Jesus, when asked by one of the teacher’s of the law what the greatest commandment was, responded in this way:
Mark 12:29-30 (NIV)
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[Dt 6:4-5]
And just before He ascended into heaven, He left us with these encouraging and comforting words that shows us that He will live within us and empower us to do greater things than He if we love Him and keep His commands!
John 14:12 (NIV)
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:15-17 (NIV)
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
How do we plug in to God’s Power Grid?
First and foremost, ask Jesus to become Lord of your life and turn away (repent) from your sinful life, confess before Him that you are a sinner in a simple prayer just as I have said it in this sentence.
Once we become born again (repent and give our lives to Jesus) and are baptised, there is a ‘power’ that God makes available to us in order for us to become effective ministers within His Kingdom and to fulfil His purpose in our lives and to help us be conformed to His image.
Acts 2:38 (AMP)
And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We have all been predestined to do the works that God has prepared for us to do, but we need to be moving in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil them. In Romans 8, Paul calls this ‘Life in the Spirit.’
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Romans 8:6-9 (NIV)
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
Dear Reader, I would encourage you to read and study Romans 8 for yourself. It will change your life!
Let’s have a look at what happened with Jesus just before he began his ministry amongst us.
Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
So, here Jesus is baptised in order to fulfil all righteousness (verse 15) and we see that he was filled with the Holy Spirit (the descending dove) and this was pleasing to God.
Directly after his baptism Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil and by the Word of God the ‘tempter’ was defeated – this was Jesus moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
It was directly after this battle with Satan that Jesus began his Spirit filled ministry to the people!
Luke 4:14 (NIV)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Here we see that Jesus was connected into the power of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil his predestined ministry on earth. This is the example that the Church needs to embrace both individually and corporately to be effective ministers in the world and to be overcomers of the world.
Just as a country is connected into a power grid in order to run effectively so the Church needs to be connected into God’s power grid to be effective ministers in Jesus’ name.
Pentecost was only the beginning of the power that God has for His Church moving in the Holy Spirit. When we do this Church, we bring glory to the name of Jesus!
Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Look what happens when we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit!
We receive power from on high, we speak the Word, boldly, miracles, signs and wonders follow us wherever we go, and the Lord adds to the number of those being saved!
The Holy Spirit empowers us to bring glory to Jesus!
John 16:14-15 (AMP)
14 He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.
How do we plug in to the Holy Spirit both as individuals and corporately as an entire congregation?
.png)
With loving (agape) devotion and obedience to:
- God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- and to His Word
- and to each other
Matt 22:37-39
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
1 John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
1 Cor 13:1 (NIV)
If I don’t have love: I am a clanging cymbal; I am nothing; I gain nothing!
Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:12-14
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Luke 11:28 (AMP)
But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.”
Are you plugged in to the Holy Spirit?
Is your congregation plugged in to the Holy Spirit?
Do you live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?
Do you need to make changes in your life to be conformed to the image of Christ?
Do you live and walk in full obedience to the teachings and commands of the Bible in Christ Jesus?
If you and/or your congregation are not, then you will never reach your full potential in Christ Jesus!
Jesus has so much he wants to reveal to us and this he does through the Holy Spirit. As his disciples we are only able to glorify the name of Jesus when we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit and walking in full obedience to His Word – NOT PARTIAL OBEDIENCE OR OBEDIENCE WHEN IT SUITS YOU!
John 16:12-15 (NIV)
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
When we, as Christian’s, are not in full obedience to the Word – walking in the flesh - we are in willful sin which hampers our Christian walk to maturity!
Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)
Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled (continually) with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.
Are you plugged in to the Holy Spirit?
Dear Heavenly Father
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may live my life in the Spirit and not according to my flesh. Help me, I pray, in all I do to bring glory to Jesus! Amen
To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!
No comments:
Post a Comment