Sunday June 10, 2007

    I know most of us are still winding down from from the performances yesterday and Friday (as well as the last two weeks in general).  Worship was sweet this morning.  Mark’s message was on being filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18-21).  I really enjoyed his break down on the differences between psalms, songs, and spiritual songs.  He opened the word up to us this morning and reminded us that when the Spirit fills our lives we will sing to the Lord, give thanks to Him, and be submitted to one another. (check out the whole sermon at http://www.antiochchurch.cc/).  Hearing the Word of God and seeing it lived out on stage the past week really blessed me and last night in particular had me worshiping and giving God glory.  I love working the with Arts Alive because it stretches me and my faith.  I realized that I was letting anxiousness about the shows rule my thoughts and life.  I went up to the booth and gave it all over to the Lord.  I prayed that He would be glorified through everyone and everything.  I loved it because He (as always) was faithful.  By the end of the first scene, I was worshiping and enjoying every second. 
    Today as I took in the sermon,  I thought about being filled with the Spirit.  When we ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit, what we are asking is for Him to be in total control of our lives.  I think of it like a submarine.  We are asking Him daily to fill us with the Spirit.   He comes and fills each chamber with the Water of Life.  We tend to hold areas back.  But He wants us entirely.  He wants us to be so flooded with His Spirit that we sink into the depths of His sea of love and grace.  Another picture the Lord gave me this morning was this.  We should be so filled with the Spirit that we are leaking.  We sing to Him out of the abundance He alone can give, no matter the circumstances.  We should give thanks out of gratefulness to Him.  No circumstance that we go through is greater than what Christ did for us on the cross.  We have to submit to each other as well.  Christ taught us submission through his life and death on the cross.  How can we not follow Him and submit to each other.  It is hard at times to submit.  People rub us the wrong way, our pride gets hurt, we are wounded.  I prayed this morning that, as the Lord fills me with His Spirit, my focus would be on Him and serving others.  I prayed that as the world, circumstances, and people push and prod me that what would come forth from my mouth, my countenance, and my actions would be the Spirit of God.  I pictured the sub again.  Someone opening a door and being flooded by the love, grace and peace of God.  I’m nowhere near that point now.   But I know God is faithful and I can rest in the fact that as I ask He will be faithful to do.