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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: Faith

  • God’s Promises – The Holy Spirit

    the BIg Book of God's Promises

    We have all made promises, some we have kept and others we have broken, for reasons, good, bad, and unknown. The Lord made many promises throughout the Scriptures, and God’s promises are never broken.

    We all know people whose promises are not dependable. Their word is less than trustworthy, and you can almost count on them not keeping it. The Scriptures are full of verses affirming the trustworthiness of God’s Promises. Here are a few: Hebrews 10:23, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Titus 1:2, Joshua 21:45.

    Numerous places in the Old Testament God promised to pour out his Holy Spirit:

    And it will be afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your old men will dream dreams; Your young men will see visions. Even on the male slaves and female slaves I will in those days pour out My Spirit. Joel 2:28-29

    Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do Ezekiel 36:26–27

    That particular promise was made in many places and affirmed by Jesus. We see it fulfilled in Acts.

    And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

    That fulfillment of God’s Promise is critical for believers today. Every one of us has the Holy Spirit.

    He intercedes for us. He empowers us. He illuminates Scripture for us.

    The Holy Spirit seals us in our salvation with a seal that no one and nothing can break. Once He seals us, we belong forever to the Lord. He gifts and equips us for life and ministry.

    God promised to pour out His Helper, the Spirit, and He has done just that for our benefit and His glory. 

    My friends that is worth celebrating.

    Praise God for His faithfulness.

    Be blessed
    Kevin

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  • Star Light Prayers

    Star Filled Sky

    I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I moved to the living room. I sat in my recliner and watched the stars. There are many nights when they can’t be seen because we live in a coastal rainforest and the clouds cover them.

    As my mind wandered, I imagined the little pinpricks of light given by the stars were prayers. Maybe a silly image, but our prayers go up nonstop to the Lord, day and night, around the globe.

    Our world today is covered with much darkness. Evil abounds. Our moral foundation is eroding more quickly than a sand castle succumbs to a rising tide. Violence is regarded as entertainment. Corruption is apparent at all levels of business, education, government and even at times in the church.

    People claim to be looking out for number one but have sold themselves into bondage for more “stuff” that they neither truly want or need. Parents work extreme hours for the children they don’t even know. 

    If we were quiet long enough, I’m certain we could almost hear the laughter of Satan as he watches us chase illusion. He doesn’t care what we pursue as long as its not the thin gs of God.

    Satan loves the darkness. It is his realm. Since he could not rule the world of light, he hides in the dark and tries to destroy those who love the light. He hides in the dark of night, but he prefers the dark of our minds. He knows very well how to manipulate our dark, sin filled nature to his advantage.

    The dark won’t last forever though. I’m convinced the pinpricks are the prayers of the saints going up to God. I know the time will come when He will answer with a tearing away the very fabric of darkness.

    His Word promises a time of no more night.

    Then he showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign forever and ever.
    Revelation 22:1-5 

    In the meantime, keep those prayers headed upwards to tear the very fabric of evil. Our Lord has already overcome. The contest was never in doubt.

    Be blessed
    Kevin

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