BLESSED ARE THE BLOOD DONORS!

This blogpost is a little off the beaten path for me (that's why I'll call it SAT 15.5, not SAT 16), but I decided to write this after a discussion I had with my brother-in-love (a.k.a. brother-in-law), who still isn't ready to donate blood by the way!

There are medical and other physical advantages you and I can access by donating blood voluntarily (for no particular recipient) and regularly. Personally, I also BELIEVE there are some spiritual benefits which I'll share in this list. Here goes:

1. You get screened for HIV, Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C viral infections for FREE regularly because your blood has to be screened and certified fit for transfusion.

2. In the process, you also get to know your blood group and packed cell volume (percentage of red cells in your blood at that time).

3. You challenge your bone marrow to produce new red blood cells to replace donated and old cells.

4. You get a voluntary donor card which may come to good use in certain circumstances e.g. interviews (for various purposes) where it has been known to serve as an extra consideration for some people.

5. In people prone to iron overload, blood donation prevents the accumulation of toxic quantities of iron. It's actually used to treat hereditary iron overload (haemochromatosis).

6. Donating blood MAY reduce the risk of heart disease for men (though the link has not been firmly established).

7. Repeated blood donation is effective in reducing blood pressure, blood sugar, HbA1C (a "bad" type of haemoglobin), low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio (a bad thing too!), and heart rate in people with metabolic syndrome.

8. In some countries, the government gives a yearly holiday, awards and other incentives to repeated voluntary donors.

9. You get the benefit of being involved in saving a life (make no mistake about it, blood saves lives, with God's help of course).

10. I know you've been waiting to see the spiritual benefits:

a. What a man sows, he shall reap (Luke 6:38): Now, you don't need to reap blood as such, LOL! Because you're sowing HELP, you're bound to receive help in some way as a direct consequence. This one I'm 100% sure of.

b. Ministering divine life to another: Leviticus 17 makes it clear in verses 11 & 14 that the life of a creature is in its blood. If indeed I have taken Christ's flesh & blood (the Holy Communion) and the Holy Spirit in me also gives life to my mortal body which includes my blood (John 6:54 & Romans 8:11), then the one who receives my blood through transfusion can also benefit from that life and be healed/saved from physical death. I only have those 3 scriptures to go on and there was no transfusion in Jesus' time so I might be wrong, but when I donate my blood, that's what I usually pray for the one who will be transfused with it. If you believe so too, great!

Now, even if you don't believe in the spiritual benefits I outlined and you don't exactly need the physical benefits, SOMEBODY out there still NEEDS your blood! Scores of people die everyday because blood is not readily available at certain crucial times. Your half-litre of blood donated every 3 or 6 months or even once a year can make a huge difference to a patient, their family and other loved ones. Please consider donating blood regularly at a standard medical facility near you.

If you have questions/doubts about blood donation (or you want to talk about that "ministering life through your blood" thing!), please feel free to comment here or reach me @ adewumitola@yahoo.co.uk or on BBM (7E3DAA5F) or @ 08131048442 (I'm on whatsapp). God bless you real good! Dr Jesutola O. Adewumi (God-lover, Bondservant, Doctor).

WHEN YOU LAY HANDS....AND THE SICK GET SICKER!

They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover (Mark 16:18)......Jesus Himself said it, He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). He wasn't somniloquising when He said it, neither was He drunk. If He said it, it is so. What then happened when I laid hands on that 2-year old girl with meningitis? Why did she die? Or the lame man, why did he not walk? The blind man, why did he not see? Or the people you've laid hands on and "nothing" happened? When you lay hands on the sick and they don't recover, what do you do?

Just before you beat yourself up, consider Jesus, when He went to His hometown of Nazareth, how that their unbelief prevented Him from performing any miracle of, except for a few sick folks he laid hands on and healed (Mark 6:5&6). For a healing to take place, there must be power to heal (Luke 5:17) and usually, faith to receive the healing power/anointing (Matthew 9:29, Mark 5:34&10:52, Acts 3:16&14:9). In Nazareth, power met unbelief and the result was that the power could not find expression as it ought. Mind you, he healed a few sick folks despite their unbelief. This, in conjunction with some other scriptures, suggests a few things:

1. Sometimes, some minor sicknesses get healed without the sick person's faith (Mark 6:5)

2. A person may be healed on the faith of another, USUALLY one in some measure of authority over them (Matthew 8:13&15:28, Mark 2:5)

3. In some instances, possibly by the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, healings take place without any faith, usually SO THAT people might believe, especially among unbelievers. This is shown in instances where faith (or faith-based actions) were not mentioned, unbelief was mentioned or it was obvious that faith was absent (Matthew 12:15 &22, Mark 9:22-27, John 4:47-53 & 5:6-15)

It's obvious that all these are not the rule, but the exception. Again and again, we see that there's a strong emphasis on faith (Mark 5:34, 10:52 & 16:18, Acts 3:16 & 14:9) and faith-based actions (Luke 17:14, John 9:7). It's safe to say, therefore, that when faith is absent or hindered by things like unforgiveness (Mark 11:23-25), nothing usually happens.

Sometimes too, there may be a problem with the technique or method. For instance, praying for healing when a person is oppressed by a demon MAY not yield any result, but casting out the demon will. Praying for a lame man to walk MAY not work because the consistent way they were healed in scriptures was by the command of faith "rise up and walk". The same thing with a withered hand and a dead body (Matthew 9:6, Mark 9:25, Mark 5:41, Luke 6:10).

Also, there are times the Holy Spirit prompts us to do things differently, like rubbing mud on empty eye sockets (John 9:6), but we may miss it and nothing happens. The solution to this is to maintain sensitivity to the Holy Spirit while ministering to the sick.

There are probably a thousand and one reasons the sick sometimes don't get healed when you and I lay hands on them, but there is ONE reason they MUST get healed: because God said so! The solution then is to keep hearing, believing, speaking and DOING Mark 16:18 while yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit to teach us. Whatever you do, don't stop laying hands on the sick.

If you lay hands on a sick child and he dies, raise him from the dead! If he stays dead, lay hands on the next sick child you find as if the first one rose from the dead! Don't stop working the Word because the Word works! As I speak to you, I speak to myself. I have shied away from Mark 16:18 at times because of bad experiences, but NO MORE! Yes the 2-year old girl died, no the blind man didn't see, but I have also seen amazing miracles, and I'll still see more! I AM a believer, I lay hands on the sick and the sick do recover!

DO NOT FEAR THEIR FEAR!

These days, it has become fashionable to say things like "only God can keep one safe in this country", "first it was Boko Haram, now it is Ebola", "where can one run to?", "no one is safe in this Nigeria", "if it is not a plane crash or car accident, it's a bomb blast" etc etc. While some sound like faith and some sound like statements of the harsh realities of our time, the truth is that they almost always stem from a root of fear that has gripped the hearts of many Nigerians, sadly, even the church: the called out of God.

Come ye out from among them and be ye separate! Don't participate in this festival of fear that is going on in this country right now! You are the body of Christ, the called out of God, the elect, the chosen. You are NOT "the average Nigerian", you are different! Not all Nigerians have a covenant of protection, a covenant of life like you do. Not all Nigerians are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High like you are. And this secret place is moveable, it's beyond a location. Where I work in Lagos, next door to the epicenter of the Ebola-quake, I am in the secret place. If I am posted next year to Northern Nigeria where the Boko Haram fire rages, I'm still in the secret place. And if, tomorrow, I'm accosted by armed robbers in the middle of the night, I'm still in the secret place, untouchable!

We must talk different, we must act different, we must respond differently, because we ARE different! Brother, do not fear what they fear. Let God be your confidence! My confidence is not in the gloves I wear and the regular handwashing practices I adhere to. My confidence is in God! He shall deliver me from EVERY evil (including bomb blasts, armed robbers, food poisoning and the Ebola virus) and shall preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom!

God's Word is still as true today as it was when it was first spoken and written. Thou dost keep him in PERFECT PEACE whose mind is STAYED on You, because he TRUSTS in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is EVERLASTING STRENGTH (Isaiah 26:3-4). The eternal God is our REFUGE, and underneath are the EVERLASTING ARMS (Deuteronomy 33:27).

We are that army spoken of in Joel 2:8, when we fall upon the sword, we are not wounded! Come on now! Let's be like David, people! Let's say like David: the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Do not fear their fear! You may FEEL afraid, but REFUSE to fear. Don't let fear grip you, don't let the devil distract you. Shake off the fear and run your race unhindered. Jesus' return is near!

GRACE: FREEDOM TO SIN OR FREEDOM FROM SIN?

One of the commonest points of criticism against the "word of faith movement", the "prosperity preachers" and, most recently, the "grace message" is that preachers are "no longer condemning sin", "no longer preaching holiness" or are actually "encouraging sin" by preaching or teaching "lawless grace". While I'm not here to speak for or against any church, denomination or preacher, I'd like us to take a deeper look at the message of grace. Is it really freedom to do anything and be blameless before God? Or is grace about our freedom from the power of sin?

One scripture answers the question explicitly: Titus 2:11-15. It says that God's grace teaches us to deny sin and live righteously. It really can be no clearer than that! Reading all 5 verses reveals what grace really is all about: denying ungodliness and worldly lusts; living righteously, soberly and godly in THIS present world; expecting Jesus' return; our redemption from iniquity and our purification unto God.

Romans 6 is even more exciting. In 9 out of 23 verses, the Holy Spirit (through Paul) emphasised our freedom from sin, using words like dead to sin, made free from sin, ye WERE the servants of sin etc etc. It seems even Paul was accused of preaching "lawless grace" (Romans 3:8) and his reply was a strong NO! We are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:1-2&14-15), but the conclusion is not that we are free to sin, it is that we are free FROM sin! It is now our RESPONSIBILITY to not allow sin to control us, but rather to YIELD ourselves to righteousness (Romans 6:13&19).

Say with me today please:

I have been made free from sin, I'm free

I now have the ability to say NO to sin, for grace teaches me so

I am not subject to sin, I am superior to sin, a servant of righteousness

I don't HAVE to sin, if I sin, it's because I chose to

I now take responsibility to walk in love, walk in righteousness

I take responsibility to build my spirit, renew my mind, subdue my flesh and kill its works

I choose to live righteously, for grace has taught me so

I have learnt from the best (Grace), I continue to learn and do

I have been made free from sin, now I live free in Jesus' name!

ENJOY!

THE SERVING SON

Many have learnt service

Some have learnt sonship

Some understand neither

But precious few live both

I will serve and be approved, says one

I'm accepted, I need not serve, says another

But hear the serving son's heart

Accepted in the firstborn, I am privileged to serve

The servant will receive his rewards

The son will enjoy his Father's love

But see the serving son's end

By Love's justice, He inherits and rules the earth

The servant, he expects wages

The son, he comes boldly and takes

The serving son, he simply trusts

All that the Father has is mine.

SERVICING YOUR LOVE SOFTWARE

Have you ever met someone who "walked in love" and "walked in love" and "walked in love" until one day they finally "ran out of steam" and decided they'd had enough? That's when you hear things like I've had it up to here or I can't take this anymore or he has gotten on my last nerve etc. Truth is, many times, folks have merely been using their natural ability to endure interpersonal situations they don't like. Sometimes, however, they've actually been walking in love the whole time, but they failed to service their love software, so they got to a point they felt they just couldn't go any further.

For you to CONSISTENTLY walk in love, you've got to servce your love software. If love is a software, your spirit is the hardware. It doesn't matter how many fabulous softwares I have on my laptop, once the battery power runs out, I can't use them. To function consistently in love towards folks, you've got to service your love software by keeping your spirit "in form" like an athlete keeps his body in form. As your body needs feeding and exercise, your spirit does too.

1. Feed (on God's Word): God's word is milk, it's bread, it's meat (1Peter 2:2, Deuteronomy 8:3, Hebrews 5:12). You put those 3 together the right way and it's a balanced diet! LOL! Much like you feed your body with milk, bread, meat and other goodies, you feed your spirit (the real you) with the Word of God by putting it in your mouth. Not the paper but the words! You THINK, SPEAK and ROAR (SHOUT) God's Word to yourself. That's what Joshua 1:8 literally means by "meditate". I believe the "roar" aspect has to do with confession. Meditate and confess God's Word, especially His Word on love. Feed on 1Corinthians 13, eat Romans 5:5, chew Galatians 5:22, feed fat!

2. Build up: The same way a guy takes his body to the gym to build it, you can register and attend the gym of the Spirit by praying in tongues. A combination of 1Corinthians 14:4&14, Jude 20 and 1Timothy 4:8 makes us to understand that when you pray in tongues, you exercise and build your spirit. As you exercise your spirit, everything in your spirit (including love) finds expression more easily and consistently. Loving becomes the easiest thing in the world to do. Pray much in other tongues! Jude 21 actually says you keep yourself in the love of God as you do so. Not only that, as you pray, you also stir up the gift of God (the Spirit of love) that you've received.

3. Use your love: You want to be "in form" in love? You want to love consistently and not give up? Then use your love software! We learnt how to do that over the last 2 posts. Put the things you know to practice. Love and keep loving and don't stop loving!

Your love never fails!

LOVE COPYCATS

If you went to a "normal" school, the word "copycat" probably evokes images of people stretching their necks like giraffes to peep at a benchmate's script, and probably falling over in the process! We were taught and trained never to "copy". Of course, some people failed to imbibe this training (bless their souls!), but thank God most of us did. When it comes to love, however, you may have to do some unlearning and relearning, because "giraffing" is not such a bad thing here. In fact, you've got to be a master copycat!

Using your love software starts with being willing, but it doesn't end there. Please consider Philippians 2:13 again: it is God that works in us both to will and to DO of His good pleasure. There's a WILL-ing and then there's a DO-ing. Now, how do I do the "DO" part? Simple, DO! In Revelations 2:4&5, in order to bring back the Ephesian church to their "first love", Jesus instructed them to REPENT (change your mind, reset your will) and DO the first WORKS. To walk in love, WILL to love, then DO the WORKS (actions) of love!

Ephesians 5:1 instructs us to be IMITATORS (COPYCATS) of God as dear children. You've gotta be a professional giraffe! Watch God (Love) in the bible, see how he loves; watch Him in your spirit, see how he prompts you to love.....and COPY Him! He has not left us to figure out how to love by ourselves. Rather, He has demonstrated His love toward us in Christ Jesus and all through the bible (Romans 5:8, 1John 3:16).

We copy our Father as dear children, we love as we see Him love. We copy Jesus the Firstborn, we love as we see Him love. We copy the Holy Spirit, we love as He stirs us to love. He's the Spirit of our Father, He's the Spirit of love (Matthew 10:20, 2Timothy 1:7). That means that our Father literally gave us the Spirit by whom He loves, so we can love by the same Spirit exactly as He loves! How do I love by the Spirit of love? Stir up! 2Timothy 1:6&7 says to stir up the GIFT of God.....for (or because) God has GIVEN us the Spirit of love. In prayer, you can stir up the gift of God and bring yourself under His influence as a man does with wine.

Observe Love in His Word, then copy Him. Stir up the Spirit of love, then copy Him. Do the actions of love, even when you don't FEEL the feelings of love. Do the actions of love and continue to do them out of this understanding of love that you have. It's based on what you KNOW, not on what you FEEL. DO love and continue to DO love. PRACTISE love and continue to practise love. Continue till you get to where you unconsciously do love, then continuously continue! And when you fail, don't beat yourself up, when you catch yourself not loving, don't sit down there, dust your boots and run on! Your love NEVER fails!

USING YOUR LOVE SOFTWARE

While I was writing the last post, I began to sense in my heart that the anointing on this word is such that it will stretch over a series (albeit short), and not in the usual 2-weekly fashion  but rather in rapid succession. I must admit I have been disobedient about the "rapid succession" part but I have repented, bless God!

I have a young friend, let's call her Conqueror. She loves to say "I hate him" or "I hate her", referring to people around her. Conqueror is born again, the love of God is shed abroad in her heart by the Holy Ghost, yet that's the way she talks and acts. What's the problem here? Simple. She's got the love software but she ain't using it as she ought to. Actually, I'm like her when it comes to my laptop, I've got so many softwares I either don't know I have or haven't learnt to use.

Using your love software starts with a little thing called your WILL. It is God that works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13). It is His good pleasure that you use your love software, or He would not have given you in the first place. Now, does this verse mean you have no part to play, since it is God that works it in me? A thousand times NO! What Phillipians 2:12-13 actually says is that YOU are to WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling, for (or because) it is GOD that WORKS IN you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. God is working IN, you are working OUT, it's an unbeatable partnership!

This truth is so simple, it's very easy to miss. To use your love software, you must first set your will, BE WILLING to walk in love. Folks have lots of reasons they don't want to walk in love, or at least not "a hundred percent". They want to have the privilege of holding on to a grudge, they don't want to be taken for granted, they're afraid of being cheated. Some want to retain the right to retaliate, they want to be free to uphold the "inverse golden rule" (do unto others what they have done unto you), because if they don't, the universe will be "out of balance". Others are wary or just plain afraid of being hurt.

All these things stem from a root of fear, but praise God, we have an assurance in God's Word "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear" (1John 4:18a). Halleluyah, there's NO FEAR in love! Perfect love casts out fear! God has NOT given us the spirit of FEAR, but He HAS GIVEN us the Spirit of power and of LOVE and of a sound mind! Fear not, but be bold to walk in God's love! Be willing to be offended by people, be willing to be misunderstood, be willing to be called a weakling, be willing to be misused and taken for granted! But also be willing and ready to win, because love ALWAYS wins, love never fails! (2Timothy 1:7, 1Corinthians 13:8)

When agape is seeking expression through you to another, let it flow, let HIM flow. Don't hold back and switch to your Lagos mentality, your Nigerian mentality, your human mentality, NO! Let love win! Fear not, love much, give much, live much! If you've been unwilling to love, struggling with agape, suppressing your love software, you can repent (change your mind) today, you can reset your will with words....I WILL LOVE, I CHOOSE TO LOVE, I WALK IN LOVE, I AM LOVE, I CANNOT BUT LOVE, I LOVE, I LOVE AND I LOVE SOME MORE.....AND I DON'T STOP LOVING!!!

THE LOVE SOFTWARE

It's been quite a while, friends! I sincerely apologize for the "break in transmission". I had my phones stolen, and it was oh so painful! To my utter amazement, even after getting a new phone, it seemed like a struggle to write a post. But bless God, on Monday morning, after yielding to a nudging in my spirit (as simple as washing a few extra plates stacked on the kitchen sink), a dam broke loose! These words from Romans 5:5 resonated afresh in my heart....the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit.....I've got divine capacity to love even as my Father loves!

To hear some folks talk, you would think that God gave us the command to love and left us to figure out how to do it with our limited or non-existent ability! Oh but no, He did not! Rather, God, Himself being Love (1John 4:8), gave us the capacity to love, He gave us the agape software! Love has poured out the Holy Spirit, and now the Holy Spirit pours out love in our hearts.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul in Ephesians 4:32 & 5:2, commands us to love as God loves. If not for the indwelling Holy Spirit, this would be a tall order, better still, an impossible task, but praise God, He dwells in us and pours out His love in our hearts! For you, the new creation man in Christ, loving is no longer a burden but a responsibility, your responsibility. Loving has become as simple as a choice.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6).....according to the law of life, like begets like, by extension therefore, that which is born of Love must, of necessity, be love. We are born of Love, we are love, our very nature is love. That is why He says, be ye followers of God, as dear children (Ephesians 5:1). He is our love-model, we can follow Him, we can love as He loves.

All that we need to love as He loves, to love with His quality and kind of love, to forgive as He forgives, to forgive the unforgivable, love the undeserving, to be kind when we don't FEEL like being kind, to walk in love when everything in us and around us screams out against it, all that we need to love God-class, He has given unto us..........His nature (love), His Spirit (the Spirit of love) (2Timothy 1:7), and His Word (the love-map to show us how He loves).....all that is needed for God-class living and loving, He has given unto us, and abundantly too (2Peter 1:3).

Beloved, I beseech you by the mercies of God, never say or think to yourself, only God can love that way. Never say, I can't possibly forgive, I can't possibly love that way, he's hurt me so much, she's such a terrible creature, they don't deserve love, they don't deserve my forgiveness. Rather, when the Spirit tugs at your heart, when He prompts you in your spirit to act in love, to be kind, to forgive, to demonstrate agape, let your response be a strong and yielded YES LORD! Say yes, be willing, say yes, because He's not asking you to do it by yourself. Say yes, He's only asking you to do what Himself has done and has enabled you to do.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Like, who does that?! Well, God does that! Bless God, WE do that! I tell you, there is absolutely no limit to your love because there is no limit to God's love. You can love as He loves. Your love bears ALL things, believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, endures ALL things. Your love does not fail, does not fade out, does not become obsolete, does not come to an end (1Corinthians 13:7-8). There's no end, NO LIMIT, no breaking point to your love!

Walk in this love, walk in this light, you will never stumble! SHALOM SHALOM!

HE ROSE FOR ME!

You have heard it said, Jesus died for you

Now I make bold to say, Jesus rose for you

The grave could not hold Him, the stone could not stop Him

Disposing of the burden, He rose again in glory

Vanquishing the enemy, He took the keys of hell and death

Dead indeed He lay, but in three days was raised

Death overcome, sin vanquished, Satan judged, the Victor arose

No longer to die, for He lives forever

The One who died for me, is the One who rose for me

He didn't die and stay dead, NO!

The tomb is empty, the grave is void,

The King arisen, enthroned as Lord

No more condemnation, for I've been justified

No more judgment or wrath, He poured it all on Him

Now I stand emboldened, I can come and say "Abba"

Now I stand forgiven, I can lift my hands in praise

No more condemnation, no more trepidation

Only jubilation, for my King is resurrected

The One who died for me, is the One who conquered for me

The One who died for me, is the One who rose for me

The One who died for me, is the One who lives for me

He lives in me, He lives through me

He ever liveth, to make intercession for me

He didn't just die for me, halleluyah, HE ROSE FOR ME!

Now I rejoice, for my redeemer lives

Now I exalt, for my King is enthroned

Now I am whole, for my healer finished it

Now I am rich, for He was made poor for me

Now I am a son, for the Son made me one

Now I rejoice, the One who died for me is the One who rose for me!

PLUG IN!

This afternoon, I turned on my laptop, intending to plug my blackberry to it for charging, but alas, the laptop itself was only 15% charged! The tragedy here was not that my battery was low or that the Power-holding Company of Nigeria had held back power. The real tragedy was that I had been in the presence of electricity all night long, fully awake, with free sockets all around me, and I did not plug in!

This is also a common tragedy in the Spirit realm. You may have heard the saying "a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian". While this may not be entirely true, there is some serious truth to it. Every child of God has the Holy Spirit residing in him/her (1Corinthians 3:16), therefore every child of God has the power of God, more so if he/she has been filled with the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8&2:4). But many beloved saints of God do not make use of this power (for many different reasons), therefore, they live a life devoid of the expressions of God's power (dunamis). God has given them the Spirit of power, but they have failed to stir up or fan into flame the gift of God which is in them (2Timothy 1:6-7), so they are "powerful but powerless".

Son of God, plug in to dunamis, don't be a powerless reservoir of power! The major way to connect yourself to God's power is through the Word and prayer. This was the secret of the early church, especially the apostles. Those folks gave themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word like no man's business! (Acts 2:42&6:4) And when it comes to prayer, there's a reason the Holy Spirit brought a heavenly prayer language with Him when He filled you, it wasn't just to announce His presence. No! When you pray in tongues, you edify yourself, you build up yourself (the real you, spirit). And since your spirit is full of God's power, the stronger your spirit, the more the power that flows through you. Secondly, when you pray in tongues, you bring up the rain of God's Spirit from the rivers of living water flowing from within you (John 7:38, Zechariah 10:1) like they did in Acts 4:31. And finally, when you pray in tongues, you're partnering with the Holy Spirit, or better still, you're allowing Him to partner with you, and what does He bring to the table? He brings all His power, wisdom, might and ability. Oooooh glory! That's massive help!

When the Spirit says to my heart, "child, I am your Help"

Then my soul doth respond, "Father, my Help You are"

His Help I receive, His power I engage

His strength is mine, as I connect to Him

As I yield to Him, as I allow Him

He does all He's come to do

He says all He's come to say

He is all He's come to be

And He makes me all I'm meant to be!

Receive God's help today, engage His power through the Word and through prayer. Plug in to dunamis! Don't be left out!

THE 3-D EXPERIENCE

Oftentimes we have heard of the two dimensions or operations of the Holy Spirit: His indwelling and His infilling presence. Some still have issues with that simple and absolute truth, but we won't go into that today. Rather, I'd like to share with you the 3rd dimension of the Holy Spirit. You may already know about this, or you may not, but either way, I pray this blesses you.

One simple question that I'd like you to ask yourself: how many times did Peter and John receive or get filled with the Holy Spirit? When I noticed John 20:22 for the first time, I thought maybe I'd stumbled out of the bible into another book, but alas, it was still my bible I was reading! Jesus breathed on them and said "receive the Holy Ghost". Without any doubt, they DID. Yet this same Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem after His ascension, until He poured out the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:5). In Acts 2:4, the bible records that they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak with other tongues. That was, however, not the end of the matter. Some time later, in Acts 4:31, the bible records that Peter and John, along with their company (whom we can reasonably conclude to have included some of the other people who were in John 20:22 and Acts 2:4) were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost and they spoke God's Word with boldness, among other effects (Acts 4:31-33). Again, that wasn't the end. There are many instances where Christians who had received the Holy Ghost were said to be "filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 4:8, Acts 13:9&52), "full of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:5, Acts 7:55 & 11:24) or were exhorted to be filled with the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 5:19).

Does that mean Peter and John received or were filled with the Holy Spirit AT LEAST 3 times? In a manner of speaking, yes. The first time, in John 20:22, can be understood as the new birth. Earlier in that chapter, Jesus met Mary and told her not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father (verse 17). That same evening when He appeared to the 12 disciples, He told them to TOUCH Him (John 20:19&20, Luke 24:39). It means that in that interval, He had ascended to the Father and had entered into the holy place in heaven, offering His blood and perfecting redemption for them and for us (Hebrews 9:12). All the while they had been following Jesus, they weren't born again, but now He had finished the work of redemption, NOW they could be reborn as sons of God! So in John 20:21-23, He breathed on them, commissioned them as His body on the earth, now they could forgive people's sins! Now they could have the Holy Spirit indwelling them as a well of living water springing up into eternal life (John 4:14).

In Acts 2:4, they received the second dimension, the infilling of the Holy Spirit and rivers of living water began to flow out of their bellies (John 7:38). So what really happened in Acts 4:31 and other places thereafter? Simply put, they were filled with the Holy Spirit again and again and again and again. They lived a life of being constantly filled with the Holy Ghost. The word "filled" in the Greek also means "influenced". Literally, they knew how to submit themselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit again and again, the same way a drunkard submits himself/herself to the influence of the green bottle again and again by drinking and drinking again and again and again!

How can you submit yourself to the influence of the Holy Spirit continuously? How can you be filled with the Holy Spirit again and again and again? How can you access and enjoy this 3rd dimension of God's Spirit and power? One major way is by using the instrument He Himself supplied you with when you were first filled with Him.....speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6). Beloved, when you yield your tongue to the Holy Spirit by speaking in other tongues, you're yielding your entire self to His influence (James 3:2-6, Proverbs 18:21). He is described as rain in Zechariah 10:1 and Isaiah 44:3. This was the rain they experienced in Acts 4:31. This is the same rain I'm soaking in right now as I write to you! And if you don't already know, I can tell you He is awesome! This is the same rain you can choose to experience as often as you desire, not rain from above anymore, but from within, for Himself is already within you and you can literally stir up His presence and power and He will precipitate upon you as rain! There are some other ways to ignite this rain, but these we will explore together in good time.

Your life will take on new meaning, a new fragrance and produce a different class of results as you make a lifestyle of soaking in this rain. He will beautify your life and you will function as God has called you to function with boldness, in His love, with great power and great grace! I don't know about you, but I'm done grumbling, murmuring and complaining. It's time to soak in the rain of God's Spirit and watch His power work in your life! If you haven't started, you can start today. If you've started, DON'T STOP for anything!

Thank you for always making time to read and comment on these posts. I'm humbled and blessed. GREAT GRACE!