Reflections, April 19th, 2009

Reflections: Do You Know The Power You Have?

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." John 14:16, 17

For every child of the most high King, you have a power that resides within you, that is a threat to the enemy and his evil kingdom. Yet, many of us, because of all that we have encountered and have endured, feel powerless and defeated. But glory to God! Jesus made us a promise, and He fulfilled that promise. And the moment you received Him into your heart, and believed and confessed with your mouth, you received one of the greatest gifts: the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit and power that rested and abided in Jesus, now rests and abides with every believer. Ready and willing to teach us all that we need in order to access the power that abides within us.

It is my sincerest prayer that this week's Reflection will be a source of encouragement and teaching. May your hearts and spirits be filled with the knowledge and understanding that God intends for you to have. I pray that you not only understand but know how to use and access the power that resides within you.

John 20: 21-22
"Then said Jesus to them again, ‘Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, ‘Receive ye the Holy Ghost'..."

We are not alone in this walk. We have a teacher, a counselor, a comforter, who resides within us, ready and willing to teach us what we need to know, if we would yield ourselves to His teaching. God's spirit resides in everyone of His children. We have access to power that will allow us to tread over the enemy and defeat him every time:

Luke 10:19
"Behold, I give unto power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Don't get it twisted! For many have. Jesus was not referring to literal serpents and scorpions. If you know anything about scripture, you will know that the serpent is always used in reference to Satan. Jesus is telling us, that He has given US the power, the ability, the authority, to stop, destroy, stomp on, any ability that the enemy has. And when we assert this power(authority), nothing the enemy can do will hurt us. Why? Because no matter what comes at us, we have eternity with Christ. Although we are faced with harsh situations, and life's hurdles can seem insurmountable, we are still the one's with the power and authority, and the enemy is so mad about that fact, that he tries to do everything he can to destroy us, and make us believe that we have no power to win the battles that we are in. But the devil is a liar! And he is defeated. For God says that: "Greater is he that is us, than he that is in the world"

We have the Holy Spirit working, living, and operating within us. Do you know that even when you don't know what to pray, that the Holy Spirit will pray for you?: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26,27.

Is that not awesome to know? Do you know how many times we get flustered and tongue-tied? Sometimes we are so overwhelmed in this world, and the things that we are faced with, that we don't know the first thing to pray about. But glory to God, that the Spirit of God that resides in us, who intercedes for us daily, knows what to pray according to the will of God for our lives. The Holy Spirit prays for us! And God, who searches our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit that is in His believers, and answers accordingly. God has got us covered!

However, there be many of us that do not quite understand the power that truly resides in us. We cannot grasp the fundamental truth, because it just seems so simple to believe. Here is how the Father help me to understand the function of the Holy Spirit in my life.

The Holy Spirit is my teacher, who teaches me of the truth of who I am in Christ. He teaches me about the Father's will concerning me. He leads me and guides me into all truth and revelation. I do not do anything without the Holy Spirit; He's with me wherever I go, and whatever I do, because He is the one with the power! He counsels me in the path I should take. He comforts me when my heart aches. He leads me into all truths, when He sees a mistake I am about to make. And just as God, the Son, and God, the Father, God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, leads but never demands. Because the choice is always, and was always mine to make. It's like any advice you seek from someone: You can choose to follow it, or you can choose another way.

When we received Christ, we also received the Holy Spirit. It was a package deal. With the Holy Spirit, came power. Power that many of us have not fully accessed. Liken it to a new car, if you will. You have a brand new car. The keys in your hand (Salvation). Now, it gets filled with gas (Holy Spirit). Now, you have to put the key in, and turn the ignition (Prayer & Faith). But unless you put it in the right gear and step on the gas (Power of the Holy Spirit), you will not go anywhere!
The Holy Spirit comes with gifts and fruit. And the more we learn of Him, meditate on the will of God, abide in Him, the more we look like Christ, and the more power we learn how to use.

It is my sincere hope that you come to know and understand the power that you have, as a child of God. I pray that the spirit of peace and prosperity rests upon you spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and financially. Get to know the Holy Spirit. Know the powerful and magnificent gift that the Father has blessed us with. Another manifestation of Himself. Be Blessed, dear friends.

©2009. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

Allow me to share this one excerpt with you, of a very dear Pastor from Germany, shared with me, and what he teaches on the Holy Spirit (Please Print it out):

The Effect of the Holy Spirit on our Daily Lives

The Holy Spirit has the practical task of making us take the necessary steps in our lives. We are saved, blessed and healed, so that we may go out and save, bless and heal others. ''Father, thank You for having Your Holy Spirit living amongst us. Please set your Spirit free in our midst, and inspire us all!'' The Holy Spirit has a really incredible function. Where would we Christians be without the Holy Spirit? He is our Comforter, Teacher, Professor, and the best ever Evangelist. He's convincing! At times I simply come short with my own words, but when I ask the Holy Spirit to help, I realize that He's the most powerful Evangelist on the face of the earth!

What is the Holy Spirit's function?

      His function is, (hang on to your hat), mothering. He comforts and leads us into all truth. He is a Mother Who brings us to God. He is that which binds us and reconciles us to Heaven. It is impossible to find reconciliation with your neighbor without Him. He makes everything real. He unites Christians. We wouldn't be able to get along, if the Holy Spirit didn't unite us.
     The Holy Spirit causes explosive decisions in us. He starts avalanches in our lives. He builds bridges between people, opens doors and makes us one. He's Heaven's Manager. The Holy Spirit turns ordinary people into extraordinary ones. People filled with the Holy Spirit no longer fit any pattern - they are extravagant! They become personalities - the light of the world. He overshadows you, and turns you into something special, something exclusive. He turns the untalented into ''natural talents,'' and turns simple workmen into artisans, (i.e., The artists of the tabernacle).
     In Him the weak say, ''I am strong!'' Hallelujah! You don't need degrees, you need your heart in the right place. And if the Holy Spirit is sitting on the throne of your heart, that's quite enough.
     God uses untalented, incapable people to do mighty works. For example, David against Goliath. He had the anointing, and he said, ''I come in the name of the Lord.'' He was son number eight, not the firstborn, but the Holy Spirit used Him. Holy Spirit-filled people are capable of much more than we give them credit for. Holy Spirit-filled people can jump over shadows or walls, with our God! Holy Spirit-filled people can go through doors that are still closed today. The Holy Spirit is like air, or water, which gets in anywhere and everywhere. He fits into any situation, and has a wonderful solution for every problem. HE is our Helper. If you're in difficulties at times, and don't know which way to turn, the Holy Spirit will show you the way out. With Him I can be sure that I'll get out of troubled waters, no matter how deep.
     We need the Holy Spirit! Trying to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit won't get you very far. Without the Holy Spirit everything remains standing still.

How does the Holy Spirit work in us?

He is able to love people through us, that we normally wouldn't dream of loving. That's what's lovely about Him. We're such a mixed group here in church, but we have one Lord, and the Holy Spirit binds us together in love. Love simply pours out of our hearts, due to the Holy Spirit's working within us. Love that comes from God is able to overcome any boundaries, walls or hurts. He (the Holy Spirit) stands by us in our weakness, and is our heart's translator. It is He that moves our hearts. All you need to do is to receive, let Him get hold of you and fill you with His Holy Spirit.
     Nothing can separate us from God's love. You are in love with God and His helping strength. The Holy Spirit doesn't do anything without us. He wants us to work with him, that we love those that appear unloveable. Love makes us equals. God loves you without make-up! And He loves you without a mask! You can afford to be yourself! In a church that is filled with the Holy Spirit in a Scriptural manner, you can be yourself! Whether you're able to do certain things or not, everyone is accepted as they are, because God accepts us as we are.

Taken From an Essay by Pastor Joh Matutis, Germany. (Used with Permission)