Even when I was a child, I was never a fan of puppets. As I have thoughts about this, I am not sure that I can pinpoint one exact reason that stands out in my mind that would explain this. I will say that I could always see the strings. You could always tell that the puppet’s moves were not his own, which for me was a challenge because that meant that he didn’t have his own mind. His movements were not independent of the strings. Maybe I didn’t have enough imagination in this particular area, but it always bugged me that these puppets one day wouldn’t revolt and just cut the strings. Didn’t they know the power that they possessed? Wait…they aren’t human beings are they? Right!
So, why do so many real-life human beings think that God has made us puppets? They seem to think that God simply has tied strings to our every moment and that we are devoid of choice (or free will) or any independent movements. The assumption for many is that we have no power to live or for living.
Maybe the challenge in this thinking is that for some it is hard to get beyond the reality that we’ve been given an amazing amount of power! Literally, God’s Word shares in Acts 1: 8, “after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall receive power…”
Puppets have no power! But pioneers do! We’re called not to be puppets on a string, being controlled by something else, but pioneers who have enough power, innovativeness, creativity, and insight that they chart new courses, live by amazingly high standards, view life in such an extraordinary way, and operate in such a supernatural way that it is literally ‘strange’ to those who are not pioneers. By definition, a pioneer is one who does something first, explores new territories, and is an initiator. This is the total opposite of being a puppet.
Have you ever really wondered why God would give us this power? The verse actually answers the question. The remaining portion of the verse says, “…so that you can be my witnesses…” When you consider the frailty of our humanness and yet the amazing results that we can obtain through God’s power, the only explanation that we can offer forces us to become “God’s Witnesses”. When people become great and accomplish great things the question always comes up, “How did they do that?” For the believer, who is submitted to God’s Spirit and thus His power, the question can only be answered by pointing back to God’s power. We become his witnesses. Beyond that, the great results have become seen only as miracles, not the routine. So we resolve to life in average environments with run-of-the-mill, lifeless activity. If we are going to live by the Spirit, we are challenged to be pioneers, not puppets.
Puppets go along and settle for lifeless activity. Pioneers are the total opposite. Pioneers are frustrated with people who have potential and never tap into it. Pioneers are frustrated with themselves when they are in an ordinary environment with ordinary activity. Pioneers look and live on the extra-ordinary. Pioneers are filled with the power that literally comes from the creator God himself. Pioneers are challenged every day to exceed expectations, even their own.
It is always easy to settle and simply exist. But there’s more power that each believer possesses than to simply accept things as they are. Today, be challenged to be a pioneer, not just a puppet. They aren’t real anyway.
Scripture of the Day: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8
Showing posts with label the power of the Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the power of the Spirit. Show all posts
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Got Power!
One of my favorite movies is “Hancock”, a superhero flick starring Will Smith. While watching it, something on the spiritual side came to me. That’s how God is; He will show you something through anything! Tears came to my eyes because of what was revealed to me.
With the power that was inside of Hancock, he could stop a fast moving train from crashing into a man, send cars flying into the air, stop robberies and crimes, stop a child from bullying another, and other prisoners from "taking him out".
While watching all of this fake Hollywood made power, what came to me was that as children of God having received the Holy Spirit; we have power but ours is real. “But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). This power is also to be used over the enemy, we can make it through anything, and we don’t have to give in or up when something comes our way because it will not hurt us. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19).
Another thing was how Hancock got back up after being attacked, and kept on going. As believers with power, we can do the same! We don't have to walk around in defeat with our heads hung down and when knocked down, we don’t have to stay on the ground. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). We are not “superheroes”, but “super conquerors”. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37). So let's walk in it, talk in it, and use it . . . Got Power!
Scripture of the Day: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37
With the power that was inside of Hancock, he could stop a fast moving train from crashing into a man, send cars flying into the air, stop robberies and crimes, stop a child from bullying another, and other prisoners from "taking him out".
While watching all of this fake Hollywood made power, what came to me was that as children of God having received the Holy Spirit; we have power but ours is real. “But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). This power is also to be used over the enemy, we can make it through anything, and we don’t have to give in or up when something comes our way because it will not hurt us. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19).
Another thing was how Hancock got back up after being attacked, and kept on going. As believers with power, we can do the same! We don't have to walk around in defeat with our heads hung down and when knocked down, we don’t have to stay on the ground. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). We are not “superheroes”, but “super conquerors”. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37). So let's walk in it, talk in it, and use it . . . Got Power!
Scripture of the Day: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
From the Inside Out
The very key to survival in life is allowing the Spirit of God to work, from the inside out. We have enough folk going around well dressed on the outside, but not looking too good on the inside. We need the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit to fill us from the inside out. When God is working from the inside out, there’s something that causes us to want to follow him. We want to be around him, we desire more of him. We might not be able to explain it, we might not even recognize it for what it is, but we just know that something on the inside is moving on the outside.
Jesus told Peter, thou art the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. Further study of rock, helps us understand the gender inference in the Greek of the word rock. Peter or Petros which means a fragment of stone chipped from the rock-face; the second word is Petra-- the rock itself.
After his connection with Jesus, Simon became Peter which became Petros or fragment of stone chipped from the rock face or whole stone itself. In other words, from the inside out, Peter comes to have rock like character. He begins to grow into the likeness of Christ. He has some flaws, he has some hang-ups.
Just like us, Peter had a ways to go, but at least the spirit of God began working on the inside moving to the outside.
Just like us, Peter, was hot-hearted and hot-headed. Didn’t think before he spoke, told people exactly what he thought without thinking about it. He didn’t understand that even though he was hanging out with Jesus, he wasn’t holding on to Jesus.
Just like us, Peter was impetuous.
Just like us, Peter was impatient.
Just like us, Peter doubted.
Just like us, Peter denied.
Just like us Peter, got another chance.
Every encounter with Jesus, is another opportunity to allow the spirit of God to work from the inside out.
Just like Peter, some of us are having encounters with Jesus, so that his spirit can work from the inside out.
The bible tells us in luke 5, after fishing all night, Peter and the other fishermen hadn’t caught anything.
They had come in to shore, and were cleaning their nets.
Jesus said, now I want you to go out into the deep and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.
Peter, just like us, said “but master, we worked hard all night, and didn’t catch a thing, but if you say so, we’ll try again.
The bible says that they did like the Lord said do. And this time, their nets were so full they began to tear. Their nets were so full they had to shout for help from their partners in the other boat. When Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said,
Oh Lord, please leave me- I’m too much of a sinner to be around you. But Jesus said to Simon, don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people.
Jesus held on to Peter.
Peter denied him, Jesus held on.
Peter doubted on the stormy sea, Jesus held on.
Jesus is holding on to you and me.
He desires to fill us with his Spirit and watch the change from the inside out.
Scripture of the Day: "In the last days, God said, I will pour out my spirit upon all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” - Acts 2:17
Jesus told Peter, thou art the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. Further study of rock, helps us understand the gender inference in the Greek of the word rock. Peter or Petros which means a fragment of stone chipped from the rock-face; the second word is Petra-- the rock itself.
After his connection with Jesus, Simon became Peter which became Petros or fragment of stone chipped from the rock face or whole stone itself. In other words, from the inside out, Peter comes to have rock like character. He begins to grow into the likeness of Christ. He has some flaws, he has some hang-ups.
Just like us, Peter had a ways to go, but at least the spirit of God began working on the inside moving to the outside.
Just like us, Peter, was hot-hearted and hot-headed. Didn’t think before he spoke, told people exactly what he thought without thinking about it. He didn’t understand that even though he was hanging out with Jesus, he wasn’t holding on to Jesus.
Just like us, Peter was impetuous.
Just like us, Peter was impatient.
Just like us, Peter doubted.
Just like us, Peter denied.
Just like us Peter, got another chance.
Every encounter with Jesus, is another opportunity to allow the spirit of God to work from the inside out.
Just like Peter, some of us are having encounters with Jesus, so that his spirit can work from the inside out.
The bible tells us in luke 5, after fishing all night, Peter and the other fishermen hadn’t caught anything.
They had come in to shore, and were cleaning their nets.
Jesus said, now I want you to go out into the deep and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.
Peter, just like us, said “but master, we worked hard all night, and didn’t catch a thing, but if you say so, we’ll try again.
The bible says that they did like the Lord said do. And this time, their nets were so full they began to tear. Their nets were so full they had to shout for help from their partners in the other boat. When Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said,
Oh Lord, please leave me- I’m too much of a sinner to be around you. But Jesus said to Simon, don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people.
Jesus held on to Peter.
Peter denied him, Jesus held on.
Peter doubted on the stormy sea, Jesus held on.
Jesus is holding on to you and me.
He desires to fill us with his Spirit and watch the change from the inside out.
Scripture of the Day: "In the last days, God said, I will pour out my spirit upon all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” - Acts 2:17
Sunday, August 12, 2012
God Keeps His Promises
There are many definitions of the word promise. A verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future. Word of honor. Indication of something favorable to come; expectation. How many times have someone made one to you and didn’t keep it? How many times have you done the same? Now, being real – I’m sure we all have experienced this. If you haven’t, I would like to meet you! A promise sometimes is hard to keep. We even make promises to the Lord and still struggle, not keeping them at times. To trust, obey, and depend on Him, to show Him love every day, to disciple and lead others to Him, to praise and worship Him with our total being, giving Him all of the glory and not letting our flesh be glorified. But He still loves us and gives us chance after chance. One thing we can be sure of is that we can always count on Him.
There are many that God made in His word too, and you can be guaranteed that He will come through for you. He keeps His word! A few of them are the promise of Blessing (Ezekiel 34:26, Malachi 3:10), Comfort (Isaiah 40:1, 51:3, Matthew 5:4), Deliverance (Joel 2:32, Daniel 3:17, 2 Peter 2:9,), Healing (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 4:23-24), Help (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10), The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-26, Acts 1:4-8), Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:1-3, John 15:11), Peace (Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33), Sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11), Victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-58), to Never Leave nor Forsake Us (Hebrews 13:5), and the one with much power - The Rain, The Harvest, The Years that the various Locusts has eaten, and the Spirit of the Lord! (Joel 2:21-29).
The only way we are going to fully experience and walk in the promises of God is if we continue to love Him, keep ours that we’ve made and continue to make to Him, don’t give up, wait on Him, and believe and trust that every word He says is true. He has also declared individual promises to each of us and they will come according to His will. Just hold on, it will be fulfilled. Lord, you are my God. I honor you and praise you, because you have done amazing things. You have always done what you said you would do; you have done what you planned long ago.
Scripture of the Day: "Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." - Isaiah 25:1
There are many that God made in His word too, and you can be guaranteed that He will come through for you. He keeps His word! A few of them are the promise of Blessing (Ezekiel 34:26, Malachi 3:10), Comfort (Isaiah 40:1, 51:3, Matthew 5:4), Deliverance (Joel 2:32, Daniel 3:17, 2 Peter 2:9,), Healing (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 4:23-24), Help (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10), The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-26, Acts 1:4-8), Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:1-3, John 15:11), Peace (Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33), Sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11), Victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-58), to Never Leave nor Forsake Us (Hebrews 13:5), and the one with much power - The Rain, The Harvest, The Years that the various Locusts has eaten, and the Spirit of the Lord! (Joel 2:21-29).
The only way we are going to fully experience and walk in the promises of God is if we continue to love Him, keep ours that we’ve made and continue to make to Him, don’t give up, wait on Him, and believe and trust that every word He says is true. He has also declared individual promises to each of us and they will come according to His will. Just hold on, it will be fulfilled. Lord, you are my God. I honor you and praise you, because you have done amazing things. You have always done what you said you would do; you have done what you planned long ago.
Scripture of the Day: "Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." - Isaiah 25:1
Boiling Points
A popular show aired on MTV a few years ago called "Boiling Points", where everyday people were unknowingly tested while being recorded on hidden camera. The point was to see how much each person could endure without "losing it" and reaching their boiling point. Those who did endure were rewarded at the end with a cash prize. The show was very popular and even addicting. Watching people's reactions under pressure is a trip! Those high-pressure situations allow us to see what is REALLY inside of people - even ourselves. Some would start out patient and grow impatient gradually. Others would respond with threats and profanity. Some even reached the point of a near violent response. So here is my question to you today: What is YOUR boiling point?
What’s a boiling point? Glad you asked. When you put a pot of water on the stove, there is pressure all around its atmosphere. We call that pressure gravity. There is also pressure inside of the water in the pot. When the water inside matches the pressure of gravity outside, the water begins to boil and reach its highest temperature—its boiling point. Let's parallel this with spiritual things. In our everyday scope of life, there are pressures, seen and unseen all around us that attempt to weigh us down in our endeavors to be like Christ. Some pressures are overt. Other pressures are not so obvious and gradually erode our spiritual fortitude. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, God has equipped those who have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that instead of reaching an external boiling point, we can build up our spirits to respond from our spiritual boiling point.
Jesus tells us in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." He also says in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
The Holy Spirit's ministry is AWESOME! He helps us to be mindful of spiritual things so that our spirit will be built up to resist the external pressures of the flesh. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS lead us back to the Word of God and will ALWAYS agree with the Word of God. He glorifies and points to Jesus. Jesus even said that the Holy Spirit tells us and shows us things that are to come. But there is an interesting characteristic about the Holy Spirit--He is not a shouter. He leads us gently and urges us from within and if we are not spending quiet time learning His direction, we will miss out. Moreover, if we are not spending time praying in the Spirit as recorded in Acts 2:4 with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, we are not building up ourselves on our most holy faith (Jude 20), or overflowing with rivers of living water [intended for others in need of God's compassion] (John 7:38-39).
Have you ever tried to get someone's attention while they were intensely focused on something else? I experienced this just the other day with my toddler. I'm telling you, I couldn't have gotten her attention if I were wearing a clown suit! She was ENGAGED to the fullest. I didn't raise my voice, I just continued to quietly call her name, to which I received no response. Many times the Holy Spirit is just the same. He won't compete with the television, music, endless chatter, iPhone (ouch) or other external things for our attention. He will continue to speak quietly until we quiet ourselves to present an atmosphere that is comfortable for Him.
Our spirit man must be built up so that when external pressure comes (and it IS coming), we are able to overcome it. Next time you feel the pressure, don't go OFF, go IN! Get into your secret place and put in the time with the Holy Spirit; He will make sure that you stay boiling over in the spirit!
Scripture of the Day: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26
What’s a boiling point? Glad you asked. When you put a pot of water on the stove, there is pressure all around its atmosphere. We call that pressure gravity. There is also pressure inside of the water in the pot. When the water inside matches the pressure of gravity outside, the water begins to boil and reach its highest temperature—its boiling point. Let's parallel this with spiritual things. In our everyday scope of life, there are pressures, seen and unseen all around us that attempt to weigh us down in our endeavors to be like Christ. Some pressures are overt. Other pressures are not so obvious and gradually erode our spiritual fortitude. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, God has equipped those who have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that instead of reaching an external boiling point, we can build up our spirits to respond from our spiritual boiling point.
Jesus tells us in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." He also says in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
The Holy Spirit's ministry is AWESOME! He helps us to be mindful of spiritual things so that our spirit will be built up to resist the external pressures of the flesh. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS lead us back to the Word of God and will ALWAYS agree with the Word of God. He glorifies and points to Jesus. Jesus even said that the Holy Spirit tells us and shows us things that are to come. But there is an interesting characteristic about the Holy Spirit--He is not a shouter. He leads us gently and urges us from within and if we are not spending quiet time learning His direction, we will miss out. Moreover, if we are not spending time praying in the Spirit as recorded in Acts 2:4 with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, we are not building up ourselves on our most holy faith (Jude 20), or overflowing with rivers of living water [intended for others in need of God's compassion] (John 7:38-39).
Have you ever tried to get someone's attention while they were intensely focused on something else? I experienced this just the other day with my toddler. I'm telling you, I couldn't have gotten her attention if I were wearing a clown suit! She was ENGAGED to the fullest. I didn't raise my voice, I just continued to quietly call her name, to which I received no response. Many times the Holy Spirit is just the same. He won't compete with the television, music, endless chatter, iPhone (ouch) or other external things for our attention. He will continue to speak quietly until we quiet ourselves to present an atmosphere that is comfortable for Him.
Our spirit man must be built up so that when external pressure comes (and it IS coming), we are able to overcome it. Next time you feel the pressure, don't go OFF, go IN! Get into your secret place and put in the time with the Holy Spirit; He will make sure that you stay boiling over in the spirit!
Scripture of the Day: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Frustrated Christians
Christians have a lot that they can be frustrated about these days. Many churches are in a re-invention season, church leadership has its hands full, the desire to read scripture is challenged by the gap in understanding, as well as the challenge of finding other believers who aren’t spooky or aloof to real life and living, among other things. And all of this doesn’t match the personal, day-to-day realities that the average believer faces. Beyond the realities of spiritual warfare, the duties of full-time work, full-time family, full-time financial issues, full-time to-do list, full-time goals, full-time dreams, full-time emotional and mental management, and on and on, many Christians are simply frustrated.
The good news is that there is hope and a bright side to all of this. As believers we’ve not been left without a solution to the challenges of life. It sounds so very simple to share it, but it’s even more powerful to embrace it. The solution could sound like a quickly thrown out colloquial phrase around religious circles that makes one feel good in the moment, but doesn’t have a long-lasting transformation in the life of the person. Its sound cute, but if engaged – the solution is refreshing, life-giving, and fulfilling. The solution is this – we are not expected to live and manage our lives on our own.
One of the most powerful verses for a New Testament believer is found in an ever-present truth sandwiched in the Old Testament. The verse (Zechariah 4: 6) shares this wisdom, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Zerubbabel has a vision from God about work that he must get done (life responsibilities!). As he asks God for explanation of the vision (explain the to-do list…), God shares with him that there is ONLY one way that the work will get done effectively. He says to him, not by “might”, that is your own collective resources or relationships. He then says to him, not by “power”, that is your individual abilities, brain-power, or the like. He says, only by “My Spirit”, that is his Holy Spirit. The light bulb for us goes off! We get total clarity now, we are frustrated Christians because we have work to do, but we’re doing the work only from our own resources, relationships, and individual abilities. The Holy Spirit has been sidelined by our eagerness to get the job done.
The challenge for us today is to acknowledge that we have reduced the Holy Spirit’s role in our daily lives. We have often felt like God wanted us to solely handle life alone or we’ve not been trained in how to incorporate the Holy Spirit to direct us. The real story is that he desires the total opposite. He desires to be actively involved in our daily decision making, real relationships, financial pursuits, and meandering thought life. Hire the person of the Holy Spirit to manage your life, and as you obey him, you’ll see the person of frustration have to vacate the grounds of your mind and heart. Life for you will become so much more fulfilling and satisfying rather than cycles and confusion.
But how you ask? One clear next step is submission to His voice. It would be easy if there were a clear cookie-cutter explanation to every life situation we face and the role that the Holy Spirit plays. But there is not. What he asks of each of, us as believers, is submission to His voice and obedience to His instructions. This guarantees His willingness to guide and direct us as we live every day under His care.
Are your decisions an act of the Holy Spirit? Most of us have reduced miracles to only being healings, deliverances, and the like. Sometimes the greatest miracles are when selfish people who are only concerned about their own life outcomes move to a place where the Holy Spirit directs not just their actions, but their words, thought-processes, and paradigms for living.
Scripture of the Day: "So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:6
The good news is that there is hope and a bright side to all of this. As believers we’ve not been left without a solution to the challenges of life. It sounds so very simple to share it, but it’s even more powerful to embrace it. The solution could sound like a quickly thrown out colloquial phrase around religious circles that makes one feel good in the moment, but doesn’t have a long-lasting transformation in the life of the person. Its sound cute, but if engaged – the solution is refreshing, life-giving, and fulfilling. The solution is this – we are not expected to live and manage our lives on our own.
One of the most powerful verses for a New Testament believer is found in an ever-present truth sandwiched in the Old Testament. The verse (Zechariah 4: 6) shares this wisdom, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Zerubbabel has a vision from God about work that he must get done (life responsibilities!). As he asks God for explanation of the vision (explain the to-do list…), God shares with him that there is ONLY one way that the work will get done effectively. He says to him, not by “might”, that is your own collective resources or relationships. He then says to him, not by “power”, that is your individual abilities, brain-power, or the like. He says, only by “My Spirit”, that is his Holy Spirit. The light bulb for us goes off! We get total clarity now, we are frustrated Christians because we have work to do, but we’re doing the work only from our own resources, relationships, and individual abilities. The Holy Spirit has been sidelined by our eagerness to get the job done.
The challenge for us today is to acknowledge that we have reduced the Holy Spirit’s role in our daily lives. We have often felt like God wanted us to solely handle life alone or we’ve not been trained in how to incorporate the Holy Spirit to direct us. The real story is that he desires the total opposite. He desires to be actively involved in our daily decision making, real relationships, financial pursuits, and meandering thought life. Hire the person of the Holy Spirit to manage your life, and as you obey him, you’ll see the person of frustration have to vacate the grounds of your mind and heart. Life for you will become so much more fulfilling and satisfying rather than cycles and confusion.
But how you ask? One clear next step is submission to His voice. It would be easy if there were a clear cookie-cutter explanation to every life situation we face and the role that the Holy Spirit plays. But there is not. What he asks of each of, us as believers, is submission to His voice and obedience to His instructions. This guarantees His willingness to guide and direct us as we live every day under His care.
Are your decisions an act of the Holy Spirit? Most of us have reduced miracles to only being healings, deliverances, and the like. Sometimes the greatest miracles are when selfish people who are only concerned about their own life outcomes move to a place where the Holy Spirit directs not just their actions, but their words, thought-processes, and paradigms for living.
Scripture of the Day: "So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:6
God Keeps His Promises
There are many definitions of the word promise. A verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future. Word of honor. Indication of something favorable to come; expectation. How many times have someone made one to you and didn’t keep it? How many times have you done the same? Now, being real – I’m sure we all have experienced this. If you haven’t, I would like to meet you! A promise sometimes is hard to keep. We even make promises to the Lord and still struggle, not keeping them at times. To trust, obey, and depend on Him, to show Him love every day, to disciple and lead others to Him, to praise and worship Him with our total being, giving Him all of the glory and not letting our flesh be glorified. But He still loves us and gives us chance after chance. One thing we can be sure of is that we can always count on Him.
There are many that God made in His word too, and you can be guaranteed that He will come through for you. He keeps His word! A few of them are the promise of Blessing (Ezekiel 34:26, Malachi 3:10), Comfort (Isaiah 40:1, 51:3, Matthew 5:4), Deliverance (Joel 2:32, Daniel 3:17, 2 Peter 2:9,), Healing (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 4:23-24), Help (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10), The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-26, Acts 1:4-8), Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:1-3, John 15:11), Peace (Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33), Sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11), Victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-58), to Never Leave nor Forsake Us (Hebrews 13:5), and the one with much power - The Rain, The Harvest, The Years that the various Locusts has eaten, and the Spirit of the Lord! (Joel 2:21-29).
The only way we are going to fully experience and walk in the promises of God is if we continue to love Him, keep ours that we’ve made and continue to make to Him, don’t give up, wait on Him, and believe and trust that every word He says is true. He has also declared individual promises to each of us and they will come according to His will. Just hold on, it will be fulfilled. Lord, you are my God. I honor you and praise you, because you have done amazing things. You have always done what you said you would do; you have done what you planned long ago.
Scripture of the Day: "Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." - Isaiah 25:1
There are many that God made in His word too, and you can be guaranteed that He will come through for you. He keeps His word! A few of them are the promise of Blessing (Ezekiel 34:26, Malachi 3:10), Comfort (Isaiah 40:1, 51:3, Matthew 5:4), Deliverance (Joel 2:32, Daniel 3:17, 2 Peter 2:9,), Healing (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 4:23-24), Help (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10), The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-26, Acts 1:4-8), Joy (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 126:1-3, John 15:11), Peace (Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33), Sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11), Victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-58), to Never Leave nor Forsake Us (Hebrews 13:5), and the one with much power - The Rain, The Harvest, The Years that the various Locusts has eaten, and the Spirit of the Lord! (Joel 2:21-29).
The only way we are going to fully experience and walk in the promises of God is if we continue to love Him, keep ours that we’ve made and continue to make to Him, don’t give up, wait on Him, and believe and trust that every word He says is true. He has also declared individual promises to each of us and they will come according to His will. Just hold on, it will be fulfilled. Lord, you are my God. I honor you and praise you, because you have done amazing things. You have always done what you said you would do; you have done what you planned long ago.
Scripture of the Day: "Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." - Isaiah 25:1
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Stop Hatin’
I remember a couple of years ago writing a blog post with the straightforward title of Stop Hatin’ on Joel Osteen. This post received lots of comments and still receives hits daily. If I’m being totally honest, there is one thing that irritates me as a Christian and a Pastor; that’s seeing Pastors, Christians and Ministries hatin’ on other Pastors, Christians and Ministries. This type of behavior is not of God and needs to stop.
According to the urban dictionary, “hatin’” is defined as: Sayin’ bad things about or puttin’ someone down. This can be for various reasons: because they have something that you want, you think you have all of the answers or you think you know what they are all about — a player hater.
I think a key consideration in that definition is the fact that people think they have all the answers and think they know the hearts of others. As Christians I think it’s important to embrace the Old English Idiom of The Benefit Of The Doubt as a fundamental life principle. It simply means: to believe something good or positive about someone, rather than something bad or negative, when you have the possibility of doing either.
It seems to be a more common occurrence to assume all of the negative or bad about so-and-so, when people don’t even know so-and-so. It’s a much better place to start from zero, assume the positive and give people The Benefit Of The Doubt. I’m overjoyed by the mere fact that Jesus gives us The Benefit Of The Doubt.
Often times these negative thoughts occur in spite of the fact that there is an opportunity to think or speak positive about others and simply give them The Benefit Of The Doubt. It irritates me when people rip legitimate pastors, doing legitimate ministry when they can choose to give them the benefit of the doubt. Personally, I’m not going to spend enough of my time and energy watching, listening to, or following a pastor whose ministry I don’t like—especially not enough time and energy to formulate a true negative opinion.
Remember, we are all part of the body of Christ and we’re all necessary to reach all people for Jesus. Pastors and Christians hatin’ on one another is a playground for the enemy who is crouching at the door trying to kill, steal and destroy anything that matters to the heart of God. The local church, local church leaders and meaningful Christian relationships matter to the heart of God.
There is power in both the written and spoken tongue. Proverbs 18:20-21 sums it up nicely and gives us clear direction: From the fruit of their mouth a person's stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (NIV).
You have power in your tongue – use your power wisely. If someone is hatin’ on other Pastors, call them on it. If you are hatin’ on other pastors, STOP!
Scripture Of The Day: "From the fruit of their mouth a person's stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." - Proverbs 18:20-21 (NIV)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Power Outages
A few weeks ago, a very powerful storm swept through our city and caused thousands to be without power for days. The force of the storm caused homes to be damaged and thousands of vehicles to be ruined, but thankfully only a small number of individuals were physically impacted during the storm.
The emotional toll was high and the other life expense of being without power was tremendous. Individuals and families were forced to replace refrigerators filled to capacity with food items. Others had to make alternative sleeping arrangements for an assortment of reasons. With no power for almost a full week, businesses also suffered greatly. Reports indicate that it may take up to one year for them to totally recover.
When the power is disconnected, we begin to realize how much we depend on it. There was no power to charge cellular phones, power up the internet signal, cook food, turn on lights to navigate dark homes, and no juice to cool (or heat) homes. Even simple recreational activities that don’t require power had to be adjusted. The power outages negatively affected everything!
The same way that we’ve had those power outages, many are starting to see the real affects of power outages happening in the spiritual lives of many believers. If a physical storm had that much influence and affect on people’s lives, can you imagine the reach of spiritual power outages?
Spiritual power outages are caused by:
A) Inconsistent spiritual living
B) Inappropriate placement of the role of the Holy Spirit
C) Insufficient submission to the Power of the Holy Spirit
D) Inconvenient manipulation of the purpose of the Holy Spirit
It is clear from scripture and practical wisdom that the Holy Spirit wants to play a much larger role in the life of the believer than many are allowing. Without adequate usage, the result is a significant power outage. The consequence of spiritual power outages leaves any believer tired all the time, overwhelmed by the spiritual and mental challenges of life, weighed down by ‘serving’ in ministry, emotionally inconsistent, and too weak to do any level of spiritual warfare. All of these factors will yield an ineffective ambassador in God’s kingdom.
What’s the solution? The easy answer is that every believer must make sure that the Power of the Holy Spirit can properly flow in their lives. The tough answer is that there must be a daily process of transformation that allows the Holy Spirit permission to plug into our lives and release His power in us in everything that we do, think, say, and everywhere we go. It is only when we allow His power to flow in our lives daily, that we are able to expand our capacity to handle his powerful charge.
Just like a building must be equipped to handle the voltage (level of power) that the generator (or power boxes) produces, every believer must grow to the point of handling that much power! Are you ready?
1) Don’t be afraid – grant Him permission to flow in every area of your life.
2) Don’t over analyze – give Him space to cause you to walk by faith without boxing Him in.
3) Don’t be arrogant – give Him the credit for everything that He does supernaturally in your life.
4) Don’t be anxious – give Him the time to work in your life without you running ahead of Him.
5) Don’t be artificial – give Him the opportunity to show that He works in real people living real lives, not hyper-spiritual people that are out of touch with reality.
There are probably more things that you can add to this list. What are the things in your life that could cause a spiritual power outage in your life? Whatever they are and however they show up, work to remove them! They’re blocking the flow of power in your life that you’ve only experienced the tip of. No more power outages!
Scripture Of The Day: "It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]" - John 6:63 (AMP)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Power To Witness
One of the most important things that Jesus told His disciples before going to the Father comes from what He said in Luke 24:49. “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 (ESV)
The disciples and other followers of Jesus knew that they needed to continue His work even after Jesus would leave, but they did not expect Him to say what He said. Jesus told them not to do anything until they were clothed with power from on high.
The word power is very important in this verse. The Greek word that is used here for power is ‘dunamis.’ The English words “dynamo,” “dynamite” and “dynamic” all come from this Greek word ‘dunamis.’ We know that the English words here mean explosive or forceful impact. Jesus wanted the disciples to be clothed with an explosive and forceful impact before they did anything to expand God’s kingdom.
This explosive power was going to be the power of the Holy Spirit. We can also see this in Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (ESV).
Jesus wanted us to be personally empowered by the Holy Spirit before we reach others for Him and His glory. We cannot witness without being empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we do things without the power of the Holy Spirit, we do things in vain. We do things in our own ability. We eventually end up placing our faith and expectations in our abilities, strategies and circumstances rather than placing them in the explosive power of the Holy Spirit.
As believers we need to constantly depend on the Holy Spirit and His power that has been made available to us by the Grace of God. The life of a believer is supposed to be an explosive life. We need to make a difference in the world around us. When the 120 believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit in the upper room, all of Jerusalem felt the impact. The dramatic impact came not just because the disciples followed Jesus, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us not live lives being afraid of the enemy. Let us live like the Holy Spirit is really present in us and is with us. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of wisdom, faith, holiness, grace, power and truth. You don’t need anything else to be a witness or to do what God has called you to do. There is nothing to fear. He will give you the wisdom you need. Learn from Him. He is the greatest teacher the world has ever known. And when we face tough times He is always there to comfort us.
So let’s live bold lives. There is no substitute for the power of the Holy Spirit. Witness with boldness by depending on the power of the Holy Spirit and bring Glory to God.
Scripture Of The Day: “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” - 1 Corinthians 4:20 (ESV)
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Greater Assignment, Greater Anointing
In Acts 1:1-8, we see Jesus telling the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. Then in verse eight, He tells them that they will receive power “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
It is in Chapter One that we see the Promise Made. It is in Chapter Two that we see the Promise Manifested.
Between the Promise Made and the Promise Manifested, the disciples had assignments. While they were being promised by the Holy Spirit, they had been equipped with all they needed to carry out the assignment given to them at that particular time. Some of us have assignments right now that require us to be reassured by Jesus on a constant basis that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Some of us have had those assignments that require only a little from us, and as a result, we’ve been able to handle it.
But now, there’s a greater assignment in front of us and God desires to equip us to handle that assignment. The greater the assignment, the greater the anointing.
The challenge is going to be greater, the requirement will be greater, the struggle harder, the disappointment deeper, the doubt more prevailing, and the battles more frequent. But that’s okay, because the Greater the Assignment, the Greater the Anointing.
Jesus has some of us in a holding pattern. He has us continuing with that last assignment. We’re tired of it. We feel like we’ve mastered it. We think we’re ready to go on to something bigger and better; but Jesus is still saying wait. But we don’t want to wait. But Jesus knows what’s ahead. Jesus knows that we’re going to need more than intellect, we’re going to need more than the hook up, we’re going to need more than a few dollars. We’re going to need God’s super with our natural to make it through to the next assignment.
The apostles were being prepared to go to their next assignment. This was the time that they would have to carry on the work of the ministry. Jesus would not be with them in the physical, but He had prayed and asked His Father to send the third person of the trinity-- the Holy Spirit. The assignment was given in verse eight: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This was the assignment.
The Power of the Spirit of God will position you to continue to live a fruitful life despite adversity, trial and tribulation.
Because of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached a powerful message.
Because of the Holy Spirit, the Lord added to church daily those who were being saved.
Because of the Holy Spirit, a lame man was healed.
Moses went from standing in front of Pharaoh to parting the Red Sea.
David went from fighting lions and bears to fighting a giant.
Gideon went from the threshing floor to the victory circle.
When the assignment is made, God sends the anointing. Everyone has an assignment. It might be something, it might be someone. Whatever the case, The Greater the Assignment, the Greater the Anointing!
Scripture Of The Day: "But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world." - Acts 1:8 (CEV)
It is in Chapter One that we see the Promise Made. It is in Chapter Two that we see the Promise Manifested.
Between the Promise Made and the Promise Manifested, the disciples had assignments. While they were being promised by the Holy Spirit, they had been equipped with all they needed to carry out the assignment given to them at that particular time. Some of us have assignments right now that require us to be reassured by Jesus on a constant basis that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Some of us have had those assignments that require only a little from us, and as a result, we’ve been able to handle it.
But now, there’s a greater assignment in front of us and God desires to equip us to handle that assignment. The greater the assignment, the greater the anointing.
The challenge is going to be greater, the requirement will be greater, the struggle harder, the disappointment deeper, the doubt more prevailing, and the battles more frequent. But that’s okay, because the Greater the Assignment, the Greater the Anointing.
Jesus has some of us in a holding pattern. He has us continuing with that last assignment. We’re tired of it. We feel like we’ve mastered it. We think we’re ready to go on to something bigger and better; but Jesus is still saying wait. But we don’t want to wait. But Jesus knows what’s ahead. Jesus knows that we’re going to need more than intellect, we’re going to need more than the hook up, we’re going to need more than a few dollars. We’re going to need God’s super with our natural to make it through to the next assignment.
The apostles were being prepared to go to their next assignment. This was the time that they would have to carry on the work of the ministry. Jesus would not be with them in the physical, but He had prayed and asked His Father to send the third person of the trinity-- the Holy Spirit. The assignment was given in verse eight: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This was the assignment.
The Power of the Spirit of God will position you to continue to live a fruitful life despite adversity, trial and tribulation.
Because of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached a powerful message.
Because of the Holy Spirit, the Lord added to church daily those who were being saved.
Because of the Holy Spirit, a lame man was healed.
Moses went from standing in front of Pharaoh to parting the Red Sea.
David went from fighting lions and bears to fighting a giant.
Gideon went from the threshing floor to the victory circle.
When the assignment is made, God sends the anointing. Everyone has an assignment. It might be something, it might be someone. Whatever the case, The Greater the Assignment, the Greater the Anointing!
Scripture Of The Day: "But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world." - Acts 1:8 (CEV)
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