This narrative describes the reality of God working in the life of a believer and is based on the biblical principle “God is at work to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
We make choices many times a day whether to operate in the salvation of Jesus or from our self nature. No one can stay locked into the gift of salvation a hundred percent of the time. If you could then you would be equal to Jesus.
Let me define the gift of salvation. If you are a Christ follower the Holy Spirit is sealed within you. He is the life of Christ. You abide in the gift of salvation by submitting to the authority of the Holy Spirit. Sounds easy but it isn’t.
I tried to do this once while embarking on an evangelical ministry ordained by God. I was mostly successful at first until the severe testing of Jesus drove me in circles. God made me so mad that I threw up my hands and quit the ministry after about three years. I learned from this lesson you can never be perfect and God doesn’t even want you to try.
We operate in the gift of salvation through prayer, listening to the voice of God and meditating on the Word of God.
You can be living under the authority of the Holy Spirit and discover things can be miserable. Remember, you made a commitment “Not my will but yours be done.”
There are two factors at work for those living under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
God is at work to refine you into His character and this can be brutal and painful at times. He wants to break ungodly motives and the disposition to live for self.
Secondly, God works through believers to break the bondage of sin over humanity. This is usually through intense intercession and prayer.
God creates intercession through your Spirit. He causes you to identify with the emotions and darkness over an individual, organization, or even a nation. This is torturous at times standing in the middle of a war between light and darkness. The goal of God is to bring down the stronghold and set people free from the bondage of sin. He does this while you are just an innocent bystander.
The point is do not expect everything to be neat and perfect yielding to the Holy Spirit.
The title for this narrative came from the Holy Spirit today. The definition of a foregone conclusion is a result that can be predicted with certainty. The world can never deliver this promise.
The authenticity of Jesus is He keeps His promises. You can trust Jesus implicitly. The gift of salvation is an ironclad promise from God. This promise is a guarantee to live with God forever here on earth and after death.
Jesus states He is the author of life. This is a new life born of the Spirit and Water. You are transformed from your natural condition at birth into a new creature in Christ Jesus. This begins with your decision for Christ and never ends.
Jesus promises to fill you with His heavenly attributes of strength, wisdom, joy and protection. This promise can be claimed today. Ask and you will receive.
Jesus spoke to me over a year ago about a powerful revival in our colleges. This is happening now all over our country.
Jesus has also told me there will be a powerful revival in England. This will happen soon. The point is do not discredit prophesy.
If you are experiencing a difficult trial in life Jesus has promised to deliver you.
Jesus has spoken about how you can please Him. The Christ follower must walk by faith believing in the promises of God and not by what you see with your eyes. If walk with Jesus with unwavering faith He promises to fill you with His righteousness. You cannot obtain the righteousness of God through religion.
Jesus promises He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. He asks you to rest in Him and cease from striving. The promise is to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Jesus promises to talk to believers. You have the mind of Christ.
Jesus promises to make you a fountain of Living Water touching those around you with the renown, praise and glory of God.
Jesus promises to forgive all your sins and restore you to God. Live each day in the blood of Jesus.
Jesus promises to fill you with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and will teach you how to apply the values of Jesus into your life.
Jesus promises to equip and anoint you for a perfect ministry to bring glory to God.
Jesus promises to draw near to those who draw near to Him. You draw near to God through prayer and reading the Bible under the auspices of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promises to share His authority with you. This will happen to those who are obedient to the voice of God. Jesus wants your obedience to Him regardless of the cost or lack of common sense.
This subject speaks deeply into your concept of obedience to God.
To understand this subject we have to define obedience to God. This has nothing to do with religion.
Very simply, God speaks and you and I obey without compromise or argument. For example, you bring an issue before God and He responds in different ways. Here are some typical responses of God:
Let go. I will deal with this.
Rest in Me.
Follow My instructions.
Trust Me implicitly.
I am at work through the Body of Christ.
Look no further than Me.
Walk by faith.
Live in My light and reject all darkness.
First of all, you have to be in a personal and embracing relationship with the Living Christ. You have to be in touch with the Holy Spirit and consistently hearing His voice.
Secondly, when Jesus speaks you and I must learn to respond with immediate obedience. This can only happen when you accept the words of God through the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. This is God speaking to the character of God inside you.
If you accept the words of Jesus through your intellect you will not be obedient. You will rationalize this in a way to avoid action.
The conflict is between how you make decisions. Are you directed by the Spirit of God or self? God doesn’t want you to make decisions based on logic or life circumstances. He wants total obedience to His instructions and guidance. This is how you walk by faith and please the heart of God.
The promises of God are of no value until you and I understand obedience to God. The promises come into fruition by your faith and obedience to God.
The discipline of obedience will take you into a different sphere of life with God. You will see God for who He is and live in His reality.
Who in their right mind would choose to enter into a den of wild lions? We don’t function from a right mind. We make decisions by faith and obedience with the mind of Christ.
This narrative discusses what motivates Jesus in the life of a believer.
The words written below by the Sons of Korah describe the favor of God upon the Israelites. The Israelites were delivered by God and given the Promised Land. God also defeated all their enemies. The Israelites did nothing except follow the instructions of God and praise Him.
For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. (You can read all of this text in Psalm 44.)
Now we fast forward approximately 500 years and the Israelites have suffered greatly, are scattered into desolations and Jerusalem is in shambles.
But You have cast us off and put us to shame, and You do not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations.You sell Your people for next to nothing, and are not enriched by selling them.
What caused God to remove His favor from the Israelites?
The Israelites fell into disobedience to God. They failed to listen to the voice of God. They were the “set apart” people of God and were told to operate with the renown, praise and glory of God.
They worshipped false gods and did not keep the commandments of God.
God saw the despicable behaviors of the Israelites, removed His favor and severely punished them.
This microcosm takes place in the lives of many believers. We make a decision for Jesus and start off on the right track but eventually drift away from God. The judgment is probably not as severe as what happened to the Israelites but we are all accountable for our actions. If we fail or disrespect God there will be consequences.
Believers get into trouble primarily for two reasons:
We are tempted by Satan and become lured into darkness.
We give power to our fleshy desires to satisfy self.
These behaviors can be overcome by living under the authority of the Holy Spirit who is sealed in all believers. He is the life of Christ and will keep you on track with God. However, you have to invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and listen for His voice.
Pray to God each day and submit your works to Him. This will cause the Holy Spirit to infuse you with wisdom over the course of your day. If in doubt about something take a timeout and inquire of the Holy Spirit.
Read the Bible for at least a few minutes each day asking the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply the values of God into your life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of anything in your life not pleasing to God.
Walk by faith and not by what you see with your eyes. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Make the Holy Spirit your best friend. He speaks for Jesus!
This is the third installment in this series. In this narrative we are discussing the global impact and majestic nature of Jesus.
The global Jesus is working behind the scenes today and His actions affect every human being on the earth.
Jesus lives in Heaven and sits at the right side of the throne of God. He has power and dominion over the heavens and earth.
Jesus controls all nature. He can create snow, rain or drought.
Jesus has power and dominion over earthquakes, wars, and natural disasters. He can strike down an enemy nation in a split second.
Jesus can prosper or bankrupt a country at His discretion. He controls the world’s economy.
Jesus is saving souls at this very moment all over the world. He works through all languages and cultural barriers to offer the gift of salvation.
Jesus is raising people from death to live with Him forever. This miracle takes place every moment of time.
Jesus is healing people all over the world.
Jesus is the author of revival and is moving in different parts of the world to purify and increase the Body of Christ.
Jesus performs signs and wonders to bring glory to His name.
Jesus is the commander of a massive army of angels. He dispatches the angels all over the world to defeat the works of Satan and protect His people. There is an angel close to you at all times.
Jesus lives in all His people through the Holy Spirit. He speaks to believers and fills them with strength, wisdom, joy and protection.
Jesus is omniscient and sees everything in the world. Nothing is hidden from His eyes.
Jesus promises to deliver His people from adversity.
Jesus has no timeline. He can see every detail of the past and future.
Jesus is omnipotent. There is no one like Him.
Jesus operates with unconditional love. If you reach out to Jesus He will forgive all your sins and restore you to God.
Jesus is the head of the Body of Christ and His name is exalted over all names.
Here is the second installment in the series titled “Jesus…the story behind the scenes”.
Last night God spoke to me about the war between light and darkness. This affects every single human being whether you are a believer or not.
This conflict is taking place today in the story behind the scenes in your life. This invisible war is between God and Satan and you are a target of this evil force in the world.
The story begins with God who was one with Jesus from the very beginning. God created a multitude of angels. The angels are powerful spiritual beings directed by God. Lucifer, was a leading angel and cherished by God. He rebelled against God seeking to be like Him. God cast Lucifer and the legion of angels supporting him out of Heaven.
Lucifer, referred to as Satan and his fallen angels now reside on the earth. They are called demons and are agents of death and destruction. Satan’s purpose is to destroy Christ and all His followers.
Satan is a powerful force and has corrupted the world and influenced the enactment of many new laws and societal attitudes contrary to the precepts of God.
God and Jesus working together created heaven, earth and every living being. God created man and woman in His image. He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He created this beautiful garden in the Middle East.
God instructed Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Satan disguised as a serpent deceived Eve and convinced her the fruit was good to eat. Adam and Eve both ate the fruit. This was the downfall of all mankind. The perfect creation of God was now corrupted by Satan.
All creation is now born with a rebellious heart defying the ways of God and with a desire to live for self.
The challenge for humanity is understanding we have to deal with both our depraved inner nature and the tactics of Satan.
The non believer does not have the safety net of Jesus. He has to rely on His moral compass and his own will power to defeat Satan. This is almost an impossible situation for a human being living without God.
The Christ follower has a powerful defense against Satan. He has God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He also has the protection of the angels who are ministering spirits and guard against the attacks of Satan.
The advantage of the Christ follower is that he is sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the life of Christ. God has made a powerful promise to believers about the Holy Spirit. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will set you free from the law of sin and death. This provides a spiritual immunity against Satan if you live under the authority of the Holy Spirit. You may suffer from the attacks of Satan but you will be free from the bondage of sin and death.
The most important step for a believer is to live under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Seek out the Holy Spirit for wisdom and protection. Listen to the voice of God.
Finally, put on the armor of God. Meditate on the truths of God and walk in the righteousness of God turning away from darkness. Pray for the peace of God and make decisions leading to the pathways of peace.
Walk by faith believing in the promises of God. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Rest in the assurance of your salvation and speak the words of God against all doubt and the efforts of Satan to discourage you. Pray vigilantly and abide in the Holy Spirit.
The title for this narrative came from the Holy Spirit along with the revelations of Christ concerning how He works in humanity.
Whether you are a believer or not, there is a story going on behind the scenes in your life. The story is the work of Jesus. Some of this is visible but mostly you cannot see this story.
I can’t tell you about your specific story but I can share the ways God works in humanity.
The prologue to the story!
The story begins in the Old Testament. In the beginning God and Jesus were one. Many years later Jesus was born into the world in human flesh but lived through the divine nature of the Son of God.
God created the heavens and earth and every living being. He did this work through Jesus.
God’s purpose was to sacrifice Jesus for the sins of humanity and provide a method for all to receive the gift of salvation.
This is important to your story because Jesus witnessed the inability of humanity to keep the laws of God. There is no way you can please God except through Jesus.
The Cross was designed by God to help you die to your natural life and live for Jesus. You become baptized into the death and resurrected life of Jesus. God seals you with the Holy Spirt. He is the life of Jesus and gives you the strength to deal with all the trials of life. The blood of Jesus covers your sins and restores you to God.
The story of the unbeliever!
We need to start with the unbeliever. God created you in His own image, loves you unconditionally and desires to give you the gift of salvation. Regardless of your past, God works on the principle where sin abounds the love of God abounds more.
God works zealously through the Body of Christ, your family and friends to draw you to Jesus. God will create circumstances in your life to cause you to hit “rock bottom” and reach out to Jesus. There is also a point where God will not strive with someone who has a rebellious spirit and pursues darkness.
The salvation of God will begin when you reach out to God with an open heart and ask for help.
Jesus will prove to you without any doubt He is the Son of God. He wants you to have confidence in your decision for salvation and become willing to yield yourself to Him. This might take place through dreams, visions or a transfigured experience with the Living Christ.
The story of the people of God!
The purpose of God is for you to walk in oneness with Jesus under the authority of the Holy Spirit. He wants you to have a personal and embracing relationship with the Living Christ. Jesus wants you to live for Him above all else. Jesus has no interest in religion, doing works to please Him, or keeping laws. He simply wants all of you without compromise.
God is at work to refine you into His image. This is mostly invisible and designed to break the disposition of living for self and compulsive behaviors. This can be convicting and painful at times.
God speaks to all believers. This might be prophesy or wisdom for today. Develop the inner consciousness to hear the voice of God through all the ups and downs of life. You have the mind of Christ.
God works in all believers through your prayers and intercession. This is to bring down strongholds and set people free. He will show you who to pray for and how to pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
God engineers circumstances in your life to get your attention and teach you the values of Christ. This can create suffering and loss as you learn to let go of the world.
God is omniscient and sees all your future. He is at work to prepare and equip you for a ministry. This can also be convicting and humbling because Jesus doesn’t want self (your ego) in the ministry.
Foremost in God’s mind is to teach you how to walk by faith. He may take things away you cherish or create drastic measures in your life requiring you to walk by faith trusting implicitly in God.
Walking with Jesus is a work in progress. You are His workmanship created for good works. You are becoming a fountain of Living Water touching those around you with the praise, renown and glory of God.
God tests all believers. He wants your loyalty to do what He says without compromise or argument. This can seem very radical at times and make no sense. Jesus wants you to be obedient to His instructions with unwavering faith.
God wants you to walk with Him yielding to the Holy Spirit. This is the discipline of integrating Jesus into every aspect of your life. He will teach you how to do this in all the routine moments of life.
The story behind the scenes is taking place at this exact moment in your life.
If you are a Christ follower there will be times when it seems like God is dormant in your life. The reality is your exterior life has been shut down or put on hold by God but He is very much at work in molding you into His character. And, like Moses, this can take many years.
The conflict is between your individuality and desire to control your life and the purposes of God.
Every great work of God begins with Jesus in His perfect timing.
He does need or want your help. It is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit equips and sends you out to do God’s work. He anoints you with the Holy Spirit enabling you to do the works of Jesus. Until this happens you have to forget about a ministry or new direction in life.
When God puts you on hold this is a perfect time to pray, listen for His voice, and work on yourself. Learn to be patient and respond to God with praise and a thankful heart.
This is a time to make your faith a reality in your life. Walk with God believing in His promises and not what you see with your eyes.
Live in the reality of God’s love, wisdom, healing power and strength. You need to experience the efficacy of God before you are ready to work for Him.
God tests believers to the ends of the earth. Jesus wants your obedience without questioning His instructions or motives. They probably won’t make any sense to you anyway because He is God.
Develop a closeness with God and learn to think like Him.
Look for God in your dreams, visions and the vagaries of life.
Pray for the gifts of the Spirit like words of knowledge and prophesy.
The preparation of God is a time to learn how to trust Him and walk in oneness with Jesus. He hasn’t forgotten you or His priorities for your life.
The Holy Spirit spoke to me today about short sighting God. This is the practice of accepting Jesus without a desire to change or give up your independence.
Salvation can be achieved by confessing with your words and believing in your heart Jesus is Lord. But Jesus is asking for a much deeper commitment.
Jesus wants you to live for Him above all else and zealously seek His will for your life. There is no room for complacency in the life of a believer. Jesus wants all of you.
Salvation is not an end of life gift. It is the beginning of a new and vibrant chapter of life with God that lasts forever. Salvation is a life changing experience.
Unfortunately, the gift of salvation translates in most believers to religion, works, and keeping laws. This is not the purpose of God.
Jesus wants to have a personal and embracing relationship with you.
This is like meeting a new friend. You enter into the reality of the Living Christ in every aspect of your life.
You walk with Jesus yielding to the Holy Spirit. He transforms you into the character of God.
Jesus speaks to you and shares His supernatural attributes with you. He fills you with strength, wisdom, joy and protection.
Jesus teaches you His values and helps you to excel in all your endeavors. He wants you to have an abundant life.
Jesus wants to build a deep friendship with you through prayer, reading the Bible under the auspices of the Holy Spirit and listening for His voice.
Jesus asks you to walk by faith believing in His promises and not by what you see with your eyes.
God spoke the word egregious to me in the middle of last night.
Egregious is defined as something very bad or shocking. This is what Jesus sees when He looks at the world. The world is the antithesis of God’s kingdom.
We have to make a choice virtually every moment of our life to choose God or the darkness of the world. Most people play both sides. It is very difficult to stay clean living in a polluted world.
The truth is no one can avoid the contamination of the world including Christians. You can pray, go to church, read the Bible but this will not give you the purity of Jesus. Self control will fail you time and again. You were born into the world to live for self. It’s in your genes.
The Christ follower lives in the world but He is not of the world. There is only one way you can personally experience this truth in your life.
Make a decision to live for Jesus above all else and invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life. And, you will have to be open to the conviction and correction of the Spirit of Christ.
Repentance is a discipline which must be integrated into every aspect of your daily life. This is confessing your sins and turning away from every form of darkness.
Walk by faith yielding to the Holy Spirit. God will give you a life you can never achieve on your own.
Hal Hollister Ministry 