Tag: holy spirit

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Amazing Power 🕊

I love that God’s Word is “living and active”. I’ve been reminded of that truth time and time again. I was working on a Bible study that focused on the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. It’s a very beautiful prayer written to Ephesians fellow believers some 2,000 years ago. Though, as I read it, I’m reminded it’s for you and I too.

One thing I noted as I read this passage was the word power. In the 8 verses, Paul used that word 4 times.

  1. He (God) will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. (vs.16)
  2. The power to understand..how deep His love is. (vs. 18)
  3. Made complete with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (vs. 19)
  4. Through His (God’s) mighty power. (vs. 20)

The first time Paul uses the word power was through it’s derivative empower. The word empower means ‘to give power or authority, to enable or permit”. Paul prays “that from God’s glorious unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit”. The power Paul refers to comes from God’s amazing Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is given freely as a gift by God to His beloved children. John 14:16 & 18 says, “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”. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” In the surrounding verses, Jesus told His disciples He needed to leave but wouldn’t be leaving them alone. He prayed God would give them the Holy Spirit. If you read Acts chapter 1, this is exactly what took place! God deposits His Holy Spirit into each heart that believes. Those who believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins receive His Spirit when they ask God to come into their life.

Let’s go back to the Ephesians 3:16 verse. Do you need inner strength today?! Are you weary, worn out, and tired? Have the cares of this world depleted you of the inner strength you once had? Well, God has the answer for you and I today. That answer is the unlimited power through the Holy Spirit. God longs and desires to empower you today and in the days to come with His Spirit. Go to Him today. Tell Him what you need. He will meet you by supplying you with His amazing power!! 🕊

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Eternal Water

John 4:14 is in a beautifully set picture frame of a fountain in a secret garden that is on the wall of our home in our family room. Years ago I bought the frame because I loved the calming and inviting photo. Now I love it because of the scripture that it possesses.

This passage comes from one of my favorite interactions that Jesus had with a woman. I would like to share with you some of this amazing interaction that Jesus and the woman at the well had with one another.

The story starts at noon day. Jesus had stopped off at a well to rest from his journey. A Samaritan woman comes by to draw water from the well and Jesus asks her for a drink. The woman is surprised that he, a Jew is asking she, a Samaritan for some water. You see Jews and Samaritans didn’t talk to one another. “Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and would have given you living water.” (John 4:10) The woman is intrigued by what Jesus says about this living water. In her thinking he has nothing to draw water from the deep well. “Then Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13&14)

Now the woman desires this living water. She wants it so she won’t become physically thirsty again. Skipping down a few verses the woman says, “I know that the Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, He will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you– I am He.”(John 4:25,26) Jesus reveals that He is the Christ! The one she has been waiting to hear from. This entire passage is powerful and I would encourage you to read it in it’s entirety. (John 4:1-42)

If we belong to Christ, we have this living water in us too springing up to eternal life! The message wasn’t just for the Samaritan woman but it’s for all who believe. It says in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of His heart will flow rivers of living water!” The rivers of living water is the Holy Sprit that is alive and active in the life of a believer. (John 7:39)

If you aren’t aware of the Holy Spirit and who he is I’d love for you to do a word study on Him. For those of you who are aware of who the Holy Spirit is, I’d encourage you to thank Him for His presence and activity in your life. What an awesome God we praise, wonderful Savior we serve and beautiful Holy Spirit we are growing to know. May you press into knowing the three in one, the Holy Trinity, in a deeper way today!

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Our Forever Counselor

Let me start off by giving some context to this wonderful verse. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and is telling them many important truths. He begins John chapter 14 by telling them that he is going away to prepare a place for them and that he will come back and get them. He also answers questions like, “Where are you going?” and “How can we know the way?”. Jesus responds, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes the Father except through me.”(vs.6) Then Jesus goes on the reveal the Father to them. He says something powerful, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” (vs.11) He also teaches them to pray in His name and He will do it. (vs.14). Then in verse 16 we get to today’s word. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.”

Have you ever found yourself saying I wish I had some wise counsel? Well, God gave us one in the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer. Counselor in the Greek is parakaleo. It means to comfort, encourage, and exhort. This is what the Holy Spirt does for his children. He moves in us and brings comfort in difficult times. He brings encouragement when we may be down and discouraged. He also exhorts us. This word means to “urge, to advise or caution earnestly.” He advises us and in what we are to do and cautions us when we may be doing the wrong way.

I am blessed right now to have a counselor I meet with on a weekly basis. I am able to bring to her my struggles and my joys. My anxieties and fears. God has truly gifted her to help me look deeper at whatever I am facing and maybe see what the root of those issues might be. As much as I appreciate her, she could never replace the Holy Spirit’s counsel in my life. He guides me in what I am to write. He speaks through me when I don’t know what to say. He ministers to my heart when I am in great need of comfort. He teaches me things that I did not know.

I would like to challenge you today to think about what the Holy Spirit does in you own life. Write out a list and thank him for the work he is doing in and through you. We have this wonderful gift, OUR FOREVER COUNSELOR.

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Trust In Him

Morning, there is something life giving and hopeful about a new day.  Psalm 5:3 tells, In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.  How is it that you begin your day?  For me it’s with a cup of coffee, journal, and a bible study.  I find myself running to the Father into His arms of unfailing love.  I know he has things He wants me to know so I will be ready to face the day.  

This communicates to God my trust in Him.  Trust is the “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and surety.”  What are other ways we can show God that we trust Him?  Obeying His Word and stepping out in faith are two that I can think of.  How have you done these 2 things this week?  

For me, it was stepping out in faith.  I was challenged to take a cohosting role for an online conference that we are having very soon.  I didn’t say yes immediately, I wanted to pray about it and see what a God had to say.  He lead me to some verses on the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives.  How He teaches us what to say, encourages us, and gives us wisdom in what to do.  God revealed to my heart this wasn’t about what I would do but instead what the Holy Spirit would do through me.  This gave me confidence to step out in faith and say yes!  The old Christine would have said no right away, but the new Christine sought the Lord’s direction and He clearly revealed what he desired for me do.  

This week let’s entrust ourselves to our loving Father and see what incredible and faith worthy things He would have do or communicate to another.