Before I share the third commandment, allow me to thank you for reading this blog. I know that your life is so, so busy and there are many things beckoning for your time. I am so honored that you allow me week after week to speak into your life and ministry. Thank you for being a part of a readership that literally blankets the world. Right now, individuals in Egypt, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Jamaica, France, Nigeria, Russia, Japan, Austria, Pakistan, Kenya, Finland, Australia, and a host of other countries are joining with you in this pursuit of ushering in a move of the Holy Spirit in their children and ministries. And now, back to what you’ve come to this blog to read.
Commandment #3 Thou Shalt Connect with the Holy Spirit
In sharing this teaching in Charismatic/Pentecostal conferences, I am embarrassed to mention this commandment. A person would think that this commandment wouldn’t be needed. After all, I am speaking to individuals who are part of denominations or movements that do or have placed an emphasis on the Holy Spirit. But, as we all know, just because we go into a McDonald’s restaurant it doesn’t make us a Happy Meal. Going into water doesn’t make us a fish. So, going to and/or working in a Holy Spirit church doesn’t make us a person of the Spirit.
Here is the reason for this commandment. In the life of the typical children’s ministry leader or worker, if there is any connection throughout the week or in the service between the Holy Spirit and the leader or worker, it is a brief connect or mention in the opening prayer. I wish that this wasn’t true … but sadly, it is the truth. He is almost an afterthought or Someone provided an honorable mention as a courtesy as the service gets underway. With this type of relationship, you can rest assured that outside of an act of God’s mercy, week after week the children will experience a lifeless, powerless, anemic classroom experience.
Do yourself a favor and write the following statement in the back of your Bible. The revelation of the Spirit is proportional to the relationship with the Spirit. In other words, the level of His manifestation or His demonstration is proportional to the level of connection. The revelation of His presence in public is directly linked to the level of intimacy in private. The greater the intimacy, the greater the power. This was demonstrated in Jesus’ ministry. It was through His pulling away from the masses to have time for communing with the Spirit that enabled Him to flow in the supernatural.
There is so much that I could add as I share about this commandment but space won’t allow it. Let me close with this thought. The routine of life will always squeeze time for communing with the Spirit out of your day. Become intentional. Become disciplined. Let go of the lesser so that you can make time for the greater. Make time to connect throughout your day for an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. In doing so, He will begin to manifest Himself in you and through you in ways that you never thought were possible.
See you next week with Commandment #4.
