Tag Archive for Holy Spirit

The Christ of Pentecost

2015-04-28 Devotional with Hymn No comments

from A Christ-centered Year

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NIV)

On Pentecost, Jesus pours out the Promise of the Father,
baptizing every believer in the Holy Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit is the life of God in motion.
He is the wind of God, the breath of God, the power of God.
In the Old Testament, the gift of the Spirit was limited.
It was given only to specific individuals
for specific times and specific tasks.

But Messiah came filled with the Spirit from birth, in unlimited measure.
The Holy Spirit of God conceived Jesus,
testified to who He was, and
empowered Him throughout His life.
Jesus lived in the Spirit, spoke in the Spirit,
did the mighty works of God in the Spirit, and
died and rose in the Spirit.

Then, as the culmination of His ministry, after returning to the Father,
Jesus poured out this Spirit on all believers,
not for a specific task or season, but completely and forever.

The Spirit is the life of the Father and Son—
their presence and power dwelling among and within all believers.
What an incredible Gift!

And the Gift arrived just as Jesus had promised,
accompanied by undeniable sights and sounds.
This dramatic event proved that Jesus was Christ and Lord,
that He had died according to the scriptures,
had risen according to the scriptures, and
now He reigned at the right hand of God Almighty.

On Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Promise of the Father,
immersing His people in the  living, loving Spirit of Almighty God.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Pentecost Hymn
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Spirit-driven

2014-10-23 Congregational Song, Devotional with Hymn, Hymns No comments

Most of the time I’m certain that I am doing what the Lord has called me to do. But every once in a while the doubts creep in. You probably have your own set of familiar doubts. For me as a hymn writer, I occasionally fear that I’ve wasted my life by writing in a relatively traditional style. Should I have consciously reached out to my children’s generation by learning to write in a more contemporary style? Do most who hear my hymns dismiss them as old-fashioned?

But as I pray, I see my situation in a better light. Maybe these observations will help you when your fears whisper in your ear.

1.       Don’t follow the crowd. In my case, thousands, perhaps millions of songs are being written in the contemporary style currently popular. Would I really be of greater service to the Church by simply adding more to that growing number? Even business thinkers like Seth Godin, writing from a non-religious perspective, advise creators not to think mass market but to be content serving their own particular customers.

2.       Be yourself. I need to be the writer God created me to be. I’ve written some songs in a more contemporary style, but for the most part, that style is not native to me. I naturally think and feel in the style in which I write. But it’s more than familiarity that draws me. I genuinely believe that a more traditional style will, in the long run, have a broader and more inclusive appeal.

3.       Each of us is a member of the Body of Christ. We are called to fill our particular role, not to be all things to all people. I read Numbers 4:16-28 and see that even in the Old Testament sanctuary, God appointed each group of priests and Levites to their own very particular duties. They were to focus on doing their daily tasks faithfully and wholeheartedly, out of love for God. That is still the way I approach my hymn writing.

Father, my goal is not to be successful. My goal is to please You. I want to be Spirit-driven, not customer-driven. Where I have failed, please forgive and redirect me. I am Yours completely, now and forever.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: God Alone
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

God Is Working

2014-08-19 Devotional No comments

Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, NIV)

I’ve done my share of public speaking, but it’s never gotten easy.

On one occasion, I was to speak during a seminary chapel. The service opened with scripture, then hymn singing: “O Worship the King,” “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”; more scripture, then “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” The hymns were strong, exploding with truth and praise. The people were singing from the very depths of their souls, as with one heart.

There I stood in the midst of such worship, worrying about my little part. But as the room was lifted in exaltation, the Lord whispered to me: “I did this, and I am doing this. Are you willing to be flexible in Me? Will you relax and trust Me right now?”

I felt rebuked, comforted, and challenged, all at the same time. It’s easy to get fearfully wrapped up in our own little worlds, blind to anything beyond our own abilities and immediate concerns. But every now and then God taps us on the shoulder and says, “Look up!” He is moving powerfully around us and above us, far beyond the level of our own effort or consciousness. He only asks us to relax in Him and move with His Spirit.

In every ministry, in every life, there are ups and downs, long waits and long-awaited victories, times of rest and times of incredible pressure. But never be distracted from simply trusting Him. If you’re following the Lord, He wants you to know that everything is just fine with you. You are in His hands, and He does all things well.

In fact, right now you are caught up in the working of His Spirit, though you probably don’t realize it.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

Glorify Jesus Christ

2014-07-22 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Jesus said to them…”Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21, NASB)

The Father sent His Son into the world.
He equipped Him with His own Spirit and sent Him to
speak the Father’s words and
do the Father’s work
in the Father’s power.
The Son came with this burning desire:
to glorify the Father.

The Son sends us into the world.
He equips us with His own Spirit and sends us to
speak His words and
do His work
in His power.
We go with this burning desire:
to glorify Jesus Christ.

His Spirit has one aim,
to glorify Christ (John 16:14), and
He fills us with that same desire.
We want to
think,
speak,
live, and
serve
so that everyone around can see how
wonderful,
gracious, and
loving is Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God. 

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Not I, but Christ
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Knowing the Unknowable

2014-06-01 Devotional with Hymn No comments

 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. 

“I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:15-17a, 20, 23, NIV)

Who completely understands the Trinity, how Three Persons can be One Being and One Being can be Three Persons?

Yet all who receive God’s Spirit experience the Trinity. We share in their love and unity. We taste their oneness and their individuality.

The Father showed His heart, His mind, and His deep love for us beautifully and completely in Christ. The Holy Spirit speaks this revelation to individuals all over the world. He makes the truth in Christ universal, constant, and personal.

The Father made Himself human in Jesus. He became small, earthly, and touchable. The Holy Spirit takes Jesus beyond the limits of a physical body and breathes Him all around us and within us.

God has wrapped us in Himself—
Father Creator,
Human Son,
Universal Spirit.

The life of God the Father is breathing through us. The Word that spoke all worlds into existence is recreating us. The Spirit that brooded over the waters is reshaping us. We share the love and unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit, becoming one with them and, in the process, one with each other. We are becoming more like Christ yet more truly ourselves, more individuals yet more one.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: One with God
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

The Gift of God’s Spirit

2014-05-25 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Acts 2

Jesus spent many of His precious final hours here on earth teaching His disciples about the coming of His Holy Spirit. And looking at the early Church through the book of Acts, one can understand why. The gift of God’s indwelling Spirit changed the Church from timid, self-centered individuals to a bold and loving body of disciples. They left their fearful hiding and became effective witnesses to the Living Christ.

As we trust Him, God’s Spirit becomes one with our spirit, planting within us His life, His love, His power, His holiness, and the inexpressible loveliness of His presence.

Look at the difference this Gift has made in our world, in the Church, and in our lives. Then ask yourself what untapped potential is still there. How could God’s Spirit glorify the Living Christ through us if we trusted Him more simply and constantly? How would He transform us if we focused our desires on hearing and following Him? Where would He lead us? How would He use us?

What beautiful oneness would we enjoy if each of us only wanted what He wants?

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Pentecost Hymn
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Wind, Breath, and Spirit

2014-03-23 Devotional with Hymn No comments

In the Bible’s original languages,
“wind,” “breath,” and “spirit” are all the same word.
God’s Spirit is the wind of His power and
the breath of His love.
God’s Spirit is His life in motion.

The Spirit that brooded over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2),
the Breath that brought to life the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10), and
the rushing, mighty Wind on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
are the same mysterious, creative, all-powerful Spirit of God.

Jesus came to immerse us in this Spirit.
This Spirit works around us,
through us,
in us, and
among us
as we trust in Christ.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Ezekiel’s Vision
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Feed the Fire

2013-12-26 Devotional, Reading & Study No comments

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6, NIV)

God lights a fire within us—
the fire of His Spirit,
the fire of His power and love within.
But starve any fire—
deprive it of oxygen or fuel—
and it will quickly die.

Feed the fire.
Nurture that life-giving relationship.
Respond to Him in faith and obedience.
Listen for His gentle whispers.
Answer when He calls.
Tell Him how much you need Him.
Tell Him how much you love Him.
Give Him top priority every day.
Put to death the old habits and start new ones.
Thank Him every time He blesses you.
Come to Him quickly with every concern.
Serve Him eagerly, with gratitude and enthusiasm.

Read His Word.
Talk to Him.
Trust Him.
Praise Him.
Feed the fire.

One with Christ*

2013-09-15 Devotional with Hymn No comments

God’s goal and desire is to make us one with Himself. Each of us. All of us. That has always been His amazing purpose.

But for many believers, Jesus is like an unnoticed guest, shut up in some little-visited closet in a corner of their house. He has been there since they believed in Him and received Him. He longs to make Himself known to them, to be one with them in their daily lives and share in all their interests. But He will not force Himself on anyone.

They walk through their lives unaware of their Guest, ignorant of their marvelous privileges. They come and go, lay their plans, make their decisions, pursue their joys here and there, long for peace, stumble through relationships, and inwardly mourn their unsatisfying lives, all with little reference to Him.

Believer, hear this beautiful, life-changing truth: the Lord is with you! The Lord is in you! Throw open every door to Him. Make Him the center of every part of your life. Talk to Him. Thank Him. Consult Him. Trust Him. Lean on Him. Get to know Him.

But this picture of Jesus as a guest doesn’t fully express the reality. He longs to join His innermost life—His very breath—to our innermost life, to the essence of who we are. Through a living relationship, built on trust, He will come more and more into real union with us. His will becomes our will. His actions become our actions. His love, His passion, His holiness become increasingly ours—not in theory, not in ecstatic emotion, not someday and far away—but now, in living, daily reality.

Like every part of salvation, this happens by God’s love, through simple faith. It comes by turning to Him and trusting Him, one step at a time.

*”One with Christ” was inspired by chapter 17 of “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life”, by Hannah Whitall Smith, 1875.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: One in Purpose, One in Passion
Recording
Printed Music & Lyrics

Filled to All the Fullness of God

2013-05-16 Devotional No comments

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…that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19, NIV)

That beautiful passage of scripture has always intrigued me, especially that last phrase. The concept is grand, but what does it really mean to be filled with “all the fullness of God”?

In Christ, all the fullness of God dwells bodily, and you have been made full and complete in Him. (Colossians 2:9-10, para.)

What could it mean to me—to you—in practical, daily terms to be completely filled with God himself? We know that He is always present, not only with us, but in us, in an intimate and holy way.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…?
(1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV)

You have experienced that presence. What if we learned to look to Him, to trust Him more simply and constantly, to realize His presence and rest in it completely and always?

Imagine the wonder of hearing Him speak to you in wisdom and love. Imagine the wonder of knowing His will.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21, NIV)

When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13, NIV)

Imagine Him speaking His words from your lips.

Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11, NIV)

Imagine dreaming His dreams, envisioning what He has planned for His people.

I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (Joel 2:28, NIV)

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10, NIV)

Imagine being sufficient for every challenge, empowered by God’s own strength.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.
(Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)

Imagine the pleasure of having His own character growing and developing within you, naturally, daily.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)

Consider what it would be like to be free forever from the bondage of your sin.

Now that you have been set free from sin…the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22, NIV)

And imagine being wrapped in His perfect peace.

The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6, NIV)

These blessings are not someday and far away. They are all in Christ, and He is present. These blessings are not vague and abstract. They are practical and life-oriented. They are for talking, thinking, reacting, and doing.

They are not by struggle or superior intellect, not reserved for the elite, not beyond anyone’s grasp. They are available for all who will daily, simply trust the God who is with us right now.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us…with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NIV)

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