Knowing and Doing

The Power of the Holy Spirit.  A phrase most Baptists would run from.  It's almost like we are afraid of this wonderful power that Jesus has given to us.  We don't want to be labelled too Pentecostal though.  The Holy Spirit has been accused of stirring peoples emotions, making them raise their hands in worship and much more.  We think of other happenstances because He is greatly misunderstood.  What about Holy Spirit given divine appointments ?  A divine appointment is a meeting with another person that has been specifically and unmistakably ordered by God. Yet I sometimes wonder how many of these supernaturally scheduled meetings I’ve missed because I didn’t have my spiritual radar turned on.  The Scriptures say, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” Psalm 37:23 After decades of walking (off and on, but mostly on) with God, I can tell you that seeing God set up these “appointments” is a thrill that is beyond ...

The caption in this image is true!  When we go out into the harvest, the first thing we do when someone answers the door is ask folks if we can pray with them.  What is amazing is the response from church goers...(not necessarily believers).  "I'm good.  I went to church today."  "No thanks.  I have a prayer group at church."  "I went to church.  I've already done that." Prayer is not religion or religious.  It's our lifeline to the Lord.  It's our communication with the Almighty.  We are gifted with the Spirit to be able to pray to God.  ONE Prayer CHANGES everything!!  If we follow the model of prayer in Matthew 6, there would be some personal questions about prayer:  Do we really pray to worship God and to revere His name?  (Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name), for life change/transformation because of God's will?  (your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven)...

Sunday night, as usual, we gather and separate in teams to go into the harvest close to the church facilities.  We meet a lovely young lady that allows us to pray with her and seems the visit is pleasant.  She is allowing the conversation to be spiritual and is open to what we are saying.  All of the sudden, as I was presenting the 3 circles, I get to SIN which separates us from God and ask her to define sin for me.  She immediately walked away saying "NO THANK YOU!"  A full shutdown. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God " (1 Peter 3:18). " In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" (Ephesians 1:7). There cannot be forgiveness of sin without Jesus shedding his blood for our sin.  1 Peter writes, "Christ died for us to bring us to God."  Paul writes, "In him, we are redeemed" - through his blood wh...