SPIRIT IN YOU

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Ephesians 1:19-20

Living Bible (TLB)

I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven,

When we encounter crisis in our lives we naturally reach out for the help of others.  Prayer chains get started, FACEBOOK posts for prayer get written to the walls, a text and TWITTER barrage follows.

But today I wanted to share that little passage from Ephesians to remind those of us in CHRIST JESUS that we have a spirit within us that is energized with the SAME POWER that raised JESUS from the grave; the same power that broke the back of sin and death.  

It lives in us.

It does!

Romans 8:11

…the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

I think far too often Christians believe our “help, healing, deliverance and hope” resides in the hands of others.  And while there is POWER and HOPE in our community and I would never discourage anyone from rallying the prayer petitions in time of need or pain, I do want to remind each of us that when the Holy Spirit took residence in us, when we accepted Christ, we are now fully equipped for the crisis as well!

That is what Paul saying in both of these passages.

That our spirit is CAPABLE of restoring hope, capable of turning things around, capable of bring healing to our hurts, capable of infusing life into the most seemingly dead of situations.  It just needs stirred!

Last night at FREEDOM my passionate little sister Natalie (WHO I LOVE SOOOOOMUCH) powerfully implored our fellowship to CLAIM their healing and deliverance as she led them in worship.  Remember FREEDOM is a fellowship filled with the hurting and some nearly “dead”.  But as she pushed them to press in to WHAT GOD COULD DO FOR THEM and THROUGH them it became evident! Spirits were being stirred!

Life was being renewed.

Hope was being restored. 

Possibilities and optimism began to replace doubt, fear and defeat.

Natalie merely ACTIVATED the spirit that for some had been patiently waiting to be stirred into action!  And when it was, strongholds were broken, burdens were lifted and spirits were renewed.  Freedom was found!

But we should be surprised.  That is what the SPIRIT does!

2 Corinthians 3:17

Living Bible (TLB)

17 The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom...

In closing can I say this? There is no way I can begin to know “what” you are up against this morning.  In my house my lovely wife is wrestling with anxieties and the new pressures that come from her very ill patients and 14 hour days.  One of my little girls is closing the chapter on one phase of life and getting ready to step into another and dealing with the pressure that comes with that.  I know I am staring at a GOOGLE calendar that looks like a box of Skittles there are so many colors of appointments, requests and pleas and commitments.

We need your prayers that is for sure.

Yet I am going to do my best to “practice what I preach” and remember that residing and working in me is GOD’S Spirit and power that is MORE than able to do what needs to be done today.

Ephesians 3:20

…able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK IN US (HIS SPIRIT)…

 

Will you join me?

 

I love you all!

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney