Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Abiding, Bible, Holy Spirit, Scripture

MY SPIRIT REMAINS WITH YOU

HAGGAI 2:5

“‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’”

The Spirit of God is a real Person, the third Person of the Trinity. Many of us in the West don’t put much emphasis on the Spirit. We downplay any movement of the Spirit that does not fit into our little man-made box. We think we need to control every aspect of our spiritual life. We certainly can’t afford to be labeled as “one of them.” You know who I am talking about. Well, let’s see what happens to the people Haggai is prophesying to.

God continues His message through Haggai in verse 5 of chapter 2. This verse could be a whole sermon series. It is not a long verse, but it so full of images of God’s movement in their lives. Promises, the exodus, His Spirit, in their midst and no fear. Wow! But look again. God says so clearly, “My Spirit remains in your midst.” That must have been so encouraging to them at this time. God is still there. They may not see Him, but He is.

APPLICATION

Listen up! God’s Spirit is still moving in the lives of His children. Unlike the children of Israel who only experienced God’s spirit during a special indwelling, we get to have Him living inside of us. He comes in at salvation and never leaves, until we move on to our heavenly reward. So, God’s admonition to us is the same as it was to the Israelites. Keep reading.

God finishes this statement by saying, “do not fear!” He is telling us the same thing – Do Not Fear! Why should we fear His workings in our life? Why should we fear the Spirit moving in ways we are not accustomed? When we surrender more and more of our flesh to the Spirit, the Spirit can reveal more and more of Himself through us.

Galatians 6:7-8 says, “7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” So, it is really our choice. Which do you want? Destruction or eternal life?

I am thankful I have surrendered my flesh to Your Spirit, O God. Eternity with You is my reward.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Glory, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Praise, Scripture, Worship

A STIRRED UP SPIRIT

HAGGAI 1:14

“So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of armies, their God,”

There has been a stirring of the Spirit in the past month at some colleges and universities, which started at Asbury College in Kentucky. What began as a regular chapel service grew into a movement of God with literally thousands from around the country coming to experience this non-stop service. Some people have questioned what was happening there. That is not our right. God will reveal whether this was real or not. The stirring of the Spirit is not for us to question.

Finally, the spirit of the people is stirred by the Lord here in Haggai 1:14. Notice that this began with the leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua. Then the people were stirred. And this stirring of their spirit resulted in putting their feet into action. They began to work on the temple, God’s house, the LORD of armies. They didn’t just sit around and enjoy the stirring. They obeyed God’s call to action. Glory!

APPLICATION

I truly believe the reason God’s work has not been accomplished sooner is because our leaders have not been receptive of God’s stirring. The event that is described in today’s verse is also mentioned in Ezra 1:5. “Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites rose up, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.”

It is important to mention that no one should try to accomplish what they think God wants until He stirs their heart to do so. But our leaders have to be ready and able to hear God’s voice. This is only through prayer and time in His Word. So much ministry is done without the first thought of what God wants. Good can get in the way of what is best if we are not careful.

I know in my own life I could stay very busy doing “stuff” for God. There is no end to the lists I could make to keep my calendar full. I have to ask the Lord each day what He would have me do. It is not about what I want to do. It is all about what He would have me do. How about you? Check out your motives for ministry. Make sure you have heard God and let Him stir your spirit with His Spirit.

Please stir my heart
Take me back to the fire
And bring to me recollections of joy
And renew my first desire

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/s/saragroveslyrics/stirmyheartlyrics.html

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Commitment, Discipline, Exhortation, God's Will, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Humility, Messages, Scripture

THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME

HAGGAI 1:3

“Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,”

How many sermons do you think you have heard in your lifetime? A hundred? A thousand? For some of us church goers, it can easily be in the thousands. I did some calculations this morning. If I have averaged just one sermon a week since age six, I have conservatively heard around 3,000. Some of those weeks I heard more than one. This doesn’t count the many conferences and revivals I have attended. That number could easily jump to 5,000.

So, when we read the words of today’s verse, don’t just read that and pass it by. Look at the words. “Then” means at a certain time, at a certain point. God decided when to speak to Haggai. Haggai didn’t just spout off some information he had. He waited for the Lord’s words. They came to him as he waited for the Lord to speak. Then and only then did Haggai speak. That’s important to see.

APPLICATION

The danger many preachers face each week is waiting on the Lord to speak before they do. The pressure to “get a sermon ready can lead to some misspoken words. Words are shared as if they are from the Lord but are not. We have to wait on Him, just like Haggai did. 2 Timothy 2:15 is a great verse to contemplate about this. It says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Maybe you don’t preach or teach the Word each week. How do you share it with others? Are you accurately handling it then? Do you quote verses incorrectly to suit your situation. We have to be careful about that, too. We need to make sure when we share a verse with someone that it points them to Jesus, not just what we think is right.

Sharing God’s Word with someone else is a good thing. But we must do it with humility, knowing it is not our word but His. Only His Word can heal and guide correctly. Only His Word can accurately teach us how to handle life in the way He intended. Our job is to listen carefully for the Spirit’s bidding and then act. Wait on God’s word to come to you before you speak.

I want to be true to Your Word, O Lord, in everything I do. 

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Abiding, Bible, Compassion, Holy Spirit, Scripture

IN YOUR MIDST

ZEPHANIAH 3:15

“‘The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you will no longer fear disaster.’”

Being with someone you really care about is special. I remember when my wife and I were “courting” before we got married, we couldn’t wait to be together. We only dated two and half months before we got married, and we spent every moment we could together. Being in the midst of each other was important.

I love what the Lord says here in verse 15. He tells His people that He will be “in your midst.” The Hebrew word here for “midst” is qereb, which means near or inward. It comes from the Hebrew verb qarab, which means to come near or close. Don’t you just love that. The God of all creation wants to be in their midst. He has “taken away His judgments.” What good news!

APPLICATION

God still wants to be in our midst. Isn’t that good news for us? The same God of Israel, through the presence of the Holy Spirit sent by the Son, wants to live within us. The difference between the Israelites and us is that Spirit that was with them temporarily is within us. We will dwell in His midst, and He will dwell in ours.

One day we will dwell in His midst in eternity, if we know His Son, Jesus, as our Savior and Lord. John 15 is a great passage about Jesus abiding in us and us abiding in Him. Take some time and read the whole chapter. The promise of Jesus remaining in us is worth it all.

So, I have to ask you. Is He in your midst? Have you asked the Lord to dwell within you through His Son? Jesus can cleanse you and purify your heart. At that moment He will come in and dwell within you. He will be in your midst. In your midst! That sounds marvelous.

Father, I am so thankful You are in my midst through Your Spirit because of Your Son.

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Accountability, Bible, Holy Spirit, Missionaries, Scripture, Service, Truth, Witnessing

SLEEPING ON THE JOB

NAHUM 3:18

“Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains.”

I have had a couple of jobs that required me to work the night shift (10 or 11 pm until 6 or 7 am). Those shifts can be tough if you are not used to them. I was never a regular on those shifts, so it was hard to stay awake unless I stayed busy. If I sat still, I was a goner – snooze city.

Nineveh’s shepherds and officers were slumbering, according to Nahum. They were sleeping on the job. They were nowhere to be found when it came to fighting or resisting the enemy. So, the people were scattered on the mountains. They fled! There was no one to protect them.

APPLICATION

Don’t be accused of sleeping on the job when it comes to Jesus. Time is short, and we need to be spreading the word. But so many Christians are asleep when it comes to being bold with their witness. They leave all that up to the “paid” Christians. You know, the preachers or evangelists or missionaries.

Surely, God doesn’t expect every believer to be proclaiming the message of truth. Well, I don’t see Jesus singling out any one person when He said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” He didn’t say, “Peter, you go!” He didn’t name anyone. It applies to us all.

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to witnessing. It has to be a conscious effort on my part. I pray each day for the Holy Spirit to open a door of opportunity with someone I cross paths with. I want to be ready at all times. Will you join me? Wake up.

Lead me, Lord, to a place each day where I can share Jesus with someone.

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Accountability, Bible, Boundaries, Devil, Enemies, Evil, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Praise, Scripture

VILE

NAHUM 1:14 

“The LORD has issued a command concerning you: ‘Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image from the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.’” 

Psalm 101.3 says “I will not look on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do. I will have no part in it.” That should be our attitude towards anything that is vile. But what does that mean? It’s the last word used in today’s verse – contemptible. It means to be cursed or despised. If it is not godly, have no part in it. 

Nahum tells the Assyrians that their time was up. The Lord is going to wipe them away like crumbs from a table. “Your name will no longer be perpetuated…I will prepare your grave.” Those are pretty harsh words. God meant business. He had used them as His battering ram against Israel to judge them, but they had taken it too far. 

APPLICATION 

Today we are bombarded with the vile. All around us are worldly, ungodly things that try to lure us into a lifestyle that is abhorrent to God. Movies, television and commercials all attempt to point us toward a lifestyle that is anything but embracing a Christian viewpoint. 

So, what do we do? We cannot live outside this world – at least not yet. While we are here, we must insulate ourselves with the Word of God. Only His Word can give us the protection we need against the evil one. His flaming arrows are always trying to find their mark against us. 

I am thankful that God has given me the desire to memorize and meditate on His Word. I know my quiver is always full of His Word to defend myself. The Spirit within me is quick to point out those things that offend it. Rely on Him to guard your heart and mind in your daily battles. 

I dedicate my life to honoring You, O Father. You are worthy of my praise and allegiance. 

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Consequences, Counsel, Encouragement, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Truth

A WICKED COUNSELOR

NAHUM 1:11

“From you has gone out one who plotted evil against the LORD, a wicked counselor.”

In our lifetimes, we are going to receive some wrong counsel. Friends who think they know best will offer advice that they are sure is the best for you. You may even receive some advice that you know is not from God because it goes against what His Word says. You have to be careful from whom you receive pearls of wisdom.

Nahum states it plainly. There is bad counsel coming from Nineveh. Listen to what Isaiah said about this in Isaiah 10:5. “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation,…” The nation God used to judge Israel thought it had done this on their own. Pride, once again, raises its ugly head.

APPLICATION

How do you know you are receiving good counsel, godly counsel? Simple, measure it against God’s Word. Does it agree with what God says? If it doesn’t, leave it alone. My rule has been if I know it’s bad, don’t do it. If I’m not sure, don’t do it. That has kept me out of a lot of tight jams.

A word of warning – people will think you are crazy for basing your decisions on an ancient book. Come on, Carl, times have changed. It’s 2022, not 1962. I don’t care if it’s 2050. God’s Word is timeless, and its truths eternal. I will never go wrong by choosing to live by it.

God’s counsel, through His Word and His Spirit, will never steer you wrong. It may not make perfect sense all the time but just trust it. It will see you through. I truly believe every problem we face in life can be solved simply by trusting His Word. Try it today.

Your Word is faithful. I will turn to it as my counsel.

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Accountability, Battles, Bible, Cleansing, Confession, Deception, Devil, Eternity, Forgiveness, God's Will, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Mercy, Scripture

SELF-JUSTIFICATION

MICAH 6:2

“Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the LORD has a case against His people; and He will dispute with Israel.”

Boy, we love to justify our sins, don’t we? We can blame everyone and everything for sinning. I know I have done that. I sin against God by being unkind to my wife, but I blame her. I get angry or upset in traffic, but it is the other driver’s fault. We just cannot take the blame ourselves, can we?

This “case” God has against His people is exactly that. He is basically asking them what He has done to cause their sinful behavior. They see His goodness yet respond with rebellion. I am reminded of Jesus’ response in John 10:32. “Jesus answered them, ‘I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?’”

APPLICATION

What excuses are you giving God right now for your sins. You say, What sins, Carl? I am not a bad person. Well, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). You cannot blame God or anyone else for your sin. Well, the devil made me do it. Nope, not true. He may have offered up that morsel, but you gobbled it down.

We have no one to blame for our sins but ourselves. Our flesh is so wicked. If it is left unchecked, it will wreck our world before and after we are saved. When you come to Christ and accept Him, He cleanses you of all your sins. But He does not take away that propensity in our flesh to sin. That has to be dealt with by our submission to the Holy Spirit daily.

Until we reach glory, sin will be an issue. I attended a funeral of a dear friend recently. His life was put on display at the service. His son spoke and shared what a godly influence his dad had on his life. But that man was prone to sin even up to the point of death. When his spirit was taken to glory, he began his sinless perfection in Christ. Glory, hallelujah! Praise be to Jesus. One day we will have the same. Until then, live holy lives.

Father, help me live each day abhorring what is evil and clinging to what is holy.

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Abiding, Advocate, Belief, Bible, Blessing, Covenant, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Modeling, Power, Relationships, Scripture

NOT BY MY MIGHT

MICAH 5:13

“‘I will eliminate your carved images and your memorial stones from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.’”

I loved my dad. He could fix just about anything. I learned so much from him about that kind of stuff. I watched and learned. He involved my brother and I in the projects so we could learn to do it ourselves one day. But when he started having some heart issues and was struggling with my mom’s health, he came to the end of his rope and finally admitted to God that he “could not fix this.” Then he gave his heart to Christ at 80 years old.

God is saying in verse 13 that there was nothing they had created by the works of their hands that could save them. Those carved images of wood and stone would not do anything to help them. Those memorial stones they had set up meant nothing. Only their faith and belief in Him mattered. They had to return to Him.

APPLICATION

Well, this application is pretty much in your face, right? What are you trying to prove to God by continuing to try to do it all on your own? I know people who have said, “I do not need your God. I am fine on my own.” That may sound noble, but it is really foolish. Self-reliance leads to self-destruction.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’” That is the key right there. It is only by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we can accomplish anything. Isaiah said something similar in 26:12. “…all that we have accomplished you have done for us.” It has never been about what we can do for God. It is only about what He can do in and through us.

I am thankful that God broke me of my self-reliance years ago. Going through two stem cell transplants will cause you to rely on others and especially Him. I could do nothing. I was weak physically, spiritually and emotionally during those times. But He showed me His strength. Do you know that today?

O Father of heaven and earth, You care enough for me to invest Your time and Spirit in me. You have made me Your own.

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Allegiance, Battles, Belief, Bible, Blasphemy, Darkness, Devil, Evil, Godliness, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Idols, Satan, Scripture

SORCERY FORBIDDEN

MICAH 5:12

“‘I will eliminate sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.’”

I will never forget the evening when I lived in Lakeland, FL when my wife and I decided to go to the local outdoor mall. It was new to Lakeland and had become a major evening and weekend destination because of the shops, restaurants and entertainment. We were walking along, and while my wife looked in one shop, I decided to step into this store that caught my attention. As I walked in, a chill ran up my spine. All I saw was occultic images and products. I ran out of that store as fast as I could. Such darkness.

This is what the Lord is cutting out of the land. No sorcery or fortune telling would be allowed. These were based in the pagan idolatry of the land, the very thing the Lord had warned the people of when they came into the Promised Land. Nothing had changed. These evil practices were still around and were now going to be purged. Evil was evil then and still is now.

APPLICATION

So many Christians today dabble in the occult, thinking it is frivolous or meaningless. Satan loves for us to believe that. I am not saying that a demon is going jump out of the Ouija board and tackle you to the ground, but the devil has a way to hook us into this stuff. Tarot cards and astrology are still listed in God’s eyes as sorcery and fortune-telling. That has not changed.

If you are into these things or have been in the past, let me urge you to put them down and confess that as sin. Renounce any allegiance you had to these items and get rid of them. Burn them if you can. Does this all sound extreme? You bet. Our battle with the forces of darkness is real and extreme. You must have your armor on and be free from any form of darkness.

Once you do that and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, He will make you very sensitive to these things. You will be able to recognize any form of idolatry. God wants you and me to walk in holiness, free from the entanglements of evil. Walking free is so much easier than dragging around a chain of darkness.

O Father, thank You for protecting me from evil. I know You have my back at all times.

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