Own Your Faith

It is a great day to OWN YOUR faith! Others will take note:)

It wasn’t until I was in my mid-forties that I realized there were more than two kinds of people. I once thought the world was filled with the “saved” and “unsaved.” Today, more than ever, I can say that there is a third type: the “saved but unspiritual!” The “saved” spiritual person is totally dependent on the Holy Spirit…meaning spirit dependent, spirit directed and spirit dominated. As in Galatians 5:16, he seeks to “walk in the Spirit.”

The saved but unspiritual look very much like the unsaved. Tragically, these people act “like people of the world” (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). In language, lifestyle, priorities, and personality, they blend with the nonbelievers. They allow God to save them but not change them.

I was encouraged 5 years ago to “filter everything through God.” What did that mean? What does that look like?

For me…it was being very mindful, aware and intentional…followed by ACTION…of setting aside…EVERY DAY, not 5 days, but 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year …and giving God…the FIRST of my day. Every. day.

Nothing except taking a bathroom break and drinking a Spark, which helped me focus. Nothing else came before. I put my FULL attention on God, His word and prayer. That is when my life drastically changed. DRASTICALLY!

I had been a Christian (saved) since age 9 and have felt the presence and voice of the Lord in my life and His guidance but never ever like I have felt…nor heard…nor walked since…I allowed God to CHANGE me…to sharpen me. This meant making sure that I made sure HE WAS Number 1. Nothing was before Him nor came before Him. It started with my daily, intentional ACTIONS.

From that decision…I now live in the “Walk by the Spirit” life as a Christian. This life is drastically different for me. All my life I have longed to sense the power of the Holy Spirit and no doubt felt it before in my life, but NEVER like I experience it NOW on a DAILY basis. I have experienced an OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. A companionship that is constant and abiding. A presence that brings Godfidence.

A major goal in the Back 9 is to ENCOURAGE anyone who will listen to know that “walking in the Spirit” only comes with surrender, followed by obedient action! We have to SEEK GOD. When scripture says SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL AND MIND, I now understand what that is. It took someone to point me in the direction I needed to go. To lay out for me what I was blind to…..”a half-hearted” seeking.

It was not an ALL IN that Mark Batterson writes about in his book. Thankfully, I was “All IN” when I read his book, otherwise I probably would not have finished it. It is definitely a book that you either finish and are encouraged or you put it down!

Jesus, after He died on the cross and was raised from the dead and then ascended into heaven at the right hand of God, sent his Holy Spirit to indwell in anyone who invites Jesus into their hearts. The Holy Spirit is our GPS for every step and action for our lives, for our significance and to fulfill our created purpose. That is why Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us to “TRUST IN THE LORD with ALL your heart and LEAN NOT on your OWN understanding. IN ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge HIM and HE will make YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT,” [emphasis mine].

We have access to the Mind of CHRIST through the HOLY Spirit. The part we as Christians can miss is–
<TRUST>
and
<ALL>.

The Holy Spirit’s voice is quenched if He doesn’t occupy ALL AREAS of our LIVES! I encourage you to seek Jesus and be ALL IN. Own your faith. Choose today to walk in the Spirit and not walk as the world walks. Learn to expect Him, the Holy Spirit to show up and show out in your life. We have the same Holy Spirit…that Peter and John experienced.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Act 4:13… When we start our day..with Jesus…there is a power that we walk with…it is the power of the Holy Spirit…people will be able to tell!

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