Back in 1979, our small family moved from sunny California to Atlanta, Georgia.

Four weeks later, Atlanta was hit, but one, in fact, was the worst ice storm that they ever

kept on record until that point. We had just moved into a nice temporary house

which we were living with three little children, and there we are in this house, in the middle

of an ice storm, couldn't get in or out, a complete and massive power outage. We're still strangers in a strange city. We knew very, very few

people. And during that time, we found ourselves camped inside this nice house without power,

or the ability to cook. No radio or television to find out what's going on.

And so we huddled in that cold and dark house without coats and blankets and everything else

that we can find helpless, totally helpless and isolated.

A few days later, the Lord began to teach me some very important lessons

and obviously I haven't forgotten all these years and that's why I'm talking about it today.

A lesson regarding the spiritual condition of many a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ

who are living their Christian life with a spiritual

power outage.

A lesson about how professing Christians seldom exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

And why?

Oh, to be sure, there are lots of gifts and lots of talents, lots of talk, but very little fruit.

And the reason we do not exhibit the fruit of the spirit is because we often rely on our own power in the Christian walk.

We rely on the strength of our own efforts of what we can accomplish

or what we can do, or even the forcefulness of some personalities. Spiritually speaking, when the power

of the Holy Spirit is not operating in the life of a believer,ually speaking, they may be living in a nice house.

All the appearances look great, but they internally are huddled in a cold and dark place without

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