MORNING MANNA 5-30-21
THE HOLY SPIRIT
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”- Acts 1:8
“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” – 1 John 2:27
Of all the needs in churches today none are greater than the need to rediscover our need of the Holy Spirit. Living the Christian life requires strength far beyond what man can do. As Zech. 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts”.
Paul Chappell wrote: “Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. It is not something that happens later on after we have started to grow in grace or reach a certain level in the Christian life. He is there from the beginning. Yet while every believer has that anointing and powerful presence, not every believer lives from day to day under the filling and control of the Holy Spirit. This is not something just for preachers or missionaries or other Christian workers, but for everyone who is part of God’s family. A. W. Tozer said, “The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.”
The Holy Spirit never leaves us. His presence is the assurance that our eternal destiny is settled. But our choices determine the extent to which He is in control of our lives. There is a constant battle taking place between the new nature and the fleshly nature we had at birth. We are not passive bystanders or observers to that battle. We have a responsibility to yield the control of our lives to the Holy Spirit and follow His direction. There is no way for us to fulfill God’s purpose otherwise.
The ultimate direction of our lives is determined by who controls us. Paul asked, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). As we yield to the direction and control of the Holy Spirit, we will produce His fruit in our lives and accomplish the work God has given us to do. The power of the Holy Spirit is only displayed in the lives of those who have yielded control to Him.”
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
