Light on Life Podcast

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Forty-Four

Today, we will be examining a unique aspect of God’s work through the Holy Spirit. Specifically, we will be exploring the concept of the Holy Spirit coming ‘upon’ or ‘on’ individuals, as opposed to residing within them. It is important to note that every person who has been born again has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. However, it is equally important to understand the significance of having the Holy Spirit ‘on you’. Does this experience extend to every follower of Jesus, or is it limited to a select few? Let me address this question right away – the Holy Spirit coming upon a believer is not exclusive to a chosen few, but rather it is available to every child of God who has been born again. Unfortunately, many individuals have yet to fully embrace this possibility presented in the Bible. If God has made this experience accessible to all, it must indicate a remarkable dynamic that we are missing out on if we fail to reach out in faith and receive what God has promised. Therefore, in today’s podcast, we will focus on understanding the profound impact of having the Spirit upon you, as it has the power to bring about incredible transformation in your life. Join us this week on Light On Life as we delve into this topic.

Why Turning from Idols Is A Super Exceptional Move of God

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Forty-Three

John 16 unveils for us a work of the Spirit of God in connection with the lost that is not often accounted for in our thinking as Jesus followers. Yet, Jesus laid it for us in plain language what the Holy Spirit of God would do when he came from heaven to earth. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Many years ago there was a pastor of a church in Alabama, he was preaching a revival in the church. On Sunday night the service had been on radio. This pastor had preached a simple sermon on the plan of salvation. On Monday afternoon he was calling on some of the families on the other side of the city. Suddenly the thought crossed his mind, “Go to the church.” He was to meet the guest singer there at four o’clock, so brushing it aside he continued his planned visitation. But the thought continued. “Go to the church.” Finally the thought became so persistent, with seemingly no purpose in doing so, that he returned to the church building. The church secretary had the afternoon off so he was there alone. In a few moments he heard someone at the office door. Turning, he saw a young woman. She asked if he was the pastor. When he told her that he was, she asked, “Will you tell me how to be saved?” This pastor and this young woman sat on the front pew of the auditorium as she unfolded her story. She lived in a boarding house with her husband. For some time she had been having an adulterous affair with her husband’s best friend. After dinner on the previous evening, all the boarders were visiting in the large living room. The radio was on. Hearing a few words of this pastor’s sermon, she sat down before the radio on a small stool, turned the volume down low, and listened to the service. At the close of the sermon, she was under conviction by the Holy Spirit. She decided to seek this pastor out to find out how to be saved. In simple language he told her how to receive Christ as her Savior. That night in the revival service she made a public profession of her faith in Christ, and later was baptized. She became a faithful Christian and an active church member. Just suppose she had not been listening to the radio. Just suppose that this pastor’s sermon had not been on the plan of salvation. Or suppose that she had brushed it off. Suppose that he had not gone to the church like he was prompted to go. Like, what if he over rode that nudge he had. Or that she had come and found no one there. But, none of these ‘what if’s’ took place. The Holy Spirit guided the events and led this young woman to Jesus for her salvation and God’s glory!1 Isn’t that a great story! The Holy Spirit convicted, this woman convincing her of her need of Jesus. This specific work of the Spirit is what we’re going to be looking at in today’s podcast. That’s why we entitled this ‘How the Holy Spirit Deals with a Lost World.’ All on this week’s Light on Life.

#010: Questions to Ask Jesus about Lost People [Podcast]

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Forty-Two

Today, we dive into the subject of the teaching work of the Holy Spirit in a Jesus-followers life. God communicates with His kids. He leads and guides them into all truth and reality. But, how does He do that? One writer offered these thoughts along this line. He said, “The Spirit-to-spirit conversation that characterizes hearing from God are described in many ways. Listen to how the Bible describes God speaking.

The Real Scoop on Teaching Angels and Heavenly Host University

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Forty-One

We’re continuing this week on how the Holy Spirit works in us and why we need to be in the know concerning that. You know the more we know, the better we are able to cooperate with God in His great plan. One such area where the Holy Spirit works in us is to show us how and what we should pray for as we ought. You know there is a great gospel song that says, “No one ever cared for me like Jesus.” But in Romans 8:26, Scripture says, “No one ever prayed for me like the Holy Spirit.” How many times have you cried out to God but were at a loss for words? God plainly says there is hope even in those times: the Holy Spirit not only knows what needs to be said, He says it for you [He intercedes for you]. As the following story shows, calling on the right person is the key to solving your problems. One day Sue’s television quit working properly. She called the repair shop to report the problem, but got frustrated trying to explain what was happening. All she knew was that her television wasn’t working right and needed to be fixed. When the repairman arrived, he took off the back of the television and examined it for a few minutes. Then he said, “Ma’am, what you’ve got here is … blah, blah, blah,” and rattled off a string of strange terms. “I’m going to call the store to see if we have these parts in stock.” After the repairman talked with the parts manager, Sue overheard him say, “Great! I’ll pick up the parts and fix the television this afternoon.” Later that day, Sue’s television was as good as new, even though she had no idea what the repairman had done. She knew enough, however, to ask for help. The repairman and the parts manager understood the problem and Sue’s need was taken care of because these two men knew the problem and what it would take to fix it. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit does for believers. Sometimes, all we can do is call for help. We don’t even know what to ask for. When we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit not only understands our problems, but He also carries our problems to the Heavenly Father, speaking in a language that only they understand. The next time words fail you in prayer, remember that the Holy Spirit is right there with you—interceding in prayer for you.1 Prayer is just one of the areas where the Holy Spirit works huge in our lives. You know, there are other areas and that’s why our focus today is Why You Need To Know What Jesus Said about The Holy Spirit Within, all on this week’s Light on Life.

#S4-017: Why You Need to See the World As God Sees It [Podcast]

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Forty

How the Holy Spirit Works in the life of a believer is our focus this today as we continue to look at John fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. You understand that from John thirteen onward, that is the last nine chapters up through chapter twenty-one center on the last two weeks of Jesus life. When you understand that Jesus handpicked and groomed these disciples to take His place because He was going back to the Father, you will realize that the information He shares becomes extra vital in nature. Jesus talked a great deal about the Holy Spirit to these men. Just as they had worked with Jesus in ministry so now they were going to work with the Holy Spirit in a similar way. One of the things that Jesus wanted His disciples to know is that the same Holy Spirit that came upon Him in Matthew 3:16 and was responsible for the miracles in Jesus ministry would now come to settle down in the disciples. The indwelling Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit within a believer is the topic today. One writer said the following concerning Him, the Holy Spirit. “Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit we are helpless to fulfill the holiness expected of us because of our relationship to a holy God. Norman Harrison describes the results of this process: This indwelling Spirit, who is one with our spirit, is more than a presence with us. He is a moulding, transforming power. To the end of Jesus’ ministry, His followers, even His remained unstable, cowardly and undependable. When, however, the Spirit was come, these same men became at once the embodiment of fidelity, courage and conviction. True, Jesus had left them, but His Spirit within made them as new men. So does He desire to work in every believer. Amen to these words — Emphasis on the word ‘IN.’ This is well said today. We need to recognize how He moves in us and so that’s why we’re talking “How The Holy Spirit Works In Your Life,” all on this week’s Light On Life.

Prepared Places: Lessons from the Life of a Baptist

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Encore Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Nine

The Bible informs us that there are three dimensions of man: spirit, soul, and body. We also know that the Holy Spirit of God indwells all believers. So what is the communication like between God who is a spirit and man? It’s somewhat like the communication that occurs with radios, TV, or WiFi. There must be a link between the receiver and the transmitter. When we listen to a broadcast, there are many sound waves all around us, but the only way for us to become aware of them is to have an appropriate receiver able to catch them and make them audible. We would never know that anyone was talking to us from a distance if we expected our heads to pick up the sound waves. There is only one way in which man can know God, and that is through man’s own spirit. God is a Spirit and can be known only by a spirit. We must not expect to feel Him with our fingers or see Him with our physical eyes. It cannot be done. Yet that which can be perceived only by the spirit of man is just as real as that which can be perceived by his physical senses.1 That’s why we are talking about How to Understand the Three Dimensions of Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body – all on this week’s Light on Life.

Conscience and the Inward Witness: A Look at the Spirit Led Life

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Eight

This week, we delve further into the depths of the Word as we explore the profound love of God and the overwhelming joy of the Lord. In a world filled with conflict, both on a global scale such as wars, and on a more intimate level like internal political turmoil, the message of love and joy is incredibly relevant and crucial. We have previously discussed the concept of Vine life and the importance of abiding in Jesus, focusing on the initial seven verses of John fifteen. Now, our discussion expands to encompass verse eight and delves into the aspects of love and joy that are integral to abiding in Him. The celebrated American poet James Weldon Johnson began his work “The Creation” with a striking scene: And God stepped out on space,and He looked around and said: “I’m lonely—I’ll make me a world.” These lines are lovely if seen simply as poetry. Yet they reflect a fundamental theological error. [Here’s at least one point we need to make. Don’t just swallow everything because it sounds nice. Stay with the Word.] God has never been lonely. Quite the contrary. From before all eternity, God has enjoyed the mysterious communion we know as the blessed Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these three divine Persons within the Godhead loves and delights in the other two in perfect, unbroken fellowship. So God has never needed anyone else; the Father, Son, and Spirit have never been alone. Why, then, did they create a world? [Well, God is love First John 4:8 tells us that and so all His actions are clothed in love because that’s who He essentially is.] [Now,] we may never know all the reasons, [God created Planet Earth] but [since He is love, love is one and] at least one [other] is clear. [This writer says] For the pure joy of it.1 Love and joy, what a combo and what a marvelous connection to Jesus. The Link Between Love, Joy, And Abiding In Jesus, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

[Tweet “God is four things according to the Bible. God is light. God is fire, God is spirit, and God is love.”]

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Seven

We are to that point in John’s gospel where Jesus makes what is to us one of the most outstanding of Bible promises: a vehicle by which prayer is answered one-hundred-percent of the time. If you haven’t experienced answers to prayer on this level, then this podcast is for you. Andrew Murray, the famous Scottish born, South African preacher, a prolific author of 240 books wrote the following on the subject of answered prayer. He said: A beautiful little book, Expectation Corners, tells us of a King who prepared a city for some of his poor subjects. Not far from them were large storehouses, where everything they could need was supplied if they but sent in their requests. But on one condition—they should be on the outlook for the answer, so that when the kings’ messengers came with the answers to their petitions, they should always be found waiting and ready to receive them. The sad story is told of one despondent, one who never expected to get what he asked, because he was too unworthy. One day he was taken to the king’s storehouses, and there, to his amazement, he saw, with his address on them, all the packages that had been made up for him and sent. There was the garment of praise, and the oil of joy, and the eye-salve, and so much more; they had been to his door, but found it closed; he was not on the outlook. From that time on he learned the lesson Micah would teach us: “I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Mic. 7:7).1 Our God will hear us, that’s a Bible fact and the reality that He will answer is also a Bible fact that Jesus referenced in John fifteen. And, that’s the reason we are focusing today on the subject ‘How Your Prayers Can Be Answered One Hundred Percent’ all on this week’s Light on Life.

Why Creation Waiting Is A Good God Thing

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Encore Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Six

Purpose, God’s purpose, that is, is what we want to take a look at this week. On the heels of this idea on purpose comes the following illustration. The guest was a body builder a while back on “The Merv Griffin Show,” the guest was a bodybuilder. During the interview, Merv asked, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The bodybuilder stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. “What do you use all those muscles for?” Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed, and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. “But what do you USE those muscles for?” Merv persisted. The body builder was bewildered. He didn’t have an answer other than to display his well-developed frame. I was reminded that our spiritual exercises—Bible study, prayer, reading Christian books, listening to Christian radio and tapes—are also for a purpose. They’re meant to strengthen our ability to build God’s kingdom, not simply improve our pose before an admiring audience.1 I like this story; it shows that we need to be intentional about our life and our purpose in God. Eight Ways to Fulfill God’s Purpose for Your Life that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

25 Wisdom Ways to Embrace As a Jesus Believer

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Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Five

The fact that we need Jesus goes without saying. We need Him for salvation, that’s the gospel but the need doesn’t stop with salvation. If after coming to Jesus, we aspire to build the Kingdom, if our heart yearns to do anything great for God, we still need Jesus. He boldly declared in John’s gospel that apart from Jesus, disconnected from the vine, we can do nothing. We have been looking at ‘vine life’ the past couple of podcasts and this week is no different. In studying further along this line, I ran into this tremendously insightful testimony. This gentleman declared that two years ago, worn out by three years of spiritual battle, I found myself asking the question: “Jesus, if Your Spirit abides in me in the person of the Holy Spirit, who is my comforter, why do I so often feel alone and You seem so far away?” What came to me in response were Jesus’ words in Jn. 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus was saying, “Living spiritually requires something more than just not sinning or doing good works. In order to live in the kingdom of heaven, you must abide in Me. Your identity is in Me.” If I’m not abiding in Jesus, then where is it that I abide? I asked myself.

I began to notice that when I was tired or anxious, there were certain sentences I would say in my head that led me to a very familiar place. The journey to this place would often start with me walking around disturbed, feeling as if there was something deep inside that I needed to put into words but couldn’t quite capture. I felt the “something” as an anxiety, a loneliness, and a need for connection with someone. If no connection came, I would start to say things like “Life really stinks. Why is it always so hard? It’s never going to change.” If no one noticed that I was struggling and asked me what was wrong, I found my sentences shifting to a more cynical level: “Who cares? Life is really a joke.”

Surprisingly, I noticed by the time I was saying those last sentences, I was feeling better. The anxiety was greatly diminished. My “comforter,” my abiding place, was cynicism and rebellion.

From this abiding place, I would feel free to use some soul cocaine—a violent video with maybe a little sexual titillation thrown in, perhaps having a little more alcohol with a meal than I might normally drink—things that would allow me to feel better for just a little while. I had always thought of these things as just bad habits. I began to see that they were much more; they were spiritual abiding places that were my comforters and friends in a very spiritual way; literally, other lovers.

The final light went on one evening when I read Jn. 15:7 in The Message. Peterson translates Jesus’ words on abiding this way: “If you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.” Jesus was saying in answer to my question, “I have made My home in you, Brent. But you still have other comforters you go to. You must learn to make your home in Me.” I realized that my identity had something to do with simply “staying at home.1 Can you say wow! to this insightful story? We’ll talk a little bit about this and with it dive into the idea of Why You Need Jesus to Accomplish Anything Great. That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

#S3-017: Why Is the Name of Jesus So Powerful? [Podcast]

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