1 Corinthians 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
Fifteen years ago when I surrendered to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord said: Create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of those who come. We have been discussing this for the past few days because I believe this is the Word of the Lord for every fellowship of believers. Without the Presence of the Holy Spirit, there is no ministry.
The Holy Spirit of God is a gentleman. He will not force Himself into a place where He is not wanted or welcome. Therefore, a huge part of creating an atmosphere where He can work is the ongoing invitation of His Presence. What I have come to know is that as I have consecrated this entire property to Him for whatever He wants to do, He has done GREAT things in the lives of those who come.
At first I thought it was just about The Treehouse because that was the retreat house and that was where people would come. I was wrong, very wrong. God wanted all the property; everything. God does not want just a part of who we are or what we have. He wants us to surrender everything we are and everything we have to Him. This is all part of creating the atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of those who come.
We must come to the understanding that we own nothing. Everything in this world belongs to God. Even our children belong to Him. He entrusts us with property, money, children, and possessions but none of this belongs to us. It doesn’t matter if we worked and earned the money to purchase a house, that house and the property it is on belongs to God and is to be used to bring glory to Him. He calls us to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. This is our part to play in this thing we call life.
The following are some Passages of Scripture that substantiate the fact that everything is owned by God. The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. (Psalms 24:1)
Indeed Heaven and the highest Heavens belong to the Lord your God, and also the earth with all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey MY Voice and keep My Covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (Exodus 19:5)
The silver is Mine, the gold is Mine, says the Lord of Hosts. (Haggai 2:8)
For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (Psalms 50:10-11)
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His Covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
We must come to the place where we understand that without Jesus, we are nothing. We have nothing and we can obtain nothing. Through our faith in Christ and Him Crucified, God entrusts to us that which He wants us to have. It is our responsibility to be a good steward of everything because as quickly as He gives it, He can take it away.
While we seek the deep spiritual things of God, we first must surrender to Him all that is natural. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46) Remember, nothing is ours anyway. We just read six Passages of Scripture that declare this truth and there are many more.
Surrendering all that you are and all that you have to the Lord is part of creating the atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can work. Ministry is not big business. It’s not a place of employment. It’s not a social club where people come to have a good time and visit with their friends. It’s none of those things. Ministry is a place where people come to experience the Presence of the Holy Spirit and leave changed through their ever-growing faith in the Finished Work of the Cross of Christ.
This understanding will……….turn the tide……….in your life.
To God be the glory! Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
