What Is Your Power Source?

It is amazing the power we have within us called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like a generator. Most of us don’t have a generator but it is a power supply that people get as a back-up to the current power supply they already have. Generators are used in place of the normal power supply that you use. However, they do not automatically go on unless, of course, in my lack of complete knowledge on generators there are some that you can program to come on when your regular power source goes off. In any case, YOU have to make the choice to turn on the generator. Spiritually speaking, our regular power source is our own attempts to be God. This power source is based on a lie that Satan planted in Eve way back in the Garden of Eden and has been planted within all of us. Read Genesis 3: 1-6 to discover those first lies that Satan planted within us. He makes us question God and lies to us making us believe that we can be like God.  How many of us have heard this kind of self-talk and/or talk spoken by others: “I can do it on my own”, “I can do it by myself”, “I don’t need help”, “I’ve got this”, “I know what I am doing”. You may have your own statement you can add to this list. These are all lies we tell ourselves which are supposed to give us the power we need but when our power source is based on a lie the consequences will reflect this. Suppose I am a teacher and one of my students is having problems dealing with anger. As teachers, we often rely on the techniques we have learned on the job or in our education regarding teaching but as followers of Christ, we have to be cautious of what we are teaching. Teaching based on a lie will not ultimately help teach this student about how to handle his anger in ways pleasing to God. As a teacher, we, too, are to utilize the alternate power source given to us by God when we chose to believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit’s power is within us but it is a power that we need to call upon. It is the power that we need to learn to use in all circumstances throughout our lives because it is the power based on the Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth told to us in John 14:16. So our choice each day and every moment in that day is to make the choice to turn on the generator, go to the Holy Spirit.  As it says in Zechariah 4:6 ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord Almighty. So, if we use the power of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth, you will be led to the truth. What are the truths that will overcome those self-powered statements above: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”, “I cannot do it on my own but the Lord is always with me to lead me and give me wisdom”, “The Lord is my helper. Your power works best in my weakness”, “I don’t have this but when I put you before me, you will lead me”. Look within the Word of God for more truth that will overcome the lies that Satan puts in us. Share these truths with others that we may all become more aware of the power source we should be relying on, the Spirit of Truth.

**Journaling inspired by Jesus Calling by Sarah Young-October 4 and the Spirit of Truth.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 265

Trusting people can be hard for some people but there are also those who are too trusting. Satan is the best with lies so you can bet that if you are not careful, you can be duped into believing those lies. I have a naturally too trusting nature and have had it get me in trouble in my younger days but in the present with being in the Word every day and learning more and more about who God is and who Jesus is, I know I have more wisdom and discernment. It has been given to me by the Holy Spirit. There are so many reasons to be in the Word of God daily and this one will help you know the Lord and be able to weed out the lies Satan will keep on doling out. Seek to be within the truth and be prepared for battle.

2John 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 210

Our sermon yesterday was about The Great Commission which in layman’s terms means “go and tell about Jesus”. The part of the sermon that stuck with me was about the history of the early church and how they ended up being divided into two groups; the members and the missionaries. However, we are all called to be missionaries. That doesn’t mean we are taking trips to 3^rd world countries but taking the message of Jesus wherever we are and wherever we go. In our politically correct world, we have let our fears for speaking the truth be buried within us and we let the lies of Satan stop us from sharing about Jesus. We are in a spiritual war and like any war we have to take sides. Those that don’t take a stand and choose their side are often steered into collaborating with the enemy. If we don’t share about Jesus when that opportunity comes up, we are in effect becoming collaborators with the evil one. I think this whole concept is very much like our modern-day voting here in the US. Most voters are unclear on where they should vote. They aren’t informed enough to make a firm decision. Instead, they are swayed into taking up with the side that lies the best. The antidote for lies is the shining light of truth but it must be sought after. If we keep our focus on Jesus, study God’s word and pray for the Spirit to enlighten us with the truth and fill us with his fruits then we will be able to take our stand and fight for our Lord and King.

2Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 146

I have been absorbing the chapter on kindness in Gary Chapman’s book Love As a Way of Life. One of the things he said which I learned from my first Basic Christian Counseling is about needs; “Kindness means noticing someone else and recognizing his/her needs.” Our office admin assistant was out on Monday this week due to what we were told was a migraine. On Tuesday and Wednesday, she was very non-responsive to “good morning” and seemed very down in the dumps. On Thursday, I felt there was something going on with her and wanted to see if I could help. I sat down at her desk and she ended up opening up to me about her boyfriend who had decided he wasn’t her boyfriend anymore nor ever was. She had gone into a rejection depression and wasn’t eating or drinking and ended up fainting on Sunday and was taken to the ER. I hope the words I said to her were encouraging and helpful. I left her desk with a final remark, “you are loved”. She yelled back Thank You Janine and was transformed back to her more cheerful self.  Sometimes, it is difficult to recognize what the need is but communicating words of kindness can be the start to finding out and really lifting someone up. Taking the time to sit down with her was the act and sacrifice of my time that I technically should have been at my desk working but in the end it was such a great feeling that I had done it. The next day I headed to work early and stopped at Chick-fil-A for some breakfast. Waiting in the drive-thru, it came to me to pay the bill for the car behind me. We have all heard of this being done but I had never done it. I went back and forth in deciding to do it. I worried about how much longer it might take and I really needed to get to work. I feared what the cashier might think or say. I thought I don’t have the money to be doing this right now. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, I conquered all of these fears and worries that Satan thrives on and did it. The cashier responded like people do it everyday. It didn’t make any difference in my getting to work and although I am still broke until Monday I was not charged the co-pay for my annual exam at my doctor visit. But the greatest blessing was just the smile it put on my face and imagining the reaction of the two people in the car behind me. It energized me all day. Just do it is my new motto. Thank you Lord for helping me recognize the needs of others and being kind no matter what. With You all things are possible.

1John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us; he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 91

I picked up a book the other day at the library that sounded interesting. It is a fictional story about the world a hundred years from now in which there are 9 nine-year old children around the world who are the “trumpets” or prophets that must come together to bring the light back into the world. The world is going into an ice age of sorts and it is because humankind has turned away from God. There is no freedom of religion there is only no tolerance for religion of any kind. There are angels in the story that are in human form and are there to help win the war against the devil. However, the story seems to be leading towards the idea that all religions must come together and even said at one point there is not just one way to God. Well, that ruffled my feathers a bit because the real truth is there is only one way to God and that is through his only son, Jesus Christ. Thankfully, the spirit of the truth is within me and I can easily see the lies within this story but others who do not have a solid foundation in their faith may be swayed to believe such lies. The apostle Paul is very adamant about those who would preach another gospel and makes a point of saying whether it comes from a man or an angel. I love the idea of angels being around us and helping us but we have to be careful to not think of angels too highly. Jesus is the one we are to look to, love and worship.

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel form heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 106

At our class called Jesus in the Movies last night, we watched a couple clips from The Last Temptation of Christ which I think was made in 1964. This week we were looking at movies of Jesus that were controversial. This one is more than just controversial. I was appalled that the true story of Jesus was twisted in this kind of way. The premise was that Jesus was saved from the cross by a guardian angel and that he goes on to lead a normal human life complete with marriage, kids and getting old. When he is old, a few of the old disciples come to him including Judas and who basically says you betrayed us. It portrayed Jesus as a nut case. I am sickened by the whole movie and know that the devil was at work in its creation. I am just praising God for his help in dicerning what is true and what is not. The Father of Lies got a film out that who knows how many saw and who knows who were corrupted by it. It does make me think of how very careful we need to be in what we are choosing to view in the movies and on TV. If it is taking you away from God, it is most likely not a good thing to be watching. If you feel anything negative about what you are viewing, put a magnifying glass over it and ask God to help you discern and decide what to do.