Power Flows From Relationship

Pentecost is just around the corner and I am starting to get excited and frustrated with the church! Why is it that countless believers seem to stand powerless before a world desperately needing what we claim to have? Why does the Church have so little impact when we’re the body of Christ on earth? There are surely many reasons, but I believe a major one is that many Christians are seeking gifts of the Holy Spirit and not the Spirit itself. They want power but not a relationship with the One whose presence gives us power. They want to do great things for God, but do not understand that greatness comes out of a relationship with Jesus Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. It seems they are so enamored with self and with what they might accomplish that they have no idea what’s on God's heart. We must learn to understand that there are no gifts apart from an intimate relationship with our Savior and the work of the Spirit is directly connected to the lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. Apart from the active, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit there is no possibility of any individual or church doing anything but practicing powerless religion. The spirit of religion is a demon that needs to be bound as it will cause us to think we are doing the right thing…remember satan is the father of all lies. You may be active and involved in your church, but without the fullness of the Spirit you’ll miss the power of God. God does not desire from us more activity, but a deeper relationship.