“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father”
To continue from last week, I would like to remind you of the following:
For us to come to a complete understanding of this teaching, I would like you to look at section 5/page 15 of the booklet, “The Holy Spirit.”
You will find an exemplary illustration of our human form showing images of what I am about to share with you. If you do not already understand, then let me explain. We humans are made up of:
1. Body
2. Soul
3. Spirit
These three components operate as one; no one can function without the other.
By way of understanding, to have God work in and through us, we need:
• God’s Spirit
• Our Minds (part of the soul)
• Our Bodies.
We need to allow God’s Spirit to create a relationship with us. To achieve this, the thoughts of our minds (our minds are part of the soul) must be such that they are in submission to God’s will for our lives. Next, our bodies must be in a state where God can work through them.
Creating a relationship with the Spirit of God within us begins with the will [1] (the will is part of the soul) to provide this relationship. Once our will has been submitted, then the desire for God grows. From desire, maturity grows. Maturity illuminates the character of God in us, and we begin to respond to how we need to behave [2] and live our lives. Maturity initiates the power of God’s Spirit within us, enabling us to act to benefit our lives and (by example) the lives of others. This enabling sets our body in action to complete the whole process.
Can you now see the vital link between The Spirit of God, the soul, and finally, the body? Can you also accept that the process cannot be completed if any link is missing? Of course you can!
Let me expand further – if these three vital components are inseparable, we must consider them one.
We need to:
• Always be aware of the Spirit within us.
• Care for our minds.
• Care for our bodies.
Awareness of the Spirit prevents us from speaking and acting outside God’s will for our lives. An unhealthy mind will feed unhelpful thoughts into our minds. An unhealthy body will limit God’s work performed through us.
Praying, reading our Bibles, and attending fellowships without Spirit, mind, and body coordination is insufficient. We also need awareness of God’s Spirit care for our minds and bodies. (More about this in Part Three.)
You do agree, right? Right, let’s continue.
Go to the top of the page and read the scripture there. What’s your take on those words? Are you ‘doing the things Jesus did?’ Are you doing even greater than He did?
Think about it. You’re not, are you? Don’t worry, you are not alone. I’m also a member of that club, and I hear it’s the biggest club in the world. Keeping up with Jesus’s works for me would be like winning the ‘Iron Man’ without practicing!
Stop your shallow breathing now, and allow me to encourage you.
My take on the words of the scripture was simple – this is not happening in my life. And I’m an old hand at this – how’s 40-odd years? Why? I’m not hearing what God is saying and seeing what God is doing. The result is that I’m mostly praying rote, speaking rote, and doing rote!
One of the more pop expressions out there in the big wide world is, ‘Getting into the flow.’ In my mind’s eye, I saw several leaves blown off a tree and fall into a briskly flowing river. The little group surged down the center current, and that was rough. Up and down, they leaped over rocky patches, down cascading falls. One or two leaves slowly lost their hold in the current and drifted into the muddy eddies on the river’s edge, caught in and under rotting trees and branches. One little leaf held to the center current and sailed to the sea. Life in the eddies is stagnant, and there is no movement, just slow decay. The sea is full of life. The sea is power like no other element in the world.
So, where to go now? Reread this article and take your power.
Looking forward to chatting again in ‘Too Many Words – Part Three.’
Love and Blessings
Peter-James