A powerful covering

In the course of my life I have seen many changes in the church at large. I was introduced to the vibrancy of the Holy Spirit very early. The group known as the Azusa Church were witnesses that the experience the apostles received and the life of power they lived by the Holy Spirit was ours now. As I grew in experience of the many different reactions to the Holy Spirit, I realized most of the "church world" did not agree and did not want that much of the Holy Spirit working in them. By resisting the Holy Spirit and limiting His ministry, they were denying the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their churches. But I also learned that there were many ways of resisting the Spirit and limiting His ministry. Individually and personally each person was faced with the decision of how much they wanted to yield to Him. Jesus knew this was the human dilemma that each would face. He was leaving His Word, His blood and His cross with this realm. But He would be sending the Holy Spirit and if received, would be the Guide for His Church. Do we really listen to the words of Jesus? Or do we automatically assign them to the people we felt He was addressing? Look at His word in Acts 1:4-5(NLT) 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” I know that He was speaking to His disciples, but as the I Am covering of the church, is He not also speaking to us? Do we wait before we rush off and do "our own thing" or do we heed His word and wait until we receive His Spirit as He promised? Why is that command so important to us? Read verse 8. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

It is this power that is so necessary and we see lacking in most of our churches today. Power is the natural response of the Holy Spirit when we yield to Him. He is the energy of God. We see that in every place and instance where the Holy Spirit is mentioned. In Genesis 1, the Word is given and the Spirit energizes that word and the Father pronounces it sealed. The three-fold ministry at work. The Word and the Spirit can only be effective in your life as you yield your life to that ministry.

You can live and minister in the Power of the Holy Spirit if you want to yield your control and energy. Are you a vessel in the Hand of God or do your prayers reveal that you are still in control and want God to do your will? The difference is very simple. Live a life of responding to His covenant and He will respond to that response. Jesus did exactly that and He is still saying to us, "Follow Me."

The church walking under the Covering of the Head, Jesus Christ, will know the ministry of the Spirit leading and guiding them in Truth because that is the natural response. There can be no other. The Holy Spirit, our Head, Jesus Christ, and the Father are one. When any group of people have yielded to God all the way, there will be automatic response from God. It is all outlined in the Scriptures and there is no other way given. They are His Church and are under His Covering. All He is and all He has won is available to that group of people to walk in and minister freely. God wants that more than we can imagine. The Spirit urges us on to that victorious, powerful and sustaining life of ministry.