(NOTE FROM THE WATCHMEN: This goes with the previous devotional we have released. Please understand we are not presenting a denominational issue here, but a person you need and must meet with. He is a gift from God to you to endue you with POWER and Christlikeness. You will need him in these end times.)
A foretaste is an advance taste or realization. The Bible calls it an
earnest—"the earnest of our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:14). It means to bring
a taste of the whole before we have the whole. Our inheritance is Christ
himself—and the Holy Spirit brings us into his very presence as a foretaste
of being received as his bride, enjoying everlasting love and communion with
him.
Paul describes a people of God who are "sealed with that Holy Spirit"
(Ephesians 1:13). This speaks of a people specially marked by a work of the
Spirit. The Holy Spirit has produced in them a distinguishing mark, a glorious
inner work—something supernatural that has changed them forever.
They are not ordinary believers anymore. They are no longer "of this world,"
since they have set their affections on things above, not on the things of this
earth. They are not moved by the world's events; rather, they are unshakable.
They are no longer lukewarm or halfhearted. Instead, their hearts cry out night
and day, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus…."
What happened to them? What did the Holy Spirit do in these believers? What
marked and sealed them forever as the Lord's possession? Simply this: The Holy
Ghost gave them a foretaste of the glory of his presence! He came to them,
rolled back heaven—and they experienced a supernatural manifestation of his
exceeding greatness! He gives us "a little heaven" to go to heaven with—a
whetting of our appetite.
What kind of bride do you think the Spirit will present to Jesus Christ on that
day of revelation? One who is halfhearted? Whose love is lukewarm, or cold? Who
is not devoted to Jesus? Who does not want intimacy with Christ?
If you truly love Jesus, he's never out of your mind. He is present in your
every waking moment. Some Christians think, "That will happen after I die. When
I get to heaven, everything will change. I'll become the special bride of the
Lord then." No, dying doesn't sanctify anybody! This Holy Ghost is here today.
He is alive and working in you—to produce in you a passionate love for Christ
on this side of death!
Romans 8:26 describes one of the most powerful works of the Holy Spirit in the
heart of the believer. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for
we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
The Greek word used for groaning means "a yearning"—a longing for more of
Christ. You can yearn after Jesus so much that you sit in his presence and
nothing comes out but a deep groaning—something that cannot be uttered. It
says, "Jesus, you're the only happiness there is in this world. I have tasted
and seen that you're good—and I want all of you."
This is the mark of one who is walking in the Spirit. He has an insatiable
appetite for Jesus. Like Paul, he is just anxious to depart and be with the
Lord!
By David Wilkerson
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
YOU NEED THE HOLY GHOST
(NOTE FROM THE WATCHMEN: PLEASE READ THIS TODAY! THIS IS THE IMPORTANT NEXT STEP IN BEING PREPARED FOR THE COMING TRIBULATION AND PERSECUTION THAT THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH - MUST FACE!)
Some have been saved for a number of years, some perhaps a year, and some just
months or a few weeks. Being saved from sin is wonderful! Old things fade
away—and all things become new. I am so glad you're saved!
But in order to be a good soldier in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's
not enough just to be saved. There is much more for you! You need to be baptized
with the Holy Ghost!
In Paul's time, some believers didn't even know there was a Holy Ghost. "He
said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they
said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost"
(Acts 19:2). These people were saved, but it is clear they were not filled or
baptized with the Holy Ghost.
I believe we are saved through the power and ministry of the Holy Ghost. But
Scripture tells us that in addition to this, there is also a baptizing, an
infilling, a possessing that the Holy Ghost does in us!
Jesus himself did not send his disciples and followers into the world until
they were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Certainly his disciples had pure
hearts. They had faith to heal the sick, to cast out devils. They had the Word
of the Lord and already had been preaching Christ and gaining converts. They
were witnesses to his resurrection. What more could there be? They were willing
to die for Jesus! Wasn't their love for him enough to send them into the world
to do his work?
Beloved, none of that was enough! Clearly, there was more. "But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Do you really want the Holy Ghost? Do you want him to fall upon you and baptize
you with fire? You have to be convinced this is for you. You must come to the
place where you know you are nothing, have nothing and can do nothing without
the power and leading of the Holy Ghost.
You must know he is still baptizing, still falling upon believers—possessing
their bodies! "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is to unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38–39).
Every hour of every day, multitudes worldwide are being baptized with the Holy
Ghost! They have read of this promise in the Bible or have heard it preached.
So they have cried out, claiming the promise, and they have been baptized!
The baptism is especially for those living in the last days. "And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh…. I will pour out in those days of my Spirit" (Acts 2:17–18). He is
yours for the asking: "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).
God wants you to live and walk in the Spirit. You should not run to find
someone else to meet a person's need. You are called to speak the Word of God
as the Spirit moves on you, and to lay hands on the sick and cast out devils
just as the apostles did. We are all called to be witnesses who are full of the
Holy Ghost and power!
By David Wilkerson
Some have been saved for a number of years, some perhaps a year, and some just
months or a few weeks. Being saved from sin is wonderful! Old things fade
away—and all things become new. I am so glad you're saved!
But in order to be a good soldier in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's
not enough just to be saved. There is much more for you! You need to be baptized
with the Holy Ghost!
In Paul's time, some believers didn't even know there was a Holy Ghost. "He
said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they
said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost"
(Acts 19:2). These people were saved, but it is clear they were not filled or
baptized with the Holy Ghost.
I believe we are saved through the power and ministry of the Holy Ghost. But
Scripture tells us that in addition to this, there is also a baptizing, an
infilling, a possessing that the Holy Ghost does in us!
Jesus himself did not send his disciples and followers into the world until
they were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Certainly his disciples had pure
hearts. They had faith to heal the sick, to cast out devils. They had the Word
of the Lord and already had been preaching Christ and gaining converts. They
were witnesses to his resurrection. What more could there be? They were willing
to die for Jesus! Wasn't their love for him enough to send them into the world
to do his work?
Beloved, none of that was enough! Clearly, there was more. "But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Do you really want the Holy Ghost? Do you want him to fall upon you and baptize
you with fire? You have to be convinced this is for you. You must come to the
place where you know you are nothing, have nothing and can do nothing without
the power and leading of the Holy Ghost.
You must know he is still baptizing, still falling upon believers—possessing
their bodies! "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is to unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38–39).
Every hour of every day, multitudes worldwide are being baptized with the Holy
Ghost! They have read of this promise in the Bible or have heard it preached.
So they have cried out, claiming the promise, and they have been baptized!
The baptism is especially for those living in the last days. "And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh…. I will pour out in those days of my Spirit" (Acts 2:17–18). He is
yours for the asking: "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).
God wants you to live and walk in the Spirit. You should not run to find
someone else to meet a person's need. You are called to speak the Word of God
as the Spirit moves on you, and to lay hands on the sick and cast out devils
just as the apostles did. We are all called to be witnesses who are full of the
Holy Ghost and power!
By David Wilkerson
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
WILDERNESS JOURNEY
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, pictured the Christian like someone trying to cross a sea of floating pieces of ice. The Christian cannot rest anywhere while crossing, except in his faith that God will see him through. He cannot stand anywhere too long, otherwise he sinks.
After taking a step, he must watch out for the next. Beneath him is the abyss and before him is uncertainty—but always ahead is the Lord—firm and sure! He doesn't see the land yet, but it is there—a promise in his heart. So the Christian traveler keeps his eyes fixed upon his final place!
I prefer to think of life as a wilderness journey—like that of the children of Israel. And King Jehoshaphat's battle, along with all the children of Judah, is also our battle (see 2 Chronicles 20).
Sure, it's a wilderness; yes, there are snakes, dry water holes, valleys of tears, enemy armies, hot sands, drought, impassable mountains. But when the children of the Lord stood still to see his salvation, he spread a table in that wilderness—rained manna from above—destroyed enemy armies by his power alone—brought water out of rocks—took poison out of the snakebites—led them by pillar and cloud—gave them milk and honey—and brought them into the Promised Land with a high and mighty hand.
And God warned them to tell every following generation: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).
Stop looking in the wrong direction for help. Get alone with Jesus in a secret place; tell him all about your confusion. Tell him you have no other place to go. Tell him you trust him alone to see you through. You will be tempted to take matters into your own hand. You will want to figure things out on your own. You will wonder if God is working at all—there is nothing to lose.
Peter summed it all up: "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).
After taking a step, he must watch out for the next. Beneath him is the abyss and before him is uncertainty—but always ahead is the Lord—firm and sure! He doesn't see the land yet, but it is there—a promise in his heart. So the Christian traveler keeps his eyes fixed upon his final place!
I prefer to think of life as a wilderness journey—like that of the children of Israel. And King Jehoshaphat's battle, along with all the children of Judah, is also our battle (see 2 Chronicles 20).
Sure, it's a wilderness; yes, there are snakes, dry water holes, valleys of tears, enemy armies, hot sands, drought, impassable mountains. But when the children of the Lord stood still to see his salvation, he spread a table in that wilderness—rained manna from above—destroyed enemy armies by his power alone—brought water out of rocks—took poison out of the snakebites—led them by pillar and cloud—gave them milk and honey—and brought them into the Promised Land with a high and mighty hand.
And God warned them to tell every following generation: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).
Stop looking in the wrong direction for help. Get alone with Jesus in a secret place; tell him all about your confusion. Tell him you have no other place to go. Tell him you trust him alone to see you through. You will be tempted to take matters into your own hand. You will want to figure things out on your own. You will wonder if God is working at all—there is nothing to lose.
Peter summed it all up: "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A VOICE
John the Baptist's definition of his ministry was blunt and simple: "I am the
voice of one crying in the wilderness" (John 1:23). This servant of the Most
High, who according to the Scripture was the greatest "among them that are born
of women," was the most blessed of all the prophets and a revered preacher of
righteousness.
The crowds flocked to hear John's scorching messages. Many were baptized and
became his disciples and even royalty came under his mighty influence. Some
thought he was Christ; others considered him to be Elijah raised from the dead.
John refused to be exalted or promoted. He was emptied of self-serving and he
continually withdrew from center stage. In his own eyes the greatest of all
prophets was not even worthy to be called a man of God—but only a wilderness
voice, modest, retiring, and unconcerned about honor or usefulness. He didn't
care about having a ministry or being "mightily used of God." In fact, he
considered himself unworthy to even touch his Master's shoes. His entire life
was devoted to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" (John
1:29).
What a powerful rebuke to us in this age of self-occupation, promotion of
personalities, influence-grabbing, ego-tripping, and seeking of honors. John
could have had it all, but he cried out, "He must increase, but I must
decrease" (John 3:30). And to reach that goal, John kept reminding all who
heard him, "I am just a voice."
The secret of John's happiness was that his joy was not in his ministry or in
his work, not in his personal usefulness or widespread influence. His pure joy
was to stand in the presence of the Bridegroom, hear his voice, and rejoice in
it. His joy was in seeing others, his own disciples included, flocking to
Jesus, the Lamb of God.
The greatest fulfillment a child of God can know is to lose self and all desire
to be somebody, and simply rejoice in being a son or daughter who lives in the
very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being totally occupied with Christ is
what satisfies the heart. John could stand there, in the Jordan River, with his
eyes fixed on Jesus, and be delighted by his presence. He fed his soul on
Christ—his heart was always going out to him in adoration and awe.
By David Wilkerson
voice of one crying in the wilderness" (John 1:23). This servant of the Most
High, who according to the Scripture was the greatest "among them that are born
of women," was the most blessed of all the prophets and a revered preacher of
righteousness.
The crowds flocked to hear John's scorching messages. Many were baptized and
became his disciples and even royalty came under his mighty influence. Some
thought he was Christ; others considered him to be Elijah raised from the dead.
John refused to be exalted or promoted. He was emptied of self-serving and he
continually withdrew from center stage. In his own eyes the greatest of all
prophets was not even worthy to be called a man of God—but only a wilderness
voice, modest, retiring, and unconcerned about honor or usefulness. He didn't
care about having a ministry or being "mightily used of God." In fact, he
considered himself unworthy to even touch his Master's shoes. His entire life
was devoted to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" (John
1:29).
What a powerful rebuke to us in this age of self-occupation, promotion of
personalities, influence-grabbing, ego-tripping, and seeking of honors. John
could have had it all, but he cried out, "He must increase, but I must
decrease" (John 3:30). And to reach that goal, John kept reminding all who
heard him, "I am just a voice."
The secret of John's happiness was that his joy was not in his ministry or in
his work, not in his personal usefulness or widespread influence. His pure joy
was to stand in the presence of the Bridegroom, hear his voice, and rejoice in
it. His joy was in seeing others, his own disciples included, flocking to
Jesus, the Lamb of God.
The greatest fulfillment a child of God can know is to lose self and all desire
to be somebody, and simply rejoice in being a son or daughter who lives in the
very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being totally occupied with Christ is
what satisfies the heart. John could stand there, in the Jordan River, with his
eyes fixed on Jesus, and be delighted by his presence. He fed his soul on
Christ—his heart was always going out to him in adoration and awe.
By David Wilkerson
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
PROVING MAN
"God left him, to try him" (2 Chronicles 32:31).
We have become so preoccupied in proving God that we have not prepared our hearts for the great tests of life whereby God proves man. Could it be that the great trial you are now facing, the burden you now carry, is actually God at work proving you?
"God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him…. Take now thy son…and offer him there for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:1–2). God proved an entire nation to find out what was really in its heart.
"The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no" (Deuteronomy 8:2).
We see an amazing thing in 2 Chronicles 32:31: God left a great king for a season to prove him. "God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart."
Often, while in the righteous pursuit of God's work, the steward of the Lord finds himself apparently forsaken—tried to the limits of endurance and left all alone to battle the forces of hell. Every man God has ever blessed has been proved in the same manner.
Do you find yourself in strange circumstances? Do you feel forsaken and alone? Do you fight a losing battle with an unpredictable enemy? These are signs pointing to the proving process.
Victory is always desired, but should you fail, remember: It is what remains in your heart that God is interested in, your attitude after you have won or lost the lonely battle. Your devotion to him in spite of failure is his desire.
Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but the record of Scripture reveals there are seasons when the Father withdraws his presence to prove us. Even Christ experienced that lonely moment on the cross. It is in these times that our blessed Savior is most touched by the feeling of our infirmity—and he whispers, "I pray for thee, that thy faith fail not."
Jesus says we are to take up our cross and follow him (see Matthew 16:24).
What is that cross? It is the flesh with its frailness and weakness. Take it up, move on in faith, and his strength will be made perfect in you. Is your cross of self and sin too heavy? Then, my friend, take up your cross and follow on.
He understands and is there beside you to lift the heavy burden!
We have become so preoccupied in proving God that we have not prepared our hearts for the great tests of life whereby God proves man. Could it be that the great trial you are now facing, the burden you now carry, is actually God at work proving you?
"God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him…. Take now thy son…and offer him there for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:1–2). God proved an entire nation to find out what was really in its heart.
"The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no" (Deuteronomy 8:2).
We see an amazing thing in 2 Chronicles 32:31: God left a great king for a season to prove him. "God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart."
Often, while in the righteous pursuit of God's work, the steward of the Lord finds himself apparently forsaken—tried to the limits of endurance and left all alone to battle the forces of hell. Every man God has ever blessed has been proved in the same manner.
Do you find yourself in strange circumstances? Do you feel forsaken and alone? Do you fight a losing battle with an unpredictable enemy? These are signs pointing to the proving process.
Victory is always desired, but should you fail, remember: It is what remains in your heart that God is interested in, your attitude after you have won or lost the lonely battle. Your devotion to him in spite of failure is his desire.
Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but the record of Scripture reveals there are seasons when the Father withdraws his presence to prove us. Even Christ experienced that lonely moment on the cross. It is in these times that our blessed Savior is most touched by the feeling of our infirmity—and he whispers, "I pray for thee, that thy faith fail not."
Jesus says we are to take up our cross and follow him (see Matthew 16:24).
What is that cross? It is the flesh with its frailness and weakness. Take it up, move on in faith, and his strength will be made perfect in you. Is your cross of self and sin too heavy? Then, my friend, take up your cross and follow on.
He understands and is there beside you to lift the heavy burden!
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