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The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

17 Dec Praying in the Spirit Illustrations – Part 1

Posted at 06:00h in Praying in Other Tongues, The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Walk of the Spirit by Billy Burns 0 Comments

Beginning with this blog post, I want to share several great, easy-to-do, easy-to-understand object lessons (sermon illustrations for those ministering to adults) that show the importance of daily praying in the Spirit. I will give a brief, skeletal overview and set it up for you to make it an incredibly great teaching tool. This and the following blog posts will also provide an excellent resource for family devotions with your children and grandchildren. The Importance of Praying in Other Tongues Part 1 - Keeping Your Spiritual Battery Fully Charged! When I purchased my first cell phone, I was so excited. (If you still have the original box, show the box.) I couldn't wait to get the cell phone out of the box (show your excitement in opening the box and then discovering the cell phone) to start calling and texting all of my friends. (Pretend to make call after call and send text message after text message.) And, even more importantly, I couldn't wait to start playing all of the cool games on the cell phone. (Pretend to play a game.) Needless to say, I made call after call, sent text after text, and finally played game after game on the cell phone. You already know where I am going with this story. After a few hours of using the cell phone, all of a sudden, it stopped and I couldn't get it to start up again. You've guessed. The battery had run of out power. I soon found out that the cell phone is only able to make the calls and send the text messages and provide the cool games as long as it has power. Simply put, no power, no play! While this cell phone has so many great apps, those apps can't do what they are created to do until the cell phone has power. Fortunately, there is an easy remedy for this problem. The manufacturer knew that the cell phone would constantly need to replenish or charge the battery and so they included this power plug (show phone charger) so that the cell phone could be recharged. Before Jesus left, He told His followers that after He returned back to heaven, God the Father would send a Helper, the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16) One of the many things that would happen upon the Holy Spirit's arrival is that He would deposit heaven's power into our spirit. (Acts 1:8). Jesus knew that as great and wonderful as we are, we couldn't do what we need to do until we have the power to do those things. His coming would enable us to be ("...

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13 Dec Did You Buy the T-shirt in Cowlick, Arizona?

Posted at 20:13h in God's Promises, The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Walk of the Spirit by Billy Burns 0 Comments

Here is an incredible revelation. If Vickie and I had a limited amount of time to be away from our home to be in Lakeland, Florida with the most incredible kids and grandkids in the whole world (no brag, just fact!!!), we couldn't leave our home in North Richland Hills, Texas and drive west to Cowlick, Arizona and then up to Chicken, Alaska and then east to Embarrass, Minnesota and then further east to Accident, Maryland and then south to Experiment, Georgia and expect to enjoy our limited time with our Florida family. No, a million times no. While visiting these cities might be incredible, I can guarantee you that, knowing that we have kids ready to see their parents and grandkids anxiously waiting for Papa and Nana, Vickie and I would look for the route that would mile by mile get us closer and closer to our desired destination. Really, this is not too much of a revelation. In fact, it is a no-brainer. To get where you want to go, you must aim for the desired destination and don't allow detours to keep you from getting there! I know that many reading this blog desire to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their ministry. And yet, for some, that goal or destination isn't being reached. Let me draw from the opening scenario and offer this suggestion. If you want to see people baptized in the Holy Spirit (your desired destination), lesson by lesson and sermon by sermon needs to move you closer to this outpouring. In other words, there is absolutely no room for detours! I am constantly amazed when a children's pastor calls me and tells me of their desire to see children baptized in the Holy Spirit and yet, when asked about what they are presently teaching, I learn that they are teaching a four-week series on dealing with bullying which will be followed by a three-week series on how to tell the truth. While these are great subjects, they are not moving you closer and closer to seeing the altars filled with boys and girls praying to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The same holds true for pastors preaching to the adults on Sunday mornings or youth pastors ministering in their youth services. Many are ministering about family relationships and then moving on to a series on agape love and ...

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29 Nov I Have Some Confessions to Make

Posted at 08:04h in The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Walk of the Spirit by Billy Burns 0 Comments

CONFESSION TIME - I love, love, love the Holy Spirit and I love, love, love having the opportunity to teach and preach about Him. This honestly is one my greatest joys in life! I love standing before a group of people to tell about the One sent by the Father to walk alongside believers and witnessing them begin a new-found relationship with Him. It's a bit of heaven on earth! THE CONFESSION CONTINUES - One of my greatest frustrations in life is, after teaching and/or preaching in a church, leaving the church and not having had the time to share more and more and more about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. The 45 minutes to an hour given to me to minister on a Sunday morning provides me with barely enough time to impart a minuscule of what I would want to share. THERE'S MORE TO CONFESS - My frustration is relieved by knowing that believers can take a simple three step course of action to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit. 1. Spend time with the Holy Spirit. While driving to/from work or taking a walk in the morning or evening, purpose to use that time to connect with Him. Dialogue ...

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22 Nov Why Pray in the Spirit?

Posted at 10:58h in The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Walk of the Spirit by Billy Burns 0 Comments

For the last 11 years, I have shared week after week blog post after blog post about my love for the Holy Spirit. Many of the blog posts have focused on training and equipping those who minister to children and youth about how to work together with the Holy Spirit. I am confident that these posts have blessed these leaders and workers enabling them to raise up what I call a Joel 2 Generation of children and youth. Secondly, the biggest portion of the blog posts have been written to share insights with believers around the world about how to know and flow with the Holy Spirit. Recent blog posts like Filled and Enjoying the Benefits and TODAY is the Day of the Holy Ghost were written to stir your hunger for having a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Let me share a quote with you this week that I believe will cause you to better understand how praying in other tongues strengthens your awareness of your relationship with the Holy Spirit and reflects in your daily walk with Christ. "Here is an important fact about the value of speaking with tongues: although speaking with tongues is the initial sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit’s infilling, continuing to pray and worship God in tongues helps us to be ever conscious of His indwelling presence. This one benefit alone is bound to affect the way we live." ~Kenneth E. Hagin "Tongues: Beyond the Upper Room" A lot of blog posts that I write require some four hundred plus words to explain the thought that I am trying to share. Brother Hagin's powerful statement doesn't need any additional explanation. Simply read it and do it. Enough said....

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