The good seed Theme: The Holy Spirit To get us thinking in the right direction, I have listed a few tasks the Holy Spirit endeavours to accomplish in your life on a daily basis. “The Holy Spirit…” • Convicts (see John 16:8-11). • illuminates (see John 16:12-15). • teaches (see John 16:12-15). • Guides (see Rom. 8:14). • assures (see Rom. 8:16). • intercedes (see Rom. 8:26). • directs (see Acts 20:22). • warns (see Acts 20:23). The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Father to assist us in all the practical matters of our Christian living. He is our number one Helper. The baptism of the Spirit signifies that a man or woman has put faith in Christ. Every believer has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. Baptism symbolizes our identification with body of Christ. In my own study of the Scriptures through the years, I have become convinced that there is only one baptism with the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer, and that takes place At the moment of conversion. The confusion stems primarily from the delay in Acts between conversion and the baptism of the Spirit. Some believe that to be the normal paten. So they encourage believers to seek the baptism of the Spirit. The delay was necessary then because the Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus departed. If Christians spent as much time pursuing the fruit of the Spirit as they did the gifts of the Spirit, the body of Christ would be much better off. It’s the presence of fruit, not gifts, that demonstrates a believer’s dependency on the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is manifested in a believer’s life through two channels—the gift of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Everybody gets a gift. Possessing a gift says nothing about a believer’s compliance with the promptings of the Spirit. Exercising a gift is no proof, either. Being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn’t necessarily mean that a spirit filled person will not fall, they have their down times. They don’t win every battle. Doubt and temptation take them out of the race from time to time. But their recovery time is remarkably short. They don’t stay down. And once they are back, it’s as if they actually benefited from the experience. Specifically, their lives will be characterized by the following nine virtues: • Love • Joy • Peace • Patience • Kindness • Goodness • Faithfulness • Gentleness • Self-control “CAUTION: Stay clear of any teacher, preacher, or anyone else who encourages you to do something, read something, or say something to harness( evoke) the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s power cannot be harnessed (evoked). His power cannot be used to accomplish anything other than the Father’s will. He is not a delivery boy. He is not a vending machine. He is not a genie waiting for someone to rub His lamp the right way. He is holy God.” “People who are always looking for a way to direct or control the power of the Holy Spirit are confused. The Holy Spirit was sent to control us! He is not available to do our bidding.” The power of the Holy Spirit is manifested in a believer’s life through two channels—the gift of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit.” The fruit of the Spirit is the most effective evangelistic tool we have. Nothing is more powerful than a life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The most powerful sermon in the world can’t match the power of a fruit-filled life. Why? Because unbelievers are not nearly as impressed with what we believe and preach as they are with how we act, especially under pressure. “Consistent victory in my life is never the result of my trying to become more self-controlled. Think about it. How can self be more self-controlled? Can a wild animal tame itself? Would a dog ever give itself a bath? Of course not. There things run contrary to natural instinct. Walking in the Spirit is not a solo mission. It is not an excuse for you to become detached and isolated from other Christians. A believer who pulls away from the pack to do his or her own ‘spiritual’ thing cannot be walking in the Spirit. You cannot walk in the Spirit apart from functioning in the body of Christ. The primary purpose of spiritual gifts is the building up of the body—not the personal gratification of the individual member. If Christians spent as much time pursuing the fruit of the Spirit as they did the gifts of the Spirit, the body of Christ would be much better off. Let’s walk in the spirit because one can’t please God unless we walk in spirit and in truth. Amen!!!
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:26:39 +0000
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