Changed by the Spirit
Song: (To the tune of I sing the mighty power of God who made the mountains rise)
1. O Spirit of the living God,
thou light and fire divine,
descend upon thy church once more,
and make it truly thine.
Fill it with love and joy and power,
with righteousness and peace;
till Christ shall dwell in human hearts,
and sin and sorrow cease.
2. Blow, wind of God! With wisdom blow
until our minds are free
from mists of error, clouds of doubt,
which blind our eyes to thee.
Burn, winged fire! Inspire our lips
with flaming love and zeal,
to preach to all thy great good news,
God’s glorious commonweal.
3. Teach us to utter living words
of truth which all may hear,
the language all may understand
when love speaks loud and clear;
till every age and race and clime
shall blend their creeds in one,
and earth shall form one family
by whom thy will is done.
4. So shall we know the power of Christ
who came this world to save;
so shall we rise with him to life
which soars beyond the grave;
and earth shall win true holiness,
which makes thy children whole;
till, perfected by thee, we reach
creation’s glorious goal!
Romans 8:26-29
1. CATAYLYZES - The Holy Spirit catalyzes change in people, situations and organizations. A catalyst is someone that precipitates change without being altered in the process. The Spirit has a clear view of every person’s heart and mind so that He knows what changes are necessary. Paul wrote,
"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will." (Romans 8:27)
Application: Ask the Lord for help in catalyzing positive changes in the people, situation and organization you are working with.
2. HARMONIZES GIFTS - The Holy Spirit uses a variety of gifts, abilities and personalities to affect change. God is able to harmonize a wide diversity of gifts, talents and personalities for the most effective change in people and organizations. Paul wrote,
"There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." (I Cor. 12:6,7)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you understand and cooperate with the way the Spirit is harmonizing a wide variety of peoples’ gifts, abilities and personalities to effect His changes in you and the church.
3. EMPOWERS - The Holy Spirit acts as an effective power broker in bringing about spiritual changes. The Holy Spirit’s authority is able to influence people with the wise use of His power in affecting change. Paul wrote,
"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love and discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you appropriate the power given to you in the Spirit and in His precious promises
4. GIVES SOLUTIONS - The Holy Spirit acts as a solution giver so that His changes will cause Christ’s kingdom and righteousness to grow. The Spirit does not quickly offer solutions to problems until people are really ready to obey His directives. Paul wrote,
"To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit." (I Cor. 12:8)
Application: Ask the Lord to connect you, by the Spirit’s empowerment, to people who are able to supply you with the wisdom, knowledge and skill to accomplish the very best of God’s purposes, plans and processes.
5. NETWORKS - The Holy Spirit helps you network with people who are specialists in certain areas where changes are needed. The Spirit is able to connect you with a wide variety of people, organizations and resources that will enable you to effect the greatest changes for Christ and His kingdom. Paul wrote,
"But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." (I Cor. 12:24,25)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you network with people who are specialists in areas where the most strategic changes are needed for the accomplishing of His will.
6. CONFERS AND COMMUNICATES - The Holy Spirit is able to help you negotiate the best solution to perplexing problems. The Spirit helps us confer with all kinds of people, organizations and resources to bring about the best solution for our problems.
The Spirit has unique abilities to facilitate the resolution of conflicts using the best ideas, people and resources. Dr. Luke wrote of Paul’s Spirit led negotiations before King Agrippa,
"King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews... Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently." (Acts 26:2,3)
Application: Ask the Lord to give you wise negotiating skills to bring about the best solution to your perplexing problems.
7. CLARIFIES - The Holy Spirit gives greater clarification during times of confusion. The Spirit gives people the ability to make things easier for others to understand in terms they are familiar with. The Holy Spirit often has to filter out the impure emotions, motives and partial truths before people are able to clearly see the whole counsel of God. Paul wrote,
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance and his incomparably great power for us who believe." (Eph. 1:18)
Application: Ask the Lord to give clarification during times of confusion, uncertainty, or doubt.
8. HELPS ENDURE - The Holy Spirit is able to act as a process helper in carrying you through the struggles God wants you to endure. Paul wrote, "The God of all grace... after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (I Pet. 5:10)
Application: Ask God for help in carrying you through to the completion of His will in your character development, your relationships and your ministries.
9. ESTABLISHES RELATIONSHIPS - The Holy Spirit is able to help you establish key relationships with insiders who will effect the best internal changes in people and organizations. Paul wrote,
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Phil. 2:13)
Application: Ask the Lord for help in establishing great relationships with insiders who will continue to carry on the changes in people and organizations even when you are gone.
Illustration: Dr. Donald McGavran tells "The Story of a People Movement to Christ." This an abbreviated form of the story, which illustrates beautifully what our Psalmist has taught us today.
The story presented here is true. . . .
There once was a man named Ditt who lived in the land of the Punjab in India. The Hindus called him an Untouchable. He was short, dark, and lame. He was a laborer in the village and also bought and sold hides. He was in good standing in the Chuhras caste there.
One day Ditt heard about Jesus Christ, the Savior. He heard of how Jesus Christ, the Sinless Incarnation of God, had gone about doing good, had given men wonderful teaching, and had died on the Cross that men might obtain salvation. Ditt said, "I want that kind of Lord, One who loves sinners and saves them from sin and ignorance and teaches them the truth about God. I want a religion in which there is no caste, where we Chuhras will learn that we are men every bit as good as Brahmans and Thakurs." . . . .
A few days after his baptism, when his wife was scolding him for becoming a Christian, he said, "Listen to these words of God. Are they not wonderful? Why don’t you learn them too?" His wife answered, "I? I cannot learn. I am a woman." Ditt replied, "Christ gives women power to learn. Repeat these words over together with me and you will learn them." They repeated the words of the Lord’s Prayer over forty times and Ditt’s wife to her surprise found that she too could say the Lord’s Prayer. Then she listened with great attention to the stories of the great and wonderful works of the Lord Jesus, and of His death on the Cross for sinners. She decided to give her heart to Jesus Christ. Ditt’s daughter too decided to become a Christian and the man and wife living in the next house learned the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commands and the Creed with the wife and daughter. They too were soon ready to become Christians. Three months from the date of Ditt’s baptism these four people walked 25 miles to Sialkot and were baptized and then walked back to their village.
Now the whole village was aroused. Five people had become Christians. People asked Ditt, "What did you get for becoming a Christian? Money, legal help, a loan?" Ditt answered them clearly, saying, "Whoever changes his religion for money is a rascal. I work as I did before. I live in my old home. I have received nothing from the Christians but the true religion, a religion in which there is no idol worship, no worship of the Brahmans, and no castes. I now have a Bible which tells us that there are no high caste and no low caste, but all are equal in the sight of God, and all are brothers here on earth. This is the true religion. I have found the true religion, therefore I have become a Christian." This testimony greatly impressed his relatives. Four men started to come and learn Christian truth from Ditt and his family. Six months from the date of Ditt’s baptism he took four men to Sialkot for baptism. There were now nine Christians in Shahabdike Village. The pastor visited the village now. While the pastor was there Ditt was able to convince many others of the truth of the Christian religion. All these Christians continued to live in their village and to do the work they formerly were doing.
Part of Ditt’s work was buying and selling hides. He had to travel around to many villages. Wherever he went he said to the Chuhras, "My friends, we Chuhras must find a way out of our sin and ignorance. Our present religion tells us that we are untouchables. It keeps us ignorant. We have no Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ came to save just such people as we are, save them from sin and from ignorance, and to make it possible for them to live a good life and go to heaven. All Chuhras ought to accept the Lord Jesus Christ." Chuhras would object, saying, "If we become Christians, we shall lose our relatives." Ditt would say to them, "Not at all. Look at me. I became a Christian, and while it is true that for a few weeks people were angry with me, first my wife and then my neighbors and relatives have become Christian. Within a few years all of my relatives will be Christians. Because this is the true religion, everyone will become Christian. You become a Christian and others will follow." Hearing this, many Chuhras in many villages started to become Christians. Eleven years after the conversion of Ditt, 500 Chuhras were received in the church. By 1900 over half of the Chuhras in Sialkot District had become Christian, and by 1915 all except a few hundred of the Chuhras had become Christians.
Thus Ditt’s example caused 100,000 people to become Christians. He led them out of darkness into light, out of slavery into freedom.
Hearing of the people who were becoming Christian in Sialkot District, other Chuhras in the Punjab became Christians, so that in the 1930s in the Punjab there were 450,000 Christians and the number is growing rapidly year by year. Recently, all the Chuhras of the Sialkot District have started to raise money to build a great church to the memory of Ditt, the man who was used by God to bring salvation to all the Chuhras. His memory is held sacred.
The Holy Spirit reminds us of who we are in Christ:
I KNOW WHO I AM ?
I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am complete in Christ (Col. 2:10)
I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:1-2)
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20)
I am the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15:1-5)
I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph.2:6)
I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1:5)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I have been adopted as Gods child (Eph 1:5)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom.8:35-39)
I belong to God
Do you know who you are !?
credited to Rev. Paul Ciniraj,
