When we ask for His outpouring its His way or no way – His way is the only way
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I am not sure how to answer some of the theology in this. Some say that we are filled with the Holy Spirit when we are born again and there is nothing else. Some say that there is a sequence to being filled with the Holy Spirit – being born again, being baptized in water and then being baptized in the Holy Spirit (with speaking in tongues as the main sign of that experience). Others say that the Holy Spirit as poured out in Acts chapter 2 is not for today. Others claim that the gifts of the Spirit merely refer to an enhancement of natural giftings, skills and traits.
I cannot explain the mind of God nor how the Holy Spirit chooses to work. Jesus said that He would send the Holy Spirit who was with the disciples to be in them later. He said that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them which happened ten days later on the day of Pentecost.
The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and “tongues of fire” rested on each one of them. The room was filled with “the sound of a rushing wind”. They all spoke with other tongues (in the language of men and angels) as the Spirit allowed them to speak. There followed a manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit whilst lives showed by their “fruit” (the things that people could see and hear) that these were changed righteous people. Jesus said “by their fruits you will know them” – whether someone belonged to the Kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of this world and/or manifested the characteristics of the devil – lies, deception, selfishness, abuse, hate and murder.
Paul contrasts the fruits of a worldly life with the gifts of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5. First the characteristics of a worldly life:
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast the fruits of the Spirit are listed:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
In Corinthians Paul summarizes some gifts that the Holy Spirit implants in God’s children as He Himself wills.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
We are told that these operate in proportion to our faith (Romans 12:6): We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith…
In Ephesians Paul makes it clear that the people of God should find their joy in a different place to the world and instead indicates that children of God desire what their Father in Heaven and their Saviour desires:
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Since that first outpouring of the Holy Spirit the Lord has continued to pour out His Spirit on His people. It is apparent from Acts that the manifestations, empowerment and signs of the first outpouring were not an isolated incident. The Holy Spirit was poured out into gentiles as indicated first in Acts chapter 10:44-46: While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. (If you read on you will see that on this occasion those filled were baptised in water afterwards). In other places the people that had already been filled experienced a renewal of the outpouring as in Acts chapter 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
The book of Acts is a testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit who attested to the truth of the message of the Christians by signs and wonders and as Jesus promised, the Father pouring out the Holy Spirit on all who turned to Jesus and asked Him. Throughout History the story has been the same, with outpourings of the Holy Spirit and extraordinary signs following God’s people seeking His face. This is in accordance with God’s promises and the desire of Godly people to know Him better:
Psalm 27:8: When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Proverbs 8:17: I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
Luke 11:13: If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Its seems that every “revival” has been different but every revival has been preceded by God’s people earnestly seeking His face – and not moving until He has poured out the Holy Spirit on them. Each revival has also been characterised by criticism and opposition. Sometimes violent opposition, often originating from the “established church” (See Acts in its entirety). Some have criticised what the Holy Spirit has been doing without understanding the Holy Spirit’s working (and who can understand His working). The one apparent thing is that the Holy Spirit will give way to no man’s opinion and will not tolerate “the flesh”. Often His working has been to cause men to yield to Him so that He can be preeminent.
We are okay with the words of the song reflecting the willingness of King David to belittle himself before the Lord “and I will be more undignified than this” – until the Holy Spirit demands something of us that we consider will appear strange and belittling. But what do we read “He (Jesus) made Himself of no reputation” – yet we like Naaman (unwilling at first to belittle himself by dipping 7 times in the river Jordan) often stumble at the first thing that God asks of us. We can bet that the thing that He asks of us is the one thing that is holding us back from true freedom – but as we come to seek His face, ask Him to pour out His Holy Spirit again and yield ourselves to Him to let Him have His way amongst us – we have the chance like Naaman to yield to wise counsel and obey Him, no matter how ridiculous we look or how stupid it seems in the flesh. There is plenty of scriptural precedent. We can be sure that whatever the Lord wants to pour out, whatever He has for us, we will not get our way or the way we want it “packaged”. When we ask for His outpouring its His way or no way – His way is the only way…
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
’Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.
(Frances Brook)
Author: Chris Pearson
May God bless and enrich your life
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