How Long?

  I trust you all had a wonderful and joyful Christmas!

Ours was great, minus just a couple of moments, which we'll just leave at that. 

Today's prayer focus though, is brought you directly from yesterday morning's service, as when I heard it, I thought... "what a great thing to pray for as we prepare to enter the New Year in just a few short days.

Pastors's desire to agree in prayer, was simply that in 2017, those who step through the doors of the church would feel the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that performs the miraculous as we live to bring glory and honor to God and lead a life that points others to the person of Jesus Christ.

We can not become more like Christ on our own... that is how each of us came to the place of needing Him in the first place!

As I thought this morning, getting ready to type this out, my favorite streaming music station played the song, How Long, performed by The Front.  (The Healing Rock station is the one to listen to!  http://www.healingstreammedia.com/stations.html)

The song talks about how we keep calling out for help, yet keep ignoring Christ' knocking on our heart. Thus, Christ asks, "how long" are we going to do this?

Each of our lives and our faith in Christ can only be accomplished as we walk out our faith and the Holy Spirit works in us... it can be set by anyone else, nor can we seek to please anyone else... for that matter, we can't be guilted or convicted  by others in our faith; although many have tried.

The only life-sustaining change in our lives comes from a genuine encounter with God through Jesus Christ followed by a continuous process of the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit that draws us closer to God, whereby we live more for Him than ourselves and reflect the life of Christ to the world around us.

{closing lyrics]
Tell me, how long, // oh, how long,
can you hear Me call your name // and run the other way?

Tell me, how long, // oh, how long,
until you change your mind // and let Me back into your heart?

Pray, this #seniorPastorMonday, that 2017 would be a year of the Holy Spirit accomplishing the miraculous in lives of all walks; that many would come to know the saving power of Jesus Christ. Pray that God would grant wisdom and discernment, as people search for understanding in the lives and work out their faith as it applies to daily living. May the convicting power of the Holy Spirit work in many lives; that addictions would be broken, relationships restored, healings of all kinds and many signs and wonders that would display the glory of God at work in our midst. Pray 2017 would be a year that the church would witness the super-natural, not in a weird or suspect manner; but as a show to unbeliever that God's love for humanity is great and real... available to any who would call on the name above all other names... Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world
He sent His all Son.
That those who call on the name of the Lord
Will be saved.
Life-Changing moves of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For the cause of Christ.

- PNC