God loves to give His children gifts! He loves you so much that He gave you His precious Holy Spirit who fills you at the moment of salvation. But also, Jesus will baptize you with His Holy Spirit to empower you to tell others about Him. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several revival movements that left their mark on the nations. One of these revivals, known as the Azusa Street Revival, birthed the modern-day Pentecostal and charismatic movements. The baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues was distributed by Jesus to millions of people.
We are living in a season when many of you feel as if the heavens are brass, and it's been more difficult to break through to hear the Holy Spirits voice. For some, there has been one battle after another. Many believers as well as unbelievers recognize this dark time, but regardless of what is happening around us, the Lord is calling His people to walk by faith knowing that we have been called for such a time as this. This is not the time to draw back in fear, but to forget the past, and reach forward to the days ahead, knowing that we will come out of every battle victorious.
Are there situations or circumstances that simply don't sit right with you? Is there something in your soul that is unsettled when you see, hear, or get around people or into certain situations? Though it can feel uneasy in your soul, these are actually areas that need God's healing touch. They are opportunities presenting themselves as invitations to turn the hurts over to God, and trade them in for the healing and wholeness He has for you.
Jesus said in John 16:13, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future." The disciples were dependent on Jesus to help them understand spiritual truths as well as everyday life. When Jesus left, they required help, just as we do. The Holy Spirit came to dwell with them and in them to give them understanding and access to all the wisdom of God.
Difficulties can be a sign of something new. We are in a time of uncertainty and people need healing on several levels - physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual. With the pandemic, superstorms and violence, the spirit of fear is trying to dominate. The Lord revealed several keys about how to find the root of the attacks that people are experiencing. A few years ago, I was suffering from chronic illnesses that almost took my life. It took time for me to get healed! Sometimes healing is instant and many times it is a process!
Guard your heart as you prepare to enter a new season. God has a new level for you to go to and you must shake off the viper of offense to get there. The number one strategy the enemy assigns against you is to get your heart offended. He knows that if he can offend your heart, it can short circuit the blessing of God in your life. NOTHING is worth that! If you have had something arise in your life that has caused your heart to become offended, it means that God has an amazing blessing coming your way.
Have you ever wondered why you have not been able to tap into the miraculous, fulfilling, and ultimate joy that the Bible talks about? Perhaps your frustration stems from the fact that you have been looking for joy in all the wrong places. If you believe that an impressive college education, a spotless home or well-behaved children are your password into the kingdom of joy, you have it all wrong. If you somehow think that losing weight, marrying the person of your dreams or being the owner of a passport filled with impressive stamps from exotic and far-away places will give you a money-back guarantee to perfect and perpetual joy, then once again, my friend, you have it all wrong. Joy is found in one place and one place only - "In His presence is fullness of joy!"
There is much about the night seasons that is perfect for seeking God. At nighttime everyone is asleep - except you! You stay up and seek the face of God uninterrupted. This makes for an exceptional time with the Lord as there are less distractions from kids, family, texts, and phone calls. There is something about having quality time with the Lord that makes a huge notable difference in our lives.
Some people are great at learning new languages. However, I get tongue-tied and provide a comedy routine rather than an accent as I try to speak in another language. However, there is a language that every believer is created to speak and understand, the language of heaven. For the believer, this is not their second language, but their primary one. It is not a backup, but the primary line of thinking. Everything changes when we understand we are created to partake in the language of heaven.
The writer of Hebrews says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (2:3, NKJV). The Greek word for neglect, ("having neglected" in its original tense in Greek), is "amelesantes." This means to pay no attention to, to make light of or to be negligent of. See Matthew 22:5 (ESV) for another instance when this word is used, i.e., "they paid no attention." Many Christians, including evangelicals, have made it a habit to neglect the basics of the faith, thus operating in a dangerous assumption that their salvation is always a settled fact despite how they live. However, this is not the teaching of the original apostles who wrote the sacred text. Even St. Peter admonished believers to ensure their calling and election (2 Peter 1:10).
Follow Up
