Hope Fellowship Community Church

I recently took a class where we studied some of the different views of salvation and about sin.
I then took a survey of our church and found that most people in our church are pretty much in agreement with what our church and denominational views.
I think the problem comes in application or experience. "I really believe that God can heal but I am going to save prayer until I have exhausted all other possibilities." "I believe that God is all-powerful but I really think that I should take care of that little issue of smoking myself because God doesn't want to deal with that."
Do I struggle with this mindset also? Unfortunately, yes but we are talking about a God who spoke something into being out of nothing...nothing. We are talking about a God who healed people of terrible sicknesses, blindness, and even had power over death. That all sounds good doesn't it but how do I translate that power into my little melon-sized brain? Do I have to be so broken and hurting that God is all I have before I realize this power? Or can I live in that power today?
Gerry Coates, the executive director of Free Methodist Communications, sent out an email and had a letter in it entitled "Victory Over Sin." I have pasted that letter below and I hope that you are as inspired by it as I am.

Victory Over Sin
"There is no reason why every believer should not have immediate victory over sin. There should be no divorces among God's people ... because the incredible power of the Risen Christ who lives within us is present to give victory over all the difficulties that you are facing -- whether it is in the marketplace, in your marriage, with your children, in your church or community" (Henry Blackaby, "Prime Time America" aired March 27, 2008).
 
This quote was given in response to a question by the host as to the characteristics of the power of the resurrected life. Blackaby's immediate response was that the context tells us that Christ defeated sin, death and hell. He added the statement quoted above. The whole conversation was in the context of Blackaby's book, Experiencing the Resurrection, particularly in relation to Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV):  "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
 
I was half-tuned into the conversation until that moment. I thought of how far "the church" is from that reality. The local church I attend is far from that reality. The church in Corinth was far from that reality. Even the church at Ephesus was far from that reality. So is Blackaby promoting a pipe dream? One of the things he stated in the conversation was that "people know what to believe, but they often don't experience what they say they believe."
 
I can't transform the church, but I can do what Christ calls me to do. Pertinent questions for me are: Am I experiencing the reality of the power of the resurrection? Am I leading my family by that experience? Am I actively engaged with at least one other person who is not living in that experience? Can I be an encouragement to him or her?
 
Blessings,
Gerry Coates
Executive Director, Free Methodist Communications

How can I change my thought processes or my mindset to match up with the resurrection power of Christ?
Can we not be like the father in Mark 9:24?

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"