Tag Archive | Holy Spirit

Prayer Connection

Oct16

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31

What is the connection between prayer and the movement of the Holy Spirit?

Without God we are unable to accomplish His work, will, plan. Without Him we are unable to bring glory to His name. Without Him we are nothing.

Prayer in the Holy Spirit connects us to the One Holy God. In Him we are transformed into the image of Christ. In Him we are revived. In Him we are taught, guided, empowered so that we can speak the word of God, share the gospel, with boldness.

🌹 How is your prayer life?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Leaven

Oct13

Leaven: an element that produces an altering or transforming influence. – to permeate with an altering or transforming element.

And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”                 Matthew 16:6 NASB

Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:12 NASB

Who or what is your leaven? How and where do you spend your day, your free time? Who do you spend your social time with and where? Look around you. What environment and what people are influencing your life?

My hope is that the Holy Spirit is your leaven, the transforming power of God in you. That you are also being encouraged through the church, the people of God. These two factors will puff you up to be able to handle the blows the world sends your way so you may rise to the fullness of Christ in you for His glory, purpose and will.

🌹Surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in you.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Worship Leads To . . .

Oct12

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Psalms 96:2 NASB

“Proclaim good tidings”, good news, “of His salvation”. How good are we at doing that? Do we proclaim the gospel “from day to day”?

If we are honest many of us have never even shared the gospel. We trust the church to do that so we invite people to church.

Could there be a missing link as to why we don’t share?

“Sing to the Lord, bless His name”.

🌹How is your prayer life? Where is your main focus directed throughout your day? Is worship of God a priority in your life? Do you have a personal, intimate, real relationship with Almighty God?

Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
Psalms 100:4 NASB

If you do you will experience Him and be filled up with His Holy Spirit. Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance you can’t help but proclaim Jesus Christ.

🌹How is your relationship with God. He calls us to proclaim His gospel.

And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Luke 10:2; Matthew 9:37-38 NASB

You might want to read Psalm 71 while contemplating the connection of the worship of God leading to proclaiming salvation to the lost.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Elijah, Prophet of God

Oct8

Elijah, a prophet sent by God, to warn and restore the Isaraelites devotion to God instead of Baal. In 1 Kings 18 is the testimony of the two altars where the priests of Baal, 450, and Elijah, the lone prophet of God, met to sacrifice to their respective God/god to reveal who was truly God.

One of my favorite stories. You should read if you are not familiar with it.

After this event . . .

Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”
1 Kings 19:1‭-‬4 NASB

This great revelation of God in Elijah’s life, to see the power and faithfulness of God, was overshadowed by fear of what Jezebel promised to do to him.

Haven’t we been there? We let the events of the world, the fear for our own livelihood overshadow the work of God and the Holy Spirit through us. God calls all His children to be the voice piece of His gospel. When called we must stand firm in the hope and power of our God.

Well, God also will not allow us to wallow long in our disobedience- running from His calling to share the gospel – before He gets our attention.

Through an angel God provided Elijah with the necessary strength to go on a journey to meet with God.

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:9 NASB

Have you heard this before? A simple question. “What are you doing here?”

Elijah had his excuse all ready:

He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
1 Kings 19:10 NASB

He wasn’t really listening to God. His fear for his life was greater than his fear of God.

But God was about to get his attention.

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
1 Kings 19:11‭-‬12 NASB

God sent a mighty wind, an earthquake and fire. When God had Elijah’s attention He then spoke in a gentle whisper (blowing).

Aren’t we just like Elijah? Look around you.  Are you living in fear or in the safety of your obedience to God?

🌹Is He trying to get our attention so we can hear His gentle whisper?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Less of Me; More of God

Oct5

Jesus is the good, righteousness, and holiness in me. If there be any good, righteousness or holiness at all it is Jesus in me.

I can’t do anything.

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
John 3:27 NASB

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 NASB

Want to make an impact on the world?

Abide with God. God in you.

I must be less so He can be more.

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30 NASB

🌹 All for God’s will, purpose and glory!

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Is

Sep18

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6b NASB

“But by My Spirit”

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;”
Isaiah 30:1 NASB

“but not of My Spirit,”

“Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:5 NASB

We make plans. We put our trust in alliances that are not of God. We trust in our own intellect, our own weak strengths. But did not God give us His Spirit to teach, guide, protect, strengthen by His power and might? Our hearts are turned away when we trust in anything or anyone other than the Lord Himself.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:7 NASB

Not only trusting IN Him but whose trust IS Him.

Is: be: continuous action

🌹 Is your life demonstrating that God IS your trust?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Disciple

Sep14

And they spent a long time with the disciples. Acts 14:28 NASB

From the moment we are born we begin to learn. Learn to eat, walk, talk, etc.

Disciple: A student, learner.

Within 2 years of a child’s life, he learns all the basics that over time are fine tuned. Christians are the same way. For years we have prayed, hoped, and got excited about people coming to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Many have come to that decision and yet our churches are dwindling in numbers. Why?

Could it be that we have left these Christian babies to fend for themselves? We introduce them to the Savior and then expect them to survive in a hostile world with satan who seeks to devour them. They need instruction. They need to be mentored by a mature Christian who can show them the ropes.

Discipling someone is taking the time (long time) to mentor them in how to seek the Lord, teaching them the spiritual disciplines, encouraging them in their walk, listening, answering their questions, being their friend. It costs to disciple. It cost Jesus His life so that we may be discipled by the Holy Spirit. He discipled 12 who could carry on.

🌹Can we disciple one? Is there someone in your life you could disciple? Would you pray for someone that you could disciple? The answer may not come right away, but God has someone for you to disciple or He would not have commanded us to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Extraordinary Spirit

Sep10

Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”
Daniel 6:3‭-‬5 NASB

“We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”

Today’s religion is often taken lightly in the sin department. “God is a forgiving God.” “Jesus died for my sins – past, present and future.” Although these are true it is so much more.

We tend to think that a little lie is okay, talking about others, or speeding over 5 is alright. But sin is sin. No such thing as a little sin versus a big sin. Sin is disobedience against God.

Here Daniel was displaying himself as a child of God who wanted to bring honor and glory to his God. He was obedient to God which overflowed into his personal life.

🌹O that we walked in such a way that there would not be found any negligence or corruption in us. That we would display an extraordinary Spirit. The Spirit of God Himself in us for all the world to see.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Obedience Required

Aug28

Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.
Ezekiel 33:29 NASB

Ezekiel, under the direction of God, spoke to the Israel nation warning them to obey God’s command and turn back to Him.

What is a Pastor? A man called of God to speak His word. Both Prophet and Pastor are called to speak God’s word.

Our responsibility is to listen and obey. We are blessed at this period of time to have God’s written word and the Holy Spirit to be able to discern the truth coming from the mouth of a Pastor. Is it truth? If you are reading your Bible and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will be able to accurately discern the truth.

What is your habit of church attendance? Is your Bible open? Are you relying upon the Holy Spirit to discern the words? Are you listening and ready to obey?

Or are you just attending for the sake of attending?

“But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the Lord.’ They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.
Ezekiel 33:30‭-‬31 NASB

🌹”They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them”
Obedience requires action.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

What Are You Professing?

Aug6

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.         Titus 1:16 NASB

What are people in the world seeing in you? Do they see themselves? Living life in discontent, fear, greed, selfishness, pride, disobedience?

Or do they see Jesus? Contentment, peace, godliness, righteousness, giving, loving, mercy, grace, obedience – the qualities of Christ living, abiding in you?

Is God’s word planted in your heart? Is He your constant companion? Are you fully aware of His presence throughout your day? Are you clothed in His righteousness? Obedient at all cost to His will, His plan, His purpose?

The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 1 John 2:4 NASB

A sure gauge, plumbline to assess ourselves. Jesus is the Truth. If He is abiding in you then obedience to God will be evident. The Holy Spirit enables us to be obedient to His word, His commandments, His will and His purpose.

Without Him we are nothing, able to do nothing. With Christ in us we are able to be content whatever the situation, be fearless in the unknown because we are secure in the One who knows all and able to be obedient.

🌹 Are others seeing Jesus in you?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon