Tag: #holyspiritpower

Are You Using All That God Has Provided You?

A Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton

God Speaks:

John 15:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Listen to God Speak & Obey: 

The one great purpose of the life of followers of Jesus is to abide in Him. The reason is in our focal verse which says we can do nothing without Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is a great shepherd, and He provides abundantly for His flock. Today, I invite each reader of this devotional to consider these words of Jesus, “Abide in me, and I in you.”

Today’s devotional draws from two of my favorite chapters in the Bible; John 15 and Acts 4.

The Apostle Peter demonstrated being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Romans 5:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 8:9 King James Version (KJV)

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The first-century church demonstrated being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:31 King James Version (KJV)

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Are you abiding in Christ and is Christ alive in you? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you bearing much fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit who is alive in the lives of the people of God?

Galatians 5:22-23 King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Are you able to say the words that David said in Psalm 23?

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 

The Lord is my shepherd;

    I have all that I need.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Father, we are so grateful for Your presence, provisions and power You provide for Your people. Amen. 

— 

Link to my new devotional book Amazon Author’s Page. Everything about the book is found there with pictures, and more to come.

The Gap Between Hearing and Obeying – What Is Your Status?

Today Somebody Prayed for You

Today’s Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton

Bible Text for Today’s Meditation and Application:

Matthew 28:16-20 King James Version (KJV)

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

My Reflections on the Word of God Today:

I feel like God is chasing me as I write today, and He determines that He will not let me go until I write down what He says, align my life to make it of first importance, and then go and make disciples as I have commanded you. Notice, Herb, and all who reads this message, that it’s a command and not a suggestion.

Allow me to repeat it to you just like I have spoken it to the writer of the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20, our focal text for today.

If you fail the test of being obedient to what you read and heard the Word of God speak, what is your dilemma that prevents you from being obedient to God? There is no middle ground in God’s eyes between obedience and disobedience? God does not accept as obedience, “I will do it when I get around to it. I’m too busy for that type of commitment right now.”

What then is the test for pleasing God in the matter of doing the will of God? My friends, it is to do God’s will and to do it His way. He gets to have the final word in the matter, and God has spoken, and let the people of God hear and obey.

James 1:22 King James Version (KJV)

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

1 John 2:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Now that you have heard God speak I ask you to reconsider. I encourage you to listen and obey the commandment of the Lord. We are useful to God when we surrender our whole life to Him. He is Lord, and we are not.

Hebrews 11:1 King James Version (KJV)

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Prayer Offered to Our Father in Heaven:

Father, I pray that everyone who reads or hears this Word of God, that comes from the heart of God, receive, believe and do the will of God in the ways God has commanded His people of every age. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, and in faith, we join our hearts in agreement by saying, Amen.

Do You Really Know the Lord?

Text:

Exodus 33:12-14 (ESV)

12  Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’

13  Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”

14  And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Observation:

What is your purpose for being alive? What has God gifted you to do? Who is your source for help in accomplishing your purpose?

The Lord gave Moses a huge assignment.  Moses talked to the Lord, and the Lord talked to Moses. Do you have a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord?

Let’s examine some of the elements of the relationship that Moses had with the Lord.

Psalm 103:7-8 (ESV)

7  He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.

8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Notice that the Lord made known his ways to Moses. The key for Moses was his habit of talking to the Lord, and trusting in the Lord.

If you are willing to look to the Lord, He will give you the strength you need to accomplish your purpose.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer; trust in Him, and ask Him to exchange our weakness for His strength. Then take the next step in doing what the Lord tells you to do. Don’t forget, that you are never alone, and you always have everything you need to do God’s will.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)

5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

6  So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Prayer:

Psalm 62:5-8 (ESV)

5  For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

6  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7  On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) 
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

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Daily Bread

Title: When Doing the Hard Things Are the Best Things

Text:

Psalm 34:11-14 (HCSB)
11 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
14 Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.

Observation:

In our focal passage for today David shares some of his wisdom on how to have a good life by putting good days together one at a time. The key is learning how to deal daily with things that come our way; this will mean doing the hard things that are often the best things.

1 Peter 3:8-12 (HCSB)
8 Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble,
9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.
10 For the one who wants to love life and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 and he must turn away from evil and do what is good. He must seek peace and pursue it,
12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.

Take an inventory of your life and see how well you measure up to the standard set out by David in the Psalm, and Peter in his letter. Peter embraced the wisdom of David, and so should we.

Prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, my dear Father, I pray that You would give me and all of Your people the wisdom and the will to see and do the hard things; the right things, when we are presented with many difficult circumstances that come our way on a daily basis. Father, we know that You bless those whose wisdom and strength is in Jesus. Father, we are praying, watching, and walking as the Holy Spirit leads and Jesus guides us. Amen.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/568#ixzz2lcgNp2jM