I am POWERFUL!

Every time I see the concrete slabs of a sidewalk heaved by the roots of a growing tree, I am amazed.  When I pick up a rock worn smooth by water running over it, it is cause for wonder. Each illustrates a kind of ‘power’ to me. We can change our world!  God, the Holy Spirit, puts a dynamic in us that gives us the potential to change lives, to alter eternal destinies, to defeat evil.

Before you wonder if Jerry has fallen under the spell of the prosperity preachers who repackage and sell the old lie of human potential, please read on. The power of which I write is not about me, it is about the One who lives in me. When we are Christ’s, the Holy Spirit comes to set us from the chains of slavery that sin and natural thinking throws around us. Where He is allowed to work, God’s promise is that “through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

The power that is at work in us is not to be used to impress or manipulate others!  The Holy Spirit is not to be used like a magician uses his tricks! Paul says that“The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, The Message) A Spirit-filled Christian is a living demonstration of Truth, who sees through the lies of Self and Satan, and into the reality that is God’s.

So, what is the secret to an empowered life?Where does one go to find the key that unlocks this potential?

God’s power is a gift, offered to those who will receive Him by faith and who are willing to live in daily intimacy with Him. To those who are submitted to Him, who live under His authority, who humbly acknowledge Him, He gives a commission to change the world quietly and with the irresistible power of the Spirit. Go before the Lord at the start of each day and invite His Spirit to fill you, then go out and live, by faith, in His strength. It is said so often as to be a cliché but there is truth in it – the real power of the Christian is found in the secret place of prayer. There the Spirit speaks to us – soul-deep – and we become confident people, carrying the commission of the King.

Meditate on this word from the Word. Then, grow into grace that releases the powerful life that is the birthright of the children of God.
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us,his Spirit deeply and gently within us.Glory to God in the church!Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!Glory down all the generations!Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!”  (Ephesians 3:20-21, The Message)

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There’s a wind a-blowin’
All across the land
A fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin’ once again
Don’t know where it comes from
Don’t know where it goes
But let it blow over me
Oh sweet wind
Come and blow over me

There’s a rain a-pourin’
Showers from above
Mercy drops are comin’
Mercy drops of love
Turn your face to heaven
Let the water pour
Well let it pour over me
Oh sweet rain
Come and pour over me

There’s a fire burnin’
Fallin’ from the sky
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I
Can you feel it burnin’
Burn the sacrifice
Well let it burn over me
Oh sweet fire
Come and burn over me

Sweet Wind
© 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
Vineyard Songs Canada
ION Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
(Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

David Ruis
CCLI License No. 810055

Do you exercise Authority?

The man stepped into the middle of the highway, held up his hand, and the flow of traffic stopped! How could one person have that kind of control?  Why not just drive around him? After all, he could not physically stop a truck. The drivers of the vehicles recognize a uniform and badge which gives that man authority.  He exercises a trust given to him by the people in whom the final authority rests in our nation.

Christian you have authority because of Christ and the Spirit Who lives in you. We need not walk around defeated, pushed around by evil, failing at every temptation.  The Scripture tells us "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV) Jesus sent out His followers who were empowered by this declaration - "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:19, NIV) That is our promise, too!

Are you praying weak, whiny prayers that bemoan your fate or are you filled with the Spirit and the Truth of the Scripture so that you are empowered to overcome? 

Authority is a complicated issue. Some Christians go to extremes and try to control everything by ‘speaking in Jesus’ Name.’  Others think that shouting loud prayers or making grandiose statements are an exercise of their ‘spiritual’ authority.  Imagine a police officer trying to control traffic by taking out his sidearm and firing it wildly in the air, while screaming at the cars in front of him.  He would be removed from duty quickly!  His authority does not come from his ability to yell or from his own strength.

Christians enjoy authority that flows from a relationship with the Lord of Glory. The deeper our relationship with the Spirit, the greater our authority. Loving Him, living in implicit faith, we find ourselves vested with authority over Self, World Systems, and Devilish powers. Ours is a quiet strength.

Here is how Paul expresses the concept - "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NIV)

The Spirit residing in us keeps us strong. With steady endurance, we move against ‘strongholds,’ fortified positions that resist removal. Yes, old habits must yield to the authority of Christ. Entrenched attitudes and addictions fall before the strength of the Spirit.  The arguments that others throw at us are reduced to rubble by the reason and wisdom of God.  Our authority even extends to our inner thoughts. Those impulses and temptations are under arrest when we live in Christ.

Are you feeling besieged by the Devil? 
Does some old habit keep coming back to tempt you?
Are you harassed by thoughts that feel ‘out of control?’
Is fear your constant companion?

Find a place with God, quietly wait on Him. Enlist a trusted friend who has demonstrated a steady commitment to Christ to pray with you.  Pray to be empowered.  Take a lesson from those first disciples to whom Jesus gave this direction - “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. …  you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-5, 8 NIV)  Wait for the gift.  They were filled with the Spirit and those people turned the world upside down in a single generation.

We too must be filled with the Spirit, renewed in Him each day, so that we can live a life of quiet authority, doing the work of God, making a measurable difference for the Kingdom of heaven.

Here is a word from the Word. "I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23, NLT)

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Mighty To Save

Ev’ryone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Ev’ryone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Ev’rything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Ben Fielding | Reuben Morgan © 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) CCLI License # 810055

Not the time to be polite

It is hard for me to ask for help. Perhaps pride is an issue and I think I can handle life on my own. But, an even greater issue is being ‘polite.’  I think to myself, “If I ask them, it may create an inconvenience. What if they have to adjust their schedule?” I wonder how many times I have stolen a blessing from myself or someone else because of some mistaken notion of politeness?  I love to come alongside of others, to lend a hand, to give a listening ear, to pray with them – so why do I think that expressing my own need is a problem?  In the last two years I have learned to receive love much more readily, learned to let others help, learned to lean!

Jesus disciples heard Him praying and approached Him with a request, “Teach us to pray!” I wonder what it was like to hear the perfect Man communicate with His Father? Whatever they observed, it made them want to know how to come into God’s Presence.  Jesus taught them the Model Prayer which we still pray that begins, “Our Father is Heaven …”  and then He told them a parable. The story is a little shocking to me. It isn’t a ‘feel good’ tale.  Jesus told those men that prayer was not the time to be polite!  Read on - “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:4-10, NIV)

Jesus tells us to pound on heaven’s door, like a desperate neighbor at midnight.  I would not be very happy if my neighbor came over asking me for some bread in the middle of the night, would you?  I would be tempted to ignore the knocking. If he kept it up, I would get up and go to the door, but I probably would not be smiling when I handed over the bread. How about you?  Yet, this is exactly the story Jesus told those men when they asked for a prayer lesson. Did Jesus intend to teach us that God does not like to answer us? Not at all! The real point of the story is that we cannot be polite, that we should not hesitate to ask boldly, often, and with great faith.

We need not be concerned about going to our Father too often or asking too much of Him. “Ask … Seek … Knock …” Jesus said.  Do you pray ‘polite’ prayers? Do you apologize to your Father for asking too much, or timidly frame your requests in vague words to avoid offending Him?  I love the honesty of a child who has not yet learned to hide his desires behind the veneer of social propriety. It’s a Mom’s nightmare when little Johnny just blurts out what he wants, want he does not like; his true feelings.  Yes, of course, manners are important in our human interactions, but not in prayer!  Jesus holds open the door to the Throne Room, wraps us in His goodness, and invites us to "come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:16, NLT)

Jesus told another story that reinforces this truth. Luke 18 is the record of His parable about a corrupt judge who ignored the pleas of a widow who needed justice. She had no influence, no leverage in his court. But, she was persistent! "The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’ ” (Luke 18:4-5, NLT)  Again, let’s be clear. Jesus is not saying God is unjust or without concern. His point is our persistence, our willingness to keep pressing on in prayer. He concludes His story with this summary - “I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?” (Luke 18:7-8, The Message)

There is an unseen battle that goes on around us. Evil resists the work of God. Our sinful nature rises in us to foil, where possible, the work of the Spirit. Worldly systems are corrupt and not easily or quickly changed to serve the purposes of the Kingdom of Heaven. So, we must persist, keep faith, pounding on Heaven’s door. Shocking? Perhaps, but the lesson Jesus gave to us about our prayers.

Here is a word from the Word. May the promise inspire us to keep on asking, to seek, to knock – and to receive His will.  “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”  James 5:16-18 NIV

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"A prayer of David.

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.
May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.  

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night,
though you test me, you will find nothing;
I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

As for the deeds of men— by the word of your lips
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand those
who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:1-8, NIV)
Amen

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
Faith Discovery Church
Washington, NJ  07882

http://www.FaithDiscovery.com

Prayer - something you only talk about?

Are you intimidated by prayer? Many Christians talk about prayer but far fewer actually pray in any meaningful way.  Could it be that we misunderstand what it means to ‘pray?’ 

I have seen people do many things, all the while claiming to ‘pray.’ In my Pentecostal church, I have heard people become deeply emotional in prayer; shouting and crying. I have sat through ‘prayers’ that seemed more like legal briefs prepared to convince God to act.  Few things move me more than listening to a little child talk to Jesus from an open heart!  In my deepest times of grief, my prayers were sometimes just sighs and the name of Jesus repeated over and over. Some pray standing, others kneeling. Some raise their hands toward the heavens, others lie face down in humility. Some speak aloud, others remain quiet. Some use prayers written by others. Some pray in simplest terms- ‘help me, heal me, guide me.’

So what is the ‘right way’ to pray? All of the above.

Prayer is communicating with God. I do not use the same tone or method to communicate with others, do you? When I am excited my voice gets louder. When I am really serious, my tone deepens.  Some communication is wordless!  A rich life of prayer will include times when we speak at length with God and times when we wait silently before Him.  Paul says “I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray.” (1 Corinthians 14:15, Message) 

Paul also teaches us to “pray continually.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Keep the conversation going, every day, all day. In other words, “stay in touch with God.”  There are a few people in my life that I speak to often. I text them, call them, email them.  We share thoughts, keep one another encouraged, and give advice. That is what the Spirit desires from us. He wants us to keep an open line of communication. Do you pray only as a last resort? Do you turn the Lord only when you have exhausted all other resources?  Our Father invites us to keep the conversation going, to stay in touch, listening.

For Jesus prayer was like His very breath. Without breath, we die. Without prayer, spiritually we die, too! Learning to live with a constant awareness of the Presence of God gives us a power over temptation, keeps us secure when fears arise, and provides us with insight for each day’s challenges.  Are you intrigued by those places in the Scripture where you read phrases like this- “the Lord spoke,” or “the word of the Lord came”?  Were those ancient prophets a special kind of men?  Not at all.  The difference was that they had learned to listen, to live in the Presence, to recognize His voice among the static.  And, so can we!

I should not imply that prayer is easy, simple, or without cost.  A life of prayer demands a focus in us that is foreign to many. We have to learn to step away from the activities and noise that keep us from hearing His voice. We must learn not to fear being by ourselves (not the same as being alone) and allowing time to pass without words. The best life of prayer involves holiness; not to be confused with piety. It is possible to live piously and still have never given ourselves entirely to God, which is the definition of holiness.  Living near to His heart, however, is a wealth beyond comparison.

So, let us pray!  

Rejoice in prayers of praise.  
Sing your prayers of worship. 
Pray alone, pray with others.  
Let tears become prayers of petition. 
Pray the Psalms. 
Pray with single sighs. 

But, make sure that you pray!  Prayer, like most all things, is a learned skill. Those who pray often, learn to pray best.

Here's a word from the Word - "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

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”Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 

your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Amen
(Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)

What's on your playlist?

I was standing in the congregation quietly worshiping with the musicians. We clapped along when they played an old gospel song, praised when we celebrated God’s goodness with “10,000 reasons for my heart to find.” Then, they turned to a song of prayer that entreated the Holy Spirit to come and “fill the atmosphere.”  My emotions stirred, my heart opened, and tears flowed.

Such is the power of music!  Watch a toddler respond to music. Turn up the volume and the tempo and watch him become energized. Play a dance tune and watch her spin and twirl!  Unconsciously we tap our fingers on the table and tap our toes to the beat as the song plays.

Our grown-up kids remember the praise music that Bev kept playing in our home.  The soundtrack of the Scott’s house was one in which the goodness of God and the love of Jesus was featured prominently. Smile, if you want to, but I believe strongly that the music we choose to live with is an important factor in welcoming the Spirit into our lives each day.

What’s on your playlist? 
Are you using music to grow your soul, to encourage yourself to enter into the Presence of God?

The Psalms urge us to "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." (Psalm 100:1-2, NIV)  and the right response?  "I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise." (Psalm 101:1, NIV)

On this Monday morning, when you pull up that Spotify playlist, fill it with songs that turn your heart to the Spirit. Let a song become your prayer and your praise. Set aside your sophistication and respond to the tug of emotion.  Play ‘drums’ on your steering wheel as you drive!  Sing for the Audience of One!

Take this word from the Word to heart this day ...

Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!
Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!
For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.

Psalm 96:1-4, The Message
________

Holy Spirit

There's nothing worth more
that will ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your Presence

I've tasted and seen
of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
and my shame is undone
In Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit 
You are welcome here
Come flood this place
and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God
is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by
Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware
of Your Presence 

Let us experience the
glory of Your goodness

Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt © 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055