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Being Filled with the Spirit

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Being Filled with the Spirit

When you believe in Jesus and his finished work, you receive his spirit. From then on it's your choice to be filled with the spirit. Being filled with the spirit is when you allow the Holy Spirit to come upon you to bear fruit and empower all the gifts. That's the bottom line, but let's look a little closer.

After Jesus' resurrection, he appeared to over 500 people over a period of 40 days. One appearance was to His closest disciples where he gave them His spirit. "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22) Then he tells those same people to wait on the spirit to come upon them so they will be endued with power.

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The Baptism of the Spirit is Our Adoption Process

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The Baptism of the Spirit is Our Adoption Process

Most of us think of power when we think about the baptism of/in the spirit. We immediately think of praying in tongues and power to do miracles. While this is a byproduct of being baptized in the spirit there is another reason for the baptism. The main reason God immerses you in his spirit is to purify, cleanse and sanctify you so he can live in you and make you his eternal child. The baptism of the spirit is the adoption process we go through to be changed into righteous and eternal children of God.

Walking In the Spirit is Natural

Walking In the Spirit is Natural

The spirit of God is like unlimited or infinitely high voltage power. If humans were exposed to his direct spirit/power, we would instantly die. His power must be stepped down for us to not die from his presence. Much of my teaching is based on the heart, in this illustration you can look at your heart as the transformer that steps down God's power. Jesus taught this in the parable of the sower. He basically says that you can experience as much of the kingdom as your transformer/heart will allow you to experience. I pray you increase the capacity of your transformer to allow more power to flow!

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How to be a King

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How to be a King

You are a king and a priest of God's kingdom that shall reign in this life. He has raised you with Christ and seated you in Heavenly places. You are a co-heir of everything Jesus inherited in his resurrection and ascension.

That sounds wonderful, it sounds very spiritual, but what does it mean to you now? Do you actually know how to live within those realities in this present life? 

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Put Yourself in Their Shoes

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Put Yourself in Their Shoes

We go through our days relating to people through our biases and filters without taking the time to get to know people. Often times it's because there is not enough time to get to know everyone but that doesn't absolve us from general compassion toward all of mankind. We are to be clothed with compassion. When someone looks at you do they see compassion just a clearly as they see the shirt you're wearing? It's time for the body of Christ to lead with love and not be so easily offended.

Are you reigning as a king and priest?

We have been raised with Christ and seated in "Heavenly places." Most people misinterpret this to mean we have been "resurrected" with Christ. "Raised with Christ and seated in Heavenly places" is actually a declaration of authority. You haven't been resurrected yet but you have been given authority.

Believers have the same authority on this planet as Jesus and we are to be reigning on this planet as such. Not so you'll drive a Mercedes and live in a mansion, but so that God could increase the influence of his kingdom in the earth through you.

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Your Will Be Done, On Earth As In Heaven

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Prayer... What is it? Why should believers do it? Why do you pray? How do you pray?

These are all good questions. While the answers may seem obvious, many Christians do not have an active and effective prayer life. I think the reasons most Christians only pray when something is wrong is because we don't understand our role as ambassadors. Pray has very little to do with asking God to meet a need and much more to do with applying God's provision.

I Am a Friend of God, Equipped by God to Represent God

Prayer as a new creation in Christ is less about asking God to intervene and more about using your authority as a king in His kingdom. Imagine that you are a representative from God's kingdom sent by Him into a distant land to help that land experience the rule and reign of your king. Imagine that you are already a citizen of Heaven and God has given you the task of going around and declaring His wishes and decrees all throughout neighboring lands.

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Astrophysics and Faith, What Do They Have In Common?

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Astrophysics and Faith, What Do They Have In Common?

There is as much "faith" in science as there is in religion, more really if you think about it. For believers, faith is not choosing to believe in something even though you lack evidence, faith is actually an internal confident persuasion that God is who he says he is. The religion of science says, we don't know why things work they way they do but we know it's not because of God. A statement like that takes great faith.

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