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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” -
Edmund Burke
From yesterday:
That is just what the Holy Spirit does today: He authenticates His Word as it is preached by the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit as miracles are performed, people are healed, devils are cast out of people, marriages are renewed, drug addicts and alcoholics are set free, the bondage of poverty is broken in lives and they become prosperous by his provision, and so much more. This is part of the work of the Holy Spirit; but there is so much more.
Let’s continue with today's post:
Here is what Jesus said would happen in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct and separate experience.
The greatest thing the Holy Spirit does is He convinces men and women and of sin and shows them that they need to be saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ; when they do, then he baptizes them into the body of Christ and their spirits become new and regenerated—they are born again, not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of God forever to live with Him. The primary purpose is to be a comfort to the Christian.
Here is a list of several other things that the Holy Spirit does for the Christian:
**Fill and baptize him: Acts 2:4
**Dwell in him: I Corinthians 6:19
**Unite him in one spirit with God and other believers: I Corinthians 6:17
**Pray for him: Romans 8:26
**Guide him: John 16:13
**Show the love of Christ to him and through him: Romans 5:5
**Conform him to the image of Christ: II Corinthians 3:18
**Reveal Biblical truth to him: I Corinthians 2:10
**Teach him: John 14:26
**Inspire him to true worship: John 4:24
**Strengthen him: Ephesians 3:16
**Quicken him: Romans 8:11
**Sanctify him: II Thessalonians 2:13-14
**Change him: Titus 3:5
**Give assurance of salvation: Romans 8:16
**Give him liberty: Romans 8:2
**Speak through him: Mark 13:11
**Demonstrate God's power: I Corinthians 2:4
**Give him power to witness: Acts 1:8
**Inspire him to worship: John 4:24
I am not a theologian but, I do also know that there are many other things that the Holy Spirit does. In all that he does, he always points men and women to Jesus; for Christ is the central figure of all history and eternity.
If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, and if you don’t speak in tongues, you will still make it to Heaven, you will miss hell, you will be just as saved as anyone who is filled with the Spirit and speaks in tongues. God will love you no less than he loves the Pentecostal Christians. When you are saved, you are saved! There are no degrees of salvation, it is not either/or. It is all or nothing and it is forever.
The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. He will take the things of, about, from, Christ and show them to you. [“13But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. 14He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. 15Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.” John 13: 13-15]
I want you to know that what this pastor believes and teaches about the Holy Spirit is wrong. I must confront this error as the Apostle Paul was quite adamant about warning us that we have a duty to exposing error; and when he did it he called the errant preachers and teachers by name. I choose not to do that here. It would not be scriptural, having not tried to correct that pastor in doctrine and sharing the truth with him.
This was written as a warning to you and a challenge for you to read and pray about what you have read. If you are truly searching for the truth, just ask the Father to reveal it to you. He hears you when you pray, you know.
I think this is so very important; but, if you want just part of what Jesus lived for; part of what Jesus died for; part of what Jesus was resurrected for; part of what He sits at the right hand of the Father for; then you can have that portion. But if you want more, if you want more of Jesus, if you want it all, then you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to speak in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. Then you will know the power of the God, the Holy Spirit, in your life as you begin to walk in the Spirit and become sensitive to his leadings and instructions. It will be amazing what God will do in and through you.
There is so much more to be learned about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I have just lightly touched on some highlights. Pick up your Bible and go on from here.
Have a great day; and remember who and Whose you are.
Brenda Quimby Smith"
* www.gracechurch.org/distinctives/
** © Harvestime International Institute from "Foundations of Faith"
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