Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
HOLY SPIRIT EXPLAINED
How To Receive The Holy Spirit
Have you ever been sitting in church listening to the sermon, when the pastor suddenly adds: "and everyone here, of course, remembers the day, hour and exact minute they were saved and received the "Holy Spirit". You look around to witness everyone in the sanctuary, nodding their head. (It's supposed to be like - "everyone remembers where they were when John Kennedy or John Lennon was shot")
You of course are nodding also, because to be seen "not" nodding in agreement, is to broadcast to everyone that, you must not be saved or have the "Holy Spirit" in you if you do "not" remember such an earth shaking moment as when you received the Holy Spirit and got saved!
Well, let me be the first to shout: "I DON'T REMEMBER!" I don't remember the day, the hour, or the minute! I'd love to be able to tell you that: "Yes! The holy spirit grabbed me, picked me up, and body slammed me on the altar".
He roughed me up and I wandered around for days in a blissful stupor and I've never been the same since! Sorry! I just don't remember. This is not to say that this does not happen to some people, but it does not happen to very many of us ordinary folks that God loves equally as much.
THESE ARE THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracles
Prophecy
Distinguishing Spirits
Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
Sadly. it would appear on the surface that the Holy Spirit has given "everybody" the gifts of prophecy and tongues, and almost completely neglected to give away any of the other 7 gifts. This is of course, mostly peoples "Vanity". In most churches, there is no shortage of prophets or people with a "Word from the Lord". However, you will be hard pressed to find anyone claiming that the Holy Spirit has given them the gift of "Wisdom or knowledge". (You could easily test a person on those)
Don't seek after the gifts of the spirit! I am amazed to see, mostly women, walk up to the front of the church, every service, and share the "Word from the Lord" that God has given them. The prophetic word that they share is usually a quoting of scripture, introduced with: "Thus sayeth the Lord".
When we hear these "Words from the Lord" What are we to think? That God is repeating himself again! I don't think so. Prophets usually don't quote scripture, they write it. Unfortunately, in the body of Christ, everyone wants to be the head and no one wants to be the "little toe". Everyone serves a purpose in Christ's body.
Don't strive to take the most important position in Christ's body! (Jesus already filled that position) Don't you know that the "real" prophets were persecuted and died horrible, painful, humiliating deaths? Do you really want to be a Prophet? If your answer is "No", only then, the Holy Spirit might choose to give you that gift on a permanent basis! (Like it or not)
1 Corinthians 12:11-12 - But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.
The key words here are: "distributing to each one individually just as He (the Holy Spirit) wills". The Holy Spirit gives them to "who he pleases, as he wills". This is not something you can take by force! When the time comes and when it is needed, the Holy Spirit "will" provide you with the gift that is most needed and appropriate at that time! When that time comes, don't be surprised to find out that the gift of wisdom will be your life saver.
A LIST OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Question is, did "I" receive the Holy Spirit? YES! How do I know I have the Holy Spirit? Well, For me a big change happened when I started reading the Bible and praying to god. To my surprise, one day, I'm reading the bible and I find myself repeating the word "WOW". Scriptures I'd read before started leaping off the pages at me with "new meaning". The feeling was better than any drug you could possibly take.
But, you know what? The holy spirit was there all along. Jesus said that the holy spirit would be sent by the father as a helper in his name.
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 that I said to you".
So don't be so hard on yourself and quit letting the "nodding in agreement folks" make you feel guilty because you were not "Slain in the spirit", shaking and wandering around blindly into traffic for days afterward.
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
DO YOU BELIEVE YOU'VE REVEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?
In John 14:26, Jesus tells you what the Holy Spirit is and what he does! Jesus referred to the Holy spirit as "The Helper". So, I ask you, what does a helper do? HE HELPS! How does he help you? He teaches you all things and he makes you remember all the words Jesus spoke to you!
If you have not read the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John containing the words Jesus has spoken to you, the Holy Spirit can't very well make you remember them, can he? So, blow the dust off that Bible now and start reading! (I have spoken)
At no time do I recall Jesus saying that God sent the Holy Spirit in his name to "body slam" you like Hulk Hogan. As with anyone sent to help or any "helper", they are not going to be much use if you do not actually ask them to help you with something.
If you couldn't move your television set by yourself, you would ask someone to help. If you don't feel the holy spirit is in you, invite him in! Then ask him to help.
If it comports you to do this, go ahead. There's nothing wrong with it. But if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, he's already there. Let him help!
WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
If you have ever confessed that "Jesus is Lord", I would strongly disagree with you based on scripture.
1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
I would also add that if you have heard the message of the gospel and you believed it, you have already received the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Neither of the two scriptures above promise an earth shaking experience of any kind. Granted, most of the instances where someone received the Holy Spirit in the bible, was witnessed by someone, but, if it were not witnessed, it could not have been documented or written about.
Actually, it was not the holy spirit that was being observed, it was the "gifts of the Holy Spirit". With the exception of Jesus himself when the Holy Spirit descended on him "as a dove". There was no doubt a great outpouring in those days, but the purpose was to edify the believers of the "new religion", who were small and very few in number. I believe this "visible" outpouring was mostly targeted to this particular group of people. (But not limited to)
How else would you explain the following scriptures:
John 7:39 - But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
In this scripture it is stated that the Holy Spirit has not yet been given! But yet, the scriptures clearly state that the Holy Spirit spoke through David at least twice, (Mark 12:36 and Acts 1:16) and through the prophet Isaiah at least once. (Acts 28:25) Both from the old testament, before Jesus.
There are two possibilities. Either the scriptures are contradictory to each other, or Jesus was referring to a particular group of people! With these things said, let me tell you what is truly dangerous. The belief that a person or group of people consider themselves or are considered by others to be "god’s elite" because they have been tossed around in some dramatic fashion while receiving the Holy Spirit. (you are just as saved and filled with the spirit either way)
If a person confesses that Jesus is Lord, he is every bit as much filled with the Holy Spirit as the one who prophecies and speaks in tongues for hours. The gifts of the spirit may vary from person to person, but that is for the Holy Spirit to decide.
1 Corinthians 12:11 - But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
Some churches and denominations actually teach people to speak in tongues, by having them babble until it finally happens! (True) But you can not "Learn" a gift and you can not "earn" a gift! The holy spirit will distribute them to each one as he wills! Too many people try to take this by force! These things are not only "pride and vanity" they are not from God.
Paul even had problems with people concerning the gifts of the spirit. In a nice way, he had to tell them to stop!
1 Corinthians 14:28 - but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
Too many people do these things to magnify themselves! Including receiving the Holy Spirit. I do believe that some people have an earth shaking experience when they get saved and receive the Holy Spirit. I also believe that most people do not! I think I’m very safe in saying that God does not hold either one with a higher regard.
During Jesus’ entire ministry here on earth, he never condemned even one sinner! He did however condemn the church on many occasions. These were the very things the church of that time was doing. Lording it over everyone else showing that they were "holier" than the rest and teaching others to be just like them. "That was dangerous". (and still is)
God Bless You
Dan Douglass
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Gifts of the Spirit
Shaking in the Spirit
What is the Holy Spirit?
According to Jesus he is a "helper"! How does the Holy Spirit help?
Jesus said: He teaches you all things and he makes you remember all the words Jesus spoke to you! How do you get the Holy Spirit? The Father sends him, in Jesus name.