the source of accomplishments.
He said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
Not showing up
Paul decided not to show up, even though he was wanted. How often, just because someone asks us to come, do we show up not even thinking, is this something God wants us to do?
Sometimes there is a pain that our Spirit filled life brings to others. Sometimes the timing is off. Better to show up when God wants us and not just because someone asked us to. Seek God. He will lead the way.
That’s why I decided not to make another visit that could only be painful to both of us. If by merely showing up I would put you in an embarrassingly painful position, how would you then be free to cheer and refresh me? 2 Corinthians 2:1-2
Staying centered
There are some things to be careful about. We must take responsibility for building ourselves up. In fact, we can listen to ourself, others, and the enemy in ways that take us out of God’s love. Praying in the Holy Spirit connects us with God’s love. If I am not feeling His love, I am not hearing Him.
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy supernatural courage by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! Jude 1:20-21
May I stay right at the center of His love!!
Am I a vandal?
I am not what I think I am some times. In fact, Paul reminds us that we are, in fact, the temple of God.
This is rather statling and amazing. God is present in me. Do I always act that way? Clearly not. If I always believed that I wouldn’t vandalize what is His.
Simple. Straightforward. Clear.
You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
May I believe, think and act knowing that God himself is present in me.
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