We are told it is important to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Yet, I remember an experience I heard about a few years ago that makes me cautious about “how” we pray for the Holy Spirit and what attitudes we may have. Also, how willing are we to die to self and listen to that still, small voice when it points out sin in our lives. If we are holding on to something God would have us be rid of, we may be deceived. This is what seems to have happened to a certain group of people who were praying for the outpouring of the Spirit. It was obvious they received some spirit, but it was also obvious it wasn’t the Holy Spirit.
Now, I realize we are also told that many will not recognize when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon others. They will think it is something strange and dangerous, even though it is a calm, life-changing experience to those who experience it. They become more like Jesus in character. Their compassion for souls increases. There is no undue excitement. If what they do and say is not in harmony with the written word of God, it will soon be apparent.
As for ourselves, we do need to pray for the Holy Spirit to come fully into our lives. I, for one, want to be sure I am surrendered to the will of God. I want to be willing to be made willing, to make whatever changes in my life are necessary. I don’t want to hold on to any wrong trait of character, nor do I want to resist the convictions of the Spirit over any kind of sin in my life, no matter how large or small it may be. This may take time, and a whole lot of prayer. The sinful nature is always trying to get the mastery, with the help of our worst enemy, Satan. But we know God offers us all the divine power we need to be overcomers.
The Holy Spirit can and will give us victories over self. Forms of selfishness are what cause divisions among God’s people. Only those who are willing to be rid of self will learn to be in union with their brothers and sisters who are also praying for the outpouring of God’s Spirit.
I am not sure just how it can all take place, with all the rebellion still found in to many of God’s professed children. But we are assured it will take place.
The outpouring of God’s Spirit will eventually result in division and persecution. This can’t be helped. But, in the meantime, the Holy Spirit’s early and latter rain power will cause many to come and join us in proclaiming the good news of Christ’s soon return.
We need not fear the time of trouble coming on the earth, if we have made a complete surrender to God. It is only those who have not developed complete faith who will have a hard time of it. That surrender must be a daily matter, even hourly. I know the Lord can help us to learn to keep our minds on Him, be aware of His presence, as we seek to know Him better. We become changed by beholding. And, we behold by often reading His word and by often praying. When the Bible says to “pray without ceasing”, it is asking us to be in an attitude of prayer constantly.
Not only that, we need to be continually listening for the voice of God’s Spirit-- always comparing with the Scriptures, to be sure it isn’t our own impressions or from our evil foe.
I wish to have more of this experience in my own life. I hope you do too. Sometimes we may think we are willing to give our all, but are holding on to a few cherished little idols. I pray we will not let anything come between us and our Saviour. Pray for the Holy Spirit. Pray that He will change your life for the better, give you strength to overcome everything that stands in the way. Pray the fruit of the Spirit will be great in your life, the ten commandments will be written in your soul temple, and affect your thoughts, words, and actions. Then, prayer for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit to flood your life and make you ready to be more of a soul winner than you have ever been before. Pray God will entrust you with whatever gifts are needed for you to be the kind of person who can be one of those who will set the world on fire with the truth He has for mankind to ready them for the coming of our Heavenly King.
When individuals experience these things they can get together with other church members who are having a similar experience and pray together for God’s outpouring. It seems this is what God wants. His true children can do more to promote the cause of God if they can be in harmony with one another. But in some places the majority may not be in harmony, yet somehow we know God will bring about such harmony among true believers. Only the Holy Spirit can give us all we need for this to take place. The first step is obedience in all things. And, one of those things, is the command for us to pray for God’s Spirit to take over our lives. AMEN!
Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search
Sunset of Life
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Do You Really know Yourself
Many believe they do, but when you search out the written word of God you find this is not true. Your Creator and Redeemer can look deep into your heart and mind and discover secrets you didn't know about yourself--some forgotten, some not understood.
Does God search our hearts to find some deep, dark sin, so He can punish us? No! The Father sent His Son, Jesus, to show us how much we are loved. Why does He search our hearts then?
He wants to find our hunger for something better. He longs to fill the aching void which lies deep within us. He wants, through the Holy Spirit, to woo and win us into fellowship with Himself. He wants us to be one with Him in love--unselfish, joyful love.
Many deny a need for an understanding of such a Creator and Redeemer. They may deny He exists, or He has any interest in us. Yet, if we give Him a fair chance He will transform our lives into something wonderful and lasting.
This does not necessarily mean prosperity in this life. If we commit ourselves to Him, it will mean changes in our present lives. Plus, we may look forward to an eternity of bliss, where we will be ever growing in knowledge. Also, we will partake of satisfying enterprises we can't even dream about here.
The God who made us knows how to restore our sin-blighted hearts and to mold and make us into the humans He intended us to be in the beginning. We have been given another chance to choose His way--which is the only way for true and lasting happiness.
If you don't know Him now, or if you only have a partial knowledge, open up your heart to Him. Let the God who created you know He is welcome into your heart and mind. As you get to know Him better, you will be increasingly delighted to let Him search your heart and to show you how to do this yourself. He will give you all the strength you need, the love you need, and all the other "fruit of the Spirit" to complete His work in you.
Please, let Him start the job today. Don't put it off. Tomorrow may never come--life is too short.
Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search
Does God search our hearts to find some deep, dark sin, so He can punish us? No! The Father sent His Son, Jesus, to show us how much we are loved. Why does He search our hearts then?
He wants to find our hunger for something better. He longs to fill the aching void which lies deep within us. He wants, through the Holy Spirit, to woo and win us into fellowship with Himself. He wants us to be one with Him in love--unselfish, joyful love.
Many deny a need for an understanding of such a Creator and Redeemer. They may deny He exists, or He has any interest in us. Yet, if we give Him a fair chance He will transform our lives into something wonderful and lasting.
This does not necessarily mean prosperity in this life. If we commit ourselves to Him, it will mean changes in our present lives. Plus, we may look forward to an eternity of bliss, where we will be ever growing in knowledge. Also, we will partake of satisfying enterprises we can't even dream about here.
The God who made us knows how to restore our sin-blighted hearts and to mold and make us into the humans He intended us to be in the beginning. We have been given another chance to choose His way--which is the only way for true and lasting happiness.
If you don't know Him now, or if you only have a partial knowledge, open up your heart to Him. Let the God who created you know He is welcome into your heart and mind. As you get to know Him better, you will be increasingly delighted to let Him search your heart and to show you how to do this yourself. He will give you all the strength you need, the love you need, and all the other "fruit of the Spirit" to complete His work in you.
Please, let Him start the job today. Don't put it off. Tomorrow may never come--life is too short.
Copyright 2011, Kathryn D. Search
POWER FROM ABOVE
In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. {Desire of Ages 671.2}
As children prepare to attend one of our schools, wise parents will help them to understand that in school life they are to strive to form a character that will fit them to associate with the unfallen beings of the universe. And this they can do only through the overcoming power that Christ will give them. Without His grace, no one can form a Christlike character. {Reflecting Christ 188.3}
My brethren and sisters, I believe that you will grasp the promises of God, and that you will be able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. The angels of God will surely work in every institution where there is an earnest resolve on the part of the workers to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. This determination will bring overcoming power, whatever may be your temperament. And as you seek to walk in the way of the Lord that your influence on other lives may be uplifting, the Holy Spirit in your own life will make you the most blessed of mortals. {SpTB15 10.1 Letters to Sanitarium Workers}
Thus the fallen foe ever works to keep in his ranks men of influence who, if converted, might render effective service in God's cause. But the faithful gospel worker need not fear defeat at the hand of the enemy; for it is his privilege to be endued with power from above to withstand every satanic influence. {Acts of Apostles 167.3}
The position of those who have been called of God to labor in word and doctrine for the upbuilding of His church is one of grave responsibility. In Christ's stead they are to beseech men and women to be reconciled to God, and they can fulfill their mission only as they receive wisdom and power from above. {Acts of the Apostles 360.2}
To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word.--Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 20. {Christian Service 250.1}
Teachers must have a living faith or they will be separate from Christ. The Saviour does not ask how much favor you have with the world, how much praise you are receiving from human lips; but He does ask you to live so that He can put His seal upon you. Satan is seeking to cast his shadow across your pathway, that he may hinder the success of your work. You must have within you a power from above, that in the name of Jesus of Nazareth you may resist the power which is working from beneath. To have in the heart the Spirit of Christ is of infinitely more consequence than the possession of worldly recognition. {Counsels to Teachers 235.2}
To young men and young women, as well as to those who are older, God will give power from above. With converted minds, converted hands, converted feet, and converted tongues, their lips touched with a living coal from the divine altar, they will go forth into the Master's service, moving steadily onward and upward, carrying the work forward to completion. {Faith I Live By 247.6}
In surrendering ourselves to God, we reap great advantages; for if we have weaknesses of character, as we all have, we unite ourselves to One who is mighty to save. Our ignorance will be united to infinite wisdom, our frailty to enduring might, and, like Jacob, we may each become a prince with God. Connected with the Lord God of Israel, we shall have power from above which will enable us to be overcomers; and by the impartation of divine love, we shall find access to the hearts of men. We shall have fastened our trembling grasp upon the throne of the Infinite, and shall say, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." The assurance is given that He will bless us and make us a blessing; and this is our light, our joy, our triumph. When the youth understand what it is to have the favor and love of God in the heart, they will begin to realize the value of their blood-bought privileges, and will consecrate their ability to God, and strive with all their God-given powers to increase their talents to use in the Master's service. {Fundamentals of Education 232.1}
If we would have the spirit and power of the third angel's message, we must present the law and the gospel together, for they go hand in hand. As a power from beneath is stirring up the children of disobedience to make void the law of God, and to trample upon the faith of Christ as our righteousness, a power from above is moving upon the hearts of those who are loyal, to exalt the law, and to lift up Jesus as a complete Saviour. Unless divine power is brought into the experience of the people of God, false theories and erroneous ideas will take minds captive, Christ and his righteousness will be dropped out of the experience of many, and their faith will be without power or life. Such will not have a daily, living experience of the love of God in the heart; and if they do not zealously repent, they will be among those who are represented by the Laodiceans, who will be spewed out of the mouth of God. {Gospel Workers 92 103.3}
In this age of moral darkness it will take something more than dry theory to move souls. Ministers must have a living connection with God. They must preach as though they believed what they said. Living truths, falling from the lips of the man of God, will cause sinners to tremble, and the convicted to cry out, “Jehovah is the God; I am resolved to be wholly on the Lord's side.” Never should the messenger of God cease his strivings for greater light and power from above. He should toil on, pray on, hope on, amid discouragement and darkness, determined to gain a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and to come behind in no gift. As long as there is one soul to be benefited, he should press forward with new courage at every effort. There is work, earnest work, to be accomplished. Souls for whom Christ died are in peril. So long as Jesus has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” [Hebrews 13:5.] so long as the crown of righteousness is offered to the overcomer, so long as our Advocate pleads in the sinner's behalf, ministers of Christ should labor in hope, with tireless energy and persevering faith. {Gospel Workers92 139.1}
Satan knows full well what a power for good is the life of a man of unbending integrity, and he puts forth zealous efforts to prevent men from living such lives. He comes to them with alluring temptations, promising them wealth, position, worldly honor, if they will but yield the principles of righteousness. And he has much success. . . . From the sad history of many who have failed we learn the danger of prosperity. It is not those who have lost their property who are in greatest danger, but those who have obtained a fortune. . . . Prayer is often requested for men and women in affliction, and this is right. But those in prosperity are more in need of the prayers of God's servants, for they are in greater danger of losing salvation. In the valley of humiliation men walk securely while they reverence God and make Him their trust. On the lofty pinnacle, where praise is heard they need the help of special power from above. . . . {Heavenly Places 243.3}
The joy of Christ is a pure, unalloyed cheerfulness. It is not a cheap gaiety that leads to vanity of words or lightness of conduct. No, we are to have His joy, and His greatest joy was to see men obeying the truth. . . . Plead with God, saying, "I make an entire surrender. I give myself away to Thee." Then be joyful. The Word is in you, purifying and cleansing your character. God does not want His children to go about with anxiety and sorrow expressed in their faces. He wants the lovely expression of His countenance to be revealed in every one of us who are partakers of the divine nature; for we have power to escape the corruptions of the world. . . . {Our High Calling 148.4}
We are not to follow human leading. Christ is our leader. At all times and in all places we shall find Him a present help. Because there are professing Christians who dishonor Christ in thought, word, and deed, we are to give plainer evidence than ever before of our completeness in Him. We are to walk in the light of His countenance. We are to show that He is light, and that in Him is no darkness at all. If we will submit to His guidance, He will lead us from the low level on which sin has left us, to the loftiest heights of grace. And as we strive for the crown of immortal life, praying that we may be made strong in the strength of Him who is invincible, we can help those who seem to have no power to escape from the snare into which they have fallen. {Signs of the Times, August 31, 1904 par. 6}
He [Christ] stood forth as God's representative in the world, to show that man in his humanity may take hold of divinity, and through that divine nature have power to escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. . . . {8Manuscript Releases 290.3}
God calls upon His people to come into line. There is a great work to be done in a short time, and there is no time for hesitation. Plead with God, saying, "I make an entire surrender. I give myself away to Thee." Then be joyful. The Word is in you, purifying and cleaning your character. God does not want His children to go about with anxiety and sorrow expressed in their faces. He wants the lovely expression of His countenance to be revealed in every one of us who are partakers of the divine nature, for we have power to escape the corruptions of the world. {2Sermons and Talks 297.6}
These quotes come from the pen of E. G. White. We hope you blessed by them. Thank you for take the time to read this material.
As children prepare to attend one of our schools, wise parents will help them to understand that in school life they are to strive to form a character that will fit them to associate with the unfallen beings of the universe. And this they can do only through the overcoming power that Christ will give them. Without His grace, no one can form a Christlike character. {Reflecting Christ 188.3}
My brethren and sisters, I believe that you will grasp the promises of God, and that you will be able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. The angels of God will surely work in every institution where there is an earnest resolve on the part of the workers to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. This determination will bring overcoming power, whatever may be your temperament. And as you seek to walk in the way of the Lord that your influence on other lives may be uplifting, the Holy Spirit in your own life will make you the most blessed of mortals. {SpTB15 10.1 Letters to Sanitarium Workers}
Thus the fallen foe ever works to keep in his ranks men of influence who, if converted, might render effective service in God's cause. But the faithful gospel worker need not fear defeat at the hand of the enemy; for it is his privilege to be endued with power from above to withstand every satanic influence. {Acts of Apostles 167.3}
The position of those who have been called of God to labor in word and doctrine for the upbuilding of His church is one of grave responsibility. In Christ's stead they are to beseech men and women to be reconciled to God, and they can fulfill their mission only as they receive wisdom and power from above. {Acts of the Apostles 360.2}
To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day of Pentecost heard the word of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word.--Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 20. {Christian Service 250.1}
Teachers must have a living faith or they will be separate from Christ. The Saviour does not ask how much favor you have with the world, how much praise you are receiving from human lips; but He does ask you to live so that He can put His seal upon you. Satan is seeking to cast his shadow across your pathway, that he may hinder the success of your work. You must have within you a power from above, that in the name of Jesus of Nazareth you may resist the power which is working from beneath. To have in the heart the Spirit of Christ is of infinitely more consequence than the possession of worldly recognition. {Counsels to Teachers 235.2}
To young men and young women, as well as to those who are older, God will give power from above. With converted minds, converted hands, converted feet, and converted tongues, their lips touched with a living coal from the divine altar, they will go forth into the Master's service, moving steadily onward and upward, carrying the work forward to completion. {Faith I Live By 247.6}
In surrendering ourselves to God, we reap great advantages; for if we have weaknesses of character, as we all have, we unite ourselves to One who is mighty to save. Our ignorance will be united to infinite wisdom, our frailty to enduring might, and, like Jacob, we may each become a prince with God. Connected with the Lord God of Israel, we shall have power from above which will enable us to be overcomers; and by the impartation of divine love, we shall find access to the hearts of men. We shall have fastened our trembling grasp upon the throne of the Infinite, and shall say, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." The assurance is given that He will bless us and make us a blessing; and this is our light, our joy, our triumph. When the youth understand what it is to have the favor and love of God in the heart, they will begin to realize the value of their blood-bought privileges, and will consecrate their ability to God, and strive with all their God-given powers to increase their talents to use in the Master's service. {Fundamentals of Education 232.1}
If we would have the spirit and power of the third angel's message, we must present the law and the gospel together, for they go hand in hand. As a power from beneath is stirring up the children of disobedience to make void the law of God, and to trample upon the faith of Christ as our righteousness, a power from above is moving upon the hearts of those who are loyal, to exalt the law, and to lift up Jesus as a complete Saviour. Unless divine power is brought into the experience of the people of God, false theories and erroneous ideas will take minds captive, Christ and his righteousness will be dropped out of the experience of many, and their faith will be without power or life. Such will not have a daily, living experience of the love of God in the heart; and if they do not zealously repent, they will be among those who are represented by the Laodiceans, who will be spewed out of the mouth of God. {Gospel Workers 92 103.3}
In this age of moral darkness it will take something more than dry theory to move souls. Ministers must have a living connection with God. They must preach as though they believed what they said. Living truths, falling from the lips of the man of God, will cause sinners to tremble, and the convicted to cry out, “Jehovah is the God; I am resolved to be wholly on the Lord's side.” Never should the messenger of God cease his strivings for greater light and power from above. He should toil on, pray on, hope on, amid discouragement and darkness, determined to gain a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and to come behind in no gift. As long as there is one soul to be benefited, he should press forward with new courage at every effort. There is work, earnest work, to be accomplished. Souls for whom Christ died are in peril. So long as Jesus has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” [Hebrews 13:5.] so long as the crown of righteousness is offered to the overcomer, so long as our Advocate pleads in the sinner's behalf, ministers of Christ should labor in hope, with tireless energy and persevering faith. {Gospel Workers92 139.1}
Satan knows full well what a power for good is the life of a man of unbending integrity, and he puts forth zealous efforts to prevent men from living such lives. He comes to them with alluring temptations, promising them wealth, position, worldly honor, if they will but yield the principles of righteousness. And he has much success. . . . From the sad history of many who have failed we learn the danger of prosperity. It is not those who have lost their property who are in greatest danger, but those who have obtained a fortune. . . . Prayer is often requested for men and women in affliction, and this is right. But those in prosperity are more in need of the prayers of God's servants, for they are in greater danger of losing salvation. In the valley of humiliation men walk securely while they reverence God and make Him their trust. On the lofty pinnacle, where praise is heard they need the help of special power from above. . . . {Heavenly Places 243.3}
The joy of Christ is a pure, unalloyed cheerfulness. It is not a cheap gaiety that leads to vanity of words or lightness of conduct. No, we are to have His joy, and His greatest joy was to see men obeying the truth. . . . Plead with God, saying, "I make an entire surrender. I give myself away to Thee." Then be joyful. The Word is in you, purifying and cleansing your character. God does not want His children to go about with anxiety and sorrow expressed in their faces. He wants the lovely expression of His countenance to be revealed in every one of us who are partakers of the divine nature; for we have power to escape the corruptions of the world. . . . {Our High Calling 148.4}
We are not to follow human leading. Christ is our leader. At all times and in all places we shall find Him a present help. Because there are professing Christians who dishonor Christ in thought, word, and deed, we are to give plainer evidence than ever before of our completeness in Him. We are to walk in the light of His countenance. We are to show that He is light, and that in Him is no darkness at all. If we will submit to His guidance, He will lead us from the low level on which sin has left us, to the loftiest heights of grace. And as we strive for the crown of immortal life, praying that we may be made strong in the strength of Him who is invincible, we can help those who seem to have no power to escape from the snare into which they have fallen. {Signs of the Times, August 31, 1904 par. 6}
He [Christ] stood forth as God's representative in the world, to show that man in his humanity may take hold of divinity, and through that divine nature have power to escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. . . . {8Manuscript Releases 290.3}
God calls upon His people to come into line. There is a great work to be done in a short time, and there is no time for hesitation. Plead with God, saying, "I make an entire surrender. I give myself away to Thee." Then be joyful. The Word is in you, purifying and cleaning your character. God does not want His children to go about with anxiety and sorrow expressed in their faces. He wants the lovely expression of His countenance to be revealed in every one of us who are partakers of the divine nature, for we have power to escape the corruptions of the world. {2Sermons and Talks 297.6}
These quotes come from the pen of E. G. White. We hope you blessed by them. Thank you for take the time to read this material.
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