It grieves the Holy Spirit to see the condition of the Body of Christ today; the poisons of religiosity, legalism, lukewarmness, complacency, spiritual satisfaction, and lack of compassion for the lost seem to course through its precious veins. Many of us have shrugged off the calling of God on our lives, excusing ourselves with, “someone more qualified can do it,” and we sit in the pews every Sunday like whales with a “feed me” attitude, having no interest in applying what we hear or using it for the glory of God, but only with fulfilling our weekly quota of religious activity, indulging in our true religion: “Churchianity”. We ask God to bless us, having no desire to be a blessing to others. We go home with no intention to spend time with God, or seek His face (after all, we have better things to do), but consol ourselves with the fact that we’ve “done our duty” for the week. Has Jesus Christ become nothing more than our eternal fire insurance? Have we been deceived into thinking that our life honours God, when in reality we serve ourselves? “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Mark 6:46)

Our minds having been defiled and distracted by traditional indoctrination of Christianity from the simplicity of having a relationship with God, we seek the “theological-philisophical-heremeneutical-pneumatological-interpretation” of Scripture, rather than communion with the Holy Spirit.

The majority of the Body of Christ has strayed so far from its purpose and power that it began with. That isn’t to say that God’s Kingdom is not being furthered, or that God’s power is not being manifested; it is, but nowhere near as rampantly as the Lord desires. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12) “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) To think that this command of Christ was “just for the disciples at the time” is absolutely foolish. We’re surprised and struck in awe when miracles occur, when they should be so ordinary in the lives of every believer. The Lord wants to use us to do greater works than He did when He was on this earth. So why aren’t we? Why aren’t we raising the dead, healing the sick and casting out demons on a regular basis? Why is it that these things seem to be “special occasions” when they happen? The answer is because of our lack of faith.

We’re no less “powerful” than the apostles were when they received the Holy Spirit. That same Person that raised the dead, healed the sick, and cast out demons through the apostles dwells in each of us who have received Christ and believe in Him as our Saviour. The only difference is that their faith made them available for the Holy Spirit to work through. It’s not that they were more “special” or “worthy” than we are; but our doubt acts as a major resistance in us against the Holy Spirit working through us, like trying to use wood as a conductor for electricity. “Now He did not do many mighty works there *[in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 15:58)

So what can we do about it? If you are serious about being an available vessel for the Holy Spirit to work through, willing to suffer for the sake of making Him famous while you are not recognized, then seek Him to increase your faith and humble yourself, submitting to His will and agenda rather than your own; daily offering yourself as a living sacrifice. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) What if we just started taking God at His Word? It’s just as fresh to Him as if He wrote it yesterday. “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.” (2 Peter 3:8)