All power and authority

I went to a worship service last week. We really enjoy our church, but there's an aspect of the Holy Spirit missing. The Holy Spirit is how we live this life Christ calls us to. Without the Holy Spirit, we are powerless. Here are some reminders.

Luke 9:1 - 2
We're given authority over demons and the ability to heal sickness. We have the authority. Danny and I have been praying, asking God for direction, wondering about staying or going. Being in this service reminded me that we have authority and we need to stop letting Satan get in our way. He doesn't want us here. He doesn't want us feeling comfortable doing what God has called us to. We haven't felt peace about leaving, we haven't really planned on it, and this was confirmation about why. We're not supposed to. We need to learn how to fight instead. We need to put the Devil on notice in our lives and kick him out of every aspect of it and live in the authority that Christ has given us. We've been praying and praying and praying but we haven't been walking in the power. When we pray, we need to believe we have received what we've asked for and DO IT. It's so easy to get caught up in the praying, in asking people to just pray for help but when do we act on it? We've been living in this so I'm preaching to the choir here. We've been struggling and asking for help when in fact, we need to be fighting. Every day is a battle and we need to acknowledge that and be the soldiers we're called to be. So take the authority He's given you and live in the calling He's put on your life. Don't back down and let the Devil get the best of you. Don't let him keep your spirits low and keep you from praising God.

Mark 4:35-41
Don't be in awe of the storm you're currently in. Be in awe of the one who slept through the storm. The storm is powerful, yes, but there is One who can calm the storm. The disciples woke him up and He rebuked the storm. He took the authority He'd been given and rebuked the wind and the rain. There are storms we're all struggling through. Life is not easy; that's not something God promised. But He did promise that He'd be with us and He'd give us everything we needed. So stop whining and complaining about the storm and start taking the authority that's been given to you, rebuke that storm, and start living. Acknowledge the circumstances in your life but stop letting them rule your life and your decisions.

Acts
Paul was converted in Acts. He was called to preach and he traveled around the country. Many times there were people who wanted to stone him. He was stoned at one point and left to die. But time and again, Paul didn't give up. Even when he was imprisoned, he didn't give up. He surrounded himself with disciples, people who believed in the Truth of the Gospel, people who prayed with him and walked in authority with him. Even when Paul was stoned and left to die, he got up and returned to that city. He didn't let circumstances hold him back from doing what God had called him to do. This was the one that really hit me. We've allowed our circumstances to hold us back from doing what we're supposed to be doing. Life is changing and that's fine, but we're still called to be here. We don't have peace about leaving, we haven't been called elsewhere, so we stay and we fight. So we're learning how to fight and how to be soldiers in this place. We need to stop looking for sympathy and start finding our prayer warriors who stand and take authority with us over our circumstances, kicking the Devil back where he belongs, and moving forward into what God has called us to.

"If you love Him, you've got to obey Him."

Be empowered today. Walk in the authority Christ has given you. Put the Devil on notice and take back what he's stolen. He came to steal, kill, and destroy. Christ came to give life, and life abundantly. Who would you rather live for? Who would you rather have in control? I'm walking with the Father, in the Truth and Power of His Word. I hope you choose the same.