Inspiration and Power

"26 Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." 27 So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, 8 that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot."
39 When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea. " (Acts 8: 26-29, 39-40)

When I read the above scripture this morning, I said to myself: “When I pray for inspiration and power every day, this is exactly what I want. I want the Holy Spirit to inspire me what to do or what to say and give me the power to do it. I want to completely surrender to the Holy Spirit so that He will lead me, guide me and use me as He sees fit.”

How can I make this happen? I can’t. God has taken note of my desire. He planted the desire Himself. All that I can do is to wait. (122108)

Can you imagine what it would mean to be completely under the control of the Holy Spirit? Think about this:

99% of the resources in my computer are not used.
99% of the books in my library have not been used.
99% of the DVD/CD in my library has not been exploited.
I don’t even know all that I possess today. Only one Person knows – the Holy Spirit. What would happen if He chooses to lead and guide me to use only 5% of the resources at my disposal today? I would set the world on fire!

I have learned a secret

The first item on my list this morning is the Study of Psalms. Last week, I did a word study of REFUGE. Today, I was led to Philippians 4: 12 - 13:

"I know how to be brought low, and know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." ( Philippians 4: 12 - 13)

When I read this, I knew this is the scripture I had been looking for in my present dire circumstances which I describe as:

No jobs
No money
No inspiration
No power

I had seen hard times but nothing like the present one. In searching for commentaries on Philippians 4: 12 - 13, I came to realize how many good books I have in my library. I invested a good deal in good bible and theology books when I had the financial opportunity and today, this investment is paying off.

I learned one big lesson from Philippians 4: 12 - 13:

Jesus Christ is the secret.

Relying completely on Jesus Christ in any crisis is the secret of success.

Jesus Christ is the Refuge. He is the Rock and the Fortress.

How do I use the above truth in the type of crisis that I am facing at the moment?

I hide inside Jesus Christ till the storm passes.
I hide in Him through prayer.
I hide in Him through His word.
I hide in Him through the Eucharist.
I hide in Him in faith. I reject fear. I reject worry. I reject doubt.

After an hour of this study and reflection, I was refreshed and strong to face the day.

Spirit and Faith in Jesus

“I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ I realized then that God was giving them the identical gift he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11: 15-17)

“What can we do to accomplish the work of God?” The people asked Jesus in John 6: 28. We can ask Jesus: “What can we do to receive the Holy Spirit?” In the above scripture (Acts 11: 15-17) , we read the testimony of Peter to his fellow disciples: We received the Holy Spirit when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a key and sine qua non condition. We can also add intense desire and prayer. When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, when we desire with intensity this gift of the Father, when we ask for it with faith, it shall be given to us.