1) Come to Christ
2) Get filled with the Holy Ghost
3) Sustain the life in the Spirit.
We've got to learn to live from our spirit. When I come in here, I'm not always in the best place to tell the truth. Sometimes I've had a lot of things go on in my life - pastors have these things happen to them, but I've determined: whenever I come in, I've come here to worship God, so therefore I will front up on time. I'll stand up inside, and I'll give my very best.
I've found an interesting thing happens all the time: that as I give my best, the anointing flows. If you wait until you feel like it - nothing will happen. Do what you need to do, and let the Holy Spirit come on that.
I know we need to address issues of the heart, but there's a whole area of decisions - of the will to do what God says to do. Let's come and offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and then begin to enter and participate - take what you have, and make it available to God.
You say: I'm not like you; but you just have no idea how hung up I was before God got a hold of me. You see, I've still got stuff to get over, but at least I'm aware of it now, and I'm working to live out of the new man; instead of out of that old man, who was so totally rejected.
When you live out of the old man, you don't realise and experience that I'm a new person – that was not me! This is who I am: I'm a loving person. I'm a kind person. I'm a generous person. I've got the nature of God in me. I'm a persevering person, because I've got the nature of God in me. I'm an overcoming person, because I've got the nature of God in me.
It's living out of who God says I am, and what I choose; not out of reactions to life. When you live out of reactions to life, you live in the flesh. You have to choose to live out of your spirit.
You say: but I don't feel like loving that person. That's true, but the Holy Spirit has love for them, which you can manifest, if you choose to draw on it.
You say: well I don't feel very happy about this situation. No, but the Holy Ghost is full of joy, so if you'll draw on that well within - joy can flow. Even though your feelings are down - they will change, as you let the Spirit of God flow through you.
Well I don't feel like forgiving them - in fact actually quite the opposite! I feel like laying in wait for them. However, the Holy Ghost, who's a forgiving spirit, will say: forgive, and let My forgiveness flow, let My love flow. Begin to see them as I see them - that's drawing on the life of the Spirit. We're all called to do that.
It's a glory within, so don't keep waiting for some great thing to happen one day, when God has put His glory inside you - let it rise up! Begin to change how you see things, so you see from God's point of view; how you think about it, so you think God's way.
Begin to change how you speak. Speak in tongues a lot more, and then learn to speak God's word. I thank You Lord, Your word declares this… Begin to hold that word, and picture that word, and see that my life will align to what God has to say.
If there's anything inside you that resists it, then face it - find out what it is, and root it out, and become filled with the Holy Ghost!
Don't be drunk with wine! It's actually a good feeling to be drunk with wine - it's actually very nice, especially if you have a lot of problems. Sit down and drink some wine, and before you know it, you're very happy. You laugh a lot; but you wake up with a headache - that's not so good; and you lose control - which is even worse.