In the past we have ‘assessed’ our ability to ‘do spiritual stuff’ by results. Some people seemed better empowered to pray for the sick etc. than we were. This meant that the largest part of the Body of Christ became inactive. I believe that we ALL need to live our lives daily filled with the Holy Spirit and His power.1 Corinthians 2:5, Paul is speaking: ”… I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”
The power of God comes from Him, we totally rely upon Him and what Jesus did on the cross. So there is no point in looking in our pockets to see if we have it, because the bible clearly says it’s IN HIM! I think the Body of Christ avoids some things because we think we have no power. But the power belongs to the Holy Spirit make Him your new BFF. Jesus breathed on His disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit, and then they went out and prayed for the sick and they got well. They told demons to get lost and they went! A-n-d they also raised the dead. By implication they could have quieted a raging sea. Jesus asked them: “Where is YOUR faith?”
We can rabbit on endlessly about whether we need to speak in tongues – or not; or wear a hat in church – or not; or women should be silent – or not. Blah blah blah. But the real truth is that even if we try to begin to love one another WE FAIL. We have this sum backwards. We are ‘trying to be’ something, instead of learning how to live in His Presence. He PROMISED to be with us. I think we gave up because it is easier to claim scriptures than it is to live them out.
Listen to this: “How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, FOR GOD WAS WITH HIM.” Acts 16:38. Where did Jesus get His power from? God. It wasn’t Christ’s power – it was the Spirit of God’s Power. Jesus just copied what He saw His Father doing… Christ received the Spirit, and now we are learning to receive Him and make Him welcome. So we value His Presence more than our needs, opinions and lifestyles.
That means our needs, opinions and lifestyles are gunna change because HE HAS DIFFERENT LIVING CONDITIONS THAN WE DO. To walk with Him we need to live mindful of what He likes. The challenge is to live our lives like Christ did – He lived in perfect love and loved and cared for OTHERS. Jesus became human and did all that for us. His power flowing through me will not make me arrogant, or controlling, it makes me humble. The more I see Him touch people when I inadequately pray, the more I give glory to God.
Here’s a real life testimony for ya to show you it isn’t US, we simple need to learn to co-operate with the Holy Spirit and do what He is doing. Years ago, a couple next door to us had a baby boy. The little child started to fit with a high fever. The end result was he turned blue and stopped breathing. The mother came running into our house screaming at me: “My baby is dead” and she handed him to me. He looked dead believe me. I didn’t pray. I shook the baby hard and said: “Don’t you dare die on me!” The kid took a breath, opened his eyes and started screaming, probably because he didn’t know me from a bean pole. I handed him back to his mother screeching his dear little head off! Was he really dead? I dunno! He ain’t DEAD now! Here’s the kicker … his mother gave him to me because she thought I was a nurse. (Hubby is the nurse BTW.)
Here is another one: We travel on the road for Jesus as often as we can, and we give away bibles etc. etc. because you can start great conversations that way. Hubby went into a woodcraft shop in Tasmania once, and he came out a few minutes later VERY frustrated. The lady behind the counter was incredibly rude and angry with him and he wanted to leave that place … pronto. I’m the praying bunny in the car, and she wasn’t rude to me, so I asked him to go back and give her one of my bookmarks. Hubby did not want to go but he went back in anyway. He was gone much longer this time and he came back out beaming!! The lady in the shop gave her life to the Lord on the spot – she burst into tears and he was able to share Jesus with her. Yay, Holy Spirit – the wind was blowing that day!
Live the way Jesus did – do whatever you see our Heavenly Father doing. It’s not you it’s Christ IN you!. Bye 👋🏻
