DAY 39 – IT’S KEEPING ME ALIVE
Title: It’s Keeping Me Alive (Jude 20)
“It’s the Holy Ghost and Fire and It’s Keeping Me Alive”
Consider these verses:
Jude 20-21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
In the last couple decades we have been saturated with the “Rocky” movies. We have seen these movies a hundred times and probably the scenes from the movies two hundred times and yet it strikes a chord in many of us. In the original “Rocky” a common guy wins a lottery of sorts to fight the World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed (what’s in a name?) This is Rocky’s big chance to “be a winner”. Everybody identifies with the regular guy, Rocky, right? Who among us acts like the character, Apollo Creed? (pride, arrogance, self determining? Ok, we all have our moments.) Back to Rocky. He trains, and trains, and trains… and then the big fight. He is obviously outclassed, but continues to keep fighting while he continues to get the life knocked out of him. Inevitably, in all the Rocky movies, there is that moment- with the close up shot- of a guy who can barely see, beaten to a pulp, struggling to get his bearings in the ring, and has a decision to make. Do I get up or throw in the towel? Do I just lay here and let the bell ring and the world go on without me? Or do I try to get up?
We all have times in our lives, (remember John 16:33, “in this world ye shall have tribulation”) where we get pounded down. Emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, financially – we get to the end of ourselves, and have a decision to make. The enemy of our soul will come and begin to whisper in our ear things that support the thoughts that we already have considered. “Nobody would blame you if you did this immoral or ungodly act, they understand what you are going through and what you have had to put up with”. “Nobody would miss you if you just quit and disappeared”. Nobody would blame you if you “fill in the blank”. Am I getting close here? Remember, that same voice that is “whispering” in your ear”, will be the “booming voice of condemnation, guilt and shame” if you choose the wrong path here. He is the enemy of your soul.
In my life I have had several times where I have had the choice to lay down and quit or keep moving on the difficult path ahead. I admit that most of those times I was still in fellowship with God, but feeling sorry for myself and my situation, I would allow the circumstances to overwhelm me. Even though I was active in church, knew the scriptures and all the necessary steps to take, I would still exercise my choice of selfishness, disobedience and rebellion. I would pout like a child and not do the things I knew to do. Enter Jude 20. That “Rocky moment of decision”. This moment is when I surrender my strength and control to God’s emissary, the HOLY GHOST. I choose to utter a syllable. Then a phrase. Then another phrase. Then it is on! Your Spirit man who you have suppressed comes ALIVE. That spirit man rises up and begins to bless God in the Holy Ghost. You begin to breathe the fresh air that only HE can deliver. God promises to inhabit the praises of His people. He begins to bring you back to reality and realize that you serve a God who created all things and is more than able to help you overcome in your tribulation. Your FAITH is beginning to come back. The scriptures that you wanted to ignore in disobedience now begin to flow off your lips, between the spirit filled phrases that keep pushing out of your mouth. There is now a “fire in your bones” that did not exist a few moments before. I think God sent the Holy Spirit to us for a lot of reasons, but one of them is that he knows us. He knows we are rebellious, insolent and lazy. But even if that describes me, how easy is it to speak those unknown syllables that praise God and do His will? Just speak the words. He inhabits the words. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit I encourage you to pray in the spirit. Build yourselves up in the faith. If you are not filled yet, I encourage you to seek Him. It will help you build up your faith to overcome just as Jesus declared in the last phrase of John 16:33. It is a wonderful blessing!
Pray This Prayer
Dear Holy Spirit, I confess to you that I need your strength and power. Thank you for the many times you have helped me, encouraged me and strengthened me. I want to live a spirit filled life. I want to be filled with the power from heaven that you have promised. I want to be an overcomer. Show me how to live and serve with your anointing.
My Testimony
In my previous vocation, I lived in four different states and traveled a lot miles. In 1979 I had started working with another man and we had the whole state of Illinois to market in by ourselves. He was my mentor in more ways than one. He could make a trip to the 7-11 sound exciting. More importantly, he was a man of God who served in the local Assemblies of God and as a district representative for Light for the Lost. He couldn’t help but share about being filled with the Holy Ghost. After six months of this onslaught of constant testimony, my wife and I consented to attend their local AG revival meetings. After several months of asking God to fill me and now after a couple nights of “intense” revival, I was very frustrated. Nothing. Nada. Nothing but watching everyone else receive and get excited. It was flabbergasting. On Thursday of that week while driving down the road and feeling my frustration, I decided to pull over in a cornfield south of Hidalgo, Illinois and have it out with God. I pulled over and began to empty myself of disappointment and frustration. After a few minutes I was empty. God said nothing and the tantrum was over. That night at the “revival” in a much more subdued frame of mind and somewhat repentant over my attitude that day, I went forward to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In a matter of only moments, I began to speak in tongues in a very matter of fact way. There was a depth of peace and love I had never experienced before. I did not have an extremely emotional experience, but I spoke in tongues and have been doing so since then. Thank you Father, for sending the Holy Ghost as our comforter!
Doug Atkins