30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 21 10-19 WATCH AND PRAY II 07 Luke 21 13-15 Mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit
📖 Luke 21:10-19
17May2021 – *Mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit* - _Luke 21:10-19_ - WATCH AND PRAY II (7) – Bible reading: _Acts 7:55-56_
The Lord is preparing the church for the end times when there will be persecution against the church. We need not be afraid but we need to be equipped and prepared to face these challenging times.
_Luke 21:13-15 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. (14) Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; (15) for *I will give you a mouth and wisdom* which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist._
The Lord is calling us to study the word of God and be prepared. It is when God’s word is embedded in our hearts that the Holy Spirit is able to take what is in our hearts, bring it our remembrance, respond to our detractors with God’s wisdom, which will be a testimony to the character and nature of God and we will also be able to confound them.
God will be with our mouth and give us wisdom as we face persecution.
Moses was fearful as to how he would go and stand before Pharoah and ask for the Israelites to be released from bondage and slavery and be brought back to the land of promise. He tried his best to get away from the task that the Lord was placing upon him and he gave so many excuses to God that he was not the right person for this task.
Moses was, in Human Resource terms, the most suited person for the task. He was trained in all the skills and knowledge of Egypt. He was the right man to be chosen but he was afraid. _Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was *mighty in words and deeds*._
The Lord had to deal with Moses, sternly. _Exodus 4:11-12 So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? (12) Now therefore, go, and *I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say*."
God encouraged Moses to go and he went. The rest as we say is history.
When we as the church face persecutions, threats and insults, let us remember that the Lord gives us the wisdom to face and respond to our detractors. This does not mean that God does not want us to be trained and equipped.
We must be trained and equipped but we rely on the Lord. He takes our training and our inbuilt skills and knowledge and the Lord puts to use these for fulfilling His purposes. Just as God took Moses with all the training and the skills that were built into him and made him be His instrument to fulfil His purpose.
_Proverbs 2:6-7 For the LORD gives wisdom; *From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; (7) He stores up sound wisdom for the upright*; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;_
These are God’s words to Jeremiah.
_Jeremiah 1:8-10 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD. (9) Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "*Behold, I have put My words in your mouth*. (10) See, *I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant*."_
We are called to be prophets in the end times. The commission and the task that the Lord is giving the church is of a high order. He has set the church over the nations and kingdoms. To root out and pull down, to build and to plant.
We have the promise from God that if at any time we are afraid or we think that we are not able to respond correctly to those who question us, we can ask the Lord and He will give us wisdom.
_James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him._
Most importantly, It is the Holy Spirit who will come upon us and give us a special anointing at times like these.
_Acts 4:8 Then *Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit*, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: We too can expect and anticipate a mighty filling of the Holy Spirit, when we are placed before hostile audiences._
This was the experience of Stephen too. _Acts 6:10 And they were not able to *resist the wisdom and the Spirit* by which he spoke._
_Acts 7:55-56 But *he, being full of the Holy Spirit*, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, (56) and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
Those were words from Stephen *when he was filled with the Holy Spirit*._
*Thought to ponder*
```We can look forward with anticipation for the Lord will use us as His instruments of the end times.```