Afraid of a Supernatural Demonstration of the Gifts of the Spirit?
I am one blessed person. I was raised (and reared ... but that is for a different blog post) in a Christian home by two Jesus-loving, Spirit-filled parents who knew the importance of continually being in church services (again ... another possible future blog post) where the Holy Spirit was a resident and not a guest (another possible future blog post). Because of constantly being in an environment where the Holy Spirit was free to speak and demonstrate His presence, I know what the New Testament "norm" is for Church. Speaking and worshiping God in tongues in a church service for personal...
Your Children … Filled with the Holy Spirit
Before you get into reading this blog post, I need to apologize. I know that what I am going to share is so, so simple and yet, perhaps so simple that it is overlooked and ignored in many children's ministries. Here are some facts ... If a child is capable of understanding God's gift to the sinner (salvation), then a child is capable of understanding God's gift to the believer (the Baptism in the Holy Spirit). If a child is capable of receiving the gift of salvation, then a child is capable of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. If a child is capable of knowing that they have received...
The Parakletos
Let me pass along a challenge for you to pursue in the next few days. Using the Bible translations that you might have in your library and/or the vast information available through the internet’s Google, deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit by studying the word that Jesus used in John 14 – 16 to introduce the Holy Spirit to His disciples, the word "Parakletos". The early translators of the Bible (Wycliffe, Luther, KJV) chose to translate the original Greek word "Parakletos" into our word "Comforter" and had valid reasons for their choice. It's really quite an interesting study....
The “Formula” for Maximized Ministry
In a day where the church is driven by formulas, let me share a can't miss "formula" for filling a church to capacity, seeing altars lined with penitent sinners, having walls covered with no-longer-needed braces and wheelchairs, experiencing unprecedented worship where the people are passionate participators and not unengaged spectators, and inviting glorious demonstrations of the Holy Spirit's presence as seen throughout the Book of Acts. I'm taking this Book of Acts "formula" from a book that is a classic Christ the Healer written by a man that was mightily used of God in the area of...
Put Your Passion on Display
A few weeks ago, I was on an airplane sitting beside a stranger for one eternally long flight. After the usual small talk, he asked me about my occupation. (Big mistake!) It wasn't long into the conversation that he commented about my passion for seeing a move of God sweep across our nation. Recently while attending a luncheon, I sat across the table from a beautiful young couple that were children's pastors in a tremendous church. Again, after just a few minutes of talking about the need for churches to allow the Holy Spirit to be Himself, they too commented about my passion. If this was a...
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