I was recently shown this video by my wife. We watched it together and then discussed it afterward. We both agreed that we want "that...what he has...freedom to praise Him". We want to be so free in Christ that we could praise Him anywhere...anytime.
If you don't already have this as a part of your recurring prayer terminology, please consider adding it...
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"Father...please take a 'man pleasing spirit' away from me...completely so that I can be free"
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What is it that keeps us from talking boldly about our God in a restaurant when we know others can here us?
Why do we change the station on the radio when a friend or co-worker that is not a Christian gets in our car.
Whatever it is for each and every one of us that prevents us from giving God His deserving recognition and praise openly in public places, needs to be addressed. Christ died so that we could be free from the cares and fears of this world.
I am sharing this burden because:
God has heard my prayers and he has, throught the power of the Holy Spirit, freed me from the majority of my "fear of man." On the other hand...there are still times when I know I should "cry out" to God and something in me chooses to refrain. I believe that there is still a "man pleasing spirit" operating in certain areas of my walk.
True freedom in Christ is the freedom from any fear of man. We have the right to be free from the fear of what anyone else thinks. The enemy is a master of instilling fear in our heart because he hates it when we openly praise our King! This is all the more reason to DO IT and put our powerless enemy in his place.
2 comments:
I just read this even though it was posted on 2008. My question is this, I understand about combatting a man pleasing spirit when we are about our day and dealing with situations outside the church. But how do you deal with it in the church? Why are we comfortable making church unoffensive? Why are we comfortable making church easy? Why will we not praise God with all our heart, mind, body and strength? Why will we not let the people of God encounter the God of The people. Why are we wrapped in in time management, image management, song management but so often deny God the opportunity to manage the service? To come in His power and strength. To descend in fire and power that the Glory of our almighty God would burn hot and clean in our midst so that those who come into our church would encounter not a well run church service, but a life changing encourter with the Holy One of Israel. That they would encounter the name changing, situation altering, addiction breaking, chain shattering God who in an instant can do more in their lives than any one of our dozens of programs that we gladly develop as a substitue for the lack of power. I have been in church all my life, and I hunger and thirst for a church that is on fire! I have stood in the burning fire of God's presence and I desire to see it burn like a raging torrent in the hearts of his people. To see Him high and lifted up the train of His glory filling the temple so that the priest can no longer minister. If our God showed himself in such awesome splendor in the old testament what more will He do today?
I agree. How to ALLOW jesus to run a service that is alive and with life changing power?
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