Building People of Substance for Works of Power
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a luncheon for grads of our old Bible school. The speaker was a man I have known ever since we were students. He taught a class that I enjoyed and has since lived a fruitful life of faith. In the course of his exhortation, he described some of the things that were special about that school and its founder. One thing he said just exploded in my heart: “We’re still teaching people faith and how to be led by the Spirit.” It caused me to think about how grateful I am to have been in that place at that time, exposed to that message.
We’re all part of the family of God, the Body of Christ. We share a core of common beliefs with all Christians. We believe that Jesus is Lord, raised from the dead after being crucified to pay our redemption price. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. We know we are all commissioned to bring this message to others, and that we are all commanded to love one another. On the other hand, we are each also part of families within the family. Each of our “local units” has its own areas of emphasis and expertise.
My life was forever changed, enriched, by the teaching of faith and the leading of the indwelling Spirit. I thank God for those who taught me. There’s no way to quantify the way these things have impacted my life. They are the two beacons that have kept us through the storm. There are a couple of things that have been particularly helpful to me. They might help you.
Faith highlights:
- Believe you receive when you pray. Mark 11:24 taught me that if I know the will of God I can pray and be confident that I received what I asked. No matter if I can’t see it, I have it because it is done. I don’t have to keep nagging God. He heard me. It’s mine, I have it now! Thank God!
- I can speak to the mountains of life. When problems arise, I can speak to them and they have to go. When God told Paul “My grace is sufficient for thee (2 Corinthians 12:9),” He wasn’t telling him to just put up with the devil. He was telling him to deal with it himself using the authority that was his in Christ. (Mark 11:23)
- I am who God says I am. No matter how badly or how often I have failed, I am a child of God, washed in the blood, born of the Spirit. I don’t have to whine and cry about how unworthy I am, then beg God to help me. I can live confident in Him, not myself. Knowing and believing my “in Christ” identity changes my perspective on life in truly marvelous ways. (Ephesians 4:23-24)
Holy Spirit highlights:
- The power of speaking in tongues. Thank God for the baptism with the Holy Spirit that allows me to speak in languages unknown to me. I can pray when I don’t know what to pray for. I can worship in a way that is transformational. For me, the biggest blessing of praying with tongues is the increased consciousness of, and sensitivity to, the Spirit on the inside. God is tangibly with me at all times! (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
- I am led by the Spirit. The reality of the Spirit of God influencing my own reborn human spirit is a precious thing. I am supernaturally and internally aware of the direction of God. I don’t have to hear an audible voice, see a vision, or have a prophet speak a word to me. The same place on the inside where I know I’m a child of God lets me know His direction in every situation. I’m led by the inward witness. (Romans 8:14-16)
Somebody Said:
- “Hope says, ‘I’ll have it sometime.’ Faith says, ‘I have it now.’”
- “Praying in tongues charges your spirit like a battery charger charges a battery.”
- “Success is always the result of following the leading of the Holy Spirit.” Kenneth E. Hagin
Scripture Reading: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:22-24 NKJV)
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14 NKJV)
Here’s the point: These two precious truths work together to supercharge the Christian life. Without the leading of the Spirit, our faith becomes a formula, just another religious ritual. Without a knowledge of faith based in the Word, our spiritual life can resemble a helium-filled balloon escaped from its mooring and bouncing around with the wind. Confident faith and following the spirit’s leading combine to transform a regular person into a formidable force for God. Let it be said of us as well, “We’re still teaching people faith and how to be led by the Spirit.”
Pastor Virgil
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85741
Especially for men: “Man Alive: Christian Manhood in a Twisted World”
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