Sunday, June 24, 2007
Rediscovering the Holy Spirit
Introduction:
Many people shy away from the topic of the Holy Spirit because they see it as wild or mysterious – but really though, the Holy Spirit is just biblical. Although often overlooked, the Holy Spirit is an important part of the Trinity and crucial to our relationship with God. He is not an “it” – but we are meant to know Him as a Person and as a friend. Instead of merely trying to add His power to our lives, we are meant to know Him and surrender to Him. Look at what Jesus had to say about Him and His significance in John 16…
(Read John 16:7-15)
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.”
What a wonderful gift to us the Holy Spirit is, for Jesus to make the statement that it is actually better that He goes away so the Holy Spirit could come. Many times we as Christians wish we could have been alive back when Jesus was on the Earth, but Jesus is telling us that’s not true – that it is much better for us today with 24/7 direct access to God via the Holy Spirit. And Jesus makes it abundantly clear in this passage that the Holy Spirit is not just some power that God invokes from time to time, or some inferior member of the Trinity, but a divine Person co-equal with God and Jesus. And that’s the first key point…
1) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON, NOT A POWER
“If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll want to get hold of it. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll want Him to get hold of us.
If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll want it to accomplish our will and our whims. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll want to surrender more to Him in awe and wonder.
If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll be proud to have it and feel superior to those who do not. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll be humbled that in His great love the very Third Person of the Trinity has chosen to dwell within us.”
(quoted from “Welcome Holy Spirit” by Benny Hinn)
Unfortunately, a lot of people see the Holy Spirit as just some kind of heavenly power or influence. They value and reverence Him, but they don’t commune or have a relationship with Him. Jesus made it so clear in John 16 that the Holy Spirit is a Person by refusing to speak of the Counselor as an “it.” In Greek the word for “spirit” would usually be represented by the pronoun “it”, but Jesus clearly used the pronoun “He” repeatedly. In addition, it is clear through the rest of Scripture that the Holy Spirit has characteristics that only a person can possess. He has an intellect, a will, emotions, and the ability to communicate. He can be grieved by our sinful words and actions. He wants to know you and be intimately involved your daily life and decisions. The Holy Spirit is not some kind of power to try to get more of – you received the full Holy Spirit the day you accepted Christ. It’s not about YOU somehow trying to get “more of God”, but rather, letting GOD have more of YOU. Therefore, there is no room for arrogance when it comes to the Holy Spirit. No one can have more of the Spirit than someone else – it’s really a matter of how much you’re willing to humble yourself, and to yield and surrender to Him. When you became a Christian, God already filled you with His Spirit and you can’t be any more or less filled. What you can do, is to give Him more of YOU!
2) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CRUCIAL TO OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
(Read Acts 1:4-9)
One one occasion, while [Jesus] was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the dates or times the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
The Holy Spirit is so crucial to doing God’s work and God’s will, that Jesus instructed the disciples to not leave and go anywhere from Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had come upon them. He's like American Express... "Don't leave home without Him"! Without the Holy Spirit, their task of spreading the gospel “to the ends of the earth” would have been impossible and unthinkable. It was only possible for the disciples after “receiving power.” It’s the same with us today. Sometimes we are trying to do God’s work on our own – when He expressly gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us, help us, and empower us. Many churches today suffer from rejecting or ignoring the Holy Spirit – many know ABOUT Him but do not develop a relationship with Him or an awareness and sensitivity to Him on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis. Just like how the religious establishment of Jesus’ day suffered from rejecting Him, it is just as serious for us to overlook the Holy Spirit, Whom God intended to be a major part of our lives. After all, He dwells inside of us after we accept Christ as Lord. But just because He’s inside you doesn’t mean you’re sensitive to His nudgings and that you are letting Him lead you (we can choose to quench the Spirit and thus become hard-hearted and insensitive to Him). We should especially appreciate the God’s gift of the Holy Spirit when we look at the difference between how the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament as opposed to today. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was only accessible to certain people (usually just the High Priest on a certain day each year) on special occasions, or would briefly empower someone for a certain task or purpose. Today, however, the Holy Spirit dwells within us and we have access to the presence of God and the power and guidance of God anytime, anyplace, anywhere! The Holy Spirit is how we commune with the Almighty God right here on Earth. That is something worth getting excited about! We will never be able to fulfill God’s purpose for our life and our ministry without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Jesus told His disciples not to take one step without Him!
3) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A POWER, BUT PROVIDES POWER
Although the Holy Spirit is most definitely a divine Person rather than a power, it is clear in Scripture that the Holy Spirit provides abundant power in the life of the believer. Jesus Himself said that future believers would do even greater things than He had done, after He returns to the Father – which implies that those greater things will be accomplished through the Spirit. Let’s look at John 14:12…
(Read John 14:12)
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
You may wonder how it is possible for the future believers to do even greater things than Jesus had done. Remember, Jesus returning to the Father paved the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit -- who is omnipresent and is not limited by the physical limitations of a human body. He can be touching, moving, and empowering people all over the globe at once. He has empowered Christians to spread the gospel all over the world – far beyond where it had reached in Jesus’ day. And yes, the Holy Spirit is still in healing and miracle-working business. Today Christians act surprised and become suspicious when they see Pastors or other Christians conducting healing services or being used to perform other miracles… but why? They’re just doing what Jesus did, and Jesus Himself said that with the Holy Spirit we would do even greater things than He had done. Instead of making cynical comments about them, Christians should spend time examining why it is that most churches never see any sort of power or miracles – that is the more important question, and I believe it has a lot to do with a lack of understanding and faith in what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit.
If you still don’t believe me that the Holy Spirit provides amazing power, just take a look in the Book of Acts. The story of the spread of the early church is a powerful testimony of the difference the Holy Spirit makes. These were ordinary people, just like you and I, but who were 100% yielded to the Spirit. Compare Peter, for a moment, before and after receiving the Holy Spirit. Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, although Peter was a faithful disciple of Jesus, he often misunderstood what Jesus’ teachings meant, and he even denied Jesus three times in one night. In fact, even all the way in Matthew 28, all of the disciples (who had walked and talked with Jesus, witnessed the Resurrection, etc.) were struggling with doubts and not fully understanding what Jesus had to say. But then fast forward up to the 2nd Chapter of Acts, and you will find Peter preaching one of the most bold, on-fire, in-your-face sermons in history, with amazing and powerful results. Peter and the other disciples could never have done these things – moving from doubt to empowerment -- without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that took them beyond their human limitations. Next, think of Paul before and after his conversion experience – the difference is like night and day. Let’s turn to Acts 9 and take a brief look…
(Read Acts 9:17-22)
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
Look at what the Holy Spirit was able to empower Saul/Paul to do, which he could have never done or convinced anyone of on his own. This same Holy Spirit, who empowers and transforms like no other, is right inside of you today! Remember though, the point is to seek a relationship with Him… and then the power will flow through us. The point is not to seek the power – that is a wrong motive. As we develop our relationship with Him in faith, He will give us all the power we need to do His will. You are not trying to get “more of God” – you are humbly offering Him more of you. You’re not trying to become some kind of spiritual magician to dazzle audience or accumulate power for yourself – you’re a humble servant of God, aiming to be open for Him to do what HE wants to do through you. It’s about putting yourself in a position to be used by God.
Conclusion:
God has really laid it on my heart to help us de-mystify the Holy Spirit, and move Him out of the shadows of the church into the spotlight, since He is so crucial to our ability to boldly do God’s will. Yes, there is an element of “mystery” involved with the Holy Spirit – but no more so than with God or Jesus. The Bible gives us plenty of information and insight into the Holy Spirit to be able to commune with Him on a daily basis and invite Him to be a part of our daily activities. We should view each of the 3 members of the Trinity equally, not putting emphasis on two only while ignoring the third. The Holy Spirit is not inferior.
I want to challenge you to call upon the Lord today, to ask/invite the Holy Spirit to be intimately involved in your daily life. I challenge you to seek His guidance, His comfort, and His ministry to you – to ask Him to move in you, to work in you, to EMBOLDEN you for the tasks God has called you to do. If you are lacking boldness, let the Holy Spirit give it to you, and receive it! Ask God for increased sensitivity to His leading, and the strength to carry out His task. Thank God for this wonderful gift. It’s nice to sit here and talk about the Holy Spirit and how wonderful He is, but you will never know until you begin to include the Holy Spirit as a regular part of your daily life. Stop GRIEVING Him, stop QUENCHING him, and let Him WORK in you and through you, without restraint. Get all the junk out of your life that’s blocking His flow (you have the world turned up so loud you can’t hear the promptings of the Spirit), and get serious about submitting and surrendering to what God wants to do through you!
And if you haven’t done so already, the first step is to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, because that’s when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. Today is the day… don’t procrastinate!
Many people shy away from the topic of the Holy Spirit because they see it as wild or mysterious – but really though, the Holy Spirit is just biblical. Although often overlooked, the Holy Spirit is an important part of the Trinity and crucial to our relationship with God. He is not an “it” – but we are meant to know Him as a Person and as a friend. Instead of merely trying to add His power to our lives, we are meant to know Him and surrender to Him. Look at what Jesus had to say about Him and His significance in John 16…
(Read John 16:7-15)
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you.”
What a wonderful gift to us the Holy Spirit is, for Jesus to make the statement that it is actually better that He goes away so the Holy Spirit could come. Many times we as Christians wish we could have been alive back when Jesus was on the Earth, but Jesus is telling us that’s not true – that it is much better for us today with 24/7 direct access to God via the Holy Spirit. And Jesus makes it abundantly clear in this passage that the Holy Spirit is not just some power that God invokes from time to time, or some inferior member of the Trinity, but a divine Person co-equal with God and Jesus. And that’s the first key point…
1) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON, NOT A POWER
“If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll want to get hold of it. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll want Him to get hold of us.
If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll want it to accomplish our will and our whims. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll want to surrender more to Him in awe and wonder.
If the Holy Spirit is a POWER, we’ll be proud to have it and feel superior to those who do not. If the Holy Spirit is a divine PERSON, we’ll be humbled that in His great love the very Third Person of the Trinity has chosen to dwell within us.”
(quoted from “Welcome Holy Spirit” by Benny Hinn)
Unfortunately, a lot of people see the Holy Spirit as just some kind of heavenly power or influence. They value and reverence Him, but they don’t commune or have a relationship with Him. Jesus made it so clear in John 16 that the Holy Spirit is a Person by refusing to speak of the Counselor as an “it.” In Greek the word for “spirit” would usually be represented by the pronoun “it”, but Jesus clearly used the pronoun “He” repeatedly. In addition, it is clear through the rest of Scripture that the Holy Spirit has characteristics that only a person can possess. He has an intellect, a will, emotions, and the ability to communicate. He can be grieved by our sinful words and actions. He wants to know you and be intimately involved your daily life and decisions. The Holy Spirit is not some kind of power to try to get more of – you received the full Holy Spirit the day you accepted Christ. It’s not about YOU somehow trying to get “more of God”, but rather, letting GOD have more of YOU. Therefore, there is no room for arrogance when it comes to the Holy Spirit. No one can have more of the Spirit than someone else – it’s really a matter of how much you’re willing to humble yourself, and to yield and surrender to Him. When you became a Christian, God already filled you with His Spirit and you can’t be any more or less filled. What you can do, is to give Him more of YOU!
2) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CRUCIAL TO OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
(Read Acts 1:4-9)
One one occasion, while [Jesus] was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the dates or times the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
The Holy Spirit is so crucial to doing God’s work and God’s will, that Jesus instructed the disciples to not leave and go anywhere from Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had come upon them. He's like American Express... "Don't leave home without Him"! Without the Holy Spirit, their task of spreading the gospel “to the ends of the earth” would have been impossible and unthinkable. It was only possible for the disciples after “receiving power.” It’s the same with us today. Sometimes we are trying to do God’s work on our own – when He expressly gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us, help us, and empower us. Many churches today suffer from rejecting or ignoring the Holy Spirit – many know ABOUT Him but do not develop a relationship with Him or an awareness and sensitivity to Him on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis. Just like how the religious establishment of Jesus’ day suffered from rejecting Him, it is just as serious for us to overlook the Holy Spirit, Whom God intended to be a major part of our lives. After all, He dwells inside of us after we accept Christ as Lord. But just because He’s inside you doesn’t mean you’re sensitive to His nudgings and that you are letting Him lead you (we can choose to quench the Spirit and thus become hard-hearted and insensitive to Him). We should especially appreciate the God’s gift of the Holy Spirit when we look at the difference between how the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament as opposed to today. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was only accessible to certain people (usually just the High Priest on a certain day each year) on special occasions, or would briefly empower someone for a certain task or purpose. Today, however, the Holy Spirit dwells within us and we have access to the presence of God and the power and guidance of God anytime, anyplace, anywhere! The Holy Spirit is how we commune with the Almighty God right here on Earth. That is something worth getting excited about! We will never be able to fulfill God’s purpose for our life and our ministry without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Jesus told His disciples not to take one step without Him!
3) THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A POWER, BUT PROVIDES POWER
Although the Holy Spirit is most definitely a divine Person rather than a power, it is clear in Scripture that the Holy Spirit provides abundant power in the life of the believer. Jesus Himself said that future believers would do even greater things than He had done, after He returns to the Father – which implies that those greater things will be accomplished through the Spirit. Let’s look at John 14:12…
(Read John 14:12)
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
You may wonder how it is possible for the future believers to do even greater things than Jesus had done. Remember, Jesus returning to the Father paved the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit -- who is omnipresent and is not limited by the physical limitations of a human body. He can be touching, moving, and empowering people all over the globe at once. He has empowered Christians to spread the gospel all over the world – far beyond where it had reached in Jesus’ day. And yes, the Holy Spirit is still in healing and miracle-working business. Today Christians act surprised and become suspicious when they see Pastors or other Christians conducting healing services or being used to perform other miracles… but why? They’re just doing what Jesus did, and Jesus Himself said that with the Holy Spirit we would do even greater things than He had done. Instead of making cynical comments about them, Christians should spend time examining why it is that most churches never see any sort of power or miracles – that is the more important question, and I believe it has a lot to do with a lack of understanding and faith in what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit.
If you still don’t believe me that the Holy Spirit provides amazing power, just take a look in the Book of Acts. The story of the spread of the early church is a powerful testimony of the difference the Holy Spirit makes. These were ordinary people, just like you and I, but who were 100% yielded to the Spirit. Compare Peter, for a moment, before and after receiving the Holy Spirit. Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, although Peter was a faithful disciple of Jesus, he often misunderstood what Jesus’ teachings meant, and he even denied Jesus three times in one night. In fact, even all the way in Matthew 28, all of the disciples (who had walked and talked with Jesus, witnessed the Resurrection, etc.) were struggling with doubts and not fully understanding what Jesus had to say. But then fast forward up to the 2nd Chapter of Acts, and you will find Peter preaching one of the most bold, on-fire, in-your-face sermons in history, with amazing and powerful results. Peter and the other disciples could never have done these things – moving from doubt to empowerment -- without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that took them beyond their human limitations. Next, think of Paul before and after his conversion experience – the difference is like night and day. Let’s turn to Acts 9 and take a brief look…
(Read Acts 9:17-22)
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
Look at what the Holy Spirit was able to empower Saul/Paul to do, which he could have never done or convinced anyone of on his own. This same Holy Spirit, who empowers and transforms like no other, is right inside of you today! Remember though, the point is to seek a relationship with Him… and then the power will flow through us. The point is not to seek the power – that is a wrong motive. As we develop our relationship with Him in faith, He will give us all the power we need to do His will. You are not trying to get “more of God” – you are humbly offering Him more of you. You’re not trying to become some kind of spiritual magician to dazzle audience or accumulate power for yourself – you’re a humble servant of God, aiming to be open for Him to do what HE wants to do through you. It’s about putting yourself in a position to be used by God.
Conclusion:
God has really laid it on my heart to help us de-mystify the Holy Spirit, and move Him out of the shadows of the church into the spotlight, since He is so crucial to our ability to boldly do God’s will. Yes, there is an element of “mystery” involved with the Holy Spirit – but no more so than with God or Jesus. The Bible gives us plenty of information and insight into the Holy Spirit to be able to commune with Him on a daily basis and invite Him to be a part of our daily activities. We should view each of the 3 members of the Trinity equally, not putting emphasis on two only while ignoring the third. The Holy Spirit is not inferior.
I want to challenge you to call upon the Lord today, to ask/invite the Holy Spirit to be intimately involved in your daily life. I challenge you to seek His guidance, His comfort, and His ministry to you – to ask Him to move in you, to work in you, to EMBOLDEN you for the tasks God has called you to do. If you are lacking boldness, let the Holy Spirit give it to you, and receive it! Ask God for increased sensitivity to His leading, and the strength to carry out His task. Thank God for this wonderful gift. It’s nice to sit here and talk about the Holy Spirit and how wonderful He is, but you will never know until you begin to include the Holy Spirit as a regular part of your daily life. Stop GRIEVING Him, stop QUENCHING him, and let Him WORK in you and through you, without restraint. Get all the junk out of your life that’s blocking His flow (you have the world turned up so loud you can’t hear the promptings of the Spirit), and get serious about submitting and surrendering to what God wants to do through you!
And if you haven’t done so already, the first step is to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, because that’s when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. Today is the day… don’t procrastinate!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Call Upon the Name of the Lord!
FOR FORGIVENESS, HUMILITY, AND PERSONAL RENEWAL…
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 51:10-13
FOR STRENGTH, MATURITY, UNITY, AND PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH BODY
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit… It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by every wind of teaching… Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:1-4,11-16
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:2-4
FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend… He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands. Job 16:20-21, 22:30
I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers… Romans 9:1-3
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth… I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I Timothy 2:1-4,8
FOR GUIDANCE, REVIVAL, AND GOD’S WILL TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:17-21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Let's pray fervently this summer, in unity, for spiritual revival!!!!!
Revival begins with prayer, and total surrender to the Spirit of God...
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 51:10-13
FOR STRENGTH, MATURITY, UNITY, AND PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH BODY
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit… It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by every wind of teaching… Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:1-4,11-16
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:2-4
FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend… He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands. Job 16:20-21, 22:30
I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers… Romans 9:1-3
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth… I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I Timothy 2:1-4,8
FOR GUIDANCE, REVIVAL, AND GOD’S WILL TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:17-21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Let's pray fervently this summer, in unity, for spiritual revival!!!!!
Revival begins with prayer, and total surrender to the Spirit of God...
