York Alliance Church Message Podcast

Throughout history, fasting has been one of the most important disciplines for those who follow the Way of Jesus. However, in recent decades, most of us have stopped fasting. Jesus taught us how we should engage fasting, as well as modeling it for us. In the model of Jesus, we don't lose strength through fasting, but we gain it! But fasting, like all other practices, is not the point. Jesus is.

As we understand more of the Spirit, we are commanded to keep on being filled with Him. Like a skilled sailor, we are to catch the wind of the Spirit so that we might move forward in our journey with Jesus, becoming more like Him and doing the things that He did.

Our God is a God who heals: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This was a mark of the Kingdom during Jesus' ministry, and has remained part of the church throughout the ages. The model and invitation of Jesus is to ask in faith for the move of the Spirit not just in our hearts, but in our physical bodies.

Two of the most controversial gifts, prophecy and tongues, are given special treatment by Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth. One we are told to especially desire, and the other we are told to engage with care and moderation. But what are these gifts? And how does God intend for us to use them in the church today?

There is much debate and mystery around the "gifts" that the Spirit gives. As we move fully understand the gifts and the things that the Spirit produces in the life of the believer, we are able to move into the heart of the gifts--using them for the building up of the body of Christ and the expansion of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

We often look for the power of the Holy Spirit in dramatic manifestations. However, the most powerful work of the Spirit can be found in the fruit that He produces in the lives of believers. Paul is careful to remind us that dramatic manifestations without the quiet and enduring fruit are worthless. Our journey into the Spirit must always be a journey into the character of Jesus.

God has not stopped speaking to His people. Hearing God is a vital part of growing in the Spirit. However, far from being a mysterious and mystical experience, the voice of God often comes to us in very common ways. As we learn to listen, we will find that He speaks more than we realized.

The primary purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit is to equip us to declare the glory of Jesus to the world. We will never operate in the intended power and fullness of the Spirit if we are not actively engaged in the mission of God in the world.

If we are to become like Jesus, we will need to change. While there are aspects of the change process that we can and must engage ourselves, the real work of transformation is done by the Holy Spirit. We are called to live out that which is already true of us in Christ, engaging the Word, the community, and the practices of Jesus so that we might become mature in Him.

The Holy Spirit has consistently been the most controversial and misunderstood member of the Trinity. Who is He, and what does He do? When we begin to understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit, we are able to more fully engage the transforming work of God in our lives and in the world around us.