A successful athlete stays sharp by adhering to a strict routine of exercise, diet and training. The same is true for Christians who have a zeal for God. Satan wants to destroy this zeal and passion by feeding us lies and deception. This deception all started at the beginning of time when the serpent told Eve, “You will not certainly die, … For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:4-5, NIV).
The more Christians accept these lies and deceptions, the more spiritual complacency sets in. Prayer life begins to falter, passion for God subsides, and we wonder what happened. To get that enthusiasm back, we’ve learned to exercise our spiritual muscles by Staying Hungry for God, Going Deeper with God, and Seeking Revelation from God. Before we can Live in the Overflow, we must understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Satan cannot keep Christians from heaven, but he can make our lives miserable while we live in the world. (John 10:10). We must not listen to what Satan says about who we are, instead we must focus only on who God says we are. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them (Acts 1:5). John the Baptist, who came before Jesus, said the Holy Spirit was for all believers to come (Luke 3:16). Of the many benefits received from the Holy Spirit, I believe there are two that give us the ability to Live in the Overflow. The Holy Spirit testifies to the facts that we are children of God (Rom 8:14-16) and that we have power to live victorious lives (Acts 1:5-8) .
Child of God
Being a child of God means we are loved unconditionally by God and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:21-22). Therefore, we have victory over evil and can share God’s grace with those around us. Our identity is not based on what we have or what we have accomplished. No, it is based on who God is. When we truly know our identity as a son or daughter of God , we can then trust God’s Word (2 Tim 3:16) and not be driven by performance, not be influenced by the world or by deceptions and lies.
Power
C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), wrote a great exposition on the power of the Holy Spirit. (Click here to read the full text.) He discussed 4 outward and visible displays of the Holy Spirit, 3 ways the inner spiritual power of the Holy Spirit are seen (heart, soul and mind), and 3 future works of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of believers (Eph 3:16-17; Ezek 36:27; PS 51:10). The spirit filled heart will therefore bear fruit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23, NIV.)
Just as a stem grafted into a healthy plant takes on the nature (or soul) of the healthy plant, so does the mind when it is grafted into the indwelling Holy Spirit. (James 1:21.) Christians operating under the power of the Holy Spirit act instinctively and with power (John 1:1-5).
Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor 2:4). The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not to conform to the world but to be transformed by renewing the minds, our way of thinking (1 Cor 2:15-16). During the few years of His ministry, Jesus demonstrated how to live a Godly life in an ungodly world. Paul instructs the church at Philippi that they are to follow in the lifestyle demonstrated by Jesus (Phil 2:5-11). Having the same mindset as Christ, is to know God (Eph 1:17). And this ‘knowing’ God is not just head knowledge of God, it is experiential knowledge of God.
Living in The Overflow
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb 12:1-3, NIV
Do you thirst for this overflow? Follow the advice Jesus gives –
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 7:37-39 NIV
Jesus is waiting at the well for you.
These past two months have been truly remarkable for me. Remember this all started with my youngest daughter telling me to write what God has been teaching me. Go back to Silence and read forward to get the whole picture of what God has been telling me. The journey is far from over. On Sunday evening (2/12/17) New Life Church, where we’ve been attending since November, began a winter Bible Seminar called Times of Refreshing. While I do not like the fact that tonight is the last night, I can say I have been refreshed and have refocused my energies on what lays ahead of us. Pray for us as we have some decisions to make about our future. God has been faithful to us and we want to be obedient to His calling.
Thanks for stopping by, y’all come back now.
Tales from the WagginMaster 