Super-Natural

  
 
Discover the Incredible Role of the Holy Spirit in Your Everyday Life
 
Most of us are familiar with stories about "superheroes" - fictitious characters like Superman who are extremely powerful and always swoop in to save the day right when you need their help. Pretty cool, right?
 
Well, as Christians, we have access to Someone even greater: the Holy Spirit.
 
When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us-God literally gives each one of us a little piece of Himself. So what does this mean? It means that all of God's power, strength, comfort, creativity, and help are available to us at all times. He is our real-life superhero.
 
In John 16:7 Jesus uses several different words to describe the incredible work of the Holy Spirit: Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener and Standby. Let's take a look at what this means for our lives.
 
Comforter
I believe one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to run to God first when we have a problem. When we are hurting, so many times we look to other people to help us feel better only to discover they don't have everything we need.
 
The Bible says in that God is "the God of all comfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3) The Holy Spirit, who dwells on the inside of us, knows us better than anyone else, and when life is painful, He has the ability to bring strength and healing right where we hurt. Yes, the Lord will often use others to bring us comfort, but running to God first opens the door for Him to help us in the best way possible.
 
Counselor
It is simply amazing what can happen when we begin asking the Holy Spirit for help and answers to our problems.
Recently, I was having episodes of feeling really weak and tired. As I sought the Lord about it, He showed me I wasn't eating often enough and my blood sugar was dipping too low. I adjusted my diet and everything went back to normal! When I later went to the doctor, he confirmed this was the problem.
 
I believe we often spin our wheels looking for solutions when the Lord has our answers all along. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, and as we seek Him, He can reveal in a few moments things we could never discover on our own.
 
Helper
Did you know the Holy Spirit wants to help you with every little detail of your life? Maybe you are like I was. For years, I felt like it was okay to bring my "serious problems" to God, but I didn't want to bother Him with the smaller things.
 
The truth is, the Holy Spirit is concerned about everything that concerns you - whether it's a "serious" matter like a relationship issue.or something as simple as fixing your hair in the morning.
 
"Help me!" has become one of my favorite prayers to pray. And the more we acknowledge the Holy Spirit and ask for help, the more we'll discover His presence and ability in everything we do.
 
Advocate
The Bible tells us that Satan is our adversary. In fact, it even calls him "the accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10 NKJV). But there's good news: We have an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who pleads to God on our behalf.
 
He's not only our Advocate to the Father, but the Holy Spirit also accompanies us through life - helping us, defending us and giving us favor with others when we need it. Whatever situation you're facing, you can take comfort knowing that God Himself is on your side.
 
Intercessor
I don't know where I'd be without the help of the Holy Spirit in my prayer life. The Bible says He not only intercedes on our behalf to the Father, but He also comes to our aid and helps us to pray that perfect prayer when we don't know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26).
 
First Corinthians 2:11 says no one knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God. That means regardless of the situation, the Holy Spirit can always help us pray the right prayer at the right time.
 
Strengthener
Isaiah 40:29 says that God .gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

I never start a day without asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen me - physically, mentally and in every other way. Because no matter how strong, talented, or capable we think we are, every single one of us requires God's strength to accomplish His will and enjoy our lives.
 
I encourage you to begin asking the Holy Spirit for strength as you go about your day. As you do, He will energize you to do your work, resist temptation, be kind and loving with others, and have success. I've found that even a short prayer for God's strength can make all the difference.
 
Standby
What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit as your Standby? Years ago, the Lord gave me a terrific example. He said think of it this way: If you've ever been on "standby" for an airplane, you simply wait nearby until an opening is available - then you take that opportunity.
 
In the same way, the Holy Spirit is standing by, just waiting for an opening in our lives.waiting for us to ask for His comfort, counsel, guidance, and help.
 
Friends, I want you to know that God has you covered. I think many of us have a mindset that says, Oh, I don't want to bother the Lord with that. But the truth is this: The One who knows you the best is the One who desires to help you the most.
 
And He is with you everywhere you go.
 
 

SHORT AND SWEET

 

                                                                                    SHORT AND SWEET

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you a pretense make long prayers……   MATTHEW 23:14NKJV

 

Sometimes people think they have to spend a long time praying in order to demonstrate their love for God.  But prayer does not have to be long to be powerful.  The length of our prayers really makes no difference to God.

All that matters is that our prayers are Spirit-led, heartfelt, and accompanied by true faith.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with praying for an extended period of time.  I believe we should set aside times for prolonged prayer and that our willingness or lack of willingness to spend time with God determines our level of intimacy with Him.  If issues in our lives really require us to pray at great length, then we need to do that, but we do not have to pray prolonged prayers just for the sake of logging time.

 

I have learned that some of the most powerful, effective prayers I can pare are things like, “Thank You, Lord” or “Give me strength to keep going, Lord.”  And perhaps the most powerful of all; “Help!!!” See?  Just a few words will connect us with heaven, and God will know how much we love Him simply because we turn our thoughts toward Him.

 

If you have thought your prayers had to be long in order to be effective, I hope you have now been relieved of that burden.  Just one word spoken to Him in faith from a sincere heart can reach His heart and move his hand.

 

Love God Today: Let prayer be like breathing, easy and natural.  Lift your heart to God all throughout the day.

 

 

DREAM BIG

                                                                                    DREAM BIG

Through skillful and godly wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built by understanding it is established (on a sound and good foundation).  PROVERBS 24:3

 

I hope you have dream or vision in your heart for something greater than you are currently experiencing. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we can hope or ask or think.  If we are not thinking, hoping or asking Him for anything, we are cheating ourselves.  We need to think big thoughts, hope for big things, and ask for big things.  God wants to fill our lives with precious and pleasant things.

 

I always say I would rather ask God for a lot and get half of it than to ask Him for a little and get all of it.  However, only an unwise person thinks, dreams, and asks for big things, but fails to realize that an enterprise is built by wise planning.

 

Dreams for the future are possibilities, but not “positivelies” possible, but they will not positively occur unless we do our part.  I believe there is enormous potential hidden in you, but like an athlete who has gold medal potential, you may have to work hard to see it become a reality.  God has given you great dreams; He wants to bring them to pass.  And if you will diligently do your part, He will help you and do “exceedingly abundantly” more than you could ever ask for or imagine.

 

Love Yourself Today: What kinds of big thoughts, big hopes and big things do you want in your life?  What can you do now to start working  toward them.

 

 

God's Grace

 

 

God's Grace   I wonder how many people will delete this without reading it because of the title. It is a shame but this message is very true. Hope you are all as blessed as I was by this story.   There once was a man named George Thomas, preacher in a small Texas town. One Sunday morning he came to the Church building carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, the Preacher began to speak. . . .   "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little  wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.   I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"   "Just some old birds," came the reply.   "What are you going to do with them?" I asked.   "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."   "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"   "Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."   The preacher was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"   "Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"   "How much?" the preacher asked again.   The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"   The preacher reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The preacher picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.   Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the preacher began to tell this story:   One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"   "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.   Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"   "And what will you do when you are done with them?"   Jesus asked.. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.   "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.   "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"   "How much? He asked again.   Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."   Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.   The preacher picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.   I pray, for everyone who sends this on, whether to their entire address book or just a few, that God will bless them in a special way.   And for those that just deleted it........ And I KNOW there will be.....?   WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?   I thank God everyday for my blessed life. I'm not rich, don't live in a mansion and don't have the nicest of material things, but, I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a FAMILY that loves me and LIFELONG FRIENDS to get me through. I'd say I have a lot to be thankful for.     Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13.

 

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Don't Waste Your Pain

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From: Johnson, Robin
Sent: 5/28/2014 9:44 AM
To: Adams, Timothy; Alvin Mcgee; Anthony Council; Arlene Wilson; Clark, Sparkle S.; Cotton, Patricia; Delores Prad; Diedra Wynn; Brumfield, Ebony M; Florence Clemmons; griffin,lamont; Lashonda; Lattimore, Terry; Lydia Boddie-Rice; Lynda Dickinson; Marshall-Johnson, Gail; Mays, Kim; Monica Glover; Smith, Lolita; Tina McNeil; Torres, Ivette; Wanda Gore; Webb, Wanda; Williams, Louise
Subject: FW: Word For The Day - May 28, 2014

Too good not to share, enjoy:)

 

Robin L. Johnson Analyst/Customer Advocate 89 East Ave-3rd Fl/Rochester, NY 14649 Telephone 585-771-4466 Fax 585-771-6383 Robin_Johnson@RGE.com
	In the interest of the environment, please print only if necessary and recycle.

From: griffinson@hotmail.com [mailto:griffinson@hotmail.com]

 

May 28, 2014

 

 

Don't Waste Your Pain

 

Read:  Romans 8:18-28

All things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.   - Romans 8:28

 

Audio:  Romans 8

 

Bible In One Year:  2 Chronicles 4-6; John 10:24-42

 

Life is full of unjust situations that can create a great deal of pain for you, especially in your relationship with other people. You will experience some hurt and pain, but you don't have to allow these experiences to destroy your happiness. You can't always choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond to it.

 

If you've been hurt, God can take your bad experiences and make them work for your good. Believing this truth is a positive decision that can help stop your pain.

 

Choose to learn from the hurtful experiences instead of wasting your pain by allowing them to make you bitter. One way to do this is to overcome evil with good by making sure you don't hurt others. It's a good place to start!

 

 

KEEP IT HOT!

                                                                KEEP IT HOT!

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins (forgives and disregards the offenses of others).

 

One of the most amazing truths I have ever learned, one that still thrills my soul, is that love is actually spiritual warfare. 

 

If we fight our battles with love, then instead of appearing to be oppressed and discouraged all the time, we can actually look happy.  We can be on the attack instead of under the attack.

 

Today's Scripture teaches us to have intense and unfailing love for one another.  The New King James Version uses the word fervent to describe love; in Greek, fervent means "to be hot, to boil." Our love walk needs to be hot, on fire, boiling over, not cold and barely noticeable.  Have you ever micro waved something for too long and not been able to remove it from the oven because it was too hot to handle?  That's the way I want to be.  If we are hot enough with love, Satan won't be able to handle us.  We might say we will be "too hot to handle."

 

I believe if we as the church of Jesus Christ, His body here on earth, will wage war against selfishness and walk in love, people will begin to take notice.  We will not impress the world by being just like them.  But how many unsaved friends and relatives might come to know Jesus if we genuinely loved them instead of ignoring, judging , or rejecting them?  I believe it's time to find out, don't you?

 

LOVE OTHERS TODAY: Start your own "love revolution" by declaring war on selfishness.

 

IT IS WHAT IT IS

                                                                                IT IS WHAT IT IS

You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.                                                                                                                        EXODUS 20:17

 

Do you like your life and enjoy it? Or do you struggle with it and wish you had a different life?  Do you want to look the way someone else looks, or have someone else's family or career?  Wanting what others have is called "coveting" in the Bible, and God forbids it.

 

You are never going to have anyone else's life, so wanting it is a waste of time.  You won't look like someone else, either, so you might as well learn to do the best you can with what you have to work with.

 

When I adopted the phrase "It is what it is" into my vocabulary, it really helped me deal with reality and not waste my time being upset about things I can't do anything about.  It helps me realize I quickly need to deal with things the way they are, not the way I wish they were. 

 

Nobody has a perfect life, and it is entirely possible that if you want someone else's life, he or she may want someone else's life, too.  Unknown people want to be movie stars, and movie stars want privacy.  Employees want to be the boss, while the boss often wishes he had less responsibility.

 

Contentment with life is not a feeling; it is a decision we must make.  Contentment doesn't mean we never want to see change or improvement; it simply means we'll do the best we can with what we have and will maintain an attitude that allows us to enjoy the gift of life.

 

LOVE GOD TODAY: "Lord, I decide and declare today that I am not envious of anything that belongs to anyone else.  I am content with the life You've given me, and I will make the most of it."

 

	.

John 15:1, 4-5

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
– John 15:1, 4-5

Sent from Daily Bible Inspirations