Being Under the Influence

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." -Acts 2:4
 
So what does it mean to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit? It doesn't have anything to do with drugs or alcohol. It means, in part, that we submit every thought, every action to God. When we get good at this, it happens without us even having to think about it. It means we have open ears, that we seek him continually. It means that we 'pray without ceasing', meaning, we never cease to be in an attitude of prayer. It means we read the word, and live by it. It means that we keep our attitudes in check, and we treat others with love and respect.
 
'Being under the influence' may seem like a hopeless list of to-do's. But, simply stated, it involves being gently led by the Holy Spirit, in freedom, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. It is more caught than taught. I went to a Bible school where we learned to 'abide' in the Holy Spirit, in every area of our lives, and submit those areas to Him. It was more about learning to walk under the anointing of God then it was about basic book knowledge. We learned scripture, but we learned it with its physical application.
 
Are you under the influence? If you're having trouble 'catching' what that means, get around someone you know is influenced and led by the Holy Spirit. You will experience such new degrees of freedom and revelation than you ever imagined possible. And you will be able to do miraculous things because of it.


Do you feel and hear God? How would you describe how God works in your life? If you have a story or testimony of how God has worked in your life or the lives of those around you, send it to us! We'd love to hear from you - and you might even have a chance to have your story published! charis@marketplaceleaders.org

Supernatural Productivity

“…If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” – Exodus 33:15

Do you want to be more productive in your life?  It seems there are more books written, blogs created, and seminars conducted on increasing personal productivity than ever before.  After all, if time equals money, then our best asset would be to increase the amount of time we have, and decrease the time it takes to accomplish various tasks.  In America, we are a particularly performance-driven society.  Anything that could save us time definitely grabs our attention!

But, are we missing something when we look merely at better ways to get things done?  Sure, this is helpful and practical, but – are we missing some sort of “x” factor or special sauce we keep searching for in the realm of producing more and becoming more effective?

I believe as Christians you and I have a special advantage.  We do have that “x” factor, that “special sauce.”  He is the Holy Spirit.  Paul Cuny, in his book Secrets of the Kingdom Economy describes the relationship between our worship to God and our personal productivity: 

One morning the Lord woke me very early to pray. This has been a regular occurrence for me over the years and the part of my day that I cherish.  For over 20 years, I had run a demanding business, and at God’s direction, I began a process of re-structuring my life to spend more time in prayer, study, writing, and fulfilling the two assignments He gave me in the mid-90s. In many ways, this was my time of activation, so to speak.

…That morning the Lord said two words, activity and presence.  I pondered those words for some time and finally asked the Lord if He would explain what they meant… He said something that has profoundly impacted my life:  “Activity will never produce My presence.  My presence will always produce focused, productive activity.”  -Secrets of the Kingdom Economy, pp. 45-46.

Jesus did only what the Father showed him to do. He manifested the Father’s presence in the area of His calling by spending time with Him. Do you need to make more room for God, so that He can in turn make you more effective?  Set aside time to pray, to worship, or to journal.  See how God will increase your productivity when you do!

Bug Lights

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire..." -Deut 4:24

We were at the worship concert, singing and worshipping God.  The Spirit was very alive in the meeting, and I could feel the "fire" of God all around us.  I felt consumed with the power and presence of God. 

Then I had this thought: Life's circumstances and the negative things that happen really don't matter at all as long as we're consumed with the fire of God.  If we are really on fire, all the time, everything negative gets burned up by Him!

It may sound silly, but I imagined myself as a "bug light", that when plugged in to the fire of God, consumed every negative circumstance, thought, or attitude before it was even allowed to get close to my heart.

This is what being "on fire for God" is all about.

We are made in God's image. As we become more and more like Him, the real Him, we begin displaying His characteristics: His mercy, His love, His grace, His truth, and most of all His life. Life in Him is about being alive - being truly alive.  And when we are alive, we burn for Him.

As we sang the words, "You set our hearts on fire... we are consumed by you," the analogy of being a "bug light" resonated - nothing else matters because the fire of God is within us.

Are you so on fire with the Presence of God that any negative thought, attitude, or behavior is "zapped" in your midst?  May we be on fire for Jesus, so that our main focus is Him, and Him alone.

Everyday Miracles

 

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” -Psalm 77:14

Have you ever had something miraculous happen to you?  We tend to think of miracles as big things such as winning a million dollars or getting healed from cancer.  When these types of big things happen, they are incredible!  And we should give God the glory.  But too often we forget to remember the everyday miracles that God puts right in front of us. 

We miss getting in a car accident by just inches, or, we gain the courage to try something new.  We find the perfect dress for the perfect occasion (for girls), or a butterfly flutters across our path – these are many a small miracle that we tend to take for granted.

The Bible says that not one sparrow falls without God knowing about it. ”Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”  -Matthew 10:29

Things that may seem small really are miraculous. It is a miracle to me that we have so many jobs in America, even if the unemployment rate is high.  It's incredible that my Father in heaven takes care of my mom everyday, and there isn’t more crime and hated among people with everything negative that’s happened to each of us.  The presence of love is a small miracle in itself!  But I can also cite specific times when God did small miracles.  It helps me recognize His presence and activity in my life.

Can you think of a time when God performed a miracle in your life, small or big?  Reminisce on that today, and thank Him for it. If you can’t think of a time, ask God to reveal himself to you in this way.  We never know what can happen when we have faith in our unfailing God.