Carriers of the Glory
You don’t have to go looking for an atmosphere; you are an atmosphere. You are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a habitation of Heaven, a carrier of the glory. Because you have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to follow signs; signs follow you. You don’t have to beg for a divine encounter; you live in a divine encounter.
You don’t have to go looking for an atmosphere; you are an atmosphere. You are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a habitation of Heaven, a carrier of the glory. Because you have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to follow signs; signs follow you. You don’t have to beg for a divine encounter; you live in a divine encounter. Wherever you step, the Holy Spirit steps. Your presence and God’s presence become indistinguishable from one another.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself… (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)
When you walk into rooms, demons run out. When you walk into rooms, sickness starts to lose its hold. When you walk into rooms, you shift the atmosphere. Heaven invades wherever you step foot. Spiritual dynamics change, and Hell loses influence.
That’s the potential of the believer’s life. However, though every true believer has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn’t have every believer. What I mean by that is not every believer is surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit in their life.
Some allow for areas of compromise and spiritual neglect. Everything that God has for us is within us by the Holy Spirit. Power, love, joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, the ability to live holy, and so much more. But many leave reservoirs of the Spirit’s power untapped.
But when you live a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit, the power within you begins to affect everything in you and around you. Like a river that gives off mist, your very being begins to give off the essence of the Spirit. People around you become refreshed. When you surrender to the Holy Spirit and become a conscious carrier of the glory, miracles begin to happen around you, people become drawn to the magnetism of the Holy Spirit within you, and God receives the glory for what He does through you as a vessel.
Commit today to remember that you are a carrier of the glory. And then live and act like it.
QUESTION: In what ways has the presence of the Holy Spirit upon YOUR life affected those around you? Tell me in the comments.
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Disqualified from God's Call?
Of course, if believers want to be used by God, they ought to live holy lives. But perhaps you’ve made mistakes that you think have permanently disqualified you from ever being used by God again. Maybe you feel overwhelming shame and guilt - and it’s difficult for you to move forward. Let’s gain some perspective from the Scripture.
If you’ve made mistakes, you need to know that God’s not finished with you. He’s not giving up on you, and you still have a divine destiny.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6, NLT)
Of course, if believers want to be used by God, they ought to live holy lives. But perhaps you’ve made mistakes that you think have permanently disqualified you from ever being used by God again. Maybe you feel overwhelming shame and guilt - and it’s difficult for you to move forward. Let’s gain some perspective from the Scripture.
Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)
Consider why God raises someone. God doesn’t raise a person to elevate that person; God will raise a person to elevate His Word, His gospel.
I think that sometimes the reason people imagine that God would never use them again is because they’re under the impression that it’s about them. But it’s about God’s glory; it’s about souls. God will use you again because lost souls are still slipping into eternity, and the world needs the gospel.
Get it right. Repent. Let God restore you. And then let Him use your life again.
For God’s glory. For the lost.
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What's the Difference Between the Presence of the Holy Spirit & His Power?
The power stirs you. The presence stills you. The power activates the gifts. The presence is the glory. The power inspires praise. The presence inspires worship. The key to the power of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Holy Spirit is what He does. The presence of the Holy Spirit is Himself. God’s message is endorsed by the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s people are endorsed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit can change your circumstance, but the presence of the Holy Spirit can change your heart. The power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The presence of the Holy Spirit dwells within you. The power is for service. The presence is for salvation. The power helps you to do. The presence helps you to become.
Here is the presence within you.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)
Here is the power upon you.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8, NLT)
The power stirs you. The presence stills you. The power activates the gifts. The presence is the glory. The power inspires praise. The presence inspires worship. The key to the power of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Tell me in the comments: Did I miss anything? How would you describe the power of the Holy Spirit? What would you say about the presence of the Holy Spirit?
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Encounters Lead to Callings
When Adam had life breathed into him, he became the steward of the earth. When Abraham heard God, he was called as a father of many nations. When Moses saw the burning bush, he was called as a deliverer. Isaiah saw God in the temple. Jeremiah felt fire in his bones. Ezekiel saw Heaven opened. The apostles sat with Jesus. The early church heard the wind and saw the fire of the Holy Spirit. Truly, encounters lead to callings.
Those who have been touched by the glory of God are most powerfully used for the glory of God. The call of God is found in the presence of God. The power of the Holy Spirit is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Your purpose is discovered in His presence.
Remember this: all true ministry is an overflow of your relationship with God. If there is no relationship, then ministry is not a calling, but rather a career.
When Adam had life breathed into him, he became the steward of the earth. When Abraham heard God, he was called as a father of many nations. When Moses saw the burning bush, he was called as a deliverer. Isaiah saw God in the temple. Jeremiah felt fire in his bones. Ezekiel saw Heaven opened. The apostles sat with Jesus. The early church heard the wind and saw the fire of the Holy Spirit. Truly, encounters lead to callings.
God wants to use you too. You may feel like your don’t measure up, like you lack the skills and gifts needed to do something for God. Here’s what the Bible says.
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, NLT)
Your connection with God is your position to do something for God. The Holy Spirit in you is your qualification for ministry. The time you spend in God’s presence is what prepares you to carry His power.
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The Spiritual World
There’s more to this world than can be felt or seen. Beyond the veil, there exists a realm energized by movement and life. That world, the spiritual realm, is more real than this world. And what happens in that world is more consequential than what happens in this world.
There’s more to this world than can be felt or seen. Beyond the veil, there exists a realm energized by movement and life. That world, the spiritual realm, is more real than this world. And what happens in that world is more consequential than what happens in this world.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NLT)
Angels and demons exist. Angels are not just metaphors for good. Demons are not just metaphors for evil. They are actual beings that exist - with minds, wills, and feelings all their own. God exists. The Devil exists. Heaven exists. Hell exists. In the spiritual realm, it’s light against darkness. And a war is raging over your soul.
What happens in that realm affects what happens in this realm. And the choices you make in this life move through the eternal world.
I think that we live so fast-paced in this realm that we rarely allow for a moment’s pause to consider the other. This is why the Bible urges us to be vigilant.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NLT)
Behind every lie, there is a liar. Behind every attack, there is an assailant. See with the eyes of the Spirit. Behind this world is another. The spiritual world is real, and it’s time we start living like it.
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Are There Different Kinds of Anointing?
Now, some believers wonder how they can acquire the "healing anointing”, the “deliverance anointing”, or the "prophetic anointing.” Some imagine that there are different kinds of anointing that require different protocols and procedures in order to collect. They may think that there’s something special one must do for the healing anointing, perhaps a special prayer to get the deliverance anointing, and so forth. But it’s actually quite simple.
Just like most vehicles are powered by one kind of fuel - gasoline - so all ministries, gifts, and spiritual expressions are powered by one source: the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The anointing, simply put, is the power of God. It’s God’s ability at work in us.
And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. (Acts 10:38, NLT)
Though the anointing can accomplish different purposes, there is only one anointing. If you have the Holy Spirit within you, not only does the anointing work within you; the anointing also works through you to reach those around you.
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.f” (Luke 4:18-19, NLT)
The anointing brings the power to proclaim the gospel, the power to bring healing, the power to bring deliverance, and more. The power of the Holy Spirit does it all.
Now, some believers wonder how they can acquire the "healing anointing”, the “deliverance anointing”, or the "prophetic anointing.” Some imagine that there are different kinds of anointing that require different protocols and procedures in order to collect. They may think that there’s something special one must do for the healing anointing, perhaps a special prayer to get the deliverance anointing, and so forth. But it’s actually quite simple.
The key to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is surrender to the Holy Spirit.
When you live a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit, you make yourself available for God to use you in whatever way He wishes. So there are no secret keys. Live holy. Have a strong prayer life. Stay in the Word. And follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just love Jesus.
When you surrender to the Holy Spirit, you get the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Planted by the Hand of God
When you lay down your life for the call of God, you become like a seed planted in the ground. When you are planted by God, you may, at times, find yourself in dark and lonely places; but your life will be used of God to bring forth a harvest.
Salvation is free, but the call of God will cost you everything.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. (John 12:24, NLT)
When you lay down your life for the call of God, you become like a seed planted in the ground. When you are planted by God, you may, at times, find yourself in dark and lonely places; but your life will be used of God to bring forth a harvest.
Seeds are those who say to the Lord, “Spend me for your glory.” So here’s a question for you: Will you let God bury you? Will you let God take you to places that you may not want to go? Will you give up your own plans and ambitions and exchange them for God’s perfect will?
Will you become a seed in the ground that others might hear the gospel?
Paul the Apostle wrote of a daily death to self, and that’s exactly what it will take to be used of God. May you become a life planted, that Jesus might reap the reward of His suffering - a plentiful harvest of new lives, of souls.
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Holy Spirit: Heaven's Greatest Worship Leader
Therefore, true worship cannot be conjured by means of emotional posturing. Worship can’t be demanded by an ambitious song leader. Hype can’t produce it. Production can’t mimic it. Musical talent cannot cause it. Only the Holy Spirit can ignite the fire of worship in your heart. For the carnal cannot produce the spiritual. He is the one who awakens true worship within you.
All true worship is a response to revelation about God. All true revelation comes by the Holy Spirit. You can sing without a revelation. You can dance without a revelation. But you can’t truly worship without a revelation.
Worship is intensity of attention.
Worship is adoration.
Worship is giving God glory as you see His glory.
But if you can’t see, you can’t worship.
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
Worship isn’t a chore to be completed or an obligation to be fulfilled. Worship isn’t therapy to be used for our own benefit. Worship is a spiritual reaction to a divine reality. It’s your being’s way of celebrating God’s being.
Therefore, true worship cannot be conjured by means of emotional posturing. Worship can’t be demanded by an ambitious song leader. Hype can’t produce it. Production can’t mimic it. Musical talent cannot cause it. Only the Holy Spirit can ignite the fire of worship in your heart. For the carnal cannot produce the spiritual. He is the one who awakens true worship within you.
The Holy Spirit uses the truths of the Word to produce a knowing of God - that knowing of God causes the natural response that is worship. To Worship is to be wowed by Him. The Holy Spirit takes the information and adds to it inspiration - that brings forth revelation. So it is the spirit and truth that together cultivate genuine worship of God.
May we stand in awe of Him as we see Him with the eyes of the Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is the greatest worship leader of all time.
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Don't Be a People Pleaser
No matter what you say, someone will disagree. No matter what you do, someone will think it should have been done differently. No matter what truth you speak, someone will point out a truth you left out. There’s no escaping the opinions of people. For every action and inaction, the offense of someone is waiting.
When I was a teenager, I attended a Bible conference in Southern California. I was excited to attend that conference, because I was believing for God to move in my life. I went to the conference full of faith and prepared to receive God’s Word. I took my Bible, a notepad, and a pen. I arrived early and was even able to get a seat in the front row.
Now, during this time, I had only just begun in ministry but God was blessing the ministry with some small but healthy growth. So there were a few people at the conference who were somewhat familiar with my ministry.
While sitting in the front row, my sense of anticipation intensified. I was ready to receive. Then, just a few minutes before the service began, a pastor approached me, greeted me, and then sneered, “Well, well, well. Look at you. You think that just because you’re in ministry now, you can sit in the front row.”
I was shocked and saddened by that comment. I began to search my heart.
“Was I sitting in the front row to be seen?”
“Should I have not sat on the front row?”
“Was there some hidden impure motive in my heart?”
“I thought I was just excited to be there!”
I don’t remember what was preached during that night of the conference, but I remember how I felt about that comment.
Not wanting to risk or tolerate even a bit of impure ambition, I decided the next night of the conference to sit in the back row. So I did just that. I still arrived early. I still had my Bible, my notepad, and my pen. But I sat in almost the very last row. Surely, I would be free from all criticism there.
This time, however, a different Christian leader approached me. He shook my, greeted me, and then remarked, “You get a little bit of popularity and suddenly you think you have to hide here in the back row.”
You can’t please everyone. So just worry about pleasing the Lord.
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. (Galatians 1:10)
No matter what you say, someone will disagree. No matter what you do, someone will think it should have been done differently. No matter what truth you speak, someone will point out a truth you left out. There’s no escaping the opinions of people. For every action and inaction, the offense of someone is waiting.
Now, by no means am I saying that you should never consider the feelings or even the corrections of loved ones or the wise. I’m simply saying that it’s impossible to please everyone. So don’t even try. Instead, focus on pleasing the Lord, and everything else will fall in line. For when we please God, we are truly living.
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The Holiness Spirit
He has given you everything you need to live in holiness. Beyond just giving you the power to say “no” to temptation, the Holy Spirit changes your desires. The sins that once tempted you begin to disgust you, as the Holy Spirit does His work.
The Holy Spirit is not our reward for holiness; He’s our source for holiness. The Holy Spirit’s presence and work in you is what causes you to obey God.
God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. (1 Peter 1:2, NLT)
The Holy Spirit gives you the desire, but you must make the decision to respond to that desire. He provides the desire; you provide the discipline.
He has given you everything you need to live in holiness. Beyond just giving you the power to say “no” to temptation, the Holy Spirit changes your desires. The sins that once tempted you begin to disgust you, as the Holy Spirit does His work.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6, NLT)
So trust the Holy Spirit, for He is, indeed, the Spirit of holiness. There’s no amount of mistakes that you could make to cause Him to cease His work in you. Consider the children of Israel. After years of back-and-forth, after generations of idolatry and backsliding, God made a powerful promise to them.
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, the most stubborn and problematic areas of your character become refined. He can change anyone. He can free you from anything, no matter how long you’ve been bound.
The Holy Spirit makes you holy.
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Overcoming the Victim Mindset
Being victorious doesn’t mean that I don’t face difficulties. Being victorious means that even in difficulties, I continue to believe that God wins in the end. The victorious believer doesn’t allow exterior circumstances to diminish inner joy. The victorious believer doesn’t allow the actions of others to steal their peace.
There is no greater privilege in life than knowing Jesus. There is no greater advantage than the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within you. No matter where you come from, how you were raised, or what disadvantages life seemingly forced upon you, the Bible declares that you are victorious if you are in Christ.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8:31 & 37, NLT)
This, of course, does not mean that we will never face hardships. This simply means that even in hardships, we are victorious, because we belong to God.
Being victorious doesn’t mean that I don’t face difficulties. Being victorious means that even in difficulties, I continue to believe that God wins in the end. The victorious believer doesn’t allow exterior circumstances to diminish inner joy. The victorious believer doesn’t allow the actions of others to steal their peace.
In persecution, we have God’s love.
In loneliness, we have God’s presence.
Even in death, we have eternal life.
You have God’s attention, voice, favor, and love. God opens doors, brings opportunities, and shapes your destiny.
What can anyone do to us? Truly, the believer can never be a victim. No person, system, government, or idea can hold us down. We are never victims, always more than conquerors.
With this God-given position of eternal victory comes the responsibility of walking in it. And one of the keys to walking in Heavenly dominion is thinking according to the truth - having a godly mindset.
Thoughts are the actions of the mind. And you can choose your thought patterns.
The choice is ours: we can either choose to live with a victim mindset, constantly blaming everyone and everything else around us for our defeats and challenges, settling for less when God has more. Or we can choose to allow the truth to affect our thinking.
It’s time to embrace your privilege - the privilege of Christ in you.
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The Potter's Hand
Let God break your will and mold His. Let God reshape your thinking to be like His. Allow God to fashion your nature, your character, your speech, your thought patterns, and your conduct. Don’t fight Him.
The rebellious nature has been crucified with Christ, but it seems that the rebellious nature often tries for a resurrection. We surrender things to God and then try to control them again. We place things in His hands and then try to hold them for ourselves again. We put things on the altar and then try to pull them off. We tend to forget that God is the potter, and that we are the clay.
“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ (Isaiah 45:9, NLT)
This is why we so desperately need the help of the Holy Spirit; it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can truly learn to surrender.
Let God break your will and mold His. Let God reshape your thinking to be like His. Allow God to fashion your nature, your character, your speech, your thought patterns, and your conduct. Don’t fight Him.
Realize that God’s vision for your life will often contradict your vision for your life. But considering the fact that you surrendered your life to Him when you got saved, can you truly say anymore that it’s “your” life?
Don’t fight the process. Don’t resist the movement of the Potter’s hand. Let Him break what needs to be broken. Let Him remove what needs to be removed. Let His desire take shape in you.
Indeed, we are just the clay; He is the Potter.
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Secret Place Prayer
Stubbornly guard your prayer life. Vigilantly protect the secret place. Re-arrange your schedule. Say no to taking on more hobbies and responsibilities. Wake up earlier. Stay up later. Turn off your phone. Whatever you need to do in order to protect the secret place, do it.
The issue with our hobbies, careers, plans, and responsibilities isn’t that they’re evil. The problem is that, all too often, they’re “instead of.” By that I mean that they are often chosen instead of time with the Lord. If the pace of your life is too fast to allow for quality time in prayer, then the pace of your life is too fast.
Jesus spoke specifically about carving time out of your day to devote to prayer.
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, NLT)
The secret to true Christian living is how you spend your time in secret. With what do you fill the secret spaces of your life? You see, only those who truly believe in God practice secret prayer. If they didn’t believe in God, for whom would they be performing in secret?
As followers of Christ, we must get into the habit of guarding our secret time. Let nothing or no one come between you and your time in prayer.
Business should not take the place of secret prayer, for you can accomplish more in a prayer-filled day than you can in a prayer-less week.
Family should not take the place of secret prayer, for nothing would be better for your family than for them to have a Christ-like version of you.
Worry should not take the place of secret prayer, for worry is simply the flesh’s powerless counterfeit for prayer.
Entertainment should not take the place of secret prayer, for there is nothing more spectacular and fulfilling than knowing the depths of the Spirit.
Stubbornly guard your prayer life. Vigilantly protect the secret place. Re-arrange your schedule. Say no to taking on more hobbies and responsibilities. Wake up earlier. Stay up later. Turn off your phone. Whatever you need to do in order to protect the secret place, do it.
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THIS is How Prayer Changes YOU
Often, when you pray, God’s desire is to cause you to become an answer to prayer. More than it will change anyone or anything else, prayer will change the one who prays. Prayer is not about persuading God to change His will - no one can persuade God. Rather, prayer is about becoming an active participant in God’s will.
Moved by compassion, Jesus took notice of the crowds. He saw that they were confused and helpless. It was that compassion that moved Jesus to send out His disciples. He instructed His disciples to pray that God would send help for the people.
37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38, NLT)
Now here’s what’s interesting. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for God to send more workers into the spiritual harvest fields. Yet those very disciples, who were instructed to pray for more workers, were themselves sent out as workers.
At the beginning of the very next chapter, the disciples were sent out.
Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evila spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. (Matthew 10:1, NLT)
Often, when you pray, God’s desire is to cause you to become an answer to prayer. More than it will change anyone or anything else, prayer will change the one who prays. Prayer is not about persuading God to change His will - no one can persuade God. Rather, prayer is about becoming an active participant in God’s will.
Prayer is less about receiving and more about becoming. When you live a life submitted to prayer, you become God’s will in the earth. You become an answer to prayer.
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Two Kinds of Prayer
Unceasing prayer is spontaneous, in the moment, fluid. It is practiced during even the most mundane portions of your day. Unceasing prayer is carried out in the car, quietly within your heart, on the job, at school, and so forth. It can fill any gap of time, and can be practiced in any circumstance. But there is also a ceremony to prayer that must be regularly observed. Ceremony—that is, preparing the atmosphere—is necessary for intentional prayer. Intentional prayer takes place when I set the atmosphere to sharpen my focus on the Lord.
Did you know that there are two kinds of prayer? Though you won’t see these terms in Scripture, you will see these principles.
There is unceasing prayer, which is speaking with the Lord all throughout the day. Then there is intentional prayer, which is the setting aside of time.
Unceasing prayer is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
“Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT)
Intentional prayer is found in Matthew 6:6.
“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.” (Matthew 6:6a, NLT)
All prayer - whether speaking in tongues, intercessory prayer, spiritual warfare, and so forth - will always fall under the categories of either unceasing prayer or intentional prayer.
Unceasing prayer is spontaneous, in the moment, fluid. It is practiced during even the most mundane portions of your day. Unceasing prayer is carried out in the car, quietly within your heart, on the job, at school, and so forth. It can fill any gap of time, and can be practiced in any circumstance. But there is also a ceremony to prayer that must be regularly observed. Ceremony—that is, preparing the atmosphere—is necessary for intentional prayer. Intentional prayer takes place when I set the atmosphere to sharpen my focus on the Lord.
Unceasing prayer is for any atmosphere. Intentional prayer is for a certain atmosphere. The undisciplined struggle with intentional prayer. The structured have trouble with unceasing prayer. The undisciplined think intentional prayer is unnecessary. The structured think unceasing prayer is strange. Unceasing prayer is spontaneous. Intentional prayer is scheduled. Both are necessary. If unceasing prayer brings about spiritual longevity, then intentional prayer brings about spiritual depth.
By practicing both intentional and unceasing prayer, you can strengthen your prayer life.
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Body, Soul, Spirit: Simply Explained
The Holy Spirit communicates what He knows of God with your spirit. God’s Spirit shares revelations with your spirit. God’s innermost Being shares mysteries with your innermost being. In that place of inner oneness, divine secrets are being imparted. By the Holy Spirit, every believer has this privilege of internal, eternal connection with God Himself.
I am a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body. You are a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NLT)
BODY
Your body is your “earth suit.” Your body is your connection with this world. Your body is the vehicle through which you experience the natural realm. Every single interaction that you share with others is through your body. With the body, you speak and communicate. With your physical being, you see, hear, and touch the world around you. Contrary to what some religious ideologies have led us to believe, the body itself is not a sinful, corrupt thing. Sure, the body is decaying and dying. And, yes, your physical body can be trained to become an instrument of the sin nature, but that doesn’t mean that your body is itself sinful. Your body can be used for either sin or holiness. The choice is yours. In fact, your body can be a carrier of the glory of God.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)
Your body can be a holy host of the Holy Spirit’s presence. You can be the Holy Spirit’s physical connection with this world.
SOUL
The soul is the realm of decision. In the soul lives your mind, will, emotions, and personality. Your mind—what you imagine. Your will—what you want. Your emotions—what you feel. The soul is the neutral ground between the body and the spirit. It is the place where free will is exercised.
The soul is eternal, and everyone has a soul—redeemed and unredeemed alike. The wicked have souls.
The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes (Proverbs 21:10, KJV).
The godly have souls.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 1:2, KJV).
Every human being has a soul.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10, KJV).
The breath of life is in the soul. The soul gives animation, consciousness. The soul is where your free will is exercised.
SPIRIT
Your spirit is your connection with God. It is the innermost part of your being, the center of you, the source of your identity. Your spirit is the deepest part of you, and your spirit knows perfect fellowship with God.
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT)
No one knows your thoughts like your spirit does. The same is true of God. The Holy Spirit knows God’s thoughts. The Holy Spirit, who is God’s Spirit, searches out the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit knows God’s secrets, intentions, and desires. The Holy Spirit knows God’s will. The Holy Spirit perfectly and completely understands God’s nature and power. Everything there is to know about our infinitely intricate God, the Holy Spirit knows. The Holy Spirit is not learning about God. The Holy Spirit knows God. He knows Himself fully.
The Holy Spirit communicates what He knows of God with your spirit. God’s Spirit shares revelations with your spirit. God’s innermost Being shares mysteries with your innermost being. In that place of inner oneness, divine secrets are being imparted. By the Holy Spirit, every believer has this privilege of internal, eternal connection with God Himself.
No matter how you feel in body or soul, your connection in the spirit remains. You live, not to connect with God, but from connection with God.
Your body belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)
Your Spirit is one with God. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)
And, yes, even your soul is filled and owned by God. (Ephesians 1:14, AMP)
You are a Spirit, who has a soul, that exists in a body.
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Partnering with God
We were made for the glory of God. Since the beginning, God has sought a partnership with man. Man was made to steward what God started, to cultivate what God created, and to call into order what God has called into existence. We are called to be diligent partners of God. God has provided you with the substance of your life. You must exercise your free will to shape that and then give it back to God as an offering. Our purpose is to love and glorify God through whatever means we have been given.
Good stewardship is always rewarded with increase in responsibility. Growth comes when we do well with what God has already given us. This applies to ministry, finances, and much more.
EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING
Everyone is given something to be used for the glory of God. Everyone has resources, big or small. Everyone has energy - whether a little or a lot. Everyone has time. Everyone has influence, free will, and relationships. Inside every human being, God has deposited gifts, talents, and abilities. Everyone has been entrusted with something, and, therefore, everyone has the responsibility of maximizing their potential and using all they have, to the best of their ability, unto the glory of God.
DILIGENT PARTNERS
We were made for the glory of God. Since the beginning, God has sought a partnership with man. Man was made to steward what God started, to cultivate what God created, and to call into order what God has called into existence. We are called to be diligent partners of God.
God has provided you with the substance of your life. You must exercise your free will to shape that and then give it back to God as an offering. Our purpose is to love and glorify God through whatever means we have been given.
Good work ethic. Diligence. Focus. These are marks of the Spirit-filled. These are marks of good stewards.
THE PARABLE
Think of the parable of the talents. In that parable, a master went away on a long journey, leaving varying monetary amounts with his three servants.
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. (Matthew 25:14-15, NLT)
The servants were given resources in proportion to their abilities. Now, in the parable, the master never once gave them specific instructions. They were simply expected to do something with what they had been given. They were expected to take initiative with what they had been entrusted.
When the master returned, he evaluated the performance of each servant.
“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. (Matthew 25:19, NLT)
Notice that the servant who had the least wasn’t excused because He had a different starting point than the other servants. Nobody can say, “I didn’t do anything for God because I don’t have what others have” or “I don’t have anything to offer God.” A different starting point is never an excuse for inaction and poor stewardship. Just because we don’t have what others have doesn’t mean we aren’t responsible for what we do have.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP
When you steward well what God has given to you, that good stewardship unlocks the door to more responsibilities. God wants to entrust you with more, but can He?
Stewardship is about increase and productivity. Stewardship is about walking in divine authority. Stewardship is about recognizing that everything in your possession belongs to God. It’s all His. And when we take care of and when we use well what He has already given to us, He can trust us with more.
So how can you maximize what God has given to you? Even if you feel you have little, what can you do right now to further the Kingdom of God? When you treat what you have like it’s what you want, God will bring the increase.
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Welcome the Holy Spirit
We need the Holy Spirit. Programs cannot replace power. Strategy cannot replace Spirit. Methods cannot replace miracles. We must do away with clever-sounding excuses that limit the Holy Spirit’s influence in our churches and ministries.
In the modern Church, the Holy Spirit is often treated like He’s a liability rather than the very power to truly grow the Church. In many cases, He’s barely tolerated, when He should be sought after and honored.
The Holy Spirit was present at the founding of the Church, because He is the key to a powerful Church.
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. (Acts 2:1-4, NLT)
We need the Holy Spirit. Programs cannot replace power. Strategy cannot replace Spirit. Methods cannot replace miracles. We must do away with clever-sounding excuses that limit the Holy Spirit’s influence in our churches and ministries.
Without the power of the Holy Spirit, our preaching is just self-help, our worship is just entertainment, our evangelism is just marketing, and our gathering is just a club.
No more superficial encouragement; the hour calls for supernatural empowerment. The hour calls for a remnant that is unashamed of the Holy Spirit’s work. Stop trying to explain Him and just embrace Him. Be bold. And let it be known that we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe in His power to convict the heart of the sinner and to heal the disease of the afflicted. We believe in miracles, in healing, in casting out demons, in speaking in tongues, in manifestations of power. Yes, we believe in the power of pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit.
Some are surrendered just enough to be blessed by the Spirit but not enough to be transformed by the Spirit. But it’s time to surrender all. It’s time to acknowledge that we are utterly helpless without Him - that we need the Holy Spirit.
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Don't Hurt the Holy Spirit
Disobedience to the Word of God grieves the Holy Spirit. Ungodly thoughts grieve the Holy Spirit. When we prioritize entertainment over prayer, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we ignore His gentle voice, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we are more committed to interacting on social media than we are to reading the Bible, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we allow anger to get the best of us, lust to control us, and fear to dominate us, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a Personal Being. He has a mind. He has a will. He has feelings.
And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30, NLT)
A startling reality - the Holy Spirit can be grieved by our actions. The way we live can hurt Him. With this in mind, those who love the Holy Spirit must ask, “What grieves the Holy Spirit?”
Whatever contradicts the nature or the Word of God grieves the Holy Spirit, especially when such contradictions are lived through God’s own children.
Disobedience to the Word of God grieves the Holy Spirit. Ungodly thoughts grieve the Holy Spirit. When we prioritize entertainment over prayer, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we ignore His gentle voice, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we are more committed to interacting on social media than we are to reading the Bible, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we allow anger to get the best of us, lust to control us, and fear to dominate us, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
When we place our political preferences over God’s truth, when we hold grudges against fellow believers, when we live contrary to what we preach, we grieve the Holy Spirit. When we disconnect from the gathering of believers, when we twist the Scriptures to excuse our compromise, when we withhold the gospel from those who need to hear it, we grieve the Holy Spirit.
Sin grieves the Spirit. Compromise grieves the Spirit. Spiritual apathy grieves the Spirit. Let us become people Who know the Word. Let us learn what break His heart, that we might not grieve the Holy Spirit.
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Overcoming Guilt and Shame
The conscience is to the mind what pain is to the body. Guilt can be like a check engine light. It alerts you to an issue. It tells you that something is wrong, that something needs to be fixed, that something could lead to a breakdown.
Years ago, while driving my car, I noticed that my check engine light turned on. So I took my car to my mechanic, a trusted friend, and explained to him that I had no idea what was wrong with the car. All I knew was that my check engine light was triggered.
He ran diagnostics on the car and found the problem. Whatever the problem was, within a couple of hours, my car was fixed. My mechanic assured me that the issue was resolved.
However, as I drove away from the auto shop, I noticed that my check engine light was still on. “That can’t be,” I thought to myself. I was so bothered by the light that I became a distracted driver. It was difficult to focus on the road ahead while simultaneously worrying about the light.
I turned around and complained to my mechanic friend. He assured me again that the issue was resolved. He explained, “The problem is fixed. Now, I just need to reset the check engine light.”
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
The conscience is to the mind what pain is to the body. Guilt can be like a check engine light. It alerts you to an issue. It tells you that something is wrong, that something needs to be fixed, that something could lead to a breakdown.
The problem comes when, after fixing the problem, we forget to reset the check engine light. After you’ve repented and been forgiven of a sin, it’s time to move on. Once godly sorrow has served its purpose, it’s okay to have joy again. That’s why the psalmist wrote,
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. (Psalms 32:1-5)
The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not a burden; it’s a blessing. Repentance is not an obligation; it’s an opportunity. Godly sorrow is your spiritual check engine light. Repent. Fix the issue. And then reset the light. Let godly sorrow serve its purpose and then move on. If you become too focused on your spiritual check engine light, it may become impossible to focus ahead on the road of your divine destiny.
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