TIMES OF REFRESHING

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:38-40)

As I sit here today listening to the rain falling steadily outside, I am reminded of how often the Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit in terms of a refreshing flow of water. In the passage above, Peter is addressing a very large group of people from a wide variety of cultures. He tells them that if they will change their thinking to embrace the open door that God has provided through Jesus, they will all be filled with the Holy Spirit and experience the power and refreshing of His presence.

A short time later, after the Holy Spirit had worked a great miracle through Peter, he said this to the crowd that gathered:

“But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.” (Acts 3:18-20)

What an opportunity we have! To be filled, and refilled, over and over, with the Holy Spirit. If you are in need of hope, healing, encouragement, vision, strength, or simple refreshing, I encourage you to take a moment right now and receive a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

STAYING UPRIGHT AND ON COURSE

If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

Proverbs 24:10 - NKJV

I think this Scripture from the Book of Proverbs holds an especially important message for all of us right now. The word translated “adversity” here is a Hebrew word that means trouble, pressure or distress. Have you noticed that a lot of people are experiencing some adversity lately? Or, if they aren’t, the media is trying to make sure they think they are. Whether it is financial, marital, or even physical distress, trouble seems to be all around us – even on our doorstep.

But this verse implies that there is a strength available to the people of God that will hold us upright and on course through times of adversity. If we believe what the verse is saying—and we had better—we need not faint or falter when adversity comes to call. The word “faint” here means to relax the grip, drop the guard, abandon our post, or withdraw. If, when pressure comes, we grow weary and give up the fight, then what we have been calling strength, is no strength at all.

We Christians talk quite a bit about our convictions and our principles, and rightly so. We are people who have made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. We have let go of our old ways of self-interest and self-reliance to partner with God in the expansion of His kingdom on earth. We have realized that, not only are we incapable of achieving eternal life on our own, but we make a pretty big mess of life in general when we try to live it for our own selfish purposes and in our own human power. We have given up that way of living in favor of walking by faith in God. As we walk by faith in God, we are empowered by His Spirit and His Word in every possible aspect of life.

There is another verse that says; “The Lord will give unyielding and impenetrable strength to His people, the Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11 Amplified Bible) God’s strength is custom tailored for the day of adversity. If there were never a need to resist evil, or overcome temptation, or wrestle with the desire to give up, why would God give us His strength? If adversity comes, and we quit—quit living for God, quit trusting Him to keep His promises, quit relying on His ability to bring His will to pass in our lives, quit standing on the eternal truths of His Word—our “strength” is a small, fragile, human counterfeit of the strength that God possesses and gives—it is no strength at all.

Recently, I have been trying to learn to sail a boat. On Blue Mesa Reservoir, with the winds constantly gusting and changing direction, it has been challenging to say the least. But, my boat is equipped with a large, heavy keel that acts like a pendulum, keeping it on its feet through the changing winds. When a gust hits, this 500-pound keel serves to keep the boat upright, and the shape of the keel works with the sails to turn the force of the wind into forward motion. I believe that God’s Spirit and His Word held deep in our hearts work much the same way. They serve to keep us upright and on course through all the extremes that life can throw at us.

So I encourage you this month to spend more and more time in His presence, and in His Word. Ephesians 6:10 says, …be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him… Don’t give up, don’t faint, and don’t quit. Bottom line, if Christians quit the devil wins. But if we stand, he has no hope whatsoever.

THE WORSHIP THAT IS CHOSEN

Last night, at our mid-week Bible Study, We had a great discussion that centered on the idea that God loves the worship, or devotion, that is chosen. We started by asking the question, why were their two trees in the Garden of Eden? This was before the fall of man and the entrance of sin, and yet God created an environment for mankind that included options. Man had to choose from the very beginning. There was never a time when man existed that he did not have to choose between the life of God and the knowledge of good and evil.

I believe that says something about God Himself, and about His design for man. God values relationship that is free-flowing, not coerced or manipulated. God loves worship that comes from a willing heart. When we choose to love and serve God, it says something about our value for God.

During the discussion, a question was raised about why, if God does not select certain people to be saved, and others not to be saved, if it is really a matter of choosing what God has provided, are there not more people choosing God? Why are our churches and Bible studies not full to overflowing? I believe the answer lies in fallen human nature. Choosing God means choosing a way that is not the most popular, and requires a great deal of personal dedication, commitment, and sacrifice. Jesus paid the price for our sin, and salvation is a free gift, but walking with God on earth, while a blessed and satisfying way of life, is not the easiest road to walk.

I think Jesus answered the question well when He said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14).

Jesus is an open door that leads to life. In fact, He Himself is eternal life. But if you are going to follow the path of least resistance, or follow the crowd, you are most certainly going to miss out on God’s plan for your life. On this earth, the places that draw the biggest crowds, and the most public approval, are rarely the places that are filled with God’s Presence. So choose well, choose wisely, and choose to worship the only One who deserves it.