“And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.”
Ezekiel 36:27
After struggling for centuries with the carnal and rebellious nature of His people, who would fall time and time again, God gives them a magnificent promise, telling them that He would put His Spirit inside of them. Truly, all of us, as believers, need the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can see that even those whom Jesus had selected as His Apostles continued to be dominated by their strong, carnal nature, even though they had been with Him for three and a half years.
In the last moments of the Master’s life, three of the most distinguished of the group fell asleep while Jesus groaned with anguish, in anticipation of the dreadful adversity that was approaching. Judas betrayed Him; Peter denied Him, and the others abandoned Him. Conscious of this, Jesus tells them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you,” (Acts 1:8). Since the Apostles understood this word, they persevered in prayer for ten days, together with the other disciples, asking for the fulfillment of the promise. As the Holy Spirit descended over them, their lives were radically changed and they were able to rise up as transformed people. After that, Peter would become a brave witness who preached fearlessly about the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. The most amazing miracles followed them wherever they went. The believers entered a new dimension in their life of faith. The Apostles became eloquent preachers who left the most learned rabbis and Scribes of the Law overwhelmed. They could not explain how these Galilean countrymen now possessed such beautiful eloquence in their speech.
Without a doubt, it was these believers, who had the privilege of being the first in receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit in their lives, who laid out the path for the following generations of Christians. The Holy Spirit was not optional; He was the gift of God for His people. “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words,” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).
Believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in you. He loves you deeply and always desires the best for your life. For this reason, it is essential that you make the decision to cultivate your friendship with Him daily.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Through truly insignificant instruments, God has done His most glorious works and this is how it is every time God works. Peter the fisherman at Pentecost; Luther, the humble monk, in the Reformation; Whitefield, the dishwasher at an old country inn, preaching revival throughout 18th century England, Scotland and America. God does not work through the horse and carriages of Pharaoh, but rather through the rod of Moses. He doesn’t use the whirlwind or the storm to do His wonders; on the contrary, He uses means that are hardly noticeable, so that all of the honor and glory will be His. Is this not a reason for us to take courage? Can God not use us as well to do a great work?
When Luther had to go to the town of Worms in Germany, to appear before the “Diet” (a council or assembly), his followers advised him, “Don’t go. Your life will be in danger.” But Luther answered, “Even if there were as many devils at Worms as tiles on the roofs, even then I would not fear. I shall go to the Diet,” and to Worms he went, trusting in the Lord his God. It was the same with Whitefield; he believed and was convinced that God would do big things. Every time he would get on the pulpit he was convinced that God would bless his sermon, and his sermon was blessed! It’s possible that you may not have heard of the great revival that took place under Whitefield, but as an example of what happened in his ministry, take a look at this account of a revival meeting that took place in Cambuslang, Scotland in 1742. “While preaching in the patio of the church (for no building would have been able to gather such a multitude), the power of God came over the people, and one after another, they fell to the ground as if wounded. A multitude of no less than three thousand people cried out in unison under the conviction of sin. Their words thundered like the Boanerges, the “Sons of Thunder,” but also softened with the consoling tone of Barnabas, the “Son of Consolation.” There is no language that can describe the great wonders God did through Whitefield’s sermon. Even Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost was not like it.”
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“I wanted to know God and I found Him through Jesus; now there is joy, hope, and life in my heart.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Three.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
- Old Testament: Nehemiah 3; Proverbs 10:1-16
- New Testament: Luke 16:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:11-21
