Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27 NIV

Loyal, OK

Pastor Leon Seaton

Follow the Holy Spirit's Lead

Today is the celebration of Armed Forces Day. These brave men and women are to be commended for their willingness to serve our nation in times of war and peace, often in very difficult circumstances.

I better understand the fear that grips the hearts of wives, children, parents and other relatives when our service men and women go to Iraq because our son is scheduled to go this summer. We certainly do not want to diminish the risk they take. In 7 years of active duty in the Air Force or the Army I never faced an enemy with a gun. I am truly thankful!

Facing death is only one of the risks that our military people take – there is also the separation from their families, the nasty heat of Iraq and other countries, and perhaps the worst challenge is that they have to use weapons to take the lives of other human beings. It can be a brutal job. They need our prayers and words of comfort!

I believe that the number of deaths in this war have been greatly decreased because of the prayers of God’s people. We need to keep praying – not only for their safety, but for the end of this conflict. In 2004, more soldiers died outside of Iraq and Afghanistan than died inside these two war zones (900 in these zones, 987 outside these zones). The reason is that there are usually a fair number that die every year in training accidents, as well as a small number of illness and suicide related deaths.

Life in the USA is equally dangerous. There were 43,200 traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2005 according to statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2004 there were 16,137 murders, which was actually down from the previous year.

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Obedience to God is a requirement for all Christians

A military member that is disobedient will usually wind up in jail – or in the grave. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11 that many Christians die early because of disobedience…

A gospel song says, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord.” I can assure you that if you follow the Holy Spirit, and keep the words of that song, you will have some very exciting experiences. Someone told D. L. Moody that the world has yet to see what would happen if one person would walk in total obedience to God. Moody accomplished many great things, yet at the end of his life he said, “The world still has not seen what one person totally committed to God can accomplish.”

In totally following God you may get a little nervous at times! But it will be worth the journey when we arrive in heaven and hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!”

Acts 4:28-30

This story tells us what can happen to us when we serve the Lord – we can get into serious trouble! Peter and John had been preaching the Word with power and authority. The religious and political leaders were really upset because of this and had them put in jail. God had sent miracles to honor their.

Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the word with authority and power. These men and women of God took everything in stride and asked for more power. God answered their prayer. Look at Acts 4:29-35.

The Holy Spirit is God… God in us, our hope of glory! When we receive Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts and make us one with Christ. He is there to lead and guide us at all times.

However, because we still have free will, the Holy Spirit will not take over our lives. Working through our inner being – our heart - He speaks to us through the still small voice of God (to our purified conscience), seeking to help us understand when He is pleased or not pleased with our actions.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is different then receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation. John the Baptist said that Jesus would fill us with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11) When this happens we should be on fire for God, not complacent, not comfortable with the status quo!

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit often comes when we have a spiritual crisis moment; when we realize that we can no longer be the master of our lives and we choose to make Jesus our Master. We decide to set aside our personal goals that are in conflict with God’s plan for our lives.

This Baptism in the Holy Spirit needs to be renewed on a regular basis. Our human nature never goes away…it is in conflict with the desires of the Spirit, so this commitment must be renewed. It is an interesting battle!

Acts 2 describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. That day 120 believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:31 describes their “recharge.” Peter and John had been arrested, threatened, and released. They then met with the others and prayed for boldness in speaking God’s word… again they were filled with the Spirit.

The church was in high gear; Satan and his crew were battling Christ and the church for all they were worth. The religious leaders allowed Satan to use them as puppets and they were angry at the progress the Christians were making.

Looking at this puts a new slant on the “Political Correctness” foolishness of today. Please understand that we are not to be rude. We should walk in love at all times, but we do need to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

They prayed, “Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

God answered that prayer. Men and women were healed; miracles, signs and wonders came through the name of Jesus. They were willing; God was able and things were popping!

God answers prayer. We need to ask ourselves, what am I praying for? What do I believe for… have I set my goals high enough?

If you are praying for a trouble-free life, a life where everyone agrees with you, that prayer will probably not be answered!

One day a minister was visiting with one of his church members – a man that seldom attended worship services. The pastor said to the man, “Bill, I would like to enlist you in the Lord’s army.” Bill responded, “But, pastor, I am in the Lord’s army!” “Then why don’t I see you in church very often?” The pastor asked. The man leaned toward the pastor and whispered, “I’m in the secret service.”

Sounds great! But… even the people in the Secret Service show up for training and instruction!

Each of us is called to follow the Lord at all times. Not all of us are leaders, but all of us have something to offer. We taught our peritoneal dialysis patients that they knew more about their illness and treatment than most physicians, so to never quit thinking when they went to see a physician that was not a nephrologist.

If you have been saved very long you should know more about the works of God than any unbeliever, so be gentle, but not timid in sharing your faith. We can always give directions....

As a train was about to leave a large railroad station, the conductor began to take tickets. Looking at the ticket of the first passenger he remarked, "Friend, I think you're on the wrong train!" "But," replied the man, "the ticket agent told me this was my train." After a little discussion, the conductor decided to check with the ticket agent. Before long, it became clear that the conductor was on the wrong train! When the leader is lost, how can the followers be going on the right track? Source Unknown – found at www.sermonillustrations.com

Some are called to lead, some are called to follow. No Christian is called to sit in the stands and just watch. General John Galvin, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and Commander-in-Chief of U.S. European Command, was asked “What is it like to be in charge of so many and various forces.” His reply: "I often feel like the director of a cemetery. I have a lot of people under me, but nobody listens." Source Unknown – found at www.sermonillustrations.com

Peter Drucker’s insights into leadership are helpful for church leaders. He calls leadership a peak performance by a person that is "the trumpet that sounds a clear sound of his goals."

His five requirements for this task:

(1) A leader works;

(2) A leader sees his assignment as responsibility rather than rank or privilege;

(3) A leader wants strong, capable, self-assured, independent associates;

(4) A leader creates human energies and vision;

(5) A leader develops followers' trust by his personal consistency and integrity.

H.B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, Pastors at Risk, Victor Books, 1993, pp. 227-228.

Every person is called to greatness. (The world may never recognize it, but God will.) You have a unique personality, unique skills, and unique gifts. No one else will ever be able to fulfill the responsibilities that you are called to fill.

Not everyone is a leader, but all leaders can be good followers. I believe that a leader must also be a follower. He/she must follow God and others in the church or wherever your responsibilities take you.

A man may be the toughest Marine in his outfit, trained to kill people with his bare hands. But if he is not submissive to his superiors, he cannot be a successful Marine.

Even General McArthur was fired by the President of the United States, Harry Truman.

S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read a question on the application that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower." S. I. McMillen. Found at www.sermonillustrations.com

What is God calling you to do today? If you and God sat down and had a heart-to-heart conversation, what would He ask you to do?

You can ask Him right now!