The Bible tells us to be "filled with the Spirit!" Have you ever wondered what that means? It may not be what you think! We might surmise to be "filled with the Spirit" means that we will have an emotional experience. Now, it could mean that, but you can have this encounter with God and have no emotional experience to speak of.
I'm sure we would all love to have an emotional encounter with God every single day. It would be great to just get "zapped" every morning, wouldn't it? But that is not necessarily going to happen.
In the Book of Acts, we read of the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the first Christians and filled them. The day of Pentecost was like an explosion that set the early Church into motion.
Like when you start driving a car, there is the "explosion" that starts the engine. But once the engine is started, you just drive the car. You don't need the explosion over and over, just one to start the engine.
Thank God for those powerful, emotional, life-changing encounters we have with Him. But Scripture reminds us, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). So we don't need "another" Pentecost any more than we need "another" Calvary.
We just need to appropriate and apply what God has made available for every believer. And that is the work and power of the Holy Spirit to help you be the person God has called you to be.
Paul tells us, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). So we don't need "spirits," we need the Holy Spirit! The word "filled" has many shades of meaning. One translation of the word "filled" describes the concept of the wind filling the sail of a ship as it carries it out to sea. By that definition, to be filled with the Spirit is to allow God to fill your sails and guide your course through life, making His commands a delight, not drudgery.
The word "filled" also speaks of something that should be ongoing and continuous. You could translate it "Be being filled with the Holy Spirit," just like you have to put gas in your car. You need the constant filling of the Holy Spirit. And the good news is that God will not charge you!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
"Training Our Children"
READ
Proverbs 22:6
From a young age, children observe the behavior of the significant adults in their lives. What a wonderful opportunity to influence the next generation for Jesus!
How do we train children in godliness? We start by investing our time in their lives. Boys and girls need their parents and others to spend quality time with them. Whether it’s through outdoor activities, reading together, or quiet conversation, we can be modeling Christian living.
Listening closely is another part of raising our sons and daughters. To influence them toward righteousness, we must know what they are thinking—in other words, what’s important to them and what bothers them.
Protecting children through discipline is another aspect of godly parenting. When done with love, this will help them understand the wisdom of God’s boundaries and the importance of self-control.
Admitting our mistakes is also necessary, as transparency helps children draw closer to parents. If we seem perfect, kids will find it harder to confess their mistakes to us.
Perhaps the most important aspect of training is unconditional love. My mother consistently loved me both when I had success in school and when I didn’t. Because of her steadfast care for me, I tried to do what she would find pleasing.
Raising a godly child takes the cooperation of believing parents and family, Christian teachers, and born-again friends. Look for opportunities to spend time with children, listen to their hearts, and demonstrate Christ’s love for them. By modeling godliness, you may influence a life for the Lord.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Proverbs 22:6
From a young age, children observe the behavior of the significant adults in their lives. What a wonderful opportunity to influence the next generation for Jesus!
How do we train children in godliness? We start by investing our time in their lives. Boys and girls need their parents and others to spend quality time with them. Whether it’s through outdoor activities, reading together, or quiet conversation, we can be modeling Christian living.
Listening closely is another part of raising our sons and daughters. To influence them toward righteousness, we must know what they are thinking—in other words, what’s important to them and what bothers them.
Protecting children through discipline is another aspect of godly parenting. When done with love, this will help them understand the wisdom of God’s boundaries and the importance of self-control.
Admitting our mistakes is also necessary, as transparency helps children draw closer to parents. If we seem perfect, kids will find it harder to confess their mistakes to us.
Perhaps the most important aspect of training is unconditional love. My mother consistently loved me both when I had success in school and when I didn’t. Because of her steadfast care for me, I tried to do what she would find pleasing.
Raising a godly child takes the cooperation of believing parents and family, Christian teachers, and born-again friends. Look for opportunities to spend time with children, listen to their hearts, and demonstrate Christ’s love for them. By modeling godliness, you may influence a life for the Lord.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
"The Holy Spirit, Our Guide"
12) I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. 13)The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. 14)The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. 15)Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you. John 16:12-15 (CEV)
In this world, all of God’s children are on a journey. And as we travel through life en route to our eternal home, every one of us will face a multitude of choices. Forks in the road and unmarked intersections challenge and frustrate us. In such circumstances, how can we know which way to go?
Jesus promised to give us an internal and ever-present Guide. Starting at the moment of salvation, everyone who trusts in the Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead believers into all the truth. Like a built-in compass, He will direct us exactly the right way, regardless of the choice. He never makes a mistake.
So you may be thinking, If He is living in me and never makes a wrong choice, why do I keep messing up? His leadership is always right, but our reception isn’t always clear. Yielding to the Lord is an essential requirement for receiving His direction. We cannot tolerate sin and go our own way in one area and expect to receive His guidance in another.
Sin does to our understanding of God’s clear direction what a magnet does to the needle of a compass. If a magnet is placed next to a compass, the needle will point in a multitude of directions. In the same way, sin misleads us.
When a decision is unclear, ask yourself these questions: Will Christ be glorified in this choice? Can I do this in Jesus’ name? If either answer is no, don’t follow that path, because the Holy Spirit is not guiding you there. His leading always aligns with Scripture and brings glory to Christ.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
In this world, all of God’s children are on a journey. And as we travel through life en route to our eternal home, every one of us will face a multitude of choices. Forks in the road and unmarked intersections challenge and frustrate us. In such circumstances, how can we know which way to go?
Jesus promised to give us an internal and ever-present Guide. Starting at the moment of salvation, everyone who trusts in the Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead believers into all the truth. Like a built-in compass, He will direct us exactly the right way, regardless of the choice. He never makes a mistake.
So you may be thinking, If He is living in me and never makes a wrong choice, why do I keep messing up? His leadership is always right, but our reception isn’t always clear. Yielding to the Lord is an essential requirement for receiving His direction. We cannot tolerate sin and go our own way in one area and expect to receive His guidance in another.
Sin does to our understanding of God’s clear direction what a magnet does to the needle of a compass. If a magnet is placed next to a compass, the needle will point in a multitude of directions. In the same way, sin misleads us.
When a decision is unclear, ask yourself these questions: Will Christ be glorified in this choice? Can I do this in Jesus’ name? If either answer is no, don’t follow that path, because the Holy Spirit is not guiding you there. His leading always aligns with Scripture and brings glory to Christ.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
"Our Choices Make Us"
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead,
pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy
the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
2 Timothy 2:22
Why is it that some Christians succeed, while others who make a profession of faith miserably fail? Why is it that some seem to run the race of life and cross the finish line with flying colors, while others just collapse in a heap? It is because of choices—choices that we make each and every day. We make our choices, and our choices make us. And life is filled with choices.
From the moment you get up in the morning until the moment you lay your head on your pillow, you will have made hundreds—maybe even thousands—of choices. Some are simple choices that don't mean a lot, and others are choices that mean a great deal. It comes down to this: If you want to grow spiritually, you will. And if you don't want to grow spiritually, you won't. It is not the luck of the draw or something that only happens randomly; it is making the right choice to do the right thing.
We either will go forward as Christians, or we will go backward. We either will progress, or we will regress. We either will gain ground, or we will lose ground. And if we stand still, we will lose ground. So this is the kind of commitment where we should be seeking, on a daily basis, to grow spiritually, to progress, and to learn—and not just hold our own.
We all need to commit ourselves to growing spiritually, because there are things that impair our spiritual growth, and there are things that help it. We want to live lives that will honor God and stay away from the things that will drag us down spiritually. Because spiritual growth is based on doing what is good—and not doing what is bad.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, January 11, 2010
"THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"
22-23~But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
23-24~Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25-26~Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Gal. 5:22-26 (MSG)
The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. Read about the fruit of the Spirit in today’s passage, and ask, Can I be such a good person on my own? We need divine intervention to live as God expects. That’s why He gives each believer a Helper, whose job is to produce Christ-like character.
The heavenly Father knows that His children need assistance to comply with His commands. Even Jesus Christ’s most faithful followers were, on their own, helpless to obey—for instance, Peter, who pledged to be loyal until death, denied even knowing Christ (Matt. 26:69-75).
Just before returning to heaven, Jesus ordered the disciples to put their missionary work on hold until the Holy Spirit arrived (Luke 24:49). Only with the Spirit’s aid could Peter the Coward become Peter the Rock and preach a challenging sermon that convicted many (Acts 2).
The Holy Spirit enters a believer’s life at the moment of salvation and immediately sets about the work of producing spiritual fruit. This is the outward expression of a transformed heart. When we yield to God’s nurturing hand, our actions and attitudes become more loving, more joyful, more kind, more gentle, . . . He reaps a harvest of service from our life—good works that grow our own faith and expand His kingdom.
Allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth Christlike character is not passive. Our part is to meditate upon the Bible so that we can identify righteous qualities. Then, instead of satisfying our flesh, we must make wise decisions each day that allow the Spirit to develop godliness in our life.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
23-24~Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25-26~Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
Gal. 5:22-26 (MSG)
The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. Read about the fruit of the Spirit in today’s passage, and ask, Can I be such a good person on my own? We need divine intervention to live as God expects. That’s why He gives each believer a Helper, whose job is to produce Christ-like character.
The heavenly Father knows that His children need assistance to comply with His commands. Even Jesus Christ’s most faithful followers were, on their own, helpless to obey—for instance, Peter, who pledged to be loyal until death, denied even knowing Christ (Matt. 26:69-75).
Just before returning to heaven, Jesus ordered the disciples to put their missionary work on hold until the Holy Spirit arrived (Luke 24:49). Only with the Spirit’s aid could Peter the Coward become Peter the Rock and preach a challenging sermon that convicted many (Acts 2).
The Holy Spirit enters a believer’s life at the moment of salvation and immediately sets about the work of producing spiritual fruit. This is the outward expression of a transformed heart. When we yield to God’s nurturing hand, our actions and attitudes become more loving, more joyful, more kind, more gentle, . . . He reaps a harvest of service from our life—good works that grow our own faith and expand His kingdom.
Allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth Christlike character is not passive. Our part is to meditate upon the Bible so that we can identify righteous qualities. Then, instead of satisfying our flesh, we must make wise decisions each day that allow the Spirit to develop godliness in our life.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Sunday, January 10, 2010
"BELIEVE GOD"
"I am the Lord, and I do not change."
— Malachi 3:6
A. W. Tozer said, "Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God." I think that is true, because if you don't understand who God is, if your view of God is warped, then it will affect you in the way that you live. We must have a proper understanding of the character and nature of God.
What you believe will enable you to get through the challenges and the difficulties of life. And there is no better place to start than with God himself and what the Bible says about Him.
When Paul was on the tempest-tossed sea on the way to Italy and it looked as though everyone on the ship would die, God assured him that he would arrive safely in Rome. So Paul was able to tell the crew,
"Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said." (Acts 27:23–25)
Paul believed God, and we should too, because we live in a storm-tossed world. We don't know where the problems we're facing today will lead. These are uncertain times, and we need a real certainty that will help us get through it. Though times and circumstances change, God never does. All but God is changing day by day. God says, "I am the Lord, and I do not change" (Malachi 3:6).
When you believe God, it doesn't necessarily change your circumstances, though sometimes it will. But more often than not, it will change you.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Friday, January 8, 2010
"A Reason for Confidence"
4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Phil. 4: 4-5 (MSG)
Negativity affects us both spiritually and physically. Even spending time with a pessimistic individual can take a toll. On the other hand, positive emotions—particularly godly confidence—can empower us to live fully, as the Lord intends.
Facing each day with the knowledge that our strength comes from Jesus will drive away doubt and anxiety. Yet many things can interfere with a healthy outlook. For example, we often allow wrong advice and negative attitudes to drain us. Sin, too, will keep our hearts from finding full confidence in God. And sometimes false guilt creeps into our minds and robs us of assurance.
Instead, we can purposefully develop confidence in almighty God by maturing in our faith. Meditating on the Word, drawing near to the Lord in prayer, and choosing to believe Him are all ways to strengthen our relationship with Him. The more our friendship with the heavenly Father deepens, the more unshakeable trust in Him will become.
As Christians, we have every reason to live with assurance—we have the very presence of God living within us (Phil. 4:5). But in addition, we also have His peace (v. 7), His power (v. 13), and His provision (v. 19).
Our world is full of distrust, fear, and uncertainty. Don’t allow yourself to listen to negative messages, which can make you lose the confidence God gives His children. Instead, focus on the truth in Scripture and the glory and victory of Jesus. Let His perfect love cast out your fear (1 John 4:18).
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Negativity affects us both spiritually and physically. Even spending time with a pessimistic individual can take a toll. On the other hand, positive emotions—particularly godly confidence—can empower us to live fully, as the Lord intends.
Facing each day with the knowledge that our strength comes from Jesus will drive away doubt and anxiety. Yet many things can interfere with a healthy outlook. For example, we often allow wrong advice and negative attitudes to drain us. Sin, too, will keep our hearts from finding full confidence in God. And sometimes false guilt creeps into our minds and robs us of assurance.
Instead, we can purposefully develop confidence in almighty God by maturing in our faith. Meditating on the Word, drawing near to the Lord in prayer, and choosing to believe Him are all ways to strengthen our relationship with Him. The more our friendship with the heavenly Father deepens, the more unshakeable trust in Him will become.
As Christians, we have every reason to live with assurance—we have the very presence of God living within us (Phil. 4:5). But in addition, we also have His peace (v. 7), His power (v. 13), and His provision (v. 19).
Our world is full of distrust, fear, and uncertainty. Don’t allow yourself to listen to negative messages, which can make you lose the confidence God gives His children. Instead, focus on the truth in Scripture and the glory and victory of Jesus. Let His perfect love cast out your fear (1 John 4:18).
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
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