All the four gospels show us that the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and rested on Jesus at the time of his baptism. If the Son of God needed the Spirit of God in his life and ministry, can we do ministry without the enabling of the Holy Spirit? Think … Read the rest
Lesson 28: Jesus’ Majestic Interview with Pilate
This Lesson is part of John’s Gospel Easy Notes Series.
John devotes more space to the trial of Jesus before Pilate than in the other gospels (John 18:28—19:16). We find Pilate unable to make a decision in favour of Jesus and yielding to the unjust demand of the Jews, “Crucify! Crucify!”
In spite of certain … Read the rest
Lesson 24: The Spirit of Holiness
This Lesson is part of John’s Gospel Easy Notes Series.
Look at how Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead—“and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans … Read the rest
Lesson 22: When He Comes He Will Convict
This Lesson is part of John’s Gospel Easy Notes Series.
Jesus said about the Holy Spirit: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to … Read the rest
When God Comes Searching for You!
Some moments in life cannot be forgotten. One such moment is when God comes searching for you. It can be a time when you had sinned and walked away from him.
More often it can be a time of barrenness when nothing good seems to happen and you are depressed. Out of nowhere God brings … Read the rest
5. A New Relationship
Think about this: Who else in this world dares to call God “Father” except Christians? No one else!
How has this been made possible? One, it is the right given to those who believe in Jesus to be called children of God (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1). But that is only the first half of … Read the rest
4. Our Guide
The Bible says: “Like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name” (Isaiah 63:14 NIV).
It is clear from this verse that even in Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit was … Read the rest
3. Our Helper in Prayer
You go to meet the CEO of a big Multinational Corporation. You are to present before him an ambitious project of yours. You meet his secretary first. You brief her about your project and seeks her assistance in fixing up an appointment with the boss.
As you are inside his office you start explaining. But … Read the rest
Battling Depression
The word depression immediately brings thoughts of darkness. Yes, depression can be described as absence of light. It can also be absence of joy. When all the world seems happy and asks us to be like them we simply can’t. The sadness is increased when nobody understands what we are passing through. They come out … Read the rest
They Rejoiced at the Sight
Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat their wheat in the valley, when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight (1 Samuel 6:13 NIV).
There are seasons of disappearances of God’s favor in the life of His children. It can be caused by many things. Sin and disobedience … Read the rest
See What God Has Done!
There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, “See what God has done!” (Numbers 23:23 NIV).
There is a special grace given to God’s children. And you need to know it. No sorcery or divination can work against you as long as you … Read the rest
I Will Make a Distinction
… Read the restBut on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow (Exodus
I am the God of Bethel
I am the God of Bethel (Genesis 31:13a NIV).
God remembers His encounters with you. He also reminds you of them. Here, Jacob is reminded of Bethel. God goes one step further and says, “I am the God of Bethel.”
Thus God was owning that experience of Himself that Jacob had at Bethel in a … Read the rest
And the Spirit of the Lord Began to Stir Him
And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol (Judges 13:25 NIV).
It is a blessed thing to have the Spirit of the Lord’s stirring in your life. The very word “stir” makes us feel a movement. Maybe a slight one. But still intense … Read the rest
Solomon Has Taken His Seat on the Royal Throne
Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne (1 Kings 1:46 NIV).
First of all we see God’s grace in action here. For Solomon’s parents, David and Bathsheba first met in an adulterous relationship. It was followed by murder. And then a series of tragic events in David’s family and kingdom as a … Read the rest
My Spirit Remains Among You, Do Not Fear
And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear (Haggai 2:5b NIV).
The Spirit of God can change lives in a way no man can even dream of. One of the areas of human life that the Spirit transforms is the area of fear. He drives out fear by His presence.
And in its place … Read the rest
Thus the Work on the House of God in Jerusalem Came to a Standstill
Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia (Ezra 4:24 NIV).
Can the work being done for God come to a standstill? The answer is yes. History tells us so. But can history repeat itself? Possibly yes. … Read the rest
Elijah Was Afraid and Ran for His Life
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life (1 Kings 19:3a NIV).
There are two kinds of running possible for a Christian. Both of them were exhibited in the life of Elijah within a space of 24 hours!
The first running occurred when the power of the Lord came upon him. He was then enabled … Read the rest
But First Make a Small Cake of Bread for Me
“But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son” (1 Kings 17:13b NIV).
Giving to God is never easy. Here we find an example of a widow. She was about to prepare her last meal. Then … Read the rest
I Will Make You into a Threshing Sledge, New and Sharp
See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills into chaff … But you will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:15, 16b NIV).
God is a God of possibilities. … Read the rest
Do Not Be Afraid, O Worm Jacob, O Little Israel
“Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14 NIV).
God sees into you much better than you do. He sees how you think about yourself in certain seasons of life. He knows that you are … Read the rest
Break Camp and Advance
The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites … ” (Deuteronomy 1:6, 7a NIV).
Achievers for God don’t sit still for ever. They press forward. They do not make victories an occasion for rest. But … Read the rest
The Zeal of the Lord Almighty Will Accomplish This
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this (2 Kings 19:31b NIV).
Impossible situations are times when the zeal of the Lord Almighty shall accomplish great things. But what is this zeal?
It is an intense passionate enthusiasm that the Lord displays for what He is concerned about to get it done.
As we … Read the rest
But the Hair on His Head Began to Grow Again
But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved (Judges 16:22 NIV).
Are you in the prison of defeat today? Has your life which began with great promise, now changed to one of darkness?
Was it your own neglect of walking closely with God responsible for the loss of … Read the rest
Caravans on Their Way to Egypt
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt (Genesis 37:25).
Strange are God’s ways: His arranging of events are timed to perfection! You … Read the rest
Go and Look for the Donkeys
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys” (1 Samuel 9:3 NIV).
God can use the most unlikely of circumstances to get a great chain of events rolling. Here it was the … Read the rest
You Have Shattered the Yoke, Midian’s Defeat
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor (Isaiah 9:4 NIV).
May the reading of this bring you hope. For what God did in the past, He will do again for you. Here the prophet speaks about … Read the rest
But God sent Me Ahead of You to Preserve for You
But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So, it was not you who sent me here, but God (Genesis 45:7,8a NIV).
The best thing to note about the outworking of circumstances in your life is that God works … Read the rest
Here Comes That Dreamer!
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him … Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams” (Genesis 37:19,20 NIV).
Are you a dreamer? Better still, are you a dreamer for God? Do you expect to do something big for God? Then they’ll call you a dreamer. And you’ll … Read the rest
Now You Will See What I Will Do to Pharaoh
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because he will drive them out of his country” (Exodus 6:1 NIV).
God is not taken aback by setbacks. It is we who get perplexed by them. We need … Read the rest