Saturday, May 18, 2019

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-18

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-18

Memory Verse: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

Read Joel 2:12-24

God Thought  

 Underline the words new wine and olive oil, both in the Bible are 

symbols for the Holy Spirit.  Wine in the Bible is symbolic of the Holy 

Spirit and the fullness of joy.  Deuteronomy 11 and Joel 2 are just two 

verses in the Old Testament, that show God's people are entering the 

promised land and a deeper encounter with God.  Under the law 

Moses turned water into blood representing the judgment and under 

grace Jesus turns water into wine representing the outpouring of the 

Holy Spirit and the fullness of joy.  Jesus in Luke 5:36-39 tells about a 

parable of new wine.  When the Holy Spirit falls on the Apostles 

in Acts 2:13 they are accused of being drunk. Paul in Ephesians 5:18 

urges to be filled with the Spirit and not drunk with wine.  I believe 

Joel's prophecy is of a new depth of relating to God, that had never 

been experienced before.  And that reality is for us-today, Now!

Oil is mention over  200 times in the Bible, and not every verse points 

to the Holy Spirit. But the connection as a metaphor of the Holy 

Spirit’s presence and action is clearly seen in the rituals of anointing 

prophets, priests, and kings.  And in the New Testament, I urge you to 

read 2 Corinthians 1:18-22.  Notice, oil is pointing to our new reality, 

and that is the Holy Spirit now lives in our heart.

Back to the book of Joel. 2:21 "Joel contrasts the fear of God’s 

judgment (2:1) with the joy of God’s intervention (2:21). On the day of 

the Lord, sin will bring judgment, and only God’s forgiveness will 

bring rejoicing. Unless you repent, your sin will result in punishment. 

Let God intervene in your life. Then you will be able to rejoice in that 

day because you will have nothing to fear. Before, there were fasting, 

plagues, and funeral dirges; then, there will be feasting, harvesting, 

and songs of praise. When God rules, his restoration will be 

complete."  He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, 

and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is 

to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 NIV

Tyndale. Life Application Study Bible NIV (Kindle Locations 182662-182666). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. 




Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come to me, 

dwell in me, speak to me so I may become 

more like Christ. Lord, give me the courage to be 

open. Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come, 


Holy Spirit. Amen.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-17

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-17

Memory Verse: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

Read Joel 2:1-11

God Thought  

Spirit of the Lord Old Testament Today Walton Hill Zondervan pg 203

The spirit of the Lord empowered a number of Judges to do their 

work (Gideon, Jephthah, Samson). It is also the spirit of the Lord who 

gave kings their authority (Saul, David),  Prophets likewise prophecy 

under the influence of the spirit of the Lord.  Since the Israelites had 

no revelation concerning the Trinity, they would not have thought of 

the spirit of the Lord the same way Christians do-as the third person 

of the Godhead.  In Ezekiel, the spirit of the Lord is seen to parallel the 

hand of the Lord (2 Kings 3:15; Ezek. 1:3, 3:14,22; et al; cf 1 Kings 

18:46 KJV).  In that sense, it is likely that the Israelites considered the 

spirit of the Lord to be somewhat less personal "it" rather than a "he".  

The spirit of the Lord was understood by the Israelites, not as a 

separate entity, but as an extension of God's power manifested 

through someone that gave them ability or authority that was 

recognizable as supernatural. The spirit of the Lord in the Old 

Testament empowers but does not indwell (John 14:17); gives 

authority but does not regenerate.  It is not unlikely that the Holy 

Spirit was behind at least some of the activity attributed to the spirit 

of God in the Old Testament.  Peter sees the action of the Holy Spirit 

at Pentecost as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel concerning the 

spirit of the Lord being poured out (Acts 2:16-17).  In the case of Joel 

2:28 then, the then, the Holy Spirit was behind the activity attributed 

to the spirit of the Lord.


Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come to me, 

dwell in me, speak to me so I may become 

more like Christ. Lord, give me the courage to be 

open. Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come, 


Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-16

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-16

Memory Verse: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

Read Psalms 51

God Thought  

David and the Holy Spirit in Psalm 51:11
January 27, 2014, by Jack Cottrell

QUESTION: How did King David receive the Holy Spirit?

ANSWER: This question is probably suggested by Psalm 51:11, where David as king prays to God, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” This indicates that when he is saying this prayer, he does have the Holy Spirit in some way. How did he receive the Spirit in the first place?

We must understand that in the Bible people can “have the Holy Spirit” in two very different ways. On the one hand, we may speak of the EQUIPPING presence of the Holy Spirit. This means that some people have received the Holy Spirit for the purpose of being empowered for service. I.e., God wants a certain person to be able to perform some work or to carry out some responsibility in a way that will help to fulfill some purpose of God here on earth. This is what we sometimes call “spiritual gifts,” or “gifts of the Spirit.” The Spirit comes upon that person in order to equip or empower him or her for service in his kingdom.

These gifts can involve miraculous powers (e.g., being able to work miracles, to speak in tongues, to speak inspired messages from God—1 Cor. 12:28), or they may involve just an enhancement of natural abilities (such as teaching, leadership, or showing mercy—Romans 12:7-8). Also, the Holy Spirit came upon people for this purpose of empowerment both in Old Testament times and in New Testament times. Many individuals among Old Testament Israel were so empowered, including all the prophets and judges, and including at least some of the kings of Israel. This is where David comes into the picture. When God chose David to replace Saul as king over Israel, the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil, “and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13). This is when he received the Holy Spirit.

This empowerment by the Spirit is NOT directly related to salvation. In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit came upon individuals for empowerment for service, but not for salvation. When David received the Holy Spirit at the time he was anointed to be king, this did not affect his salvation status. (He probably was already saved at this point.) Not all saved people had the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times, and even someone who was not saved could have the Spirit in this sense (e.g., the pagan prophet Balaam, Num. 24:2).

So what was David praying in Psalm 51:11? We must remember the occasion that prompted this prayerful psalm, namely, David’s adulterous episode with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11 & 12). Here in Psalm 51 he is inspired to write about his own heart-felt repentance for this sin. One thing he is concerned about is that God might punish him for this sin by removing him from his position as king over Israel, and even by no longer using him to write inspired songs of praise (i.e., psalms).

David knew that he had received the empowering presence of the Spirit as recorded in 1 Samuel 16:13 (see 2 Sam. 23:2). He also knew that when God rejected Saul as king, “the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14). Knowing these things, in Psalm 51:11 David prays that God would not do the same thing to him that he had done to Saul. I.e., he prays that God would not withdraw the equipping presence of the Spirit from him, thus effectively ending his service to God. His concern has nothing to do with the saving presence of the Holy Spirit, because this was something no one had or even knew about in Old Testament times.

Now, on the other hand, there IS such a thing as the SAVING presence of the Holy Spirit. In this case, some people have received the Holy Spirit for the purpose of being empowered for holy living. This did not begin until the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2; it is one of the great blessings associated with the Messianic age and the Church of Jesus Christ. The individuals who receive this presence of the Spirit are those who obey the gospel (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8), as announced by the apostle Peter beginning in Acts 2:38-39 (see Acts 5:32).

In this case the Holy Spirit does not “come upon” a person to empower him or her for service; rather, the Spirit “comes into” a person and indwells his very life and body (Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:19). The immediate result of this indwelling of the Spirit is the beginning of the second aspect of the “double cure” of salvation, which involves the inward change of a convert’s very heart. This is the one-time event called “regeneration” (see Titus 3:5), and also being “born again” (see John 3:5).

The ongoing result of this indwelling of the Spirit is the continuation of this second aspect of the double cure, namely, “sanctification.” The Spirit continues to dwell within the Christian’s life for the purpose of giving him or her the spiritual power to overcome sin (Rom. 8:13) and to live a holy and virtuous life (Eph. 3:16; Phil. 2:13). (See my books on the Holy Spirit for more information on this aspect of the Spirit’s work: The Holy Spirit: A Biblical Study; and Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit.)

It is impossible to overemphasize the magnitude of the blessing God has bestowed upon us Christians by giving us this indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit. We should indeed pray that God will never withdraw his Spirit from us in this sense, which could happen if we were to truly “fall from grace” and lose our salvation by ceasing to trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

But this is NOT what was going on with David in Psalm 51. He did not even have this saving presence of the Spirit in the first place, since this is something that did not begin until the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. He was indeed praying for God’s help in being cleansed of his sinful ways, as in verse 10; but he was also praying for God not to cast him aside as prophet and king, as in verse 11. In this latter case he was praying for God not to remove the equipping presence of the Spirit from him, which he had received in 1 Samuel 16:13.

http://jackcottrell.com/


Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come to me, 

dwell in me, speak to me so I may become 

more like Christ. Lord, give me the courage to be 

open. Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come, 


Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-15

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-15

Memory Verse: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

Read 1 Samuel 16

God Thought  

Before, I had even consumed my first cup of caffeine; my wife was 

demanding of me; "How can God send an evil spirit.?  It doesn't 

make sense!"  And wanted an answer right now!  

How do we deal with this difficult passage?  And how do we deal 

with all the thorny issues, around being open to the Holy Spirit and 

discerning about the questionable practices of some?

  1. Seek the Spirit's Help?

God reveals himself to us through the Bible and these word come 

from the Spirit.  "these are the things God has revealed to us by his 

Spirit. "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of 

God." 1 Corinthians 2:10  So I first simply in prayer ask the Holy Spirit 

to quiet me from all I think I know and please teach me what I need to 

know.

2.Seek other translations of the Text

Just as there are times we understand something when when 

someone says it again in a slightly different way, so sometimes 

reading a different translation makes the passage more clear. There 

are many different translations and they are easy to find online at 


Unless you are a linguist of ancient Hebrew and have spent a lifetime 

in translation work, your time best spent looking at the work of those 

who have done the "heavy lifting". 

The two translations that should give us pause for this difficulty are 

Young's Literal Translation which chose a spirit of sadness to 

express the Hebrew.  Also, the Interlinear Hebrew Bible chose a Spirit 

that distressed Saul. 

3.   Seek the context

Context is what comes before and after a troubling passage, that 

gives the whole story.  The context of this passage is that God had 

sent His Spirit upon Saul when he became king but after multiple 

instances of choosing disobedience and sin, God rejected Saul from 

being king and selected a new king, named David, upon whom God 

sent His Spirit. Does the context suggest that God gave Saul what he 

sought?  Evil and rebellion?

4.  Seek others Scriptures

In sending this spirit, does it mean that God is the source of “evil” 

things? That God is "evil"?  Or does it mean God allows "evil" or 

distressing spirit to bring us to repentance?  James chapter one 

verses thirteen through 15, answer this for us.  I see Romans chapter 

one verse twenty-four as a key in understanding the Holy Spirit's 

dealing with Saul.  The rest of Romans chapter one, tells us, God, 

often deals with rebellion, by giving us what we want, that we may 

grow sick of it.

Our Triune God is so complex, we will never understand all of the 

mysteries, for this, makes Him God!  But, He gives enough light, for 

the next step in our journey of faith!

If you desire to learn more here are two articles on the internet I found 

helpful; 




Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come to me, 

dwell in me, speak to me so I may become 

more like Christ. Lord, give me the courage to be 

open. Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come, 


Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-14

Daily Dose of God's Word For 5-14

Memory Verse: And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

Read 1 Samuel 11

God Thought

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is hinted at, is limited and 

longed for it to be poured out on all, of God's people!  Saul's 

rescue of the city of Jabesh and destruction of the Ammonites, 

demonstrated what could have been, in Saul's life if he had 

worked with God and not in his own strength.

Notice the Holy Spirit comes upon Saul, to rescue the innocent of 

Jabesh, verse 6.  Then we are given several pieces of evidence that 

this is the work of the Spirit of God. 1. Anger against sin and injustice.  

2. The Terror of the Lord. 2. Unity.  3.  Victory. 4. Mercy for 

Saul's enemies.  5. Fellowship with God as a people.  6.Verse 15 

they had a celebration or joy.

Now, every one of these actions is very consistent with the work 

of the Holy Spirit even today.  The one action that may be 

confusing to us, is Saul burning with anger.  This is 

what the Bible calls righteous anger. Anger is a powerful and 

scary emotion. Often it can drive people destructively to hurt 

others. But anger directed at sin and the mistreatment of others 

is why God the Father gave this powerful emotion. Saul was 

angered by the Ammonites’ threat to humiliate and mistreat his 

fellow Israelites. The Holy Spirit used Saul’s anger to bring 

justice and freedom. When injustice or sin makes you angry, ask 

the Holy Spirit to harness your anger  to build the Kingdom of 

God.  Will you make yourself open to the power of the Spirit 

today?

Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come to me, 

dwell in me, speak to me so I may become 

more like Christ. Lord, give me the courage to be 

open. Lord, I am open to the Holy Spirit. Come, 

Holy Spirit. Amen.