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What Do You Really Know About The Holy Spirit?
What do you really know about the Holy Spirit? I know you probably have heard of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but what do you really know about the one that is called the Holy Spirit? Have you ever even thought about it? If you haven’t, let me tell you why it’s important that you know Him. If you have heard of Him, does you life reflect it?
We know or have heard that God created this world in six days & rested on the seventh day – that’s the story of creation found in Genesis, Chapters 1 & 2. It’s too much to print here, but please read it when you get the chance. We know or have heard that Jesus, being God in the flesh, came to earth for the redemption of our sins in order to save us from Satan & eternal hell. That story’s found in the bible in Matthew 1: 21- 23 (msg) – While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”). Most of us have at least heard these two stories, but what is the part that the Holy Spirit played in all of that? And what does the Holy Spirit have to do with our lives now?
Let’s look at John 14:15 – 17 (amp) – And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever. the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.. This is where Jesus tells his disciples about the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them that he will ask God to send the Holy Spirit to earth to help them once he has left earth & gone back to heaven. He tells them that the Holy Spirit will always be with them to direct & guide them. You may be familiar with this passage of scripture and for those of us who are let me ask you this – to what degree are you taking advantage of this help?
When I took a quick survey of my Christians friends, colleagues and family, I found that the percentage of them who depended on the guidance on the Holy Spirit everyday is extremely low! It was sporadic at best. I found that most of them only called on the help of God when they were up against something that they didn’t think they could handle on their own. They didn’t really know the true function of the Holy Spirit. This has been true with most of the Christians that I have come in contact with over the last 20 years. In spite of the fact that God directs us never to lean on our own very limited understanding right there in Proverbs 3:5 (amp) – Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart, And do not rely on your own insight or understanding, it seems that Christians do not pursue any education about the Holy Spirit even though He’s the 3rd part of the trinity & the bible tells us of His importance to our lives.
So, let me give you some info that should help increase that low percentage dramatically! Now there is so much to know & learn about the Holy Spirit & I don’t have the space here to cover it all. However, I’m going to share what I love most about Him to get you started. These are the things that once I learned them, I took full advantage of by using them to propel my life into my purpose in spite of all the opposition around me.
- The Holy Spirit is a person – not a puff of smoke, a blowing wind or a dove like He is sometimes depicted in books & movies. He is a person just like you, & just like you He talks, thinks & plans. In addition, He knows everything about everybody & that includes you.
- The Holy Spirit provides & gives anyone interested the ability to speak a language that only God can understand. This gives you a secretive & direct line to God. This is important because Satan cannot understand what you are saying, therefore, he can’t intervene or plot against you. This is a weapon that you should use as often as possible, especially when you don’t know what to pray. The Holy Spirit gives each of us our own language. No two are the same. How awesome is that since there are seven billion people who populate the earth!
- The Holy Spirit will show you the specific thing you need to know to gain the upper hand when you’re under attack in your life. He has your winning on His mind every moment of everyday! Do you have your winning on your mind every moment of everyday? If not, you should because now you know you have the best help out there! And I suggest that you connect to Him, then use that connection to Him so He can help you win every time Satan attacks your life. The Holy Spirit knows where your enemy is weak and He would love to show you how to use that to your advantage! You can’t have anyone better on your team!
- Everyone is anointed to solve a problem on the earth, that’s why you’re here. The Holy Spirit gives us that anointing. What is this “anointing”?The anointing is simply the power of God (His ability) to do something that you can’t do on your own. It’s God power that He flows through you to make solving a very difficult problem look easy. The Holy Spirit decides who gets what ability based on the problem you were sent to earth to solve.
These are only the tip of the iceberg, but if you start with these, you can build from here. I’ve used my connection to the Holy Spirit, His guidance & wisdom to win battles in criminal courts, civil courts, in my health, attacks against my marriage, & the discovery & the fulfillment of my divine purpose! The Holy Spirit is the greatest equalizer! No matter what life test you have to pass or any attack from Satan, the Holy Spirit tips the scales in your favor every time! Now the ball is in your court.
I am proud to say that I have had victories in all of the areas that I just listed above. And my plan is to continue to have victories every time my life is being attacked or tested. What about you?
You have to know & understand that when God sent you to earth, He also sent the help you would need to ensure that you completed your assignment with the highest honors. And have some fun along the way. But you have to decide to use this help. God will not force it on you. So don’t sleep on what the Holy Spirit brings to this life. Show some wisdom to learn and use Him to your advantage. Simply put, talk to him, ask questions, write down His answers & then do whatever He has told you to do. Easy right? Yep, it sure is!
Here’s some more information for you. The first resource that God led me to many years ago about the Holy Spirit was a book called “The Holy Spirit Handbook” by Mike Murdock. It is the most compact yet detailed book about the Holy Spirit that I have ever seen! It is the best place to start!
My prayer for you is that this has helped take your understanding of the Holy Spirit to a deeper level so that you now start or restart to get to know Him & develop a relationship with Him. So the next time I ask you what do you really know about the Holy Spirit, you will be able to say you know a lot more!
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What Brings You Joy?
What brings you joy? Do you even have time to sit down and think about it? Our days are filled with all the things we have to do in order to be responsible adults, but when do you get to take the time to just do the things (at least one of the things) that brings you joy?
There are some things or moments that happened during the course of time that make us smile and make us happy in that moment, but when that moment passes haven’t you noticed that the “happy” feeling is gone too? I know right! But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about “joy”. I’m talking about the feeling of peace, comfort & security that we derive from something that remains no matter the circumstances around us – even in a storm!
If you look up the definition of the word “joy” in the dictionary (a feeling of great pleasure & happiness), you will find as I did that joy and its synonyms ( delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, rapture) take happiness to a level that doesn’t even seem possible!
What could bring me that type of joy – The kind that would sustain itself even in the worst of times? What would I be able to do that would bring so much joy that it would elevate my life above everything else? Having my children and being a mother was the only thing that even came close for me. But what would happen if something bad happened to one of my kids – would the joy disappear? Would that mean that I would never experience joy again? Well, something bad did happen to one of my children – she died as a baby! So, where does that leave me? I have three other children but her death tore my heart right out of my chest! I thought my life was over but I found and learned something that restored my joy! And actually it was inside of me all the time but I had to plug into God to uncover it.The daily life grind that we put ourselves in fills our days with so much stuff & drama that we lose our desire and our will to even search for joy. Then is seems so far off that it isn’t even worth looking for anymore. So we settle for any “happy” moment we can get as a sad replacement. Let’s see if we can change that!
Depending on the Bible translation, the words “happy” or “happiness” appear close to 30 times, but the words “joy” & “rejoice” appear at least 300 times! Wow! Now do you see where am I going with this? The bible makes it clear which one is more important! So let’s make this happen!
The word ”joy” comes from the Greek root word “chara” and means “to be exceedingly glad”. In James 1:2-4 – 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Now as crazy as it sounds, this scripture is telling us to even be joyful when our lives are under attack because when you are connected to God & you believe what His word says, you will go through whatever you must because you know it will make you better & stronger. Now, just like you, I would rather not go through any attack but we know that as long as Satan is around that will not be the case so we might as well get over that as quickly as possible & get our heads back in the game! The Bible tells us that in John 10:10 – 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Wow look at God! Won’t He do it? Yes, He will! Jesus is our trump card & the best equalizer! Remember Denzel Washington’s character in the “Equalizer” movie? If you haven’t seen the movie you should. OK I’m moving on.
As you can now see that ‘joy’ is a divine contentment that comes from being connected to God, His love for you, your faith in Him & what He tells us. There is a great example of this in the Bible. Let’s check out Paul in the book of Philippians. Here we see the difference between “joy” and “happiness”.
Paul wrote this book of the bible while sitting in a Roman prison. Now you know how bad prisons are in this day & time, but can you imagine how they were with no running water or plumbing? Rats, mice, roaches & bugs everywhere – and can you imagine the smells in that place? In addition to all of that, remember, Romans were killing Christians at that very same time in history. So Paul knew that they were probably gonna kill him too. But Paul chose to look at his situation very differently. The words “joy’, ‘rejoice’ & “joyful” appears at least 16 times in the book of Philippians as he tells us of his contentment in Jesus. Even in chains, he chose to talk and write about his love, faith, and trust in Jesus! This helped him transcend his situation!
In Philippians1:12-24 Paul talks about having been in prison for two years by that time, & in that time, he was able to spread the gospel of Christ to the entire Roman guard, which led to the gospel being talked about & spread throughout all of Rome! In spite of being in a horrible situation, Paul saw an opportunity to complete another assignment! He understood & knew that thousands of lives could be saved if he completed this assignment & because he chose to accept it they were. Praise God! When you are in a horrible situation are you thinking of a way to help someone else while in it or are you only thinking of yourself & how you can get YOU out of it?
All of us will have to press through hard situations, I know I have, but how you press through will determine the level victory that you get! I have had to bury my baby & both parents, see one of my sons shot more than one time, while the other son (adopted) was abused, deal with various racial prejudices because we are not white & I have also had to live with the results of the many mistakes I have made in my own life thinking I was grown & knew some stuff that I really didn’t even have a clue about. But let me tell you this – You may not be where you want to be but as long as you are breathing you have another chance to “count it all joy”. That’s a song just in case you were wondering. Seriously, it is all good in God! It really is! I am living proof of that. The stories I could tell you!
Remember, a good attitude determines your altitude. Because this hard situation is temporary and it will pass! I have taken not one loss in God, not one! The death of my daughter & my parents were not a loss – they did what they came to earth to do & I will see them again. I live every day of my life to make them proud! What about you? Are you completing the job you came to earth to do or have you let Satan stop you will his many attacks? If you answered “yes’ to that question – today is the day you can change that. Ask God to help you, He is waiting on your call.
Now that you know that true joy comes from God & our connection to Him (don’t you want some) , I’ll ask you again – what brings you joy?
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WDW 012: Focus on the Promise, Not the Process!
Even though we encounter some great shocks & challenges in this life that are designed to break our focus, nothing that happens to us is a surprise to God! So since we say we trust Him, why do these things (attacks) have such a devastating effect on us? Why do they shake us so much that we can be taken out so quickly & easily? Don’t we understand that our God is bigger & badder than any attack sent to stop us? We say we know this but many people are completely taken under by these attacks. Believe me, I have had more than my share, so I know from personal experience that the pressure is real & the pressure is bone crushing! But I also know from personal experience that my God did exactly what He promised me that He would do! I have won every single war! Some of the battles were ugly, but I have been victorious in ALL of them!!! And I plan to continue my winning streak!!!
So, come & listen to our latest WDW Podcast so you can find out how it’s done.
Topics Covered:
- Why do we regularly resist God’s way of doing things?
- How can we change that?
- Your biggest weapons!!!
- And Much more…….
Great News! We have upgraded our websites! RLIM has a new website www.rlimnow.com & www.workdatword.com has been upgraded! Check out the additions & the changes. Please let us know what you think & subscribe to our site so you are the 1st to get our great info! God is doing the dang thing & He wants to do the same for you!
The WDW Podcast is now on iTunes, Stitcher &TuneIn Internet Radio! Please check us out on these great apps! You can copy & paste the links below or you can download any or all of these apps to your computers or cell pones so you can take WDW with you wherever you go! While your driving in your car, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! While you are working out, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! No matter where you are or what your doing, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! So listen from this website or use the links below! So spread the Word!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-workdatword-podcast!/id1052373840
http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=76207&refid=
If for any reason these links don’t work for you, you can simply go to the search bar in the app (iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn) & type in ” The WorkDatWord Podcast” and get to us. And just like always, you can still listen to us from here!
Either way you choose to listen, thanks from all of us at The WDW Podcast! Enjoy! and Keep Listening!
Music: http://www.purple-planet.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
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You Were Created For Greatness!
Do you know you were created for greatness? Do you know God put great things inside of you on purpose to make lives better on this planet starting with your own? What does your “being great” look like to you? What problem on earth would you solve if you could? What can you do right now that would be a step closer to you living in your greatness? How do I know this is even possible? I know because David talks about it in Psalms 71:21 – You will make me truly great and take my sorrow away (cev). Then I took some steps to see for myself if it was true & you should do the same thing!
All of us have daily responsibilities that tend to steal our dreaming time. We all have to work in order to pay our bills. We have homes to keep in order and various relationships that demand our attention. So little time is left just for us!
So, let your reading of this article be the start of you taking 5 minutes (just start with 5 minutes- that’s about the same time it would take you to actually read this article) everyday to focus only on yourself! I heard those demons talking to you – what is 5 minutes gonna do? You’ll be surprised when you see what you & God can do with only 5 minutes. Let me show you what I mean.
Sit back and get comfortable, kick off your shoes, put your feet up and silence all of your phones. When was the last time you did that? LOL. Now, close your eyes & think about just one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing. Once you have the thing chosen, don’t make it too deep, just pick the first thing that pops into your mind or the thing you want the most – then start to see yourself doing it, don’t forget to ask God to help you. Let it appear & run just like a movie. It will take shape right before your inner eyes, just follow God’s lead & it will be like watching any other movie. Now pay special attention to the places, colors, smells and those people around you! Breathe slowing & deeply so that you stay relaxed while watching. When 5 minutes has passed, click the pause button on your movie and open your eyes. Before you can be distracted, pick up your journal or notebook and write down everything you can remember about your vision/movie while it’s still fresh in your mind. This is what I call “vision casting”.
Once you do that, start talking to God about it! Tell Him how you just felt while watching your vision – the excitement, the peace, the joy about it! Talk to Him about any obstacles that you think may be in your way. Satan and your flesh will make sure to bring them to your attention – probably while you were in the middle of vision casting! But remember, dreaming is free – free from obstacles and free from cost! So keep dreaming! You can do this & Jesus will help you – Philippians 4:13 – (amp) 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
Didn’t you like what you saw? I know you did, so keep taking that 5 minutes a day to see what else God wants to show you via your vision casting. God make you in His image because He made you to usher in His miracles – Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” You will soon discover that the movie/vision you are watching is God’s way of showing you the great things He put inside of you! This is how you can connect with your divine assignment & purpose while at the same time, pull yourself onto the path God has for your life! Where do you think your desire to do these things came from? God put them in you in seed form – Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. Your spending time – just 5 minutes a day vision casting, acts as water on that seed – you are the dirt/ground. And what happens to seeds planted in the ground (you) when you water it? It grows!
As the seed inside you grows and grows, it will change you. As it grows, it will burn bright inside you and the entire trajectory of your life will now change! For example, you will finally take that class and get that degree you’ve been talking about for years. You’ll write that book that you secretly wanted to write. You’ll take that trip you’ve always wanted to take. Now what seemed to be impossible not only becomes possible, you will actually live it! Won’t He do it? Yes He will! There is no one better than our God! I dare you to test it! Let me calm down, lol!
Once you’ve tackled that first dream (of course with God’s help) what can stop you now – nothing! Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord. Just like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you will realize that you had the power inside of you all along. So come on and start right now!
Can you tell I’m getting excited? I’m not talking about what I’ve heard or read in some book, I’m talking about what I know because I lived it! No matter what your yesterday was like, no matter what you’ve done or what was done to you, today is the first day of the rest of your life starting right now! All it takes to start is 5 minutes a day. Test God and see what He can do with that 5 minutes. I dare you!
You were created for greatness! God and I believe in you, but can you believe in yourself?
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WDW 011 – Dating Do’s & Don’ts – Getting it Right!
Now that you’re a Christian, have you changed your dating habits? Do you even know how to change them or what to change them to? What would you do if Jesus walked up on you on a date? Are you still having sex & your not married? Are you dating to just have sex? Now I know that you know a whole lot of Christians who are having sex out of God’s order! Are you one of them? I was for a while, but, because I wanted to stay right with God just in case I needed something, I was determined to find out from God how to date & keep Him happy at the same time. In this episode of the WDW podcast we dig into this in much detail. Listen people, you’re making this much harder than it has to be! Here’s how we’re gonna help you!
Topics Covered:
- What’s dating?
- Worldly dating vs Kingdom dating.
- Facing the truth about myself & my intent
- And Much more…….
Great News! We have upgraded our websites! RLIM has a new website www.rlimnow.com & www.workdatword.com has been upgraded! Check out the additions & the changes. Please let us know what you think & subscribe to our site so you are the 1st to get our great info! God is doing the dang thing & He wants to do the same for you!
The WDW Podcast is now on iTunes, Stitcher &TuneIn Internet Radio! Please check us out on these great apps! You can copy & paste the links below or you can download any or all of these apps to your computers or cell pones so you can take WDW with you wherever you go! While your driving in your car, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! While you are working out, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! No matter where you are or what your doing, you can listen to the WDW Podcast! So listen from this website or use the links below! So spread the Word!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-workdatword-podcast!/id1052373840
http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=76207&refid=
If for any reason these links don’t work for you, you can simply go to the search bar in the app (iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn) & type in ” The WorkDatWord Podcast” and get to us. And just like always, you can still listen to us from here!
Either way you choose to listen, thanks from all of us at The WDW Podcast! Enjoy! and Keep Listening!
Music: http://www.purple-planet.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
