Carriers of the Glory

You don’t have to go looking for an atmosphere; you are an atmosphere. You are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a habitation of Heaven, a carrier of the glory. Because you have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have to follow signs; signs follow you. You don’t have to beg for a divine encounter; you live in a divine encounter. Wherever you step, the Holy Spirit steps. Your presence and God’s presence become indistinguishable from one another.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself… (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)

When you walk into rooms, demons run out. When you walk into rooms, sickness starts to lose its hold. When you walk into rooms, you shift the atmosphere. Heaven invades wherever you step foot. Spiritual dynamics change, and Hell loses influence. 

That’s the potential of the believer’s life. However, though every true believer has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn’t have every believer. What I mean by that is not every believer is surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit in their life.

Some allow for areas of compromise and spiritual neglect. Everything that God has for us is within us by the Holy Spirit. Power, love, joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, the ability to live holy, and so much more. But many leave reservoirs of the Spirit’s power untapped. 

But when you live a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit, the power within you begins to affect everything in you and around you. Like a river that gives off mist, your very being begins to give off the essence of the Spirit. People around you become refreshed. When you surrender to the Holy Spirit and become a conscious carrier of the glory, miracles begin to happen around you, people become drawn to the magnetism of the Holy Spirit within you, and God receives the glory for what He does through you as a vessel. 

Commit today to remember that you are a carrier of the glory. And then live and act like it.

QUESTION: In what ways has the presence of the Holy Spirit upon YOUR life affected those around you? Tell me in the comments.

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What's the Difference Between the Presence of the Holy Spirit & His Power?

The power of the Holy Spirit is what He does. The presence of the Holy Spirit is Himself. God’s message is endorsed by the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s people are endorsed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit can change your circumstance, but the presence of the Holy Spirit can change your heart. The power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The presence of the Holy Spirit dwells within you. The power is for service. The presence is for salvation. The power helps you to do. The presence helps you to become. 

Here is the presence within you.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)

Here is the power upon you.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8, NLT)

The power stirs you. The presence stills you. The power activates the gifts. The presence is the glory. The power inspires praise. The presence inspires worship. The key to the power of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Tell me in the comments: Did I miss anything? How would you describe the power of the Holy Spirit? What would you say about the presence of the Holy Spirit?

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Encounters Lead to Callings

Those who have been touched by the glory of God are most powerfully used for the glory of God. The call of God is found in the presence of God. The power of the Holy Spirit is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Your purpose is discovered in His presence. 

Remember this: all true ministry is an overflow of your relationship with God. If there is no relationship, then ministry is not a calling, but rather a career. 

When Adam had life breathed into him, he became the steward of the earth. When Abraham heard God, he was called as a father of many nations. When Moses saw the burning bush, he was called as a deliverer. Isaiah saw God in the temple. Jeremiah felt fire in his bones. Ezekiel saw Heaven opened. The apostles sat with Jesus. The early church heard the wind and saw the fire of the Holy Spirit. Truly, encounters lead to callings.

God wants to use you too. You may feel like your don’t measure up, like you lack the skills and gifts needed to do something for God. Here’s what the Bible says.

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, NLT)

Your connection with God is your position to do something for God. The Holy Spirit in you is your qualification for ministry. The time you spend in God’s presence is what prepares you to carry His power. 

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Trembling Before His Glory

I’ve often heard it said, “When I get to Heaven, I’m going to run up to Jesus and give Him a big hug! When I finally stand before God, I’m going to ask Him so many questions.” In all reality, Biblically speaking, when you finally see God face-to-face, you’ll be down on your face, struggling to look up at His brilliance. 

3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! (Genesis 17:3-4, NLT)

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. (Matthew 17:5-6, NLT)

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. (Revelation 7:11, NLT)

Sure, we will fellowship with God, laugh with God, walk and talk with God, and so forth. Yes, God is your Father, and you are His child. But we mustn’t so casually treat the glory of God that we fail to properly reverence His presence. 

It is a privilege to know His presence. 

In fact, before Christ’s death on the cross, there was a protocol to entering God’s presence. Only a certain few could enter and, even so, only on the right days, at the right time, in the right attire after having undergone the right procedures. Of course, today we enter His presence boldly.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. (Hebrews 10:19, NLT)

However, we mustn’t confuse boldness with irreverence. We must reverence, honor, appreciate, and cherish the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. His glory is beautiful, and it’s also frightening. May we remember to tremble before His glory. 

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The Joy of the Holy Spirit

Contrary to the cliche, the world does, in fact, give joy. If that weren’t the case, sin and selfish living would have no appeal whatsoever. But there is a major difference between the joy that the world gives and the joy that the Holy Spirit gives. The joy that the world gives fades quickly, but the joy that the Holy Spirit gives is everlasting.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17, NLT)

Some find joy in only their money. Some find joy in only their accomplishments. Some find joy in only the things which are offered by the world. But you and I find joy in the Holy Spirit. 

Because our joy is rooted in the Eternal Spirit, our joy lasts. When you find your joy in that which is temporary, the joy itself is temporary. For nothing can outlast its source. The things of the world fade, change, and become uncertain. But the Holy Spirit never leaves us, never changes, and is never unreliable. 

Chaos can stir all around you. Tragedy can catch you off guard. Difficulties can test your faith. But in every moment, in every circumstance, you and I can be joyful. 

The Spirit-filled believer isn’t dull and lifeless. The Christian doesn’t have to be stoic and cynical. For from the believer bursts a joy that can dissolve the heaviness in any atmosphere. On the believer rests a divine light, a spiritual, life-giving magnetism - it is the everlasting joy of the Holy Spirit. 

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Can You Lose the Holy Spirit?

Can you lose the Holy Spirit? Will the Holy Spirit ever leave a believer? Can you exhaust His patience with your many mistakes and repeated sins? 

All too often, I’m approached by Christians who are filled with fear and doubt - they wonder if they have finally gone too far. They imagine that their most recent mistakes have done them in, disqualified them from fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

To be clear: I’m not writing about losing your salvation. That’s an entirely different topic which would require another blog altogether. 

What I’m addressing here is the idea that a Christian can be abandoned by the Holy Spirit. Let’s settle the matter now by looking at what Jesus said:

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. (John 14:16-17, NLT)

The Holy Spirit doesn’t abandon us when we make mistakes; instead, He remains to rescue us from ourselves. Think of all that Jesus taught concerning forgiveness and patience, and then realize that God keeps to His own standards of mercy.

The Holy Spirit abides faithfully, patiently, working with us to overcome the worst parts of our humanity. The Holy Spirit is not a reward for the spiritually elite, if ever such a group existed. The Holy Spirit is our only chance at truly being spiritual. What sense would it make for God to withdraw from us our power to be holy as punishment for not meeting standards of holiness? 

The Holy Spirit’s patience is by no means an encouragement to go on sinning. And one of the marks of a true believer is a true desire to be holy, backed by a lifestyle of true repentance. 

But it is a relief to know that we are not abandoned just because we make mistakes. When you sin, repent. When you fail, turn to the Lord. When you make an ungodly mistake, humbly turn to your friend, the Holy Spirit, the One Who never leaves you, the One Who stays faithful to you, even when you are unfaithful to Him. He is more loving than we are flawed, more patient than we are stubborn, more faithful than we are sinful. 

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Guard the Secret Place

Prayer is not a means to acquire something; prayer is itself the reward. Spending time with Jesus is the reward.

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1, KJV)

Prayer brings power, transformation, blessing, and results - that’s the truth. But prayer is much more than answered requests. Prayer can impact more than just the temporary. When you pray, you step into eternity Himself. He is all you need.

Only the presence of Jesus satisfies the deepest longing of the heart. There is no substitute for spending time with Him. It would be better to lose anything and everything else than to lose His presence.

We so easily drift away. We are so easily distracted. Too often, our fragile minds and emotions can become agitated with clutter. However, we don’t need to allow the distractions and cares of this world to take us away from that precious time with the Lord.

Guard the secret place. Stubbornly refuse to lend Jesus’ time to anyone or anything else. Cling to Him; fix your eyes on Him. Seek Him.

He is your reward. His presence is your Heaven. Take a moment today, now even, to spend time with the Lord. No one has ever left their prayer closet regretting the time they spent with the Lord. Get away from it all - even if just for a few moments.

You are given the privilege and the joy of spending time with Jesus. Don’t let the time slip away. Don’t trade the precious moments that belong to Him.

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Something More

I committed my life to Christ in the summer of 2000. I was 11 years old. Though young, having been raised in a Christian home, I understood the implications of such a commitment. As it goes with conversion experiences, my meeting with Christ, the Son of God, was quite dramatic. However, in the coming months I was to experience numerous intense and transformative divine encounters.

You see, after I was saved, I became increasingly fascinated by the Person of Christ. He became my fixation—I read about Him, listened to sermons about Him and prayed to Him. His royal countenance, majestic and alluring, inspired within me a passionate pursuit. Soon enough, my soul longed for one thing, and that one thing was encapsulated in these simple words: “Jesus, I want to know you more.”

Those words began as a whisper but soon grew to be an inner shout. My desire to be drawn closer to Jesus began to demonstrate itself in long hours of prayer and the reading of several Bible chapters a day. My every moment was filled with an immediate awareness of God’s nearness. Throughout my days, I sensed a purposeful pull upon my will; I could sense the guiding hand of God. He used circumstances, conversations and occurrences to speak to me. And I was listening. 

The more I knew of Him, the more I wanted to know. There was a beautiful and energizing grace that compelled my every spiritual act. There was a flow to my prayer and devotion.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere, I felt a growing distance between God and myself. The clear image of Jesus, that the eyes of my heart had so clearly beheld, began to fade.

On this point, I must briefly digress to clarify: I do not believe that God ever abandons the believer. On the contrary, the scripture declares that He is an ever present help in times of need.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 ESV)

I know now that when God “withdrew” from me, He did so only in regards to my feelings. And He used that sense of distance to cause me to seek Him more, for He loves to be sought. He wasn’t toying with me by any means. Rather, He was testing me and moving me to greater depths. The reward for seeking Him is a revelation of Him. Nonetheless, that reward, at that time, seemed to be a negative. I mistook the privilege of His drawing for the punishment of distance. But He was drawing me deeper.

He wanted to show me something greater!

So what was He trying to show me?

I’d soon discover it. 

During that time, when I felt disconnected from God, I became frustrated. I so badly wanted to close the “gap” and know more of Jesus. Feeling as though something was missing in my spiritual life, I prayed prayers like, “Father, there must be more than this. There just has to be more!”

I agonized and pleaded in prayer. My sense of desperation was so profound that my physical body would tense. Clenching my fists, I would press my face into a tear-drenched carpet and call out to God. Unsettling thoughts intruded my mind—thoughts like, “God, are you angry with me?” and “Lord, did I do something wrong?”

I had applied everything I knew. I had read the books on prayer, attended the church conferences and even had mighty servants of God lay hands on me for impartation. My efforts proved to be of no avail.

Throughout those days, God was rarely far from my mind. Every moment in which I accommodated a pause, I pondered my severe need to connect to God in greater measures.

“Was that all?” I wondered, “Was that all there was to be experienced of the I AM - Eternity Himself?” A quiet but deep knowing assured me, “Son, there’s something more.”

It was because of this seeking despair that I began to watch Christian television. As much as was possible, I wanted to take advantage of my time for the sake of spiritual growth. That time included my TV viewing habits. I was trying to fill my days with the richness of Biblical revelation. 

But what I was longing to experience is not possible to receive from mere learning. What I would come to embrace needed to be caught, not taught. And, through sovereign use of my frustration and desperation, God had already set me on a path to divine destiny.

Because of what I had experienced, my spiritual hunger pains grew. And that desire for sustenance placed me before the TV, expectantly watching God’s anointed servants.

It was truly divine destiny.

So there I was flipping through the various Christian TV networks. Suddenly, on TBN, an image appeared upon my screen that pulled me in. The moment my eyes caught a glimpse of the programming, the atmosphere in my room changed - it became alive and energized! Forgive my use of the word, but what I saw was hypnotic!

I watched as slow-paced camera shots transitioned from one peaceful face to another. I immediately could tell that I was watching a worship service. 

The people seemed to be raptured in a glorious state of euphoric spiritual ecstasy. I watched as tears streamed down faces. The worship music sounded Heavenly, as if angelic beings had joined in the melodies. The words they were singing had a rich, lofty depth to them that I, in an instant, came to appreciate. Starting with a soft and gentle praise, the people in this worship service began to raise the intensity with which they worshipped. The choir, accompanied by piano and violin, led thousands in glorious adoration of Jesus.

Suddenly—

The worship scenes were disrupted by a transition to another portion of the church service. Now, it was at that point when I expected to hear preaching or teaching (As I had seen on all of the other Christian TV programs). I was pleasantly surprised.

This time, it was different.

A man, elated with astonishment, came to the stage, praising God and claiming to be healed of some crippling ailment. Leaving his wheelchair behind, the man leaped for joy, as the crowd erupted in celebratory commotion.

The pastor was just as excited, and went to interview the man claiming to be healed.

At this point, I was already glued to my TV.

Then, as the pastor approached the man (and the group who accompanied him), the people fell backwards as if overcome by some unseen, heavy weight. The moment I saw that, something deep within me ignited. Whatever it was that the preacher carried, I wanted it. The presence of God was so heavy upon him that people couldn’t stand up next to him while he was under that anointing.

Now, I can’t really explain it, but somehow I knew that this was the “something more” I so desperately sought. Not only did I know it was something I needed to glean from, I knew, even as a kid in that divine moment of destiny, that this was the ministry God had for me.

That something more was the in-filling of the Holy Spirit.

That something more was my call to the healing ministry.

That something more was the manifested presence of God.

After witnessing what I witnessed on TBN, I was forever changed. My prayer life was re-energized, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what I was called to do for God.

The Holy Spirit intensified the reality of Jesus with such detail and clarity that Christ became more real to me than my own flesh! But I didn’t just see Him more clearly. His Person possessed, filled and took over more of my very being!

Soon, my prayer life began to change. I prayed bold and audacious prayers. “Holy Spirit,” I prayed, “This pastor says that I can know you as a friend. He tells me that you can use my life for your glory. Please, Holy Spirit, use me. Give me a double portion! Guide me. Fill me. Empower me. Let my hands be Your hands; heal through them. Let my eyes be Your eyes; let me see through Your truth. Let my feet be Your feet; tell me where to go. Let my ears be Your ears; speak to me! Let my mouth be Your mouth; speak through me! Let my being be Your Being. Let my heart beat as one with Yours. Let my will be crucified; I’ll live for your will, not mine!”

It was only after this season of my life that I began to see things shift. There was an ease added to my prayer, worship and devotion. I went from sipping from a cup to being carried by a river!

That experience with the Person of the Holy Spirit radically changed everything about me. After that, miracles began to happen all around me. Total strangers would begin to weep and shake around me for reasons unknown to them (we know it’s the Holy Spirit and God’s glory). Demons began to manifest. I began to experience the book of acts!

That something more changed everything for me, and that something more can change everything for all who believe.

It was then that I realized that the Glory of God is not something to be experienced in a fleeting moment. It is the fullness of His ever-present Being, whole and complete, lacking in neither power nor substance, abiding in you. You are God's dwelling place, His holy habitation, a host of His presence, a carrier of His glory.

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A Shadow of Healing

Years ago, I traveled to the State of Indiana to conduct a 3 night Healing Service. Those meetings were filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit in a very special way. The services in Indiana had a unique and divine “feel” to them. I celebrate the reality that God puts His creative signature on each gathering.

Yet as wonderful as the services were, what happened after the meetings were over was probably most memorable.

The last service had ended. The people had mostly disbursed. And the pastor and I were talking in the sanctuary. I finished the conversation, turned away and began heading to the parking lot when I heard a commotion in the sanctuary.

One of the church members, who had yet to leave the building, had gone to pick up their child from the church nursery. Upon picking up the child, the parent had noticed something amazing. The baby, who had crossed eyes when dropped off at the nursery, now had eyes that were perfectly straight.

The commotion I heard was the celebration of that miracle.

Nobody had laid hands on that baby. In fact, that baby was in the nursery the entire time I was ministering. So what happened?

The healing presence of Jesus had so filled the atmosphere of that church that miracles simply occurred – all throughout the property.

When thinking back on that interesting event, I am reminded of this peculiar verse found in the book of Acts:

“Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.” - Acts 5:15

Now many often quote that verse and assert that “Peter’s shadow healed people!” But that’s not exactly what the scripture says. The scripture tells us that the people were the ones who brought out the sick. Peter didn’t tell them to do this; this is something they did on their own. And why would they do this? What odd occurrences might have led these people to believe that Peter’s shadow could heal?

It’s because the healing presence of Jesus was so intense on Peter that people were healed just by being around him!

Miracles followed him wherever he walked.

And, dear reader, you too can see miracles wherever you walk. You are God’s habitation, the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are an atmosphere, a dominion, a little walking piece of Heaven on earth. You are a carrier of the Glory of God. Know that wherever you go, the Holy Spirit goes with you – healing, freeing and touching people.

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He’s Near to You

We don’t need to wait to die until we can begin to experience Heaven here upon the earth. For the very mention of the name of Jesus has the power to transform the atmosphere. When you describe Jesus, you think about Jesus. And it is the thought of Jesus that is the awareness of God.

Such awareness is a key to a fulfilled Christian life. If we can be mindful of Him – from moment to moment – our every second can be Heavenly. Your every hour can be filled with the sense of His nearness.

“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” - Psalm 139:7

I first began to apply the power of this awareness in my personal relationship with the Lord when I was 11 years old. Prayer became more simple. Instead of begging God to hear me, I simply accepted that He already did. Since then, I have also learned to apply this reality in my times of ministry.

When I begin to describe Jesus or retell a Bible story, a spiritual picture is being painted by the Holy Spirit. He takes the Word and makes it flesh. He takes truth and makes is apparent in our reality.

Jesus is the Word (John 1:1;14).

“…but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season…” - Psalm 1:2-3

When we meditate upon the Word, with revelation by the Holy Spirit, we experience Jesus.

This is why, when I talk about Jesus the Healer, people get healed. When I talk about Jesus the Savior, people get saved. And so on.

Focus on Him today. Let your mind be filled with His Word.

He is real. He is near. He is here with you, right now. His eyes are fixed upon you. He can hear your every whisper, your very thoughts. Talk to Him. Call upon His name. Experience His presence in this moment now.

Lift your hands and say, “Jesus”.

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