Hi friends, Rachel Dillaman here, worship leader at Harvestime Church, Eau Claire.  Since I’m on staff, I have the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you via this blog.  If you’ve ever been to a service at HTC EC, then you know that I don’t necessarily shine when it comes to stand up comedy or small talk.  So, rather than try to be like my stellar fellow staff members and our fearless Pastor who excel at fun facts, comedy and storytelling, I am just going to write to you in the style that tends to come most naturally to me… I will just tell you what I am thinking.  No lights.  No fog.  No stories.  No dropping microphones (mostly because I know how expensive they are), just pretty basic and straight forward from my heart.

image1

photo credit Luke Dillaman

A New Power is in Operation — Romans 8

When we receive Christ as our Savior, our spirits are no longer subjected to the law of sin and death.  As Romans 8:3 tells us, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.”

We can walk as HUMAN beings by the power of the Spirit because there is a NEW power in operation.  We were once separated from God because we were all born into sin.  We’ve been bought back from slavery to sin because of the price that Jesus paid for us.  We can walk according to His Spirit!  Not only in the future life (in heaven), but now.  We have the divine nature of Jesus on the inside of us.  When we submit to God and resist the devil, he has to flee. We really can walk in victory.  He made a way for us — He IS the way!

We aren’t slaves to our sinful nature.  We REALLY ARE new creatures in Christ.  When we commit our ways to Him, trust in Him, we know that He will bring His promises to pass in our lives.  

The wind of His Spirit is strong.  It can continue to blow the dark clouds of sin and death out of our lives.  If we choose Him every day, choose His strength, He said that His strength would be made perfect in our weakness.

HOW???  We have to know His WORD.  John 1 states, “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God.”  Jesus is the Word.  The Bible has been given to us to show us the nature and character of God!  Jesus is God made into flesh.  He is the literal embodiment of God.  We know Him through the Gospels.  We know Him by the Spirit that now dwells inside of each one of us who have called on His name.

Join me in asking God for a hunger in this new year like we’ve never had before:

Father, lead us to Your heart!  Fill us with a new hunger for Your WORD and Your righteousness.  Cause us to eagerly desire the spiritual gifts and good works that You have prepared for us.  We want more of You.  In the name of Jesus, Amen!