Dear Christian, here is a question for you: What do you know about the Holy Spirit? Most of us know he is part of the Godhead and that we receive him when we receive Jesus but few of us understand the baptism of the Spirit. Few of us have been taught how vital it is. For some reason we stick the testimonies of Acts in a little box and hide it high on the shelf and we struggle because of it.
We need the Spirit to know God. We need the Spirit to understand the Word. We need the Spirit to hear from Jesus. We need the Spirit to witness with power. We need the Spirit for the power of God in us. We need the Spirit to live a victorious walk with Christ. Just one small snippet from the Word:
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul took a route through the interior and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?” (Acts 19:1-2)
Paul went on to pray with them and to lay his hands on them. They received the Spirit in power. Paul knew that no Christian can function properly in the Body without the Spirit. Sure, we can try in our flesh and we may convince ourselves we are doing well but we are accomplishing nothing outside of the anointing of Yahweh which comes by the Spirit in us.
Just before leaving Jesus told his disciples:
“It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Most of us have not received that power because we have not understood the place or importance of the Baptism of the Spirit. It is not a design of man but the design of Yahweh. It happened to me with no teaching, no instruction, with no one around. I received that baptism by the hand of Jesus but did not know what it was until years later. It is the power of Jesus in us, his authority to do what he commanded us to do. Certainly we can ignore it, but we will not be able to serve properly without it.
Even if you don't fully understand it, examine the Scriptures for yourself. Read what Jesus said about the Spirit. Read what he did by the Spirit. Understand he came to set us the example of how to live by the Spirit. Read Acts and see what was accomplished when people lived by the Spirit. Understand that nothing has changed and this was the model set for us.
Hearts do not change because we have good ideas. Hearts do not change by our intellectual arguments. Hearts do not change because of our good deeds. Hearts change by the presence of Yahweh and this happens through us; this happens by the Spirit in us when we understand we carry his presence. We need to understand and experience the Baptism of the Spirit. We need the power of Yahweh to return to the people of God.
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Friday, January 23, 2015
Thursday, May 29, 2014
I Came To Send Fire On The Earth
FIRE! FIRE! If you have ever stood in a building and heard that called out you know the panic it can cause. You know the fear that grips you. You know the emotions that take over and cause you to flee. You know how the brain shuts down with only one thought in process: Survive. Fire is a frightening thing but it is exactly that which Jesus speaks of in a very revealing moment, when his heart is opened and we can clearly see in.
Today it is hard for us to imagine Jesus as anything but loving and kind, and he is, but his love is more than that to which we limit it. The modern day preacher has tamed his imagine, making him cute and cuddly; a play thing for children. How sad that we have misinterpreted the Instrument of all creation in such a manner. How shocking to our conditioned ears to hear his voice speak so plainly:
I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:49)
Perhaps you aren't familiar with this passage; most people aren't. We would rather picture Jesus walking around with a lamb across his shoulders and children skipping about his feet. But this is the One who commanded the storms to be silent. This is the One who commanded the demons to flee. This is the one who commanded life back into the dead. This is the one who drove out of the Temple the thieves, and he didn't use words but a whip. C.S. Lewis described him as safe but not tame.
Jesus came to start a revolution. He came to set the world on fire. He came to introduce us to the Kingdom of Heaven and that turned the world upside down. Yes love, and yes spiritual peace between his Father and us individually but far more than that, he brought fire. He brought everything of which he set the example. Everything he seeded. Everything he seeded and that the Spirit came to grow. We need to at least try to grasp what he meant by this:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (John 11:12)
If refers to the eager crowds that came flocking to John the Baptist and then to Jesus. They wanted what was being offered and acted like a people besieging a city. The "take it by force" refers to the zeal, the passion, the desire of the people to lay hold upon what Jesus offered, to make it their own. It alludes to a passionate fire, burning within the people, desiring change. This is what Jesus came to do, to set the world on fire with a desire for the holiness, righteousness of Yahweh. But there is always a price.
Setting the world on fire came at a cost and that cost is the lose of peace. The world is afraid of a passionate heart. A fire is hard to control and the world is all about control. Jesus warned he came to bring fire, not peace:
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:51)
And then he went on to describe the division the fire would cause in society and families. If that is what happens as the result of fire then so be it. It is better to have division with fire than peace without it. The Good News of Jesus Christ cannot result in yawns and mediocrity. It is meant to provoke passion for or against. You can't shrug your shoulders at the name of Jesus, not after the fires have been ignited. There is nothing worse than facing the fire and walking away lukewarm:
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[a] I will vomit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)
My friends, where are the flames? Where is the passion? Where is the preaching on the streets? Where is the shouting from the rooftops? Jesus does not provoke discussion over cups of tea. He sends the demons into the pigs. His love provokes men to tear apart roofs. His presence inspires men to jump out of boats in a raging storm. We can't be around him without his presence provoking wild and passionate faith in us, provoking extravagant gestures of love.
Read our history. The Church is not for the faint of heart. Serving the King is not without risk of life and limb. To trust, holding on to faith, will not allow us to stand still as the flames come calling. Passion for the Name. Compelled by his love. Provoked by the Spirit. We cannot remain the same; our spirit yearns for the fire. He has kindled the flames. Will you be consumed?
Today it is hard for us to imagine Jesus as anything but loving and kind, and he is, but his love is more than that to which we limit it. The modern day preacher has tamed his imagine, making him cute and cuddly; a play thing for children. How sad that we have misinterpreted the Instrument of all creation in such a manner. How shocking to our conditioned ears to hear his voice speak so plainly:
I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:49)
Perhaps you aren't familiar with this passage; most people aren't. We would rather picture Jesus walking around with a lamb across his shoulders and children skipping about his feet. But this is the One who commanded the storms to be silent. This is the One who commanded the demons to flee. This is the one who commanded life back into the dead. This is the one who drove out of the Temple the thieves, and he didn't use words but a whip. C.S. Lewis described him as safe but not tame.
Jesus came to start a revolution. He came to set the world on fire. He came to introduce us to the Kingdom of Heaven and that turned the world upside down. Yes love, and yes spiritual peace between his Father and us individually but far more than that, he brought fire. He brought everything of which he set the example. Everything he seeded. Everything he seeded and that the Spirit came to grow. We need to at least try to grasp what he meant by this:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (John 11:12)
If refers to the eager crowds that came flocking to John the Baptist and then to Jesus. They wanted what was being offered and acted like a people besieging a city. The "take it by force" refers to the zeal, the passion, the desire of the people to lay hold upon what Jesus offered, to make it their own. It alludes to a passionate fire, burning within the people, desiring change. This is what Jesus came to do, to set the world on fire with a desire for the holiness, righteousness of Yahweh. But there is always a price.
Setting the world on fire came at a cost and that cost is the lose of peace. The world is afraid of a passionate heart. A fire is hard to control and the world is all about control. Jesus warned he came to bring fire, not peace:
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:51)
And then he went on to describe the division the fire would cause in society and families. If that is what happens as the result of fire then so be it. It is better to have division with fire than peace without it. The Good News of Jesus Christ cannot result in yawns and mediocrity. It is meant to provoke passion for or against. You can't shrug your shoulders at the name of Jesus, not after the fires have been ignited. There is nothing worse than facing the fire and walking away lukewarm:
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[a] I will vomit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)
My friends, where are the flames? Where is the passion? Where is the preaching on the streets? Where is the shouting from the rooftops? Jesus does not provoke discussion over cups of tea. He sends the demons into the pigs. His love provokes men to tear apart roofs. His presence inspires men to jump out of boats in a raging storm. We can't be around him without his presence provoking wild and passionate faith in us, provoking extravagant gestures of love.
Read our history. The Church is not for the faint of heart. Serving the King is not without risk of life and limb. To trust, holding on to faith, will not allow us to stand still as the flames come calling. Passion for the Name. Compelled by his love. Provoked by the Spirit. We cannot remain the same; our spirit yearns for the fire. He has kindled the flames. Will you be consumed?
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Getting Real With Jesus - A Call To Holiness
I think we have gone too far in the taming of our God, to make him appear more attractive, more salable among the cavorting nations. We have removed the bite from the Lion, or, I should say, we tried. At what point did we realize that the way of holiness was unattractive to the masses? When was that moment that we decided a benevolent Santa Claus type figure would be more acceptable? Who was the marketer that decided it was wiser to leave people happy in their sin in the pews than uncomfortably convicted at the Mercy Seat? I realize I am being harsh but I am being harsh on people like me: The Preachers.
Our God is not tame; far from it. However, he is kind, loving, forgiving and his desire is to see everyone saved from their intended destination of destruction. This does not diminish his glory; his righteousness; his holiness. Just because he reaches out in compassion to adopt us as his children does not take away from his glory:
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. (v. 2)
I don't think we preachers have done a very good job of telling people that a mark of accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is change. We die to what we were. That is how our bondage to sin is broken. Then we are raised in our new life in Jesus, and he in us. It is true that all our sin is forgiven but it also means we are called to his righteousness. It is the foundation of his throne as it becomes the foundation of our lives. It means that we no longer desire sin, or self or anything but the will of the Father. Any other form of Christianity is a lie. Anything that allows you to remain in sin and your desire for sin and self is a lie. Remember that justice is also the foundation of his throne and all those who live by sin instead of the Spirit are his enemies:
A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about. (v. 3)
Not so tame.
We need a better vision of Yahweh, a better understanding so that we know that we do not want to fall into the hands of the living God; not his hands of justice:
His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory. (vv. 4-6)
We should fear to sin. We should fear to fall out of his grace. We should fear to offend our God. We should never take his grace for granted. We should never abuse his love. We should never try to manipulate his kindness and desire for us to our selfish advantage. We should desire to flee hard and fast from even any hint of sin, not use grace as an excuse to flirt with it or even to flaunt it. If we are saved we should have a longing for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It should be our desire and when we fail, repentance should be our quick response.
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols. (v. 7)
Indeed, let us feel the shame of our prostitution to the idols of this age. Let us feel deeply the shame and guilt of what we do against the Name above all names. Let us stop playing games with grace and get serious about loving our God. Let us throw off everything that entangles and ensnares our hearts and be thoroughly cleansed and set right in our service to our King. Let us discover again our fear of the Lord, the great respect that is due him and get up on his Highway of Holiness. Let us pursue him with all that we are and trust him to preserve us until the day of his return.
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. (vv. 10-12)
Indeed, REPENT! REJOICE! GIVE THANKS! REMEMBER!
Our God is not tame; far from it. However, he is kind, loving, forgiving and his desire is to see everyone saved from their intended destination of destruction. This does not diminish his glory; his righteousness; his holiness. Just because he reaches out in compassion to adopt us as his children does not take away from his glory:
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. (v. 2)
I don't think we preachers have done a very good job of telling people that a mark of accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is change. We die to what we were. That is how our bondage to sin is broken. Then we are raised in our new life in Jesus, and he in us. It is true that all our sin is forgiven but it also means we are called to his righteousness. It is the foundation of his throne as it becomes the foundation of our lives. It means that we no longer desire sin, or self or anything but the will of the Father. Any other form of Christianity is a lie. Anything that allows you to remain in sin and your desire for sin and self is a lie. Remember that justice is also the foundation of his throne and all those who live by sin instead of the Spirit are his enemies:
A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about. (v. 3)
Not so tame.
We need a better vision of Yahweh, a better understanding so that we know that we do not want to fall into the hands of the living God; not his hands of justice:
His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory. (vv. 4-6)
We should fear to sin. We should fear to fall out of his grace. We should fear to offend our God. We should never take his grace for granted. We should never abuse his love. We should never try to manipulate his kindness and desire for us to our selfish advantage. We should desire to flee hard and fast from even any hint of sin, not use grace as an excuse to flirt with it or even to flaunt it. If we are saved we should have a longing for the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It should be our desire and when we fail, repentance should be our quick response.
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols. (v. 7)
Indeed, let us feel the shame of our prostitution to the idols of this age. Let us feel deeply the shame and guilt of what we do against the Name above all names. Let us stop playing games with grace and get serious about loving our God. Let us throw off everything that entangles and ensnares our hearts and be thoroughly cleansed and set right in our service to our King. Let us discover again our fear of the Lord, the great respect that is due him and get up on his Highway of Holiness. Let us pursue him with all that we are and trust him to preserve us until the day of his return.
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. (vv. 10-12)
Indeed, REPENT! REJOICE! GIVE THANKS! REMEMBER!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
What Are You Without The Spirit?
We are crazy you know. Imagine trying to follow Jesus Christ while ignoring the Spirit. Are we kidding? We can't do anything of any eternal worth without the Spirit. We can't hear from God. We can't have kingdom eyes. We can't serve with anointing. There is no power. No sustainability. No conviction. No direction. No communion. No wisdom. And there is no need for us to try it without the Spirit.
Honestly, do you feel you are where you are meant to be with Jesus; in the relationship I mean? Are you always aware of his presence? Are you receiving direction throughout your day? Do you sense God's power to do anything you are asked to do? Do you feel you are living in obedience? Do you know him as you should, in the deep personal places of your life? Do you love him with all your passion, your very being? Be frightfully honest because you aren't fooling him.
Do you know that Jesus did nothing without the Spirit? At the moment he had John baptize him, Jesus also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come for his followers. Jesus did not need either baptism but he told John that everything had to be done correctly. He was following a script that had been written in the ancient of days. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that Jesus did not consider equally with God something to be grasped but, found in the appearance of a man, he became a servant. A servant baptized by the Holy Spirit to carry out the Father's will as an example of how we would serve.
Have we forgotten Pentecost? Have we forgotten the need for the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism by water is a "John's" baptism, a thing of repentance. It is the baptism of fire, that of the Spirit, that brings life and power. Power to live our life to the glory of the Father. Power to obey. Power to overcome. Power to be victorious in all things. Power to love. Power for compassion. Power to forgive. Power to heal the sick. The power to stand in his presence, to serve him all our days, to breathe our last breath to his glory.
You cannot see God, the Kingdom, nor understand his will for you and your days without the Spirit:
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
In fact, if you do not have the Spirit of God you do not belong to Jesus. We live by the rules of the Kingdom even though we live in a fallen world. We are not governed by the rules here because the rules we follow are much higher. The Word puts it clearly that we do not belong to this realm:
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)
Again, if you do not have the Spirit of God you do not belong to Jesus.
The Spirit is not dormant in you. If you cannot sense him, if you do not hear him, if he is not speaking to you, directing you, then you have no part with him. The Holy Spirit is active in us, reminding us daily who we belong to, what his promises are, providing the power we live by and telling us what we are to do. The Word is very clear on the Spirit and yet we ignore him at our peril.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:14)
Notice the word "led". A very important word. Can you say you are led by the Spirit?
Are you living by the Spirit or by your flesh? It is a question I am asking myself every day now because it is easy to give in to this flesh and let it lead for a while. It is easy to live by my own wisdom and experience. It is easy, but it is without Christ. It is without power. It is without conviction. It is without hope. It is without peace. It is without joy.
I don't want that!
I want Jesus. I want to be in him and I want him in me. I don't know anything and he knows everything. Rise up in me Spirit of God and lead me in the path of righteousness, the path of my King, the path of my Saviour. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us!
Honestly, do you feel you are where you are meant to be with Jesus; in the relationship I mean? Are you always aware of his presence? Are you receiving direction throughout your day? Do you sense God's power to do anything you are asked to do? Do you feel you are living in obedience? Do you know him as you should, in the deep personal places of your life? Do you love him with all your passion, your very being? Be frightfully honest because you aren't fooling him.
Do you know that Jesus did nothing without the Spirit? At the moment he had John baptize him, Jesus also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come for his followers. Jesus did not need either baptism but he told John that everything had to be done correctly. He was following a script that had been written in the ancient of days. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that Jesus did not consider equally with God something to be grasped but, found in the appearance of a man, he became a servant. A servant baptized by the Holy Spirit to carry out the Father's will as an example of how we would serve.
Have we forgotten Pentecost? Have we forgotten the need for the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism by water is a "John's" baptism, a thing of repentance. It is the baptism of fire, that of the Spirit, that brings life and power. Power to live our life to the glory of the Father. Power to obey. Power to overcome. Power to be victorious in all things. Power to love. Power for compassion. Power to forgive. Power to heal the sick. The power to stand in his presence, to serve him all our days, to breathe our last breath to his glory.
You cannot see God, the Kingdom, nor understand his will for you and your days without the Spirit:
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
In fact, if you do not have the Spirit of God you do not belong to Jesus. We live by the rules of the Kingdom even though we live in a fallen world. We are not governed by the rules here because the rules we follow are much higher. The Word puts it clearly that we do not belong to this realm:
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)
Again, if you do not have the Spirit of God you do not belong to Jesus.
The Spirit is not dormant in you. If you cannot sense him, if you do not hear him, if he is not speaking to you, directing you, then you have no part with him. The Holy Spirit is active in us, reminding us daily who we belong to, what his promises are, providing the power we live by and telling us what we are to do. The Word is very clear on the Spirit and yet we ignore him at our peril.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:14)
Notice the word "led". A very important word. Can you say you are led by the Spirit?
Are you living by the Spirit or by your flesh? It is a question I am asking myself every day now because it is easy to give in to this flesh and let it lead for a while. It is easy to live by my own wisdom and experience. It is easy, but it is without Christ. It is without power. It is without conviction. It is without hope. It is without peace. It is without joy.
I don't want that!
I want Jesus. I want to be in him and I want him in me. I don't know anything and he knows everything. Rise up in me Spirit of God and lead me in the path of righteousness, the path of my King, the path of my Saviour. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us!
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