Resurrection Week - Thursday

Yes, we are on Thursday, day five of Resurrection Week and still hard on the heels of servants of Jesus, as we are being convicted and challenged in our Spirit-filled lives.

As believers, if we claim to know Jesus as our Lord and Master; if we call Him our Risen Lord and Saviour; if we know His Baptism, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; if we say that we have received power to be witnesses of the Risen Lord, then in all we do and say, our words and works must testify to Jesus - present and powerful – and not be unconvincing witnesses to Him and of Him.

Like Peter and John and all law-abiding Jews, we, as believers, do not readily neglect prayer, for as we are called to pray, we do respond. If we are honest about ourselves and others, the truth is that many of us, believers, if not all of us, are quick to offer prayer, whether we are asked to pray for one in need or not. Prayer is ruled by us, for oftentimes we proudly and boldly speak the words of prayer, without the works of prayer, and no one bothers to hold us to accountability about our banners of prayer.

We offer powerful prayers, which have words of great intention and expectation, but alas, there is no Divine confirmation. Many of us have even acquired the art of praying according to human ability and not according to the Holy Spirit’s ability. We ensure that we keep on safe ground, when we pray, for to launch out and jump into the deep is too risky and we may end up in waters too deep for our human abilities.

When we speak in the Name of our Risen Lord, we keep it real and practical, for our service banner shows that the Spirit, who dwells in us, is only able to do the works which we are able to do. We proudly splash across our adorned and ornamented banners that the Spirit will help us in all we can do, since God does not expect us to do what we cannot do. Look and listen to yourself and others like you, who are free and out front with what is comfortable for you to perform, while staying far clear of what is impossible for you to do, in your limited flesh. Yet you and I claim to be indwelt by the Holy Ghost and that He is our power source.

As we press on in this Resurrection Week, facing its two final days, may God help us to consciously pull down and rip to shreds, every erroneous banner we so proudly carry in His Name. Every word-bearing banner that is not a work-bearing banner, must be pulled down. In its place, only the banner that shows the Risen Lord, present in Spirit and in Truth, should fly from our truly surrendered lives, as witnesses and servants of the Lord. Are you and I not the temples of the Lord, where His Spirit abides? Only with the resident, abiding Holy Spirit, will we be always able to give what we have, at long notice, short notice or no notice at all.

For the remainder of the week, we will consciously seek:-

Words of truth about ourselves – without any kind of rose-tinted spectacles - as witnesses and believers in the Risen Lord Jesus.

Works of truth about ourselves – without any kind of human-assisted showing – as we claim the works of the Holy Ghost in what we offer to the hungry and needy.