Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples He would send the power of the Holy Spirit upon them. But they had no idea what that would look like. Jesus didn't give them a script to prepare them for Pentecost. There was no church bulletin to explain that a rushing wind would blow at 9 a.m., or that flames would rest on their heads at 9:05 a.m., or that they would speak in strange languages at 9:10 a.m.
God is blowing a fresh wind right now! His Spirit is being poured out as a new wave of His glory is stirring hunger, drawing people into living encounters with Him. Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden. And eat its pleasant fruits. The Beloved Song of Songs 4:16 The Lord is invading and interrupting the flow of the spirit of this world, breaking in as He has plans for these upcoming generations. He has a longing to draw all men to Him. What we are seeing right now, more and more, are people being caught up in the simplicity of worship in the Spirit.
How do you feel about yourself? Are you peaceful and free to enjoy your everyday life? Or do you feel guilty about something in the past that you can't change? I used to live with a constant feeling of guilt and shame because of the sexual abuse I experienced in my childhood, and I grew up feeling like something was wrong with me. I often thought, there has to be something wrong with me for my father to want to do that to me.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV The Lord is going to bring us into a new time of change for our situations and bring a new desire to pray. One major key to this is to take time to be encouraged and rejoice, even in tough times. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NIV
What measure of faith do you have to believe God for miracles? If one has the God kind of faith all things have meaning. Have you ever asked "Why do tragedies or bad things happen to good people? Why would a loving God allow us to suffer?" I asked God for strength and God gave me tribulation to make me strong. I asked for wisdom and God gave me complex obstacles to solve. I asked for courage and God gave me peril to overcome. I asked for love and God gave me disturbed, distressed people to help. My prayers were all answered. The prophets are examples to us as friends of God. Prophets have been through many tests to develop their testimony, varied trials, and messes to get God's message of hope.
The phrase "turn your swords into plowshares" is indeed a well-known quote from the Bible, specifically from the book of Isaiah 2:4. The verse reads, "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." The phrase is often used as a metaphor for the idea of transforming destructive tools of war into productive tools for agriculture, and by extension, promoting peace and prosperity. It is a call for people to lay down their weapons and seek peaceful solutions to conflicts, rather than resorting to violence.
You feel like you are alone and hopeless, but are you? Let's turn to the Scriptures to see what God has to say about this matter. We read in Hebrews 13:5, the latter part of this verse, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." God is saying to you that He will never abandon you, never leave you without help. He is not going to leave you. You say, "Becky, you don't understand my situation." And perhaps I don't, but I do know our Lord, and He is forever faithful and true. And if He says something, He means it.
Being beckoned by the Holy Spirit to do so, I recently embarked on a three-day prayer get-away by myself, where I spent roughly 12-18 hours each day in continuous prayer, worship, and studying the word. During my time alone with the Holy Spirit, He met with me in ways that exceeded my hopes and expectations. He was with me in what felt like a very tangible presence, while giving me downloads of personal direction, while also speaking to me the following word for the Body of Christ.
In December 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever deployed. We are seeing details about the universe that have never before been seen by human beings. As profound as those images are, they are no more amazing than the images from the most powerful electron microscopes that give us details of the subatomic world. Whether looking out into space or into the tiniest structures on earth, details abound. Whether through a telescope or a microscope, we see the detailed reflections of our Creator God.
Do you know someone who has walked away from the Lord and needs to return? Could God use you in His divine plan? This is exactly what one father did for his son. "I didn't care when I was arrested because I was high," Josh Bingaman says. "When the drugs and alcohol wore off, it was a different story. There I stood in line, about to put on the orange jumpsuit and move from a holding cell into the jail. I knew I could not put that jumpsuit on. I just mentally was unable. The guards were about to call my name for a search when all of a sudden, I heard my name from the other direction."
