I am overwhelmed in the best way. I spent the last several days at a leadership workshop entitled YOU Lead and a women's conference with Beth Moore and I feel as if I have been at an informational buffet. I feel spiritual stuffed with the finest foods which were carefully prepared just for me. I wish I could do justice to all I received. I would love to be able to share it all here. But just as it takes time to digest a large meal, I too will be digesting all I received over the last several days for some time.
The best thing is that it didn't end there. God just graciously kept giving to me. At church this morning the message, the worship and the prayer time was so great and uplifting. My cup is overflowing. This week we are beginning the fall women's bible study program in our church. I am excited that we are starting up a second study for the day time which we have not had in a while.
I am praying for the Lord to fill each of us during this time.
Through the training and conference, I was reminded more than I was taught new concepts. One concept I began the chew on was this question: "For those of us who do regular study in the scripture, ARE WE DOING WHAT WE LEARNED?" Are we obeying what we have already studied? We really do not need to move forward just to gain more information if we are not putting what we have already learned into place. Like James says, "Be doers of the word". There is no need to continue to study the word for study's sake. We have to be obeying it. What exactly would be the purpose of studying God's word otherwise?
So how exactly are we able to do the OBEYING of the word? I believe the simplicity of the gospel is in this, we focus on God, who He is and what He has done for us, ask Him to equip us to love Him with everything that is within us. If we love Him we will obey Him. That love will be our propellant to obey Him.
The message from Beth Moore this weekend was all about the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The profound statement she made was regarding how we often manufacture the filling of the Holy Spirit and how ironic it is that we do this The Holy Spirit filling us to overflowing produces in us fruit that is undeniably Him. When we fake it or attempt to manufacture Jesus in our own flesh, we are empty, and others are at best entertained and at worst repelled. We miss out on the best part of following Jesus when we do it this way which is experiencing His power in us, intimacy with Him and the joy of doing it with Him. The question I ask is why would we want to counterfeit the manifestation of the Holy Spirit when it is so easy to allow Him access and just be available for the real manifestation. It will be for our good, for His glory and a benefit to all around us that are seeking hope.
Be doers of the word only by the filling of the Holy Spirit by dwelling on the attributes, awesomeness, and wonders of God.
I am His and He is mine!!! Dwell of that.
Beth pointed out that blessed is the man whose sins are not counted against him. She noted that in this scripture the word blessed actually could be translated happy here. She also noted that there are a lot of unhappy Christians. Dwell on the fact that if you have received Christ, your sins are no longer counted against you. That should make us all shout hallelujah. That should make us jump for joy. Get a spring in our step!!!!!!
So we have the ability to be witnesses of the Lord to a world that needs it. We have the ability to be hope to a world with no hope. We have the ability to demonstrate Jesus by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. The world needs us to be filled. As I said, it will be for our good, God's glory and the benefit of those seeking. See the burden is not on us to manufacture anything, to come up with cleaver messages, to say the "right thing" or to be anything for anyone. What we need to be is surrendered vessels to our Holy God to use, to fill, and to pour out. (this is when we are authentic instruments of righteousness) That should cause each of us to have a sigh of relief. We should not be holding back in anyway. Obedience is just Him shining His light on the next thing and us following. (like Blackaby says in Experiencing God, go where you see God already at work) We still need to be in the word so we will be able to discern His voice to us because He will not speak in a manner that contradicts His word. We also need to be devoted to time in prayer.
In my pastor's sermon, he talked about how life sometimes overwhelms us and we feel overcome. But God can take that situation or even season and make us overcomers. Through that, we than can be available to walk with others who are in the midst of life's trials as they go from being overcome to an overcomer. So if you are in a season of despair or feel overwhelmed with life's punches, I want to share this wonderful video from Mandisa and hope you find encouragement from it. You're an Overcomer by Mandisa
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