Here’s part 3 of my 2007 Every Nation World Conference reflections.
A few blogs ago, I summarized our EN.07 conference with these 5 statements:
1. We are called to the ends of the earth.
2. We need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
3. We must remember the poor.
4. We must empower the next generation.
5. “All we need is love.”
Here are my thoughts on point #2. . .
We need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit
The Christian life is more than difficult; it is impossible. That’s why we need supernatural power.
We need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit everyday for everything—not just so we can speak in tongues and have hair-raising religious experiences on Sunday—but so we can live the kind of life that will be a genuine witness for Christ in a lost and confused world Monday through Saturday.
There is no way a fallen, finite, fallible human can live a life that honors God—without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. There is no way to say no to sin—without the help of the Holy Spirit. There is no way we can pray, worship, minister effectively—without the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. There is no way we can forgive those who offend and hurt us—without the comfort and conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Will power is not enough. Hard work won’t cut it. Self discipline fails.
Nothing short of being empowered by the Holy Spirit will enable us to live godly lives.
I remember an American Express ad campaign with the unforgettable tag line: “Don’t leave home without it.” I hope everyone who participated in EN.07 will live by a similar code: “Don’t leave home without Him.”
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Note: Daniel Stephen’s message Go For His Face, Not His Hand and Mark Conner’s message, The Holy Spirit, are both posted on the Every Nation conference recap site along with a short highlight vid and some EN.07 pix links.