Cash Luna identifies two motives for seeking the power of the Spirit, and offers biblical tips on drawing near to God. Why do you draw near to God? [Excerpt from In Honor of the Holy Spirit: He Is Someone, Not Something.]
 Learn More |
My father-in-law [told me] the following story:
One day, the leaders of a church were in the process of deciding whom to invite to minister at one of their meetings. One of them, an older man, insisted on inviting a young person who had demonstrated God's anointing on his life and through whom God was performing signs, wonders and miracles. He was so insistent that another member of the group became angry and said: "Why does it have to be that young person? You make it seem like he's got a monopoly on the Holy Spirit." To which the older man replied: "Certainly not, but the Holy Spirit's definitely got a monopoly on him."
After sharing the story with me, my father-in-law concluded by saying: "You can never have control of the Holy Spirit, but you can seek to be that young person whom the Holy Spirit is in control of."
Many people would like to be used by the Lord to transform the lives of others, but few are willing to be transformed by Him... The anointing that transforms will only rest upon people who desire to be transformed...
[How to Open Your Life to Transformation]
The more transparent you are to God with your spirit, the more He will reveal His to you. The more you open your heart to God, the more He will open His to you, for the Scripture says: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you [James 4:8].
|
|
'Here I am, change me.' |
This is the kind of prayer that helps you behold God in all His majesty... "Lord, I am a person with a hard heart and You know it. I cannot hide it from You." When you come before His presence and say: "Lord, You know my life, You know what I do, You know every word I speak; here I am, change me," then that is when you open your life to a transformation that will gradually lead you to an intimate knowledge of His Spirit. He seeks intimacy with those who demonstrate a longing to find Him.
-Cash Luna
Q: Who or what has a monopoly on you?
A. I do
B. My loved ones
C. Strangers
D. My values
E. God
I'd love to hear your thoughts - share your comments on this post! -Adam Forrest, Zondervan
| Learn More |
Learn more about In Honor of the Holy Spirit: He is Someone, Not Something.
Suggested Posts
Where Do You Get Strength? via Cash Luna
Spirit-Filled Living vs. Just Trying Harder via Jim Cymbala
Are You a Christian Atheist? Take the Quiz
(Some styling above is a web-exclusive feature not included in the text of In Honor of the Holy Spirit. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)
I can certainly understand the person saying they thought it sounded like the other person was implying that the young person had a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. A lot of people go looking for the flashy and the showy and they forget that God may be speaking in a "still small voice."
Posted by: Timothy Fish | May 01, 2012 at 03:52 PM
Timothy, thank you for contributing. I think I know what you mean - we can be prone to privilege dramatic accomplishment over day-in, day-out faithfulness. One of these is easier to notice, and perhaps more fun to pursue. ;-)
Posted by: Adam Forrest (Zondervan Blog) | May 01, 2012 at 04:15 PM