The Person, Presence And Power Of God's Holy Spirit

II Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (Of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

I love this verse from II Timothy because it plainly spells out what God has not given us.
Well, if these things didn't come from God, then where did they come from? They are a result of our indulgence into sin and the influence behind our actions....the devil.

The primary emotion (whether an individual wants to admit it or not) behind addiction, once the using starts, is fear. Fear of being uncovered. Fear of being caught. Fear of not having enough drugs or alcohol...fear...fear...fear. This fear becomes a huge beast which will consume the soul given over to addiction. But the Scripture clearly states that such has not been given to us by God.

In fact, the things that God has given to us (those who have been saved and are living out this new relationship with Jesus) is like a tool belt. We have the necessary things to aid us and guide us through our everyday life. No matter what we may face or run into, God has and will continue to give you what you need to move forward. To move forward and not cut and run back to the old lifestyle.  

NO.# 1 thing God has given us, according to II Timothy 1:7 is a spirit of POWER! Isn't that weird that this is the first thing mentioned? Power? Yet that is the first thing mentioned in the Twelve Steps that we go in search of. A Power greater than ourselves. The search doesn't have to go far, because God is more than willing to provide this needed Power in our lives to help us.
This Power comes in the form of God's Holy Spirit given to everyone who is saved.

John 14:16 reads: And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby) that He may remain with you forever.

All of those titles given to the Holy Spirit is for our benefit to aid us through whatever we face.
If we need wisdom on how to deal with a situation, we have a Counselor.
If we are at a loss on what to do,  we have a Helper.
If we are hurting so bad we don't know what to pray or how to pray, we have an Intercessor.
When we feel like the entire world is against us and we are being drowned under a tidal wave of accusation, we have an Advocate.
When we admit our powerlessness, we have a Strengthener.
And when we don't know how we are going to make it, we have a Standby...someone who is right there with us to hold us up.
This incredible presence, God's Holy Spirit, is right there 24/7...365!
Now if that don't make you feel good....I don't know what will....
Recognize who lives within you....
He understands what you are facing and is willing to guide you through whatever comes your way today.
Lean on Him!

God on you...
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Shining Like A New Penny

Isaiah 60:1 (Amplified Bible)
Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you---rise to new life! Shine and be radiant with the glory of the LORD, for your light has come and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

It takes the empowering presence of God to free us from the emotional, mental and physical chains of addiction.
It takes the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit to not only free us, but fill us with new life so that we can rise up from the destruction we have created through our choices of the past.

Isaiah 61:4 reads: And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins. They shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. This new life in Christ is about taking all the ashes of our past life and using them to build a new one. To learn how to live life on God's terms rather than our own passions and selfish desires. To rise!

Memories of the past become a powerful weapon that is used against us when we move toward recovery and a relationship with Jesus. These old memories bring up emotional pain, which can be even more debilitating than physical pain. Guilt and shame cover us when we remember the things we have done.

Guilt is directed toward our past behavior. We are covered with a feeling that can define our own self worth as well as distort our view and understanding of God. "Why would God want to do anything for me? Look at the decisions I have made."

Shame is directed toward us a person. "I am a terrible person. If I wasn't, I would not have done the things I've done. I don't deserve to live." Such thoughts as these are an everyday tape that plays in the minds of those in addiction. It truly takes a POWER greater than ourselves to break this vicious cycle of thought. That POWER is found in Christ alone.

When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for our sin. His was the only death capable of freeing us from the destruction of our past deeds. More than that, His was the only death that can free us from the intent and motive inside of each of us that drives our thoughts and deeds. 

Jesus paid for the power of sin by becoming a greater POWER. Who can break and destroy a power except one that is greater? He is the ultimate deal breaker when it comes to sin and the kingdom of darkness.

Jesus paid for the presence of sin in our life through his death and resurrection. Isn't it incredible that when we confess, repent and turn to Christ that our old way of living is replaced by a new way of living? Jesus does that through the giving of God's Holy Spirit to us. We are filled with Him. Did you catch that? Filled? Filled up to overflowing. If I am filled with something then there should not be room for anything else to be introduced. I am filled with His Spirit to overflowing. No wonder I am a new creation.

Are you filled today?
Are you spilling over with the presence of God in your life?
Today is the best day to begin.

God on you.....
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Fueling The Fire

Psalm 72:8
He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

This was the verse that was lifted as a central focal point for the Catch The Fire Conference of 1998. The renewal, or visitation of God, had been going on for 4 years and 9 months by the time I arrived in Toronto. Meetings had been taking place every night since that first night in 1994 when the Spirit of God manifested in that church. It was like an explosion of God's presence, followed by a tremendous fire that was seen by the world. People from all over were streaming to Toronto to be touched by God. I know that some will find such a thing absurd and may even believe that I am over stating what took place. Believe me...if anything, I am understating. I am the skeptic of skeptics. Thomas, the disciple, and I are cut for the same cloth. I had been a part of this renewal in our own fellowship, brought back by the leadership who had gone early on in the renewal. I had been witness to some pretty incredible and powerful times during our services. Healing's, salvation, deliverance, words of knowledge and prophetic words were all the norm now and on the surface, sometimes it looked like a spiritual free-for-all. But God was at work and I did not want to miss what He was doing.

God will rule from sea to sea and FROM THE RIVER.
The call was for everyone to get into the river. Get into the flow of God's Spirit and accept His rule and reign in your life. See where it would take you. See who God would put in your path for you to pray for and minister to. You can stand on the bank and watch everyone else having fun in the river..........or you can jump in and join the fun yourself. I chose to jump in. 

Days before I left to go to Toronto, I had a dream that would prove to be prophetic in my life.
I dreamed that Jim Bentley and I were in a huge library. We were walking up and down the rows of books just browsing. I did not have the sense that we were looking for any particular book or author. Jim finally called for me to come to the stack he was looking through. As I made my way there, he stretched out his hand and gave me a book. "Here...I think you are going to need this." Very plain looking book....Blue hardback with the title "THE BLUES WAY".  I took it to mean "blues" as in the music. That was the entire dream. Didn't know what it meant at the time but it would prove to be important in the days and years ahead.

Finally arriving at the Toronto Airport Vineyard, I registered and made my way into the main building. As I entered, I was met with the sounds of the most incredible slide guitar I had ever heard. My knees buckled and I went down. Now in other places, this might seem incredibly strange, but not in a place where God was touching people in many different ways. I simply laid there on the floor soaking up this worship and these sounds. I do remember God speaking telling me to "REMEMBER". Over and over and over I heard these words. This trip was about me being soaked in the renewal that His Spirit was unleashing and to observe everything I could. So that is what I did over the next 5 days. 

Later, I found out that the slide guitar player was Bryn Haworth, a worship leader for North Brompton Trinity Church in England. He was also a session musician who had played on some of the biggest blues and rock albums every recorded. Playing with such musicians as Eric Clapton, John Mayall and many others. Also scheduled to lead worship was a pastor/worship leader named David Markee. He too was a session musician and blues man. As far as I know this was the only time this style of worship was every used at a Catch The Fire Conference. Blues! God was speaking and I needed to hear what the message was. 

Turns out that everywhere I went during my stay in Toronto, I kept running into blues music. I went to a local eatery, Pat and Mike's, because Jim had suggested it because of the pizza they served. Upon entering, I was met with the sounds of Robert Johnson...an original blues man who wrote the song "Crossroads".  Over and over I kept the blues music every where I went.  Turns out that this style and emotion found in blues music would be the basis and foundation for the meetings we would start upon my return to Gadsden from Toronto.

I always felt that the blues was a music that was kind of universal. It speaks to something deep inside all of us. For that reason, I felt like since the blues was a cry of the heart why not direct that cry to God? Why not take the vehicle of blues and combine it with the move of God's spirit. I knew that this style really spoke to the guys who were coming through Rapha, so it was a matter of simply adapting our worship to fit the cry of the heart. Yes, it is about pain and misery and grief, but we take all of those things and lay them at the feet of the one and only healer, Jesus. 

It has been a wild ride from when I was in Toronto. During a  prayer time this week, I heard God say, "Son, you're only hitting your stride..keep it up!" So I guess we'll continue to meet on Saturday's.....play a few 12-bar blues and see what God wants to do.

God on you.....
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Catching The Fire Back In 1998

II Timothy 1:6
That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the ember of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the (gracious) gift of God, (the inner fire) that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands (along with the elders).

Every year during this particular week, I am reminded of a time when the direction of my life changed. It was October of 1998 and I had been two months into full time ministry. The church had turned the morning service over to Vicki and me, and we were like two kids on Christmas morning. Gadsden Vineyard Church had been experiencing a visitation of the Spirit of God for almost 4 years at this point. Every Sunday was an explosion of God's presence as He would come and people would respond. It was a heady time to be a part of this fellowship. Several in the leadership of the church had gone to Toronto to be a part of the ongoing revival that had begun in January of 1994. They had come back changed and alive for Christ. Church had taken on an identity of transparency and a realness that did not want any part of religion or religious traditions. By that, I mean we were hungry just to be with God, to worship Him. There was a sense of God moving in our midst at every meeting. I remember when the first group had come back from Toronto and were sharing their stories, I was offended in my mind. Notice I said I was offended in my mind....my spirit was stirred. I was in conflict because what they were sharing was unlike anything I'd ever heard or seen. "Surely God would not act this way!" I thought to myself. Sometimes God will offend our minds so that our heart will receive what the Spirit is telling us. Time and God won out and as I searched the Scriptures and spent time in prayer, I saw the hand of God on what was happening around me.

So in September of 1998, I was approached by the church and given the offer to travel to Toronto. They felt like it would be beneficial to me to go and experience what God was doing there. I agreed. Now during this time, God had lead me to Rapha and I was merely a volunteer there. I was leading worship in the morning devotional for the men. I was feeling a tug to be more of a part of what was happening there. Little did I know that Toronto would be the seed bed for what God was going to do.

I was excited about the trip......
And I did not want to take the trip....
I am not an adventurer and, in fact, had much rather stay around familiar territory than to go traipsing off to the great North.
Days before the I was scheduled to fly to Toronto, I came under attack by the enemy which kind of shot the flags up to show me that this was an important trip.
I got sick....I mean sick/sick.
On Saturday before I was to leave on Monday I came down with some kind of crud that knocked me for a loop. I remember running a fever, shakes....felt like I had been beaten with a bag full of squirrels. At one point I remember lying in the bed praying, God you've got to do something....either heal me or kill me one....I've got to have some relief. Also the stay at home part of me was kind of snickering.."See! You won't have to take this trip." I am grateful that I have some incredible brothers and sisters in Christ, because they loaded up and came to my home to pray God's healing on me.  That was on Sunday.

Monday morning found me sitting in the Birmingham Airport waiting for my flight. I wasn't a 100% but the healing had begun and by the time I reached Toronto, all signs of the sickness were gone. I knew then that God had a purpose for me being here. 
I wonder what it would be?

More tomorrow......
God on you....
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Nehemiah And The 4th Step

Nehemiah 2:13
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Wells and The Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and it's gates which had been destroyed by fire.

Nehemiah had a call on his life from God.
Not a simple task to fulfill, but one that would make Nehemiah aware of his need for God's help.
Rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem. We see Nehemiah, in the verse above, preparing to take an inventory of the destruction of the walls around Jerusalem. 

Years had passed and the rubble and destruction of the Babylonian siege had not been dealt with. The city had no protection from the enemy. Breaches in the walls and burned gates gave the enemies of Jerusalem free access to come and go as they pleased. Now the word of God had gone to one Nehemiah with the charge of taking people back to restore the walls and gates. In other words, Nehemiah was to make Jerusalem a safe place where people could come and live once again.

Recovery is like the task given to Nehemiah. Years of neglect and abuse has broken down the walls of our lives giving the enemy free reign to come and go as he pleases. We are defenseless to do anything about it. 

Using Step# 1, 2 and 3, we have now given ourselves (will and life) over to the care of God. We are now ready to address the problems of our broken walls. This brings us to Step # 4.

Step # 4 reads: "We made a searching and fearless moral inventory or ourselves."  The scripture that coincides with Step # 4 is from Lamentations 3:40 -  Let us examine and probe our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

God gives us grace to take a look at our lives and see the places where we need His healing. The work begins inside and is evidenced by the change of behavior on the outside. All addiction....is a condition that is in need of God's healing. It isn't the presence and use of drugs and/or alcohol in our lives that is the problem. It is the simple fact that we have a broken relationship with Christ because of our sin that has given the addiction power to rule and reign over us. Does our using affect us physically? Yes. Does our using affect us mentally? Yes. Does our using affect us spiritually? Yes. So, we are in need of being healed by a power greater than ourselves. That power has a name, and that name is Jesus. 

As we move through Step # 4, we begin to really see the character defects that we possess that has allowed our enemy (the devil) to take advantage of us and use us. With God's help and power, we are sealing up the broken places in our hearts and character so that we can live in peace and harmony with God. Will my life become one of sunshine and puppy dog's, lollipops and roses when I do Step #4? Probably not. Life is hard no matter what we do, but it sure is a lot harder without God in our life. Me personally, I think if life is hard, then I'd rather be connected to Jesus than be out there on my on winging it. How about you? 

God on you.....
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Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On

Acts 16:26
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

Paul and Silas are locked in a jail. The Holy Spirit is present and them there two boy's were praying their bail. God heard their worship and the walls began to shake as heaven came down.
Not only the walls, but the very foundation of that jail was rocked by the presence of God.
But there wasn't any destruction. Walls were still intact. Roof was still overhead. I do love the selective work of God. Two things happened that could not explained. Every jail cell door flew open..........and everybody's chains came off. The Grace of God had become real and tangible to everyone in that jail.

What instigated it?
Two men who refused to give into their flesh (sin) nature. Two men who had a right to be angry and hurt against the authority for beating them and imprisoning them on trumped up charges.
Two men who in spite of their situation chose to pray and worship God in the most unusual place. If you were the jailer there in that place, the only thing you ever heard were curses and cries of pain. Long wails about how wrong had been done and "I'm innocent..I don't deserve to be here!" But not on this night.

Paul and Silas had themselves a genuine pray meeting. Real prayer is not bound by a situation or a level of comfort in ones life. Real prayer comes when it rises above the pain...the loneliness and the wrong suffered by someone. It comes from a place that really doesn't make much sense to the human mind. Real prayer is never prayed out of fear. I learned this the hard way during a dark time in my life. I was faced with something outside my control and was truly bombarding heaven with my cries. But my prayer was being spoken from a place of fear. I was literally begging God for something that He wanted to do. I remember so well that God spoke to me with such a loving voice and told me...."Michael...you don't have to pray fearfully. That tells me that you aren't sure if you can trust me to answer your prayer or not." I have never forgotten that moment. 

Using the story of Paul and Silas, I like to relate it to recovery meetings.
Worship and prayer is at the heart of what we do on Saturday nights.
If you look at the story of Paul and Silas, they were the two he instigate the entire event through their singing and prayers, but everyone who was present had their cell doors opened and their chains loosed. That is our prayer for every Saturday night. That through our worship and prayers, those who are present will be freed from the jail of addiction and have the chains of their sin broken so that they can come out into a new life. 

Learn to worship God in the good times, so that you can truly worship Him in the bad.
He is worthy no matter what our lot in life holds.
You have got to love this Jesus! He can get up all in the devil's plans and make a mess of them.

God on you....
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One Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

The road to recovery is very clear.
It is a trading of one way of life for another.
But the trade does not depend on the talents or wisdom of the one who is in need of help.
It does not rise or fall on how strong the individual is.
It isn't a matter of will power as much as it is surrender of that will.
Turning it over to Christ.
it is learning to hear God and follow His direction for your day. Hearing involves an interaction between you and the Spirit of God who dwells in every believer. Now don't let this whole "hearing God" thing throw you for a loop. As you grow in Him, it becomes second nature and involves paying attention to your thoughts and leading of your heart. You grow seasoned as you study the Bible and spend time in prayer.

The passage above is from Zechariah 4:6. and is directed to a man named Zerubbabel.
He has been given a task to complete and, on the surface, it looks insurmountable. kind of like Recovery. When you first approach this new life style, all you can do is measure it against all your past failures and the times you quit trying to change. Zerubbabel  did the same thing. He had the whole "ME? You want me to do this?" kind of mindset going on.
Feeling hopeless and no where to turn, God sends a word to him.

"Yo! Z! Cheer up. All is not lost. You're looking at this task before you and you're measuring whether or not it can be done by looking at your own capabilities. Stop it! It isn't a matter of might. It's not about how cut you are, or how much you can bench. It's a matter of looking to a source where you know you will find might to complete the task. It isn't about power. Who you know or what you can drum up in your own wisdom. It has nothing to do with power as you understand, but everything to do with power that I give. Bottom line Z.......it is by my Spirit that you can do all things. Even those things that you have convinced yourself are beyond your will and ability. I will step in and empower you when you turn to Me. I will enable you to even level the mountains of doubt and fear that come against you."

Since my Bible says that God has not changed, nor does he....the same yesterday, today and forever....then such power and Spirit is still available to those who cry out to Him. That is why I continue to speak about the power of God to bring people out of the destruction and death that addiction inflicts. It is the Spirit of God deposited into a life that has surrendered that can truly get on the "road to recovery". 

God on you.....
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