Notes from Sunday 11 August, 2013..
Speaker: Pastor Henry Ebenuwah
Key Passages: Isaiah 11:2-3
Message summary:
One of the greatest assets of life and destiny is friendship with the Holy Spirit
Everyone that came to Teenage Camp had one thing in common- they are all students. This means that their education is very important to them. As a result,there is the need for the spirit of excellence which only the Holy Spirit can give.
I will show another dimension of the Holy Spirit which gives an edge in the journey of life. One of the greatest assets of life and destiny is friendship with the Holy Spirit. We must cultivate that friendship. One of my greatest discoveries as a young Christian was this: God was with David and Moses. Look at the life of any great man of God in the Bible. You will see, consistently that ‘God was with Him’. It has been my prayer point that “The Hand of God must be seen upon my Life”. The hand of God is indeed a distinguishing factor.
Also, I developed the habit of having quiet time with God daily. As you grow in age, after family devotion you will retreat to have your personal quiet time with God. It is a discipline and a habit that you must cultivate. It is important to spend a reasonable amount of time praying and reading the scriptures on your own. You will see the benefit in your life. It is important to cultivate a personal relationship with God.
I left secondary school on June 6, 1994. Between 1994 and 1995, I was idle due to an ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike, similar to that experienced by many young people today. What I discovered is that that time can be a blessing or a drawback in one’s life. For the first time in your life as a young individual, you will have the kind of control over your time that you have previously not experienced. However, it is a time that can be used to know God, and build intimacy with the Holy Spirit. As a young individual, it is important to cultivate your spiritual life; yearn to have a depth in the Holy Spirit.
God knows the challenges you will face five years from now and He alone knows how best to prepare you. The Holy Spirit can give to you as a student seven gifts which would make you an academic wonder.
1. The Spirit of Knowledge: The Holy Spirit can plant in your heart a thirst for knowledge which will create the desire to read and know things. Learning becomes a thing of Joy with this gift. Reading can be joyful, and an exciting experience especially if you are at the top of your class. Jesus in Luke 2 demostrated the spirit of knowledge discussing with the teachers of the law.
2. The Spirit of Understanding: this means that when you read , you will understand and retain the knowledge acquired. When God gives the spirit of understanding you can make sense of any subject matter.
3. The Spirit of Counsel: when you have the spirit of counsel, as you read, He guides you into the relevant areas that you must master. When the spirit of counsel comes upon you, as you read, you can tell what to focus on. This spirit guides you and shows you where to go, where to master, where to focus.
4. The Spirit of Wisdom: when you write your essay or examinations, there is a way to present your knowledge which can make you excel better than anyone else. When God gives you the spirit of wisdom, He will guide you as you present knowledge acquired.
5. The Spirit of Power: it is possible to read continuously and then you suddenly breakdown just before the exam. When God gives you the spirit of power and might, he energizes your body regardless of the rigours the exam.
6. The Spirit of Excellence: with the Spirit of Excellence, God helps you to the extent that errors are completely eliminated. Daniel 5:12 shows that the Spirit of Excellence is possible “Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
7. The Spirit of The Fear of God: if you are a student studying in Nigeria, you need the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. The spirit of malpractice is so common these days that it has become the normal practice. With the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, even when you are compelled, you will not join others to do things that are wrong just to pass an exam. The fear of God should distinguish you from all others.
You can be an academic wonder with the presence of the Holy Spirit
