I remember the time Lisa and I flew to Arizona for my ordination board. I really didn’t know what to expect and my calls to the credentialing folks at the Evangelical Church Alliance International didn’t give me any clues. They purposely kept the process a secret so we were really flying blind which is something I really don’t like to do.
There was a meeting of all those sitting for ordination in a local church. There were 22 of us looking to be ordained and while most were younger, a handful of us were older. I think I was the only one switching professions from the private sector to ministry.
What struck me – and sticks with me to this day – is how powerfully the Holy Spirit was moving in that group. I have never been so at peace, so comfortable, so at ease, so joyful, so full of agape, and so on fire as I was the weekend I spent with these Godly men and women.
My ordination board experience was awesome. Five guys grilling me on why I thought God was calling me into ministry, what my ministry call is, how I would follow that call, what role my wife would play in it, and why I thought I needed to be ordained to do it. Just a great time of heavy, deep and real conversation.
I had been doing full-time ministry before my ordination for about four and a half years and doing part-time ministry for another nine years before that! I had gone through a 10-year discernment process before deciding to be ordained so I wasn’t really a stranger to all this. However, this meeting was different. It was palpable. It was spiritual. It was what the faith should feel like if you know what I mean.
I think we all have these Holy Spirit moments in life where you just want to bottle it and stay there forever. This was an entire weekend of that. Lisa felt it as well as she got to minister to a random stranger on the street in a divine appointment the Lord had set for her. As the elders laid hands on me to ordain me, they made sure Lisa was on stage with me because they knew she is part of the ministry God has called us to. Recognizing that and acknowledging her part in the ministry was powerful.
I guess I say all this to remind us of what Paul tells us in Colossians 3:2-4:
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
We actually are to live our lives – every moment of every day – thinking of things above not on worldly things. Our thoughts are to be about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We are to see this world through God’s eyes and shine Christ’s light everywhere we go. We are to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and follow His leading us to do Kingdom work.
Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In other words, don’t put value on the material things of this earth. Instead, place your value on heavenly rewards – eternal life, the various crowns, spiritual blessings and gifts, works that endure the test of Holy fire, and the time when we will be whole with no more tears or pain.
Man, I get fired up just writing that!!!
However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Scripture tells us plainly that it’s a battle. I want to share Galatians 5:17-25 which is a longer passage but important for us to understand if we want to live in that spirit place that gives us such peace.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Paul lays out for us what we all go through – a battle royale between our spirit which wants to keep its eye on heavenly things and the flesh which wants instant gratification for every impulse we have. If you look at the works of the flesh starting in verse 19 you should see how it applies to the world and our current culture. Everyone of those “works” is happening right before our eyes. Paul describes it further in Timothy 3:2-5:
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Honestly, our flesh craves this stuff! And if you’re anything like me you struggle every day not to fall into the trap of the flesh but still find yourself doing it. I completely understand why Paul would say that out of all the sinners he is the worst – when you understand the difference between living in that sweet Holy Spirit place and living in the flesh it just disgusts you that you can’t overcome your own sin nature!!
Yet we know what that sweet spot is like. There is love (agape) and joy and peace. You have the patience of a saint when dealing with EGRs (Extra Grace Required people). You’re more kind and good toward people, giving of yourself readily. You feel such a connection between your spirit and the Holy Spirit that you feel more faithful than you’ve ever been. You treat people with gentleness – the same people that in the flesh irritate the crap out of you. And you have the self-control to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The question I’m asking myself this morning is how do I get to that place and maintain it? How do I not let the troubles, frustrations, pressure, and stress of this world weigh me down so greatly that I can live in the spirit?
Scripture gives us some guidance on this.
A while back my wife used to walk into the kitchen and start in on me:
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Let’s take a look at what it means to dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Ugh – it was so annoying! Every morning! Honestly, I don’t have those thoughts naturally, especially before I drink a Rockstar. However, she was right – this is the first step to aligning your spirit with the Holy Spirit – you have to get your mind right. You need to start thinking holy thoughts.
Then you need to follow this guidance:
“He said, But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” (John 4:23-24)
When we go to God, we must go to Him in spirit and truth! What the heck does that mean? Well, look at the two words – Spirit and Truth.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior He gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. So, to worship in spirit means to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit, softening our hearts in such as way that God’s Holy Spirit can direct us, teach us, reveal to us, and even convict us.
Truth is Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Word that was with God from the beginning and is God where nothing was created without Him. So, we worship in truth meaning we embrace all the teachings of our Rabbi so that when we look at Him we see the Father.
The last part of living in that Holy Spirit place is to embrace who you are in Christ. There are specific verses on which I meditate:
- God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus! (Ephesians 2:6)
- But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:3-7)
- But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
- Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons… (Philippians 1:1)
- For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We are seated in the heavenly realms where our spirits are fully redeemed!!
We are adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God!!!
We are a royal priesthood given the job to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!
We are Saints of the faith!!!
Our citizenship is in Heaven where we will be perfected!!!
LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I’m going to add one more piece to this three-legged stool. So far we’ve said that to have those Holy Spirit moments we need:
- Fill your mind with holy thoughts
- Worship God in spirit and truth
- Embrace who you are in Christ
Number 4 is meditate on the Word and pray unceasingly.
Joshua 1:8 tells us:
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 puts it this way:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
To be in that Holy Spirit sweet spot we need to know God’s word so that we know Him, as well as talk with Him unceasingly – we should constantly be having an inner conversation with God as we go throughout our day!
Confession time: I’ve been thinking about writing this blog for about a week and I told myself I would do it this morning. But I just didn’t want to. Instead of getting to it I scrolled social media for about an hour. I just didn’t feel like writing. This is the flesh – lazy, godless, procrastinating. But when I started, I almost instantly found that sweet spot! Why? Because I’m talking about Jesus here!! And when I talk about Jesus and take the four steps that I outlined I ALWAYS am filled with the Holy Spirit and am ALWAYS on fire for the Lord.
So, if you wanted to know the reason why we don’t live in that sweet spot all the time it’s this: We keep ourselves from it most the time! Isn’t it weird that something we want to have so badly is something we keep ourselves from by being anchored in our flesh? Who can understand it?
Anyway, my prayer for you today is that you find that sweet spot – that Holy Spirit peace where you feel not just the love and joy of Jesus but you radiate that same love to others. Blessings to you all!
Heavy, Deep & Real ministries 
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