Today Reminder (Holy Spirit) – 28 August 2017

A reminder for today

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)

It is Monday – again. Why are the weekends so short? I worked most of the weekend and yesterday I moderated our church’s stream. I loved the sermon, because our pastor changed the whole format and changed the focus to community. People got time to meet other people in our church and a moment to share a little of themselves. It reminded me of the Holy Spirit and how we should focus more on Him and what He does in our lives. Francis Chan writes about the Holy Spirit as the forgotten God and it is amazing how quickly we forget that the minute you give your life to Jesus, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. First, He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Spirit into the world to “convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-11). Everyone has a “God consciousness,” whether or not they admit it. The Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of men to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. Responding to that conviction brings men to salvation.

Among His functions is that of revealer of truth. The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Another one of the Holy Spirit’s roles is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ on earth. All these gifts, both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors to the world, showing forth His grace and glorifying Him.

The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not works of our flesh, which is incapable of producing such fruit, but they are products of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.

The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and that He will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy and comfort. Thank God for this precious gift—the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives!

Lord, we thank you for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit fills us anew with His presence and guide us so that we will bear more fruit for your glory. In Jesus name.

Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus. 

Cheers

Today Reminder (Sick) – 25 August 2017

A reminder for today

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

My son is sick today. Yesterday he complained of a sore throat and this morning he woke up sick. My other son was also coughing all night so the sudden cold front had an effect on our health. I hear people sneeze and cough at work all day. Well, we know from our earlier posts that sin is the cause of disease and sin is also the cause of all destruction in God’s perfect world. Sin is the disease and we just ignore it. 

Today the Lord is knocking at the door of your heart and He wants to enter into your life and renew your spirit and restore your strength. He wants to heal your pain and take away your fears. He wants to enter into your life and be your all. He wants to be the first in your day and the last. He wants to be the beginning and the end of all of you. He wants to bless your life so that you will bear fruits of heaven and touch lives around you. He wants to be your healer, redeemer, saviour and God. The creator of heaven and earth wants to spend more time with you and lift you up and give you strength. 

As we are at the start of this weekend my prayer for you is simple. I pray that the Lord will bless you in all that you do and that He will give you rest and peace over this day and the weekend. I pray that you will have joy and that His grace will lift you up and restore you. I pray that you will find a renewed purpose in Him and that you will share His gospel with enthusiasm. I pray that you will shine His light wherever you go and that people will desire the joy you have and the peace you have in Jesus. I pray that you will become a mighty warrior for His kingdom on earth and that your heart will be filled with courage. I pray that you will be the one that God knows you can be. In Jesus name.  

Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus. 

Cheers

Today Reminder (Life) – 24 August 2017

A reminder for today

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)

I woke up this morning thinking it is Friday. What a disappointment when reality opened and I realised we are still on Thursday. This week has been exhausting and at stages it feels like it is never going to end. Plus, the stress of our project and the demands from the business is taking its toll. So, I am still tired and I thought that I might get some rest the weekend just to hear from my boss that I have a little extra that must be done by Monday. I love a challenge, but I am also quite tired at this stage. 

Yesterday I got into the lift. Yes, I am taking the lift the last few days, because my legs are in pain and I just did not have the strength for 5 floors. It stopped in the third and four people got in. It then stopped and another person got in travelling only one floor. As she got out the remaining people in the lift had a lot to say. As I walked to my desk to start work I thought about their comments. What they do not know is that the person who travelled only one floor walks to work. She does not have a car like the rest of them. She uses public transport and here in South Africa that can be a challenge. She then walks most of the way, which is in most cases much further than what they drive. Why do we think we can just make assumptions and it is ok? We do not like it when people assume over our lives, yet we do it?

We see here in revelation that Jesus says that he who overcomes will eat from the tree of life. He that passes through this world and overcomes all the challenges and obstacles and endures (remain faithful to God) will have eternal life. I find myself in the midst of a lot of challenges financially and work related. What am I to do? Do I give up and let the enemy trample me or do I stand firm in my faith and allow God to work in His time? 

I am here to overcome. Yet, I am not alone in my battle. Jesus will never let us stand alone and He will never turn away from us. In fact, when the storms get harder, He gets closer. So, my battles that I face is here to guide me and bring me closer to Him so that He will be glorified in my victories. I may feel exhausted but my strength does not come from me, it comes from God and with God I can do anything. Therefore, I do not fear and I am not worried at all, because I know that God is at work and in the end, all will be well.

Come with me today as we give our worries to God and trust Him with all our heart. Be patient and let God work in His time, because then we will see His glory.

Lord, take our burdens today as we trust you with all our minds and hearts. Let your will be done and let your kingdom come. In Jesus name.

Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus. 

Cheers