AFTERNOON DEVOTION

[Godbetheglory]

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 9:1-11


"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." (v. 4)

God has His faithful remnant in every generation who carry on the work of the kingdom. They are marked by the Spirit and protected by God. Ezekiel was in Babylon when he was given a vision by God of the idolatry going on in the sanctuary of God in Jerusalem. God had dispatched His angelic army to Jerusalem to carry out His judgment upon the defiled city. However, in His wrath He remembered mercy and sent a scribe angel clothed in the priestly garments of linen, and wearing the writer's inkhorn, the saving weapon of the Lord, to mark the foreheads of the remnant so they would not be destroyed. The judgment of God began at His sanctuary, because His people had disobeyed His law. "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God..." (1 Peter 4:17). But those who are marked by God, are set apart and protected.

The scribe angel marked the foreheads of those who were greatly distressed over the sins of the people, who were weeping over the ruin, and crying out to God in prayer. The distinguishing mark the mourners were given was the "tau" (tav), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which looks like an "x" or the mark of a cross. Nehemiah was another servant of God who suffered great anguish over the ruins of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1). He mourned, fasted and prayed, and interceded for His people, and God used him to rebuild the ruins. When Ezekiel saw the devastation of the destroying angels, he fell on his face to intercede. "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of Your wrath on Jerusalem?" (Ezekiel 9:8). God denied His servants request because the people could have prevented the ruin, but they chose not to.

The Lord preserves a remnant in each generation so they will pray and intercede, and be the salt and light in the world which will prevent further decay and darkness falling on the land. Today, we are ripe for God's judgment. It is time to reap what we have sown. The world is filled with filth, immorality and corruption, but God's eyes are upon His sanctuary and the corruption that is there. It is time for a housecleaning, a spiritual "turning over the tables" of worldliness, sin, and immorality that is infecting and weakening His body. God is raising up an army of intercessors who will consecrate themselves and be holy, and stand in the gap and pray, as He sends His rod of discipline upon His church to purify it and make it holy. God is cleaning house and reviving His priesthood so that we can join our faithful Mediator in the throne room in fervent, unceasing prayer. May we unite our hearts together, agreeing in prayer for God's purposes to be fulfilled in His church and for our nation. May all God's people be touched with the spirit of Nehemiah and Ezekiel, and with weeping, fasting, and mourning, grieve and lament over the ruin and the destruction that is upon us. God will set His mark upon His mourners and collect every tear in vials in heaven. "Those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5-6). This afternoon, let us spend time in personal repentance and ask the Lord to lay our hearts bare before Him, so our hearts can be consecrated wholly (and holy) to His; so we can be purified and prepared to step into our high and holy calling of intercessory prayer.

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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE
(Galatians 5:22)


The work of the Holy Spirit within the lives of God's people is to guide us into all truth, to teach us all things, to comfort other believers, and to convict the world of sin; but His primary work is for sanctifying believers, and making us more like Christ. It is the indwelling Spirit's work to produce Christian virtues in our life. "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). Our True Vine's desire is that we produce fruit...much fruit...to the Father's glory (John 15:8). Spiritual fruit is a sign of spiritual life; fruit can only grow out of life. The flesh can produce nothing but dead works, but the Spirit enables us to produce life. Only the new nature of the Spirit can produce spiritual fruit, fruit that is not meant to be eaten for ourselves, rather it is meant to feed and nourish others.

We spend much of our Christian walk avoiding and dodging sin and vices, but we do not take the time we should to pursue virtuous things and to cultivate the Christian character. Let us repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and "produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8). It is in the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit that fruit grows, but it must be cultivated through the Word, prayer, worship and fellowship. The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned is love, because all the other fruit grow out of love. Just as humility is the root of all other graces, love is the root of the tree from which all other fruit grows. The work of the Holy Spirit is to impart love. This evening let us pray for a renewed love in the hearts of God's people. Love for the Father and love for others. "For love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8b). It is easy to reach men for Christ when you love them. It is in the atmosphere of love that barriers are removed, the enemy is disarmed, and hearts are opened and receptive to the love of God. May the Holy Spirit kindle the flame of heavenly love within our cooled hearts and warm them to Christ again, so that His Holy Spirit which dwells within will dwell in power. "For Christ's love compels us..." (2 Corinthians 5:14a).

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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is PEACE
(Galatians 5:22)


The Pharisees in Jesus' day lived by an exhaustive list of rules and regulations. They placed impossible burdens upon the people, which they could not adhere to; and they did nothing to offer the people any help. Jesus came bearing a message that called the people to focus on the positive blessings of inner graces rather than negative consequences of external laws; and He also would provide the means for them to achieve this higher and holier standard of life which would bring blessing to them and all the people around them. Jesus offered the people a new way of living. He came to bring new life, a righteous life that did not depend on man's laws, but on the gift of God's grace. He would enable all who believe to no longer walk after the flesh, but to walk in newness of life, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is peace. The peace that God gives is a positive state of well-being. It is spiritual wholeness and health that grows out of love and joy. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). Those who live a meek and humble life acknowledge their dependence on the goodness and grace of God, and as a result they experience the peace of God in their lives and produce it through their lives for others. The peace of God is a blessed state of undisturbed rest and joy with ourselves, with others, and with God. There are people all around us who are starving for the fruit of love, joy and peace that is being produced in our lives. Let us pray for God to bring into our lives those who lack the blessings that we have been given, so we can share our spiritual food with them and lead them to the blessings of salvation, joy and peace in Jesus Christ. "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).

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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is PATIENCE
(Galatians 5:22)


When we are filled with the righteousness of God, His righteousness will flow out of our lives and affect the way we treat others. He has made us a new creation, a new man, that bears the likeness of Jesus Christ and walks in righteousness. We are called to walk as Jesus walked on this earth, sowing seeds of goodness where others sow evil. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). And He has filled us with His Holy Spirit so that we can live a pure and holy life and respond to others in the same manner as Jesus Christ. "...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3).

We are blessed if we can keep our appetite for heavenly manna when we are surrounded by so many temptations in this world that war for our taste buds and seek to satisfy our natural carnal desire. The fruit of the Spirit is long-suffering, because only God can provide what we need to courageously endure in the face of so much opposition. The patient, long-suffering believer is one who demonstrates the kindness and gentleness of Jesus, even when they face the most offensive and evil attacks. They are able to stand firm and trust themselves completely to the protection of the Lord, allowing Him to be their advocate and come to their defense. "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God...To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps...When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:19, 21, 23). Jesus became man to show us what God expected man to be and how he should act. Jesus provided us the example we are to follow. Let us pray for every member of the body of Christ to be instruments of righteousness and not weapons for evil. May we work together to build others up and not tear each other down; presenting to the world a united front of humility and gentleness, and who waits on God to fight our battles. May we see that our willingness to patiently endure without any thought of retribution in the face of persecution, gives our Lord the opportunity to do His work in other peoples lives. Let us pray that we will trust Him to come to our rescue at the appointed time, but more importantly that He will rescue all those around us who are perishing in their sins. May we be a help, not a hindrance, to their being delivered and saved. Lord, restore to Your church a burden for lost souls. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation" (2 Peter 3:15a). "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (v.9b).

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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is KINDNESS
(Galatians 5:22)


When we show compassion to our fellow man, the Lord promises that we will be shown mercy in return. We never know when we will need help ourselves some day, therefore it is important to sow the seeds of kindness today, so that when the time comes we will obtain mercy from man and with God. We are promised trials as followers of Jesus Christ; and we will walk the painful path that Jesus paved with His own sufferings. May we be aware of, and sensitive to, the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and take pity on them, showing them the kindness of Christ and helping them to bear their burdens. "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).

It can be challenging to be kind when others are being so unmerciful in their treatment towards us as Christians. But with the Spirit's help we can produce the fruit of kindness and leave behind a sweet taste in the mouths of our offenders in exchange for all the unkind words they have bestowed upon us. "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:35-36). Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to respond with kindness in the face of opposition. Let us yield ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit and ask Him today to produce in us His sweetness of temper, so that the people around us will taste and see how good the Lord is (Psalm 34:8). "Love is patient, love is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4). May we present the sweet and loving character of Jesus Christ everywhere we go, and particularly in the face of opposition, so that God will be glorified in our lives. Let us take time today to praise our Lord for all the kindnesses He has poured into our lives; we are unworthy of the blessings we continually receive (Isaiah 63:7). "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant" (Genesis 32:10a)

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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is GOODNESS
(Galatians 5:22)


In His great love and mercy the Lord is reviving His priesthood and awakening our hearts to our First Love and our first calling. His desire is to make us pure and holy, cleansing us by the washing of water through His Word, and to dress us in our priestly garments so we can be serviceable to our generation. Our hearts are to be purified by faith and made entirely for God, so that we can experience our soul's greatest happiness and delight - seeing God! Only the pure in heart will receive the blessing of seeing God. And nothing but the sight of God will satisfy the longing or our heart.

Our hearts are to be kept free from all filth and pollution and set apart entirely for God. For everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19b). "O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?" (Jeremiah 4:14). We are to oppose the works of the flesh and yield to the Spirit's work in our lives and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. When we produce the fruit of goodness we sow goodness where others sow evil. We are ready to do good to everyone as the opportunity presents itself. Goodness is love in action. Let us pray that we would be a holy priesthood who trust in the Lord, turn from evil, and do good. For our Lord, "gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14). Let us pray for the church to respond in this hour to God's call to separation from the world and to be set apart to Him and allow Him to purify our hearts so that we can look beyond our circumstance and see Him high and lifted up and seated on the throne. Then this world will be to us like a heaven on earth, until our Bridegroom comes to take us home and we shall see Him as He is. "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:3).

[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is FAITHFULNESS
(Galatians 5:22)


All the fruit of the Spirit grows out of love. Love is the first fruit. We produce fruit not for ourselves, but to feed the hungry all around us. We are better able to reach others when we love them. Love breaks down barriers and disarms the enemy. It's been said that faith is love on the battlefield. "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Galatians 5:6b). Our faith is constantly under attack. The one thing the enemy seeks to rob, kill and destroy, is our faith in God. It is therefore vital that we put on our spiritual armor every day, so we will be able to stand firm and move forward in faith, advancing God's kingdom in the world. Because of the increase of wickedness in the end times, the love of most will grow cold and many will depart from the faith. Those who stand firm will be saved (Matthew 24:12-13). The end times will not be a time of great faith. Jesus even asked if He would find the kind of faith that perseveres in prayer when He returns. "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b).

Israel pursued the law by works, not faith. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!...you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness" (Matthew 23:23). But the flesh can never accomplish what faith can when we depend on the Spirit. Faith works through love. When the Holy Spirit kindles love in our hearts, it shows itself in love for God and for others. When we are full of the Spirit we don't need to be under law, for we are under grace; and rather than being burdened by the law, we are free to produce spiritual fruit, which nourishes and strengthens the body, instead of weighing and tearing it down. It's been said that when you feed your faith you starve your doubt to death. Let us pray for believers to walk by faith and not by sight, and continue along the path to spiritual growth and maturity. May we remember that the testing of our faith develops perseverance, and be willing to yield to the Holy Spirit's leading in our life to make us mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:3-4). "This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints" (Revelation 13:10b).

[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is GENTLENESS
(Galatians 5:23)


Jesus faced persecution and opposition with gentleness. When He was reviled He remained silent. He did not respond in the flesh, returning evil for evil, instead everything He did was good and came from the Spirit. Goodness and gentleness flowed out of His life. He set before us the example we are to follow, and that is what He wanted the people to learn as He taught His lesson in righteousness. Gentleness is love at school. In the face of persecution, gentleness is put to the test to see if we have grown in our Christian character. The Holy Spirit works within us to produce this fruit in our lives. But we must be willing to deny the flesh and yield to the Spirit. "Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" (1 Peter 3:4).

Our flesh cannot produce living fruit. Fruit grows out of the life of the Spirit. From the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit life unfolds and fruit is the result, which in turn produces even more fruit as people are fed and nourished by it. This is why it is necessary for believers to yield to the life of the Spirit within; for it is in the production of spiritual fruit that we bring glory to God. Let us pray that we would begin to look more at the character of others rather than focusing on their special abilities or talents. May we as the body of Christ yield more fully to the Holy Spirit working in our lives to produce a holy character, and less on the flesh that feels the need to always be at work. May we learn to abide more fully in Christ so that we can produce the fruit of a holy life. "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).
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[Godbetheglory]

The fruit of the Spirit is SELF-CONTROL
(Galatians 5:23)


The production of fruit in the life of the Christian is evidence that we are being led by the Spirit. All the fruit grow out of love. The fruit of joy is love exulting; the fruit of peace is love in repose; the fruit of long-suffering is love on trial; kindness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faithfulness is love on the battlefield; gentleness is love at school; and self-control is love in training. And against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:23b). When a person is full of the Holy Spirit they don't need to be put under the law. The law was our guardian until we came to Christ. Now we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and under His control and leading. How we respond to God, to man, and to ourselves all come from our willingness to yield to the Spirit's control in our life.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to impart love, inspire hope, give liberty, and testify of Christ. The Holy Spirit of God guides us into all truth, teaches us all things - even the deep things of God, comforts believers and convicts the world of sin. "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing, the words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). When we take up our cross each day and follow Christ, we must crucify our flesh and walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us victory over the flesh and enables us to bear fruit; but this is a process that takes time and diligence on behalf of the believer. For spiritual fruit to be produced we need to be still and wait patiently upon the Lord, abiding in the light of His Word and in fellowship with Him in prayer. Let us pray that as we come to the end of this journey and this particular season of prayer, that God would continue to prepare us for all that He is preparing us for. Let us pray for the believers everywhere to yield to the control of the Holy Spirit, so that all that comes out of our life and ministry is a work of the Spirit and not of the flesh. The Spirit-filled, Spirit-controlled life is the distinguishing mark of the true believer. Being led by the Holy Spirit is the royal mark that crowns our head. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6).

[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read Luke 4:18-19

At the start of His public ministry, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read from the book of Isaiah, proclaiming with His mouth, and with the demonstration of His life, to all who had ears to hear and eyes to see, the Year of Jubilee. The reading from the Scriptures that day clearly defined the work He had come to do in the world. Salvation had come into the world. Their deliverer had arrived. He offered release for the captive, and sight for the blind. Jesus declared a new beginning to all who would believe on Him, and offered a cancellation of all their spiritual debt. He came in human flesh to crucify the flesh on the cross, and to set mankind free from the bondage of sin and death. And He accomplished His work in the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2). "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me..." (Luke 4:18a).

The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus, and He spoke the Word with authority and power. The Lord wants us to be so full of His Word that we also will speak and pray with authority and power. The Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to guide us into all truth, and to help us bear witness to the truth of Christ, so we will lift up Christ alone and present Him undiminished and untainted to a perishing world. We need to be full of Christ, so that what the world sees when they look at us or hears from us is Christ and Him crucified. The Holy Spirit has been given as a gift to believers to also help us learn to eat and digest the spiritual food the Lord offers to us. We are promised that if we "hunger and thirst for righteousness" we will indeed "be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

This afternoon let us take stock of those things in our life that we have been chewing on that offer us no nourishment, and are, in fact, depleting and destroying our physical and spiritual health. Let us take time to repent, and to pray and ask God to empty us of all the artificial, unsatisfying, unholy substitutes that have been blocking us from coming to His table. Let us ask Him to fill us with the pure, satisfying, holy nourishment of His Word each and every day. May we take the time to chew on and digest the portions He places on our plate, no matter how difficult some may be to swallow. "It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour" (Revelation 10:10). May we not miss a single meal at the table of our King. When we feed on Christ we will have what the world needs, in abundance. The stronger we are physically and spiritually, the more equipped and enabled we will be to accomplish the work we have been commissioned to do. Heavenly Father, "fill us with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that we may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:9b-14). Amen.

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."
(Isaiah 11:1, 2)

[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read John 1:29-34

Jesus' presence in the earth revolutionized the world, and John bore witness to the start of that great spiritual revolution: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" When the Word became flesh and made His dwelling with us it was as if God was saying to mankind: this is what I purposed you to look like - this is who I intended you to be before sin crippled you. We were made in the image of God, but sin tarnished that glorious image. Jesus was sent by the Father to take away our sin and shame. He bore our sin and guilt upon the cross. God presented Himself in His absolute moral perfection and meekness in the person of Jesus Christ. He showed us what a holy life looked life, then He took up the cross and showed us what was necessary to achieve that higher spiritual life. Heaven was opened up to us, and power was given for life through Jesus Christ: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God" (John 1:32-33).

In the eleventh chapter of Isaiah we read of the promised Messianic King who would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to establish the Kingdom of God. "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him..." (v. 2). Our afternoon devotions will center on the seven-fold Spirit of God. When the dove descended upon Jesus at His baptism, John recognized the promised sign of the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11b). Jesus would baptize His followers with the Holy Spirit. One of the great blessings of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is His enabling and sanctifying power to experience a life of deep and abiding intimacy with the Lord. John's ministry was to introduce Jesus, ours is to know Christ and to make Him known by having His life made manifest in our life through the indwelling presence and power of His Holy Spirit. The work the Lord desires to do within us through His Holy Spirit equips us for the work He will do through us. While our great need is of Jesus, our Lord's desire is for His people to experience the abiding life with Him. He wants to show us His goodness and provision, if only we will believe and trust Him. One thing that is preventing God's people from experiencing His sustaining power, provision and presence in our life is our unwillingness to receive what He offers us. Let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit to soften our hardened hearts and to clear out the clutter of sin and self so that there would be more room for His divine presence to take over our lives. Let us pray fervently for the Holy Spirit to kindle a flame of heavenly love in the hearts of all of God's children, so our love will not grow cold, and so that the Church can be set on fire with a passion for the lost and an increased passion for our Lord.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom His whole family in heaven
and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you
with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ, and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled
to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power that is at work within us,
to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen."
(Ephesians 3:14-21)

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[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read John 6:44

The Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save mankind from the punishment of sin and death, but men do not come to Jesus on their own initiative, they are divinely drawn. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him upon the last day" (v.44). It is the Heavenly Father who draws men to His Son; and it is the Holy Spirit who convicts man of his sin and helps him recognize his need for a Savior. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me..." (v.37a). The Lord draws us to Himself in love. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Lord draws men to Himself and offers them an endless well of life-giving water that will never run dry. "...he who believes in Me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35b). Water is another one of those basic necessities we need for life. We may be able to survive without food for great lengths of time (40 days, at least!), but it is virtually impossible to survive more than three days without water. Approximately 57% of the human body is made up of water, and it is vital that we replenish it on a daily basis. Water is also necessary for the land to remain fertile and productive. Throughout Scripture we read how important it was for there to be a water source or well for the people to camp around. Today there is still a great percentage of our world that does not have a fresh water source to tap into. In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well His life giving water: "...whoever drinks the water I give Him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (v. 14). She, like the crowd who gathered around Jesus demanding the bread He had to offer, did not fully grasp the reality of what He was offering. This eternal spring of living water is the gift of the Spirit who indwells those who are drawn to the Lord and believe in Him for salvation. "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body...and we were all given one Spirit to drink" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is a eternal spring of living water which enables us to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ in all holiness, and empowers us in love to accomplish the work we have been commissioned to do, so we will be "poured out like a drink offering" upon a spiritually parched world (2 Timothy 4:6). The Lord wants to be an endless source of living bread and water to His people, but our flesh often craves after other artificial sources that just don't satisfy. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2:13).

The Holy Spirit gives us victory over the flesh. His divine power has conquered our will. He calls us to withdraw from the world and its enticements, and draws us into the divine presence, so we will go deeper into the eternal source of our supply and drink deeply from that river of delights who alone can satisfy. "They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:8-9). This afternoon let us take time to repent of those idols in our life that have become obstacles blocking the spiritual flow of God's goodness and grace and are hindering us from offering His refreshing drink to a world dying of thirst. Let us pray and ask the Lord to empty us of anything stagnant or poisonous in our life that has left us parched, wilted, and ineffective. May we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and purify and cleanse us, so our wills can be conformed completely to His will. Let us ask the Lord to awaken His Church and prepare His people to receive a fresh outpouring of His Spirit so we will be refreshed and enabled to accomplish the work of His kingdom as we await our Bridegroom's return (reference Joel 2: 28-32). And let us not forget to pray for those across the globe who desperately need clean water to drink as well as the more important, pure, life giving water that Jesus Christ has to offer.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit."
(Romans 15:13)

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[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read John 6:63

Our life is a gift from God (reference Genesis 2:7). It is a very precious and fragile thing. A gift that the world (without the Light of Christ) misunderstands, as they seek desperately to preserve their own lives, while at the same time failing to protect the lives of the innocent and unborn. When Jesus came into the world, He came to offer us an even higher quality of life - everlasting life. "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men" (John 1:4). To achieve that life for us required the great sacrifice of His own life; which He willingly and obediently laid down on the cross. "...which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51b).

The new life God gives us comes through the Spirit. "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" (v.63). The Spirit that was deposited in us when we first believed (a result of the salvation achieved for us through the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ Jesus) is a life-producing presence. "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). It is the Spirit of God who leads us into all truth and writes God's Word upon our hearts (v.3). Additionally, it is the Holy Spirit who prompts us to hunger for God's Word, and empowers us to walk in His ways fueled by that spiritual nourishment we have ingested. What the world has to offer us only leads to death, but the Spirit makes us alive. It is therefore the Lord's desire that we walk in the fullness of the spiritual life He has given us. May this daily discipline of meeting with the Lord three times a day for our spiritual meals awaken our spiritual appetite, and stir us to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Let us use this time to tap into that fountain of irrepressible life, so we will be abundantly and eternally full; pressed down, shaken, and running over; saturating the world with God's amazing grace and abounding love!


"For this reason, ever since I heard about
your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love
for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you
remembering you in my prayers.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit
of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope
to which He has called you,
the riches of His glorious inheritance of the saints,
and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of His mighty strength,
which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from
the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority,
power and dominion, and every title that can be given,
not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
And God placed all things under His feet and appointed
Him to be head over everything for the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills
everything in every way."
(Ephesians 1:15-23)

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[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read John 7:37-39

Jesus showed up halfway through the Feast of Tabernacles to teach in the temple (reference John 7:14). His presence was divinely orchestrated as this Jewish celebration commemorated God's provision and goodness during the desert wanderings. There is no coincidence with God. He is Sovereign and His Son was sent at the appointed time. "In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins and build it as it used to be" (Amos 9:11). The Jews, at that time, were looking for a political Messiah to set them free from the oppression of Rome; Jesus came as a personal Messiah to set them free from a greater oppressor - sin and death.

Jesus had come, not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them (reference Matthew 5:17). His presence in the temple that week was meant to open their eyes to see the glorious new future that God had sent Him to provide for them. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Isaiah 43:18-19). On the final day of the Feast, Jesus shared the good news of the promised provision of the new covenant: "If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:38). The Jews were looking back on God's great provision when they had been set free from bondage in Egypt; now right before their eyes God was unveiling their future and telling them of an even far greater provision. "Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14b). The promise was before them, but many would remain deaf and blind. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them" (John 17:25-26).

Jesus' disciples would eventually gain full understanding of who He was and why He had come. As He prayed, Jesus expressed a desire for deep mutual understanding and knowledge between the Father, Himself, and His disciples. Our entire concept of God is completely distorted apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is vital that we know Him. He came to reveal the love of God, expressed through the Son, so that His love might abide in them. "No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27b).

Until we personally take the time to dig into God's Word and dig up the treasure that is waiting there for ourselves we will never truly know God as we should. The Lord wants a personal relationship with each of His children and has given us His Holy Spirit as a personal tutor to guide us into deeper knowledge of Who He is. May we tap into this well of living water and drink deeply so we will be refreshed as we grow in the greater knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,
becoming like Him in His death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
(Philippians 3:10-11)

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[Godbetheglory]

REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6)

Afternoon Devotion: Filled with His Power - Read 2 Corinthians 4:6

God sent His light to shine into the darkness at the beginning of creation, and then again at the beginning of His redemptive work, the new creation. "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." How dearly loved and blessed we are that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has broken through the barrier of sin which once darkened our hearts and blinded us to the light of Christ. We once were blind, but now we see. By His grace we now see Christ for who He is and why He has come. Tragically, there are many people who remain blinded because they are living under the deception of Satan. "..it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (v. 3b, 4).

Jesus came into the world to cast His light into the spiritual darkness, and to plant within believers a seed of perpetual light that would guide us with wisdom to live lives of holiness and fruitfulness. "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor" (Isaiah 61:3cb). The Lord has given us everything we need to live a holy life, to make righteous and wise decisions, to avoid the pitfalls of walking in sin and the flesh, and to illuminate and imitate Him in this world. May we "be careful then, how [we] live - not as unwise but as wise..." (Ephesians 5:15). The Spirit of the Lord provides us wisdom to make wise choices and to live a meaningful, purposeful life to the glory of God (Isaiah 11:2) It has been said that our greatest need today is "not guided missiles, but guided morals." This afternoon as we pray, let us look to the Lord our light, and ask Him to illuminate our path and identify the obstacles in our way and in our life (the sin which so easily ensnares us), so that we will not stumble and fall as we run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). May we seek to live our lives in all godliness and purity, so that we will present an untainted and undiminished view of the glory of God to the world.

"And do this, knowing the time,
that now it is high time to awake out of sleep;
for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness,
and let us put on the armor of light.
Let us walk properly, as in the day,
not in revelry or drunkenness,
not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
(Romans 13:11-14)

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