THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

When Jesus left the earth, He promised us that He would not leave us as orphans.  He promised that He would give us One just like Himself, and that One is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is not a little God, or something like a vapor, He is Almighty God, just like Jesus and God the Father are.

When the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, He came in great power, and He has not changed.  Look at what it says in Acts 2:1-4, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Holy Spirit came in a mighty wind and filled the house where they were, and they began to speak in tongues.  Too many people make tongues some kind of spooky thing.  It is not spooky.  It is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!  When the Holy Spirit fills us up and we start speaking in tongues, He speaks through us in a language that God understands.  It is a language that the devil cannot understand.  That is why He fights it so much.

Today, I want to encourage you to read these scriptures.  Then, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing.  Listen to those words deep within you, and speak them out.  Jesus said in John 7:38-39, "…out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given…).”  Well, for us, He has been given, and I am full!  I pray today, that you are, or will be, too.

CONFESSION:  Today, I am filled with the Holy Spirit and I speak in tongues as the Spirit gives me the utterance.  When I speak in tongues, I pray to my Father in Heaven and no devil can understand me.  It is between me and my Father.

 Today's Bible Reading

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Numbers 30 - 31
Luke 4:1-30
Psalms 63
Proverbs 11:20-21

TO SEEK AND TO SAVE

Luke 19:10 (NKJV) …for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Do you ever think about what Jesus came to the earth to do?  He came to seek and to save you and me.  What an amazing God we serve!  He did not care how far or how deep in trouble we were.  He was there for us!

Jesus left His throne in heaven to come and set us free, and He will do anything He has to do to redeem us.  When a shepherd loses one of his sheep, he does not say, “Oh well, they will find their way home.”  No, a good shepherd, like a good earthly father, will move every stone and go through every obstacle to find that one lost sheep or child.  How much more God?

Think about it.  God is the Almighty One who could move heaven and earth to bring us back, yet He will not violate our free will.  He wants us to want to be rescued, and when we do, He is all over it.  Jesus, our precious brother, did all that He could do for us.  He came to the earth, laid aside His deity and became like us so that He could bring us back to the Father.

Oh, the love of the Savior, that He would do this for us!  Never underestimate the love that God has for us.  We are so special to Him!  He formed us and then breathed His very breath into us.  There is not one other created being that God did this for.  Just us!   And when our earthly father, Adam, sinned and committed high treason, do you know what God did?  He put His plan into the works to get us back.  That is why this verse today is so powerful.  He came to seek and to save those that were lost, and that included you and me!

Today, rejoice and see how much love this great, amazing, awesome, and matchless God has for you.  Everything in this world and universe was made for you.  What more does He have to do to convince you that He loves you?

CONFESSION:  Today, I boldly declare: GOD LOVES ME!

Today's Bible Reading
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Numbers 28:16 - Numbers 29

Luke 3:23-38
Psalms 62
Proverbs 11:18-19

DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL

1 John 3:8 (NKJV) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

The reason that Jesus came into the world was to destroy satan’s authority over you and me.  In fact, He came to set the whole world free.  The second part of this verse shows this so clearly, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Our Jesus saw a lost and dying world, and He made a decision to come and deliver us from the power of darkness.  Jesus did not do this and then leave us here in this mess.  He gave us authority over satan and all of his powers.  Jesus has now set us free for all eternity.

We, as believers, need to see satan for who he is: a defeated, dethroned, outlaw.  His only power is the power of deception.  When we get God’s Word deep within us, it exposes his lies and gives us the ability to have dominion over him.

Jesus has defeated satan in every way.  He defeated him when He walked the earth, and when He rose from the dead.  Demons trembled at His presence!

Think of it.  If Jesus just did this for Himself, it would not have done us any good.  Our Jesus defeated satan, and then gave us the authority to keep him under our feet.  So do not go this day, or any day, with an attitude of defeat.  Go with the attitude that your Commander in Chief, your risen Lord, your Jesus, has defeated satan and has given you the victory!  Not just a part of it, but the whole thing!

When you get a thought that you cannot do this, or you are just no good, do not accept it!  Instead, talk to that thought and say, “NO!  My Jesus has defeated the enemy and, through Him, I have the victory today.  I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me. Amen!”

CONFESSION: Today, I have the victory, not because of who I am or what I have done, but because of Jesus, my Lord and my King.  He is the Greater One, and He lives in me!

Today's Bible Reading
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Numbers 26:52 - 28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalms 61
Proverbs 11:16-17

HE CREATED ALL

Colossians 1:15-16 (NKJV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Our Jesus is the Creator of all.  By His Word, all things are made.  He created the beautiful red cardinal, and the great Grand Canyon.  Through His Word, the universe was made and is kept in perfect order.  He is the One who told the oceans to hold their place, and the earth to rotate perfectly.

When we think of all that God has put in order, it would be wise for us to trust that He will keep our lives in order also.  You see, the one thing that holds us back from realizing this is that we tend to have more faith in our situation then we do in God. 

God, our Father, who created all for us, has given us His Word, JESUS, Who spoke all things into being, and the Holy Spirit to live within us, to teach us and help us each day.  They are not just lying around doing nothing.  They are, and want to be, highly involved in our lives.

God has given us a free will, and He is not going to get involved if we do not want Him to.  But if we will open our mouths wide and say, “Father, not my will but Yours be done,” then look out!  Blessings are on the way!

So today, talk to Him!  Ask Him to have a bigger part in your life.  It might be hard at first, since this will require faith and trust, but when you see the many blessings coming your way, you will be so thankful for letting God have more of your life!

CONFESSION:  Today, I am going to give God more of my life.  I am going to rely more on Him and less on myself.  Today, I choose to walk by faith and not by sight.

Today's Bible Reading
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Numbers 26:1-51
Luke 2:36-52
Psalms 60
Proverbs 11:15

ETERNAL LIFE (Part 2)

John 3:36 (NKJV) He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Yesterday, we saw that when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the very life of God.  In this verse, John, by the Holy Spirit, tells us again that when we believe in the Son, we receive everlasting life or eternal life.  This life is the life of God Himself.  It is called Zoe life.  This life of God will take us to heaven when we leave this earth, but it will also do so much while we are here living this life.

You see, if you have God living in you, how can a demon stay there?  The very brightness of God would send him flying.  But like anything in the kingdom of heaven, we need to believe what God has given to us.  This is called faith, and it is the way the kingdom works.  So many want to see it first, but the Bible says we need to believe it first, and then we will see it.

Today, do you believe that you have everlasting life within you?  Do you see yourself filled with the Spirit of God?  Do you see that sickness cannot stay on your body?  How can it?  You have God in you!  Now sickness might try to come against our bodies (because we are living in a curse-filled world), but it has no right to stay there. You need to see that the Greater One lives within you, and that His wisdom is within you.  Stop saying that you are a dummy, and start saying that you have the mind of Christ!

God, our loving Father, knew that we would have many challenges while on this earth, so He made a way of putting Himself in us, with all that He is.  So do not see yourself as a loser.  See yourself as victorious in Christ Jesus, and a world overcomer through Him who loves you!  Victory in life is within us, so let us take hold of it and live the abundant life that Jesus promised to everyone who would believe in Him!

CONFESSION: Today, I declare that I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me.  I declare that the Greater One lives within me and that He helps me in all areas of my life!

Today's Bible Reading
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Numbers 24 - 25
Luke 2:1-35
Psalms 59
Proverbs 11:14

ETERNAL LIFE

1 John 5:11-13 (NKJV) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, everything changed.  Before being born again we were living dead men.  We might have had breath and been able to walk around, but inside we were spiritually dead.  We did not have the life of God within us.  We were living, yet dead.

But once we received God’s great gift of salvation, we received His life: the life of God, eternal life.  So many believe that we will receive eternal life when we get to heaven, but according to this verse, we have eternal life now!  The way we received it is by believing in the Son.

It says in John 1:4, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  Jesus is the light of the world, and He is our light.  When we look to Him, there is no darkness at all.  He has the words of life, and he gives eternal life to all that come to Him.  This eternal life will last forever; it is eternal.  You might say, “Well, yes, I see that.”  But do you?

When the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit took up residence within us, it changed us from the inside out.  We are no longer just a sinner who is glad that when we die we will get to go to heaven.  No!  Now God dwells within us, and has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.  He has filled us up with Himself, and has given eternal life to each of us.

So today, do not see yourself as a sinner.  See yourself as raised up with Christ and sitting with Him in heavenly places!  See His eternal life abiding in you, healing you, and restoring whatever this world has tried to steal from you.  If you do this, you will see a change on the outside too.

CONFESSION: I have received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, and in doing this, I have the life of God within me today.  I have eternal life within me, and it sets me free in all areas of life.

Today's Bible Reading
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Numbers 22:21 - Numbers 23
Luke 1:57-80
Psalms 58
Proverbs 11:12-13

GOD’S MASTERPIECE

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Have you ever been to a museum or an exhibit for a special work of art?  A few years ago I had the opportunity to go to Italy and see some of the great works of art.  One was the statue of David, and another was the Sistine Chapel.  As I stood there and looked at these great works of art, I was amazed that a person could do something like this.  The artwork had such amazing beauty!

Well, guess what?  One day, God is going to eliminate all of these earthly works, but there is one work that He will not eliminate: US!  You see, this verse puts it so straight.  We are God’s masterpiece; we are God’s amazing work!  It is truly amazing that when God, our dear Father, looks at Himself, He sees us!  We are created in His image and His very likeness. There is nothing in the entire universe that is any more valuable to God than us!  We are His very likeness.

Think of it.  What kind of price tag could you put on your very own child?  Is that child worth a million dollars?  How about a billion, or maybe even a trillion?  No, and a hundred times no!  There is no monetary value that you can put on a loved one, and it is the same with God.  We are more valuable to Him than all the gold in the universe; more valuable to Him than all the diamonds. 

You see, when God made us and breathed His very own breath into us, we became the prize of the universe.  In God’s sight, there is nothing more valuable than us.  

So today, do not see yourself as just another person in the vastness of humanity.  See yourself as fearfully and wonderfully made.  See yourself as a prized possession in the hands of a loving Father.  See yourself as a masterpiece, because that is who you are, and God will be showing you off for all eternity!

CONFESSION: I am God’s prized possession!  I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  God considers me His masterpiece so I am going to start seeing myself today as His masterpiece, and live a life full of His goodness.

Today's Bible Reading
(Click here to read it online)

Numbers 21 - 22:20

Luke 1:26-56
Psalms 57
Proverbs 11:9-11