We discussed chapter 2 of Calvary Road today. It discusses the importance of brokenness and confession in our lives so that we are willing and ready to be filled by the Holy Spirit to ‘spill out’ the spirit of God onto others around us. The exercise of brokenness and confession helps for us to get out of the way so God can drive/lead.
Francisco shared what “personal and daily revival” means to him:
“Jesus is waiting for me when I get up.”
What would the world be like if followers of Jesus lived like this? Imagine if you lived a life of anticipation and joy knowing that as soon as you opened your eyes every morning, Jesus was there smiling and waiting for you! Take away the worry and anxiety and all the stuff packed into our minds, and start each day as an adventure with Jesus.
Quotes from Calvary Road:
“Revival itself is being absolutely filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and that is victorious living.”
“If we were asked this moment if we were filled with the Holy Spirit, how many of us would dare to answer “yes”? Revival is when we can say “yes” at any moment of the day.”
I am amazed at how God works in our lives. I especially love it when you hear something two or three times in a short period of time. My personal belief is that is God telling you, “Pay attention.” A few of us are in a 9-month men’s study called the Journey. It is about going deeper in your walk with Christ. Our last few meetings, and the next few covered the Holy Spirit. In our Journey group we identified numerous passages in the Bible about the Holy Spirit. Gene Egan gave us one last Wednesday in Isaiah61:1 – “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” Did you catch that word, “anointed?” Isaiah’s preaching ability was a gift from the Holy Spirit. Guess what we’ve been covering in the book, The Calvary Road? You got it – the Holy Spirit. Gene Egan talked about the Holy Spirit, as discussed in Chapter 2, “Cups Running Over.” Let’s face it, the Holy Spirit is rarely emphasized in Christian circles. But yet, the Holy Spirit is God residing in our hearts. He is an important part of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit gives us our spiritual gifts.
In “Cups Running Over,” Roy Hession says, “Revival itself is being absolutely filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.” He also asks, “If you were asked this moment if you were filled with the Holy Spirit, could you confidently answer yes?” Gene said, “We are the cup to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” We must first be emptied so God can fill us. That is where dying to self and brokenness come in. Hession thinks people have it all wrong when they say dying to self makes one miserable. He believes NOT dying to self makes us miserable. Think about that one for a few minutes; we may temporarily satisfy our flesh when we do things that serve self rather than others but, most of us know, satisfactions of the flesh are truly temporary. In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The everlasting gift of God is peace. If you have peace in your heart you have everything. Can you say you are at peace? If not, or, if you believe you had God’s peace but somehow lost it, spend some time with God and ask Him to empty your cup so He can fill it to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. If you do not know how to do this, talk to Bucky, Drew, Gene or Monte about it. They will gladly help you. I will close with a special announcement. Monte will be coordinating a group to attend Hillview Acres’ open house on Saturday, May 23rd. If you are not familiar with Hillview go to http://www.hillview.org. Hillview is a group home (orphanage) located in Chino (yes, an orphanage right in our own back yard). Even though it is located in Chino, 60% of the kids residing there are from Orange County. God Himself has commanded is to take care of the widows and orphans. In addition to Monte, I know Cynthia and I are attending. So are David and Sherry Hartshorne. Please pray about joining us – yes it is Memorial Day weekend. Yes, there are so many things you want to do. But, as we just talked about, it isn’t about us and our wants, is it? It is about helping others – compassionate service. If you only do things when they are convenient for you; if you don’t help out because you don’t want to rearrange your schedule, then re-read the second paragraph. Thanks.