Light & Darkness

One morning recently I woke up with the distinct thought on my mind that we have to pray and ask the Lord to shine His light on those dark areas in our hearts that need changing. For only the Holy Spirit can reveal what is hidden in darkness: those things that hinder our growth, those long forgotten hurts that are effecting our emotions, attitudes and behavior; those mindsets which are blocking the entrance of light by the Spirit; those areas where the enemy still maintains strongholds of denial, doubt, fear or unbelief.

Why do we need to do that? Because those things that remain hidden in darkness will have control over us! Those things have to be exposed by the infrared light of the Holy Spirit so we can see them, repent of them and rid ourselves of their ungodly influence. As long as we refuse to acknowledge the presence of sinfulness, remain in denial or justify our behavior, we will be controlled by it. These areas will rob us of the fruit of the Spirit or inhibit us from being fruitful in the kingdom of God. We can be blinded by the god of this world, our own self-centeredness or ignorance. Therefore, it takes supernatural revelation to brings those hidden things into the light.

Night time infrared camera

Our home in North Carolina is located on the edge of a large wooded area where many night time creatures live. During the daytime they remain motionless and hidden in the deep woods away from predators and humans. But after dark they venture out looking for food. This fall the deer were attracted to the ripening grapes in the vineyard and the beautiful hostas we planted in the backyard. Before we realized it, they had eaten about 25% of the grapes growing in the vineyard and nibbled the hostas down to the ground. This unseen predator robbed us of the fruit of our labors as they foraged for food under the cover of darkness. This is exactly how the enemy works to destroy us-- under the cover of darkness through deception and denial. Our enemy feeds off the negative emotions still hidden in our heart. This is why we need the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit leading us out of darkness and into His light.

When we are born-again we are delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. Our spiritual position, entitlements and destiny in God's kingdom change when we decide to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for OUR sins and invite Him to come live in our hearts. However, our hearts still need to be circumcised and our minds need to be renewed by the Spirit of God; a process which can take place over a lifetime.

We are no longer subject to the control of Satan and his evil powers. With Christ living in us, we finally have the divine enablement to make godly choices, resist Satan, be delivered from old bondages and walk in newness of life. We are instructed to walk in the light as Christ is in the light.

Col_1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. ¹

Eph_5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

1Th_5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Through Christ's death on the cross, we are no longer bound to our old nature-- the person we were before we invited Christ to live in us. Being no longer “bound” means no longer in bondage to the powers of darkness we were exposed to and controlled by earlier in life. However, the old, negative thoughts and wounded emotions stored in the heart will need to be transformed as well. That is not an automatic process, nor something we can do by ourselves. Transformation is a joint effort we undertake with the assistance and anointing of the Holy Spirit. An illustration from nature would be the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The old worm-like body is transformed into a new delicate one with the ability to fly about freely and reproduce life. All things become new in Christ. Through Jesus Christ we are given new attributes, new freedom and new purpose.

Jesus Christ died for our sins and comes to live in us so we become the children of God, the heirs of God's salvation. But sanctification is the job of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to correct us, to teach us, to remind us of the truth in God's Word, to bring to light those thoughts and emotions that are controlling us in harmful and some times sinful ways.  Sanctification is the process whereby we are made holy, of drawing closer and closer to God so that we turn away from all sinfulness and embrace the righteousness of Christ. Jesus baptizes us with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can experience the deeper work of sanctification. Sanctification takes place gradually over our lifetime as we are given new opportunities to make godly decisions and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. The quality of holiness increases in us as we submit more and more to the loving control of the Holy Spirit. For the Lord tells us to be holy, as He is holy.

  

Lev_11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Lev_20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Just because we invite Christ to live in us, our mind and heart is not completely renewed, healed or delivered from all the negative, dark thoughts and emotions stored there. Yes, we become new creatures in Christ and many changes take place: our desires, our behaviors, our relationship to God and His kingdom. We make a conscious decision to follow the commandments of the Lord and to make Jesus Christ our Savior. But our understanding of how to walk out that decision requires enlightenment: wisdom and guidance from the Scriptures and from the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit of Truth to shine His flashlight on those yet dark areas of our soul that need healing and deliverance. The term enlightenment means to give light to, to gain greater understanding, to give intellectual or spiritual light to; instruct; impart knowledge to. It takes the indwelling, revelatory work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the dark things hidden in our hearts from the past so we can be set free.

What are those “dark areas” stored in our heart? Some common examples would include: fears, anger, rejection, unworthiness, unforgiveness or trauma we experienced in life. These dark areas can be summarized as all forms of shame, fear and control issues we still struggle with in our relationship to the Father God, our relationships with others and what we think about ourselves. Darkness also comes from our participation in idolatry, false religions, or occult organizations. When we take part in these ungodly activities, we open ourselves to the powers of darkness or demonic influence on our hearts and minds. The dark areas of our soul are where demons take up residence and feed off the negative energy stored there.

Yes, it is biblically correct to say there is a dark-side within all of us that still wants to control our mind, will and emotions. And the dark-side of us controlled by demonic spirits can manifest and temporarily take over our attitudes and behavior when triggered by current events. Are Christians possessed by demons? Of course not, because Christ now lives in us! But we can be unduly influenced by demonized thoughts and emotions if we fail to recognize and deal with them properly. It is our responsibility to renounce their power and break agreement with the enemy trying to control us. To do this we exercise the authority of Christ and release the power of the Holy Spirit in us to be rid of their influence.

Christians are not totally transformed or delivered over night from Satan's influences just because we pray the sinner's prayer. We have a mixture of light and dark influences residing in our soul. Our heart contains a mix of good and evil emotions. When we are born-again we are given a measure of light, a measure of freedom, a measure of victory over our issues. Of course, we can also be subject to demonic influence from outside our bodies until the day Christ is formed in us. The good news is that the more deliverance we receive in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, the more freedom we achieve. The more freedom we achieve, the fewer devils we will have to contend with. The fewer devils to contend with, the more righteousness, peace and joy we will exhibit in our life. Kingdom living is being able to walk in freedom from demonic influences, walking in holiness and demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. That's truly living in the light as Christ is in the light!

Luke_6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Rom_14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

About a week after the Holy Spirit spoke to me in the early hours of the morning on light and dark, I received an email newsletter from Pastor Francis Frangipane. He is the founder of “In Christ's Image Training”, Cedar Rapids, IA. Pastor Frangipane has been serving the Lord for many years, but he said there are just two truths that have become the most important in his life. God “has led me to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ's light.” 2
 

Frangipane went on to say that as he positions his heart before the Lord, “it is with a sense of trembling that I pray the prayer of King David: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Ps. 139:23-24).“It is this upward call of God that we pursue. Yet the soul within us is hidden, crouching in fear and darkness, living in a world of untruths and illusions. This is our inner man, the soul God seeks to save. Have you discovered your true self, the inner person whom truth alone can free? Yes, we seek holiness, but true holiness arises from here; it comes as the Spirit of Truth unveils the hidden places in our hearts. Indeed, it is truthfulness which leads to holiness.” 

A common error being perpetuated in the body of Christ is that a Christian cannot have demons residing on the inside of them after they get born-again. Sinful people come to Christ with all kinds of problems and issues in their life. When they enter into the salvation process, they are given the power to overcome Satan, but they have to appropriate their deliverance from satanic influences.They are given the keys to the kingdom, but they have to use the keys to obtain their victory. They are given the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation, but they have to break agreement with every demonic entity still influencing their mind, will, emotions and behavior.

The power of Satan and his evil spirits was defeated by Christ on the cross at Calvary. Jesus overcame death, hell and the grave so we could potentially do the same. He paved the way for our deliverance, but we also have to appropriate freedom for ourselves. Often the Lord does provide a new believer with a truly remarkable salvation experience where they are set free immediately from drug or alcohol addiction, sexual sin, the occult, suicide or some other issues. At other times, however, our transformation is accomplished over a long period of time as our mind is renewed by the Word of God, our heart is gradually healed and our flesh is delivered from power of the enemy. As we abide in Christ, we will not continue to sin willfully. Christ in us does not sin, but our heart and flesh are still capable of sinning if we give into temptation and do not resist the power of the enemy. Any areas of darkness remaining in our soul will continue to try to destroy us and make us renounce the finished work of Christ on the cross. However, Christ gives us the enabling power to submit to God and resist the devil so that he eventually flees from us.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Through our salvation experience, we enter into a new covenant relationship with our Father God. The Lord has promised to take out the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh-- a pliable, loving, tender heart. Healing and deliverance represents a fulfillment of the new covenant and we are transformed gradually into the image of Jesus Christ.

Jer. 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

 Heb.12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

How many Christians do you know still struggle with a sinful lifestyle, bad habits, unChrist-like temperament, poor identity issues, or not being able to get along with others? Over what personal issues do you still not have the victory? As Christian counselors serving the body of Christ for over 30 years we have prayed with 1,000s of Spirit-filled children of God for healing and deliverance for issues they could not overcome by themselves. And sadly to say, neither could their church pastor or elder help them be victorious overcomers in Christ, because they were not walking in freedom themselves and did not know how to help the sheep in their pasture.

Here are some real-life examples we have dealt with where Christians needed deliverance:

• Married couples who could not stop fighting and arguing
• Individuals in bondage to sexual sin, pornography, homosexuality, adultery
• People in bondage to obesity, smoking or drug and alcohol abuse
• The church worship leader in bondage to homosexuality and was suicidal
• The missionary who served in the Philippines and returned with occult demons
• The woman who switched into a 14 year old, rebellious teenager overnight
• Pastors and elders who have been caught in adultery

Thankfully, we also have areas of light residing in our hearts. The light areas would be where we are walking in the marvelous truths found in the scriptures. We are walking in obedience to God's commandments, trusting in God's promises and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5.
 
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Francis Frangipane talks about the virtue of humility in his book, The Three Battlegrounds. “Satan fears virtue. He is terrified of humility; he hates it. He sees a humble person and it sends chills down his back. His hair stands up when Christians kneel down, for humility is the surrender of the soul to God. The devil trembles before the meek because in the very areas where he once had access, there stands the Lord, and Satan is terrified of Jesus Christ.” 3

Yet not all our battles are demonic as Frangipane points out. “We need to recognize that the immediate source of many of our problems and oppressions is not demonic, but fleshly in nature. We must contend with the fact that one aspect of our lives, our flesh nature, will always be targeted by the devil. These fleshly areas supply Satan with a ready avenue of access to undermine our prayers and neutralize our walk with God.” ³

The word the Lord gave me early in October was that we needed to ask the Spirit of Truth to shine his light on those dark areas so He can bring healing and deliverance. We have to do this in our prayer closet with the help of the Holy Spirit. It will take some personal time of seeking the Lord and getting quiet so we can hear what the Spirit has to show us. He alone can reveal the secrets hidden in our hearts. That is one of the beautiful ways the Holy Spirit works with us to lead us into maturity in Christ. For complex issues, we recommend you ask an experienced minister or counselor to pray with you. The power of agreement with a trained, anointed minister can bring greater results.

Today's message focused on the importance of knowing that our loving Heavenly Father desires for us to walk in the light as He is in the Light. He has made a way for us to be rid of the darkness that still remains hidden in our soul through His Son Jesus Christ. As we submit to the indwelling power of The Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, He enables us to be transformed into the image of Christ. It is our responsibility, however, to pray and ask the Lord to shine His light on those dark areas in our hearts that need changing.

Luke_11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

2Peter_1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the day star arise in your hearts. 

May the Lord Jesus Christ arise in our hearts to enable us to walk in the light as He is in the light. May we be able to discern the negative influence of our flesh and demonic spirits on our minds, wills and emotions with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. May we appropriate God's divine grace to walk out of the darkness and further into the Light. Arise and shine for your Light has come! 

1. Scriptures are taken from e-Sword Bible Search Program, King James version, 2012. 

2. Frangipane, Francis. The Three Battlegrounds, https://www.facebook.com/francisfrangipane/posts/10151737118328246. 

3. Frangipane, Francis. Holiness Truth and the Presence of God. Published in The Elijah List newsletter. October, 2013.

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.

"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.