HOLY SPIRIT POWER

Karen and I recently attended a nice little local Pentecostal Church. The people were very friendly and warm, but there was not much Pentecost going on in the service. If you did not know the name of the church you would have thought you were in a mainstream denominational church: two fast ones, a slow one, take up the offering, mention a few announcements, a short sermonette, and out the door. Now I was raised in the Pentecostal church most of my youth and can remember the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly falling (tears streaming down cheeks, snot running out noses, people wailing then running to the altar repenting, and so much more), but it has been a long long time since I have seen this display of God's power. I know it is not God not wanting to reveal Himself with such power He desires to open up the windows and heaven and pour out unto man His best, but maybe it is man who does not want to be bothered with the requirements to experience and handle the power of the Holy Spirit. For the most part the main stream denominations (including the eight or so Baptist churches have left the power (whether you believe in speaking in an unknown tongue or are miracles are for today) of the Holy Spirit on the ground. To me this is amazingly sad. Did you know this power from God, this Holy Spirit power is ours for the asking? In the Book of Acts we read, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Act 1:8) This power is like the free gift of salvation, "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18) What a wonderful thought to know salvation for us is free (but it cost Jesus His life) and power from on high is waiting for our request. But in that request is the obligation to be obedient to what God wants in our lives. Obedience is in the Holy Spirit. We are called upon by God to live and transcend above the carnal and natural. We are brought into the kingdom of God to operate beyond our human ability. No one in their own human ability can live a life for God and please God. God picks us up and sets us on a higher plane. He provides us with an ability beyond our own to operate and function on that plane which is higher than we. It is a level higher than our natural, human capabilities. God is after responses from us in the area of obedience. Our Heavenly Father calls for obedience in a certain situation. He has given the ability to respond correctly through the power of the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is are we going to use that power which the Father has provided and obey or are we going to turn from it and disobey. At times we are caught in certain situations where as far as our natural ability was concerned it would have been total disobedience. To move in obedience to God in that situation seemed to be completely out of our hands. But the Holy Spirit rushes in and lifts us up above our natural inability and into an ability we did not have. At this point we still have a decision to make; are we or are we not going to respond correctly to the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Only with help from our Heavenly Father is perfect obedience possible. Such a thing brings a tremendous sense of victory. We know that God won the battle we did not, we simply surrendered to the mind of the Holy Spirit. If we walk according to the Holy Spirit we shall not fulfill lusts of the flesh. Paul tells us, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16) Why not? Because the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in leading and directing us. The Spirit is constantly bringing to us God's desires. If (the most important word in the Bible it always sets the condition for receiving from God) we surrender to His direction (at that same time) it is impossible to be fulfilling our own carnal desires, "we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." It would be quite impossible. Another wonderful benefit of this Holy Spirit power is our obedience becomes the manifestation of love. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) The power of the Holy Spirit moves in us to bring us to obedience. Here is another power which also moves in us to bring us to obedience. The power of love brings to us the "want to" in obedience. There are those who do not "want to" obey God, but love comes in and there is a change. Now there is a desire to obey God. Obedience begins in the small, easy things in our Christian walk. We are first brought into obedience in our basic and undemanding babyhood. That is just a beginning for us. Speaking of Jesus Paul said, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) As we follow in His path obedience will grow in strength, in us. In its development it will carry us through our life into the fulfillment of the most difficult requirements that God has for us. In other words the longer we go in God and the more we learn the easier learning becomes. We grow into this we learn, we are not born again with this. Wouldn't it be nice if we were? But we're not. We disobey, we make a mistake. Failure is not failure unless you get stuck in it. Failure is nothing but a stepping stone from one classroom to another classroom on that higher ground. Progress on failure! Why yes on failure. The Bible is full of it. Failure is not sin. Sin is sin. Failure is failure. There are many differences between the two. Sin is wrong where failure is just another opportunity to try again and get it right. Sin is wrong! Never condone sin. Sin no matter the situation is wrong in the eyes of God. Sin is always judged through the heart and eyes of God not through our eyes. What we would call sin God may not. We must always be careful what we call things, but never condone sin. One would say Abraham's faith failed in his stay in Egypt and in regards to the son whom God promised him. But he went on and came to the complete faith which God intended for him. Jacob's life seemed hopeless in its beginning. He went on and came to greatness. Saul's life was a disaster. He wrestled and even fought the LORD. He even persecuted the LORD, "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4) But he went on from failure to become the great apostle Paul. We see them succeeding in God because they did not get stuck and swallowed up in their failures, even in their disobedience. They did not give up and sink deeply down into the thick mud and trapping mire. They allowed the Lord to; "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." (Psalms 40:2-3) We will never be able to survive the "horrible pit" and the "miry clay" unless the Holy Spirit has empowered us with His ability. They did not get down thinking that God had forsaken them oh no, they did not bog down over the question, "what must God think of me now?" They failed they knew it (the beginning of getting over failure). They learned. "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." (Proverbs 24:16) Rather than sinking further into the hopeless mire of self-condemnation we can learn. Let us step up on higher ground where it becomes more solid. Let us allow our experiences to become learning processes for the LORD to develop us. Sometimes our experiences are costly. Since we pay we just well ought to gain some benefit in return from our pain. The learning process is best found in humility and submission. "He humbled himself . . ." This is where the success of learning obedience is found. He became a servant. Paul again helps us here, "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" (Philippians 2:7) He became obedient in humility and servitude. There will be success in humility and servitude. We cannot carry pride in our life and learn obedience. That is quite impossible. We may obey to a certain extent, as it pleases our whims and inclinations. The extent of our disobedience will be in direct proportions to the extent of the pride in our life. His Holy Spirit power is waiting for us.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE

Belief is a power tool in our lives. History is full of examples of men enduring countless moments of death, mighty armies, unbelievable odds on their shear faith of believing something that was spoken or written that was divinely received. So too is the way of the Bible. Jesus told the disciples, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23) Now I will be the first person to admit I do not have the total revelation on this verse I do not have the ability to "whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22) nor have I ever met anyone in my entire life who could "ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive," asking yes receiving always no. Maybe someday I will be able to operate in these verses, but for now I am content in walking in the revelation I understand that God has given. You know we will never get more revelation from God till we walk correctly in what He has already given us. Yet in my spirit I am troubled. Within me there is a struggle between my desire to see America be the light and salt to the world (spreading the wondrous Gospel message around the world) as I believe God created her for. America was not created by God to spread freedom and democracy around the world oh no in God there is no freedom or democracy only our total obedience and unflinching commitment to our king. Some of my friends say America was birthed in rebellion, well this may be true America did break free of England, but if we take a good look at England spiritually she was the light bearer of the Gospel till around the middle 1700s when she began to slip into humanism which she still thrives in today. God needed a new light bearer and America was birthed in His heart and today we celebrate our 239th birthday. Sadly America too has slipped into humanism (because of the humanistic message the church now preaches) and so much more over her many years and today she is no longer the light bearer of the Gospel in the world as God ordained. The other side of the struggle I see play out in the scriptures and I know (somewhat) what is going to happen before Jesus comes back. When I do not know, it is not important, but what is important is He said He is coming back and we must believe it. The struggle in me manifests my belief or maybe my unbelief in His word. For example do I believe such a verse as: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13) Do I really believe I am a "pilgrim" and "stranger" on this earth, if so I would think I would not be so concerned about my home car, my retirement, all of the eases life can afford, oh no if I really believed this verse I would be more concerned about doing the things God wants me to do. Maybe my TV watching would be cut way back maybe completely cut off from my life. The TV is not our friend. How many Christians watch more TV, spend time on the internet surfing for ungodly websites, and playing ungodly sci-fi computer games than they do in prayer or reading their Bibles? How about this verse? Do we really believe, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Do we really believe God promises us tribulation in the world? Who would want to believe that? And then He says, "be of good cheer" really? To believe all of this one must believe Jesus has "overcome the world." Do you really believe (I do) Jesus overcame the world? How about a verse like this one, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) Do you believe there will be a great falling away? But that is not what I hear on Christian TV oh no I hear there is a great end-time revival that will sweep the nations, but that is not what the Bible says. I guess the writers of the word of God did not have a TV program to pay for. Notice "let no man deceive you by any means." You know we will never be deceived if we know the truth that is why the truth is so dangerous to people (like on Christian TV) who are not honest and full of integrity. Here we go again with another promise from God. Who would believe, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) "Suffer persecution" oh no God must have made a mistake, I do not want to "suffer persecution" I want to know what my destiny in God is. Well my friend our destiny in God is to die to our selfish, arrogant, carnal nature, and the best we can ever hope for is to be a servant just like Jesus and to die like John of an old age, anything else is presumption. Now we must not get moved out of God by the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage. The church reacted in panic (same way we are acting today) and outrage in 1973 when abortion on demand became the law of the land, but in time they forgot the spiritual damage done to the country and marched on with life building bigger barns and storehouses. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open up our eyes of understanding to the devastation this ruling is bringing to America and to the whole world. This way we will know why things are happening. It is amazing how soon we forget, but before God can give us mercy He first must judge us, judgment always comes ahead of mercy. God was not moved by the SCOTUS's decision. He was not taken by surprise, nor has it changed His plans for America. As a matter of fact I would believe it plays right into God's hands for America. Do we believe God knows the beginning and the end for America? Better yet do we believe God knows the beginning and the end for each and everyone one of us? Who would believe God would send us out into the world (even in ministry) like this, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.:" Matthew 10:16-24) Well is the servant (us) greater than the Master (the LORD)? Do we believe this? If they vilified (so they could marginalized Him) and then killed Jesus do we believe we are going to get any better from the world? The evil spirits then are still in the world have not changed, there is nothing new under the sun. In Genesis when the men of Sodom wanted to commit sodomy (a homosexual act between two men) with the Angels Lot offered up his two virgin daughters, but they replied, "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door." (Genesis 19:9) In other words, Lot who are you to judge us watch out we are going to get you. The same thing the sodimites of today are saying to God and anyone that stands up for the truth in the word of God. The world is lost and the things we seem to love in the world will destroy our Christian witness and our lives. All of those things that seem harmless, fun, and even makes sense, but in the end will put us out of God. Christians hear me loud and clear take great heed to your soul get off of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) before it is too late. They will use social media to round Christians up in the future. They are already using social media today to track us why do we think they will not use social media for other ungodly purposes? What else in our lives have such sway? Let us face the truth the "nominal church" has not engaged nor has it effected the social culture of the world. And why? Because she has willfully given up the moral high ground (we have the words of life) to politicians and other liars for political favor and financial gain. They (the nominal church) have allowed men and women who despise our God stand behind the sacred desk for popularity and worldly acceptance. They (the nominal church) have supported and encouraged ungodly spiritual truth by calling evil good and good evil compromising the word of God deceiving many. I asked the LORD what must America (the government and the people) do for Him to turn His wrath away from America and quickly and with a resounding roar in my spirit I heard these words, "the government and the people must humble themselves before me, put prayer back in school, stop murdering their children, and overturn the abominable ruling on same sex marriage, and then I will heal them and their land. Now here is the good news fear not my friends God has always had remnant and today is no different. Yes it is true America is a sinking ship spiritually and you better be in the life boat of His protection and safety bad times are coming our way, but all though out the Bible God has protected those who (how about you?) put their faith and trust in Him. Their times were tough, persecutions, tribulations, many have died for their faith, but God has always had a remnant He could build on to see His intention done on earth as it is in heaven. My friends in the last days Christianity will continue to break into two. There will be the apostate false church (better run out and take your family now before it is to late) and that which remains true to the Gospel and a biblical worldview, which one are you in? The true Church (remember we are the church) will boldly speak the truth on moral issues while the rest compromise and fold into the lies and half truths of today's multi-cultural world. At the beginning of the age we had an anti-Christian pagan culture that persecuted believers well it is back. We are at a pivotal point this new period of total lawlessness and apostasy in which whole Christian denominations are falling in line with the world’s changing view of marriage (and other things God hates) is only the latest symptom that the world and the Church are racing in different directions. Friend we are watching the gradual shift and in some cases a total change of tectonic significance. You know I always thought I would never be alive to see the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, but now I am not so sure do this increased rate of ungodly change. I feel in my spirit we are living in the most exciting times know to man and we are standing on the threshold of the greatest event ever known to man. God has a plan for us all and He will bring it to pass, yes our God reigns and we shall reign with Him if we only believe. Written by David Stahl