Retie The Knot
During the summer months, many couples choose to get married. The beautiful sunshine, flowers blooming, and the ambiance is serene.
Also, individuals who have been married a long time, even some as little as five years, renew their wedding vows (or retie the knot) with their loved ones. It is like reliving the first time you walked down the aisle, held hands, and repeated your vows to each other – rekindling the flame of the marriage. Think about the excitement leading up to this big event.
Now, I would like for you to pause for a moment and think back to a time when you first accepted Christ into your life. Think about your baptism, think about when the Pastor submerged you in the pool and the way you felt when the Pastor lifted you from the water. For some individuals, maybe, the Pastor sprinkled them with water or made the sign of the cross on their forehead. Now ask yourself this question, do I still have that burning desire to serve Christ?
In January, our Pastor preached a sermon series on “Fresh Start,”; and one of her sermon titles was “Are You Sure You’re Up for This?” At the end of the service, Pastor asked all present to come to the front of the Sanctuary and dip their hands in the bowl of water; and place some of the water on their forehead. We were also instructed to take a seashell that was on the table. We were told that if we were not ready to make a renewed commitment to Christ, then we should remain seated.
As believers of Jesus Christ, we need the Holy Ghost fire that ignites and harnesses our hidden potentials and treasures. We should all be on fire for the Lord.
Matthew 3:11 (NRSV) says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” This fulfills John the Baptist’s prophesy that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This also means that the purifying work of the Holy Spirit carries on in our lives today.
So, how do we keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning inside of us? The answer is simple, by fasting, praying, studying His Word, singing to the Lord, calling on the Lord, and crying out to Him.
Prayer:
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – thank you that you have delivered us from our former ways of thinking. You are inwardly renewing us day by day. Help us to see the big picture: that we are not what we will be, but we are not what we once were. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts so that we can become more like Jesus each day. In His name, we pray, Amen.
Written by Donnis Prass
Also, individuals who have been married a long time, even some as little as five years, renew their wedding vows (or retie the knot) with their loved ones. It is like reliving the first time you walked down the aisle, held hands, and repeated your vows to each other – rekindling the flame of the marriage. Think about the excitement leading up to this big event.
Now, I would like for you to pause for a moment and think back to a time when you first accepted Christ into your life. Think about your baptism, think about when the Pastor submerged you in the pool and the way you felt when the Pastor lifted you from the water. For some individuals, maybe, the Pastor sprinkled them with water or made the sign of the cross on their forehead. Now ask yourself this question, do I still have that burning desire to serve Christ?
In January, our Pastor preached a sermon series on “Fresh Start,”; and one of her sermon titles was “Are You Sure You’re Up for This?” At the end of the service, Pastor asked all present to come to the front of the Sanctuary and dip their hands in the bowl of water; and place some of the water on their forehead. We were also instructed to take a seashell that was on the table. We were told that if we were not ready to make a renewed commitment to Christ, then we should remain seated.
As believers of Jesus Christ, we need the Holy Ghost fire that ignites and harnesses our hidden potentials and treasures. We should all be on fire for the Lord.
Matthew 3:11 (NRSV) says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” This fulfills John the Baptist’s prophesy that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This also means that the purifying work of the Holy Spirit carries on in our lives today.
So, how do we keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning inside of us? The answer is simple, by fasting, praying, studying His Word, singing to the Lord, calling on the Lord, and crying out to Him.
Prayer:
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – thank you that you have delivered us from our former ways of thinking. You are inwardly renewing us day by day. Help us to see the big picture: that we are not what we will be, but we are not what we once were. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts so that we can become more like Jesus each day. In His name, we pray, Amen.
Written by Donnis Prass
Posted in Mid-Week Devotional
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