Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the end of another workweek (for most). I'm doing well, looking forward to the weekend. I have a packed Saturday, and hopefully Sunday I'll get to rest a bit. I look forward to seeing those of you who can make it, at the Cabaret tomorrow night, at St. Martin Church in NW, Washington, DC. Let me know if you'll need information about tickets. It's a memorial celebrating my Uncle Elroy's birthday; he passed away in May from cancer. We're trying to raise money for a good cause, and it'll be nice to have family and friends together. Whatever you do this weekend, do it for the Lord. You're all in my prayers, and I thank you for yours as well.

Today's scriptures are about asking, from the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each of us, who have accepted Jesus as I Lord and Savior, was blessed with another part of God, the Holy Spirit. I read one of Dr. Stanley's devotionals about the Holy Spirit, and he said, "A lot of us refer to the Holy Spirit as a it, when the Spirit is actually a He". I thought intently about that, and realized that I always refer to my Holy Spirit as an "it". The Holy Spirit is actually an equal part of the Holy Trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus lives, so does the Spirit, and He doesn't get the recognition He deserves. He's our Spiritual eyes and ears, and plays a major part in our everyday life. He's there every step of the way, and God has given Himself to us freely, to ensure that we'll never be left alone, to fend for ourselves again. God created Heaven and Earth, Jesus paid the penalties for our sins, and the Holy Spirit is our Helper. When Jesus was resurrected the Trinity become complete, and He said in Matthew 28:18-28:...“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. We often hear that Jesus lives in our heart always, and He does as the Spirit. He made sure that we know, when we confirm our Salvation through baptism, that we should acknowledge the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God gives us everything we ask for, that is in His will. I remember when I was a "baby Spirit", I would always ask myself, How do we know what’s in His? The Holy Spirit is our connection to God. We know that sin and righteousness cannot mix, so because we are in the flesh (sinful), and God is a Spirit (Righteousness), the connection with Him was lost. The Holy Spirit is the only way to communicate with God. When we enter into a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, we're blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom loves us enough to help us grow in our Faith Walk. He's that voice we hear that tells us right from wrong, and He's always been there. There are numerous accounts of God revealing Himself to certain righteous people before Christ, but now, we have His guidance in all of us. The Spirit speaks to us as clearly as God spoke to Noah when building the arch (Gen. 6:13-22). God gave him precise measurements, and instructions to do things exactly the way He wanted them done. If we learn how to be still and listen to our Spirit, we'll have precise directions on everything, because of the Grace of God. It's written in Isaiah 30:18-21: Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “ This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. God loved each of us at the beginning of the world, and He’ll give us anything that we want and need, that will help us through this Journey called life, and the Holy Spirit is an example of that. We grow through the different seasons of our lives, and to ensure that we grow in a way pleasing to the God, He’s here to lead the way. We must give Him quiet time each day, to reflect on our lives, and our purpose. Personally, my mind runs about 100mph, I'm always trying to plan or figure something out. My relationship with God is just as intense. When Paul said we should pray without ceasing, I sometimes take that literally, and just as I'm guilty of not listen when I'm having a conversation with some people, I'm equally as guilty when it comes to God. I find myself going on and on, and never stopping to take time to listen to my Spirit. Those are the times when my Spirit gets filled with strife and I'm forced to bow down on my knees, and focus solely on Him. There are times, when my I'm so stressed, I could feel this unrest in my Soul, and I then take some time out to listen. That's not a good thing, and that's why it's so important to take that time everyday to allow the Holy Spirit to help us confess our sins, and pray for all of the things we need to make it through another day. When your Soul feels in a state of unrest, allow the Holy Spirit to pray for you. He and God have their own language, which is referred to as Speaking in Tongues, and we each have the ability to do it. This is where the Holy Spirit searches our heart, and tells God exactly what He needs to know. Sometimes we're so distracted or distressed we forgo certain things that we may need. We're commanded to Love God with all of our hearts, and part of the action of love is to fellowship with Him, by following His will, and asking for and accepting help along the way. Loneliness is a thing of the past when you become a Christian, because you always have the Trinity at your beck and call, and the Holy Spirit our helper and comforter, was given so we'll feel God in a personal and intimate way. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, then you don't have the Holy Spirit, but God is waiting for you to ask, and you'll receive ALL of Him, along with eternal peace. My favorite verses today are: When ... the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:13-14)

ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455051&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5336537&ct=7241235

I love you!