Lesson 35 – When the Spirit Leads a Return

Luke 4:14-15

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

    When General Douglas MacArthur was run out of the Philippines during WWI in 1942, he made a rash statement which would later be proven to be truth. His words? "I came through, and I shall return". With the power of the US Army, Navy and Marines behind him, McArthur would return to this island in victory to liberate the Philippines in October 1944.

    Today's text says Jesus also returned, and in a sense he too came to bring liberty to those in captivity. Returning to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, Jesus began to preach the good news, that liberty from sin is available to all who would believer. This message was certainly good news to a people who were overcome by the guilt of a life apart from God and worn out from trying to get on God's good side by living a moral life. No one was up to the task, and no one will ever be.

    The good news for believers today is that the Spirit's touch is also available to return us in power. Not to a home region in Israel, but to the man of Galilee, Jesus Christ. God never wants his own to live apart from their Savior, and when we've wandered off in sin, God calls us back in the power of the Spirit, calling us to return to Christ's open arms.

    In the account of the Prodigal Son, the younger son ultimately returns in humility to his father, confessing his sins and unworthiness. I believe he returned according to the touch of the Spirit. Our Lord has always about the return. Whenever we've gone astray, the Spirit is gently calling us to return.

    Maybe you're somehow convinced that God will not accept your return. Maybe your sin have been heinous and you even now struggle to like yourself, much less believe God would love you. If this defines you, look to the Spirit. He will return you in power when you humbly bow before the Lord.

LORD JESUS

May I always be open to following you in returns – when I've sinned, wandered away, or neglected our relationship together – invite me to return. Amen.

Lesson 34 – When the Spirit Leads into the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-2

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry."

    What an understatement! After forty days of fasting, I'd sure be more than hungry. I can't even skip lunch without feeling lightheaded! And most of us would find ourselves almost dead after forty days.

    And what's this about the Spirit being the one who led Christ to do this almost fatal diet thing? I thought God would never lead us to any kind of discomfort in life. Doesn't he have my best interests at heart, and isn't he looking out for me?

    I'm old enough now to have learned that this kind of thinking on our part has the potential to leave us very disillusioned. Not only does the Bible not teach that God rewards believers with a peaceful, happy life, it is filled with examples of how God may choose to lead you into the wilderness, into life's storms, into suffering, persecutions and even to death. I've often said, that's not the way I would have invented my God, so surely there is truth in Christ.

    So how are we to respond to this truth, that the Spirit may lead us into the wilderness? The best answer is to be just like Christ. When led into the wilderness, he refused to give in to the temptations of sin, even when his needs were at the greatest. He held unto God's word and what it meant for his life, even in going to the cross for our sins.

    For us, the time to commit to being faithful to Jesus is before the wilderness times of life come upon us. We need to commit now to belonging to Jesus and remaining firm in our stand to live for the Lord. While this won't keep the wilderness experience from coming, it will help prepare you for the difficulties ahead.

    I also caution you about trying to figure out the reason for every trial that comes on you. While God may lay it out for you, in many, if not most cases, we may never know. But still, choose to remain committed to my Lord, even when the Spirit touches in a way to cause you to go into the wilderness.

LORD JESUS

May I be committed to you even during the wilderness. From now on, I commit to your grace, your love, your justice and your plans for my life. May you receive glory throughout every stage of life's journey. . Amen.

Lesson 33 – When the Spirit Baptizes with Holiness

Luke 3:15-16

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

    You probably remember this story well. John is baptizing in the Jordan as a symbol of people's willingness to forsake sin in preparation for the coming of the Christ. After all, this is what he was born for. It is his mission.

    Luke even mentions the "expectation" of the peoples. Something was going on. Something was going to happen. They could feel it in the air. "Hurry, come to the Jordan, you don't want to get left out. Could John be the promised Messiah?"

    Looking back, we have a hard time putting ourselves in the place of these peoples. After all, we've got the entire New Testament. We can read about Jesus from four gospel accounts understand he is the Christ and John was simply his forerunner. But for these seekers, they knew something was about to happen, but just what, they weren't so sure?

    John clarifies things for the crowd; he is not the one they are seeking. There is another to come and they needed to look to him. "I'm nothing compared this one. He will baptize you with another kind of baptism--with the Holy Spirit and fire."

    Consider for a moment the effect of this promised baptism of the Spirit and fire. Yes, it brings about new life in Christ, secures our salvation, and marks us as a believer. But also consider that it is this baptism which brings about our holiness.

    Fire applied to a metal ore burns away that which is unwanted, leaving the pure element. In the same way, when the Spirit comes upon a believer, those parts of our lives which are not holy before the Lord are destroyed. They are burned up in the presence of God's holiness.

    The rebirth is about being made holy. I know, you look at your own life and don't see much holiness. That's because our salvation is still being affected according to God's plan. While we're secure in Christ through faith, the final completion of being made holy comes when we're changed in the instant of the twinkling of an eye when our Lord comes again.

    I for one am ready and look forward to holiness in Christ.

LORD JESUS

May your Spirit continuously burn away the dross of my life so that I'm holy in you, through and through. Amen.

Lesson 32 – When the Spirit Reveals

Luke 2:26-27

And it had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple."

    Most of us will never experience a revealing of God's plan in action as bestowed upon this elderly man of Jerusalem. Simeon had waited his entire life for God to be revealed in flesh. In some way or manner, he had been promised by the Holy Spirit he would see Jesus Christ before he came to the end of his own life.

    I suspect, Simeon's friends and neighbors thought him crazy. "You know, God doesn't speak to ordinary people this way. You're no prophet!" "Who are you to claim to have heard such a word from God? You're not any more important than we are. If God were speaking, we would have all heard!"

    As much as I hate to admit, I'd probably have been no different than the crowd. While I believe in the supernatural power of God to speak, because I've not experienced it first-hand, I wrongly assume God must not speak to people this way.

    Of course, the truth of God's word tells us God chose to speak to an ordinary man to reveal to him the coming of Christ. And God still chooses to speak to us in the very same way--through the working of the Holy Spirit. How often the Spirit wants to reveal God's will to us and we're not really ready to hear. Maybe we're just not expecting God to speak at all. Or, more likely, we're not listening. Too many other things have our attention and God can't be heard above the din of life.

    And not only did God speak to Simeon through the Spirit, he also led him by this same Spirit into the temple at the very moment when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus in to be dedicated unto God. You see, when God speaks, we'd best be listening, because God has something going on that we need to be a part of!

LORD JESUS

I invite your Spirit to speak into my heart. I open myself to hear from you and obey your command. Lord, may my heart not be so cold towards others who claim to have heard your voice in ways I think improbable. For you choose to speak in various ways. Amen.

Lesson 31 – When the Spirit Brings Justice and Devotion

Luke 2:25

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him"

    Oh, to stand before my Lord at the end of my earthly days and hear him say my life was "just and devout". There may be no higher praise for any believer than receive this honor of our Lord.

    Notice it is said of Simeon that the "Holy Spirit was upon him". Not that the Spirit came upon him at that moment, but at all times, the Spirit controlled his life. I think this short phrase lets us know the basis of a life just and devout before God. It comes when the Spirit touches our lives, not just for our salvation, but at the point of every moment of our existence.

    While every believer has the Spirit within them, that doesn't bring about justice and devotion in our lives, but it does form the basis from which these attributes are made possible. When we surrender to the Spirit's touch, Christ lives fully in us and our lives begin to reflect God's holiness, not just at a moment in time, but in every day. This brings about justice and devotion in our hearts.

    When we think of justice, we normally speak of getting one's just rewards, like receiving a fine for speeding. Justice has been served. But with the Spirit, justice is different. In God's economy, justice is the holiness we receive through faith in Christ. This holiness grows by faith and service unto the Lord through the Spirit's touch until justice defines our very lives.

    When we consider a person as devout, we think of piety in worship--humility before God. Again, this humility is not of ourselves, but comes only when the Spirit is upon us.

    I, for one, long for the day the Spirit causes my life to be just and devout before my Lord.

LORD JESUS

I invite your Spirit to invade every moment of my life, that my heart and mind would be given fully to you in justice and devotion. Amen.

Lesson 30 – When the Spirit Loosens the Tongue

Luke 1:59, 63-64, 67

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied."

    Can you imagine your kids not being able to nag you all day, having their tongues tied by the Spirit? Ok, maybe that's a bad example. Imagine you not being able to utter a sound over the course of several months, not really sure if you'd ever speak again?

    Of course, Zacharias would speak again. You remember the story. Because he doubted the old age birth of John, Gabriel tied his tongue. One moment he could speak, the next he was silent. Somehow God always has a way of letting you know he means business, even if it is somewhat humorous when we look back in hind sight. I bet even Gabriel thought this one would make a good story back around the angel campfire one summer's eve!

    Notice what happened once Zacharias let everyone know he was going with God's name for the child. In the touch of the Spirit, his tongue was loosed and he couldn't but help praise the Lord! I love that. When the Spirit touches a life, he loosens our tongues to praise God. What a glorious blessing for every believer, that of speaking the name of Jesus as the Spirit loosens our tongues.

    Some of us need to have our tongues loosed. We've kept our mouths shut for too long when God simply wants to hear us bless his name. Or we've held our voices in the face of injustice, or chose not to get involved in the struggles of others.     Lord, loose our tongues!

    I hope God never has to get my attention by striking my life, but he has to do so, may he be as gentle with me as he was with old Zacharias!

LORD JESUS

Loose my tongue. Form the words of my lips. Utter the words you would have me to say. Amen.

Lesson 29 – When the Spirit Is Loud

Luke 1:42-43

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

    You know this story. When Elizabeth was touched by the Spirit, she responds in a loud voice. Blessed are you, Mary, and so is the baby you will soon deliver. Even before Mary could set down her bags, here was Elizabeth speaking out loudly for God.

    I think it is this same way often with the Spirit. God would have us speak out with a loud voice as he touches us with the Spirit. While your voice will never be one recorded on the pages of Scripture, God does want to do something else no less amazing. You see, when the Spirit touches you and causes you to speak out loudly, God has something to say, and he says it through you What a blessed privilege for every believer—to be the voice of God!

    "Well, I don't know what I could say." Don't worry about that. Maybe God wants you to speak the name of Jesus loudly in your neighborhood. You can do it by inviting your friends to come meet the Savior. Maybe he wants you to loudly declare the Lord's blessings in worship, or loudly witness of God's faithfulness in your life, or even loudly call out to God in prayer when you fill all alone. There are so many things God wants to hear of you, and the Spirit is there to cause you to speak out loudly.

    Here's the bottom line. Are you one willing to speak out for Christ? Are you willing to set aside your pride and surrender to be used as God's voice? Or is it that the only voice people hear from you is that of your own--your opinions, your thoughts, your angry words?

LORD JESUS

May I always be willing to speak as you direct, loudly, and always for your glory. Amen.

Lesson 28 – When the Spirit Overshadows

Luke 1:34-35

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

    Without a doubt, Mary experienced the Spirit's touch, miraculously bringing life to the one who would be called our Savior, the Son of God.

    But what I want you to notice here are the words used by the angel to describe this touch of the Spirit. It was to be an overshadowing. Certainly not a word used much today, but appropriate to understand how the Spirit works in our lives.

    Overshadow implies a surrounding or covering. It is like the atonement of God's grace poured on us to cover our sins. While our sins still remain, we are fully covered in Christ's blood. We've been overshadowed in God's grace!

    When the Spirit comes upon a believer in power, it is always as an overshadowing, the outpouring of God's presence as an act of God's grace. When Mary was overshadowed by the Spirit, God's will completely covered her life, allowing the Spirit to move in her in power.

    That's what I want in my life and pray would come upon every believer. That we would be so overshadowed by the Spirit's touch that our lives would be surrendered to God's will in power. When people see me, I want them to no longer see me, but to see the God whose life now overshadows my own.

    An overshadowing begins with a surrendering to God's will. Ever wonder what would have happened if Mary had refused the Spirit? I bet God would have moved on. An overshadowing always requires the surrender of our hearts to God's will.

    Unfortunately, we too often find ourselves unwilling to be overshadowed by the Spirit's touch. While we want the Spirit's power, but we're not that keen to surrendering to the God's will. Ever wonder what happens when you refuse the Spirit's overshadowing? The same that would have happened to Mary. I bet we lose the blessing of living according to God's will!

LORD JESUS

May I always be willing to surrender to your overshadowing presence so that my life will be lived in power according to your will. Amen.

Lesson 27 – When the Spirit Determines

Luke 1:15-16

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God."

    These verses are a promise concerning John the Baptist. Before birth, God determined John would be touched by the Spirit as a prophet of God's word, coming with a message preparing souls for the Living Word, Jesus Christ. O that all of us could know the plan Jesus has for us even from the moment of our birth!

    While a fairly simple text concerning John's coming ministry, I struggle to know what are we to do with John's apparent touch by the Spirit even before birth. Do these verses tell us God alone determines who will be filled with the Spirit? If so, what is humanity's role in faith, if any? Not simple questions, and quite possibly maybe doctrinal questions we'll not be able to answer this side of Heaven. Still, there are some things we can know, even in the face of these uncertainties.

    First, understand that our salvation comes only when the Spirit converts our corrupted natures to the righteousness of Christ, and without a doubt, that miracle occurs at the point of our belief in Jesus Christ. Since John surely could not believe unto salvation from his mother's womb, this verse could not be the determination of John's salvation.

    Here's what I think. In God's sovereign foreknowledge, he knew that John would be one who would come to believe, so even from John's conception, the Spirit went ahead and set aside John for a ministry like no other. Maybe that is the way the Spirit does it for all of us. When God for knows our salvation, he determines for us a ministry unto him.

    Second, understand that while faith is required for salvation, this faith comes to us from God. It is not a matter of our hearts coming up with enough faith in order to force God to touch us with the Spirit. Faith only comes as a free gift and is not of ourselves. That said, if God determines to send his faith even in our mother's womb, then let God be God and let God's will be done.

    Truth of the matter is this. God is sovereign unto salvation, and he has given us a choice to believe.

    While I'll not lose any sleep over this one, since my God is big enough to work all this out, I rejoice that God has a plan for us in him. It is only by a touch of the Spirit that we're able to fulfill that plan in our lives.

LORD JESUS

May we come to know the touch of your Spirit at the earliest of ages, making us ready to fulfill God' plans in us so that no time is wasted. Amen.

Lesson 26 – When the Spirit Selects

Numbers 27:18-19

And the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight."

    Moses was rightly worried. 40 years in the desert had passed and Israel now stood on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to cross into the promised land. Now, God was reminding Moses he would not be allowed to go in due to stealing God's glory when giving water to the people to drink. But Moses wasn't angry with God's judgment, and he wasn't miffed that he wouldn't get to live in the new homeland. No his mind was on the nation. What would Israel do for a leader? Who would be their new shepherd?

    Never fear, Moses, God surely had a plan. The Lord had already selected one to lead his people, a man of proven faith, and one in whom was found the Spirit's touch. God had selected Joshua to replace Moses as the leader of Israel. You remember Joshua. He was one of only two who trusted God to help them subdue the land when they spied it out decades before. Joshua was the one who daily followed Moses to the tent as he met God in his glory. Joshua was the one who had already proven to be a leader of the armies when others threatened their existence. Joshua was God's man, selected by the Spirit and ready to lead this nation.

    Know this. It has always been God's way to select the right leaders for his people. He never leave his church without a shepherd, beginning first with the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and even until today as he selects those who lead local congregations. Of course, some leaders God has selected may never agree to serve, and others will bow out in favor of worldly pursuits, but that doesn't mean God hasn't made his selection.

    While some may argue over whether leaders are made or if they are born to lead, as I see it here, leaders are those selected by God as shepherds by a touch of the Spirit. Every church pastor is t be called twice--Once by the Spirit unto ministry, and again by an outcry of the congregation as they seek to know the one to be given to them by God. That man for Israel was Joshua.

    Any time God touches a man or woman by the Spirit, it is a picture of God's grace, with none deserving God's eternal presence and power in life. The same goes for every man called by God as a shepherd for the church. Our calling is not of our own righteousness, but simply according to the selection of the Holy Spirit upon us.

    In your life, God may even now be selecting you through the Spirit for some work of service or leadership within the Kingdom. If so, by God's grace upon you, the Spirit will empower you and equip you for his calling.

LORD JESUS

May I always remember to look inward to the Spirit that has selected me for ministry, knowing that it is your presence that allows me to rightly shepherd your people. Amen.

Lesson 25 – When the Spirit Speaks

Numbers 24:2

And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him."

    While Balaam intended to curse the young nation of Israel at the urging of King Balak, the Spirit touched his life and he couldn't help but issue an oracle of God. Not just once, but three times Balaam opened his mouth and blessed Israel. He wanted the treasure that would be his through a curse, but he also knew what we need to know today, that when the Spirit controls, truth must be on our lips.

    That's a comfort to me. When my life is rightly surrendered to be used of God, my words are controlled by the Spirit and God speaks truth through me. Not that I have any right to claim the words of God as my own, but when the Spirit controls, I'll say no words which is not of God's will. O that every believer would be so controlled of the Spirit!

    Think of how much more peaceful our lives would be if only the Spirit took over our lips. Christian children wouldn't sass their parents. Believing workers wouldn't grumble under their breaths at the unfairness of the boss. Husbands and wives would no longer blast each other with tirades of anger. Every word said to each other would build up and not be used to destroy. It doesn't take much of an imagination to see that things would be much different in all of our homes. Of course, most haven't learned to give over our lips to the Spirit. Our words are our words, and are rarely for the glory of God.

    Of course, our God is a gentleman and rarely chooses to take over our speech. We have a choice. Unlike Balaam, we can say whatever we want, whenever we want to. Whether it glorifies our Lord or not and regardless of how our words hurt others, we can say as we wish. Most of us have learned this and say too much.

    I for one have never given much credence to that old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." There is definitely power in our speech, and the effort for every believer is determining who will hold this power. Will you hold it yourself, or will you give your speech willingly to the Spirit?

LORD JESUS

I plead for you to take my lips just as you did those of Balaam, that my words can't help be spoken as you see fit in my life. Amen.

Lesson 24 – When the Spirit is of Prophecy

Mark 12:36

For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

    Of course, this text refers to a prophecy of the coming Messiah, the crucified and risen Savior we now know as Jesus Christ. In Mark, Jesus asked those self-proclaimed protectors of the doctrines of God how David, the one whom many viewed as the king fulfilling Biblical promises for the Messiah, could refer to another person as Lord. Good question. Would the true God ever refer to someone else as God? Certainly not! So surely David was the not the promised Messiah, that position belongs to Jesus Christ!.

    Now that the question of Messiah-ship is cleared for us, notice it is was after through a touch of the Spirit that David would make his prophecy. It was only as God indwelled his life that he could be used to express God's will in history. Know for sure, that's what true prophecy is all about. As the Spirit moves, men and women rightly describe what God is do in history according to God's supreme will.

    It is only when a believer is filled full by the Holy Spirit of God in us can we utter prophecy.

    Prophecy is never solely of man's doing. It doesn't come from our wishes for the future, or from our hopes, or our plans for the church. We've got those, but simply put, real prophecy comes when the Spirit chooses to move us to speak. Note that history is not filled with many so moved by the Spirit, so we're rightly skeptical whenever one claims to be a prophet of God, no matter how religious they seem or ever power and popular they are in their sermons.

    No one becomes a prophet in their own eyes, but only as the Spirit chooses to speak through them.

    I'm afraid there are way too many charlatans out there claiming to be the voice of God in prophecy. Many of them are well-intended and some are even right in their theology, but unless the Spirit has touched them with a glimpse of God's will in history, their prophecies are of themselves and not of God.

    All I can say for sure is this. It only when God reaches out and touches our lips with the Spirit that can we know the will of God in history. My understanding of the Scriptures is that God has already sealed his plan for our salvation and the conquering of evil, so most of us would do well to limit our preaching to what God has already said!

LORD JESUS

I invite you to continue to speak to the world today, that we might hear and respond to your voice as you are at work in history. May my life never be so bold as to claim to be your prophet without a clear view of the touch of your Spirit upon me. Amen.

Lesson 23 – When the Spirit Bears

Exodus 11:17

I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

    In Exodus 11:14, Moses cries out to God to say he could no longer go on bearing the burden of leading Israel to the promised land. Maybe you've been in the same position as Moses, trying to be the leader to those who don't want to follow, or those who complain about your every decision, or those who seem to have no desire to sacrifice for the greater good. If so, you understand where Moses was coming from. The job was simply too much for Moses to bear.

    I suspect most of us come often to the same junction faced by Moses. We just don't think we can go on. In a sense, we can't bear the pressures life brings to us. Maybe it is the exhausting pressures of raising young children. It could be the unrelenting pressure of needing to be successful on the job to meet financial commitments. Or maybe it is simply the unrealistic pressure from trying to meet expectations laid on you by others. Whatever the pressure, you just don't feel you can go on, and like Moses, you cry out to God.

    The truth this, none of us can go it alone. We need someone to help us bear the load of life.

    For Moses, the Spirit reached out and touched 70 men to help bear this burden. The Bible doesn't say how they would help Moses, but it does tell us that God placed the same Spirit on these men that was on Moses (vs 25). That lets me know that with the Spirit's touch, there is plenty of God to go around to help bear our burdens.

    Of course, it doesn't take much an imagination to see how this would have helped Moses. Anytime we share our burdens with others, the load is lightened and we find our outlook is no longer as dire as it was before.

    This account ends with a wonderful declaration by Moses, one that I think applies to the church today--that all would have the Spirit of God upon them to help those who lead the church in bearing the burdens of ministry.

LORD JESUS

Oh that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! (Exodus 11:29) Amen.