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Encouragement 06-24-04

 

June 24, 2004
Encouragement for Today
 
The Helper - Part II
Micca Campbell, an Assistant Director with Proverbs 31 Ministries, Certified Speaker, Freelance Writer
 
Key Verse:
 
"Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation;' but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18 (NKJ)
 

Devotion:
 
Brandilyn Collins is a quickly becoming a best-selling author. When growing up, her friends were cheerleading and studying home economics, while she was studying drama, creative writing, and typing. Since birth, she dreamed of being a novelist. Then one day she knew her dream had come true when she was recognized on national TV. Yet it was at that time that she gave it all up and started over again. You see, although she was raised with a rich heritage as a daughter of missionaries who taught her walk in His footsteps, no matter how hard she tired, she felt like a normal Christian, with no power, no direction, no real peace and joy. Then one summer day in 1998, she was at a prayer meeting when she realized Jesus had been her Savior for a long time, but He had not been her Lord. She says the grace of God fell on her that night and opened her eyes to the truth, and she has never been the same. Besides making Jesus her Lord, she made another important decision; she gave her writing to Him as well. Now she writes with purpose, His purpose.
 
Yesterday we discussed feeling like an ordinary Christian with no power, joy and peace in your life. Yet, we know that God never intended it to be that way. Therefore, our Lord sent a "Helper" the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit?
 
1.  The Spirit of God is not an "it", but a person. Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit by using pronouns such as "He" proving that the Holy Spirit is a Person not an "it".
 
2.  The Holy Spirit is not a power like the energizer bunny, because the bunny will eventually run out. Nor is He a force that is "with you" like in Star Wars. The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus coming to live on the inside of us. We contain not just His power, but the very life of Jesus in us!
 
3.  The Holy Spirit is not a dove. He is part of the Trinity who was involved in creation. In Genesis 1:26 it says, "Let Us make man in Our image." The pronouns are capitalized emphasizing the deity of the trinity, which is, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is not only a person, but He is the person of Jesus Christ. They are one in the same. On this side of the cross, the "Helper" has come. When you receive Jesus as your Savior you also receive the Holy Spirit at the same time, or else the Trinity is a lie. If they are the same person, how can you have one with the other?
 
We are not given power to imitate Christ; we are given the very Life of Christ! It's not about imitation, but about an impartation! Everything that Jesus is, His holiness, His faith, and His righteousness is ours as well. We do not gain it over time. We gain it as soon as we receive Christ by faith.
 
However like Brandilyn, Christ must not be our Savior only He must be our Lord. She realized, like the disciples, that without the power of the "Helper" they could do nothing. We have to learn to depend on Christ in us.

In Ephesians 5:18, Christians are commanded to daily be filled with the Holy Spirit. We do that by yielding ourselves to God and asking Him to live His life through us.

Surrendering to His life within is tapping into the source that enables us to be a victorious Christian. Then we will begin to live with purpose, His purpose. The benefits are endless! Here are just a few.
 
1.  Sin no longer has power over us. (Romans 6:13)
 
2.  Absence of fear and a sense of belonging. (Romans 8:15)
 
3.  New confidence. (Philippians 1:6)
 
4.  He is strength in our weakness. (Romans 8: 26)
 
5.  Fellowship with God. (1 Corinthians 1:9)
 
6.  Reigning peace, joy and satisfaction. (John 14:27)
 
How can we live extraordinary through the ordinary of everyday life? By the power of the "Helper", working out what Christ has already put in. We do that by not by trying to live like Christ by our own self-effort. Instead, we surrender daily to His Lordship. Then we depend on His faith, love, patience, joy and self-control to be manifested in us while "being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6, NKJ)
 

My Prayer for Today:
 
Lord, thank you for forgiveness of sins and dying in my place that I may know God and have eternal life. Today, I want to make you Lord of my life. I want to live life with power and purpose. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide each day of my life that I might glorify you.
 

Application Steps:
 
Get rid of any part of your lifestyle that is not pleasing to God. Trust God for new relationships. Ask Him to empower you with His supernatural strength where you are weak.  He wants what's best for you and will provide it as you walk in obedience to Him.
 

Reflection Points:
 
Have you been asking God for help? He has given you a Helper!
 
Do you start your day trusting the helper then take back control again-why?
 
Do you feel like you thrown it all way if you fail?
 
If you sometimes fail, like the Disciples did, ask forgiveness and for God to fill you again.
 
What are things to do notice are different when you life one day in your power and the next in His?
 

Power Verses:
 
Romans 8:15, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by who we cry out "Abba, Father." (NLJ)
 
Romans 8:26, likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (NKJ)
 
Ezekiel 39:29, and I will not hide My face fro them anymore; for I shall have poured our My Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God. (NKJ)
 
Acts 1:8 and you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (NKJ)
 

Additional Resources:
 
Living the Life You've Always Wanted, (tapes) by Mary Southerland
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/lifewantedset.html
 
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart, by Lysa TerKeurst
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/key.html
 
A Woman After God's Heart by Elizabeth George
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/womanafter.html