Faith Matters | The sin of a powerless life

I want to title this article, “The Sin of a Powerless Life.”

Dan Rhodes of Destiny Navigators, a precious friend and mentor in my life close to 20 years wrote this:

“Wherever God’s Kingdom is, so is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Unless the power of the Holy Spirit is active in today’s churches, people may discount the supernatural reality of the Christian Faith. And without the supernatural power of God, Christianity would be just another human philosophy.”

I whole heartily agree! I would add; “Unless the Holy Spirit is active in every believer.”

The Bible says of itself that it is living and active. This is wrought in great part through the manifestation of power. Power made manifest is proof, and proof convinces and influences people to believe.

Mark 16:19–20 (NKJV) So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Door-to-door vacuum salesmen were popular in the 1950’s. They brought with them three things:

• A brochure, a written piece that described the product.
• The vacuum.
• Some dirt, followed by a demonstration.

You get the point.

It is the desire of The Father for every one of his sons and daughters to walk, preach and demonstrate His Kingdom. The same Holy Spirit that empowered the Apostles in the book of Acts lives in you and I. He greatly desires to use you as a vessel for the miraculous.

There are so many testimonies too numerous to include. God has used me and members of our church family to touch people, strangers in our community with the healing power of Christ, resulting in salvations. It is such an honor, and such a thrill to be used this way!

Here is one powerful testimony.

Charles Smith, a wonderful and faithful member, recently went home to be with the Lord. He was a crossing guard at an elementary school. He came to our church about three years ago wanting to learn how to pray for the sick. He has prayed for many on his corner, with over 20 healings by offering prayer.

One testimony is of a father who was limping. Following Charles’s inquiry, he learned it was due to an Achilles tendon injury. He was told due to the nature of the injury it would never be completely well. Charles offered prayer, he was healed on the spot, walking away without a limp! He’s also lead people to Christ, some of which are now a part of our church family. Thank you Jesus for using Charles in such a powerful way!

I want to invite you to visit our testimony page on our website; http://kingdomlifechristianchurch.org/miracles. You will be encouraged to take risk like Charles did.

“It doesn’t matter how much you know, if there is no power”

James 4:17 (NKJV) Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

I am thankful for feel-good, positive messages that encourage and build us up in Christ. I preach them, and I listen to others who preach them. However, in the quest for the fullness of The Gospel, with the goal to become more like Jesus. Sin must be fully identified. Before we go there, let me state that my goal is not to shame anyone. Rather to bring a Holy conviction, and ignite a fire that revives all the sons and daughters of God to a greater place of influence, power and authority.

The definition of sin from the above passage comes from the Greek word hamartia, pronounced, ham·ar·tee·ah. It means to miss the mark; see Strong’s Greek 266. Jesus is the mark; He is our benchmark.

Sin is more than “Thou shall not do”

While the definition of sin includes, not doing what is wrong in the sight of God according to scripture. Many have limited the meaning to only that. As if to say; “what I don’t’ do wrong makes me a Christian.”

Matthew 10:7–8 (NKJV) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. – This is a command from The King of Kings, not a suggestion.

Here are six things I want to encourage you to increase in your life, that will release the power of The Holy Spirit in greater measure through you.

• Personal worship.
• Study the Word on this subject, and those throughout history who moved in power.
• Know that God wants to use you, more than you want to be used.
• Take risks.
• Minister in love.
• Seek the SOMEONE of Revival, not the something.

Beyond anything else I could ever share with you; I offer you Jesus. Regardless of who you are, or what you’ve done, God is good, and He loves you. He sent His Son who paid the ultimate price for you. He died on a cross for your sins, but death could not hold Him. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you too can have a new and eternal life. Ask Him into your heart. Ask Him to heal you, to teach you His ways and to use you to help others.

Welcome to the Kingdom, welcome to the Family of God!

Faith Matters is written by members of the Bradenton clerical community. Don Sturiano is the senior leader of Kingdom Life Christian Church in Bradenton. He is also the chaplain for the Bradenton Police Department. For more information. visit www.kingdomlifechristianchurch.org.