Jason Upton - Lion Of Judah

Oohhh man, this song gives me chills every time!

I love thinking about Jesus as that roaring lion as I think I have previously mentioned.  I think of how powerful He is! In the words of Misty Edwards, "He's not a baby in the manger anymore, He's not a broken man on a cross, He didn't stay in the grave and He's not staying in Heaven forever!"
It gets me excited!
I have a hodgepodge of things I want to write about, they don't really go together but I don't mind if you don't mind, I haven't written in a while but I've been learning!!

Isn't it interesting how many Christians are stuck between Calvary and Pentecost? We receive what Christ has done for us by taking our sins upon Himself but we don't live empowered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn't do ANY miracles prior to being baptized in the Jordan by John and then the Spirit resting upon Him like a dove (Mark 1:10).  He was still born of the Spirit, he was born of a virgin!  But he didn't start living a life of significance until after that day.
Same with the disciples, Peter was a coward! Denying Jesus 3 times!  Then After Jesus is resurrected He breathes on the disciples and says to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.."(John 20:22) so they received it then and there but their ministry didn't start until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.  All of a sudden Peter is quoting the Old Testament explaining boldly what was going on to the outsiders who had heard the 120 speaking in foreign tongues (they thought the men were drunk) THEN the church begins. Then thousands are being converted by just a few men and miracles are happening and there's a power and boldness in the once scared disciples and there's a power and boldness in the new converts who are being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit.  He tells us to be baptized in it, John the Baptist told us that Jesus was going to baptize us in it (Luke 3:16), it is plainly two separate events and the evidence that lives are completely changed by it is undeniable!
So much of the church is trying to live like Jesus lived as a carpenter, a good, quiet life.
What if we started to live like Jesus did during His ministry? This world would be rocked by the church! As I believe was His intention!
People should hate us and others should be indescribably drawn to us. (We should always live in peace with one another but not compromise.)
We've become so grey when it should be so black and white!
I am preaching to myself more than anyone else but its a conviction and vision God has laid on my heart!
I know that when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit I was delivered from alcoholism.  The chains just fell off and I was empowered to never drink too much again.  To this day I am free! I have barely any desire to drink any kind of alcohol at all anymore when I had built my life around it for a good 6 years! I am free of tobacco as well and its so refreshing to know that I'll never have to be in bondage again!(As long as I keep myself in the love of Christ and keep a renewed mind)
That's my personal testimony of the night and day difference that happened to me when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.  I began to prophecy almost immediately.  I became bold in my prayers and praying for others. A certain fear and insecurity left me and I was filled to overflowing with more love for people and more desire for Christ! All I want is to know Him better and die to myself each day so He can live through me, its all His power and His strength by His grace! Praise God for the work Jesus completed! Praise God that this life in this world is conquered, I've already won because of Him! Whom have I to fear?(besides man which I still struggle with sometimes)
"It is finished" has such a deeper meaning that what I originally had thought.  The law has been fulfilled! Death has been conquered! Sin and disease was taken upon Him and is no longer mine to bear! Hallelujah!