Power Up Ministries Blog

All of us receive the Holy Spirit when we are born again and can enjoy the presence of God in our lives, which is our focus today. This is different from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Power as described in Acts 1:8 and the outpouring of His Spirit on the day of Pentecost, where the Apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

John 14:26–27: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (27) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus is speaking about the future work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life after His death, burial, and resurrection. In these two verses, Jesus tells us some specific ways the Holy Spirit will help, guide, and lead us. He then declares that He has given them peace, which is of great importance, as this is done prior to His death and resurrection.

This is significant as we see in Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born. Unto us, a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

One of the names of Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Knowing that He lives in us by the Holy Spirit, we can walk in peace at all times and be led by peace at all times. Sometimes, He gives us peace about doing something that goes beyond our understanding or human intellect.

It is wonderful to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ because we receive the Holy Spirit and God's divine nature in us. We are new creations in Christ. The old sin nature of our spirit is replaced with a new created spirit in the same image, likeness, and nature of God. We find a joy and peace that surpasses all knowledge and understanding.

The love of God fills our hearts, and for the first time in our lives, we experience what it is to be loved by Almighty God, whom we now call our Father. This is not a religion. This is a RELATIONSHIP! The new birth of our spirit sets us free from sin and spiritual death. So how does this happen, and what did Jesus say about it?

Jesus met with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He commented that he knew Jesus had to have come from God to do the signs Jesus was doing. The conversation went directly to man's need for repentance and being born again. Nicodemus did not understand this, but Jesus lovingly walked him through it, and now we will too.

John 3:3. Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Jesus makes it very clear that we must be born again, or a person will not see the kingdom of God. He also tells us that our spirit is born again, not our flesh.

Preparing for my morning devotions and prayer time, I went to the family room to get my Bible and heard the Holy Spirit speak to me to read Exodus 3. I knew He had something special for me. After reading the first five verses, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “My people miss My leadings because they fail to look at the burning bushes I place in their lives to get their attention.”

These natural events are divine setups.

Exodus 3:1-5. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. (3) Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” (4) So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (5) Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

While I meditated about this, my thoughts turned to how often He had placed some “burning bushes” in my life that got my attention, which He used to lead me into events, ministry, or divine connections for previously unknown purposes. Maybe you can identify some examples of this in your own life.

But if not, be encouraged, and let’s learn how God utilizes natural events or supernatural things to get our attention so He can lead us down the path set before us. It could be to another place or experience in Him.