Empowered

Last Saturday morning 30 people gathered for Empowered - one of our 6 once-a-year Way On: Discipleship Seminars. Jonathan and Joanna taught the 7 reasons why we need God’s power, and then how to receive it, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive his gifts.

We saw how some people find it easy to receive from God, as easy as breathing. For others (like me - Jonathan) it’s a struggle, an intellectual, biblical, emotional and personal struggle, perhaps because we like to stay in control and are suspicious of feelings and intuitions; this can limit our experience of God’s love, and that limits our effectiveness for God.

Once again I enjoyed the balanced biblical teaching that Empowered gives for all personality types, and the opportunity, without any pressure, to dip our toes in the water, and receive the refreshing and life-changing power of the Spirit of God. We learnt again how to repent of personal sin, which is the real block to the Spirit’s power, and how to receive forgiveness, so that we can experience once again God’s closeness.

Saturday morning was great because the atmosphere was relaxed, and we had good coffee and plenty of healthy fruit and tasty pastries! We got to know each other better. There was space - time to pray and engage with God on our own. So, God turned-up and met with us! No surprise there, but many of us found it a relief and a joy to experience again the personal attention of the God who wants to be known and found by us. It is from this meeting with God that our power for living well comes.

We then explored the gift of prophecy, which amazingly, God encourages all of us to seek! This was a new thought to many people, as it was to the 90 students on Thursday night at Breathe. We saw how the things God reveals to us by his Spirit, to encourage one another, are to be tested (if the cap fits, wear it), whereas the words of the Old Testament prophets, like the words of Jesus and the New Testament apostles, are not to be tested, but read, understood, believed and obeyed as the words of God. In other words, when we try to hear from God for other people (or ourselves!) we can get it wrong. Realising this takes the pressure off.

So, we then had a go, experimenting in random groups of 4 by praying, and learning to listen for each other, one at a time. We stilled our minds (not easy!) and then noticed any words, Bible verses, feelings, fleeting images or vivid pictures that God brought to mind. We then shared them, and asked if they made any sense. They often did, and so we were encouraged.

Between us we shared lots of ways that we had experienced God speaking to us, and through us to others. So as the morning went on, we realised that we are part of an Empowered community, in which God is present, and speaking and working through us today.

Finally, we looked at how the New Testament teaches us to pray for the sick, with faith and a few words of authority, in Jesus’ name. We explored why it is that we don’t see as many people healed as Jesus did, or as we would like (we are not a health service, and we all die, because it is not God’s purpose that we live forever in this world). Nevertheless, Jesus healed people, and every healing was a sign that God’s kingdom of love and power is breaking into our world. Healings in Jesus’ name today point to Jesus, who loves us and is alive, with power to transform our lives. One day, when he returns, we will see him as he really is; then his kingdom, and our healing, will be complete.

On Saturday we were encouraged by the testimony of one person who shared how she came to faith through a man who felt prompted by God to ask if he could pray for her. Her back had been in pain for months; but when he prayed she was healed. So she started her on a journey back to God, and she is now part of the St George’s family.

Jonathan Clark, 03/03/2010