by adming2G | Mar 17, 2023
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’ – John 8:12
As we follow Jesus, the Light of the World, we do not walk in darkness because of the Spirit of God. Light is one symbol of the Holy Spirit. He illuminates and breathes life in the Word of God. A word we read in the Bible, in a sermon, or in our communication with the Lord and others jumps at us. It’s personal and no one else receives the same. He zooms in on what we need and shines like a floodlight.
The Holy Spirit leads us with peace, clarity, and surety in our steps. His revelation and wisdom bypass our natural understanding. Thoughts to do this or that drop in our spirit. Big things. Little things. Call someone; check on something; do not go there; an undeniable prompting. As we obey, we find His protection and empowerment. The bigger picture unfolds.
To turn on the switch, we remind ourselves of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our loves. With gratitude, we yield to Him, seek His guidance, and receive it in faith. In humility, we pray for Him to remove any blindness and for more spiritual sight. He draws us to know Jesus more and more and to recognize His workings in our lives, from glory to glory
by adming2G | Mar 15, 2023
You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say to you her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.- Luke 7:46-47
How can God love us after all the wrong we have done? Does He really forgive us? What if we do something else, think the wrong things, say the wrong words, or make the wrong decisions? Is the love of God truly unconditional? We have pondered many of these questions. We grasp the answers to the extent we rest in the Lord.
God does not forgive us because we are suddenly good. He forgives us because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. As we believe this truth, we walk in newness of life. When we have been forgiven of much, we love much. The conviction that comes when we fall short draws us closer to the Lord and causes us to love Him even more. We don’t confess our sins to earn forgiveness, but to walk in the freedom we have in Christ.
As we walk in our transformation, others may not forgive us for our past mistakes or judge us today because of our yesterdays. Knowing the victory and freedom we have in Christ helps us remain free from needing other’s approvals or affirmations. We can forgive ourselves because God has forgiven us. We stand in awe of the finished work on the cross, from glory to glory!
by adming2G | Mar 4, 2023
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:8 NKJV
As I walked to the next person in line for prayer, I heard: this man is struggling with alcohol and thinking of leaving his wife and three children. I first stood silent, then prayed, “You cannot do what you are planning to do. Your struggle will end as you surrender it all to Jesus.” It was my first experience with the word of knowledge, one of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it left me in awe of God’s amazing ways.
As we walk in the spirit, we all encounter similar situations. We hear what is unsaid, discern struggles, spiritual battles, and wonder what to do with it all. What are we to do with it all? When we perceive something, we must yield to the Lord for His instructions. He may lead us to keep it to ourselves and pray accordingly; speak forth wisdom on the situation, with love and discretion; or wait for the right timing to guide us.
The Lord reveals to us to heal through us, as He wills. With humility, we obey His directions, desiring only His will and His ways. The purpose of revelation is transformation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are to profit all, from glory to glory!
by adming2G | Mar 2, 2023
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair – 2 Cor. 4:7-8 NKJV
Crushed means pressured. It is the same Greek word for tribulation, also meaning affliction and adversity. It attempts to squeeze out our joy, peace, and rest in the Lord.
Pressures come from various sources. Self-induced pressure causes us to seek perfection because of our expectations. Peer pressure influences us to live up to a certain image, to look and act like others. External pressures to fit into the things of the world. Evil pressure from our adversary battles us through oppression, obstacles, and opposition.
In an oil press, they crushed olives and broke them to produce oil. In the Bible, oil is one symbol of the Holy Spirit. Before the Holy Spirit came, a crushing occurred through the crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He was crushed for us for our transgressions, paid the price for our sin, and rose victorious on the third day.
Under pressure from every side, we rest in the finished work of the Lord. Like Paul, we discover we may be hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. On the contrary, the crushing causes an abundance of the anointing of the Holy Spirit to flow in and through our lives, from glory to glory!
by adming2G | Mar 1, 2023
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. – Mat. 11:28-29 NKJV
When we try to handle a load of problems in our own strength, we become heavy-laden and struggle in our labor. These heavy weights might even belong to others. We search for ways to unload what weighs us down, but only find temporary solutions. Going to Jesus before we go into overload is the answer.
When training a new animal to plow, farmers would often yoke it to an older, stronger, more experienced animal who would bear the burden, pull the younger animal and teach him through the process. Similarly, Jesus invites us to come to Him, take His yoke upon us, surrender all to Him, and find rest for our souls.
As we follow His leading, He teaches us His ways and trains us to walk in His steps. He is our burden bearer, inviting us to yield to His leadership. When we try to do the pulling alone, He gentling pulls, never pushes, with grace and love. His burden is light. The more we trust Him, the more we abide in Him and receive physical and emotional rest, from glory to glory.
by adming2G | Feb 25, 2023
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. – 1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV
When we go through trials, the pressure to succumb to temptations intensifies. Temptations from satan, the tempter, to look for fleshy ways of escape like a drink, pill, toxic relationship or anything else to appease our struggles. It’s as we recognize the war between the flesh and the spirit that we learn to walk victoriously.
There is a split second when we need to decide between the two. Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Temptation can overcome us so quickly that we only realize its impact after the fact. The enemy adds guilt and self-condemnation to our plight. The key is to pray ahead of time for the Spirit’s empowerment to rebuke the tempter and reach for Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
We must quickly yield to God’s ways of escape. We escape through our prayers and worship. He is our way of escape! We bow down and lay everyone and everything at the altar. In that place of surrender, we rest in Him. The Lord is our way of escape. A mighty provider, a faithful King: loving and caring. We discover His amazing grace, from glory to glory.
