The greatest hindrance to the release of the Spirit in our lives is the flesh! That is, to reach out potential as Spirit-filled Christians we must die to the grasp of the flesh.
In studying the topic of “brokenness” I came across a very interesting story and an ancient temple in Asia. Anthropologists found an altar area that was literally buried under shards of smashed pottery. Further research revealed that the people in that region were pottery makers who regularly sacrificed the fruit of their craft to their god. Having created their masterpieces, that work which stood to gain them the most fame and profit, the craftsmen would take the vessels into the temple and smash them to pieces before their stone god. The broken fragments were mute testimony that, in sacrificial worship, the craftsmen had given up all hope of gain from the vessels.
What a perfect picture of what God calls us to be as Spirit-filled Christians. Hudson Taylor called it the “exchanged life” – the life that is indeed “no longer I, but Christ that livetth in me”. Only when we are broken on the altar of the Living God can we know the power of His life in and through us! Acts 1:8 says that we receive power when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The scriptures go further to say that we have that power to be witnesses. That is, we are filled with the Holy Spirit to show forth – to witness. God expects there to be a release of the Spirit that testifies and witnesses to others!
What stops this release of the Spirit – it is the flesh! It is because of the flesh that many are not where God wants them to be, not reaching their God-ordained destiny or purpose and not serving God as they have been called – a recipe for frustration.
I am not saying that if you aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit and I am not saying that you aren’t saved. I am simply saying that you aren’t where God wants you to be, you aren’t what God wants you to be and you aren’t doing what God wants you to do.
There is just one basic thing that will enable man to be useful before God: brokenness. We’ll explore “brokenness” further, but for the meantime…..
In studying the topic of “brokenness” I came across a very interesting story and an ancient temple in Asia. Anthropologists found an altar area that was literally buried under shards of smashed pottery. Further research revealed that the people in that region were pottery makers who regularly sacrificed the fruit of their craft to their god. Having created their masterpieces, that work which stood to gain them the most fame and profit, the craftsmen would take the vessels into the temple and smash them to pieces before their stone god. The broken fragments were mute testimony that, in sacrificial worship, the craftsmen had given up all hope of gain from the vessels.
What a perfect picture of what God calls us to be as Spirit-filled Christians. Hudson Taylor called it the “exchanged life” – the life that is indeed “no longer I, but Christ that livetth in me”. Only when we are broken on the altar of the Living God can we know the power of His life in and through us! Acts 1:8 says that we receive power when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The scriptures go further to say that we have that power to be witnesses. That is, we are filled with the Holy Spirit to show forth – to witness. God expects there to be a release of the Spirit that testifies and witnesses to others!
What stops this release of the Spirit – it is the flesh! It is because of the flesh that many are not where God wants them to be, not reaching their God-ordained destiny or purpose and not serving God as they have been called – a recipe for frustration.
I am not saying that if you aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit and I am not saying that you aren’t saved. I am simply saying that you aren’t where God wants you to be, you aren’t what God wants you to be and you aren’t doing what God wants you to do.
There is just one basic thing that will enable man to be useful before God: brokenness. We’ll explore “brokenness” further, but for the meantime…..
That’s my five minutes!
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