Fired Up!

This is the last blog submission for 2016 - Thank you so much for your faithfulness and support.  I pray you will invite me into your busy lives in 2017 - so please stay tuned and please keep me in prayer and I will continue to pray for you, my wonderful readers.    

Luke 3:16 (RSV) – “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
     Last week we celebrated the birth of Jesus and adored him as the coming Savior born to a virgin, in a lowly setting, wrapped in swaddling clothing. Well guess what? He is not a suckling babe anymore. He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, riding high and looking low. His hands and feet representing his full payment for our ransom and his blood our purification. He is the Mighty One of the tribe of Judah and don’t get it twisted he is not alone. He is of the God-head along with our Heavenly Father and the All-Powerful Holy Spirit. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. His life points the way in which we should govern ourselves and our affairs. His TRUTH is that no man can come to the Father except through relationship with him and he offered his LIFE in order to give us abundant and eternal life and for this we should all be FIRED UP!
     Some believe that the only way we can evidence the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is that we must speak in unknown tongues and exhibit some outward behavior that is extraordinary or capricious to say the least. It might be true that when the Holy Ghost manifests himself in and on the physical body, people have been known the faint, shout and dance; but do not put the Holy Spirit into an idealistic box what mandates how he should appear. There are times when the Spirit falls so heavy upon me that the only thing I can manage to do is shed tears that continuously stream down my cheeks. Other times I just start singing, making up my own songs and loving on God through praise.
     Whatever way the Holy Spirit envelopes you - go with the flow. Catch the fire and keep it going. God is real and he wants you to feel his presence in a personal way. Don’t compare your experience with that of others- some who in public try to fake the fire. Don’t be ashamed of how the Holy Spirit might manifest in your life. You surely do not want Jesus to stand shyly before the Father when advocating on your behalf. Invoke the Spirit’s presence in your daily walk and feel his essence all around you. He is already inside just awaiting your invitation. Remember God never forces, never pushes and never takes hostages; but he does accept all genuine invitations and he always shows up with gifts. Get Fired Up in the Holy Ghost and enjoy the burn.
     Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Don’t be distracted, stay focused on your purpose. Be blessed! Have a great weekend....See you in the NEW YEAR !!!    Dr. JoAnn