Hey! Welcome back to part four! Now that we have seen what it is to have a prophetic vision and we've sat in the waiting room, we are going to be looking at what it is to be equipped to go out with the Holy Spirit and fulfil the prophetic vision set for our lives. In Luke 24:49 Jesus tells His followers, "I will send the fulfillment of the Father's promise to you, so stay here in the city until you are clothed with the mighty power of heaven." (The Passion Translation) I liken this to equipping your avatar or character in a game before you set out to complete your mission. #luke24vs49 #acts2vs4 #beequipped #holyspirit #waitingroom #propheticvision #fulfillment
Before you start playing a new video game you need to equip your avatar or character. This includes your character name, outfit, the vehicle you're driving, what weapons you need etc., so you head to the character tab. Here you will find which skins you can choose from, what you look like and you can pick weapons you will take with you. At the beginning of the game, these options will be limited to the most basic options and every now and then as you play the game and upskill yourself, you can return to this dressing room tab and select upgrades and new weapons you may have unlocked.
This is vital in our walk and calling to be witnesses to Christ's goodness in our lives also. When we start walking with Jesus, we are learning to love him and what it is to journey with him. The first things we need to pick up are the fundamental things, clothing ourselves with truth and holiness, standing on our feet "ready to share the blessings of peace." (Ephesians 6:14-15 The Passion Translation) Sometimes in our walk, the biggest thing to stand out to people around us is the peace that we carry into our day. We learn to pray and get to know our heavenly father, learning the scriptures and spending time in prayer. As we grow and continue in our sharing of what Jesus has done in our lives, we need to guard our hearts and minds, so we "arm" ourselves with the shield of faith and sword of the spirit (knowing what the Bible says about who we are and what He has called us to) and place on what the Bible calls the helmet of salvation to protect our thoughts from the lies that so often come to hold us down. Lastly, we learn to pray at all times about EVERYTHING, especially that people would be blessed by God and that you can share boldly every chance you get.
Sometimes in our walk, the biggest thing to stand out to people around us is the peace that we carry into our day
When the Holy Spirit shows up in Acts 2:4, "They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues - empowered by the Spirit to speak in languages they had never learned!" (The Passion Translation) Peter who had been so quick to denounce Jesus at his death, stands up in front of the crowd and starts to share what he knew of Jesus and related it back to the prophecies in the old testament. In Acts 2:38 - 39 Peter tells us, "...Repent and return to God, and each one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to have your sins removed. Then you may take hold of the gift of the Holy Spirit. For God's promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and your families, for those yet to be born and for everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (The Passion Translation) This led to the church growing phenomenally in the first days. We may not see thousands converted to Christ in our own lives daily, but the seeds we plant will flourish and grow as God causes them.
Our equipping includes our gifting. What things do you naturally do well in? Are you able to talk to anyone easily? This isn't the case for everyone. I personally find it mortifying trying to get to know people. Small talk and I are not friends, but if you can get me into a conversation where we can go a bit deeper and talk about more than the weather, then I'm all in. Can you teach people? Does the thought of being able to show others how to do stuff and why they should do it resonate within you? Are you able to just believe that God wants to heal people and see him do it? What other things can you think of that might indicate what you're naturally gifted in that God would use to speak of His goodness and love for those around you?
We may not see thousands converted to Christ in our own lives daily, but the seeds we plant will flourish and grow as God causes them.
Another thing we are equipped with is our stories. We will all have stories of what we have seen Jesus do for us. These stories are not accidental. They are moments of revelation and connection that we can share to illustrate how Jesus came and made a way for us to be closer to Him, and how He cared for us, even in moments we might feel He shouldn't have. One such story I have is from a night I was so drunk and asleep on my friend's lawn. I remember having my friends and workmates talking around me as I was sick, while another friend used my phone to call my Dad, but wouldn't tell him where I was so he could come and get me. I was at rock bottom, but I had a friend who lived about a block away. I called her and she said I could go to her house for the night. Out of the group of people I was with, only one person was kind enough to walk me up the road so I could be safe. On my walk, or stumble, up the road, I remember hearing Jesus whisper to me that it was time to get back on the balance beam. I knew in my inner being that I was to return to the church I was so desperate but scared to join when I had left church life behind eighteen months earlier. It is a moment when Jesus could have walked on by, shaking his head and thinking, "well, she should have known better", but he didn't. His compassion for me at that moment was beyond the compassion I could even have for myself.
Lastly, we are equipped with the fruit of the spirit. We know when we are walking in tune with God's spirit because these things will follow us, Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, "But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit..." (The Passion Translation) We can use the above fruits as an indication of how we are doing with God. Whenever peace, for example, leaves, maybe take some time to ask God what needs to change to restore peace. When you find yourself lacking love for others, draw aside and spend time with Jesus, praying for the ones you're struggling to love. Simple things bring the greatest changes, all we have to do is be willing to step into them.
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