Filled With the Joy of the Holy Spirit

This week: Luke 10
10:21 “Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” What does that mean? I often read about the power of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but the joy? Have I been missing something? When Paul lists the fruit (results, outcome, product, end result) of the Spirit, joy is listed second only behind love (the greatest command). I don’t think Christians were meant to wear a frown on their faces.

How about you? Have you found the joy of the Holy Spirit today? Any reason to rejoice and praise God? Then let’s show the world how awesome our walk with Jesus is.

Who Is This Man?

9:9 “So who is this man?” was the question Herod asked concerning Jesus. What is the answer? Jesus later asked, “Who do people say I am?” (9:18) and “But who do you say I am?”(9:20). Have you answered that question lately? I think it helps to periodically answer that question. Make it clear who he is in your life.

How about you? Who do you say this man is?

Satan Robbed Him

9:39 “An evil spirit keeps seizing him…it hardly ever leaves him alone.” The father looks at his boy while he sleeps. A tear runs down his face as he thinks about how Satan has robbed his son. “A tear for the trade the boy will never learn, for the wife he will never love, for the children he will never look at as they lie sleeping in their beds. The neighborhood kids are warned to stay away from him. Stolen are his playmates along with his childhood. What will happen when his mother and I die? Who will take him then? Who will feed him and look after him? The spirit is like a bully waiting to pounce on a kid coming home from school.

Lord, help me to understand. And where I can’t understand, help me to trust. And where I can’t trust, help me to overcome my unbelief.” (Ken Gire)

How about you? Will you join me today in praying for those who have been robbed by Satan? How about giving thanks for those who have been delivered? 9:42 “Jesus…healed the boy. THEN HE GAVE HIM BACK TO HIS FATHER.”

The Little People

9:48 “Anyone who welcomes a little child…welcomes me.” Today, I want to see Jesus in children. We often look at adults as the ‘important’ ones. Jesus always took time for the children. So, I pronounce today as the "Day of the Little People" :)

How about you? Have you welcomed Jesus today by blessing the life of a child?

You Feed Them

9:13 “You feed them.” The disciples faced an impossible task. How do you feed 5,000 men plus women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? The practical (only workable) solution was to send them away to find their own food and lodging (vs. 12). After all, there are no restaurants in this place (“there is nothing to eat here in this remote place”). But notice that Jesus took what he had (the 5 loaves and 2 fish) and LOOKED UP TOWARDS HEAVEN (vs. 15). Everybody was then fed and full.

How about you? Need to do more looking up to heaven today? Remember, you need to feed them today.

I Have The Power

THIS WEEK - LUKE 9
9:1 “Jesus …gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases.” Wow! Wouldn’t it be cool to have that kind of power? I’d be greater than the super heroes that I dreamed of being when I was a kid. We usually want power to direct attention towards ourselves and/or to provide something for ourselves. But when I think about it, what kind of power has Jesus already given me? How about resurrection power? How about the power to help others? How about the power to change my life?
How about you? Are you willing to consider the power that you already have in Jesus? Are you willing to use that power today for the glory of His name?

They Laughed Because They Knew

8:53 “But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died.” They were confident in what they thought they knew. And they were right. Their reaction was laughter at the perspective of Jesus. Often we live in the ‘reality’ of this world and fail to see, understand, and act upon the promises and power of God. Who would have thought, guessed what Jesus would do next? Raise the dead? Impossible

How about you? You know you are right. But do you know what the possibilities are with God?