The Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power, enabling him to do wonderful things, sometimes under great hardship and persecution (1 Samuel 16:13). What Is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? The day of Pentecost was not the day that the disciples were indwelt rather it was the day that they were empowered. These gifts are not designed to make you something special but instead are meant to be used in your service for the King. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aba7fef48b8d79a8c345993d8dbf34ea" );document.getElementById("df682521df").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Subscribe. Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Strengthen me with your power.”. In a different letter to the Galatians, Paul explains that the remedy for stopping the “works of the flesh” (or sin) in our lives is not to try harder or do better, it is to be filled more with the Holy Spirit that will result in the fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV). That is what God wants us to be – to be filled full of the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit, you have all the power you need to live the abundant Christian life. The well from which we get the power to live life for God will never run dry no matter how many times we draw from it. Your article was timely. These prayers are inline with the will of God the Father and they will be answered. Everything you are in public is formed by what you are in private. Be Empowered by the Holy Spirit. I believe that this confusion, at least in part, is due to the fact of mixed-up semantics. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit did more to transform the spreading of the Gospel than any other single event. It is the one that is used for both the indwelling of the Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit depending on the context in which it is used. But among those descriptions of our Christian identity, being empowered by the Holy Spirit seems to be the most confusing and even contentious to many believers. May our prayer be, “God empty me of myself and show yourself more in … When we are saved, we are set on a new journey called salvation, and the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us make that journey. Required fields are marked *. We learn to yield to the "now promptings" on the Holy Spirit. When Paul was afraid, he says in Corinthians that his weakness was proof that the … Our Thanks for Your Gift. You have to be willing to allow that to happen. I wanted to make you aware of this entire resource before getting started. Traditional Pentecostals and some Charismatic believe that speaking in tongues is the initial sign or outward evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Who Is The Holy Spirit And What Does He Do? Now many believe that what happened on the day of Pentecost was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those that were in the upper room. I care that you come to a place where you experience an event with the Holy Spirit that is so powerful that it releases His gifts to operate in your life. I do, however, believe that if a believer has experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then there will be an outward sign to that event. 5. Because of this I personally do not go as far as some and say that the initial outward sign and evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. As the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they received a divine, supernatural power that changed them from fearful men to radiant witnesses for Christ. Paul wrote in verse 19: “[so] that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). This gift is a good gift that is given to us by our heavenly Father. I think what it takes is a desire to be empowered for service and openness to letting God do something out of the ordinary. My prayer was not very theological or advanced. What Is Spirit-Empowered Prayer? As I sit down this morning to share with you, my thoughts on the baptism of the Holy Spirit also known as the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. When you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit you, and you’re already filled cup are immersed into the vast ocean of the Holy Spirit. I could tell too many stories of Christians that destroyed their lives, their witness, their relationships, their families, and their ministries because they tried to rely on their own power instead of being empowered by the Holy Spirit. However, let me show you where the disciples already received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is the same passage that Peter used on the day of Pentecost to explain to the people that had gathered due to the commotion that had been caused by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I am reminded by the still small voice of Jesus to make once again sure that everyone understands that this subject is not a subject that we want to allow the enemy of our souls to cause division or get into strife about. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. This contention has all been caused due to semantics. Empowered by the Spirit, including the messages The Coming of the Holy Spirit and When the Holy Spirit … With the Holy Spirit, we have power and help in all situations. The way to growing in depth of relationship with Christ, and the Holy Spirit’s empowerment for the work of His Kingdom, is by “walking in the light.” This firstly means, a willingness to be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit, and letting his searching light pierce to the secret places within us. Life on the mission is full of challenges. Proverbs 11:24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. You’ll learn how to be filled with the Spirit’s power and why that’s so important in today’s world. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? It is not an issue about salvation thus it is not essential. James offers to us a picture of God yearning over His people, eager to dwell within our lives through His Holy Spirit, more eager than we are to be indwelt. I realised that he was used by the enemy & i believed him. the Holy Spirit formed the syllables). The Holy Spirit is a beautiful and powerful part of who God is. He furthers his ministry through his blog site, Faithful Thinking. 2 min read. When you invited Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, He took up residence there through the Holy Spirit. In this video, Paul Washer is clear that if we want to be used by the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must be seeking God, we must be honoring God; not only in public but in our private lives as well. Learn who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in your life and in this world. By the power of the Holy Spirit we can: 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Do you want to see more fruit of the Spirit in your life? His life is a picture of the perfect work of the Holy Spirit in man. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." The Biblical foundation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit goes back to the Prophet Joel. Do you honestly think that God would allow Satan to answer a prayer that was meant for, and directed to your heavenly Father? The term being filled with the Spirit or Spirit-filled is the term that is most confusing of all. It Is Letting the Holy Spirit Take Lead "All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (Rom. Others have responded to an altar call and had hands laid on them, and then they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He empowered them when they were insecure, weak, afraid, and even after they messed up. Acts 2:1 - 4 (NKJV) 1When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all £with one accord in one place. This passage is not talking about a greater feeling, he is talking about a greater filling. The formula is not essential. No charismatic/ Pentecostal believer or theologian, who is a serious student of the word of God at all, believes that just because a person has not experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit means that they have not received the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? It is the source from which our souls are being daily “renewed” and regularly transformed (Romans 12:1-2) as we study Scripture, pray, fast, and worship. What Does it Mean That the Word of God Is Alive? In all honesty, I don’t care what we call this experience semantically. Get in Your Inbox advertisement The Baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn't make us better than other Christians, but it does make us better than ourselves! From the instant of His conception in the womb of a virgin, Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, just as Isaiah has predicted. Secondly, notice that God strengthens our souls with the Holy Spirit. 5:22-23). Everything you are in public is formed by what you are in private. They get this belief from the passage in Acts chapter 2 where those that were in the upper room spoke in unknown tongues. You are not asking Satan you’re asking your heavenly Father. In Luke 1:35 we find this auspicious start in life confirmed for us: “And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come on you , and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. I found a wonderful quotation this week in J. I. Packer’s book Keep in Step with the Spirit, one of the best books, by the way, on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.He quoted Robert Murray McCheyne, who was a pastor in the 1800s in Scotland and who was renowned for his passionate preaching, his yearly Bible reading plan, and his early death at age 29. That is often difficult for us to understand because of how focused we typically are on the external, physical, and aesthetic world around us through things such as fitness, fashion, and cosmetics. What Are Signs And Wonders In The Bible? As in a waltz or dance, you let the other take the lead and gently nudge you in the direction you are to go. Without the Spirit, we cannot even come close to living the life that God has called us to. Others had times of deep consecration before they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do not fear that you will receive something that God does not desire you to have. First, notice that the location where God works is in our “inner being” or our souls. God wants you to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a down payment, or verification of their future glorification in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30). His life goal is to serve God and His Church by reaching the lost with the Gospel, making devoted disciples, equipping and empowering others to go further in their faith and calling, and leading a culture of multiplication for the glory of God. So if you are interested in receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then I suggest you follow the teachings of Jesus where he talked about seeking the Holy Spirit in Luke’s gospel. Are you praying for signs and wonders in your life? One of the many passages that we can read to help answer this question is in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian churches. No matter which spiritual gift works through you, it will be out of the ordinary and beyond human reasoning. May our prayer be, “God empty me of myself and show yourself more in my life. b. This study is part of a more extensive series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So whether there is one work of grace, two works of grace, three works of grace, or a 1000 works of grace, it does not matter. Some people have a problem with this because it would indicate that there may be more than one work of grace in a believer’s life. God has put in us a well of “living water,” but it is our choice whether or not we drink from it. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Title: Embracing the Holy Spirit: Empowered By. I came with preconceived ideas & have been working diligently to break them. Just as a believer is immersed in water during water baptism, so is the believer immersed in the Holy Spirit during the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Can you say that: "Let the Holy Spirit do with me as he pleases"? Robert Hampshire is a pastor, teacher, writer, and leader. Video Time: 3:54. What Pronoun Is Used for the Holy Spirit: He, She, or It? I started up again & realised that the same language that i spoke before came back again with new words. Brother or sister in Christ: Don’t live a life of defeat. Flood this place [and my heart] and fill the atmosphere. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not receiving the spirit or having the spirit indwelling you but is having the Holy Spirit come upon you and empowering you with supernatural gifts to accomplish the works of Christ in this world. That is what Paul wrote at the beginning of verse 17 that the Holy Spirit strengthens our inner beings: “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Ephesians 3:17). And to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, not like these silly little evangelists that come in and have their healing lines and people falling down and all of the other circus and blasphemy that goes on. Romans 8:26-27 – "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. It is in nonessential. Without the Spirit, we cannot even come close to living the life that God has called us to. God has put in us a well of “living water,” but it is our choice whether or not we drink from it. Here are just 10 supernatural things the Holy Spirit does in your life. In the gospel of John, Jesus blew on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. I received that baptism two weeks after my conversion experience. I asked God to give me the ability to pray in tongues. He has served in a variety of roles as a worship pastor, youth pastor, family pastor, and most recently as the Lead Pastor and Planter of Village Church in Churchville, Virginia. That is because our enemy also tries to work in our “inner being” or our souls. Instead, our identity is more about “whose” we are — meaning if we are a Christian then our identity comes from our relationship with God. Theme: To show how the Holy Spirit empowers a believer to be a witness. Do you want to be filled and used by the Holy Spirit… As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”. If we turn to Colossians 3:16-22, we will discover that not only is it a parallel passage to Ephesians 5:17-6:5, but it gives us another aspect to being filled with the Holy Spirit. TEXT: Acts 1:8. Your email address will not be published. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright © 2021, Christianity.com. As he told the prophet, Samuel, “the LORD sees not as man sees… the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). This is important because who we think we are determines how we live our life. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." The Holy Spirit’s deity is equal to that of God the Father and God the Son; being all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present. He did just that. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. Although I believe that this subject is vital for every believer, it is not something that is important enough to break fellowship with one another. So let us conclude where Mary does, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word" (v. 38). God’s plan for salvation includes the greatest gift — the Holy Spirit, sent to equip us with all the guidance and power we need to bring the truth of God’s hope to a broken world. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Pastor Duke Taber is an alumnus of L.I.F.E. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. Read this informative article! a. But as a human, like you and me, he fully submitted to and was guided by the Spirit. Be Empowered by the Holy Spirit Prepare yourself to share about the “empowering of the Holy Spirit,” bring another along to model it, and equip them to take the same steps. In all honesty, I think that this issue is splitting hairs. (NASB) Eph. Jesus was born by the work of the Spirit; Jesus was led by the Spirit to suffer temptation and come out spotless; Jesus was empowered by the Spirit to do the ministry he did; You can introduce others to Christ! Seeking the Lord is simply more than having a good bible study, it’s crying out to meet with the living God, to rely more on Him then on our own abilities, and to complete the tasks He gives us. Every born-again believer in Jesus Christ has received the Holy Spirit! So, after sitting in front of the archaic computers and answering dozens of questions from the personal assessment test, I excitedly waited for my results to print out from the dot-matrix printer. However, there are other passages throughout the book of Acts where the Holy Spirit came upon believer’s and were given different gifts. Being Empowered By God, Christ, & The Holy Spirit (10 Encouraging Bible Verses) June 29, 2020 June 29, 2020 by BWOG2 See also : Bible Verses about The Lord Being Our Strength ; March On My Soul, Be Strong . 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! Find out how you can walk in the empowerment of the Spirit in your life. Sees spiritual gifts as specialized Spirit-empowered abilities designed to build up the Church and expand the Kingdom. Robert attended North Greenville University in South Carolina for his undergraduate and Liberty University in Virginia for his Masters. The Holy Spirit also empowers us to do many miraculous things for our good and His glory. It is what is meant Paul meant in Romans 10:9 by confession Jesus as “Lord” of our lives. If your church needs a fresh move of the Spirit of God or has gone through a painful and wounding season. And to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, not like these silly little evangelists that come in and have their healing lines and people falling down and … The Holy Spirit comes upon you and engulfs you. 7:37-39). I don’t know if there’s one correct way to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you desire for Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, then start asking, seeking, and knocking. So, what does it mean? California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, is God, the third part of the Trinity; is a person (not an, is often misunderstood and even forgotten; lives within believers as the personal presence and power of God, raised Jesus from the dead; gifts us to serve each other and reach others with the gospel. Without the strength of the Holy Spirit, the facts of Christ’s life, forgiveness and promise for eternal life will have little impact. God knows that you are seeking Him and His empowerment so that you can do the things Jesus did for the same reasons that Jesus did them. God is a giving God. No matter what we wanted to be when we grew up and no matter what we are today, who we really are can never be boiled down to something as trite as what we do, where we are from, or even what we think about ourselves. Romans 8:26-27 – "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. Empowered By The Holy Spirit So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Because of that, he pulls from the unsearchable, limitless resources of his glory to give us strength or power in our inner being through the Holy Spirit. I do not want there to be any confusion about this. Life in the Spirit exists to give you a deep understanding of who the Holy Spirit is, how He works in your life and how you can interact with Him on a daily basis. Bible College and Multnomah Biblical Seminary. He has been married to Rebecca since 2008 and has three children, Brooklyn, Bryson, and Abram. Empowered by the Holy Spirit “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The disciples had the great calling to spread the Gospel to all the nations. Through the fruit of the Spirit, God's power and only God's power enables us to exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which reveal the character of Christ in us. To be filled with the fullness of God is about allowing God to settle in, make himself at home, fully influence, overwhelm, and govern our lives. The proof is in our growing spirit of love and joy, peace and patience. I have been a pastor for more than 20 years, but until now, I have never understood how to be empowered and controlled by the Holy Spirit as a way of life. Focus for a moment on this one fact: sanctification is the goal of Paul's missionary labor. . And may we be able to sing along with Bryan and Katie Torwalt: Holy Spirit — you are welcome here. Empowered by the Holy Spirit Journey with Pastor Wilton to the Day of Pentecost and see how your life can suddenly be changed... forever empowered... by the coming of the Holy Spirit. To Be Empowered By The Holy Spirit — Paul Washer April 23, 2018 Richard Haas apologetics, Bible, Christian, Church, Discernment, god, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Paul Washer, scripture, Seeking God, Theology, Twisted Scripture. When I was in Middle School, we had to take a “career awareness” class that was supposed to help us figure out what we were going to be when we grew up (because every sixth-grader should be able to answer a few questions that will determine their next 60 years). How do you know if you are being led by the Spirit? This is the bone of contention between Charismatic/ Pentecostal believers and non-Charismatic/ Pentecostal believers. What a tribute to Jesus Christ that an omnipotent member of the Trinity exists to magnify his greatness. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, allow him to govern your life, and allow him to empower you. In the same way, while we are busy doing life, the Holy Spirit is producing His fruit in us (if we are willing and cooperating, of course). And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be fi lled with the Spirit, . If you long to live victoriously, overflowing with peace and joy, join David Cerullo as he explains the Holy Spirit’s vital role in transforming lives. Let me explain the phrasing in these verses to help us better understand how the Spirit empowers us. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, your cup was filled with the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us — and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] — with a jealous love” (James 4:5 AMP). Principles To Use When Operating In The Gifts Of The Spirit The gifts of the Spirit are given so that the church is equipped to. God’s Spirit Poured Out 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. Does God Give Prophetic Dreams to Us Today?