My previous ABC posts are entitled: Understand His Unfailing Love, Victory Belongs to His Valiant Warrior, and Walk Wisely, Worship Well. Today's post is: eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit.

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eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit? Synopsis of Matthew 12:38-34.

‍The greatest Teacher of all time used the simple technique of using common word pictures to illustrate profound truths. For example, on one occasion when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, He told a story of a particular man's heart. This man had "cleaned up his act", and Jesus compared this decision to cleaning a house. He was telling the Pharisees that even though the house had been swept clean of filth, it needed to be filled with something else, otherwise the same evil spirit would end up coming back with seven more wicked than itself, and live there; and the last state of that man would be worse than the first. Sadly, although His eXcellent Spirit was offered to the Pharisees to possess "full homes", they instead chose "void-of-truth houses" to represent their hearts.

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‍eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit! Synopsis of 2 Kings 2:1-14.

‍On the other hand, there once lived a man named Elisha.   God appointed him as a prophet to follow his mentor Elijah, who had done great and mighty things through the Lord's powerful Spirit for 25 years. Elijah asked Elisha, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you." Elijah replied, "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit"… And then, as they were walking along and talking together suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to leave in a whirlwind. Afterwards, Elisha picked up Elijah's cloak; and indeed, he did inherit an eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit. God's power worked through Elisha as he prophesied and performed miracles in Israel for over 50 years.

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When looking at these two biblical passages, here are a few questions:

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Do I realize that the HOLY Spirit lives in me through faith in Christ?

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Am I operating from the Spirit or from the flesh concerning both my interactions and decisions?

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What are some practical ways that I can operate from the powerful Spirit that abides in me? (Hint: "Call on Christ", "Helper please Help", "Rest with Him, Run with Him").

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It's easy to legalistically "clean house" and "do the right thing," but remember, if it's void of love, it means nothing (see 1 Cor. 13). God's Spirit is love. My deepest heart's longing is to be filled with His Spirit. Allow His love to pour in and take over! In tough situations, ask for an eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit! Then expect to be filled to overflowing with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Nothing compares to this choice life-style! It is completely fulfilling and eternally gratifying!

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"Remind me O God, You are what I want! Please make Yourself at home in my heart.  Fill me to overflowing. I want Your ways; I want to give You to others. Thank You for Your promise: You give your Spirit without measure." John 3:34

My previous ABC posts are: Victory belongs to His Valiant Warrior, Walk Wisely, Worship Well, and eXtra portion of His eXcellent Spirit. Today's post is: Your Savior Yearns for You.

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Your Savior Yearns for You? Synopsis of 2 Corinthians 11:3.

‍From the beginning of time, there has been an enemy that would desire nothing more than to entice you to believe that he is your savior. Some of his biblical titles are: serpent, deceiver, thief, accuser, and Satan. He is also referred to as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). This enemy yearns for you, and will go to great measures to lure you away from the truth of God's love. His personal pre-meditated traps that he uses in this world come in the form of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of one's lifestyle(I John 2:16). Paul writes to his fellow believers, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was led astray by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ"  (2 Cor. 11:3. Your flesh is weak, and his pull is strong, BUT…

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Your Savior Yearns for You! Synopsis of John 15:13.

‍From the beginning of time, there has been a true Savior that would desire nothing more than to lure you into His unfailing love. Some of His biblical titles are: Good Shepherd, Prince of Peace, Teacher, Healer, and Comforter. He also calls Himself a Friend. He wants to walk by your side as your wise companion each and every day, even into eternity. He was willing to die a sinner's death in your place in order to make this happen. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 25:13). Your flesh is weak, His pull is stronger. How sweet it is to be enveloped in His everlasting arms.

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When looking at the above comparison, here are a few questions:

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Do I believe God loves me?

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How do I sometimes fall prey to the enemy's deceptions?

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What are some of my favorite Names of God? Why?

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The contrast between one "savior" and the other Savior is immense. It's the difference between darkness and light, confusion and peace, wrestling and rest. Realize there is a war going on over your heart and mind, and then hear this truth: Your Savior yearns for YOU! He is calling you by name right now. He has already gone to battle for you, and given HIS LIFE on your behalf. Your enemy, on the other hand, has no genuine interest in you whatsoever. Everything he has to offer--power, prestige, wealth, security--it's all a sham. Ah, what a triumph for the people of God to learn the difference between the Deceiver and the Devoted One.

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Hear these words from your true Savior and then may your soul find rest in Him alone:

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‍Do not fear, for I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

The previous ABC posts are entitled: Walk Wisely, Worship Well, eXtra Portion of His eXcellent Spirit, and Your Savior Yearns for You. And today's final ABC post is Zealous for His Kingdom Zion.

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‍Zealous for His Kingdom Zion? Synopsis of Esther 3:1-15, 7:3-10.

The term "Zion" is another name for the city of Jerusalem, but it can also refer to the entire people of Israel (and then to all of God's people).  Long ago, Haman the Agagite hated the Jewish people simply because Mordecai, a certain Jew, would not bow to him at the king's gate. This one act of defiance by Mordecai infuriated Haman, so he sought revenge. With the king's permission, he used his anger to devise a wicked plan that would not only kill Mordecai, but would also bring about the complete annihilation of the Jewish people. He was zealous to destroy God's kingdom. But as always, God's loving power is greater than man's evil schemes. God purposefully placed Queen Esther, also a Jew, for such a time as this to intervene and prohibit Haman from killing the Jewish people. So "Zion" lives on; but Haman, on the other hand, was hung from the very gallows he intended for Mordecai.

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‍Zealous for His Kingdom Zion! Synopsis of Isaiah 62:1-7.

‍On the other hand, there was a prophet of old who spoke God's word to His people. He declared with fervor, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet" (Isaiah 62:1). When Isaiah spoke, he was filled with the Spirit of God; he accurately portrayed God's intentions towards His people, both in judgment and redemption. He spoke of the future Messiah. Through Isaiah, God promised that the suffering Zion (and all God's people to this day) would inherit new names such as these: Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, and Sought After (Isaiah 62:12). These new names that Isaiah prophesied about belong to any and all who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Jesus Himself made this possible by His sacrificial death on the cross.

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When looking at these two men, here are a few questions:

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Who am I today, the self-seeking-Haman, or the Christ-proclaiming-Isaiah?

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Who, in my world, doesn't know the Lord or needs encouragement in their faith walk?

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Am I zealous for others to know the Lord?

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In the contrasting passages, we see Haman plotting destruction, while Isaiah was preaching salvation. Haman was promoting hatred of a people group, while Isaiah was promoting the love of God. Haman died an unwilling but deserving death "on a tree"; Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, who died a willingly but undeserving death "on a tree."

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I must make a choice of where I put my passion, where I spend my time, how I spend my energy, and then live with either the consequence or the blessing of my choices.

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‍O God, first I want to thank You for Your zeal for me! YOU did not keep silent. Heaven opened and Jesus came. You gave Your life so that I could be called "Holy, Redeemed, Sought After." Thank You! Now I ask that Your zealous love would consume me. Help me to put my self agenda down, and pick Your beautiful will up. Fill me with your truth; please, I want to be Your mouthpiece. Amen.

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I have a necklace that I wear often. Attached to the silver chain is a small cross, as well as a pressed silver pendant that bears the single letter "B" on it. Of course the "B" stands for my last name Baxter. But to me, it has always stood for something more than that. When I put it on my neck, it serves as a reminder for me to Believe and Be Bold.Believe... in who or what? myself? my gifts? No, absolutely not. Believe in GOD...the God that created the universe, parted the Red Sea, rained bread from heaven, came to earth as a Man, and conquered sin and death. I have learned that the more I focus on Him and who He is, the less I have to worry about me and who I am (or who I am not). He is a BIG, BIG, BIG GOD...and I believe in all of who He is...His love, His power, His presence, His purpose. With Him in mind, I have peace of mind. But God does not want me to stop there; He calls me to rise up in my belief in Him......and be Bold. It's one thing to believe in God, but it's a whole different thing to believe and be bold in Him. For example, think of Jonah. He believed in God, but he certainly was not bold... he actually ran away from what God asked him to do. On the other hand, think of David and the giant Goliath. David knew His God, believed His God, claimed His God, and ran boldy to the battleline in order to confront and defeat his enemy. God is asking me to do the same... tobe bold in the gifts He has given me..not missing any opportunity to shine His light, share His love, or spread His word. Do I always succeed? No, but I have found that one little-bold step leads to the next little-bit-bigger-bold step, and then another-slightly-bigger than-that-bold step. And before I know it, I'm running, in His strength. BELIEVE... anyone that comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6AND BE BOLD... Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us... Ephesians 3:20So my friend, write a big "B" across your heart today. Let's you and I both run to our respective battlelines with a BIG BIG BIG GOD working both in and through us.

Here is a ten year old "journal entry", still filled with simple yet saving Truth:I was talking with my son this morning about the basic beliefs of Christianity. The conversation got started because we were kindly talking about a friend of his that thinks he's a Christian. I told him that he should gently and respectfully challenge his friend with the fact that he can know he's a Christian, not just think he's one. It was a delight to review the fundamentals of faith with my maturing 17 year-old son by using ...legos. You're never too old to play with legos, especially when they illustrate the beautiful simplicity of the gospel! Here is a review of the familiar "Colors of Salvation" method of sharing one's faith, usually portrayed with a beaded bracelet:BLACK represents sin. Humans are born in sin; thus, we cannot reach God on our own--no matter how hard we try. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).RED represents God's love found in Christ's blood that was shed for us. Jesus, the perfect God-man paid the price for every sin, past, present, and future, when He was nailed to the cross. He chose to die for us. God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).WHITE represents the forgiveness of sin. When we confess our sin and believe in the truth of Christ's death and resurrection, we can then stand fully forgiven in the presence of God. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).BLUE represents the Holy Spirit, given to us, alive in us... an amazing thought... a life-changing truth! We are buried with him in baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by he glory of the Father, we too might to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).GREEN represents growth. Because of the Holy Spirit's indwelling, we have the ability to understand and obey God's word. A beautiful relationship begins! Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).GOLD represents God's eternal kingdom that we as believers in Christ will inherit. For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).I think many people "casually" believe in the concept of the first three colors (black, red, and white). First of all, can someone really be casual in their faith? If so, I think that's why this person may never experience a life marked by all of God's "colors", possibly making the Christian life hard and unattractive. He misses out in knowing that he has the capacity to house the living God, the Helper, in his own soul (blue). And he doesn't get to experience the awesome reality that he can talk to Him and walk with Him each and every day (green). And THEN...there's the daily hope-filled anticipation of ETERNAL life (gold)!I challenge you, as I did my son, (and myself!), to grab some legos, markers, or colored beads and share your faith with a friend sometime in the near future. Who has God put on your heart while reading this?But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims. "A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!" Romans 10:14-15, The MessageMay your life and mine, and the friends we tell, be lives that are marked by His true colors.