What Are You Afraid Of?

I was asked a question in a men’s group: “What do I fear?”

My Answer: I have a fear that the Lord could take His Holy Spirit from me.

I’m not afraid like I would be if a lion came upon me. My fear is out of reverence and awe for who the Lord is. King David said in Psalm 51:11 “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

In Exodus 33:15 Moses said to God; “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”

The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:30 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” He wouldn’t have said ‘don’t grieve’ unless it were possible to grieve the Spirit. Paul also said on numerous times: “Do not be deceived”. He wouldn’t have said ‘don’t be deceived’ unless it were possible to be deceived

My fear is that He could take His Spirit from me and I wouldn’t even know it.

(1 Samuel 16:14) “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from (king) Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.”

(Judges 16:20) “And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

No matter what God has called you to do, it is still going to be done ONLY through His power. He is the source of ALL of our power so we must be connected to Him as the source of our anointing.

Jesus said; “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

God wants to give us His power, His anointing. But we need to be good stewards of the anointing because it is borrowed power. It’s God’s power and anointing.

But too often people are busy for God, and not necessarily effective for God.

When we find ourselves in this position, we need TO RESPOND TO THE Grace and admit that something is missing in our ministry, admit that we are NOT as effective as we used to be, admit we don’t have His power working in and through us.

1 Peter 5:5 says that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

We need to HUMBLE OURSELVES- “I have no confidence in my flesh or in my ability! BUT I do have: Confidence in Jesus, and in His Blood, and in His Word, and in the Name of Jesus!”

Each of us will give an account for what we did with what we were given.

I Thank God for the Body of Christ - Thank God for the five-fold gifts: People who are willing to help us get the power and anointing back.

Where was the last place that you were effective?

Where was the last place that you were strong?

Remember your first love

Go back to the first time you heard the Name of Jesus and it thrilled you!

Go back to when you couldn’t get enough of the Bible.

Go back to where you read the Bible and consumed it.

Go back to that place of prayer;

“I need you….I want you….I thirst for you!”

You’ll never grow beyond your last act of disobedience. You need to GO BACK and admit where you blew it. It’s God’s power entrusted to us and He can bring it once again!

Even though you may not feel like you can be used again, God is able to help you recover it. Remember, it is borrowed power, NOT YOUR POWER!

God is NOT done with you! The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). We are created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10)

God entrusts us with His power to do His works: To heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons… (Matthew 10:8)

 

To preach the gospel to the poor; … to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18)

But we need to commit to take better care of the gifts He has given to us BEFORE we are used by Him. We do this by spending time with God in: Bible study, fasting, praying in the Spirit.

Hebrews 2:1 tells us: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”

We don’t lose the anointing overnight. Each of us have times when we have felt it slipping and we responded by saying; “I’ll get by; it’s OK, I’ll get through this!”

Men and women of old were more consecrated than we are. They understood holiness. They had the power and anointing because they had been good stewards.

We need to be more consecrated –more reverent to God, to give ourselves to God in EVERYTHING, which includes in the little things: the leaven, little foxes, little compromises things that cause us to waver in our consecration.

And suddenly you find yourself wondering why you are not seeing any power behind what you are doing. Wondering why people are not getting saved. Wondering why people are not being healed…

You can try to try to “fake it until you make it”; but I don’t advise it! You will be: worn out, burned out, used up – As some of you are today- trying on your own with no effective results and no longer wanting to dream dreams for your life.

WE CANNOT HAVE GOD’S POWER APART FROM HIS Presence

We MUST reverence His presence

We must be surrendered to Him!

We must be yielded to Him

I want to get my power from God! I want to be trust worthy! I want to be a good steward of the power and anointing!

How do you get the power? When the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8).

God WILL bring the power back to you- but you still have a part to play

We have to take hold of what God brings back to us.

We have to take and use the gifts and anointing that God brings to us.

We have to let God work through us.

And then the consecration really begins to inspect us every day.

To not assume that we are connected to the vine (John 15:5)

Not: manufacture power or make power!

We receive power - It is a gift from God-But we also need to check our motives.

Why do you want the power and anointing from God? Are you sure that your motives are right?

 

(Acts 8:18-19) “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

The more God releases His power to us, the more that we must change to become like Jesus. If you really want the power gifts, you will want to become more like Jesus.

Let’s pray:

Father, if you’ll give me the anointing, and give me the power I promise I’ll do a better job of being a good steward of the power you give.

Father I want to do the work you’ve called me to do.

Father, I want to see Jesus lifted up in my life and honored and glorified

I want to see lives changed for Your glory!

Can you say; “amen”?