The Descent of the Holy Spirit

 

The Descent of the Holy Spirit is the birthday of the Church!

Jesus promised to his Disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit. Until the Holy Spirit’s arrival the Disciples of Jesus Christ were all gathered up in Jerusalem waiting upon the Word God and trusting in promise of Jesus. And when the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost, they were emboldened to preach the Gospel to all. The Holy Spirit gave them the gift of tongues so that people of all nations hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, so that they repent and believe in the Gospel and be saved. Today we the Church owe all it to the Holy Spirit that the grace of God dwells in us as we trust in the Word of God!

Romans 2 :1-22

2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹² And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams;
¹⁸ even on my male servants and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ And I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
²⁰ the sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
    before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
²¹ And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Ananias of Damascus and Saul and the Lord Jesus Christ

 

Praise be the the Lord Jesus Christ who through his Prophet Ananias restored the sight of Saint Paul!

Now, Paul before he could become a saint and believer in Jesus Christ was also called Saul. And this Saul was one of the most dangerous persecutors of Christians especially those in Jerusalem and also played part in the murder of the first martyr Stephen. So much was the persecution that the Lord Jesus as mentioned in the Book of Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 decided to intervene personally on behalf of the Church.

Saul was not just admonished by Jesus Christ but also lost his sight due to the glory of Christ that came as light from Heaven. Then when Saul decided to walk the humble path upon hearing the voice of Jesus, he was told go to Damascus.

 

The Lord Jesus then worked out healing in Saul through Ananias as per the below verses in the Book of Acts:

¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight. And look in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prays.” ¹² “And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hands on him, so that he might receive his sight.” ¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man; how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ “Moreover, here he has the authority of the chief priests to bind all that call on Your Name.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go. For he is a vessel chosen by Me to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel.¹⁶ “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.”

¹⁷ Then Ananias went, and entered that house, and put his hands on him, and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me, so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”¹⁸ And immediately something like ‘scales’ fell from his eyes. And suddenly he received sight, and arose, and was baptized, ¹⁹ and received food and was strengthened. So, Saul was with the Damascus disciples for some days.

 

A few lessons to learn from this:

1. The Lord Jesus will bless those who follow his Word even those who are the worst of sinners that repent.
2. Like Saul be ready to obey the Lord Jesus to move up to your higher calling in God.
3. Like Ananias keep yourself ready in all prayer, so that when the time comes then you’re able to do great healings and good works towards those whom the Lord leads you to bring salvation and deliverance in their lives.
4. If you have any doubts towards doing any good deed be humble enough to ask the Lord for his good counsel instead of rejecting doing good altogether.
5. The Holy Spirit will work through you if surrender to Will of God.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

O children of the Living God pay heed to the following Word of God about peace and holiness :

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15)

Striving for peace with everyone does not mean that you allow anyone to walk all over you. Nor does it mean you allow yourself to be manipulated just to keep some semblance of peace. Now, what is means is that you don’t act evil so as to cause the lack of peace by bad deeds nor slanderous language. It also means that you do and think only what is holy and wise when striving for peace. Never compromise on your holiness for the sake of peace, because that peace wouldn’t be in the will of God for you.

You need to be holy as the Lord your God is holy, because without holiness no one will see the Lord. Do not miss out on the Living God!

Always seek to obtain the grace of God by your faith in Christ Jesus, because its your faith that will please the Lord and not your riches nor beauty. God sees the heart and judges by the heart instead of external appearances.

Examine yourself and get rid of any “root of bitterness” for this makes those who nurture it to cause trouble to themselves and to others and thus defile themselves. Therefore crucify your flesh and get rid of all roots of bitterness.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

Christ be with you as you walk in peace and holiness!

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God

⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

O people of God, don’t be misled by those who say you don’t need to do what is good. Never take to your heart any lies which says that God won’t bother if you do evil. Because if you are misled or believe in falsehood, then know this ; you cannot mock the justice of God.

O believer in Jesus Christ, continue to do what is good. And take every opportunity to do what is good especially to those who profess their faith in the Lord Jesus by whom we’re part of the Lord’s family.

O you who walk by the Spirit of God, continue to please the Spirit but don’t fall pray to the fleeting allure of the flesh. In this way you will do good in this life and the next!

And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever. (1 John 2:17)

Bad Counsel And It’s Evil Effects

There are people who seek good advice. But then there are people who instead use bad counsel. One must totally avoid all usage of bad counsel because its evil.

 

What is bad counsel?

Bad counsel includes all the things, all the thoughts and all the philosophies that are based on falsehood, greed, immorality, hate and deception. There are the very things that go against the counsel of the Holy Spirit of God.

For example; listening to thieves and then stealing from others is following bad counsel. Reading books that teach you to use deceptive methods to get money illegally is acting on bad counsel.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot;  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8)

What makes bad counsel so evil?

 

Bad counsel is against the will of God

Following the counsel which involves sin and darkness, is completely against the will of God. Do note that the Lord God won’t bless anyone who walks in the counsel of the wicked.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers (Psalm 1:1)

 

Bad counsel leads to eternal damnation

There are some who follow bad counsel who speak about the short team benefits they get, such as cheap fame and quick money. However what they totally miss out is that the counsel of the wicked leads to eternal damnation.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8)

 

Bad counsel may even lead to punishment on earth

Some people think they can wait until the end of their lives, and then face the consequences. The truth is, following bad counsel may even lead to punishment when one is still alive. And this punishment can be painful too.

For example; If caught stealing from a house, many a times the people of the household and the neighbors are known to beat up the thief mercilessly. And if the police arrive, then won’t charge those people with anything but instead arrest the thief.

People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. (Proverbs 6:30-31)

If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him (Exodus 22:1-2)

 

Conclusion:

Follow only good counsel because that is will of God for you. That way you won’t be liable for eternal damnation nor fear any punishment on earth for your bad actions.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Quick Reminder : Wait patiently for the Lord

Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced. (Psalm 25:3)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:13-14)

Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. (Psalm 37:34)

I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1)

Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5)

Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will deliver you. (Proverbs 20:22)

And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3)

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Will you intercede?

Will you intercede for a world that’s dying?
In which there is sin, hate, and lying.
If you wish to do God’s will,
Then in your life intercession you fill.

Pray for the poor, pray for the rich,
That they don’t end up in Hell’s ditch.
Pray for the healthy, pray for the sick,
That they don’t fall for any evil trick.

Intercede unto Christ Our Lord and Saviour,
And be holy, sinless with good behaviour.
Don’t faint nor your sorrow lengthen,
But by the Holy Spirit yourself strengthen.

Pray for miracles more and plenty,
That they’d be hundredfold not twenty.
Pray for those who yearn for salvation,
That they believe the Gospel with joyful acclamation.

Hear God’s Word and to Him be grateful,
And cast out in Christ’s name all things hateful.
So make you petitions in full faith,
And in hope for deliverance wait.

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I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (1 Timothy 2:1)

Pray and meditate on these Bible verses for protection from evildoers

In the age of deception and chaos, please take time to pray and meditate on these Bible verses for protection from evildoers which I have listed below from the Psalms. Pray without any doubt nor guile and see the difference:

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. (Psalm 17:8-9)

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. (Psalm 59:1-2)

But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love[c] will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. (Psalm 59:8-10)

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers, who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. (Psalm 64:2-3)

Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! (Psalm 134:7-10)

For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. (Psalm 134:11-12)

Bible Verses for Anxiety

Whenever faced with anxiety remember you have the Lord God who can help you cope up and overcome anxiety. What you need to do is simply read the Bible verses for anxiety and cast your worries unto Jesus because he cares for you. Please do read it with your heart and not just your mind. You can read it aloud either in your mind or vocally but make sure that you believe each verse about dealing with anxiety.

 

 

Anxiety – image from pexels.com

I do hope you read the below verses for anxiety and overcome it all by the word of your testimony in Jesus. And may the Holy Spirit be with you in this great step you take towards no longer being down with anxiety. Here are the verses:

1. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
2. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” (1 Peter 3:14)
3. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
4. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)
5. But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
6. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
7.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
8. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
9. Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. (Luke 12:22 )
10. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
11. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. (Psalm 94:19)
12. The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. (Psalm 138:8)
13. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
14. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
15.  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
16. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Rain your blessings

Rain your blessings on us O Lord,
Protect me from the darkness and sword.
Be my strength and my shield,
From infirmity let me be healed.

Rain your mercy on me O Jesus Christ,
For us you’ve yourself sacrificed.
Be my hope and my redeemer,
And save me from the deceiver.

Rain your mercy on me O Spirit of God,
Give me favour both at home and abroad.
Be my comforter and my guide,
And cause me in the Gospel to abide.