The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Powers available to you
Who and What Are You?
2 Chron. 7:14
Who Are We? (2 Chron. 7:1, 3, 14)
In response to the dedication of the temple built by Solomon, God rained fire down from heaven to consume the offering made to Him. Those in attendance knelt and worshiped God, giving Him thanks. Later, after the people had returned to their homes, God appeared to Solomon during the night and said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14, NIV). This verse tells us so much about ourselves and what life is meant to be: (1) We are God’s people. (2) We are called by His name. (3) If we humble ourselves, if we seek Him and obey Him, He will hear us and forgive our sins.
God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
What Does God Expect of Us? (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 51:17)
God says we are to be humble and to have a broken and contrite heart. During Bible times, humility was connected with low socioeconomic status. During New Testament times, the Greco-Roman world regarded humility as a sign of weakness or even a character flaw.1 This is not so, however, when God applies the term to His people. It is a virtue to walk humbly with Him. David gives us an excellent description of what it means to be humble: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; / a broken and contrite heart, / O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17, NIV). Such a heart is ready and willing to obey God.
In addition to being humble, God expects us to pray. Prayer is said to be communication with God that binds us to Him in an intimate, reciprocal relationship based on Christ’s merits.2 Therefore, we can boldly go to God through Christ, even to His throne, so “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NIV). Without such prayer, it is impossible to obey Him.
Seeking God’s face is another activity that fosters obedience. The word seek points to a desire and a striving or driving force behind the act of seeking.3 Such seeking is our responsibility. It is our choice. Nothing will stop the person who earnestly seeks God’s presence. “ ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ ” (Jer. 29:13, NIV).
A fourth thing expected of us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is to turn from our wicked ways. Isaiah 55:7 says, “ ‘Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon’ ” (NIV). When we do this, we turn toward a life of obedience.
What Does God Promise In Return? (2 Chron. 7:14)
When we humble ourselves before God, seek His face, and turn from our sinful ways, God will hear us. Isaiah 59:1, 2 states that “surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, / nor his ear too dull to hear. / But your iniquities have separated / you from your God; / your sins have hidden his face from you, / so that he will not hear” (NIV). When we honestly seek to obey God, He will answer our prayers.
God will also forgive us our sins when we humble ourselves before Him. Daniel’s prayer is a perfect example of how we can do this. “ ‘O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act. For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name’ ” (Dan. 9:19, NIV). In the New Testament, we read that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). This formula has not changed. God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
Yet another thing God promises us when we obey Him is that He will not forsake us. “It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ / Nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; / But you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ / And your land, ‘Married’; / For the Lord delights in you, / And to Him your land will be married. / For as a young man marries a virgin, / So your sons will marry you; / And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, / So your God will rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:4, 5, NASB).
REACT
1. How would you describe your relationship with God?
2. In what ways can you start a revival in your own heart and church?
3. Take some time to consider your own relationship to God in terms of obedience. Ask Him to show you where you can do better, and ask Him for the help to do so.
1. T. J. Jenney, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), p. 617.
2. Ibid., p. 1077.
3. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979), pp. 229–241.
Taken from the Logos section of the Collegiate Quarterly lesson of Sunday July 28, 2013
Friends,
Friends,
Could it be that you are afraid to ask God for his Holy Spirit? Because you worry about a change of life and/or a lifestyle change? There is power available, power to empower others...
Revival will happen this time, and this is the way: If we ask God to give us His Holy Spirit and pray for each other, even for people we're not comfortable with in the church, and pray for our enemies. As simple as that...
Share with your friends...
SPIRITUAL POWERS
SPIRITUAL POWERS
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
In response to the dedication of the temple built by Solomon, God rained fire down from heaven to consume the offering made to Him. Those in attendance knelt and worshiped God, giving Him thanks. Later, after the people had returned to their homes, God appeared to Solomon during the night and said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14, NIV). This verse tells us so much about ourselves and what life is meant to be: (1) We are God’s people. (2) We are called by His name. (3) If we humble ourselves, if we seek Him and obey Him, He will hear us and forgive our sins.
God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
What Does God Expect of Us? (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 51:17)
God says we are to be humble and to have a broken and contrite heart. During Bible times, humility was connected with low socioeconomic status. During New Testament times, the Greco-Roman world regarded humility as a sign of weakness or even a character flaw.1 This is not so, however, when God applies the term to His people. It is a virtue to walk humbly with Him. David gives us an excellent description of what it means to be humble: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; / a broken and contrite heart, / O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17, NIV). Such a heart is ready and willing to obey God.
In addition to being humble, God expects us to pray. Prayer is said to be communication with God that binds us to Him in an intimate, reciprocal relationship based on Christ’s merits.2 Therefore, we can boldly go to God through Christ, even to His throne, so “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NIV). Without such prayer, it is impossible to obey Him.
Seeking God’s face is another activity that fosters obedience. The word seek points to a desire and a striving or driving force behind the act of seeking.3 Such seeking is our responsibility. It is our choice. Nothing will stop the person who earnestly seeks God’s presence. “ ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ ” (Jer. 29:13, NIV).
A fourth thing expected of us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is to turn from our wicked ways. Isaiah 55:7 says, “ ‘Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon’ ” (NIV). When we do this, we turn toward a life of obedience.
What Does God Promise In Return? (2 Chron. 7:14)
When we humble ourselves before God, seek His face, and turn from our sinful ways, God will hear us. Isaiah 59:1, 2 states that “surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, / nor his ear too dull to hear. / But your iniquities have separated / you from your God; / your sins have hidden his face from you, / so that he will not hear” (NIV). When we honestly seek to obey God, He will answer our prayers.
God will also forgive us our sins when we humble ourselves before Him. Daniel’s prayer is a perfect example of how we can do this. “ ‘O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act. For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name’ ” (Dan. 9:19, NIV). In the New Testament, we read that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). This formula has not changed. God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
Yet another thing God promises us when we obey Him is that He will not forsake us. “It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ / Nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; / But you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ / And your land, ‘Married’; / For the Lord delights in you, / And to Him your land will be married. / For as a young man marries a virgin, / So your sons will marry you; / And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, / So your God will rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:4, 5, NASB).
REACT
1. How would you describe your relationship with God?
2. In what ways can you start a revival in your own heart and church?
3. Take some time to consider your own relationship to God in terms of obedience. Ask Him to show you where you can do better, and ask Him for the help to do so.
1. T. J. Jenney, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), p. 617.
2. Ibid., p. 1077.
Who and What Are You?
2 Chron. 7:14
Who Are We? (2 Chron. 7:1, 3, 14)
In response to the dedication of the temple built by Solomon, God rained fire down from heaven to consume the offering made to Him. Those in attendance knelt and worshiped God, giving Him thanks. Later, after the people had returned to their homes, God appeared to Solomon during the night and said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14, NIV). This verse tells us so much about ourselves and what life is meant to be: (1) We are God’s people. (2) We are called by His name. (3) If we humble ourselves, if we seek Him and obey Him, He will hear us and forgive our sins.
God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
What Does God Expect of Us? (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 51:17)
God says we are to be humble and to have a broken and contrite heart. During Bible times, humility was connected with low socioeconomic status. During New Testament times, the Greco-Roman world regarded humility as a sign of weakness or even a character flaw.1 This is not so, however, when God applies the term to His people. It is a virtue to walk humbly with Him. David gives us an excellent description of what it means to be humble: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; / a broken and contrite heart, / O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17, NIV). Such a heart is ready and willing to obey God.
In addition to being humble, God expects us to pray. Prayer is said to be communication with God that binds us to Him in an intimate, reciprocal relationship based on Christ’s merits.2 Therefore, we can boldly go to God through Christ, even to His throne, so “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NIV). Without such prayer, it is impossible to obey Him.
Seeking God’s face is another activity that fosters obedience. The word seek points to a desire and a striving or driving force behind the act of seeking.3 Such seeking is our responsibility. It is our choice. Nothing will stop the person who earnestly seeks God’s presence. “ ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ ” (Jer. 29:13, NIV).
A fourth thing expected of us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is to turn from our wicked ways. Isaiah 55:7 says, “ ‘Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon’ ” (NIV). When we do this, we turn toward a life of obedience.
What Does God Promise In Return? (2 Chron. 7:14)
When we humble ourselves before God, seek His face, and turn from our sinful ways, God will hear us. Isaiah 59:1, 2 states that “surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, / nor his ear too dull to hear. / But your iniquities have separated / you from your God; / your sins have hidden his face from you, / so that he will not hear” (NIV). When we honestly seek to obey God, He will answer our prayers.
God will also forgive us our sins when we humble ourselves before Him. Daniel’s prayer is a perfect example of how we can do this. “ ‘O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act. For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name’ ” (Dan. 9:19, NIV). In the New Testament, we read that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). This formula has not changed. God knows the heart. A truly penitent heart will be forgiven and cleansed!
Yet another thing God promises us when we obey Him is that He will not forsake us. “It will no longer be said to you, ‘Forsaken,’ / Nor to your land will it any longer be said, ‘Desolate’; / But you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ / And your land, ‘Married’; / For the Lord delights in you, / And to Him your land will be married. / For as a young man marries a virgin, / So your sons will marry you; / And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, / So your God will rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:4, 5, NASB).
REACT
1. How would you describe your relationship with God?
2. In what ways can you start a revival in your own heart and church?
3. Take some time to consider your own relationship to God in terms of obedience. Ask Him to show you where you can do better, and ask Him for the help to do so.
1. T. J. Jenney, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), p. 617.
2. Ibid., p. 1077.
3. G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979), pp. 229–241.
Taken from the Logos section of the Collegiate Quarterly lesson of Sunday July 28, 2013
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