JANUARY 3

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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John 14:13-16

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.   If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”

John 17:1

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,”

John 16:12-15

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Ephesians 5:18-20

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Romans 8:13 (Amp)

“for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.”

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This month we’re reading  the new devotional   “Becoming New”,  written by  Warren W. Wiersbe and compiled by his grandson.  Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.  

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THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Read Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 104:24;  John 14:16-20

When we mention the Persons in the Holy Trinity, we must be sure to use the little word “and” because it connects equals:  “In the name of the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).  Each member of the Trinity has specific ministries to perform in our lives individually and in the church collectively, but all three Persons work together to accomplish the divine plan.  The Son came to glorify the Father, and the Spirit to glorify the Son  We are to love God, worship the Son, and walk by the Spirit.

In Genesis 1, the Holy Spirit is pictured as a bird hovering over the formlessness, emptiness, and darkness of the chaos.  One of my seminary professors used to remind us that it was the ministry of the Holy Spirit to bring order out of chaos –in the world, in the church and in the lives of God’s people.  I have seen this transformation take place as believers grew in their devotional life, established new priorities and goals, and experienced victories through the Spirit’s power.  No matter how chaotic a person’s life might be, if he or she will yield to the Spirit, He will use the Word and prayer to bring cleansing and renewal.  The Spirit teaches us and transforms us as we receive the Word within and act upon it.  (John 16:12-15).

The Lord’s first action was to bring light into the darkness, which is also His first action when we trust Jesus Christ:  “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).  The record of creation goes on to tell us that God then transformed everything by “forming and filling.” In the first three days, He separated light from darkness, the waters beneath from the sky above, and the land from the waters.  In the next three days, He filled up what had been created.  On the fourth day, He put the heavenly bodies in place, and on the fifth day, the birds in the sky and the aquatic creatures in the waters.  On the sixth day, He put the land animals and humans in their places.  The Holy Spirit follows a similar pattern today:  first, He forms us; then He fills us.  He wants each of us to be a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21).

The Holy Spirit is God permanently living in us (those who have opened their heart completely to Jesus). (John 14:16 and 1 Cor. 6:19).  Someone has said that the Spirit is not just “resident.”; He is “president.”  He is in charge!  We must not grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30), lie to Him (Acts 5), or stifle Him (1Thessalonians 5:19).  He is Christ’s gift to us to minister as Jesus ministered to His disciples.  We must keep on good terms with the Holy Spirit if we want to worship correctly. (Ephesians 5:18-20), use our spiritual gifts, bear fruit, get victory, live in freedom, and understand Scriptures.  “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

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