Sherpherding Renewal First Chapter

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17 | Continuing and Spreading <strong>Renewal</strong>Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness to thepromised land where he had never been. Our word wildernessconjures up the image of being lost in a wild and dangerous land.The Hebrew word for wilderness means a place of hearing. Itwas a place with few distractions so people could concentrate onhearing from God. The Israelites were not lost. God addressedevery danger that they faced along the way. Moses made it veryclear that he wanted to stay in intimate communication with Godwhile they were there [Ex. 33:14-15]. He wanted to hear God andto listen for God’s direction. He wanted to continue to journeywith God to wherever God would lead them.You need to do the same things. Perhaps you may senseyourself entering a wilderness that does seem wild and dangerous.Recognize the importance of making it a place of hearing, whereyou stay in close touch with God, seeking to come even closer,even more intimate with Him. Then you can invite your sheep tocontinue with you on your mutual journeys to deeper relationshipswith Jesus and more effectiveness as his disciples.You should seek support and accountability with otherpastors and church leaders who are also hungering for revival andrenewal.Pray for yourself and for your people to befilled with the Holy SpiritAs we read the pages of the New Testament and especiallythe book of Acts, we see people who are not just having greatMOMENTS when they are touched by the Holy Spirit, we seepeople who are living life in the Holy Spirit. They are not justhaving great spiritual highs, they are experiencing new lifestyles, a
Shepherding <strong>Renewal</strong> | 18way of living their lives under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.The New Testament makes it clear that Life in the Spirit,being filled with the Spirit, and living under the power andguidance of the Spirit was the NORM of the New Testament. ASpirit-born, Spirit-baptized, living-in-the-Spirit Christian was theminimum expectation for all Christians.Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with theSpirit. In fact, in the original language, it is more accurately, Keepon being filled with the Spirit. A constant state of being filled withthe Spirit is the norm of the New Testament.Paul tells us in Galatians 5:16 Live by the Spirit, and you willnot gratify the desires of the sinful nature. He tells us in Galatians5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.Since the Spirit filled Christian is the norm, the minimumexpectation of the New Testament, and since Paul commands usto be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, that means that youare expected to be a Spirit filled parent for your children, and aSpirit filled spouse for your spouse, and a Spirit filled pastor foryour church. And if you are not Spirit filled those other people aregetting ripped off! They are getting less than God wants for them.Since the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as being a personrather than a force Scripture warns us in Matthew 12:32 not tospeak against the Holy Spirit, and in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 notto quench the Holy Spirit, and in Acts 7:51 not to resist the HolySpirit. So whether we live in the Spirit and find the Spirit flowingin and through our lives or whether we block the Spirit’s work inand through our lives is up to us.Our spiritual life begins by the Spirit in the New Birth. InJesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, in John 3:1-8, Jesus tellshim no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of
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Sherpherding Renewal First Chapter

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