MEMORY VERSE: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 81-83
What happens when an individual accepts Jesus as his or her personal Lord and saviour? By the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes into the life of the individual, his or her sins are washed away through His poured-out Blood, and he or she is given a new kind of life i.e. eternal life. The Holy Spirit having joined Himself to the individual’s spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17) brings it back to life; it is ‘born-again’ and becomes what Paul calls a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer causes nine manifestations of the fruit of the regenerated human spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Fruits don’t grow on the trees but on the branches. According to John 15:5, Christ is the vine and we are the branches. As such, it is our regenerated or born again human spirit that produces this fruit as a result of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit or the life of the Holy Spirit within.
The Holy Spirit in the life of a believer does more than fruit bearing. For examples, He comforts. John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (Please permit me to use myself as an example. It is not to show off or anything but to show you how the Holy Spirit comforts). Several years back, i sensed in my spirit, whilst at work, that something was about to happen. Few minutes later, a man walked into the office with a brown envelope and i knew he was there to suspend me. How did i know this? Through the Holy Spirit that resides in me. A hour later, i was suspended. As i was literally marched out of the office, the Holy Spirit comforted me with these words: "don't worry you will not loose your job. You will return." He told that morning that He deliberately permitted it so that we, myself and Him, can have time together. Immediately i heard these my fear dissipated. What a comforting word i received that morning.
Two months into the suspension, He gave me a dream, one night, and i saw myself return to work. Few days later, i received a letter, from my employer inviting me for a hearing for gross misconduct in other words i may be loosing my job. Had not the Lord shown me that dream, a few days earlier, i would have been thrown off balance. I read the letter and smiled because i had already been comforted even before it arrived. Because i was so sure of my victory, i began to tell everyone that i would be returning back to work on Monday - as Friday was my hearing. Another brother who received comfort from the Holy Spirit was Gideon. He was going to fight the Midianites with 30, 000 men and the Lord cut it down to 300 men (Judges 7). That brother began to panic and shake. To comfort him, the Lord told him to go with his servant to the camp of the Midianites and hear the conversation that was going on there. When he got there, he heard a Midianite soldier sharing a dream he had with his friends. The soldier, in the dream, saw a loaf of bread tumbling into the camp of the Midianites destroying it. Gideon was the loaf of bread. When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, strength returned to him and he worshiped the Lord.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please comfort me and the brethren.
twitter@BroOluwatoki
Bro Samuel | Reaching the world
No comments:
Post a Comment