The Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Many Christians really don't fully understand the kind of relationship they should have with the Holy Spirit. They may know something about the Holy Spirit, but do they really know the person, the Holy Spirit?  There is only one way to get to know the Holy Spirit; and that is through the Word and through constant fellowship with Him. As Christians we should not only know the mechanics of the Holy Spirit, but the dynamics as well.  In this post I will share the different types of "baptisms" a Christian has and why there is so much controversy surrounding the Holy Spirit, as well as the importance of having a relationship with Him and the power the Holy Spirit brings to the life of the Believer.

1.  Three Baptisms

The believer experiences three different baptisms:

• Baptism into Christ -- The Holy Spirit is the agent that baptizes the believer "into Christ" and "into His body," the church. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
• Baptism into water -- The minister or some other person then baptizes the believer in water. (Matthew 28:19)
• Baptism into the Holy Spirit -- Then Christ baptizes the same believer in the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 3:11)

Baptism "into Christ" is essential to salvation.  Baptism into water is essential to obedience and to a "good conscience" after a person is saved and in Christ.  And baptism into the Holy Spirit is essential to receiving power for service (Acts 1:8).

2.  The Holy Spirit's Relationship With The Believer

The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer.  We are the "temple" of God and He is in us through His

omnipresence. (1 Corinthians 3:16).  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come upon, rest upon, move upon, inspire, enable or give men power to do certain things but He dwelt in temples make with hands not in the lives of the people. Now, the Holy Spirit has made our body His temple and He dwells in us.  When you get saved, your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit and you have a union with Him. That's why when a Christian sins they feel conviction as a reminder to repent.

3. Why Such Controversy About The Holy Spirit And His Power

Satan desires to keep the church ignorant of the power of the Holy Ghost because he knows how much it would threaten his schemes and plans.  As a result, the church has allowed confusion about the Holy Spirit to thwart its potential power.  There are four reasons why the working of the Holy Spirit's power is not evident in the church today.

• A lack of correct teaching about the Holy Spirit's work.  There has been a lot of inaccurate teaching about how the Holy Spirit is to operate and what His function is.  As a result we don't see His power demonstrated in the lives of the believers or the church.
• Believing that the Holy Ghost power is not needed and has passed away.  Many believe that the Holy Spirit's power was limited to 1st century Christians and therefore believe there is no need for that power to be manifested today.
• Many believers aren't sure if miracles still happen today.
• People are afraid of any kind of demonstration.  They think any display of the Holy Spirit's power would get out of hand.

4.  Why You Need The Power Of The Holy Spirit

There are three reasons why it is necessary for the power of the Holy Spirit to be evident in the believer's life.

• So the church can experience God's power.  God works through us.  We are the channel and vessels through which He moves.
• So God can manifest to us who He is.  Many people don't believe in God, because they see no demonstration of who He is in our life.  Each believer needs a personal experience with Him and a demonstration in their life of who God really is.
• So the Body of Christ can be edified, comforted and exhorted.  It's not just enough to have a church service.  We need the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit to be so magnified in our lives that every time we come together souls are being saved, bodies healed, and needs met.  God wants to demonstrate His anointing.

The power of the Holy Spirit is essential for the life of the Believer.  God desires you to have a close relationship with Him and His Spirit.  It is my desire that you know who the Holy Spirit is and what His relationship is to be to you.

-- Pastor Temple

Who Are You Listening Too? (Part 2)

God has made every provision possible to communicate with us.  It is His greatest desire that we live in relationship with Him and communicate with Him.   Remember, it's not a matter as to whether or not God still speaks, it is a matter of, are we listening?  In this post I want to share with you how we can identify God's voice, and what some of the consequences are for failing to listen to God.

How Can We Identify God's Voice?

• His voice will be consistent with His Word.  Whatever He speaks in our hearts must match what He has spoken on the printed page.  If what you "think" God is telling you isn't consistent with what His Word says then it's unlikely God's voice.  You can be sure that God would not contradict His Word.
• His message will often conflict with human thinking.  Sometimes the Lord may require of
  
  us to do something that seems beyond our abilities.  But, He is faithful to enable us to do what He calls us to do.  Although His message won't conflict with His Word it very well could conflict with human reasoning.
• His voice will always challenge our faith. Because He wants us to grow in faith, God sometimes calls us to face our fears and trust Him more.  Allow God's voice to take you deeper in your faith.
• His voice is often quiet.  Instead of answering our prayers in dramatic ways, the Lord often speaks to our hearts quietly and unexpectedly in the normal course of the day.  It won't necessarily be in a loud and magnificent manner.  Be sure to listen to His still small voice. This takes a sensitive spirit that can hear God's Spirit.
• He always speaks specifically.  God wants you to know exactly what He is saying.  He never wants to leave you in the dark, but rather always bring you to the light.  When we listen carefully, we can expect God to speak in specific ways.

Consequences For Failing To Listen To God

I see six significant consequences for us when we don't listen to God.

• The world will draw us away from Him if we continually ignore His voice.
• We'll be easily deceived by all the other voices.
• We will make costly decisions based on human reasoning rather than divine guidance.
• We'll make choices that appeal to the flesh and give us what we want.
• Our decisions could cause us to forfeit God's best.
• We could suffer consequences that could affect us for years to come. 

Are you listening to the Lord and walking obediently before Him every day?  That is the only way to reap the greatest harvest in life now and receive eternal rewards in heaven.

-- Pastor Temple