Wednesday, 18 August 2010

How dependent on the Holy Spirit are we willing to live?

I've just got back from a weeks holiday with my parents in Croma, Norfolk. I slept on a very comfortable inflatable mattress inside my niece's Cath Kidston tent - inside the awning of my parents caravan.  Each morning we'd have a cup of tea together whilst spending time with God and spying on the neighbours! Whilst there I wanted to get my teeth into the 1 and only book I'm supposed to read before I go to Bethel: 'When Heaven Invades Earth - A practical guide to a life of miracles' by Bill Johnson.

Chapter 2 - Commission Restored, opens with this:
'Jesus could not heal the sick.  Neither could he deliver the tormented from demons or raise the dead.  To believe otherwise is to ignore what He said about Himself, and more importantly, to miss the purpose of His self-imposed restriction to live as a man.
Jesus Christ said of Himself,"The Son can do nothing."......it means NOTHING!...He had NO supernatural capabilities. While He is 100% God, He chose to live with the same limitations that man would face once redeemed......He performed miracles, wonders and signs, as a man in right relationship to God...not as God.  If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us.  But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle.
What were the distinctions of His humanity?
1. He had no sin to separate Him from the Father.
2. He was completely dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him.
What are the distinctions of our humanity?
1. We are sinners cleansed by the blood of Jesus...nothing separates us from the Father.
There remains only one unsettled issue -
2. How dependent on the Holy Spirit are we willing to live?'  

HOW CHALLENGING IS THAT! I realised 3 things:
1. I love hearing testimonies of healing, the prophetic and miraculous provision.
2. I've become very comfortable and enjoy being in control (root based in fear)
3. I'm worried Father God will ask me to do something I don't want to

Fast forward to Sunday the 15th and I'm at Kings Arms catching up with friends. After worship they often interview someone who has a testimony. A lady, we'll call her Jen, is interviewed and she talks about how she was in the bus station waiting for her bus when a lady hobbled past.  God said to Jen "I want you to pray for her", Jen said to God "No way, I've not even had Treasure Hunt training", God said "I'm going to give you on the job training". Jen prayed a simple prayer with the lady and asked her to test her leg and see if there was any pain.  The pain had completely gone, a week later Jen sees the lady again and the lady testifies that her leg has remained pain free! Praise God.

What an encouraging testimony I was totally impacted by Jen's obedience and dependence on the Holy Spirit; and realised that I have no excuse. Next time I hear Gods prompting I'm gonna go for it - feel free to hold me accountable.

1 comment:

  1. Great post! Very challenging and something a lot of us can identify with I am sure! x

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