“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?’” – Acts 5:3

Many Christians mistakenly think of the Holy Spirit as an “it”, an impersonal force like gravity or that thing from those sci-fi movies set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. He is not! The Bible reveals the Holy Spirit to be a person. He is the third Person of the Trinity – one God in three Persons. Unlike an it, the Holy Spirit can be lied to. He is grieved when we sin. He is also called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. He lives in you, if you are a Christian.

The Holy Spirit seals and indwells you at the moment you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He is God’s permanent presence in and with you. He comforts you, convicts you of sin, and transforms you to become more and more like Jesus. He intercedes for you in prayer when you simply don’t have the words. He helps you understand Scripture.

Would you like to experience Him more powerfully in your life? Reject and repent of any sin in your life, confessing it to God. Devote yourself to worship, prayer, reading and meditating on Scripture, fellowshipping with other believers, serving God, and sharing your hope. Listen for His voice by stilling your soul in silent prayer. Obey when you sense Him leading. Have faith that what He’s calling you to do, He will accomplish. Discipline yourself to live by faith and not by sight. #FollowJesus

“Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.’”” – 2 Samuel 12:7

We have an almost unlimited ability to be blind to our own sins!!! We can clearly see every small offense committed by other people while being able to rationalize, excuse, explain, or ignore even the most obvious ungodliness in our lives. King David slept with another man’s wife then arranged to have him killed to cover it up – and was completely OK with it!!! It was only after God sent the prophet Nathan to tell a parable that David was able to see the evil within himself.

If King David can deceive himself about breaking two of the Ten Commandments, you better believe you can deceive yourself about your sins! Ask God, right now, to reveal any sin in your life. Ask Him to open your eyes to any habits, patterns, behaviors, addictions, attitudes, or words that disobey and dishonor Him. Then, be still, and listen quietly to understand what He says or shows you about yourself.

Don’t hurry on with your day until you’ve sat with God about this – it’s too important to your spiritual wellbeing! If God reveals something to you, repent of it. Confess it to Him, apologize for it, ask Him to forgive it, and then ask for His help to avoid, resist, or flee from that sin in the future. #FollowJesus

“But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’” – Acts 3:6

On that day in the Temple, Peter gave a man who’d been handicapped since birth a gift more valuable then all the gold in Fort Knox! He introduced that man to the person and power of Jesus Christ. In an instant, the man was physically healed. He could stand. He could walk. He could jump for the first time in his life. He knew God was behind it and he celebrated and praised God.

He also stayed close to Peter and heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. He learned the truth, that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, that He’d lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and risen from the dead to rule over creation in Heaven. This man believed in Jesus and repented of his sins. In an instant, he was spiritually healed as well. His sins were forgiven, he gained eternal life, he was sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Many today spend their precious lives scrambling after money – whether it’s to survive or to accumulate more than could be spent in a thousand lifetimes. However, no amount of money is as precious as knowing Jesus! Earthly wealth can’t give renewed life either on earth or in heaven. Jesus does and He doesn’t charge for it! Trust in the Lord Jesus and invest in Him first and foremost before being too concern about the wealth and investments of the world. #FollowJesus

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”
– Proverbs 14:4

If you want to do things that matter, it will probably get messy! Get used to that. Embrace it! A farmer obsessed with having a perfectly clean barn will only achieve that by getting rid of the animals required to succeed at farming. With fruitfulness and productivity comes a certain inevitable amount of messiness. It’s OK to like tidy but fruitfulness needs to take priority.

The same is true in life and the service of God. If we wish to be productive and fruitful for God, it will come with a certain messiness in our churches and our lives. If we’re going to reach those hurting, broken, and far from God with the good news of Jesus Christ, it will require energy, compassion, and a willingness to patiently endure ups and downs, successes and setbacks, joys and hurts, thrills and disappointments, and lots and lots of changes. To lovingly meet the needs of those God puts in your path requires a willingness to sacrifice your comfort, preferences, and expectations for their sake.

Jesus has promised us that we’re surrounded by harvest fields prepared by God – people open to the Gospel and ready to embrace God’s grace and love. If you’re a Christian, then you’re one of the workers God has designated to go out, whether to your neighborhood or to the nations. Either way, going out will get messy. That’s the nature of getting close enough to people to really impact them for Jesus. Prepare yourself – messy is the price of fruitfulness. Don’t worry about a clean stable, get involved in God’s abundant harvest despite the mess! #FollowJesus

“I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” – 2 Samuel 6:22

In the eyes of his wife, King David had made a complete fool of himself! David didn’t care and was ready to double-down on looking like a fool! As the Ark of God was being carried to Jerusalem, David danced in front of it in a manner his wife found embarrassing. She told him he hadn’t behaved like a proper king should. His answer was that he was celebrating God and would keep celebrating Him no matter how embarrassing it became. He knew that those who truly loved God would admire his authenticity.

How about you? Are you so full of joy about the Lord that you don’t mind looking like a fool, even to those closest to you? Are you willing to embarrass yourself because you love Jesus so much? Would you dance without dignity because you’re so excited about being near to God?

Many Christians love Jesus but are reluctant to fully display their love because they want the approval of people around them. That happens in the workplace, school, home, and even in churches! We can be reluctant to express just how much joy we have in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can be afraid of people judging us for being too “weird”. Don’t be.

Follow David’s example – be weird for Jesus! Don’t let anything hold you back from authentically demonstrating how much you love Him for what He’s done for you and how excited you are about that. If the love of God is leading you to be expressive, be expressive. Don’t be fake but don’t restrain yourself just to be approved by others. Act like a fool in people’s eyes if that’s what God’s love is leading you to do! #FollowJesus