All in Christian
You have heard of the gift of the Holy Spirit, And you see the results of it in believers around you, but despite your desire for it, you remain barren and unfilled. Perhaps you have been a Christian for a long time, and in all those years have not received the Spirit. You may have consoled yourself by saying that it will never be yours and that you will suffer on without it, but listen as God tells you to take heart, and that it is your gift as well.
Have you ever been anointed with oil? Has a Pastor, or elder, prayed over you as they took oil, and applied it to you? Did you understand what was happening at that moment, or did you think it was merely an aromatic balm, or lotion; symbolic? Anointing is a sacred practice and is Holy; in so doing the one being anointed is being made Holy, Consecrated, and being set apart. Let’s look at this further.
Are you a sinner of the worst kind? Do you think that there is no way that someone like you can be washed clean, and forgiven? Well if so, you are not the first to have felt this way, and as a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul felt just as you do. To say that you are too far gone for salvation is to deny the saving grace of God.
How is your faith? Are you strong in it, or is it lacking in some regard? Can you move a mountain, or do you think your faith is too small to move even a grain of sand? The disciples were chastised by Jesus on more than one occasion for their lack of faith, so do not lose heart, but ask God why you can’t do a thing, or why you don’t receive. You may find that in some cases it has less to do with faith than you think.
Jesus is like a fountain, or a spring, out of which forgiveness flows. He is not a spigot from which life is turned off and on when we need to wash ourselves, or draw a drink. Do you only approach Him when you think you need cleansing or to receive refreshment for your spirit, and faith?
Are you a servant to all those surrounding you? Have you humbled yourself sufficiently in order to put your own desires behind you, so that you can be obedient to the example that Jesus has placed before you? If so then God Bless you, but if not then take a long look at who you truly are. Do you see much difference in the person you once were and the one you are now?
More likely than not, if you are reading this, you know Jesus; who He is, and about His life. If you are reading this you may have asked Him to come into your life, confessed Him to be your Savior, and gone down in the waters of baptism. My question to you this morning is two fold today... how deep has your relationship with Him become, and, have you asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
Listen... do you hear Jesus’ voice? Are you hearing Him calling you to “come”, or is He calling “come back!”? When Jesus first calls us He gives us incredible peace, rest, and lives, but over time those things might subside; why is that? Why have we lost the intensity of joy and faith that our initial answer to His call brings?
Are you waiting on the Lord today? Is there a challenge or need in your life that you are nearly overwhelmed by, and have brought before God in prayer? Are you about to give up on His provision or rescue because you can’t see Him moving? Well take heart, because our God is good and He has never abandoned you.
Who taught you how to pray? Did you learn so long ago that you can’t actually remember? Did you learn by reciting common prayer in church? Perhaps your mother and father taught you as a child. For something so crucial and basic to our faith and relationship with Jesus and God, we appear to approach it in an often haphazard manner. So how should we pray?
Do you hear the Word of Jesus and worship God as you should? We go to church and sing songs, pray together, chant, and recite creeds, but these are all physical manifestations of faith that anybody can do. What I am asking is... Do you allow your spirit to enter into worship with the physical you; in the religious things you do?
Do you think that just because your children are born into a Christian household that they are thus Christian? Sadly, that is not true. Becoming a Christian, or a believer, and follower, of Jesus Christ, requires us to make a personal choice. We like to look at the Covenant that God made with Abraham and likewise claim Jesus Christ for ourselves and children, but just as with Abraham’s seed, that promise requires a lifetime of action.
Being Holy is more than an aspiration or some lofty goal that only the most pious of Saints can ever reach. We are all called to be Holy. So what is holiness, and how can we be Holy? Well, we can study this at-nauseam but let’s boil it down to its most basic form. Let’s let Jesus gather us up in His arms and carry us with Him into holiness.
Where do you go for help? Do you go there for your own needs, or for those of another? And, are you persistent in your pleading for assistance? These three questions determine who we perceive as having strength, whether we are in need or empathetic, and how great our love or desire is that has brought us there. Have you ever applied these three simple little questions to your prayers, and if so, what did they reveal to you, about Jesus, and your faith?
Where do you receive your sustenance? What food do you depend on for most of your nourishment? As humans we are omnivorous which means we eat a variety of food. Some of us like salads and vegetables, some like chicken, beef, or grain, and others prefer a mixture, but as we grow more into our spiritual selves our diet undergoes a change. We see this in the menu of Jesus Himself.