Keep God’s Spirit at the forefront of our lives
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
Whether it’s successfully battling the enemy, or working efficiently and effectively for the Lord, the Spirit of God must be at the forefront of our lives.
Jesus was our example!
John the Baptist’s identification of Jesus as the Messiah was made clear through the Spirit of God resting and remaining on Jesus.
“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” (John 1:32-33).
Peter also describes Jesus’ work through the anointing.
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38).
Jesus began His ministry by fulfilling scripture regarding the anointing. It involved everything from preaching to healing.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19).
The temple rebuild in Haggai’s day required the Spirit of God. The Lord reprimanded the Israelites at that time for focusing more on building their own homes than addressing the required work with God’s house.
The key to change involved obedience to God’s Word, which ushered in the Spirit of God to perform the work.
God instructed the people through Haggai to consider their ways, and to go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build God’s house. If they did so, God said He would take pleasure in it and be glorified.
The governor, Zerubbabel, and all the remnant that came from captivity, obeyed God’s voice and began doing what God instructed. That obedience resulted in the LORD being with them.
Additionally, the LORD then created a zeal within them to work.
“And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.” (Haggai 1:14).
Effective work for God requires the Spirit of God. There is great power and might in the Spirit of God to accomplish things man can’t do in his own strength.
Later, God told Zerubbabel through a prophet that he would complete the work of God’s house.
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The Hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.” (Zechariah 4:6-9).
Go back now to the time of the Old Testament judges. Sampson was a man of great strength that came from God. If Sampson obeyed God through his Nazirite vow from birth, Sampson possessed divine strength to overcome the enemy. The power was in Sampson’s seven hair locks, but it came from God.
One time, Sampson encountered a young lion in the vineyards of Timnath. The lion was no match for the Spirit of God.
“And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand…” (Judges 14:6).
Sampson was strong in the Spirit of God to crush the young lion with his bare hands. He could not have achieved that victory without the Spirit of God.
The roaring lion that roams about to seek and devour can be put down through the Spirit of God and the Word of God, which work hand in hand.
However, Sampson later became entangled with the world, and through disobedience that resulted in his hair being cut off, was relegated to his own strength. He didn’t realize that the LORD departed from him.
At that point, the difference of a man in his own strength was evident. The enemy put out Sampson’s eyes and enslaved him.
Thank God, Sampson’s hair eventually grew back, and he was able to successfully battle the enemy again.
