Author: rbeaird
The Promise of the Spirit
Galatians 3:13-14 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, this thought kept reverberating in my spirit: the promise of the Spirit and the promise by the Spirit.
Let me explain what was stirring within me. The Promise by the Spirit refers to things or events, whereas the Promise of the Spirit pertains to a person, specifically the third member of the triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 3:14, speaking of redemption by faith and grace, says about the crucifixion, “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing (singular) of Abraham would come to the Gentiles so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.”
The Promise of the Spirit brings us into the fullness of the New Covenant. He empowers us to become and be the manifestation of Jesus on earth. He makes the New Covenant a living reality in us. It is heartbreaking to encounter believers who only know about Jesus rather than experiencing Him.
The heart of God is for us to “know” Him. I do not go to school, church, conferences, etc., to “know” God. We can only truly “know” God by encountering and experiencing Him. We “know” God by what He does because what He does is an extension of who He is. It is His Revelation of Himself. That Revelation is personal and intimate. It is not learned in books alone!
People are perishing and living as paupers in the palace because they are taught how to know about God rather than being led into an encounter with Him.
We hear theory preached, not Revelation. Theory will not transform – Revelation will. By that, I mean experiencing Jesus. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to teach us the heart and mind of God.
The word translated as ” know” is “Yada,” which conveys the idea of deep intimacy. It is intercourse. Not sexual activity, but encountering God in the deepest level of intimacy and becoming one with Him. That is a part of the promise of the Spirit.
Once that ‘Knowing’ becomes such a part of me, I become one with it. It is in me, and it is me. I live it because I am it.
That’s the New Covenant Life! James said, “Don’t tell me you believe. Devils believe but are not transformed.” Too many believe about and even believe in God but have not experienced God in knowing Him transformationally.
Once we have seen Him and received Him, we move from knowing about to knowing and becoming one with Him. At that point, it is impossible not to live Him! We become what He manifested on Earth. In John 17, Jesus said, “This is eternal life…” What Is? “That they may KNOW Thee, the only true God.”
By Jesus’ definition, eternal life is not a possession but a relationship. It is becoming one with Him, who is life!
Let us move from theory to experience. Let us move from knowing about to knowing. Let us move from striving to be to being. We have the promise! The only thing holding us back from being manifestations of God in this present world is us.
Have a victorious day being who Jesus says you are!
How Long, Lord?
Habakkuk 1:2-4 – “How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not deliver! 3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. 4 For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.”
My prayer is, “LORD, let Your light shine brightly, exposing all that displeases You and as a light to guide us into Your truth.”
Once again, I have a deep-seated sense of unease in my spirit. The presence, prevalence, and promotion of wickedness are alarming. It is as though people have lost or abandoned all sense of morality. Our world is dark, and the darkness of that darkness is dark. Yet, I am compelled to cry for the Light to shine.
As I began reading in Habakkuk, I could relate to the prophet’s pain and perplexity. In Habakkuk 1:1-4, his lament is arresting. “How long, LORD?” I am praying, and You seem silent. I am forced to witness evil and corruption, and You seem to be turning a blind eye to it. The law appears toothless, and justice perverted, with the innocent abused by the wicked. “How long, LORD?”
I can relate to that sense of perplexity. How can God’s patience be this vast? How low can society plunge into depravity before God’s judgment comes?
God’s response is intriguing, challenging, and comforting. In Habakkuk 1:5, God says (my paraphrase), ” Hey, stop whimpering as though I were impotent, unjust, or unconcerned. Pay attention and watch! I am about to do something in your lifetime that you won’t be able to believe or comprehend fully, even though you have been forewarned.”
The prophet’s foundation of faith and commitment revealed the confidence that God is too just to tolerate evil. [Habakkuk 1:13] Then, in Habakkuk 2:1, he commits himself not to abandon his post on the Wall of Watching!
God responded and said, “Write down the message so it is easy to read. Don’t despair even if it looks like I’m not doing anything, and the message does not quickly transpire, IT WILL and will be right on time.”
In Habakkuk 3:1, the prophet’s cry has been mine. “I’ve heard and read what You did in the past and even in our time – DO IT AGAIN!” He concluded his prophecy, prayer, and lament with hope and confidence.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 – “When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce, and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls – I will rejoice because of the LORD; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! The Sovereign LORD is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer. He enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.”
2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 gives us the key to standing firm victoriously. We are the temple of the LORD, and He is calling us to Separation, not Isolation. Because we have Him in our hearts and His Promises, we must cleanse ourselves or put away all that is displeasing to Him.
God’s faithfulness never fails. He calls us to trust Him with our ALL. Wickedness is going to continue becoming more wicked. It is even tainting the church, BUT God’s love, mercy, and grace will prevail. The Light is about to become so bright that nothing will be able to hide. We will see His justice prevail and His grace abound.
Two streams are flowing simultaneously and in parallel. Run to the Light! God’s seeming unconcern is about to be transformed into a great shaking and awakening. Do not stop praying! Do not stop trusting! Hold on to the Promises. His Word NEVER fails.
Have a wonderfully victorious day, and be confident that God is aware, cares, and will respond!
Urgent – It Is Time to Pray
Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call on me in prayer, and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things that you still do not know about.”
Once again, I was stirred in my spirit during the night. I believe I heard an extremely urgent warning and call to prayer. I hesitate to announce what I believe I heard for several reasons.
- I am sure I would be treated like Jeremiah because it goes against the flow of what many are prophesying.
- Another is that I want to be sure I heard God. If I did, He will confirm it, and I will declare it without regard to people’s opinion of me (that is unimportant).
Once again, as I was awakened, the clock was 3:33, and this time, I had zero doubt that it was God’s call to prayer and sensed that it was a call for ALL TO PRAY, not just me.
Today, the Book of Jonah was part of my reading. No, I’m not running away from declaring a word from God, but it reminded me of God’s compassion and intense love for mankind. When Jonah delivered the message of impending judgment, they repented, and God relented.
In Micah, I was reminded of God’s desires. Micah 6:6 asks a question we should be asking: “With what should I enter the LORD’S presence?” Then, in verse 8, we are informed of God’s desires. “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to carry our justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.”
A storm is brewing in this world, but there is hope! If we diligently pray, repent, and return to God wholeheartedly, I believe there is HOPE!
We must have the faith, confidence, and commitment of the 3 Hebrew children. They did not bow, and they did not burn.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 reveals that Hope is the source of our strength. “But we have this treasure in clay jars so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are experiencing trouble on every side but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed…” He reveals the secret to this confidence in verse 18. “because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”
Regardless of the circumstances, our focus must be on God. Pray for God’s justice to prevail. Seek to have and manifest God’s love, love others, and live obediently to His precepts. In that position and condition, we will experience the Psalm 91 provision and be able to declare, as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 4: We are survivors, thrivers, who live confidently, knowing that no matter what, we stand because He can!
Our part is effectual fervent prayer, total commitment, and complete obedience. His part is to shield us and carry us through. Don’t fear the storm!
Have a fantastic day in the presence of the LORD! Call upon Him, and He promises to answer you!
Don’t Blame God for Your Wrong Choices
Jeremiah 42:10 – “If you will only stay in this land, I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will firmly plant you. I will not uproot you. For I am filled with sorrow because of the disaster that I have brought on you.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was challenged regarding prayer, faith, expectation, and God’s response.
In Jeremiah’s day, when Babylon captured Jerusalem, a group came to the prophet for a word of direction. They wanted to flee to Egypt but sought the prophet’s direction. He said (my paraphrase), “Stay put, don’t go. If you stay here, in this storm, I will take care of you, and you will be safe and prosper.” (Jeremiah 42:10).
They didn’t listen, placing themselves under the curse proclaimed in Jeremiah 34:17 – “Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom to die in war, or by starvation, or disease.” Simply put, you will choose your destruction by your disobedience. Don’t blame God for your wrong choices.
Obedience brings favor, while disobedience brings disaster. In Acts 12, we see something incredible about God’s favor. Herod was on a rampage, seeking to kill the apostles. He had killed James and had Peter in prison, planning to execute him, too. They could have all run and hid, but had remained faithful to God’s call.
The church was earnestly praying for Peter. Prayer is powerful, even if it is not coupled with expectation. We are told that the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous have success. It did not say ‘expectant’; it said ‘fervent’. It’s far more powerful if expectation is part of the equation, but still powerful and evidence of another reason to ALWAYS pray and not faint.
God delivered Peter, and when he went to the house where the prayer meeting was taking place, they did not believe he was there. They told Rhoda, “You are out of your mind!”
Never stop praying. God is working, and using this example, we see that He honors earnest, fervent prayer. Ask and keep on asking. Knock and keep on knocking. Seek and keep on seeking. Be not weary in well doing (earnestly fervently praying is well doing), for the harvest (answer) will come in God’s timing.
Stay where God has planted you and do what He has instructed you. Pray earnestly and fervently without ceasing. He will surprise you! He never fails! Expectation (faith) amplifies its power, but pray regardless of your level of expectation. He is still God!
May your day be filled with His presence, and may you achieve His purposes in your life!
God of Mercy and Judgment
Joel 2:12-13 – “Yet even now (in the midst of judgment), says the LORD, return to Me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13. Tear your hearts, not just your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is merciful and boundless in loyal love (covenant unending unconditional love) – often relenting from calamitous punishment.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the reality of judgment. If that alone had been my focus, it would have depressed me. However, as I read in Joel, I saw God’s judgment in the context of God’s purpose of restoration. I saw God’s incredible mercy, and I was encouraged and comforted.
The chorus that used to be sung about the Army of the Lord always troubled me. The Army of that chorus was characterized or described as an army of different kinds of devouring locusts sent for judgment. They rushed on the city, climbed on the walls, and were called the army of the Lord. It was judgment, and they were bringing destruction. I could not get excited about that.
However, I can get excited about what Joel declares in Joel 2:12-13. The reality is that even in judgment, God is merciful and compassionate, seeking restoration.
In Joel 2:25, we see God’s heart for those who repent. “I will make up for the years that the ‘arbeh-locust consumed your crops, the hasil-locust, and gazam-locust – My great army that I sent against you.” He continues telling them they would move from lack to plenty.
Then, in verses 28-29, we have that incredible promise of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But notice how he begins the promise, “After All This…” After the incredible judgment of the Day of the LORD. After the hearts have been brought to repentance, the overflow of Revival, Renewal, and Restoration will come!
In verse 32, God’s guarantee is, “It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.” Judgment is coming to this world, but God’s love, mercy, and grace are too! If we seek Him with our hearts, we may not escape the pain of the judgment, but we will be delivered. God will not abandon us.
In times of judgment, we need the Body of Christ to be a functioning Body. We strengthen each other. We have hope even in times of hopelessness.
I see the dual or parallel. There will be judgment and revival coming simultaneously. Those who turn to God with a whole heart will be delivered! We will be able to rescue others as well.
Don’t be shaken by the coming shaking. Hang on to your hat; visions, dreams, and a mighty overflow of the Holy Spirit are about to burst forth. As the darkness deepens, the light grows brighter. As evil abounds, grace abounds even more. As destruction comes, restoration comes to the heart that is hungry and surrendered.
It is a choice! God’s love opens the door for victory. Walk through it! Things are about to get really exciting. It will be frightening for those who are uncertain and rebellious. It will be exciting for the fully surrendered and committed.
Although judgment is coming, so is Mercy and out of Mercy Revival, Renewal, and Restoration!
Roy's Covenant Corner 