Understanding the Holy Spirit's Role

Probably all of us, most of us anyway, have a great desire to increase in our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. There are some days I look back and I go, man, I was so caught up on my agenda today that I missed all these opportunities that you opened up for me and I didn't even see them. And so I want that continuous sensitivity to the voice of God so that he can just breathe slightly and I catch what he's saying, what he's doing. How do you stay in tune to that kind of lifestyle? Chapter 16 is where he presents them with an idea that I would like to suggest to you. is about a million times more mind-boggling than walking on water and growing back limbs and multiplying food. He's about to present them with the most challenging idea that has ever entered their mind. Chapter 16, verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him. You have to understand something. In the Garden of Eden, Adam, it's before Eve was created, Adam would walk in this place of pleasure. pleasure and bliss. And in the cool of the evening, God himself would come and walk with Adam in the cool of the evening through the garden, through this place that God had created for the two of them to enjoy. Absolute perfect paradise. And they would walk together in perfect harmony. I love somebody said, the God who is everywhere wants to be somewhere. And he manifested with Adam and together they would walk. Not since the Garden of Eden had any human being experienced what Adam experienced until Jesus chose the twelve. He was the living tree of life who was with them day after day after day. The atmosphere of heaven itself permeated their beings. They lost appetite for every other form of life because of this. If you can imagine with me, living in that kind of place. of overwhelming connection with the person of God himself within reach. And then having him say, it's to your advantage that I go. If ever there was a thought that was impossible to comprehend for the 12, it was that one. How? Is it possible to sit down with you across the table any moment of the day and ask you anything and have you look into the deep of who I am and speak the exact words that I need? How is it possible that phase two is better than this? In John 14, we didn't read it, but Jesus announced to his disciples, you know the Holy Spirit, which is interesting because they didn't know they knew him. He was saying, you know me, so you know him. And then he makes a statement, he says, the Holy Spirit who is with you will be in you. The The disciples were becoming introduced to something that was so far beyond comprehension. In this moment, Jesus shocks them by saying, I'm going to move you into a position that is more profitable than what you've experienced the last three and a half years. Here's my take, my experience. In recent weeks, in recent months, actually, I'm embarrassed to say, but I've had more times than I can count where I've said, Jesus, I wish that you were here in the flesh sitting across the table from me because I've got things I want to ask you. I need help. I don't know what I'm doing. I absolutely do not know what I'm doing. And then I remember again, it's to your advantage. So here's the deal. As we know, you can starve to death with a million dollars in the bank. If you don't access what he's made available, you live an inferior life to what he designed you for. And if my experience is not better than having Jesus sitting across the table, from me that I am not accessing what he put in my account. Something has to change and it's not him. He put something into an account. He put something into the last will and testament where you're sitting in the lawyer's office and he's reading to you what you've just inherited. It's absolutely mind-boggling. The Holy Spirit is actually, He's actually called so many things. In fact, this week I was making a list of everything I could find in Scripture that gave us a name or a responsibility that the Holy Spirit Himself had. And it's just mind-boggling to see what we've been actually gifted with this person. He's not a force, He's not a cosmic fog, He's not an it, He's a person who is exactly the same as Jesus. And he is God on earth. The Father's in heaven, the Son is at his right hand, and the Spirit of God is God on earth. And this Holy Spirit who indwells us has the ability to manifest the nature, heart, and will of God into the earth through us. He indwells me, he empowers me, he encircles me. He leads me. This Holy Spirit. is the seal over my life. He actually, if you look at it this way, you've been adopted by a heavenly father and the spirit of God is the legal document that said the adoption was successful. His abiding presence is the evidence you belong to the father. He's a seal. Seal identity, seal of security. But it goes on to say that he is the down payment. I bought a car here just maybe three months ago. I love my car. Not agape love, because that's probably wrong. But whatever kind else fits, I love my car. I'm so thankful for my car, and I went with a very significant down payment. Now when I went and I made this down payment, what I did is I said, here's this, and more is coming. What I didn't do is bring a bunch of oranges and said, next week I'll send you apples. Here's fish. Next time I'll send you vegetables. I'm going to send you more of the same. So when the Holy Spirit was given to us as a down payment, it was the initial evidence of the most... Mind-boggling concept, I think possibly in all of Scripture. That's an extreme statement, but think about this with me. The Bible says we are heirs of God. The Bible says you inherit God. And just to make it worse, On the brain, he inherits us. Ephesians 1, the glory of the riches of his inheritance in the saints. I don't understand any of it. No, I don't. I don't understand it at all. But in some ways, I almost would rather not. Because as it is, I'm speechless. I'd probably be more speechless if I understood it. But we are heirs of God. So the Holy Spirit's being given to me as a down payment of what it will take eternity to discover. It will take eternity to actually fully receive what has been promised, heirs of God. So the Holy Spirit is the initiation into eternal purpose, eternal design, eternal process. God and Satan are not opposites. The war, it's so funny to hear people talk about this, the war has never been between God and Satan because it wouldn't be a fight. I mean, honestly, it wouldn't be all, you know, just a breath could destroy the entire demonic kingdom. The demonic kingdom has been allowed to remain because it's our school for reigning and ruling throughout eternity. Every day of your life, you're being trained through decisions, through... strengths of faith and obedience to learn what it's going to be like to rule and reign with him. Without that kind of training, all you'll be qualified to do is sit on a cloud and play a harp. And that is not God's design for you. Heaven makes this world look pitiful. It is so industrious. There is so much purpose and life in every single thing that's done that your entrance into heaven Well, the most satisfying, fulfilling thing, because you'll find out why you were created in the first place. We taste of it here, you discover it there. But it's the Holy Spirit who trains us. It's this relation, it's this seamless relationship with the Spirit of God that makes what the disciples had within arm's reach of Jesus, it actually makes that look inferior. He indwells, he empowers. He circles, he upholds, he instructs, he imparts, he leads. He led Jesus, Luke 4, verse 1, into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. That doesn't sound very nice. I thought he was the comforter. He is. He just plans to make you uncomfortable first. How many of you have seen God moving and it made you feel uncomfortable? If it hasn't, you've not really seen him move yet. Because it's intimidating. So he leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Why would he do that? He only leads us into places where we are equipped and prepared to win. Verse 16, it says, nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Verse 17, now the Lord is the Spirit. That's interesting. Statement, the Lord is the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Lord. The Holy Spirit is Lord, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Another way to put that is wherever the Holy Spirit is Lord, liberty is the evidence. The evidence of the presence of God, not just in the room. I mean, no, he can be in the room, but I can resist him and not yield to him, right? So it's not just the presence of the Lord in this sense. It's the presence of the Lord in this sense that he has had his impact. of Lordship over my perception, over my thinking, over my heart, there's a place of tenderness and yieldedness. See, my life's goal is to be tender enough to the Lord that he can touch me with his fingerprint and leave his imprint on my heart. I wanna be that tender, that soft and tender to his, that any breath moves me, any breath of God moves my thinking, moves my actions. We really do play to the audience of one. We really do live to the audience of one, to bring pleasure to one. And the moment I lose that is when I become very frustrated with him. In fact, the way I like to put it is that if God is your servant, you will constantly be frustrated. He will never measure up. But if you are his servant, you will always stand in amazement, being overwhelmed by how good he really is. There's a shift in posture, and if I fail to make that shift in posture, I will think I have a contract to make demands of God, instead of realizing he gave himself to me as the contractor, so that together we would co-labor to see his purposes carried out. Faith really is the result of being overwhelmingly confident that he is who he says he is. It's normal. So where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That statement we use a lot. I like it. I like it because it just speaks so much of the kingdom. But it's given to us in this context of blinded minds being released from deception and seeing. That liberty is actually seeing what we're supposed to be seeing. That liberty. Why is it important to see? I'm glad you asked. Why is it important? Why is perception so important? Well, there's obvious reasons, but let me tell you the ultimate reason. The ultimate reason, this whole chapter is actually about encountering the glory. In fact, we should read this next verse. This will help it to make more sense. It's real wordy, but let's work through it together. Verse 18, but we all with unveiled face, in other words, the deception's been lifted, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. Interesting way to put things. I'm seeing the glory of the Lord, but it's like I'm looking in a mirror. What does that say about what's happening to you? I hope you're getting it. We're being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord. So where the Holy Spirit is Lord, He lifts the veil so that we can see Him more clearly. But what happens as a result? Beholding the glory of the Lord is the most transformational encounter a person can and will ever have. When the Bible says, when you see Him, you will be like Him, that is true. But the principle is also in the present tense. As you see him, you will be like him. Many people wait to see some image where Jesus, you know, ta-da, shows up in almost in the flesh or so that we see him in vision form, instead of realizing any time we consider who he is and what he has said and we quiet our heart. We just look in his direction. There is an imprint taking place in our lives of who he is. Everything gets recalibrated. Our thoughts get recalibrated, our values, our decisions, our priorities in life. All this stuff gets recalibrated. The more I become confident and aware that he truly is with me, not just as a promise that I haven't realized personally by experience, but as a promise that I live in. I live in the experience of the abiding presence of Christ. In that context, faith becomes more and more normal, and I become changed into his image. So the whole point is, is that beholding him changes us. You know, sometimes the way things are emphasized in the church and by us, it would almost appear that... It's by our hard labor that we're changed, and I do believe in hard labor, and I do believe in really representing the Lord with a great zeal, fervency, laying my life down to see Him use my labors. But there is nothing so transformational as beholding Him. Those things are important because I've beheld him. In other words, I don't do these things to obtain favor. I already have the favor. I do them because I have favor. In other words, what are you going to do with what God has given you? All of us, probably all of us, most of us anyway, have a great desire to increase in our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, to be ready to do whatever He's doing. I want to just sense the heart of God in a matter. I want to move easily with Him. I don't want Him to have to hit me over the head with a two-by-four to get my attention so He can then direct me. I don't want to portray Him that way, but you get my point. There are some days at the end of the day I look back and I go, man, I was so caught up on my agenda today. today that I missed all these opportunities that you opened up for me, and I didn't even see them. And I don't like that. And so I want that continuous sensitivity to the voice of God, to the presence of God, so that he can just breathe slightly. and I catch what he's saying, what he's doing. How do you stay in tune to that kind of lifestyle? I think there's two things you can do proactively to build that sense of awareness. The first one is to pray in tongues, pray a lot. Paul said he prayed more than all. And the word he used there is, I pray more than all of you combined. In other words, he was saying, listen, if you knew what I was going through, you'd understand why I pray in tongues all the time. And really that was the whole case is that spiritual language, it's that it's learning. to stay connected to the Holy Spirit. It's not something taking over our body. It's the willful use of a prayer language that God gives us. If you don't have, just ask him because he's really generous with this gift. It goes to anyone who wants it. Just don't sweat to get it. It comes much easier. So this gift, this praying in the Spirit is a huge part of our life. It's supposed to be a huge part of our life because it's the one gift given that is for us. All the other gifts are enabling us to serve well the people around us. But praying in the Spirit is something that edifies and strengthens us. What does it do? It connects me to the spontaneous because it bypasses my understanding. I don't know what I'm praying. After a while, you start to pick up. You start praying in the Spirit, but you start picking up the kinds of areas that God is moving your heart in. You start discerning things. But what's happening is the Lord is training us. How to live in the spontaneous, not so that we avoid reason, not so that we avoid understanding or intellectual approach to things. I think that's vital. I think we're supposed to have understanding of things, but it doesn't do me a whole lot of good to have great understanding and not hear his voice, not be able to be moved with the presence and the spirit of God. So that's one. The second one is this spontaneous song. You see, you drive down the street and you just spontaneously sing out of whatever season you're in. Whatever moment you're in, maybe it's a crisis that you have going on. Maybe there's this, maybe you've received a doctor's report that's really a bad report. You don't sing the report, you sing the answer to the report. You sing the solution, you sing the praises to God in the middle of it. You know, years ago, Dick Mills was such a dear friend of ours, and I remember he told us this story once. He said he was just really being harassed by the devil. It's just really one of those, you know, one of those... He had extreme seasons in his life and extreme moments. So he went into a room, he got two chairs. He had the chairs face each other. And Dick said in one, and he said, Satan, sit down. I'm going to praise God and you're going to watch. I love that. I love that whole thing. Listen, in the middle of whatever's going on, I have determined. to take what the enemy has meant for evil, and I'm going to use that as the fuel to exalt him in his greatness. Because there's not one problem that I am facing in life or could ever face that he has not already purchased the answer for. I don't come to God begging for a breakthrough as though he needed to do something. He already took care of something. All I'm doing is aligning my heart to receive what he has already purchased and put in my account. Jesus modeled what it looks like to be full of the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is actually a command in Scripture. It's both an invitation and a command. It's kind of like being invited to a birthday party. Somebody says, you will be at my birthday party. That's kind of the way this command came. It says, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Don't be drunk with wine. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Don't live under the influence of this. Live under the influence of this. Don't let this shape how you walk. Let this shape how you walk. So Jesus modeled what it looked like to be full of the Holy Spirit. Imagine this. Thankfully, we just got finished with the drought. We got tired of it and got rid of it last year. And it wasn't near as fun as they said it would be. So we got rid of it, prayed it out of here, and we enjoyed bountiful rain last year. I've been here during three, or excuse me, two droughts, one back in the 70s and then one that just finished last year. Both times, the drought was so severe. severe. They said it would take like 10 years for our lake to recover. And both times the Lord restored the lake in one year, one season. A real miracle I'm thankful for. But let's just imagine, for example, that you live in, let's just say San Diego. I don't know what the rainfall is, but let's just say they get 10 inches of rain a year. And you move to Redding during a drought and we get 20 inches and you move into this environment where there's 20 inches. 20 inches of rain. Droughts don't mean it doesn't rain. It just means it doesn't rain enough. But if you move from an area that has 10 inches and you move to an area where there's 20. You might think it's more than enough. See, a lot of people experience outpourings of the Spirit and they think it's abundant, but according to Biblical standards, it's a drought. Jesus models what the fullness of the Holy Spirit looks like. And never to shame us, never to ridicule, look what I have, what you don't have, never. It's always the invitation to pursue. It's always the invitation to go after what He has made available. It's interesting to me in Scripture that some things He has just determined will be given to you, and sometimes that's what happens. Sometimes you're just in the room and you catch something. Other times, He's unpredictable because He's a God to join in relationship. He's not just a philosophy. He's not just a God of principles where you take one, two, and three steps and you end up with an equation, point four or something. He's not that way. It's a relational journey. And in this journey, he's invited us to do things, and some things just happen simply because you're in the room. Sometimes it's a simple prayer. I've watched some of the most extraordinary things happen to people who weren't even asking for it. God just literally just visited them. We've had people join us here. Some come very hungry. Others come, to be honest with you, they've told me just to check it off the list. You know, they had somebody say, you need to go, and they come just to kind of... get their friend to leave them alone for a while, you know, and I get that. I've done the same thing. You know, you just, they won't get off my back till I do what they ask, so I just do them a favor. And some people literally have just come into the room that way, and then Jesus completely, totally heals them of something that's impossible. I remember a pastor friend sitting right over here that almost didn't become a pastor because his dyslexia was so bad he just couldn't read. And it would turn things around so bad he'd have to study the Bible on CDs and stuff. And it was just so challenging. And he sat here and the Spirit of God fell upon him in fire. And while it's happening, he discovers his bad attitude. He goes face to face with the fact, I don't even want to be here and you're touching me anyway. It's a wonderful story. God in his grace is just touching me. And he says, oh, God, please don't let me mess this up, because he could tell something was happening. And he went from someone who can't read to someone who then within just days is reading like six and eight hours a day. He just can't get enough, because he suddenly has no problem whatsoever with his eyes. He said, right over here, the Lord just healed me. And so there are things like that that he just does the surprise thing. And there are other things that just come to us and seed form or come to us. as promises, and he waits for us to pursue. He waits for us to come hungry. And there's so much of the kingdom is actually available for those who pursue. And we pursue according to his invitation. We pursue according to his command. So anyway, we have this concept of Jesus modeling fullness of the Holy Spirit. Your privilege in life is to reveal the Father. But I'd like to suggest to you. It's impossible to do adequately without being filled with the Spirit. I'm not trying to make this a doctrinal issue. There are many who, I think praying in tongues is glorious. I can't imagine life without it. I like what Paul said, I pray in tongues more than all of you. The language he uses there, he says, I pray more in tongues than all of you combined. In other words, I'm a tongue talker and that's, you know, I believe in that breakthrough. I know what it's like to be edified. by just praying in the Spirit and have the Holy Spirit pray through you. I love. But it would be like, if that's the goal, it's a worthy goal, but if that's the... Jeez, I about died right there. I almost did crowd surfing right there. That would have been fun to see if you caught... Yeah, there was no crowd down here. That would have plopped. Yeah. I'll be careful around that little hinge again. All right. I don't know what I was saying, but it was really good. Help me out somebody. Tongues. It would be like going through the the River Jordan into the promised land and you cross the river and you've got houses built, you've got lands, vineyards planted, you've got all this stuff to inherit. You walk through this river on dry ground, you stand on the banks of the river and you stand there for your entire life and never enter the purpose for going through the river. Yes, tongues are valuable. Yes, that shoreline is important, but it's the beginning of a breakthrough in which the The Lord Almighty, the God of the universe, is represented and manifest through people that taste of his goodness and his provision. Isaiah chapter 61. I fear that sometimes I become too familiar with the passage. Sometimes I'll read it a different translation. Sometimes I'll read it out loud. Sometimes I'll stop after each phrase and think. I need to jar myself from familiarity because some things are so huge. Some things are so weighty that it's easy to skim over the surface of something and not be impacted by its depth. And this is one of those passages. This is what Jesus read in his hometown of Nazareth. I think we studied it a week or two ago. a little bit. This is what he read to announce the beginning of his ministry from Nazareth. And so it's in verse one, he says, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort. all who mourn, to console those who mourn, in Zion to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Such a wonderful, wonderful verse. And really what he's saying is, he's saying, listen, the Holy Spirit is upon me. I know the Holy Spirit lives in us, as I've stated countless times through the years. The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake, but he rests upon me for yours. We have to understand that when the Spirit of God comes upon us, it's always for action. It's always for impact. It's always to change something. We've been privileged to step into the middle of an impossibility. We may not know what's supposed to happen. We just know God doesn't want it left the way it is. And we come in looking to him. Our hearts turn to him for solutions. We don't come as the smart people. We don't come with the people that always have the plan. Sometimes we know the least about a given situation, but we step into the middle of an impossibility knowing that the God of the universe, the creator of all, lives in us and he has practical solutions for the situation. Verse four, rebuilding cities. That was the target God began with when he began to fill people with the spirit. It was the target. He was saying, all right, so you've never dealt with addiction, but guess what? I'm going to put the Spirit of God upon you in such a profound way. I'm going to have you talk with somebody who's bound by addiction. You're going to bring freedom. That fullness of the Spirit on you is to bring freedom to them. And that person that becomes free, they are going to become stable. And as they become stable, they will become the rebuilders of broken cities. It all starts with somebody saying, Holy Spirit, come. Baptize me anew. Baptize me afresh. Fill me with your Spirit. Many people stop short of a divine encounter because they're satisfied with good theology. They're happy with meeting whatever qualifications they may have for being filled with the Spirit. Well, I pray in tongues. Well, I do this. I do that. Listen, the point is, is there power coming forth from your life that sets captives free? That's the issue. It's the issue. The Holy Spirit's in you to comfort you, to bring peace to you, to give you insight, all that stuff. That's for you. But this Spirit of God who comes upon us, that is for us to bring about transformation in the events and stuff around us. That's the purpose. It's measurable. The fullness of the Spirit is measured by impact. In Acts chapter 2, we know that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. It's an extraordinary chapter. It's Pentecostal's favorite chapter. It's where there's this outpouring of the Spirit. It's extraordinary. But in chapter 4, it happens again. And it's anywhere from, someone would say, two to maybe as many as five years after the day of Pentecost. And so we've got some of the same people that are in attitude that are rocked, where thousands are added daily. They're in the same experience a couple years later. What's the point? Because you're a broken vessel. You leak. Old timers used to put it this way. They say, stay under the spout where the glory comes out. You know, that's the whole deal. It's just you just stay under in that place where the Spirit of God comes upon you continuously. My testimony yesterday is wonderful. But it is no excuse for the absence of hunger today. Anytime yesterday's experience erases my hunger for today, I've chosen where to level off. When in fact the Lord has invited us into this relationship. We're being filled with the Holy Spirit, ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. It actually becomes necessary for us to demonstrate who the Father is. I don't think it's possible. In fact, I'm confident it's not possible to adequately display the love of God without power. I love the practical stuff. I mean, I do. I love, and I do mean I really love, I love giving the sandwich to somebody that's hungry and giving the coat and the shoes and the stuff that people need. We love to do this. I love this. But without power, we're still bound. Their belly may be full, which is important, but the addiction that got them to that place of brokenness, it's got to be broken. Somebody's got to come in filled with the Spirit of God that breaks that thing off and knows how to end this cycle. Maybe it's five generations of poverty. Just break it off. God has given the ability to make wealth to every individual. Anyone who will just turn their hearts to him and say yes. He gives the ability and then he reveals the purpose for wealth, for prosperity, for blessing. it's unto something it's never about accumulation this kingdom that we live in is so different so different you're exalted by going low you become filled by becoming empty it's just a different kingdom it's just a different kingdom and he welcomes us into this kingdom where there's conflict and understanding that enables us to understand it's a strangest thing where you realize abundance is measured by what you've given away, not by what you have. Fullness. Give me those two water bottles down there. Thanks, Eric. So we've got one water bottle that's full, one that's almost full. This is legal to sell because it's full. This one has been tampered with. This is legal to sell. It's full, but it's not really full. In fact, it's not full until it overflows. It's overflowed. That's what reveals its fullness. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is never measured by what you have. It's measured by what overflows you. It's measured by what overflows. See, this kingdom is a different kingdom. It completely functions differently. It's not by what I contain. It's not by what I keep. It's what I release. It's what I give away. The resurrection power of Jesus lives in you and he wants out. I personally think all of heaven is looking to see what impossibility we will conquer in his name. What will we do with what we've been given? It's a strange example, but Jesus came to a fig tree. It's one of the funnier stories in the Bible. He came to a fig tree out of season for it to bear fruit. And he came to it to get fruit. And there wasn't any fruit because it wasn't the right fruit. season, and it says he cursed it. And I've heard great teachings on the fig tree representing Israel and whatever. I don't know what it means, except Jesus is the only one who has the right to expect fruit of the impossible. from us. And he didn't find any. He had to bring that confrontation into a reality. And you and I have been given the spirit of the resurrected Christ. It's not a condemning word. It's an invitation. It's a word that says, let him be who he is in his resurrection power flowing in and through our lives, confronting those things that have been deemed to be impossible. That's what you were born for. That's what I was born for. In our conversion is the DNA of Christ. It wasn't earned, it was given as a gift. His actual DNA, where he gravitated towards the funeral, towards the hungry crowd, towards the leper that needed help, the blind who wanted someone to guide them. All these situations he gravitated towards them because he carried this absolute solution to every broken situation. And my prayer for you, for me, is that in this next season, We would become even more convinced of how ready the resurrection power of Jesus is available in word, in touch, and in action. Word, the right thing needs to be said. Don't think a casual statement accomplishes much. It's the decree of God. Say what he's saying. Say what he's saying. Cancer, be gone. Say what he's saying. Don't do this. God, if it's your will, show mercy, kindness. Don't be stupid. Confront the thing. Don't show any respect to a problem. Do not show respect. Kindness and respect towards people. Love affectionately served people, but no respect for a problem. Don't use the word cancer with reverence. It deserves no reverence. It's a devil. It's a devil. Don't speak to it kindly. Don't speak in hushed terms, did you hear? But so-and-so got back from the doctor. No hushed terms. We must stop being impressed with the size of our problem. It's my personal conviction that most of us, our breakthrough would begin the day we stop being impressed with the size of our problem. I'm not trying to create a magic formula. I'm just saying, listen to what he's saying, declare it. Find someone to touch, to love, to lay hands on. Prophetically, serve, do acts of service, kindness for people. The Spirit of God is released through those means over and over and over again.

How do you stay in tune to that kind of lifestyle? Chapter 16 is where he presents them with an idea that I would like to suggest to you. is about a million times more mind-boggling than walking on water and growing back limbs and multiplying food.

He's about to present them with the most challenging idea that has ever entered their mind. Chapter 16, verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you.

But if I depart, I will send him. You have to understand something. In the Garden of Eden, Adam, it's before Eve was created, Adam would walk in this place of pleasure. pleasure and bliss.

And in the cool of the evening, God himself would come and walk with Adam in the cool of the evening through the garden, through this place that God had created for the two of them to enjoy. Absolute perfect paradise. And they would walk together in perfect harmony. I love somebody said, the God who is everywhere wants to be somewhere. And he manifested with Adam and together they would walk.

Not since the Garden of Eden had any human being experienced what Adam experienced until Jesus chose the twelve. He was the living tree of life who was with them day after day after day. The atmosphere of heaven itself permeated their beings. They lost appetite for every other form of life because of this.

If you can imagine with me, living in that kind of place. of overwhelming connection with the person of God himself within reach. And then having him say, it's to your advantage that I go.

If ever there was a thought that was impossible to comprehend for the 12, it was that one. How? Is it possible to sit down with you across the table any moment of the day and ask you anything and have you look into the deep of who I am and speak the exact words that I need? How is it possible that phase two is better than this? In John 14, we didn't read it, but Jesus announced to his disciples, you know the Holy Spirit, which is interesting because they didn't know they knew him.

He was saying, you know me, so you know him. And then he makes a statement, he says, the Holy Spirit who is with you will be in you. The The disciples were becoming introduced to something that was so far beyond comprehension. In this moment, Jesus shocks them by saying, I'm going to move you into a position that is more profitable than what you've experienced the last three and a half years. Here's my take, my experience.

In recent weeks, in recent months, actually, I'm embarrassed to say, but I've had more times than I can count where I've said, Jesus, I wish that you were here in the flesh sitting across the table from me because I've got things I want to ask you. I need help. I don't know what I'm doing.

I absolutely do not know what I'm doing. And then I remember again, it's to your advantage. So here's the deal.

As we know, you can starve to death with a million dollars in the bank. If you don't access what he's made available, you live an inferior life to what he designed you for. And if my experience is not better than having Jesus sitting across the table, from me that I am not accessing what he put in my account.

Something has to change and it's not him. He put something into an account. He put something into the last will and testament where you're sitting in the lawyer's office and he's reading to you what you've just inherited.

It's absolutely mind-boggling. The Holy Spirit is actually, He's actually called so many things. In fact, this week I was making a list of everything I could find in Scripture that gave us a name or a responsibility that the Holy Spirit Himself had. And it's just mind-boggling to see what we've been actually gifted with this person. He's not a force, He's not a cosmic fog, He's not an it, He's a person who is exactly the same as Jesus.

And he is God on earth. The Father's in heaven, the Son is at his right hand, and the Spirit of God is God on earth. And this Holy Spirit who indwells us has the ability to manifest the nature, heart, and will of God into the earth through us. He indwells me, he empowers me, he encircles me.

He leads me. This Holy Spirit. is the seal over my life. He actually, if you look at it this way, you've been adopted by a heavenly father and the spirit of God is the legal document that said the adoption was successful.

His abiding presence is the evidence you belong to the father. He's a seal. Seal identity, seal of security. But it goes on to say that he is the down payment. I bought a car here just maybe three months ago.

I love my car. Not agape love, because that's probably wrong. But whatever kind else fits, I love my car.

I'm so thankful for my car, and I went with a very significant down payment. Now when I went and I made this down payment, what I did is I said, here's this, and more is coming. What I didn't do is bring a bunch of oranges and said, next week I'll send you apples. Here's fish.

Next time I'll send you vegetables. I'm going to send you more of the same. So when the Holy Spirit was given to us as a down payment, it was the initial evidence of the most... Mind-boggling concept, I think possibly in all of Scripture.

That's an extreme statement, but think about this with me. The Bible says we are heirs of God. The Bible says you inherit God. And just to make it worse, On the brain, he inherits us. Ephesians 1, the glory of the riches of his inheritance in the saints.

I don't understand any of it. No, I don't. I don't understand it at all.

But in some ways, I almost would rather not. Because as it is, I'm speechless. I'd probably be more speechless if I understood it.

But we are heirs of God. So the Holy Spirit's being given to me as a down payment of what it will take eternity to discover. It will take eternity to actually fully receive what has been promised, heirs of God. So the Holy Spirit is the initiation into eternal purpose, eternal design, eternal process. God and Satan are not opposites.

The war, it's so funny to hear people talk about this, the war has never been between God and Satan because it wouldn't be a fight. I mean, honestly, it wouldn't be all, you know, just a breath could destroy the entire demonic kingdom. The demonic kingdom has been allowed to remain because it's our school for reigning and ruling throughout eternity. Every day of your life, you're being trained through decisions, through...

strengths of faith and obedience to learn what it's going to be like to rule and reign with him. Without that kind of training, all you'll be qualified to do is sit on a cloud and play a harp. And that is not God's design for you. Heaven makes this world look pitiful.

It is so industrious. There is so much purpose and life in every single thing that's done that your entrance into heaven Well, the most satisfying, fulfilling thing, because you'll find out why you were created in the first place. We taste of it here, you discover it there.

But it's the Holy Spirit who trains us. It's this relation, it's this seamless relationship with the Spirit of God that makes what the disciples had within arm's reach of Jesus, it actually makes that look inferior. He indwells, he empowers. He circles, he upholds, he instructs, he imparts, he leads. He led Jesus, Luke 4, verse 1, into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

That doesn't sound very nice. I thought he was the comforter. He is. He just plans to make you uncomfortable first. How many of you have seen God moving and it made you feel uncomfortable?

If it hasn't, you've not really seen him move yet. Because it's intimidating. So he leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Why would he do that? He only leads us into places where we are equipped and prepared to win. Verse 16, it says, nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Verse 17, now the Lord is the Spirit. That's interesting. Statement, the Lord is the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Lord. The Holy Spirit is Lord, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Another way to put that is wherever the Holy Spirit is Lord, liberty is the evidence.

The evidence of the presence of God, not just in the room. I mean, no, he can be in the room, but I can resist him and not yield to him, right? So it's not just the presence of the Lord in this sense.

It's the presence of the Lord in this sense that he has had his impact. of Lordship over my perception, over my thinking, over my heart, there's a place of tenderness and yieldedness. See, my life's goal is to be tender enough to the Lord that he can touch me with his fingerprint and leave his imprint on my heart. I wanna be that tender, that soft and tender to his, that any breath moves me, any breath of God moves my thinking, moves my actions.

We really do play to the audience of one. We really do live to the audience of one, to bring pleasure to one. And the moment I lose that is when I become very frustrated with him. In fact, the way I like to put it is that if God is your servant, you will constantly be frustrated.

He will never measure up. But if you are his servant, you will always stand in amazement, being overwhelmed by how good he really is. There's a shift in posture, and if I fail to make that shift in posture, I will think I have a contract to make demands of God, instead of realizing he gave himself to me as the contractor, so that together we would co-labor to see his purposes carried out. Faith really is the result of being overwhelmingly confident that he is who he says he is. It's normal.

So where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That statement we use a lot. I like it.

I like it because it just speaks so much of the kingdom. But it's given to us in this context of blinded minds being released from deception and seeing. That liberty is actually seeing what we're supposed to be seeing. That liberty.

Why is it important to see? I'm glad you asked. Why is it important?

Why is perception so important? Well, there's obvious reasons, but let me tell you the ultimate reason. The ultimate reason, this whole chapter is actually about encountering the glory.

In fact, we should read this next verse. This will help it to make more sense. It's real wordy, but let's work through it together.

Verse 18, but we all with unveiled face, in other words, the deception's been lifted, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. Interesting way to put things. I'm seeing the glory of the Lord, but it's like I'm looking in a mirror. What does that say about what's happening to you? I hope you're getting it.

We're being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord. So where the Holy Spirit is Lord, He lifts the veil so that we can see Him more clearly. But what happens as a result?

Beholding the glory of the Lord is the most transformational encounter a person can and will ever have. When the Bible says, when you see Him, you will be like Him, that is true. But the principle is also in the present tense.

As you see him, you will be like him. Many people wait to see some image where Jesus, you know, ta-da, shows up in almost in the flesh or so that we see him in vision form, instead of realizing any time we consider who he is and what he has said and we quiet our heart. We just look in his direction.

There is an imprint taking place in our lives of who he is. Everything gets recalibrated. Our thoughts get recalibrated, our values, our decisions, our priorities in life. All this stuff gets recalibrated.

The more I become confident and aware that he truly is with me, not just as a promise that I haven't realized personally by experience, but as a promise that I live in. I live in the experience of the abiding presence of Christ. In that context, faith becomes more and more normal, and I become changed into his image. So the whole point is, is that beholding him changes us.

You know, sometimes the way things are emphasized in the church and by us, it would almost appear that... It's by our hard labor that we're changed, and I do believe in hard labor, and I do believe in really representing the Lord with a great zeal, fervency, laying my life down to see Him use my labors. But there is nothing so transformational as beholding Him.

Those things are important because I've beheld him. In other words, I don't do these things to obtain favor. I already have the favor. I do them because I have favor. In other words, what are you going to do with what God has given you?

All of us, probably all of us, most of us anyway, have a great desire to increase in our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, to be ready to do whatever He's doing. I want to just sense the heart of God in a matter. I want to move easily with Him. I don't want Him to have to hit me over the head with a two-by-four to get my attention so He can then direct me. I don't want to portray Him that way, but you get my point.

There are some days at the end of the day I look back and I go, man, I was so caught up on my agenda today. today that I missed all these opportunities that you opened up for me, and I didn't even see them. And I don't like that.

And so I want that continuous sensitivity to the voice of God, to the presence of God, so that he can just breathe slightly. and I catch what he's saying, what he's doing. How do you stay in tune to that kind of lifestyle?

I think there's two things you can do proactively to build that sense of awareness. The first one is to pray in tongues, pray a lot. Paul said he prayed more than all.

And the word he used there is, I pray more than all of you combined. In other words, he was saying, listen, if you knew what I was going through, you'd understand why I pray in tongues all the time. And really that was the whole case is that spiritual language, it's that it's learning.

to stay connected to the Holy Spirit. It's not something taking over our body. It's the willful use of a prayer language that God gives us. If you don't have, just ask him because he's really generous with this gift. It goes to anyone who wants it.

Just don't sweat to get it. It comes much easier. So this gift, this praying in the Spirit is a huge part of our life.

It's supposed to be a huge part of our life because it's the one gift given that is for us. All the other gifts are enabling us to serve well the people around us. But praying in the Spirit is something that edifies and strengthens us. What does it do? It connects me to the spontaneous because it bypasses my understanding.

I don't know what I'm praying. After a while, you start to pick up. You start praying in the Spirit, but you start picking up the kinds of areas that God is moving your heart in.

You start discerning things. But what's happening is the Lord is training us. How to live in the spontaneous, not so that we avoid reason, not so that we avoid understanding or intellectual approach to things. I think that's vital. I think we're supposed to have understanding of things, but it doesn't do me a whole lot of good to have great understanding and not hear his voice, not be able to be moved with the presence and the spirit of God.

So that's one. The second one is this spontaneous song. You see, you drive down the street and you just spontaneously sing out of whatever season you're in. Whatever moment you're in, maybe it's a crisis that you have going on. Maybe there's this, maybe you've received a doctor's report that's really a bad report.

You don't sing the report, you sing the answer to the report. You sing the solution, you sing the praises to God in the middle of it. You know, years ago, Dick Mills was such a dear friend of ours, and I remember he told us this story once. He said he was just really being harassed by the devil. It's just really one of those, you know, one of those...

He had extreme seasons in his life and extreme moments. So he went into a room, he got two chairs. He had the chairs face each other. And Dick said in one, and he said, Satan, sit down.

I'm going to praise God and you're going to watch. I love that. I love that whole thing. Listen, in the middle of whatever's going on, I have determined. to take what the enemy has meant for evil, and I'm going to use that as the fuel to exalt him in his greatness.

Because there's not one problem that I am facing in life or could ever face that he has not already purchased the answer for. I don't come to God begging for a breakthrough as though he needed to do something. He already took care of something. All I'm doing is aligning my heart to receive what he has already purchased and put in my account. Jesus modeled what it looks like to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Spirit is actually a command in Scripture. It's both an invitation and a command. It's kind of like being invited to a birthday party. Somebody says, you will be at my birthday party. That's kind of the way this command came.

It says, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Don't be drunk with wine. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Don't live under the influence of this. Live under the influence of this. Don't let this shape how you walk. Let this shape how you walk. So Jesus modeled what it looked like to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Imagine this. Thankfully, we just got finished with the drought. We got tired of it and got rid of it last year. And it wasn't near as fun as they said it would be.

So we got rid of it, prayed it out of here, and we enjoyed bountiful rain last year. I've been here during three, or excuse me, two droughts, one back in the 70s and then one that just finished last year. Both times, the drought was so severe.

severe. They said it would take like 10 years for our lake to recover. And both times the Lord restored the lake in one year, one season.

A real miracle I'm thankful for. But let's just imagine, for example, that you live in, let's just say San Diego. I don't know what the rainfall is, but let's just say they get 10 inches of rain a year. And you move to Redding during a drought and we get 20 inches and you move into this environment where there's 20 inches.

20 inches of rain. Droughts don't mean it doesn't rain. It just means it doesn't rain enough. But if you move from an area that has 10 inches and you move to an area where there's 20. You might think it's more than enough.

See, a lot of people experience outpourings of the Spirit and they think it's abundant, but according to Biblical standards, it's a drought. Jesus models what the fullness of the Holy Spirit looks like. And never to shame us, never to ridicule, look what I have, what you don't have, never.

It's always the invitation to pursue. It's always the invitation to go after what He has made available. It's interesting to me in Scripture that some things He has just determined will be given to you, and sometimes that's what happens.

Sometimes you're just in the room and you catch something. Other times, He's unpredictable because He's a God to join in relationship. He's not just a philosophy. He's not just a God of principles where you take one, two, and three steps and you end up with an equation, point four or something. He's not that way.

It's a relational journey. And in this journey, he's invited us to do things, and some things just happen simply because you're in the room. Sometimes it's a simple prayer. I've watched some of the most extraordinary things happen to people who weren't even asking for it.

God just literally just visited them. We've had people join us here. Some come very hungry. Others come, to be honest with you, they've told me just to check it off the list. You know, they had somebody say, you need to go, and they come just to kind of...

get their friend to leave them alone for a while, you know, and I get that. I've done the same thing. You know, you just, they won't get off my back till I do what they ask, so I just do them a favor. And some people literally have just come into the room that way, and then Jesus completely, totally heals them of something that's impossible.

I remember a pastor friend sitting right over here that almost didn't become a pastor because his dyslexia was so bad he just couldn't read. And it would turn things around so bad he'd have to study the Bible on CDs and stuff. And it was just so challenging. And he sat here and the Spirit of God fell upon him in fire. And while it's happening, he discovers his bad attitude.

He goes face to face with the fact, I don't even want to be here and you're touching me anyway. It's a wonderful story. God in his grace is just touching me. And he says, oh, God, please don't let me mess this up, because he could tell something was happening. And he went from someone who can't read to someone who then within just days is reading like six and eight hours a day.

He just can't get enough, because he suddenly has no problem whatsoever with his eyes. He said, right over here, the Lord just healed me. And so there are things like that that he just does the surprise thing. And there are other things that just come to us and seed form or come to us. as promises, and he waits for us to pursue.

He waits for us to come hungry. And there's so much of the kingdom is actually available for those who pursue. And we pursue according to his invitation. We pursue according to his command. So anyway, we have this concept of Jesus modeling fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Your privilege in life is to reveal the Father. But I'd like to suggest to you. It's impossible to do adequately without being filled with the Spirit. I'm not trying to make this a doctrinal issue.

There are many who, I think praying in tongues is glorious. I can't imagine life without it. I like what Paul said, I pray in tongues more than all of you.

The language he uses there, he says, I pray more in tongues than all of you combined. In other words, I'm a tongue talker and that's, you know, I believe in that breakthrough. I know what it's like to be edified.

by just praying in the Spirit and have the Holy Spirit pray through you. I love. But it would be like, if that's the goal, it's a worthy goal, but if that's the...

Jeez, I about died right there. I almost did crowd surfing right there. That would have been fun to see if you caught... Yeah, there was no crowd down here. That would have plopped.

Yeah. I'll be careful around that little hinge again. All right. I don't know what I was saying, but it was really good. Help me out somebody.

Tongues. It would be like going through the the River Jordan into the promised land and you cross the river and you've got houses built, you've got lands, vineyards planted, you've got all this stuff to inherit. You walk through this river on dry ground, you stand on the banks of the river and you stand there for your entire life and never enter the purpose for going through the river. Yes, tongues are valuable.

Yes, that shoreline is important, but it's the beginning of a breakthrough in which the The Lord Almighty, the God of the universe, is represented and manifest through people that taste of his goodness and his provision. Isaiah chapter 61. I fear that sometimes I become too familiar with the passage. Sometimes I'll read it a different translation.

Sometimes I'll read it out loud. Sometimes I'll stop after each phrase and think. I need to jar myself from familiarity because some things are so huge.

Some things are so weighty that it's easy to skim over the surface of something and not be impacted by its depth. And this is one of those passages. This is what Jesus read in his hometown of Nazareth.

I think we studied it a week or two ago. a little bit. This is what he read to announce the beginning of his ministry from Nazareth.

And so it's in verse one, he says, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort. all who mourn, to console those who mourn, in Zion to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Such a wonderful, wonderful verse. And really what he's saying is, he's saying, listen, the Holy Spirit is upon me.

I know the Holy Spirit lives in us, as I've stated countless times through the years. The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake, but he rests upon me for yours. We have to understand that when the Spirit of God comes upon us, it's always for action. It's always for impact.

It's always to change something. We've been privileged to step into the middle of an impossibility. We may not know what's supposed to happen. We just know God doesn't want it left the way it is. And we come in looking to him.

Our hearts turn to him for solutions. We don't come as the smart people. We don't come with the people that always have the plan. Sometimes we know the least about a given situation, but we step into the middle of an impossibility knowing that the God of the universe, the creator of all, lives in us and he has practical solutions for the situation. Verse four, rebuilding cities.

That was the target God began with when he began to fill people with the spirit. It was the target. He was saying, all right, so you've never dealt with addiction, but guess what?

I'm going to put the Spirit of God upon you in such a profound way. I'm going to have you talk with somebody who's bound by addiction. You're going to bring freedom.

That fullness of the Spirit on you is to bring freedom to them. And that person that becomes free, they are going to become stable. And as they become stable, they will become the rebuilders of broken cities.

It all starts with somebody saying, Holy Spirit, come. Baptize me anew. Baptize me afresh.

Fill me with your Spirit. Many people stop short of a divine encounter because they're satisfied with good theology. They're happy with meeting whatever qualifications they may have for being filled with the Spirit.

Well, I pray in tongues. Well, I do this. I do that. Listen, the point is, is there power coming forth from your life that sets captives free? That's the issue.

It's the issue. The Holy Spirit's in you to comfort you, to bring peace to you, to give you insight, all that stuff. That's for you.

But this Spirit of God who comes upon us, that is for us to bring about transformation in the events and stuff around us. That's the purpose. It's measurable. The fullness of the Spirit is measured by impact. In Acts chapter 2, we know that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

It's an extraordinary chapter. It's Pentecostal's favorite chapter. It's where there's this outpouring of the Spirit.

It's extraordinary. But in chapter 4, it happens again. And it's anywhere from, someone would say, two to maybe as many as five years after the day of Pentecost. And so we've got some of the same people that are in attitude that are rocked, where thousands are added daily. They're in the same experience a couple years later.

What's the point? Because you're a broken vessel. You leak.

Old timers used to put it this way. They say, stay under the spout where the glory comes out. You know, that's the whole deal. It's just you just stay under in that place where the Spirit of God comes upon you continuously. My testimony yesterday is wonderful.

But it is no excuse for the absence of hunger today. Anytime yesterday's experience erases my hunger for today, I've chosen where to level off. When in fact the Lord has invited us into this relationship. We're being filled with the Holy Spirit, ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. It actually becomes necessary for us to demonstrate who the Father is.

I don't think it's possible. In fact, I'm confident it's not possible to adequately display the love of God without power. I love the practical stuff. I mean, I do. I love, and I do mean I really love, I love giving the sandwich to somebody that's hungry and giving the coat and the shoes and the stuff that people need.

We love to do this. I love this. But without power, we're still bound.

Their belly may be full, which is important, but the addiction that got them to that place of brokenness, it's got to be broken. Somebody's got to come in filled with the Spirit of God that breaks that thing off and knows how to end this cycle. Maybe it's five generations of poverty.

Just break it off. God has given the ability to make wealth to every individual. Anyone who will just turn their hearts to him and say yes. He gives the ability and then he reveals the purpose for wealth, for prosperity, for blessing.

it's unto something it's never about accumulation this kingdom that we live in is so different so different you're exalted by going low you become filled by becoming empty it's just a different kingdom it's just a different kingdom and he welcomes us into this kingdom where there's conflict and understanding that enables us to understand it's a strangest thing where you realize abundance is measured by what you've given away, not by what you have. Fullness. Give me those two water bottles down there. Thanks, Eric. So we've got one water bottle that's full, one that's almost full.

This is legal to sell because it's full. This one has been tampered with. This is legal to sell.

It's full, but it's not really full. In fact, it's not full until it overflows. It's overflowed.

That's what reveals its fullness. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is never measured by what you have. It's measured by what overflows you. It's measured by what overflows.

See, this kingdom is a different kingdom. It completely functions differently. It's not by what I contain. It's not by what I keep. It's what I release.

It's what I give away. The resurrection power of Jesus lives in you and he wants out. I personally think all of heaven is looking to see what impossibility we will conquer in his name. What will we do with what we've been given?

It's a strange example, but Jesus came to a fig tree. It's one of the funnier stories in the Bible. He came to a fig tree out of season for it to bear fruit. And he came to it to get fruit.

And there wasn't any fruit because it wasn't the right fruit. season, and it says he cursed it. And I've heard great teachings on the fig tree representing Israel and whatever.

I don't know what it means, except Jesus is the only one who has the right to expect fruit of the impossible. from us. And he didn't find any. He had to bring that confrontation into a reality.

And you and I have been given the spirit of the resurrected Christ. It's not a condemning word. It's an invitation. It's a word that says, let him be who he is in his resurrection power flowing in and through our lives, confronting those things that have been deemed to be impossible.

That's what you were born for. That's what I was born for. In our conversion is the DNA of Christ. It wasn't earned, it was given as a gift.

His actual DNA, where he gravitated towards the funeral, towards the hungry crowd, towards the leper that needed help, the blind who wanted someone to guide them. All these situations he gravitated towards them because he carried this absolute solution to every broken situation. And my prayer for you, for me, is that in this next season, We would become even more convinced of how ready the resurrection power of Jesus is available in word, in touch, and in action.

Word, the right thing needs to be said. Don't think a casual statement accomplishes much. It's the decree of God.

Say what he's saying. Say what he's saying. Cancer, be gone. Say what he's saying.

Don't do this. God, if it's your will, show mercy, kindness. Don't be stupid.

Confront the thing. Don't show any respect to a problem. Do not show respect.

Kindness and respect towards people. Love affectionately served people, but no respect for a problem. Don't use the word cancer with reverence.

It deserves no reverence. It's a devil. It's a devil.

Don't speak to it kindly. Don't speak in hushed terms, did you hear? But so-and-so got back from the doctor. No hushed terms. We must stop being impressed with the size of our problem.

It's my personal conviction that most of us, our breakthrough would begin the day we stop being impressed with the size of our problem. I'm not trying to create a magic formula. I'm just saying, listen to what he's saying, declare it. Find someone to touch, to love, to lay hands on. Prophetically, serve, do acts of service, kindness for people.

The Spirit of God is released through those means over and over and over again.

Transcript for:Understanding the Holy Spirit's Role

Transcript for:
Understanding the Holy Spirit's Role