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Transformational journey begins for Martin

MartinKentishWebA transformational journey began for Norwich entrepreneur Martin Kentish with a simple e-mail from Network Norfolk. Here he explains how it happened.
I've received a transformational revelation recently. I have learnt that it's quite easy to become some sort of Biblical ninja adept at quoting chapter and verse at the drop of a hat. I've also learned how easy it is to bathe in the Holy Spirit within some comfortable religious or church (small 'c') context.
 
Yet the power and the freedom of walking in the way of the Spirit anywhere comes from the explosive combination of bringing together both the word and the Spirit wherever we are.
 
Many biblical Christians can recite verses talking about the power of the word and the Spirit, but how many walk in it? One particular favourite verse of mine is Job 32:18, where Job describes the spirit compelling him to share the words he is full of, else he might go pop.
 
Yet I've just spent four years as a new Christian filling myself with words, getting fat and blobby, wondering why I'm exhausted waiting for those words to have a transformative effect on my life.
 
And here's the revelation: my biggest problem in moving forward in my faith was me. The thing that was robbing me of joy was me. The biggest problem in my world was me. Specifically, I've always sort my own understanding on any biblical issue before it passed through my worldly 'filter of acceptance'.
 
Now I'm not going to whip myself with birch sticks about this, although I might think about it when I wonder what I've been doing for the last 4 years, but the truth is, for most of us the thing that prevents the Holy Spirit moving in our lives is ourselves.
 
Explosion370Although once we're born again we're a 'new creation' we're still are left with our old minds to be renewed 'over time'. Those old minds are stuffed full of junk, of old ways of doing things, of old fears and anxieties which get in the way of God working through our lives.
 
Funny thing is, I probably knew this years ago yet didn't get it. My response was to delve deeper in to many a text book, yet I never found the 'understandable' answer, so never allowed the Spirit to transform me. I was stuck in walking in my own strength and was so exhausted trying to understand what the words meant and live by them. I'd heard the words but not got the revelation. Yet fireworks flew when both the word and the Spirit combined!.
 
This liberating bombshell might have remained an inaccessible mystery had I not noticed the enthusiasm of two friends about a bible reading course at a college in Framingham Earl Hall called "The Way of the Spirit". Having seen the transformation in those close to me I had a compelling desire to find out what caused it. The spark that opened their eyes was a simple email from Network Norwich.
 
Within a week, the veil of 'self' was lifted and the power of the word and the Spirit got to work. My home life was transformed. My prayer life was transformed. I had been reignited with the burning desire to respond to God's call on my life!! Last time I felt this was when I came to faith. This re-ignition came after little more than 2 hours of listening to God's words through anointed teaching. It will take time as I know I am a work in process, and will inevitably fall back into old ways as I stumble forward, but now I know where to turn to and that isn't to my own understanding or my own strength.
 
So anyone out there reading this who desires what has been revealed to me, seek out anointed teaching on walking in the Spirit and get excited.
 
May you be blessed in your journey.

Read more about The Way of The Spirit


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