November 7
Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-2:47
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, "...I die daily". Those of us who have repented (or changed our mind, accepting God's commands as truth), and who have accepted Jesus' free offer of salvation have received a gift, the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His followers of this in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." This Helper is indeed the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the believer have a threefold relationship. He has always been present and comes alongside individuals. We read of the second manifestation of His relationship in John 20:22, "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit." This was their spiritual birth as the Holy Spirit indwelt or took up residence within them. Though we have the power of God within us, He will not overpower our free will. He will strengthen us during our trials and temptations, thus Paul said, "I die daily". Paul, rightly recognized that in this battle of flesh vs Spirit, he had to make the choice daily to submit to the Spirit in order to conquer the flesh.
We read of the third part of our relationship with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”, and we see this exemplified in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. The same power that exploded upon the early church is available to each and every one of us today. But there is the conflict, and this conflict is not once and done, but daily, as we read in Galatians 5:16-17, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."
Some will state that they have never experienced this empowerment. To this we must ask whether or not we have stepped out in faith and needed His empowerment. Notice in Acts 1:8, mentioned above, this power was so they could serve as His witnesses to a world that largely was ignorant about Him. So many play it safe. So many unwilling to die daily to self see life's challenges in terms of their natural self. So many are unwilling to serve God, and spend their whole lives serving themselves or their families. God has called us all to be ambassadors. As such, it is not about us, but about Him. Though we are all unworthy of this calling, so few are willing to accept it. This calling has little to do with our innate abilities but everything to do with our willingness to "die daily" to self and submit daily to the presence and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We may indeed be inadequate for the task, but He, the Holy Spirit, is more than adequate, as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: