Great Night @ Rapha

II Corinthians 4:7
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great POWER is from God, not ourselves.

Good ol' Paul...
He calls the human body "fragile clay jars".....
Jars are meant to hold or contain something.
To have something stored inside for safe keeping.
Yet this ongoing state of being shined on by God's Holy Spirit is in fact that great power we read about in the Big Book of A.A.
A Power greater than ourselves who could restore us to sanity.

When you mention the word "power", it means different things to different people. Some think of it as a tangible ability to overcome obstacles that stand in their way. Some think of it as a physical state of being that takes you to a different level of living. No matter what definition you may come up with, when talking about God, it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my life that enables me to be who God created me to be (which was not an addict/sinner) and to do what He is calling me to do. In other words, our POWER is divinely given to us by God to aid us in moving forward in this life under His direction and guidance.
How cool is that?

Last night's Bible study at Rapha was a keeper.
I taught on how the simple decisions we make are really the most dangerous is we aren't careful.
II Samuel Chapter 11...
King David was not where he was suppose to be, and it cost him dearly.
Didn't seem like a big deal at the time. He was suppose to be with his army, which had left Jerusalem to wage a military campaign. But He didn't go. This simple decision put him in a place that lead him down the path of adultery, lying, manipulation, and eventually murder. All of this because David thought he would stay behind.

As I taught, I kept having the thought that maybe tonight I should do have a time of ministry. So upon completion of the study, I asked who would like to receive from God. One young man jumped at the chance to be prayed for. I told him to relax.....and just receive what God was going to do....don't pray...just receive. No sooner had I begun to pray for him, asking God to come and cover him with the Holy Spirit, the young man began to sway and rock. Eyes closed and head down, he would begin to tilt forward, but would catch himself. Then he would begin to fall backwards, but catch himself. I kept asking God to cover him with peace and the knowledge that HE (God) was real and wanted to have a real relationship with this young man. We prayed for a short while, and upon completion the young man we prayed for did not have words for he'd just experienced. He was sweating and laughing....looking around. All he could say was "Wow! I've never experienced anything like that before." He confessed that he really needed for that to happen. That young man had an encounter with God. No longer was the idea of God just some words on a page, or what someone taught. God had come to him, touched him and now had given this young man a frame of reference from which he could grasp who God is.

As quick as the man sat down, another jumped up to take his place. We began to pray for him. Like the first man, it didn't take long for the Spirit to come upon him. Head down, eyes closed, he began to weave back and forth,but this time his hands began to shake. I asked him a question but he could not give me an answer. This went on for the entire time we prayed for him. 

After the meeting was over, the second man who'd been prayed for came up to talk to me. Evidently he'd been struggling with a lot of issues to the point that depression was setting in. Thoughts of leaving the program had filled his heart and mind, even though he knew he should not leave. But he told me..."When you started praying for me, it felt like electricity going through my body...I became hot and yet at the same time, I was totally peaceful. All the garbage that had filled my mind was gone." Thank you God!

To say it was a good night at the Rapha Bible Study would be an understatement. God had come and touched two men who were hungry and desperate. As to every one else in the room.....they had witnessed God at work. The evening wasn't about me...or my teaching...it was about a God who loved so much that His desire was to come and reveal Himself in a way that these men could understand Him. I'll take that any day of the week.

God on you....
mbb