Sunday Words of Encouragement February 11, 2018

We braved the rain to share and worship at church. Our Sunday School teacher continued his interesting lessons regarding death. Pastor shared for the second week on his sermon series: Inhabited.

He reminded us that the Holy Spirit is a person, dwelling and living within us. He also reminded us of last week’s point:
Point: We are not all we are meant to be when everything in our lives can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God.

Then Pastor asked: Are we desperate for more of Him, for His presence every day?
As he asked last week: Will we be satisfied to live a life that can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Holy Spirit?

When we enter a committed relationship, such as marriage, everything changes. We cannot live life as we did like a single person or their will be friction and trouble. This is true when we enter a committed relationship with Jesus. When we accepted Jesus did our life change? Did we (do we) allow the Spirit to be present and working in us or did we (do we) push Him aside to a corner? The Holy Spirit is not just to be added like a condiment, or a good luck charm to bring blessings.

Accepting Jesus should result in a change, a new nature. We should be immersed as is symbolized by the baptism through immersion in water.
Truth: The Holy Spirit is for anyone who believes on Jesus as Lord.

Acts 2:17-21 ‘In last days... And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Romans 8:9-11 ‘The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus, lives inside of us.’

Point: The Holy Spirit gives us power to put sin to death.

Satan, the Enemy lies to us trying to make us complacent in our sins. He says that sin is part of our life; it is part of genetics; it is part of social environment; everyone is doing it. But the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome sin and generational curses. There are no earthly excuses to justify sin.

If you see brackish water where sea water has mixed with fresh water you know that is not safe or good to drink. The Holy Spirit makes us a wholly new person, if we allow. We are not to be part sin and part holy.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

There should be a big difference in our lives if we have the Holy Spirit living within. Is your life different? Do you recognize Him at work in your life? Have you limited the Spirit in you? Don't continue to live with the sin and the curses. Is it possible the Holy Spirit lives within is just not head knowledge, but not moving in you?

If you do not allow the Spirit to control within you, there is no power, no presence, and no work. Surrender your all every day and let the Holy Spirit have complete access to move within you to make you the new person you are meant to be.

The words of this song fit perfectly – “desperate for You, I surrender…”

Verses for Today:
Romans 8:5-6
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Lord, help me to surrender my will each morning to Your Will; to allow the Holy Spirit to lead over my carnal nature.