The Holy Spirit is the power source of the Christian life

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1)

At the beginning of each New Year, multitudes of people make a resolution to change a particular area in their life that needs improvement. The most common ones are to lose weight, reduce debt, and stop smoking. Most have every good intention to correct the problem, but many give up by February, if not sooner.

As followers of Christ, often we too set out to renounce particular habits and behaviors, along with solemn promises to embark a more dedicated walk with the Lord. We might pledge to read our Bibles and pray on a daily basis, to faithfully attend church and tithe regularly, or to serve in a particular church ministry or outreach. However, just like the majority of people who break their New Year’s resolutions, we too may have fallen off track, abandoning our commitment and forfeiting the victory we earnestly desired.

If this sounds all too familiar, today is the day to get back on track! Do not allow the enemy, your flesh, nor guilt and shame to keep you disqualified from that which you wholeheartedly desire. Get back in the race so you can achieve the goals you set out to attain on behalf of God, yourself and others.

In Proverbs 24:16 we read, “for though a righteous man (woman) falls seven times, he (she) rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.” Refuse to allow the enemy to bring you down into calamity, eliminating you from receiving that which God desires to see you win.

With determination and self-control, realistic goals, continuous reliance on the Holy Spirit, an accountability group (if needed), and fixing your eyes on Jesus, you’re on the way to victory. In Hebrews 12:1 we read, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Ask God to reveal the ‘weight and hindrances’ that are entangling you. Pray that the Holy Spirit will aid you in overcoming fleshly desires and the works of the enemy so you can come out a winner. Remember, it is never too late to get back on track, become victorious in all that He seeks to accomplish in and through you, and pass some of your victory unto others that are struggling.

Heavenly Father, pardon me for my shortcomings. May Your Holy Spirit empower me to live a victorious life that brings honor and glory to Your name.  May I run this race with perseverance in hopes of bringing others into the victory lane as well. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen     

Question: Is there a certain area of weakness you have been battling?

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

We consider a country a kingdom when the monarch rules with absolute authority like in Saudi Arabia or Vatican City. The leader exercises his control over every aspect of life and his wishes in every realm. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them to say, “Your kingdom come”.

Jesus was talking about God’s rule and dominion. In God’s kingdom, God reigns supreme with complete and recognized authority. In this kingdom subjects fulfill God’s will, plan and purpose. Everyone and everything bows in submission to God.

Unlike the earthly domain we live in, God’s domain functions differently:

• “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)
• “The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)
• “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:31)

When we ask for God’s kingdom to come, it means we invite God’s dominion in our lives. We surrender our wills in order to carry out His will. We submit to His plan. God desires His kingdom – His rule and authority – be at work in those who seek Him. We don’t need to wait for eternity to begin experiencing God’s kingdom. Instead, we can live in His kingdom today.

Heavenly Father, We pray as Jesus directed us to pray. You are God in heaven. Holy is Your name. I ask Your kingdom to come in my heart, in my home and in my community. I want Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Questions: What area of your life do you need God’s kingdom to come? Why do we need God’s kingdom to come in our lives first, before we worry about others?

 Well, we know that the word of God is very important, but like seed without water it lies dormant until we add the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why sometimes God’s written word can seem dull and makes no sense to us. To be able to properly read and understand the word we need to realize that it is a spiritual language, and can only be understood by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who teaches us and causes the word to come to life for us, as we surrender and invite him to fill and control us (1 John 2:27).

Don’t just be satisfied with having “knowledge” about what the bible says, add the Holy Spirit and move from words to power.  A seed is just a seed until you add water – but once you do… life starts to burst forth, food, trees, babies! God’s word is seed (Luke 8:11). We need to take the seed of the word, plant it in our lives, and by the power of the Holy Spirit expect a crop of hope, joy, healing, saved loved ones, healed relationships, victory, and success. Don’t settle for just knowing God’s word, add the water of the Spirit, and expect to “experience” everything promised to us through it.

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

Learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit with this classic series from Campus Crusade for Christ founder Dr Bill Bright.

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)

The beautifully wrapped gift sat under the Christmas tree. All the other gifts had been claimed and opened. This one just sat there. Each day someone told the woman to open it – it was hers. Each day she felt content to just know the gift was there, with her name on it. It belonged to her. But she never possessed it… she never used it… she never enjoyed it. What a waste!

Yet that is so often what we do with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We know, as Christians, that when we receive Jesus as our Savior, He gives us the Holy Spirit as our helper and our comforter. But many Christians never really claim this gift. They seem content to just know it’s there, with their name on it.

1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

1 Corinthians 3:16 asks us, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

And still more. Listen…

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power!” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

When we live our lives out in powerless Christianity, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, we need to ask ourselves again, “Don’t I know that I am God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in me… that I have received the spirit that is from God and not from the world so that I may understand what God has given me? Help me Lord to truly understand that being a part of your kingdom means more than just talk but it means power – power for living!”

Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you up to overflowing. Don’t be afraid of doing this. God made you to be exactly the unique you that you are! He can be trusted to come in power in your individual life. He will not make you into someone you are not. He will bring you understanding so that you may live in His power in all your circumstances.

Don’t you know, oh Christian, that the Spirit of the Living God lives in you? Invite Him to work freely and bring His power. Don’t settle for anything less.

Question: Have you invited the Holy Spirit to fill you up? If not, what holds you back? If you have, what difference did it make in your life?

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”" Matthew 26:36-38

Transparency is an oft – overlooked element in our growing closer to Jesus Christ. Intimacy with the Lord requires our full, humble, and honest openness before Him.

Jesus Himself was a wonderful model of openness as He dealt with His disciples. For instance, we read in today’s Bible verse that, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus shared with the disciples His anguish over His upcoming crucifixion and brief separation from God the Father.

Knowing that the sins of the entire world were about to be cast upon Him, Jesus grieved, even to point of near death. Here was God, clothed in human flesh, being completely honest, open, and forthright about His emotions. This is how Christ would have us react to Him.

A proud, arrogant, egotistical, self – sufficient Christianity bristles at the thought of such transparency. Why should I burden God with this when I can handle it myself? I’m just not going to deal with God about this. Such thinking and behavior goes against everything for which God created us.

However, God cherishes and honors a humble, contrite spirit from someone trying to be himself or herself before the Lord. Confess sin, worry, doubt, and fear. He already knows all, but your willingness to intimately share with Him all the details speaks volumes about the bent of your heart.

Question: Where do you find it easiest to have “intimacy” (quiet time) with God?

 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

John continues to hammer the truth into our hearts. To believe in God or as he now phrases it – to be born of God – means we have been changed. Listen to John’s description of those who are born of God:

• everyone who does what is right has been born of Him (1 John 2:29)
• no one who is born of God will continue to sin (1 John 3:9)
• he cannot go on sinning, because he is born of God (1 John 3:9)
• everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7)
• everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1)
• everyone born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)
• anyone born of God does not continue to sin (1 John 5:18)

No difference remains between word and deed. Belief and action become perfectly united. The new life God brings breathes consistency. This is the miracle of rebirth!

In his gospel, John quotes Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Jesus describes a spiritual process. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:6-7)

Deadened by sin, my true self – my spirit – requires regeneration. Being born of God refers to transformation of the spirit brought about by God’s Spirit.

God in heaven, I believe Your Spirit has the power to change me. Show me how to live in the reality that I have been born of God. Amen

Question: How has the miracle of rebirth been evident in your life?

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19 (NKJV)

As we prepare to go on our prayer walk, to intercede for our youth and our cities this Halloween weekend, we can easily find ourselves asking the question “Does it really matter if I pray?

I am reminded of a very interesting experience that I had as a mom praying for our schools, when our prayer group went out for a prayer drive around our school catchment. We made a point of stopping to pray over certain houses where we knew families, and some of the unique needs they had.  There was this one family that I had heard a rumor that they had “ghosts” in the house, and there was some very weird stuff going on. So we made a point of stopping and praying specifically, taking authority over any demonic presence and commanding it to leave.

Some months later I happened to be talking to the lady of this same house.  During our conversation I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit saying “ask her about her ghosts!” My response to the Lord was “Lord I can’t ask this lady about her ghosts, I hardly know her!”  However the Lord was not going to let it go, so I asked…. “I heard a rumor that you have ghosts in your house?” She was very quick to respond and said “Oh yes, but you know a time comes when they will just leave.” She then explained to me that one morning they got up and the kitchen door was open, they saw blood on the door frame, and they never saw or heard them again. Of course I am thinking “REALLY!” So I asked her when this happened and the time frame she mentioned correlated with the time that we had stopped and prayed over their house.

Rest assured that your prayers DO make a difference!

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NKJV)

>The goal of the good news about Jesus is “to have eternal life”  (John 3:16)
> Jesus said that he came so that we could have “life to the full” (John 10:10)
> Jesus taught that he is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14.6)

Our prayer for you is that you are experiencing this full life promised to us by the power of the Spirit. If you are, encourage someone you know to discover more about the life Jesus offers. People are open to the message of Jesus if they are approached in the right way. To learn more about how to do that take a look at “Crave: The Documentary.” In this video you’ll see a number of examples of how willing people are to discuss spiritual things.

You can find “Crave: The Documentary” at http://powertochange.com/itv/spirituality/crave-the-documentary/. Take a look, and then begin to pray about someone, a friend or co-worker, who needs to hear the great message of what life is really all about.

Serving Jesus together,
Leonard Buhler

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon, published in “Mornings & Evenings,” entry for January 4th, AM.

Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

“Grow in grace”, not in only one type of grace, but in all forms of gracious response. Grow first in faith, which is the root of all grace. Let your faith increase in fullness, consistency, and simplicity. This will enable you to grasp God’s promises even more firmly than before.

Grow in love. Ask God to extend your love to make it more intense, more practical, and influencing your every thought, word, and deed.

Grow also in humility. Seek lowly places and realize your own smallness so that God will be magnified. As you grow downward in humility, seek to grow upward towards God, approaching Him closer in prayer and seeking ever more intimate fellowship with Jesus.

I pray that God the Holy Spirit enable you to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.” Anyone who doesn’t seek to grow in knowledge of Jesus has passed up their blessing, because to know Him deeply is the blessing of eternally fulfilled life. If you know the love of Jesus, you will long for greater outpourings of His love. If you do not desire to know Him better, then you don’t love Him at all, for love always cries, “Nearer, nearer.” Whoever has sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ does satisfy, it is such a wonderful satisfaction, that the a person’s thirst will be whetted.

Absence from Christ is hell, but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Don’t rest merely being content without seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. Seek to know more of Him in His divine nature, in His human relationship, and in His finished work of the cross: His death, resurrection, ascension, and glorious intercession on our behalf.

Grow in grace. Increase in love to Jesus, and you will appreciate even more His love to you. Knowing His love, and His love outworking in every aspect of your daily life, are the best tests of growth in grace.

Question: In this new year, how do you plan and expect to grow in grace?