Holy Spirit Tuneup
Today is going to be a day of taking our spirit in for a tuneup and a checkup. That is what the Lord told me today would be about. So let’s get started. We have the best advisor in the whole world for this tuneup. The Holy Spirit is our guide in this process.
First of all, we will check your oil level. Do you need to add a quart or two? Or does it need changing? Of course, we are talking about the Holy Spirit, Who is referred to as oil in the Word of God. Have you allowed the cares and worries of the present situation to contaminate His Presence? Have these things clouded your ability to hear from Him clearly? Do you need to exchange the sluggishness of your own doing for the oil of joy that His Presence brings?
Let’s talk about oil for a moment. Isaiah 61:3 tells us that He will give us the oil of joy for mourning. That whole verse is a verse of exchange for us. “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” What a powerful verse. As a result of yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He will give us beauty, the oil of joy, the garment of praise. Why? So that we can be called trees---a tree is mature. And what kind of trees? Trees of righteousness. That means people who are right with God just because He has made them right. We are to be called the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. You are God’s plant and you are planted here in the earth for a purpose, that God might be exalted because of your planting and thriving. He will tend you, little plant, and it is He Who will grow you into a mighty tree of righteousness.
Psalm 23:5 says that He anoints our heads with oil. One translation says that He anoints our heads with oil from an overflowing cup. Another translation says that our cups overflow with blessings.
Let’s keep the presence of the Holy Spirit top billing for each of our days. The oil of His presence will flow down all over you and in you and out to others. His oil is a sweet-smelling presence that others may enjoy the sweetness of the One Who loves them so much.
Matthew 25:3,4 tells us that we need to keep extra oil for the time when the bridegroom comes. The foolish virgins did not take any extra oil. The wise ones did. What does that mean? One group had spent time with the Lord, in His presence, taking the fullness of His presence to an overflow. The other group had just enough of Him to barely get along, to barely make it. Which one are you today?
And then there is our battery which needs charging daily. How do we do that? Jude 1:20,21 But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith (like a battery being charged), praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
What about the spark plugs? Is the fire of God burning brightly in your life or has it died down to just a few embers? Where is the fire? Are you white-hot with expectancy for what the Lord will do through you today or are you lukewarm? Have you worn out? Are you tired? Refire or the word that is used so much that we have lost the true meaning of it---revive? Vive means live and re means to do again. So revive---live again in the fullness of His presence. Come alive.
Then there is the timing belt or chain, which I understand some newer model vehicles no longer have. But for our purposes we will discuss timing belts. They need to be replaced after so many miles, when the vehicle has some age and wear on it. If they are not replaced, dire consequences happen. How does that relate to our tuneup today? Well, in God there is a time for everything. Timing is very important in God’s plans for you and me. As we have been in His presence, spending TIME with Him, we know what His next phase of the plan for our lives is. And the worse thing we can say is: I don’t know. That is not a phrase to use in God’s work. You do know. You just haven’t accessed what God has already placed in you regarding your destiny. He has placed in you the whole computer chip of the operation of your life. Just stay plugged in to the master computer, the Master Himself. He will keep all things running smoothly.
There are many other things we could say about our tuneup today but time will not permit that.
The key here is that we need to stay tuned in to the Holy Spirit at all times and we will not need a tuneup. And how do we do that? Every day when we get up, we ask Him to guide us, to direct us in everything we say and do. And then we do it. It will be different for each person. He may tell you today to pray in the spirit every chance you get, and that is all. He may tell another to read His Bible every chance He gets throughout the day. He may tell another to meditate on one specific scripture the rest of the day. He may tell another to pray for a particular person that day. Do you see what I am talking about here? It is an individual matter. But, we must hear, obey, and do what He tells us. That is the key. STAY TUNED IN.
First of all, we will check your oil level. Do you need to add a quart or two? Or does it need changing? Of course, we are talking about the Holy Spirit, Who is referred to as oil in the Word of God. Have you allowed the cares and worries of the present situation to contaminate His Presence? Have these things clouded your ability to hear from Him clearly? Do you need to exchange the sluggishness of your own doing for the oil of joy that His Presence brings?
Let’s talk about oil for a moment. Isaiah 61:3 tells us that He will give us the oil of joy for mourning. That whole verse is a verse of exchange for us. “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” What a powerful verse. As a result of yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He will give us beauty, the oil of joy, the garment of praise. Why? So that we can be called trees---a tree is mature. And what kind of trees? Trees of righteousness. That means people who are right with God just because He has made them right. We are to be called the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. You are God’s plant and you are planted here in the earth for a purpose, that God might be exalted because of your planting and thriving. He will tend you, little plant, and it is He Who will grow you into a mighty tree of righteousness.
Psalm 23:5 says that He anoints our heads with oil. One translation says that He anoints our heads with oil from an overflowing cup. Another translation says that our cups overflow with blessings.
Let’s keep the presence of the Holy Spirit top billing for each of our days. The oil of His presence will flow down all over you and in you and out to others. His oil is a sweet-smelling presence that others may enjoy the sweetness of the One Who loves them so much.
Matthew 25:3,4 tells us that we need to keep extra oil for the time when the bridegroom comes. The foolish virgins did not take any extra oil. The wise ones did. What does that mean? One group had spent time with the Lord, in His presence, taking the fullness of His presence to an overflow. The other group had just enough of Him to barely get along, to barely make it. Which one are you today?
And then there is our battery which needs charging daily. How do we do that? Jude 1:20,21 But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith (like a battery being charged), praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
What about the spark plugs? Is the fire of God burning brightly in your life or has it died down to just a few embers? Where is the fire? Are you white-hot with expectancy for what the Lord will do through you today or are you lukewarm? Have you worn out? Are you tired? Refire or the word that is used so much that we have lost the true meaning of it---revive? Vive means live and re means to do again. So revive---live again in the fullness of His presence. Come alive.
Then there is the timing belt or chain, which I understand some newer model vehicles no longer have. But for our purposes we will discuss timing belts. They need to be replaced after so many miles, when the vehicle has some age and wear on it. If they are not replaced, dire consequences happen. How does that relate to our tuneup today? Well, in God there is a time for everything. Timing is very important in God’s plans for you and me. As we have been in His presence, spending TIME with Him, we know what His next phase of the plan for our lives is. And the worse thing we can say is: I don’t know. That is not a phrase to use in God’s work. You do know. You just haven’t accessed what God has already placed in you regarding your destiny. He has placed in you the whole computer chip of the operation of your life. Just stay plugged in to the master computer, the Master Himself. He will keep all things running smoothly.
There are many other things we could say about our tuneup today but time will not permit that.
The key here is that we need to stay tuned in to the Holy Spirit at all times and we will not need a tuneup. And how do we do that? Every day when we get up, we ask Him to guide us, to direct us in everything we say and do. And then we do it. It will be different for each person. He may tell you today to pray in the spirit every chance you get, and that is all. He may tell another to read His Bible every chance He gets throughout the day. He may tell another to meditate on one specific scripture the rest of the day. He may tell another to pray for a particular person that day. Do you see what I am talking about here? It is an individual matter. But, we must hear, obey, and do what He tells us. That is the key. STAY TUNED IN.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 6:33 AM
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