Bible lessons pertaining to the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.
There are different dimensions of the anointing of God. There is the anointing within a believer, and the anointing that can come upon a believer. There is an anointing connected to spiritual gifts and an anointing connected to the Word of God. Are you hungry for the anointing and the move of God in your life? But, how does the anointing come?
One of the most interesting and widely displayed gifts in the Bible is the gift of discerning of spirits. Many questions have arisen about exactly what this gift, that comes via the Holy Spirit, is. In this post, we will examine this most important manifestation and try to address some of the common misconceptions.
Here are four eclectic thoughts on the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a born again believer. They are, the relationship between being led and hastiness. The relationship between integrity and being led. How the Holy Spirit leveled the playing field for mankind. And finally, the importance of the group or ‘body’ mentality in the church.
Jesus told us in John 15:5 that apart from Him believers would not have the ability to produce results. Jesus said these words in the same breath as He spoke of the ministry of the Holy Spirit that was coming into view on planet earth. The Holy Spirit was coming, Jesus said, to be our Comforter and Helper (John 14:16), our teacher (John 14:26) and our guide (John 16:13). Learning all you can about working with the Holy Spirit will help you produce results; for it is in conjunction with His ministry through the believer that we can produce fruits fit for the kingdom of God.
There are three characteristics that are evident in a person that is full of the Spirit. They speak in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord; they give thanks always and for everything; they submit to one another out of respect for Jesus. If this is the criteria for being filled, then I want to submit to you that mainly half-empty people are doing the work of God in the earth. Now if the work of God has gotten as far as it has with half-empty people – what would happen if we all were filled and stayed full?
There are multiple ways to be led by the Spirit of God. Here are two ways you might ponder in this area of being led by the Lord in your everyday life. Area one, by the Spirit of God directly; area two, by interpreting situations in the light of the love of God. With that being said, there are some valuable lessons that one can learn in this arena of hearing the Lord. Some of these lessons may help accelerate the learning curve. Consider the following.
Isaiah 40:3-5 speaks of preparing a highway for God. This prophecy concerns the first coming of Jesus. According to Jesus, John the Baptist was of the instruments God used to prepare this highway for the Messiah. But, there is another coming of Jesus, a Second Coming. Another highway has to be built for the return of Jesus. How can we cooperate with God in this area? God’s heart has always been to flood the entire earth with His glory. How can we help prepare a highway for our God?
Jesus Christ is a miracle worker. The Bible testifies to this fact in no uncertain terms (Jn. 20:30:31) but did you realize that Jesus did not produce miracles just because of His identity as the Son of God? Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God (Matt. 3:16) and after His anointing, mighty works began to flow. Jesus then boldly declared that the works that He did, we can do also (Jn. 14:12). So, what are the possibilities of doing the greater works of Jesus? What are the possibilities of this anointing?
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Discussing God’s power is not for the small minded. As you follow the trail of God’s glory and power in the Bible, you will find that there are ‘storage places’ where the anointing and glory can be stored. Let’s look at some of these containers.
Have you ever noticed the words ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘power’ in the Bible? They are actually synonymous terms meaning when you have one you have the other. When the Holy Spirit comes, there is power. How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, become pregnant by herself without following the normal course of nature? By a manifestation of the anointing. The virgin birth is a ‘power’ manifestation by the Holy Spirit. Let’s look further into this anointing and look at it at work in the life of Jesus.
There are different dimensions of the anointing of God. There is the anointing within a believer, and the anointing that can come upon a believer. There is an anointing connected to spiritual gifts and an anointing connected to the Word of God. Are you hungry for the anointing and the move of God in your life? But, how does the anointing come?
The will of God for your life is by far, of utmost importance. In fact, it may not be out of order to say that it is the single most important area in your walk with God. Our heart attitude must be one of constantly asking and seeking to ascertain what His will is in the areas with which we have to do. Here are some thoughts along this line.