Midweek Message from the Archive
Twelve Men
Can you guess what is the most popular New Years resolution? No surprise; it’s to lose weight. Yet after 6 months, more than half of the people have given up. I think goals for the new year are important but I want to keep them reasonable so that I last longer than 6 months.
Drawing closer to God has been a goal of mine this year. After reading some scriptures that have the number twelve in them I noticed that there were twelve men in Ephesus who had the same desire. Acts 19:1-9 tells the story of the Apostle Paul speaking to them; he asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. The men answered that they didn’t even know there WAS a Holy Spirit! Surprisingly, these men had confessed their sin, believed in Jesus, and were baptized but weren’t instructed in the Holy Spirit. I think that’s true today for many Christians. We believe in Jesus Christ and try with all of our hearts to follow in His ways and we want to draw closer to Him but don’t know how. That’s the primary role for the person of the Holy Spirit; He will help you live today in the kingdom of God.
So I ask you the same question, “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”
If you find yourself lacking in power to walk in victory, unable to be at peace in your soul, or unable to reconcile your relationships; you need more of the Holy Spirit. If you’re unable to forgive, believe lies about yourself, or walk in fear; you need more of the Holy Spirit. The greatest benefit of having the Holy Spirit is that He lives in you. He’s always with you, will never abandon you (John 14:15-18), and He’s your greatest Advocate.
What’s an advocate? It’s like having your own defense attorney. The Holy Spirit will defend you to the end, He’ll stand alongside you when you aren’t even aware, and plead your case. He’ll campaign for you, encourage you, and be your spokesperson. Call out to Him today; He’s waiting to hear from you and bring you help.
Don’t be one of those who give up after 6 months; draw closer to Him and stay there. When you rely on Him to give you His power kingdom living becomes a reality.
By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him … 2 Peter 1:3a NLT
For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.
1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him … Ephesians 1:19a NLT
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10 NLT
Comments are closed.