Divine Wisdom

On September 18, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 2: 32 – 33

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

This verse unites many of the themes we have seen in the scriptures we have looked at regarding the Holy Spirit. God, multiple times, made a promise to pour out the Holy Spirit upon all mankind. Jesus, then, told us that it was imperative for Him to leave so that He could send that which the Father had promised. Receiving the promise unto Himself from the Father, He then poured the Holy Spirit out to all.

It is done. God has done His part. Jesus has done His. The prophecies and the promises have been fulfilled. These are the days of glory that the Lord spoke about. So why aren’t we living in more victory and in more of that glory?

Just like it took some people a long time to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, even when He walked among them and they witnessed His miracles, we are only just beginning to recognize the Holy Spirit and His role. It is much easier to be wise when one can look back into history and see what others missed. It is quite a bit more difficult to be wise in the days of your own history. That is why we need the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14: 26). Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit would take what He hears from the Father and will disclose it to you (John 16: 13). So, the Holy Spirit’s job is to lead us into this wisdom of the Father. We have been given the scriptures to help us learn about the Spirit. We have the wisdom to seek Him and to learn to work with him because the Holy Scriptures first taught us to expect Him and then informed us as to role in our lives. The Holy Spirit has the Word as one of His tools. He uses the Word to remind us of the things Jesus said and also to lead us in the way that we should go. The Holy Spirit also has the very thoughts of God to minister to us. What we must do is recognize Him. We must be wiser than those who did not recognize Jesus in His day. Then, having recognized the Spirit of God, we invite Him to take an active role in our lives. We invite him to indwell us, teach us and guide us all day every day. He can have as large a role in your life as you want but you must first ask Him into your life. Then let Him fill you up to overflowing.

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Resident

On September 17, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 1: 33

He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come “on” someone and that person would perform anointed works. Gideon blew his horn; many prophesied. But the Holy Spirit would lift off them after their task was accomplished. He did not come upon them and remain. The time of the Holy Spirit was not yet.

John the Baptist baptized in water but announced that one was coming after him who would baptize in the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3: 11, Mark 1: 8, Luke 3: 16, John 1: 33). He spoke, of course, of Jesus. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, to live with us forever as we saw in John 14: 16. No longer was the Holy Spirit to come “on” us and then vacate. Instead Jesus said that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to be with us forever to be our constant helper, teacher and guide. So now the Holy Spirit has come and made His abode with us. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3: 16). Then in Romans 8, the eleventh verse Paul wrote, “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.” Now we have the Holy Spirit with us, dwelling in us all of the time rather than coming upon us in a time of need. He is here to be your constant standby and He couldn’t do that very well if He had to come and go. So, Jesus sent Him into the world to be with us and to stay with us until Jesus comes back to establish His Kingdom in the earth. We are never abandoned because God has made provision for us to have a divine helper with us at all times.

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Desert Dweller

On September 16, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 68: 6

God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

It is easy for us to get “religious” and when we do, we create a whole bunch of sayings, expressions, doctrine and habits that are not Biblical. Today’s verse points out one of those religious ideas that is completely foreign to God.

It has become rather common for Christians to talk about being in a desert period. This is a religious idea, meaning more about man-made conception that Spirit led reality. There was the time our Lord was led out into the desert. That may be where we got the idea that people should have desert experiences. God, however, said that only the rebellious live in the parched land. So what are we doing out in the desert?

I have had my desert experiences too. As a matter of fact, there was a two-year period when I was parched and thirsty. Then I discovered something. My Father didn’t intend me to be out in the desert alone. For that is what the desert experience is – a time of being alone when it seems as though the presence of God has withdrawn. God did not name His son Immanuel (God is with us) so that we could go dwell in the desert by ourselves. He didn’t send the Holy Spirit to “be with you forever,” (John 14: 16) just so we could go live in the desert alone.

Jesus went into the desert for a short period of time. He was led there by the Spirit and he most definitely was not without God or the Spirit one moment of that time. His “desert” experience was vastly different from ours. It was a time with God; a time of reflection, introspection and conviction. It was not a time apart from God. His soul was not deserted. In fact, Father sent angels to minister to Jesus’ needs and Jesus emerged from the wilderness victorious.

Most Christians put on sackcloth and weary faces as they talk about their desert experience. They don’t describe a time of revelation or of communion with God. They describe a time of dwelling in a parched land. They act like God has abandoned them to the desert and that, my friends, is a grand deception. Jesus promised that he would never leave us, the Spirit is our constant “go along”, and God promised He would never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 5).

Therefore, we can now recognize that the “desert experience” is a misconception. It is not God inspired. He is not and never will leave you stranded in the desert. He is with you day and night to support and protect you. If you’ve got a tent pitched out in the desert, jerk up its stakes and go pitch it by the stream. That is where the Father leads us (Psalm 23). Anything else is a lie.

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Power

On September 13, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 1: 8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

We know something about God, and we know Jesus but who, really, is the Holy Spirit? The answer is that He is the power of God, the creative force of God. In the first chapter of Genesis we see that the earth was formless but the Holy Spirit was moving (or hovering) over the surface of the waters. Then God spoke the word and the Holy Spirit responded to that spoken word and created all that God spoke. So, by the Holy Spirit God created the earth.

Then we see in Luke 1: 35 that it was the Power of God through the Holy Spirit that caused Mary to conceive. There is the creative power of God at work. All three persons of the trinity have their place. They each have their own roles and characteristics. We are beginning to learn who the Holy Spirit is. When we do, we will be able to work with Him more effectively.

He is the one who is in the earth right now and who was promised to remain with us forever. He was sent to be our helper, guide and teacher so the more we can understand his role in our lives, the more we can learn and the more we can be led by Him. It is by His power, the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are able to positively affect our lives and the lives of others.

And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving (hovering) over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1: 2

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Luke 1: 35

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Luke 4: 14

And it came about one day that He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. Luke 5: 17

And you know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. Acts 10: 38

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13

“…in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit…” Romans 15: 19

And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 1 Corinthians 2: 4

[T]o be strengthened with power through His Spirit. Ephesians 3: 16

[F]or our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5

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The Gift

On September 12, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 11: 13

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

The Father promised the Holy Spirit to His people for years. Then when the appointed time came, the Holy Spirit was poured out onto all who would receive; all who ask. Jesus promised that all who would ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit would receive. God is not trying to make you earn this gift. He is not withholding the Holy Spirit or reserving it for only a precious few. Jesus said that God is a good Father, a better parent than any of us even have the capacity of being. Yet, earthly parents give good gifts to their children. You don’t make your children earn your gifts. They are not gifts if they are earned. They would be payment instead. You give good gifts just because you love your child or grandchild. It does not even have to be a birthday or holiday. You just give to your children because they are your beloved.

How much more is God a good and gracious parent? How much more does He love us? Therefore, He wants to bestow good gifts upon us, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the point Jesus is making here. Your heavenly Father loves you more than you can even imagine and out of His love for you flows His unfailing gift of love, the bestowing of the precious Spirit of God. You have only to ask.

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Time of Delivery

On September 11, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 7: 39

But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jesus was speaking to a crowd and teaching them of the things to come. In fact, he was teaching them about the Holy Spirit. This statement indicates that the Spirit is to be received. In other words, He is a gift and those who wish to receive the gift shall have it. But the Holy Spirit is not going to be forced on those who are unable to receive Him. There is the element of choice on the part of the recipient. The Holy Spirit is for all who choose to receive Him. Receiving Him is not automatic. You have to make your own choice. Not even God is going to make it for you though Jesus did command His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and await the gift of the Holy Spirit which makes it clear that His intent is for us all to receive the gift.

We also learn who is eligible to receive this gift. The gift is for those who believe in Jesus. That is the only requirement. If one truly and honestly believes in Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one of God, then that person is eligible to receive the long-awaited gift of the Holy Spirit.

We also see in this passage the timing of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been received into glory. We know that during the 40 day period between when Jesus arose from the dead and when He ascended to the Father He appeared to His disciples. One of the things Jesus told them was to await the promise of God because they would receive “the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1: 5). Shortly thereafter Jesus ascended to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God after which, the Holy Spirit was sent into the earth to be with us for all time.

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The Role of the Holy Spirit

On September 10, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 14: 16               (Amplified Version)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s psalm, indeed that you are enjoying Psalm Mondays. It is a good way to start the week. Today I want to continue the series I began last week on the Holy Spirit. It is my hope that these several days we are spending on the Holy Spirit give you an inside look at who the Spirit is and what role he plays in our lives. You may want to copy these “Spirit” Words of the Day and paste them into a document of your own. Also, if you visit my website, www.iveyministries.org, you can search Spirit or Holy Spirit in the Daily Devotion tab and discover an entire treatise, practically, on the Holy Spirit.

The central role of the Holy Spirit and God’s main reason for sending Him to us is for the Holy Spirit to accompany us continually and aid us in whatever capacity necessary. That is why He is often referred to as the Helper. Jesus frequently called the Holy Spirit our “Helper.” If the kind of help we need is prayer, then the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. If we need strength, then He strengthens us. He was sent to us to be our constant companion, to standby us every minute of every day to help us in every situation. That is the role of God’s Holy Spirit. I think that is exhilarating. Just think, God’s own Spirit has been assigned the job of being with you constantly so that He can help you every second of every day. He is to stand by you and await any opportunity to aid you.

Now, some people may say, “Well, He doesn’t seem to be at my side helping me daily.” That could be true because one thing you can bet on is that the Holy Spirit of God is a gentleman. He must first be invited. He will not horn in on your life; He will not push his weight around on you. The Spirit of God is gentle. Remember that gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22). He is powerful but He absolutely will not force Himself on you. So just invite Him into your life. Give Him permission to take up permanent residence with you. You are going to experience a whole new life with God through His own Spirit when you do.

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