You Have the Ministry of Righteousness and Reconciliation
You are a minister of the New Covenant. You are to minister life by the power of the Spirit. You are to offer the hope of faith-righteousness through Christ. Being a minister of the New Covenant doesn’t mean you only read or minister out of the New Testament books of the Bible, it means you minister to others out of the promises inherited through the finished work of Jesus.
The work of Jesus in His sinless life, as well as His death, burial, and resurrection, are the sureties of the eternal covenant we have with God in Christ. Ministering to others out of the authority and victory of Christ can only be done by the Spirit of God who dwells in us.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”
#10 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Are you a Christian? Do you follow Jesus? Are you fulfilling the call of God on your life? Not sure what your calling is? There are FOUR general facets of the ministry all New Covenant believers have. The following passages will give you insight into the nature of your ministry toward others..
2 Corinthians 3:2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV
You are a minister of the New Covenant. You are to minister life by the power of the Spirit. You are to offer the hope of faith-righteousness through Christ. Being a minister of the New Covenant doesn’t mean you only read or minister out of the New Testament books of the Bible, it means you minister to others out of the promises inherited through the finished work of Jesus.
The work of Jesus in His sinless life, as well as His death, burial, and resurrection, are the sureties of the eternal covenant we have with God in Christ. Ministering to others out of the authority and victory of Christ can only be done by the Spirit of God who dwells in us.
We do not use the Law or tactics of condemnation, we use the principles of freedom from sin, death, and condemnation. It’s good news to tell people that God loves them and Jesus bore the effects of their sin in His body. It’s good news to tell people that God loves them and will help them when they are weak. God is not trying to make people weak so they’ll suffer, He will give us grace to experience powerful, victorious transformation. The Spirit will help you minister to others in such a way that their hearts grasp what Jesus did for them and begin to live in the newness of spiritual life for themselves.
We also have the ministry of reconciliation. We are fully validated and equipped representatives, citizens, of Heaven. We are to deliver the good news of the victory over life that is available in God’s kingdom. Your task is to tell people this good news. God will work through you as you go, He is in fact pleading with others through you to come to Him for deliverance and salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
You have the ministry of:
The New Covenant
Righteousness
The Spirit
Reconciliation
Move toward the world with this in mind. Have your heart and mind prepared in that you are a carrier of the Spirit of God, equipped with the Gospel to tell people that GOD IS NOT MAD AT THEM. God is not holding their sins against them and it’s safe to go to Him without fear of rejection or judgment. Go forward and invite people to be reconciled to God, preaching the word of faith-righteousness!
Watch the message above for the full sermon on this topic.
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Praying in Tongues Rewires Your Brain to Establish Your Identity
When you pray in tongues, your brain enters a state where your sense of self, who you think you are, is open to suggestion. In this time of prayer, the Spirit of God himself will bear witness with your spirit that you are His child and a joint heir with Jesus. As you prime your physiology with the gift of tongues, you can become rewired to transform into the image of Christ. It already happened on a spiritual level at your new birth; it occurs in the rest of your being as you pray with your spirit in an unknown language.
I believe this is true because life and death are in the power of the tongue. You are yielding your authority to God and are allowing Him to establish His will in you, which is to be conformed to the image of Christ.
“I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”
#9 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Under the Old Covenant, the priests would perform sacrifices and intercede on behalf of Israel for forgiveness. They had to do this continually because the people kept breaking the Law, and they themselves were not perfect. But Jesus secured a New Covenant in his blood. He offered himself as a sin offering once and for all time, with no need to continue offering sacrifices on behalf of our forgiveness. In Him, we are forgiven once and for all time.
He is now our high priest under this New and Better Covenant. His intercession on our behalf now focuses on strengthening us to receive the benefits and riches of God's kingdom, so we are equipped and blessed to spread the Gospel.
Hebrews 7:24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
As our eternal high priest, he is continually praying (interceding) for us. He is not interceding for forgiveness continually like Old Covenant priests, he is praying to help us when we're weak. He prays for us when we don’t know what to pray.
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Take a moment and be thankful for the fact that Jesus is praying for you, at this moment, as you read this. What do you think he is praying? We know he's praying for the areas you are weak. We know he's helping you pray because you don't always know what to pray. He is not continually asking God to forgive since he's the one-time sufficient sacrifice for your sin, what else is he praying?
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
He continually affirms your identity, spirit to spirit. When Jesus prays for you from Heaven, he reminds you that you are God's child. Not just a child, but an heir. And not just an heir, but a co-heir with Jesus. Not only do you have an inheritance from God as a child of God, but you receive the same thing as Jesus.
Jesus is always praying for you that you would receive everything he died to give you. A complete and total salvation. God wants you to have what Jesus died for you to receive. If you receive the same thing Jesus received, you should know what Jesus received and how to pray so that it is established in your life. Salvation is yours now. The Greek word for salvation is soteria, which means; deliverance from Messianic judgment, restoration, wholeness, healing, prosperity. (Click here for a study link on soteria. Click here for a study link on sozo.)
It's already yours. It's will is already probated through the death of Christ. And it's been made alive in you through the resurrection of Christ. So when you have trouble believing and receiving your inheritance, you can allow Jesus to pray for you that it be established in your life.
We see from Romans 8:26 that the spirit prays from a place of unity with our spirits, from inside us, from our hearts. He helps and prays with us in the form of groaning too deep for words. Does this ever happen to you? You become so aware of God's presence that words lose their meaning, but yet you still have to pray?
Paul calls this praying with your spirit or praying in an unknown tongue. Your mind is unfruitful, but your spirit is effective in this kind of prayer (1 Corinthians 14:14-16). You can pray with your spirit, and when you do, you are yielding the power in your tongue to allow Jesus to pray for you through you. When you pray with your spirit in an unknown tongue, you are allowing God to pray a perfect prayer through you that is according to His will for you. I don't know about you, but I want to co-labor with God and let Him pray perfect powerful prayers through me as much as I can.
But wait, there’s more…
Your Brain Gets Rewired
There is another fascinating aspect to praying in tongues that we only now know through electrical brain-imaging. Dr. Andrew Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has conducted research on the brains of Christians while praying in tongues. His brain imaging tests report that the part of the brain that controls speech is not active while praying in tongues. This means the subject does not know what they are saying; their "understanding is unfruitful."
Another conclusion is this; "These findings could be interpreted as the subject's sense of self-being taken over by something else... We believe this is the first scientific imaging study evaluating changes in cerebral activity -- looking at what actually happens to the brain -- when someone is speaking in tongues. This study also showed a number of other changes in the brain, including those areas involved in emotions and establishing our sense of self." Dr. Newberg - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
By the way, this was only true of Christians praying in tongues. Dr. Newberg conducted the same studies on Buddhist and Franciscan Monks, and both of those groups' brain images did not change to reflect the same results while praying. They chanted and prayed in a language known to them according to their brain activity.
When you pray in tongues, your brain enters a state where your sense of self, who you think you are, is open to suggestion. In this time of prayer, the Spirit of God himself will bear witness with your spirit that you are His child and a joint heir with Jesus. As you prime your physiology with the gift of tongues, you can become rewired to transform into the image of Christ. It already happened on a spiritual level at your new birth; it occurs in the rest of your being as you pray with your spirit in an unknown language.
I believe this is true because life and death are in the power of the tongue. You are yielding your authority to God and are allowing Him to establish His will in you, which is to be conformed to the image of Christ.
If you pray in tongues, do it more. Do it from the heart, not from the mind. If you do not utilize the gift of praying with your spirit in an unknown tongue, ask God to help you and begin to do it. You do not need another dose of the Holy Spirit, you have all of Him if you are born again. Use this gift, use it daily. Don't frustrate the gift with your mind, and don't try to control the narrative of the prayer with your mind. Do it from the heart with your spirit. And rejoice in the fact that God is strengthening you, edifying you, and transforming you as you exercise this gift.
Videos from Dr. Newberg
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The Gifts of the Spirit Work Through You By Love
How do you operate in the gifts of the Spirit? Rest in God’s love until it becomes an intimate experience for you. Experiencing His love for you will manifest as love for others and you will walk in power toward them. The gifts are not special anointings, they are expressions of our love and God’s love for people.
The Spirit pours out of like water, that wellspring of life that Jesus described in John 7:38. That water pours out of us and seeks the dry places in people’s lives. The Spirit becomes what is needed for people. We do not have to try to operate in a specific gift, our task is to be motivated by love for people, then notice what the Spirit is trying to become for that person. It may be a word of encouragement, it may be a healing, it may be a word of correction, it may be a Bible passage, it may be insight about the future, it may be many things.
The more sensitive you are to God’s love for yourself and others, the more sensitive you’ll be to what the Spirit is trying to become for others.
“Pursue love and desire the gifts...”
#8 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Paul sums up his teaching about the gifts in this one idea, “pursue love and desire the gifts.” It’s not the other way around. We are not to pursue or chase after the gifts of the spirit, we are to pursue love.
Firstly, the more correct name is graces of the Spirit. The word “gifts” in the Bible is the Greek word charisma, which is mostly translated as grace. Grace is God’s divine influence in our hearts which brings about capacity and abilities. To use the word “gift” implies a talent, or some kind of possession. You do not have a gift of the Spirit, you experience CHARISMA or the expression of God’s divine influence.
You can experience this expression of his influence within yourself and for others. Paul teaches us that we should desire grace to flow through us in the forms of words of knowledge/wisdom, miracles, and the like. It is healthy to want to see grace operating in your ministry, but we shouldn’t chase after specific expressions of grace.
The priority is love, not the manifestation of the gifts. The gifts are available to bless people as we move toward them in love. Even the one gift that Paul says we should desire the most, prophecy, is all about comforting and building people up in God’s love.
God gave because he loved and Jesus did what he did out of compassion for people. When we pursue gifts not motivated by love, all sorts of things can go awry. When the gifts are the focus, without being an expression of love from a mature heart, the one expressing the gift may think it is his power or his special anointing. We’ve all heard stories about healing ministers falling into sin even though they have miracles in their ministries.
The power of God still works when there is faith. Even a donkey can prophesy. There’s nothing special about the person who can perform miracles, any believer can do it. The goal is to minister to people out of compassion and access the gifts along the way if there is a need.
How To Operate In The Gifts
Grace (gifts) is accessed by faith (Romans 5:2) and faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Ultimately, grace is an expression of love, specifically God’s love for others being poured out through our hearts.
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
This passage is an excellent description of how grace works. Christ is poured out into our hearts, which roots us in God’s love. When we comprehend and experience that love, we are filled with the fullness of God. This is another way of describing being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is an ongoing experience for the believer. This is not a one-time event. We can continually live under the influence of Christ being poured into our hearts so we are rooted in God’s love for us. As we experience and comprehend God’s love, we are filled with the Spirit. And what happens when you are filled with the Spirit? You are endued with power.
So how do you operate in the gifts of the Spirit? Rest in God’s love until it becomes an intimate experience for you. Experiencing His love for you will manifest as love for others and you will walk in power toward them. The gifts are not special anointings, they are expressions of our love and God’s love for people.
The Spirit pours out of like water, that wellspring of life that Jesus described in John 7:38. That water pours out of us and seeks the dry places in people’s lives. The Spirit becomes what is needed for people. We do not have to try to operate in a specific gift, our task is to be motivated by love for people, then notice what the Spirit is trying to become for that person. It may be a word of encouragement, it may be a healing, it may be a word of correction, it may be a Bible passage, it may be insight about the future, it may be many things.
The more sensitive you are to God’s love for yourself and others, the more sensitive you’ll be to what the Spirit is trying to become for others.
As you minister to others, don’t try to hear God, cultivate compassion. Empathize with them, identify with them and keep your heart open to God in the process. As your heart is filled with compassion for people, you will create a channel for His power to flow as well.
Do you want to operate in the gifts? Practice loving people. Listen to them. See them as God sees them. Remove their condemnation and administer peace. When love is your motivation you will never fail.
Homework
Read 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 through 14. Notice that Paul emphasizes that it's the same spirit that works all gifts through all people. Pay attention to the list of graces of the Spirit in chapter 12. The conclusion of Paul's teaching about the graces of the Spirit is found in chapter 14, pursue love and desire the gifts. Don't chase gifts, but expect them to happen in your life and ministry.
Then read the book of Mark. Identify when Jesus is operating in the graces of the Spirit. Pay attention to, what he does before, who he is speaking to, what he says immediately after and anything else that stands out to you.
I'd love to hear your observations and revelations in the comments below.
If you’d like to hear much more detail on this topic, watch the video at the top of the page.
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How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit
Being baptized with the spirit and being filled with the spirit are two different things. When you hear the Gospel and believe, the Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ and Christ immerses you in His spirit who lives in you from then on, never to leave you. You receive the Holy Spirit when you are born again. To be filled with the Spirit is when that indwelling Spirit comes upon you to empower, strengthen and lead you. The spirit never leaves you but His empowerment may not always be resting upon you. Let’s chat about how to yield to His influence by grace through faith.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
#7 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
To be filled with the Spirit is not describing when you receive the Spirit of God, it’s when you yield to Him and are under His influence. You can say being filled with the Spirit is when He comes upon you in power. While you received the Spirit when you first heard the Gospel and believed, you may not have known you could yield to His influence in your life.
In recent articles, I point out that baptism with the Spirit and baptism into the body of Christ happens when you first hear and believe the Gospel. From then on, you can be filled (under the influence) of the Spirit.
I teach on this topic in much more detail in the sermon above. For this article, I want to give you a practical exercise on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit so He will come upon you for power.
This passage gives us practical instruction to become filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not a formula, and these are not the only things you can do to experience the Spirit's empowerment. You can also pray with your Spirit. Next week’s article will cover praying with your Spirit. This verse has 2 practical things you can do to be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be filled with the Spirit
Sing songs and hymns amongst yourselves (sounds like church)
Sing spiritual songs amongst yourselves (sounds like singing with your spirit)
Make melody in your heart to the Lord
Be thankful
Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit is not just for ministry toward others, it’s for your personal life too. You can do these things when you’re depressed, feeling anxious, are afraid, or facing temptation. You can meditate on the negative or fearful circumstances of your life, or you can sing songs in your heart to the Lord. You can let lack and fear invade your imagination as you foresee destruction, or you can be thankful for the blessings in your life and have faith in His promises. You can complain and watch conspiracy videos that keep you focused on demonic topics, or you can lift your spirit by putting on His Spirit.
There are many ways to experience the filling of the Spirit. I pray you live a daily lifestyle of choosing to yield to Him in everything. Try it. Practice putting on the Spirit. Develop your own way of putting on His power. Be intentional about it.
If you’d like to hear much more detail on this topic, watch the video at the top of the page.
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Baptism with the Holy Spirit
When does the baptism with the Holy Spirit happen? Can you be born again without this baptism? The truth is, when you hear and believe the Gospel, the Spirit baptizes you into Christ and Christ puts His spirit in you, of baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, they happen at the same time. You don’t have to wait to receive the Holy Spirit. From then on you can be filled with the Spirit or influenced by the spirit. Today we discuss these topics, we pray the create a firm foundation in the finished work of Jesus.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
#6 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Understanding the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not that complicated.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
You either have the spirit of God dwelling in you, or you don’t. Being baptized with or in the spirit is not a separate event from the born-again experience. When you hear and believe the Gospel, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ, and Jesus immerses you into His spirit or seals you with His spirit at the same time.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
John 1:33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
Ephesians 1:3 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
From then on, God lives in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
When you are baptized into the sin-removing, new creation generating authority of Christ by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit places you in the body of Christ, and Christ places His spirit in you. You are forever in-dwelt, sealed, and anointed with His spirit. You can then yield to the Holy Spirit to come upon you or fill you for fruit and power. More on this in my next sermon and article.
Baptism With Fire
What does it mean that Jesus will baptize you with fire?
Isaiah 4:4 when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
Charismatics assume fire equals power but it never meant that in the culture that wrote the Bible. Fire always denotes judgment or cleansing, never power.
“He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.—As heard and understood at the time, the baptism with the Holy Ghost would imply that the souls baptized would be plunged, as it were, in that creative and informing Spirit which was the source of life and holiness and wisdom. The baptism “with fire” would convey, in its turn, the thought of a power at once destroying evil and purifying good. The appearance of the “tongues like as of fire” that accompanied the gift of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was an outward visible sign, an extension of the symbolism, rather than the actual fulfillment of the promise.” ~ Ellicott’s Commentary
When you hear and believe the Gospel, God goes to work in you, making you a new creature. He adopts you and places you into His family by His Spirit. Jesus becomes your Lord, Savior, high priest, salvation, sanctification, and a host of other things at that moment. When God gives you a new heart, Jesus goes to work immersing you in His spirit and cleansing your mere human nature from you. His judgment on your behalf goes to work in you, making it possible for you to be given His righteousness. You do not have to wait until another point in time to receive it be baptized with the spirit. You are a vessel that is able to contain the Holy Spirit of God from the moment you believe.
When Were the Apostles Baptized with the Spirit?
This can be a confusing question. We see Jesus breathe on the disciples to receive the spirit after he is resurrected. Then He tells them to wait in Jerusalem until they are endued with power. Then the spirit is poured out of Heaven, and they hear a rushing wind, at which point Acts says they are baptized with the spirit. Then in Acts 4 we see that Peter becomes filled with the spirit as he answers his accusers. How should we understand the receiving, baptizing, and being filled with the spirit?
John 20:22 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
What does "receive" mean? It means to receive.
Luke 24:49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Did he tell them to wait to receive the spirit? No, He had already given them the spirit. They were waiting to be clothed with power.
Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Why did they have to wait for the power? Because the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out. I can’t say I fully understand why that is so, but we do have this passage as a precedent. “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:39
We see that once the spirit is poured out in the earth, being born again, being baptized with the spirit, and being endued with power can all happen simultaneously.
From then on, it's ministered this way...
Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Being baptized in the name or authority of Jesus is to be born again. Receiving the gift of the spirit is to be baptized with the spirit. From that point, you can become clothed with the spirit. Being endued with power or clothed with the spirit seems to be an act of faith to access the grace/power that He placed in us.
Being filled with the spirit or under the influence of the spirit is an act of faith. Praying in tongues, experiencing the fruit of the spirit, and performing the spirit's gifts are all aspects of being filled with the spirit. How do you yield to the influence of the spirit to be filled with the spirit to experience his power in you and through you? That is the topic of my next sermon and article. Rejoice that you are sealed with the Spirit and He will never leave you or forsake you. You have been made just like Jesus so you can be confident in the last day of judgment. Until then you can be empowered by His spirit to participate in the increase of His kingdom. Watch the message above for more on this topic.
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Baptism In the Name / Body of Jesus Christ
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to baptize people into the Body of Christ. He does this when someone hears and believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible authors use a few phrases to describe this event; being born again, made a new creation, going from death to life in Christ, are made new, undergo a circumcision made without hands, washed in the blood of Christ, and probably a few more.
When the Holy Spirit baptized you into the body of Christ, you are sanctified (cleansed of sin), given a new heart, and are indwelt by God’s spirit. The Holy Spirit cleanses you with the blood of Christ, which leaves you in a spiritually holy state, able to house God’s spirit. This cleansing also places you in a right state before God, he gives you the gift of righteousness.
All of this happens when the Holy Spirit baptizes you in the name of Jesus Christ, which happens when you hear and believe the Gospel.
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
#5 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Hebrews 6 tells us that we should be grounded in the foundations of the faith. One of those foundations is the doctrine of baptisms. Water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit get most of the spotlight in Christianity, but there is another baptism, baptism into Christ.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - 1 Corinthians 12:13a
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to baptize people into the Body of Christ. He does this when someone hears and believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible authors use a few phrases to describe this event; being born again, made a new creation, going from death to life in Christ, are made new, undergo a circumcision made without hands, washed in the blood of Christ, and probably a few more.
When the Holy Spirit baptized you into the body of Christ, you are sanctified (cleansed of sin), given a new heart, and are indwelt by God’s spirit. The Holy Spirit cleanses you with the blood of Christ, which leaves you in a spiritually holy state, able to house God’s spirit. This cleansing also places you in a right state before God, he gives you the gift of righteousness.
All of this happens when the Holy Spirit baptizes you in the name of Jesus Christ, which happens when you hear and believe the Gospel.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This is an important phrase, “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” “Name” denotes authority. To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ isn’t about what words are spoken when you are water baptized, it’s about being immersed into the authority of Christ. He becomes your Lord. When you are placed in him he removes your sin because his blood/authority has the power to do so.
This is a spiritual event that changes your inner man and makes you a new creature that will live forever in the presence of God.
Water isn’t involved in the baptism the Holy Spirit performs. Water Baptism is merely an outward expression of your baptism into Christ. Water Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ IS salvation.
If you think of water every time you hear the word baptism, read this passage again.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Why are you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? For the remission of sins. Can water wash away sin? No! What washes away sin? The blood of Christ.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
You are forgiven BECAUSE OF of the blood of Jesus, and you are cleansed BY the blood of Jesus because Jesus has the authority to cleanse you of sin. Water baptism does not remit your sin, only the blood of Jesus can. I’m not trying to belittle water baptism, I’m just placing emphasis on the spiritual baptism of being immersed into Christ.
Here are a few more passages on being baptized in the name/authority of Christ for more understanding.
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Being baptized into Christ isn’t about being dunked in water, it’s ALL about being immersed into his death and resurrection. We die in him and receive new life in him because we are immersed into him. The old man dies and we become new.
Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
When you believe the good news that Jesus died to set you free from sin and death, and that you can have eternal life in him, you are plunged into Christ forever!!
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Being baptized in the name of Jesus isn’t about which words are spoken when you come out of the water, it’s about being immersed in his death, and therefore his resurrection.
Another amazing thing happens at this point of baptism, Jesus baptized you with God’s spirit. Essentially two baptisms happen to you when you believe the Gospel, the Spirit places you into Christ, and then Jesus places the Spirit in you.
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Here we see that Jesus baptized us with the Holy Spirit. The Baptism with/in/of the Spirit is NOT a separate event. Peter tells us that we receive this gift of the spirit when we are baptized into the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit acts as a high priest in our lives and administers the blood of Christ to us when we believe the Gospel. Once the Spirit cleanses us with the blood of Christ, Christ then places His spirit IN us. He has to clean us up before he can live in us.
What about Acts 2?
What about Apollos and the early church members that Paul encountered? Weren’t they born again but had not received the baptism of the spirit? Let’s investigate.
Acts 18:24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Acts 19:1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
These men were only baptized in the baptism of John. John’s baptism was for repentance but baptism into Christ is for salvation. These men were not born again. They hadn’t heard that they were supposed to believe on Jesus for the remission of sins. Once they heard this and believed on Jesus, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
The spiritual event of being born again happened the very moment they believed. They were not taken to water to be baptized, the spirit baptized them where they stood.
Then Paul laid hands on them to participate with the spirit so they would walk in the power of God which could now come upon them. Paul did not lay hands on them to give them the spirit. Paul knew that when you believe, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as Peter said in Acts 2:38
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I hope Acts 2:38 means more to you now. I pray you see the depth in this passage. Peter gives us the new birth process in one passage. When you believe you are placed in Christ, your sins are removed and you receive the Holy Spirit!!!
If you believe in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. You don’t have part of the Holy Spirit, you have all of him. You don’t have to wait for him to show up and empower you, he lives in you and empowers you from the inside.
I will go into this point in more detail in my next sermon/article. For now, rejoice that you are IN CHRIST!!
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A Practical Exercise in Cultivating the Fruits of the Spirit
We hear lots of sermons on what we should do and believe but we also need practical instruction on how to cultivate the word of God for real life. This exercise and conversation will help you transform your responses so you choose the fruits of the spirit rather than the works of the flesh.
#4 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
You can cultivate the fruits of the spirit if you renew your mind and set your heart to yield to God's spirit in real-life situations.. We hear lots of sermons on what we should do and believe but we also need practical instruction on how to cultivate the word of God for real life. This exercise and conversation will help you transform your responses so you choose the fruits of the spirit rather than the works of the flesh.
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Jesus Will Lift You Up When You Don't Bear the Fruits of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit lives in you to bear fruit. He is seeking to form Christ in you so you’ll be a blessing to the people of the nations. God’s desire is to have a family that he leads from their hearts by his spirit. It’s an ingenious plan to bless the world through relationship. As we yield to him and allow him to shape our entire being, we transform into a global family that continues to increase God’s kingdom. The world needs a body of Christ that is fully yielded to the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged today as we focus on the good news of God’s spirit working in you today.
“He cuts off (lifts up) every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.”
#3 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
This week's sermon is about bearing the fruits of the spirit, but I want to focus on a specific point for this article. In Jesus' teachings about the Holy Spirit in John chapters 14-16, he makes what seems to be an alarming statement at the beginning of chapter 15.
If you read it at face value, Jesus seems to say that God will throw you into hell if you don't bear fruit. But this is NOT what he is saying.
If you look at the footnotes in your Bible for this passage, you'll notice that the phrase "cuts off" or "takes away" can also be translated "lifts up." The idea is that a grapevine that is sagging, weak, and struggling to grow grapes needs to be staked up so it can breathe and catch the sunlight.
If you aren't bearing fruit in Jesus, he will lift you up, not throw you away. Why does it say "takes away?" The English translators regularly translated at their discretion, sometimes getting words and phrases wrong from their original meaning. It doesn't mean God's written word has errors, it just means phrases don't always translate well to other languages from the original Greek in which it was written.
In John 15, Jesus says he desires fruit from you, and the only way you can bear fruit is to be in him. Why would he cut you off and throw you away for not bearing fruit if you need to be in him to bear fruit? It doesn't make sense.
We have to understand Jesus' warning for this passage to make sense. Jesus is warning his followers to keep the faith in him. He knows a time is coming when his followers would be persecuted, and many would leave "the way" and return to the sacrifices under the former covenant. Paul warns of the same thing many times in his letters.
Jesus desires that his followers keep trusting and believing in him, not to draw back from their faith in him. He makes a remarkable statement in verse 7 for those who remain in him or continue to keep their trust in him; "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." All I can say is WOW!!
You don't have to worry about Jesus abandoning you to hell if you aren't a good enough Christian. Just keep believing in him, and he will lift you up and carry you when you are weak. You can trust him with your life, and your eternal destiny is secure in him.
There is much to be said about bearing the fruits of the spirit, but this is the basis. Allow his words to abide in you. Remain in him, and you will effortlessly produce fruit that brings great glory to the name of God.
I hope you watch the sermon above for a more complete teaching on the fruits of the spirit.
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A Powerful Exercise to Help You Hear God
The Holy Spirit lives in you. He is continually speaking to you. You hear him better than you think. I know that because when you were born again, God placed his spirit in your and gave you a new heart that is tuned to his voice. You hear him all the time, you probably just overlook his voice because you’re expecting something more phenomenal. He is practical and makes it easy to follow him if your mind is in agreement with his instruction. Walk through this powerful exercise with us and gain a new confidence that you can truly hear God for yourself!
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
#2 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
In the sermon above, Hearing God For Yourself, I walk you through a simple yet powerful exercise in hearing God after a bit of teaching. We focus on hearing the Holy Spirit testify of Jesus in the main areas of life; Identity, physical health, mental health, finances, relationships, career, and your calling. Click play to begin the video while you read the rest of this article.
God Is Always Speaking
The Holy Spirit lives in you. He is continually speaking to you. You hear him better than you think. I know that because when you were born again, God placed his spirit in your and gave you a new heart that is tuned to his voice. Your new nature allows God to live in your and speak to you through your heart, directly into your inner man. You hear him all the time, you probably just overlook his voice because you’re expecting something more intellectual or phenomenal.
You may not be confident in thinking and hearing with this new heart, but you can be confident. The good news is you can discipline yourself to hear and follow God.
I developed an easy process to anchor your mind and heart in the words of Jesus, so you’ll hear him in the most basic areas of life. If you can read the Bible, you can hear God. God will affirm and quicken his written word to become a living word for you. The quickened living word may have been written thousands of years ago, but the words of Jesus are life and truth, they’re able to give you life in every situation today.
Practical Application
Walk through the practical and easy-to-follow exercise in the video above.
Main Areas of life
Identity
Physical Health
Mental Health
Finances
Career / Job
Relationships
Calling / Purpose
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The Holy Spirit Testifies of the Finished Work of Jesus
#1 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The scripture says much about the Holy Spirit. Here are just a few. The Holy Spirit lives in you to teach, comfort, help, strengthen, lead, and convict you. He will give you power, remind you of Jesus' words, and pray for you and through you. He bears his fruit through you. He sets you free, seals you in God with Christ, guarantees salvation, bear witness about Jesus, gives utterance for tongues, and gives life to your physical body.
He knows God's thoughts for you, bears witness with your spirit that you are God's child. He washes you, sanctifies you, and justifies you. He makes you a minister of the new covenant, searches you, and blesses you.
He is your friend and counselor. He is called alongside you to help you in every situation. It is better that he is here with you than Jesus in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is God's very life source, living in you, to declare to you everything Jesus inherited for you in his glorification.
““But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
#1 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The scripture says much about the Holy Spirit. Here are just a few. The Holy Spirit lives in you to teach, comfort, help, strengthen, lead, and convict you. He will give you power, remind you of Jesus' words, and pray for you and through you. He bears his fruit through you. He sets you free, seals you in God with Christ, guarantees salvation, bear witness about Jesus, gives utterance for tongues, and gives life to your physical body.
He knows God's thoughts for you, bears witness with your spirit that you are God's child. He washes you, sanctifies you, and justifies you. He makes you a minister of the new covenant, searches you, and blesses you.
He is your friend and counselor. He is called alongside you to help you in every situation. It is better that he is here with you than Jesus in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is God's very life source, living in you, to declare to you everything Jesus inherited for you in his glorification.
What Did Jesus Say About the Holy Spirit?
When Jesus teaches on the function of the Holy Spirit in John 14, 15, and 16, he describes a relationship. He is not an impersonal force in us, he is God with us. He is a present helper who will always lead us into life and truth. It is important that one of the first things Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do would be to remind us what he said.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Why does he remind us of the words of Jesus?
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
The Holy Spirit reminds you of the words of Jesus because they are spirit and life.
The Spirit will guides you by reminding you of the words of Jesus, but it's up to you whether they become life for you.
That may happen when you're reading the Word, when you're praying, or when you're driving. You may be thinking of an issue or praying for a solution from God and be reminded of something Jesus taught. At that moment, you have a choice to meditate on that word and allow it to take root in your heart so it will become life and feed/empower you.
That word may be a simple answer to a decision you need to make, or it may be the initiation of a profound life change. Either way, it's up to you to place that illuminated scripture on a pedestal in your heart and mind until it overshadows the issue you're praying about.
Once God's living word becomes possible in your heart, despite the physical situation, you have a chance to experience the manifestation of life directly from God. When you are reminded of something Jesus taught, take it as an opportunity to allow the written Word to become the living Word.
Don’t Ignore the Remembrance of Scripture
Often we listen for God, but we miss his influence because we're looking for a specific kind of answer. Our preferred methods of hearing from God are often inconsistent and subjective, based on feelings and emotions rather than his Word. When the Holy Spirit reminds you of something Jesus said, he's not trying to get you to memorize scripture, he's trying to impart something life-giving for that specific situation.
See the next article and sermon, You Can Hear God for Yourself, for a practical exercise in hearing the Holy Spirit remind you of Jesus' words. It’s coming in a few days.
The Holy Spirit Declares Your Inheritance
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit will declare to you what belongs to Jesus. It just so happens that what belongs to Jesus also belongs to you. You are a co-heir with Jesus. Jesus has inherited an authority above all powers. In fact, he has inherited all things (Hebrews 1).
The Holy Spirit will declare to you what Jesus accomplished for you. He will remind you of the finished work on your behalf. He will reinforce your eternal identity. He will declare to you the authority of Jesus in any given situation. For example, if you are praying for healing, the Holy Spirit will declare that the stripes of Jesus healed you.
He will declare to you that you are God's child, there is no condemnation for you, and you have been delivered from the curse of the Law. Therefore healing is yours because the ability to heal belongs to Jesus. It is then up to you to believe what the Holy Spirit declares.
Just because he declares it does not mean it will manifest in your life. This is where faith comes in. You must place your faith in the finished work of Jesus. Your faith is a seed. You must plant it in the soil of Jesus and remain steadfast until full manifestation. The Holy Spirit will quicken to you the specific attributes of your salvation in Jesus so you can see it come to pass in your life.
Too often, we allow the cares of this world, our issues with money, and the lust of another solution to uproot that faith/seed before it grows into an answer from God.
Mind renewal is a must in this process. God is speaking all the time. You hear him better than you think. Pay attention to the times the Holy Spirit reminds you of the words of Jesus, and allow the written Word to become the Living Word. Take the time to listen to the message above for a more complete sermon on this topic.
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