First, let me say, contrary to rumor and speculation I have
not lost my mind. I'm not a zealot, have not joined a cult or joined a
fundamentalist group (ugh), nor am I selling flowers or cookies in local airports.
In other words...I'm as sane (relative) as I ever was. Yet, something has
changed...What's changed you ask? Well, maybe you didn't but I'm going to share
none the less. I've changed! I have decided to step into who and what God has
called me to be. I have decided to grow the heck up and claim my inheritance in
Christ.
As you know or as I've shared I've attended seminary and at
one time held a ministerial position but it just didn't feel right so I walked
away from it all. I still attended church and studied the word but I didn't
feel an unction, a connection or a drive. I was content to just be.
I had something happen in November of this past year that
made me take a look at my life and ask..what am I doing? Thus began my
spiritual reconnection. In December I made a commitment (I don't use the word
resolution) to read a book a month and I have been on top of that task, primarily
reading books by noted theologians. The
very first book to light the fuse for my hunger was Can You Stand to Be Blessed by T.D. Jakes. I'm currently reading three books
at the moment. The first book by Max Lucado - When God Whispers Your Name, has a workbook that helps me to do
self examination and inspires some of my blog entries. The second book, Hope For Every Moment by T.D. Jakes is
the currently the backbone for many blog entries and lessons. But, Man! Oh man!
Oh man! Today I opened Anointing Fall On Me: Accessing The Power Of
The Holy Spirit by T.D. Jakes. The first chapter alone was transformative.
I got to one page and felt tears streaming down my face.
Allow me to share a few words from the first chapter:
First we have to understand and appreciate this word in its
full context : Paraclete (Gr. παράκλητος, Lat. paracletus) means advocate or
helper. In Christianity, the term paraclete most commonly refers to the Holy
Spirit.
Jakes stressed that believers must understand the ministry
and purpose of the Holy Ghost so they can fully carry out the will of God for
their lives. Jakes went on to further illustrate the Holy Ghost by using
practical life examples.
Many friends stay with
us until we mess up or until we disagree with them. They quickly leave as if they
never knew us. But the Holy Ghost, our Comforter, stays with us forever.
The Holy Ghost does not
come and go based upon the circumstances of our lives. He is there when we do
well. He is there when we fail. When we are on top of things, He is there. When
things are on top of us, He is there. No matter what the situation, the Holy
Ghost is always there to help us. In the same way Jesus helped the disciples,
the Holy Ghost now helps us.
Jakes then went on to stress that God is a God of order by stating
that Passover MUST precede Pentecost! This blurb was in bold text so I really
dug into the text. Jakes stated "First
they had to experience the Passover - the blood of Jesus. Then they would experience Pentecost - the power of the Holy
Ghost."
The thing that really floored me in this chapter were the
words "Without the Holy Ghost, you will never reach your full
potential." Jakes used Ezekiel 37
to drive his teachings home:
The Valley of Dry
Bones
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and
he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the
middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and
forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley,
bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones
live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say
to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what
the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I
will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with
skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know
that I am theLord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was
prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together,
bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and
skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy,
son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may
live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath
entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the
people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we
are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what
the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves
and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then
you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and
bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you
will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that
I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
To make this all work:
1) You must be willing to confess your condition. "They
were very dry." (vs 2)
2) You must confess that you are merely a form of what you
could be.
- · the valley was full of bones (vs 1)
- · The structure of the army was just waiting for God's command.
3) You must hear the word of God "Prophesy upon these
dry bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord"
(vs 4)
- · The anointing only falls upon truth. god will not put His seal of approval on something until He is sure that it is His,
- · The word brings the truth that ultimately sets us all free (John 8:32)
4) The word will bring about change
- · the dry bones heard and they were quickened (vs 4)
- · they heard their potential. "I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live" (vs 5)
- · they knew that they were not complete at this stage. "I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring flesh upon you, and cover you with skin" (vs 6) The word brought about a noise as broken pieces began to come together (vs 7) God will speak to your broken and shattered dreams
5) The potential was realized as the word brought about the
wind. "Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind,
Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breath upon
these slain, that they may live" (vs 9)
I'm giving you a glimpse into my awakening and inviting you
to call on the four winds for your quickening. I'm inviting you to study and
learn about the Holy Spirit and to enjoy your own Pentecost
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