Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fueling Our Unbelief!

Another reason the church is failing to astound people (see yesterday’s blog) is that we have learned manipulation from satan. Because the Holy Spirit is called our Helper or Comforter, many Christians assume the Spirit’s role is to be our servant and help us enjoy abundant life. But Jesus sent the Spirit, not for us, but for Him…to carry out His rule and authority in our lives. Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing the Spirit states, “Too often, we fall into a self-centered approach to our walk with God that emphasizes what we get out of it, what we can experience if we’re filled with the Spirit.” Sounds great, but the simple truth is that until we unselfishly allow the Spirit to live in us and Christ to live through us, we will not experience the promised power. It is available, to each of us, but not until we surrender to God’s will and set our wants and agendas aside. I actually think this fuels our unbelief. Because we lack the power that Jesus speaks of…the power he promised…we come to the point where we do not take any of Jesus’ words seriously. After all, if it were true, wouldn’t I experience it? Remember The Purpose Driven Life? Rick Warren could have stopped after page one when he made the point, “It’s not about you, it’s about God.” That really says it all. Here’s my challenge: I believe today’s church can again astound everyone, but we’ve got to reclaim that first love. Let’s stop staring at the sky, arguing about his return, and allow His presence to permeate our lives today.

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