Daily Bread 6-27-17

Ephesians 1:13,14

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

ref. - 2Co 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2Co 5:5 - Now he that wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit.

Ro 8:23 - And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Ac 20:28 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves and all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased in his own blood.

Faith as a grain of mustard seed. If we only have this we can receive the greatest gift that man has ever been given; Salvation. The very beginning of all things Spiritual. But did you know that Christ has called you to more than just a testimony of salvation? Did you also know that we are to be given a small taste of what we will one day fully possess in heaven? Yes, it is written, and it is true, we are to receive as an earnest, or small downpayment, the gift of the Holy Spirit. But it will not be given to those who remain in disbelief. The word of God says that faith as a grain of mustard seed will get us in the door(salvation), but in order to come and dine we must follow the right pathway once we are in the door. We must trust the host as he leads us to the dinner table. When we are first saved there are still doubts and weaknesses, fears and disbelief. Sure, we may now believe that Christ died for us on that cross, but do we believe that he is the one to follow and do we trust him with our very being? Do we fully believe? If so, then our lives and our hearts will begin to bear a different fruit. A fruit that some, earthly or worldly people, will not call fruit at all. But fruit that brings peace into our hearts and a calming soothing spirit into our souls. When God decides that our hearts have been transformed enough, and that we truly believe, it is then that he will give us a taste of things to come. He will cause his own Spirit to dwell within us to lead and guide us even when there is not a guide in our physical presence. But we must first allow his word to sanctify us(clean us). There is an order to things that God put there and we must also follow that too. There is first salvation, sanctification, and then baptism of the Holy Ghost. It can happen in an instant or it can happen over several years. That is up to God. What we must do is be ready when the host comes to take us to dinner. When he looks down to check up on us there must be oil in our lamps and we must be ready to move forward unto the next step. If we feel that we are ready and that we are doing all that we can to receive the next thing but it has not come we need to really pay attention to the word of God and it's messengers. God will send a sign through a message or scripture to let us know where our weakness is or what is missing in our progress. Then we must believe in him enough to take that message or scripture and apply it to our lives. It will be then, that we receive that earnest of his Spirit. We will not be full until our souls leave this earthly body but we must use all of the time that we have to prepare for the journey. So, today, if you are saved but there is not a fountain flowing from within, so as to say the Holy Spirit is not dwelling within you, do not be discouraged. Keep striving to draw closer to God in Jesus Christ. Learn of his ways, trust in his words, and become obedient more and more to his commandments watch day. The downpayment, or earnest, of the spirit will not be far behind. When it is God's will and you are truly ready, you will experience something that even the word of God tells us is undeniable! You will receive a witness in your own spirit that God's holy Spirit has taken up residence in your soul!! You will no longer be your own, but His! And rather than your prayer being, "please let your will be done and not my own", it will become, "Let your will be done in me, as my will is your will!!" Can you say that today? If you can say Amen and praise the Lord!! If you can't, just keep learning and submitting to God's word, it will not be far away!! And, also, keep saying Amen and praising him anyway!!! He took you away from a world of hurt and pain and wants to take you to a place where joy will never end!!! Have a great day!!!