Made In The image Of God
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Hosting The Holy Spirit
Beloved, I want to take a moment to reiterate the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
For some, this may be a reminder; for others, it might be something new. But let me tell you this—we cannot afford to do anything in this life without the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.
Let us read John 16:7 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is to your advantage (profit) that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the helper (Counselor, comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]
Beloved, can you imagine being one of the disciples, hearing Jesus say, “It is better for you that I go away”?
Really? Better? I can just imagine the shock and disbelief.
Let’s be honest — what could possibly be better than walking with Jesus daily, hearing His voice, learning directly from Him, and seeing miracles unfold right before your eyes?
And yet, Jesus insists: “It is to your advantage…”
Let’s look at what Jesus meant by this
The Greek word for advantage also means profit — a return, an increase, something more than what you already had.
Jesus was saying that the disciples will see and do much more than what they have been seing and doing with Him.
John 14:12
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
The profit, the increase on what Jesus has invested in the disciples is the “greater works” that are spoken about in this scripture — these are made possible by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He will enable them to level up. He will empower them to do life and that which God has called them to bring to the world.
The Holy Spirit, Same as Jesus
John 14:16–17 (AMPC)
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper… that He may remain with you forever—the Spirit of Truth…”
The Greek word for “another” literally means another — it means “another of the same kind.”
Just like Jesus. Same nature. Same heart. Same power.
The Spirit-Filled Life Bible explains it this way:
“One besides Me, and in addition to Me — but just like Me. He will do in My absence what I would do if I were physically present with you.”
That means: We haven’t been left with “less.” We’ve been given more.
Do We Really Know The Holy Spirit?
Many of us find it easier to relate to Jesus than to the Holy Spirit, right? Jesus walked in the flesh just like us. We can imagine Him, picture Him, talk to Him, whereas the Holy Spirit is more mysterious. For many people He is like a mist, a force, or a distant whisper. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Holy Spirit is a divine person — spoken of with deep love, honor, and reverence by both the Father and the Son. Let us look at the next scripture.
Matthew 12:31-32
“…Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven…”
This means that the Holy Spirit is a big deal and we have to make Him a big deal in our lives.
I think many times we really forget about the Holy Spirit and how close He is to us. Often, when we go through difficult situations, we find ourselves wishing that Jesus could just sit right in front of us and tell us exactly what to do. I’m afraid many of us feel this way and it is sad. We completely overlook the fact that the Holy Spirit is near—living inside of us—ready to help whenever we need Him. He is Jesus, and He has the answers.
There’s also the issue of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit.
We grieve the Holy Spirit through our ungodly behavior—when we swear, judge others, gossip, and act in ways that dishonor Him.
We quench the Holy Spirit when He prompts us to pray for someone or to share a word, and we disobey. In doing so, we interrupt the flow of His power. We prevent Him from moving in power and changing someones life or even doing a miracle..
Are we truly mindful of Him?
The Dove
I heard a wonderful description of how to be mindful of the Holy Spirit daily:
Imagine a dove coming to rest on your shoulder. You want it to stay and not fly away. So, you walk slowly, speak gently, avoid sudden movements, and do everything necessary to keep it there.
This is how we’re meant to live with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the closest we can be to Jesus—because He is Jesus.
How do we carry Him?
How do we allow Him to move through us?
Do we give Him permission to take full control of our lives?
He in me.
I in Him.
A Personal Moment
Once, I was in a tough conversation with someone who was pouring out their heart in a counselling session. It felt to me that I was out of my depth, but on the other hand I knew God had allowed them to come to me and somehow I will be able to help them. I kept praying: “Holy Spirit, help me. Come. Please come, help.”
And suddenly — not in a whisper but in a loud, firm voice — I heard:
“I AM HERE.”
I was so desperate to say the right thing, but He said to me: “Just listen. Let her speak. I have not said anything because I want her to pour out her heart first.”
I was reminded again of how I wasn’t being mindful of what the Holy Spirit wanted to say—I was still focused on what I wanted to say.
I’ve learned to ask Him questions instead of becoming overwhelmed by the things I don’t understand or know how to handle. I have learned to lean into Him and His soft whispers too.
The Holy Spirit on Jesus
Matthew 3:16-17
“…He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and remaining on Him…”
Even Jesus — though fully God — needed the Holy Spirit to empower Him to accomplish all that God intended Him to do in the earth.
Beloveds, let us remember that we are not just here to survive life — we’re here to live in power and walk in our God-given purpose.
And the Holy Spirit is everything we need to do exactly that.
Let us honor and acknowledge Holy Spirit and repent for not giving Him full right of way in our lives.
May He be so loved by us and may He move in greater power in our lives than before.
Let us pray
Holy Spirit, I repent for not giving You full right of way in my life. Please forgive me for not acknowledging You.I need You. I need Your full influence and manifestation in my life. Please come and fill me afresh. Come and rest on me. I give You permission to move in power in my life and to take full charge over everything that concerns me. You are welcome! Come and rest on me, and teach me Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Time Is NOW!
Beloveds,
While I was worshipping one morning this week, I sensed that God wanted to give us a message for the coming weeks. I felt Him saying that many of His people are currently surrounded by tumultuous, stressful, and chaotic circumstances.
I was led to Judges 6:11 and onward, where the Angel of the Lord visited Gideon in the winepress, beating out wheat while hiding from the Midianites. The Angel of the Lord in this passage was actually Jesus Himself, speaking directly to Gideon. The first thing Jesus said to him was, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor.”
But Gideon definitely didn’t feel like a man of valor—if he had, he wouldn’t have been hiding; he would have been out fighting the Midianites, right?
I don’t want to go deeper into the story right now, but I do want to emphasize what God is showing us in this season and how to navigate it in the Spirit. There is much more happening spiritually than what we see in the natural. For those who can relate to this word, I believe it is specifically for you.
Still referencing Judges 6—for many years, every time harvest season came, the Midianites would attack Israel and steal their crops. This happened for so long that the Israelites felt hopeless. Gideon even said, in my paraphrased words, that if God was truly with them, why had He allowed all of this to happen?
If you know the history, you’ll recall that Israel had been involved in idolatry for years, and they were walking out the consequences of those actions. For seven years, the Midianites had the power to invade and steal Israel’s harvest because of their disobedience. But when Jesus visited Gideon, the seven years had come to an end. It was time to take back what belonged to them. It was time to rise up, because God had declared He was with them and would make them victorious.
I want to tell you—I felt very strongly in my spirit that this word is for NOW. We must align ourselves with what Heaven is revealing in this moment. I believe God is saying: You have permission to take back what the enemy has stolen. You have permission to reap the harvest for which you’ve been contending over the last four years.
The enemy is stirring up dust and chaos around you to make it seem like God’s promises won’t come to pass. He’s been fighting you for so long that the battle has become your norm—but NOW is the time to step out from under that cloud. Now is the time to claim what God has spoken over you.
The enemy is creating a smokescreen, trying to convince you that you’re back at square one, and that your breakthrough will never come. This is his current tactic—to make everything appear worse than it is.
But the devil is a liar!
This is the time to rise up like Gideon. Believe the Word that God has given you. Speak to the chaos and command it to cease. Declare order. Don’t trust what your natural eyes see—declare the release of your promises and breakthrough, because God has already ordained it.
In Judges 6:34, it says the Holy Spirit wrapped Himself around Gideon and took control. Ask the Holy Spirit to take control of your prayers so you can pray with precision and power. Let Him guide you in how and what to pray. Take the Word, remember every promise, and prophesy over the dark clouds.
In recent weeks, God has been doing great things in many of our lives—and the enemy is not happy about it. Guard and nurture what God has done. Many of the attacks you’re experiencing are the work of the Midianites—the enemy—trying to reclaim the territory he lost in you. Draw the boundaries of the blood of Jesus around your breakthroughs and around everything that still needs to come to pass. And after all this—STAND, and HOLD your ground!
How do we stand? We do not react to the chaos in kind. Instead, we speak the words God has given us, and we worship—lifting His name high. He watches over every word He has spoken.
I prophesy this word over you in Jesus’ name. Righteous Judge of All Ages, may this word rise like a banner over everyone who agrees in faith. I ask that it would echo loudly in the Spirit. May every force opposing us see and hear this declaration. Father, this is Your Word, and it will not return void. In Jesus’ name, Amen and Amen.
Psalm 35
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help!
3 Draw out also the spear and javelin and close up the way of those who pursue and persecute me. Say to me, I am your deliverance!
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek and require my life; let them be turned back and confounded who plan my hurt!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, with the [a]Angel of the Lord driving them on!
6 Let their way be through dark and slippery places, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing and afflicting them.
7 For without cause they hid for me their net; a pit of destruction without cause they dug for my life.
8 Let destruction befall [my foe] unawares; let the net he hid for me catch him; let him fall into that very destruction.
9 Then I shall be joyful in the Lord; I shall rejoice in His deliverance.
10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like You, You Who deliver the poor and the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who snatches away his goods?
11Malicious and unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.
12 They reward me evil for good to my personal bereavement.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting, and I prayed with head bowed on my breast.
14 I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother; I bowed down in sorrow, as one who bewails his mother.
15 But in my stumbling and limping they rejoiced and gathered together [against me]; the smiters (slanderers and revilers) gathered against me, and I knew them not; they ceased not to slander and revile me.
16 Like profane mockers at feasts [making sport for the price of a cake] they gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long will You look on [without action]? Rescue my life from their destructions, my dear and only life from the lions!
18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among a mighty throng.
19 Let not those who are wrongfully my foes rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those who are quiet in the land.
21 Yes, they open their mouths wide against me; they say, Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it!
22 You have seen this, O Lord; keep not silence! O Lord, be not far from me!
23 Arouse Yourself, awake to the justice due me, even to my cause, my God and my Lord
!24 Judge and vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness (Your rightness and justice); and let [my foes] not rejoice over me!
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Aha, that is what we wanted! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up and utterly destroyed him.
26 Let them be put to shame and confusion together who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify and exalt themselves over me!
27 Let those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.
28 And my tongue shall talk of Your righteousness, rightness, and justice, and of [my reasons for] Your praise all the day long.
Thank you Holy Spirit that you are near, we invite you to take charge over us in Jesus name. Come and pray and move through us. Let your Kingdom come and will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven in our lives in Jesus name. Amen and Amen
BELOVEDS RISE UP, THE TIME IS NOW, REMIND HEAVEN OF THE PROMISES GOD HAS GIVEN YOU IN JESUS NAME!