by adming2G | Mar 22, 2023
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! – Psalm 46:10
Should I stay here? Nothing is happening. I am not fruitful. Maybe if I moved to Seattle, things would change. These questions kept coming, bringing doubt and confusion to this dear believer. He needed a change. His job was unsatisfying, his relationship with his girlfriend kept going up and down, and he felt burdened and depressed. Was leaving the answer?
Considering moving to another church, or another relationship, another job, or any other place, happens to many of us. We should guard against deciding out of haste, frustration, fear, or burnout. The grass only appears to be greener on the other side. When there is confusion, we are to stay put, be still, and wait to hear clearly from the Lord.
God leads us with peace and aligns our circumstances with the desires He places in our hearts. He guides us into the new, not because things are wrong where we are, but because He has something else. There are times He will allow someone to move to another place just for that person to know it is not His will. We are seeds planted by God for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and are to seek His will above all, from glory to glory!
by adming2G | Mar 14, 2023
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1 John 5:4-5 NKJV
The way to beat defeat is to remember the victory we already have in Christ Jesus, our Lord, Savior, Deliverer, and King. Our faith in who Jesus is and what He has conquered enables us to overcome defeat. We are in a spiritual war, so whatever we battle needs to be fought in the spirit and by the Spirit of God. Through our faith in Christ, we are more than conquerors!
Some people feel defeated because they cannot conquer a weakness in their lives. The more they try, the more defeated they become. Others feel defeated because a goal they have been pursuing keeps coming to a stop. A relationship someone keeps believing will work out continues to break apart. Defeat brings condemnation, guilt and a haunting sense of failure.
We beat defeat by doing what the spirit of defeat doesn’t want us to do: yield to the empowerment of the Spirit of God and take another step of faith. The Holy Spirit releases a second wind, an ability to arise out of the ashes of failure. An anointing to give something another try or try a whole new thing. Reach for victory over a weakness, believing that in God, we are victorious, from glory to glory!
by adming2G | Mar 10, 2023
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. – John 2:6-7 NKJV
The waterpots needed to be filled to the brim. The servants couldn’t just fill the container halfway and see what would happen before doing the rest of the task. Also, it wasn’t just one gallon, but twenty or thirty! Not half-filled, but filled to the brim. To fill to the brim in our lives is to do whatever He leads us to do to the fullest.
It requires patience to walk into what God tells us to do when it involves long hours, continued faithfulness, and unseen results. Seeing the full picture would help us handle the process, but would not help us walk by faith. The full plan is unknown, but Christ is not. He clarifies the picture as more of the pieces of our lives’ puzzles come together.
We are to obey the Lord wholeheartedly regardless of the nature or size of the task, its appearance, or the cost to our comfort zone. Jesus gave His all for us and we give Him our all, with love and joy. With a spirit of excellence, we do all things for His glory. Filled with His Spirit, we obey and remain filled to the brim, 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 | Feb 17, 2023
For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ – Acts 17:28 NKJV
The illustration of the formation of pearls gives us valuable insight into our transformation in Christ. Oysters create a pearl sac to seal off threatening irritants such as a paradise, or an attack against the mantle tissue. Pearls are then a result of the oyster’s defense mechanism. Similarly, Christ within protects us.
When we are under spiritual attack continuously or unexpectedly, we can become irritated and frustrated. Unusual or excessive sensitivity to things around us gets stirred up. Our awareness of this occurrence is important so we can yield to God’s empowerment. The Holy Spirit keeps irritations from penetrating and injuring our hearts. Instead of hindering the anointing of God, the irritations are used to increase it.
We can trust the mantle we carry in Christ is secure. God embraces, comforts and covers us with His love. We have so much worth and are so valuable in Christ. We can celebrate every irritation today as He turns it into more glorification. Adversities form precious pearls, from glory to glory!
