Partnership With The Holy Spirit
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Partnership With The Holy Spirit By Tony Donaldson (Perth Australia) PARTNERS IN A HOLY PARTNERSHIP: The Holy Spirit is today looking for men, women and children who will co-operate with Him and bring His will to pass wherever they go! God has called you to be partners with Him – you are no longer servants when you know thebusiness of the Master – “instead we are now called friends, for what the Father has made known to Jesus, Jesus also wishes to make known to us!” (John 15:15). “We did not choose Him, but He chose us, and appointed us, to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in Jesus name” (John 15:16). The Holy Spirit was sent “to guide us into all truth.” “He will only speak what He hears.” “He will tell you what is yet to come.” And Jesus said, “He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you,” and further “… all that belongs to the Father is Mine” (John 16:13-15). What an awesome degree of relationship, that Jesus would entrust us with the Holy Spirit to deliver all that belongs to the Father and Him to us. He trusts us! He believes in us! He knows that a partnership between the Holy Spirit and you will bring His will to pass in this day, in this town, in this nation, in this earth, in this age, and in your situation also! Jesus said, “This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8). We are trusted with the keys of the Kingdom, and we are being reminded this day that we are partners in a holy partnership. Jesus considers you and the Holy Spirit to be the “dream team.” The best combination to bring His will to pass wherever you go together! Our partnership with the Holy Spirit brings glory to the Father and to Jesus! WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES? Between you and the Holy Spirit, there is no where you cannot go, nothing you cannot do - the world is not big enough! I am re-educating myself to adopt the attitude of “Amaze me, Lord!” In other words, not to be limited in my thinking as to the possibilities for my life in God, but to “enlarge the place of my tent, to stretch my tent curtains wide, to not hold back, to lengthen my cords, and to strengthen my stakes” (Isaiah 54:2). What about you! Do you see yourself as a valued partner of the Holy Spirit, ready and willing to tap into the gifts and potential within you, to bring glory to your Heavenly Father, and to live a life of seeing His will being bought to pass where ever you go together? What are the possibilities? Our obligation is to live by, and to keep in step with, The Spirit! Romans Chapter Eight states quite clearly that we live one of two ways – either by the Spirit, or by the sinful nature. The truth in this is, that when we desire to live Gods way, “Living in the Spirit” is the only option. To live in accordance with the Spirit, “our minds must be set on what the Spirit desires” (v.5) and we obtain “life and peace” when “our minds are controlled by the Spirit”(v.6). So then, we “have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (v.12-14). In partnership our obligation is to live by, but to keep in step with, The Spirit! (Galatians 5:25). OUR BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT Sons and Co-heirs (Romans 8): Not being slaves to fear we have received the “Spirit of sonship.” God is our Father (v.15). “We are God's children” (v.16). “Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” “We share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” (v.17). In sharing with Him we are partners, partners in the Kingdom, co-heirs. Chosen and Empowered (Ephesians 1): For “we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (v.11). “Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of Hisglory” (v.13). “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power … which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way” (v.18-21). We are chosen and empowered - this holy partnership is God’s master stroke, to bring His Church, His Body, to life, in authority and unity, and to establish His throne here on earth. WHY DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WANT TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ME? The Lord is more interested in you “living life to its full” (John 10:10) and “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) than we are! It is the will of God for us to reach and attain the fullness of all that is in Christ! God wants us to “know and rely on the love He has for us” (1 John 4:16) and that “God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). There can be no doubt, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).
He (more than anyone) wants to make known His will and purpose for us! He has come to give us life, and this to its fullness. He has come that we might comprehend what it means to walk the narrow road and go through the small gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). “For it is God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I BRING TO THIS PARTNERSHIP? God has given men and women a free will to choose how they will live their years. He gave it to Adam and Eve, and He gave it to us. We choose how much of God to allow into our lives. The Holy Spirit is gentle and, by our will, we choose to bring the Kingdom of God, firstly into our lives, and then, into the lives of others. If this were not so, Jesus would today rule in this earth un-opposed (1 John 5:19-20). “We are children of God … and we know that the wholeearth is under the control of the evil one … and He (God) has given us understanding so that we may know Him Who is true … even His Son Jesus Christ.” God is looking to those who will say “YES” to Him. God has not made us to be robots. He has given us a free will. Hedesires that we respond to Him, bringing ourselves into agreement /partnership with Him, to bring His will to pass wherever we go.
WHAT STOPS ME FROM PARTNERING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT? Partners or “Do it Yourselfers”? The world will tell us that self-determination and self-motivation are the hallmarks of any success formula. As a result we become “do it yourselfers”! As “do it yourselfers” we tend to approach spiritual things from a mindset, a habit or tradition, rather than from “The Spirit.” We find ourselves having a form of spirituality and understanding which is mostly carnal and very little “Spirit.” “DIY” is not the formula for success in the Kingdom of God. So, the first thing that stops us is our self-reliance. “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). What opportunities are we missing by not doing things His way and partnering with the Holy Spirit? Think about it? · What areas of your life are you self-reliant and factor God out – or ignore, or brush asideHis Word, or prompting? · Are you are a willing partner, or a “Do It Yourselfer”? PARTNERS OR PART-TIMERS? Slow down and catch “The Spirit” – our brains are “cooking,” working overtime with programs and activities that consume our days as we race from A to B and back again – no wonder time flies. There is often little time left in the day for the Holy Spirit. Partnership with the Holy Spirit requires us to move our mentality from fitting in some time with the Holy Spirit, to making our Partner meeting the Number One priority of the day. Partnership with the Holy Spirit is not being part-time with the Holy Spirit! CAN I REALLY PARTNER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND KNOW HIS VOICE? According to 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, God is able to reveal His plans and purposes to us by the Holy Spirit. He has set up a communication channel available 24 hours a day exclusively for you to “tune in” and hear what the Spirit is saying. He has set up a direct line and provided the Holy Spirit as the channel through Whom we can communicate directly with Him, and get the message first hand. As it is written, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him; but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit” (v.9) The Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God and searches them (v.10 & 11). We have received the Spirit Who is from God … “that we may understand what God has freely given us” (v.12) … and “this is what we speak” (v.13) … and “are spiritually discerned”(v.14) … “we have the mind of Christ” (v.16). Yes, we may know, perceive and understand the will of God and, in so doing, partner in the delivery of His will, to the situation to which we are sent, or find ourselves. IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, WHAT IS MY CHANCE OF SUCCESS? To the Philippians Paul says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”(Philippians 1:4-6). And, to the Ephesians, “Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we may ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Partnership is for now - why wait? – Partnership has its privileges! You have your mandate now, you do not need to wait for a sovereign move of God. The sovereign move of God is within you; you need only “fan into flame,” “stir up” (2 Timothy 1:6) the good deposit. Full partnership rights and privileges have been given to us to bring glory to the Father, and to Jesus. We have the opportunity today to re-affirm our place as partners in a Holy Partnership, ready to live and experience life with the Holy Spirit, in a way that nothing else in this world can even get close too! "The Gospel Faith Messenger" Ministry. PO Box 57, Paraparaumu 5254, New Zealand. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |