The Power of the Holy Spirit

In the first article on the Holy Spirit, I discussed the attributes of the Holy Spirit and how important it is for the Body of Christ to have the Spirit of God living in us so we can obtain to the fullness of our identity in Christ, and eventually be mature enough as sons of God to rule and reign with Jesus during the millennium reign here on earth. In the second article I discussed current, end time reasons for being baptized in the Holy Spirit so that we are able to stand whatever trials or tribulations come upon us and we don't fall away from the faith. Many in the faith believe the day of the Lord is rapidly approaching and it will not be long before Christ returns. I gave the example of the 4,000 Christian pastors and other clergy living in Romania in1945 who bowed their head to Joseph Stalin and elected him as the president of their congressional assembly. 

Acts chapter one contains Jesus' last words to his disciples. “Wait for the gift my Father promised...in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” After he said these things, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. As Christians, if we don't remember any other of Jesus' instructions to us while he walked on earth, we need to remember and obey these three simple commands. Wait, be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and receive the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Farewell Discourse, depiction from the 

Maesta by Duccio, 1308–1311.

 Yet now as we look around the Body of Christ today, meaning those who have experienced salvation, there is a great discrepancy between those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and those who have not. So the question comes to mind, why have so many born again Christians not entered into this subsequent baptism experience? Well, there are many reasons and I will present a few of the most common ones.

Perhaps the most frequent reason is people have not been taught about the importance of being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. They entered into the baptism as a one time step of faith and went on from there thinking they had all the power they needed. However, like the illustration of the tractor battery given in the previous article, they have lost the power they once had or it was used up, expended in service for God and now their spiritual battery is too low to function properly.

The next reason is the people of God have been erroneously taught that when we received Christ we received the fullness of the Holy Spirit at the same time. Essentially, people have been taught we don't need to experience a subsequent level of sanctification to reach our full potential in Christ, or to do the works of God. Along with this error is the belief that the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in such a dramatic way primarily to get the early church started in Jerusalem. But that having our own personal, Pentecost experience is not valid for the church today. Many preach that experiencing salvation through Jesus Christ is all that is needed for them to go to heaven. The problem comes when they stop right there and don't go on to explain how to stay saved, or be transformed into the image and character of Christ. It is no wonder 50% of Christian marriages end up in the divorce court, the same as non-Christians.

 

Salvation through Christ is the first step toward deliverance from sin, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the next and essential step for maintaining our salvation, growing in the maturity of Christ, overcoming Satan, the world and the Adamic nature with which we are born. Therefore, we need to be born again by the Spirit of God to experience regeneration and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to experience sanctification and our full potential in the kingdom of God. Without the baptism as described in the book of Acts repeatedly, we are trying to be Christians in the power of our own natural strength, talents and personal ambition. We have a measure of the Holy Spirit, but not the fullness of Him living in us.

Spirits of rebellion, independence, control and selfishness are the next important reasons why Christians have not waited, been filled or received the power of the Holy Spirit. “I have all I need and don't want any more! I'm saved now and that is all that matters.” Spirits of rebellion, doubt and unbelief have influenced them to think and feel this way. They have no desire to draw closer to God, be transformed by the power of God, or to serve Him with their life. Of course, within this group are people more fully committed to Christ and those who are less committed. This lack of yieldedness keeps them from entering into all of God's promises and potential in Christ. Deliverance from these spiritual influences will be required for them to enter into the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You could add other spiritual influences like: fear of what may happen, fear of man, fear of embarrassment, or fear of rejection. Finally, religious spirits certainly don't want God's people to have more power, anointing or walk in more light and truth. Religious spirits are assigned to every church and denomination by Satan to deceive the people of God and hold them in bondage to such things as traditions of men, legalism, and false doctrines (Eph. 6: 10).

One final reason which needs to be covered is that church leaders themselves are still walking in a measure of darkness or natural understanding without the spiritual experience and anointing to lead their sheep into more of God. A congregation does not usually rise above the spiritual level of its' leadership. A confidential Barna Survey (http://www.barna.org/) published in 2008 stated that 50% of the Southern Baptists pastors had experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit and received their personal prayer language. Yet these same churches have not experienced the fullness of the Spirit that God has available for them. These churches are still maintaining the same level of limited spiritual revelation and power they have always had. They have a historical perspective on what happened at Pentecost, but have not entered into the spiritual experience for themselves. Unfortunately, some Christian leaders have even taught that tongues is of the devil, the gifts are not for today's church and women should not be allowed to preach. It is sad to say how much darkness exists in some of today's churches where humanism and moralism influence doctrine and practices.

A study on the Hebrew and Greek words for breath, spirit and soul written by Tommy James, Bible student and author, provides greater insight into what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The numbers following the highlighted words are from Strong's Concordance.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed^H5301 into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. God’s breath (ruach- H5301) or Spirit should be viewed as the source of continuing life for us day by day. This Ruach or Spirit is defined in the NT as Pneuma G4151, a current of air. Pneuma is also used for the spirit of man. 

Matt._3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit^G4151 of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.

Matt._26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit^G4151 indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matt. 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?^G5590 or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?^G5590 Another word Psuche G5590 is translated soul.

This word psuche is translated more correctly-- breath. Soul is natural respiration that supports life in the natural man’s physical body. Think of pneuma as spiritual respiration where a new and fresh inhalation continues life and is indeed necessary for life in the spirit. Spiritual toxins are released with the exhalation. There are shallow breaths and deep breaths. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a really deep breath. This often happens in one identifiable experience that brings a strong effect of cleansing and empowering for the individual. The anointing and gifts of the Spirit are imparted and maintained in the same fashion.

The scripture tells us, however, to 'be being baptized' in the Holy Ghost. We can infer that while the single or multiple experiences of 'immersion' in the Holy Ghost are wonderful and life changing, that it is more important to breathe in the Spirit as often as we breathe in natural air. The Breath of Life should be viewed as a dynamic and continuing exercise with God rather than a static, one time occurrence. No one should assume that he gets all of the Holy Spirit he needs when the natural blindness is removed and he has a saving knowledge of Jesus. The objective opportunity for all men is to be transformed into the fullness of Christ likeness. This can only happen by continual respirations, or breathing in of the Spirit of God (James, 2012).

Western depiction of the Pentecost, painted by Jean Restout, 1732

Most definitely walking in the Spirit is a risky lifestyle full of unexpected, supernatural events and can be filled with disappointing pitfalls for the inexperienced and immature believer. In some cases, spiritual abuse has been practiced by some charismatic leaders in past moves of God and people are now leary of letting go their natural control over church services and programs. Their mindset is, “Let's just stay safe and stay in control.” They believe God is happy with them just like they are and there is no further need for change, or that it is not important to spend time seeking God for greater revelation and power. These leaders have not learned how to yield control to the anointing and Presence of God in their meetings. These “seeker friendly” churches preach the Gospel message that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins, are very evangelical in nature, incorporate contemporary praise songs in their services and experience huge church growth. However, the Spirit of God is limited in what He can accomplish in their services. The leadership's need to put on a perfect performance has greater importance than the need to submit to the control of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to demonstrate His power and love. As the scripture says, "having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Tim. 3:5).

 

However, let us not critically judge and condemn these sincere, devoted men and women of God who are walking in all the light they have. These leaders in the Body of Christ need revelation knowledge by the Holy Spirit to move on into greater truth, freedom and power. Let us pray for our leaders and churches to have the courage to break out of their limitations and seek God with all their heart, soul and mind for His power and glory! For a move of God to break into any church's norm, many people in that group will need to pray and seek God for His grace, power, transformation and holiness.

Derek Prince, who was a world renown British Bible teacher, and Hebrew and Greek scholar, commented on the often quoted scripture from 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." The word "Lord" is emphasizing the supreme sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the church. And where the lordship of the Spirit is acknowledged in a congregation, the result is "liberty" or "freedom." Then he provides a slightly different rendering of that passage. "Where the Spirit is Lord, there is liberty." True liberty comes to an individual or congregation in direct measure to the acknowledgment of and yieldedness to the lordship of the Holy Spirit (Prince, p.298, 2006).

Since yieldedness is one of the keys to God's presence and power, we have to be be willing to lay aside our natural mindsets and preconceived ideas of what “church” should look like. We have to let the Spirit of God have His way no matter what traditions of men are offended, or whatever our denominational beliefs have been in the past. Ultimately, we will need to obey Jesus' instructions in Acts chapter one. Wait! Receive! Be filled with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. This is the complete Gospel message in all its' truth and power! Wouldn't it be absolutely marvelous one day if the Spirit of God showed up at church, like on the day Pentecost, and we all fell down in adoration and worship to the living God. 
 

James, Thomas. Tree of Life Ministries, November, 2012.
Prince, Derek. Foundational Truths for Christian Living, 2006, Charisma House, Lake Mary, Florida,
      ISBN: 978-1-59185-982-6.
Art work taken from www.wikidipedia.com.

Holy Spirit Baptism

When writing the previous article entitled "Attributes of the Holy Spirit" the focus was on the goal of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit for the ultimate, millennium goal of ruling and reigning with Jesus at a future time. But there is a more pressing need right now in these last days here on earth before Jesus comes. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is crucial for every believer, especially these days as we see so many signs of economic and natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, persecution of Christians and a satanic new world order being put in place. Matthew 24 records the words of Jesus when he warned of the end of the age and the signs of his coming. 

  

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of he ELECT those days will be shortened. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the ELECT-- if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time” Matt. 24:21-25, NIV.

The word “ELECT” is capitalized in the above scripture to make a very important point. Only the elect who have been baptized in the fire of the Holy Spirit will be able to survive what is coming on the earth in the last days. All other people who call themselves “Christians” but have failed to crucify their carnal flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit will be part of the great falling away from the faith. Only the Holy Spirit's enabling, indwelling power will keep the elect from being deceived, from being tempted by evil and from denying their faith in Christ. 

Richard Wurmbrand, 1909-2001

Richard Wurmbrand, founder of The Voice of the Martyrs wrote an inspiring book entitled, Tortured for Christ. He was a Romanian Christian minister of Jewish descent who endured months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, constant suffering from hunger and cold, the anguish of brain-washing and mental cruelty during the fourteen years he spent in Communist prisons. He was arrested for preaching the gospel message to the Russian soldiers when they invaded his country in 1944. If it had not been for the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, he would never have survived and lived to write about it. After the Communists came into power and took over the Church, Wurmbrand personally witnessed four thousand pastors, priests and ministers of all denominations pledge their allegiance to Joseph Stalin as the new, honorary president of their congressional assembly.

Both orthodox and protestant church leaders yielded to Communism and even became officers of the secret police. The deputy bishop of the Lutheran Church began “to teach in the theological seminary that God had given three revelations: one through Moses, one through Jesus, and the third through Stalin, the last superseding the one before” (Wurmbrand, 1998, p.16). Those who became servants of communism, instead of Christ, eventually began to denounce the Christian brethren who did not join them. It was at this time that the Underground Church of Romania was formed in homes, basements and in the woods. 

  

Is it possible that this tragedy could happen in America? Unfortunately, ultra liberals and atheists with humanistic and socialistic policies have been succeeding at their plan to influence our culture for decades now. They have already managed to get the Bible and prayer removed from our schools, as well as legalized abortion and same sex marriages. They are a real threat to our freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Being a born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is not as popular as it used to be in America even 25 years ago due to the influx of non-Christian religions, far-left liberal agendas and the abandonment of the United States Constitution. In God We Trust is no longer accepted as our national motto and many want to remove it from the walls of our courts and our currency. Now is the time to pray and to get prepared for whatever the future holds.

The problem with the modern, westernized Church in America is they view Jesus' command to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an option they don't particularly want or think is needed. Believers who love God and serve Christ have come to the mistaken conclusion that they don't think it important to have their own personal, Pentecost experience. They have fallen for Satan's delusion, are not discerning the signs of the times and are putting their time and energy into careers and personal achievement ahead of their devotion to Christ. According to Jesus' warning in Matthew 24, they will be the very ones who end up denying Christ and attacking the Church in America for holding on to outdated, irrelevant morals and biblical standards.

The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California, and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement here in America. Led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher, it began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. According to a recent internet post by Andre Lefebvre, founder of www.soaking.net, "The downstairs area was set up as the assembly room. Another upstairs room was designated as the “tarrying room.” It was the place where persons went who desired to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. The tarrying room contained a sign that read, “No talking above a whisper.”

The Toronto Revival in Canada during the 1990s had hugh crowds attending their services to hear the preaching of the Word each evening in the main sanctuary. During the day they also had “soaking rooms” for quiet meditation, reflection, worship and prayer. Ministers were available to pray with anyone who wanted to receive more of God, or experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.

The Brownsville Revival (also known as the Pensacola Outpouring) was a widely-reported religious phenomenon that began on Father's Day June 18, 1995 at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. Our family was living there during this time and visited the services numerous times. It is reported that over 2.5 million people attended the Wednesday through Saturday evening services which ran uninterrupted until the year 2000. People came from all over the world to spend time “on the carpet” receiving a touch from God. When the altar call was given people literally ran down to the front of the sanctuary to be prayed over by Pastor John Kilpatrick, evangelist Steve Hill or other trained and designated prayer team ministers. Our teenage daughter and her friends spent many Friday evenings there until midnight having carpet time so they could experience this modern-day outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks to modern internet technology, you can see a video taken at the Brownsville Revival in 1995 where Charity James sings the now famous song, Mercy Seat. This will give you a sense of what it was like for those five years while the Holy Spirit was poured out in this place. Click the link or copy and paste it into your internet browser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTj3c4pDsfM

Today many churches around the country, such as The International House of Prayer in Kansas City (also known as the IHOP), have regular services where worship teams take turns providing intimate worship music for ushering in the Presence of God. Scripture tells us that God dwells in the praises of his people. Christians come expecting the Holy Spirit to show up and reverently sit in chairs, or lay on the floor soaking in God's love while they have extended “carpet time.” They still their minds and bodies so they can soak in His Presence and perhaps hear His still small voice, receive a word of encouragement or receive a prophetic vision from the Lord.

Even young children have felt God's Presence there and fallen passionately in love with Jesus at the IHOP. We are friends with a family in Hattisburg, MS who take the trip up to Kansas City periodically to enrich their walk with God. Many have experienced healing and deliverance during this quality time with the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is only being poured out like this in select places around America today, and not many churches experience this kind of refreshing.

Perhaps you would like to see a more recent worship service featuring Misty Edwards on the keyboard recorded on October 2, 2012 at the IHOP. As you will see, people again come to wait on the Lord, to tarry in His Presence so that they may receive a greater measure of the Holy Spirit. Once you have experienced such a supernatural phenomenon like this, you are changed from the inside out. You are addicted to His love.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqqJRSQR-HM

Jesus praying in Gethsemane, Heinrich Hofmann, 1890.

Matthew 26: 36- 46 records Jesus' last night on earth while he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked his disciples to, “Stay here and keep watch with me.” Essentially, he was asking them to “tarry” with him and spend the night in prayer. Going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (NIV). When he returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping. “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?” He said to Peter, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

The Body of Christ still has the same problem now in these last days as the disciples had. The spirit maybe willing, but the body is weak. And that is exactly why it is so crucial we obey Christ's command as it is written in Acts 1:4-8. “Do not leave Jerusalem, but WAIT for the gift my Father promised...in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem...and to the ends of the earth.”

[Inserted later on 12/13/12. "During the last days no person will be able to serve the Lord in his own strength. Only those saints who are filled with the Presence of God in Christ will be able to offer deliverance to the peoples of the earth who flee from the ungodliness of Antichrist." a quote from Dr. Robert Thompson, Word of Righteousness newsletter].

By the Spirit of God, I implore you today-- make it a spiritual priority in your life to wait in prayer for God's precious gift, ask Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and receive power to stand with Christ in these last days no matter what kind of tribulation or temptation may come your way. Be filled with the Spirit so that you will not fall away!

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ. Living Sacrifice Book Company, Bartlesville, OK, 1998. 

Photos in this article were obtained from www.wikipedia.org. "Soaking" was from Facebook, 10-10-12.

The Attributes of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Baptism

While reading through the books of John, Acts and Romans recently, the Holy Spirit began to point out to me the numerous times his name was mentioned in various ways. First of all, I noticed that the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned 24 times in the book of Acts alone which seemed significant. Luke, who is the author of Acts, tells us that Jesus' last words to the church were, “Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” And then, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-5 and 8, NIV). The work of the Holy Spirit has always been one of my favorite topics and I wrote a paper on this subject when in graduate school. So here I am re-visiting it now as we learn about His attributes.

Jesus' last words to the early church were a command to WAIT before they attempted to take the gospel message all over the earth. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost 50 days after Jesus' resurrection, the apostles “were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Later the apostle Peter stood up to explain what had just happened to the crowd that had gathered in the street outside the upper room. He quoted Joel who prophesied that God had promised to pour out the Holy Spirit in the last days on all people, that WE would prophesy, see visions and dreams, that WE would see signs and wonders and that everyone who called upon the Name of the Lord would be saved. (Acts 2:17-21). Therefore, God's instructions to the church through Jesus, Joel and Peter were: to WAIT, to RECEIVE God's promise, to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit, to speak in other tongues, to be filled with power, to be enabled to prophesy, see visions, dreams, wonders, signs and THEN everyone who called on the Name of Jesus would be saved. (Note. The word “saved” in the Greek means delivered from sin, not the current understanding of allowed to go to heaven.)

The word “baptized” used in the scripture above means immersed in a chemical fluid until the material is saturated with it permanently. Through out history hanks of fibers or strips of cloth are dipped into large vats of hot, chemical dye and allowed to soak for hours until the desired color is reached. The color you want to achieve depends on the particular chemical used and how long it soaks. Believers need to SOAK in God's Spirit to the point that we are saturated with his holy attributes. Of course, soaking in the Holy Spirit for Christians has to become a lifestyle, not just a one time event. This means quality time in the Word, prayer and worship before the Lord asking Him to permeate our body, soul and spirit removing all the darkness and replacing it with His light.

Most of today's modern churches and it's believers have not waited to be filled with the Holy Spirit before trying to make disciples for Christ and live for Christ. We have become a weak, powerless, anemic excuse for another world religion. No wonder the world does not want anything we have to offer. For the most part, the power of God is missing from our services and programs. People come and go through the revolving church doors without being brought under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, like in the days of Acts, or being set free from their spiritual bondages. The people of God have not been enabled to do the works of God, nor experience the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit to heal and deliver us.

Holy Spirit Potential

How do we enter into this great potential for truth and power? First of all, by expressing genuine sorrow for how we've ignored, neglected, disobeyed, stifled and/or grieved the Holy Spirit when He tried to abide in us. Believers are suppose to be His temple, a place where He can tabernacle with us, but if we do all these things He will not stay where He is not wanted. When we invite Christ to live in us, we receive a measure of the Holy Spirit in order to begin the process of regeneration and sanctification. But the scriptures make it plain we need to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. This is not just a one time experience, which Jesus called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but a daily, continual, on-going filling with the Spirit of God in order to live the Christian life God commands us to live and that we need to deliver the gospel message to the world around us.

Think about those helium balloons we buy to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. They float in the air really nice for about a week and then gradually loose their ability to stay aloft. That's us, Christians! We may get off to a great start with our spiritual walk with the Lord, but then we loose our divine enablement to walk in the Spirit. We leak down! Another analogy is that of a motorized vehicle, we use up our battery power and can't function in the fruit and gifts of the Spirit. The farmer's tractor which has a dead battery can not accomplish much work in the field. It may look good on the outside, but it's lifeless on the inside. It's useless to the farmer who is dependent on this essential machinery to prepare the soil and bring in the harvest.

You may ask how have I come to these foregoing conclusions? 30 years of being in the ministry and trying to help thousands of God's people overcome childhood issues, struggles with addictions, besetting sins, spiritual bondage, conflict in marriages and families, church divisions and church splits- all of which immensely grieves the Spirit of God. The church has made a good faith effort at preaching the gospel message, that Christ died for our sins so we could be saved and not go to hell. But they have done a poor job of getting the people filled with the Holy Spirit so we could experience sanctification and do the works of God. The divorce rate for Christians is the same as the world--50%. Research also says that 50% of our nation's pastors drop out of ministry and find work elsewhere due to disillusionment, depression or burnout. 

Holy Spirit Lifestyle

When I began to write this article today, it seemed important to begin with an introduction of the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians need to understand that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is NOT an option for the body of Christ, as many have believed it to be. How can we experience regeneration, sanctification and equipping by the Holy Spirit if we have not invited Him to live fully inside us, to be our Counselor, our Teacher, our Comforter, our Convictor of sin? We can't! It's impossible! We have not been enabled by His power and His truth working from-- within us. We may know about the Holy Spirit, and even speak in tongues, but He does not fully abide in us guiding us into all truth and holiness. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a holy lifestyle dedicated to serving our loving Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

One more thing to add. The baptism of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee we'll be free from suffering or pain, nor is it a panacea for all our problems. In fact, just the opposite may happen for a time while the Spirit of God is busy getting our temple cleaned out so He can live there. We are to be holy vessels for His service and conduits of His supernatural, agape love.

Holy Spirit Attributes

Today the Divine Teacher who lives within enabled me to discover 23 attributes mentioned in the Word which we can have abiding in us-- if we are continually being filled with the Holy Spirit and are obedient to His instructions. These are listed as attributes of the Holy Spirit himself, but we can attain them as well. If someone finds more, please let me know so I can add them to the list. For now I am just going to list them along with one or two scripture references. Given enough time, one could do a larger study on each attribute and how it effects our life in Christ. They are merely listed in the order in which they came to mind this morning and subject to revision in the future.

1. Spirit of Truth- John 14:15, 16:13
2. Teacher- John 14:16
3. Counselor- John 14:15, 26; John 15:26
4. Comforter- II Cor. 1:4
5. Peace- Rom. 8:6, 14:17
6. Holiness- Rom. 1:4
7. Power- Acts 1:8
8. Convicts of sin- John 16:8
9. Wisdom- Proverbs 8
10. Spirit of Life- Rom. 8:2, 6, 11
11. Gifts of the Spirit- Rom. 6:12, Eph. 4:11, Acts 2:4
12. Fruit of the Spirit- Gal. 5:22
13. Sanctifies- John 17:17
14. Worship- John 4:23-25
15. Grace- Heb. 10:29
16. Guide- John 16:13
17. Circumcises our heart- Rom. 2:29
18. Indwells- Acts 2:4, 5:18, Rom. 8:11, Eph. 2:22
19. Righteousness- Rom. 14:17
20. Joy- Rom. 14:17
21. Love- Rom. 5: 5-8
22. Sonship- Rom. 8:15
23. Intercession- Rom. 8:26-27

As mentioned earlier in the book of Joel and Acts 2:17-33, the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the earth to enable us to be the people of God and to do greater works for God than even Jesus did (John 14:12-14). We are His ambassadors, His change agents in the earth whose purpose is not just to die and go to heaven, but to usher in the kingdom of God here on earth! Scriptures also tell us that during the millennium reign of Christ, we will rule and reign with Him judging the people who have not come to know God. How can we accomplish this supernatural responsibility unless we have first achieved a higher level of sanctification and equipping through the power of the Holy Spirit- in this life? This life we are experiencing right now-- is our proving ground. This life is our testing ground. This life is our training ground for how we will live throughout eternity. Now is the time for maturing as sons of God and preparing to rule and reign with Jesus Christ.

Salvation, Sanctification, Sonship

Let me summarize the process of becoming children of God for you. Here is the big picture, plain and simple. When we have acknowledged that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we invite Him to live His life in and through us. Then we begin the process of being born again and growing as new creatures in Christ. The Holy Spirit living in us becomes our counselor and leads us along the straight and narrow path of righteousness and holiness before God. We become joint-heirs with Christ as we mature in the faith and the knowledge of God's will and ways. We are given gifts and callings in order to advance the kingdom of God and His purposes in the earth.

Then finally, one day when Jesus returns those Christians who have lived the crucified life, who have been victorious overcomers of sin, Satan and the world; and who have submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit-- will rule with Him as sons and daughters of God, servants of the Most High. We will be given newly resurrected bodies and new assignments on the earth. The old will have passed away and God's new world order will have come to the earth. Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, will be acclaimed the world over as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. The holy city, the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be established in this glorious place, the true, everlasting church of God. His Name will be on our foreheads and we will worship the Lord of all creation with the multitude of heavenly hosts for the rest of eternity (Rev. 21:2).

Warning! Ruling and reining comes at a great price to our selfish agendas in this lifetime. Only IF we have washed our robes in the blood of Christ, IF we have been filled to overflowing with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and IF the tree of life, Jesus Christ has been manifest in us, THEN we will be eternally saved and allowed to enter the city of God. So it seems that being baptized in the Holy Spirit is essential for life in Christ today and for our future destiny tomorrow. Being filled with the Spirit of Christ is therefore not an option, but an imperative command by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Without it, we will fall short of seeing the glory of God manifest in the earth, fulfilling our destiny in Christ and being allowed to enter the New Jerusalem.

Accomplishing the Goal
This article all began as a discussion on the attributes of the Holy Spirit and how if we allow Him to lead and control us, we can have those same attributes developed in us over time. Let us look back over the list mentioned above. Now let us ask ourselves if we have all the power, love, grace, truth, wisdom, spiritual gifts and fruit, righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit (to name just a few) that we need in our character and personality. Are we missing some of these attributes? Are we doing pretty good with some on the list and falling short on others? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you rate yourself honestly on your progress. It is His job to convict us of sin, to lead us into all truth, to empower us, to equip us and prepare us for ruling and reigning as the bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle.

Since we all fall short of God's ultimate glory and grace for various reasons, we need to take action now. His mercies toward us are new every morning and we can begin again. Therefore, humble yourself before God and He will exalt you in due time. Here's three easy steps to consider if you have been born-again and accepted Christ as your Savior. 1. Ask Jesus to baptize you now with his Holy Spirit, if you've never done that according to the teaching in the book of Acts. 2. Ask Jesus to fill you with power from on high once again-- if it's been a long time since you prayed that prayer. 3. Put this personal request on your prayer list and ask DAILY to be filled to overflowing with His love and power. Make being Spirit-filled and under the control of the Holy Spirit a goal you work toward every day.

Finally, don't keep the good news to yourself. Share your life changing experience with others and encourage them to do the same. You will be blessed above and beyond all you could ever hope for or expect from your Father God. Like Jesus told his disciples on his last day on earth, “WAIT for the gift my Father promised.” “Receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and will be my witnesses in Jerusalem...and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1).

One more comment about receiving the Holy Spirit. You don't necessarily need someone praying with you to receive. Derek Prince, a tremendous Bible teacher and writer, tells how he received while lying on his bunk one night in his Army barracks during WWII. When the Spirit came in he was literally thrown out onto the floor where he continued praying and praising God in tongues for hours. It is scriptural, however, to ask someone to pray with you and lay hands on you to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-25). That way another Spirit-filled believer can agree with you in prayer and impart the Spirit of Holiness to you. It's just like using battery cables to get your dead tractor battery hooked up to another vehicle full of power! As members of the body of Christ, we are in this thing together. Let us not fail to call upon others for this enabling when we need it.

An excellent resource for “tarrying” time in God's Presence is found at www.soaking.net. Andre & Kimberly Lefebvre from Alberta, Canada, have developed a ministry designed to provide encouragement and comfort to listeners through soaking music, timely words, prophetic art and more. 

  

If this message has been meaningful to you, please leave a comment or send me an email. I will be glad to talk and pray with anyone needing personal assistance with the very important goal of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. May God fill you with His grace and peace today as you seek to do His will and walk in His ways.

"We Have A Choice" Part III

“Why are you so angry? And why has your countenance fallen? Behold, If you do well, you will be accepted. And if you do not do well, sin sits waiting at the door, and its desire is to possess you, but you can rule over it.” Gen. 4:1-7. 

 During the second generation of mankind living on earth, God warned Cain that if he persisted in his anger toward his brother Abel, something worse would happen. He warned him that sin was crouching at the door of his heart and wanted to possess him or take control of him. Sin was first present in the garden of Eden with his mother Eve. She listened to the voice of Satan, the great deceiver, and allowed him to influence her choice to disobey God. Then she influenced her husband Adam to disregard the command of God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he too made the wrong choice. From one generation to the next through out history, the great deceiver has been trying to influence and control people and nations. All of mankind now is endowed with a sin nature passed down from generation to generation. Man's spiritual connection and adoration of God died in the garden of Eden. It is part of our spiritual DNA and is why we need to be born-again from above with Christ living in our heart.

Why was Cain so angry at his brother? Genesis chapter 4 tells us that the two brothers came before God with their offerings. Abel brought the proper offering of a first born lamb and Cain brought some of his produce from the soil. God looked upon Abel with pleasure, because of his obedience. God looked away from Cain with dissatisfaction, because of his disobedience. If we do what is right in God's eyes, He will be pleased with us and bless us. If we choose to not do what is right, then we are under God's curses for disobedience. Read Deut. Chapter 28 for a detailed description of the blessings and cursings we bring upon ourselves because of our choices.

Notre Dame Cathedral

 

 

 

Cain was angry that God did not accept his offering which was the work of his hands and not what God required. Cain was jealous that God turned his countenance or favor upon his brother and rejected him. Cain tried to worship God his own way. He was disobedient and rebellious. Cain's number one enemy was himself; his own prideful, sin nature that wanted to be independent of God. Unfortunately, like his mother Eve, he wanted to be like God himself: knowing good from evil, able to provide for himself, enjoying the lust of his eyes and wise in his own understanding.

Unredeemed men and women have their little gods, or their own idols, which they worship and their own personal agendas they want to achieve. When we don't get what we want, we look to other means to get revenge or justice for those who have wronged us. That opens the door for demonic oppression which compels us to sin further until, our demons are possessing us and dictating to our mind, will and emotions. Cain progressed from pride, to disobedience, to anger and finally to murder. After God warned him to do what was right, he left the very presence of God and went out in the field and murdered his brother Abel. The demonic spirits that were crouched close by finally persuaded him to rebel completely against God. The spirits of revenge and murder became Cain's masters when he listened to and obeyed them. 

 

However, God did not leave us alone, without hope and doomed to destruction. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, the offering of a sacrificial Lamb who's blood was poured out on God's heavenly altar for us. Jesus paid the price for our redemption and paved the way for us to become sons and daughters of God. We can not earn such a status with our own will power or works. It is freely given to us when we draw near to God, repent of our sins and pray to be continually filled with the Spirit of God. With complete salvation we become a part of God's family and enter into all the privileges that go with that honor. It is called living in the Grace of God. We have a choice!

 

Scriptures taken from the One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Roots and Power, translated by William J. Morford, 2011, True Potential Publishing, Inc. Travelers Rest, SC.

"We Have A Choice" Part II

Through out church history, we have observed various revivals and moves of God in America and around the world. In the 1970s Americans witnessed a tremendous visitation of the Holy Spirit that began on a Catholic University campus and swept through the large denominations, small store front churches and individual homes. Many non-denominational and charismatic churches were birthed. More recently in the 1990s the church experienced great revivals coming out of Canada, Oklahoma and Florida. Now in the twenty-first century there are thousands of Christian organizations around the world where the Spirit of God is evident and the people of God are prospering. These various camps offer the complete salvation message to anyone who wants to partake of God's mercy and grace. In the past they were coined “full gospel” organizations, because they informed people not only about being born-again, but emphasized the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues. When the Holy Spirit calls us to a deeper level of commitment, we have a choice.

Once we decide to follow Christ with stages 1 and 2 outlined earlier, we are offered the opportunity to mature in Christ as true sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No longer will we remain just babes in Christ who are “hearers of the Word” but through a process of transformation we will become mature believers, “doers of the Word.” During stage 3 our hearts and minds are transformed through trials and perseverance to love God with a pure devotion and our faith grows stronger in the Lord. Living in His Presence and obedience to His Word is a lifestyle we choose to maintain. We choose to have faith in God and trust Him for everything. 

We now recognize the temptations and deceptions of the enemy and get fed up with living life in the flesh with its disappointments, pain and failures. We begin to embrace the Easter message of death and resurrection life-- for ourselves. Christ came to enable us to be born-again, filled with the Holy Spirit and joint-heirs with Him through the transformation of our hearts and minds. We experience the abundant life of living in divine health, prosperity and successful relationships. Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we discover the righteousness, peace and joy available to us in the kingdom of God. Every step along the way, we have a choice.

Mature sons and daughters of God have submitted themselves to the dealings and chastisement of God. They have submitted to the pruning process whereby we experience a death to our old carnal nature of selfish desires and natural abilities. We have learned to hate the ungodly, besetting sins that pull us down and control our thoughts, emotions and behavior and destroy our relationships with others. We have learned to abide in the Vine and recognize we are nothing without Christ living in us. He is our only hope for transformation and reaching our destiny in the kingdom of God. Our spiritual focus has switched from temporal, earthly concerns to more heavenly, eternal values. Our time here on earth is preparation for what is to come in the next life and we need to make the most of what time we have left.

With Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master in stage 4, we have overcome the temptations of the flesh and the world. We will receive a crown of life, wear white garments and our names will be written in the Book of Life. Satan and his entities 

will be under our feet-- no longer able to destroy us. We will be walking in holiness unto the Lord and service to the King. We will meet Christ face-to-face and we will hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” We will join in with the multitude of angels and other saints singing, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts...To the One Who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb, blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever."

We have a choice to accept God's offer of salvation; the whole package, all four steps listed above, or to continue to struggle with our selfish nature, give in to the Satan's temptations, live life solely on our own, miss out on God's blessings, be controlled by demonic strongholds and fall short of reaching our destiny in Christ. God offers the abundant life to us and it is by His grace we are made partakers of His salvation. Scripture is clear that He chooses us and ordains us for the kingdom of God. It is the “opportunity of a lifetime” as the saying goes. God wants to be our God and for us to be His people. He offers us a loving, covenant agreement to take care of all our needs now in this life and for all eternity.

“Choose you this day whom you will serve, either the gods which your forefathers served, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15.

Joshua's farewell message to the Israelites living in their promised land was a challenge to make the right choice. Joshua is still speaking to the chosen children of God today through the voice of Jesus Christ. The choice is to love God and obey His Word, or to love yourself and obey the sinful nature that still controls you. We can promote and protect our selfish agendas, or choose to die to self in order to enter into God's will for our life and marriage. We can run from the Cross and crucified life it represents, or embrace the process of transformation into the character and nature of Christ. We can choose to do what is “right in our own eyes” or we can choose to set our focus on the higher calling of service in the kingdom of God. Time is running out and you may not get to choose the higher course. One day you may suddenly die in your sins, or Jesus may come before you make the right decision; either way, it will be too late. Whom will you serve? Where will you spend eternity? What is your choice?

Scriptures taken from the One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Roots and Power, translated by William J. Morford, 2011, True Potential Publishing, Inc. Travelers Rest, SC.

"We Have A Choice" Part I

“See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command you this day to love the Lord your God, to walk in His Ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so you will live and multiply... But if your heart turns away, so that you will not heed, but will be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them; I announce to you this day that you will surely perish, you will not prolong your days upon the land... I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you. I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing. Therefore choose life.” Deut. 30:15-20.

Scripture is very clear that God expects his children to love Him, to obey His commandments and to serve Him alone. He promises us a covenant of love under His supernatural protection, provision and plan for our lives. If we love and obey Him, life will go well with us. If we do not- life will be filled with problems which we have brought on ourselves through our own rebellion and stubborn-heartedness. We can live under His covenant of love with all its benefits, or we can live without His mercy and grace which produces pain and failure. We have a choice.

“If you love Me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, so that He would be with you forever. He will give you another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world is not able to accept, because it does not see and does not know Him; you know Him, because He remains beside you and will be inside you.” John 14:15-17.

We are born with an Adamic, sin nature that naturally wants to hide from God, rebel against God's commandments, does not want to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, or the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. However, God offers mankind a complete salvation covenant so we don't have to live in pain and misery, separated from God's love and life. We serve an “If-Then” God; if we will love and obey Him, then He will keep His promises toward us. If we don't make the right choice, then we are on our own without His grace and power.

God's complete, salvation covenant includes four stages or levels of progress. 1. First being born-again so we can live in the supernatural kingdom of God, instead of this natural world with its limitations and corruptions. 2. Sanctification or being filled with the Spirit of God so we will have the power to overcome sin, the world and Satan. 3. Transformation of our old nature into the maturity of Christ so we become co-heirs with Him, true sons of God. 4. Finally, being given a position of responsibility in Christ's millennial reign here on earth, because we have been over comers in this life.

Will we choose a destiny that leads to death and destruction, living eternally separated from His Presence? Will we choose His complete plan of salvation? Or will we choose just the parts of His plan we are comfortable with? Although He is our Creator, an all knowing, omnipresent God, He gave us the ability to determine our destiny. We are not doomed to destruction, but through His Son Jesus Christ, we have a choice.

Many people have heard the gospel message sometime in their life and have chosen to "get saved" by acknowledging Jesus Christ died for their sins. They believe the historical facts of Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection to life eternal. They made a an intellectual and religious decision to pray the sinner's prayer and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. After all, that only makes sense in light of the other dire consequences of hell. Heaven with its streets of gold, many mansions and incredibly, beautiful scenery sounds like a much more enjoyable place to spend eternity. But did they truly turn their hearts toward God, repent of their sins, change their lifestyle and seek after a personal relationship with God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit? Have they truly been born again? Or did they choose to practice the religion of Christianity? Religion or relationship; we have a choice.

Scriptures taken from the One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Roots and Power, translated by William J. Morford, 2011, True Potential Publishing, Inc. Travelers Rest, SC.

"Pruning" by Tommy James

Earlier this month the idea kept coming to mind that my friend, Stephen, was not getting around to the laborious task of pruning and training his vineyard and that the swelling of the bud would be upon us in another month. I knew that Stephen had not done this task last year either and that his vineyard of one hundred or so Cynthiana had suffered a fungal infection in late summer which destroyed numerous vines and most of the harvest.

The reader must know that Stephen is not slack in husbandry. He is soon to retire from a long season as an RN in a facility for underdeveloped people who are all most pitiful in mind and body. He works third shift which is a horror in itself. Stephen has been a shepherd to many poor souls for many years, but his own vineyard needed attention. I felt compelled to go and help.

The most striking realization in this brief afternoon is a validation of my own long term calling as a vine dresser for the Lord. There were multiple ideas that have come to mind in this theme, but this one is my take away and I am grateful to the Vine Dresser for allowing me to function with him in his vineyard, the Church.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast into the fire, and they are burned. KJV, John 15:1-6.

The end purposes of pruning are to:

Promote new growth and increase the quality and quantity of fruit,

Bring the branches of the vine to rejoicing,

Keep the vines from interfering with each other,

Identify and remove disease and pests,

Promote healing and health,

Enable the branches to Abide within the Vine, and

Make the vines beautiful for the Owner of the Vineyard.

The vines need to know that:

They need the pruning,

That God will send a personal and assigned vine dresser,

Pruning is an expression of God's love,

A new season of growth is just a month away,

They need not fear the pruning,

The pruning will not go on forever, and

Unhappiness and tragedy is reserved for the wild and unpruned vines.

 

The vine dresser must:

Precede the vines in the cuttings of the Lord,

Become very skilled in this work of art,

Clearly see the model of the Perfect Vine,

Use a sharp blade and keep it sharp,

Serve the Lord beyond the norms of church society, family, and friendships,

Overcome the enemies of the vineyard, and

Be faithful to the calling above all else.

(Tommy has been my loving and faithful husband for 46 years now. We have served the Lord together in the Lord's vineyard known as Tree of Life Ministries.)

"Deep Calls to Deep", part 3

3. The Spirit of God calls to our hearts for the “deepest” work of sanctification to be done; a dying to self so resurrection life can be manifest in us.

“Deep calling” is a personification of the Holy Spirit speaking to men's hearts to bring conviction, healing or deliverance in order that total sanctification and transformation can occur. The Spirit of God above is speaking to our spirit deep within our core being. This is Spirit-to-spirit communication on a heart level which convicts us of sin and our desperate need for Christ to be manifest in us. However, there is more. The Spirit of God above wants to come live deep within us and become the transforming power we need to be changed into the image of God's son and to accomplish the works of God.

When we receive the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, the eyes of our understanding are opened to receive the deepest work of God in our soul. We are no longer focused on just making it through this life, or leaving this life behind and going to heaven. We are focused on being transformed into the image of God's dear Son now-- here on earth, as much as is possible while we still live in these earthly bodies. We come to understand that eternal salvation is not all there is, but our focus is on becoming Christ here on earth helping others to experience His salvation, healing and deliverance. The deepest work of the Holy Spirit results in a holier life and service to God. After all has not God said, “Be holy as I am holy?”

When deep calls to deep our heart and character is transformed, we become people who truly worship “in spirit and truth.” We have a longing to spend time in God's presence and to be "changed from glory to glory." As the deer runs through the woodlands and pants for water, so our soul and spirit pants for God. According to Ps. 42:2-3, our inner being thirsts for the Living God. Once we have experienced God's living presence, His sweet love and mercy, His protection and provision, nothing else satisfies us now. Having tasted of His new wine, we can not go back to the old way of life. Communion with the living God becomes our new way of life and the things of this world fade away.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel ceiling

Sanctification is the process whereby we move from a shallow relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit-- to the deepest, most intimate experience available to us here on earth. We grow from being children of God, to being sons and daughters of the King. We leave behind the cares of this world, the old carnal nature, the false identities, the strongholds of the enemy and run the race to win the crown of glory waiting for us. We become over comers in Christ and joint heirs with Him. We will enter into the plans and purpose God has for us. We will fulfill our destiny in the kingdom of God. Our heart and soul hungers for God and we will not be content until we are complete IN HIM. 

As His beloved children, we long to look into the face of our Father God. We desperately long to appropriate Aaron's blessing. "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Num. 6:24-26.

Much more could be said about attaining this deepest, most intimate walk with God. Whole books have been written on the subject. You might try reading some of Andrew Murphy's classics like Absolute Surrender, Abiding in Christ or The Deeper Christian Life.