Holy Spirit

Verse
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

— Revelation 17:3 tniv

Thought
The Spirit carries John away in a vision to see the ghastly, awful truth about Satan's work to destroy the people of God. The vision exposes the great evil done by Satan and reveals his allies who do his work and follow his bidding. Yet underneath this glimpse of...

 

Verse
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.

— Acts 8:39 nlt

Thought
Jesus. Baptism. The Holy Spirit. Cross-cultural sharing of the Good News about Jesus. Rejoicing. These things go together. Jesus had commanded that his followers share these in his last words before he ascended back to the Father (Matthew 28:18-20). The apostles declared it during the first public declaration of the...

 

Verse
So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

— 1 Thessalonians 1:6 nlt

Thought
How can a convicting message, a message that calls us to turn our lives around (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10), bring joy in the middle of suffering? First, that message is true. Second, that message points us to a better way. Third, that message comes accompanied by the ultimate Message-Giver, the...

 

Verse
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,...

— Galatians 5:22 nlt

Thought
Even in life's darkest hours, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, can bring the light of God's joy to the darkest corners of disappointment. Because the Holy Spirit is alive within us, joy will sooner or later bubble to the surface. The Spirit's very presence is our reminder of two truths: that Jesus was raised from the dead and...

 

Verse
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

— Romans 15:13 tniv

Thought
Rather than much commentary on this beautiful blessing, let's share the joy of this blessing and the confidence of our hope with those we love! And may this blessing be yours during this time of Thanksgiving. May hope be yours because of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit within you!

Prayer
O Father, I thank...

 

Verse
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

— Romans 14:17-18 nlt

Thought
Whoa! While we're stuffing ourselves at Thanksgiving, let's remember that life in God's Kingdom is not about what we eat or drink. Because of the Holy Spirit's presence and power within us, we find ourselves at the...

 

Verse
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

— Acts 13:52 tniv

Thought
Soup and sandwich. Love and marriage. Horse and carriage. These go together according to a couple of old songs. But there are two things that go together far better than any of these. No, I am not talking about ham and eggs — or green eggs and ham. I am talking about the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within us and the deep rivers of lasting joy. When you find the Holy Spirit present...

 

Verse
Mary responded, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!"

— Luke 1:46-47 nlt

Thought
Praise emanates from our spirit. Honest, heartfelt adoration and respect for God comes from deep within our spirits. And as followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit joins with our spirit and leads us to worship in ways not possible without the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24; Ephesians 5:15-21). Just as Jesus rejoices in the Spirit (Luke 10:21), we also are filled with...

 

Verse
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate [and reflect] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

— 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 tniv

Thought
I love the phrase "transformed... with ever-increasing glory." This is the crescendo of the Holy Spirit's grace until we finish our life's symphony in Jesus. While most of...

 

Verse
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

— Ephesians 3:20-21 nlt

Thought
We confess that God is all powerful. Paul's prayerful burst of praise in our passage today reminds us of an additional and breathtaking truth. God can do infinitely more than we can ask or think through the power of...