Return of The King - - The Breath of The Lord

 

    Isaiah 40:7

The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of The LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

        THE BREATH OF THE LORD

    The breath of The LORD has power. David's song of deliverance in 2 Samuel 22:16 tells us, "The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils." That's a mighty strong breath: the channels-the valleys beneath the sea, the seabeds-were exposed. This is just a mere chiding of The LORD's breath. 

    Moses sang a song of deliverance, as well, after Pharaoh and his army were destroyed. Exodus 15:8-10 "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up; like a wall the currents stood firm; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’ But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters."

    The LORD's breath can both deliver and destroy. Job 4:8,9

" As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed."

    The breath of The LORD creates winter. Job 37:10 "By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen." 

    The breath of God burns. Isaiah 30:33 says, "For Topheth (a place of burning, of cremation; a city near Jerusalem) has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze." 

    Job 33:4 "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of The Almighty gives me life."

    With His breath God speaks life and death. Life to the people who love Him, honor Him, believe His Word and receive His Son. Death to the people who rebel against Him, deny Him, disobey His Word and receive not His Son. Life to they who seek His face and not just His hand; who want to be near Him, not just want something from Him. Death to they who refuse to enter His presence and deny that anything they have, including every breath they take, comes from God. 

  

    With His breath God created the earth and everything in and on and around it. Genesis 1. Psalm 33:6 "the stars". Psalm 104:5-30 "His works, creations". 

SALVATION A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

    Most of us know the story of the dry bones, but have we ever paid attention to what God told Ezekiel? Read Ezekiel 37:1-14 , specifically verse 9 for our study today, "Then He said to me, “Prophesy to The Breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell The Breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” (italics mine). 

    Without The Breath of God, The Spirit of God, there cannot be Life. Jesus informed Nicodemus (John 3:5) that without water and Spirit no one could be born again. It is The Spirit that gives life (John 6:63). Christ is The Word. The Spirit is The Life. The Word cannot speak unless The Spirit, The Breath, makes it possible (John 5:16-30). 

    In the baptism of water we make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ. In the baptism of fire we receive The Breath of life from God, His precious Holy Spirit. 

    I need The Word and The Spirit. The Word gives Life Eternal and The Spirit is that Life. I am nothing without both. I am just dry bones, dry bones lying in a desert wilderness. But I saw the Light and repented of all my sins against God. And The Word gave me Life when I believed God and trusted God. 

    You can have Life, too. All you have to do is believe God's Word is True and Faithful. Repent of your sins against God, turn away from doing those things and do the things which God wants you to do. Receive The Holy Spirit, The Breath of God, into you by the power of God's Word, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and begin to live this new life which God has birthed into you. 

BREATH OF GOD 

     

    

    

Heart & Soul - - Anointed By God

 

1 John 2:20

But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5545

Unction: anointing

From the Greek word 'chrisma' (pronounced khris'-mah) (from 5548 /xríō, "anoint with oil") . Referring to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, guiding the receptive believer into the fullness of God's preferred-will. [This anointing functions through faith (4102 /pístis), i.e. God inwardly persuading the believer of His preferences.]  

    The Holy Spirit is that unction, that unguent, poured out on the Christians. He is represented in Scripture as Wind (1 Chronicles 14:15; Acts 2:2), Breath of God (John 20:22), Dove (John 1:32), Rain (Hosea 6:3; James 5:7), Fire (Acts 2:3) and Oil (1 John 2:20).

    The Spirit is the Oil of Joy: exuberant joy, wild joy, delight (Hebrews 1:9). God anoints us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) with His Holy Spirit to accomplish the work He has set forth for His people to do (Luke 4:18-21, referring to Christ's anointing) and Acts 2:8, power to witness). The Holy Spirit is only given to God's people, none other are qualified to receive Him. 

   Having been born anew, experienced a new birth through the power of God's Holy Spirit and through the water, we are privileged to live our lives through Him, in Him and with Him. To serve God is one of the greatest honors we will ever know. The first greatest honor He bestowed on us was the gift of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We are covered with His righteousness by placing our faith in Him. 

    The Holy Spirit is not the anointer: He is the anointing, our anointing. We are anointed with the Oil of Healing (Matthew 11:5). We are anointed with the Oil of Power to Preach the Gospel  (Isaiah 61:1. We are anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom (). 

    This anointing is for us, our children and our grandchildren; it is also conditional (Isaiah 59:20-21; Isaiah 44:3). This anointing of the Holy Spirit is the baptism of the Spirit given by Christ to His disciples, His followers (John 1:33; Acts 2:1-4). 

    God anoints His servants with His precious Holy Spirit to work in power and complete the works in Him. What are these works which only the anointing empowers? 1 Corinthians 12 outlines the different diversities of gifts in the Spirit. Whatever we do in the Spirit is not done just for ourselves but for all of us ( 1 Corinthians 12:7). 

    We are the body of Christ and the body has different functions, but all work together for the good of the body. Whether we speak of our physical bodies or our spiritual body. For in the Spirit there is one body and that is the body of Christ. As He served and suffered for us during He ministry here, we, too, now serve and suffer as His body for the benefit of each of us. 

    When one part of the body ceases to function in the way in which it was created to function, other parts of the body must step up and fill the void, if possible. We lose a limb, that limb can be replaced to some degree. But if a major organ fails, then the whole body fails. This is true in the body of Christ, as well. 

    When our hearts are not working in the way in which they should be, then we need a new heart. And God provides one. He removes the heart of stone and replaces it with a fleshy heart, a heart that can be molded and written on (Ezekiel 11:19-20; Jeremiah 32:39; 2 Corinthians 3:3). And in this new heart, God, His Christ and His Holy Spirit take up residence (John 14:23). 

    But because our hearts are unclean, this new heart, this new birth, must wash away our uncleanness, our sins, our unrighteousness. Every little nook and cranny must be dusted, cleaned and repaired that there are no breaches where the enemy of our souls can enter in.  

    Lord, let this anointing be made full in me that I might finish my race, my course with grace and humility. Guide me through the obstacles in my path on this journey You have set me on. Be my Guide, my Light, my Oil as I walk Your Word out in my life. While I long to wear the crowns of victory You have set up for me, even more so, let me see Your smiling face when You call my name to the supper table. May I be Your good and faithful servant until then. Amen. 

COME HOLY SPIRIT