Rev. Earl Jackson
Are You Afraid of The Holy Spirit?
Starting July 5th at 6: 30 PM every Sunday we will be studying What the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. We will explore every aspect of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit...His person, His work, His gifts and His graces, and why we should not be afraid of Him.
Since the Holy Spirit is God, and not just some impersonal power or force, we will seek to discover the secrets to His "presence" in our lives. There is a very important sense in which the entire history of God in the Bible, is the history of His "presence" with His people.
God promised to be with His people since the earliest days of the history of redemption. He had Moses construct the Tabernacle so that His "presence" would be manifested among the people as he dwelt in the Shekinah Glory on the Mercy Seat. Then, later on, His "presence" filled Solomon's Temple and He dwelt among His people in that place. Jesus came and the "presence" of God once again came among men. Immanuel, one of Christ's names, means "God with us". Again we see the concept of "presence" in terms of man's relationship to God. It should not surprise us then, that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to occupy this place of the "presence" of God with his people. He is now with us, in us, and is God's "presence" in the church which is His new Temple.
Why is this important? It is important because people who have the "presence" of God within, have immediate and powerful influences from the Sovereignty of God in their lives and ministries. God does what God want's to do. So this has far reaching, and life-changing ramifications in the life of every believer. It is God Himself who lives in us. His "presence" manifests itself according to His own sovereign administration and will. If people do not see God in us, it is because we are not letting our inward light shine, as Jesus told us to do. "Let your light so shine among men...that they will glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5: 16).
"Christ in you" (Col. 1: 27), is what the Christian life is all about. The church is a "habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2: 22). Because this is true, our posture then should be to glorify God as God. Let God be God, and let Him rule among us in power and might, manifesting His glory as He sees fit through the Holy Spirit.
It is not up to us to try to manifest the the Holy Spirit in our own strength or human resources. Try as we may, all that we could ever produce is a glorified energy of the flesh. That is why so many false miracles and signs are evident in the so-called charismatic and pentecostal churches. The flesh is capable of working itself into a frenzy and producing all kinds of gyrations in it's sinful energy, including: falling on the ground (slain in the spirit), babbling in false tongues, uttering myterious words (prophecies), psychological healings etc. These things are real. Nobody would say that they are not real. The problem however is their source. They are not from the source of God's "presence". They are from the source of the "flesh". They are "worked up" not "poured down". So, in reality, they have nothing whatsoever to do with Pentecost. They have nothing to do with "the Holy Spirit". They are "real but false" signs and wonders. We are warned repeatedly that these false "signs and wonders" are a clear indication of the last days, the final period of human history on earth. Look up and compare Mark 13: 22; 2Thess. 2: 9-11; Matt. 24: 24; Rev. 13: 11-15; Rev. 19: 20 and Deut. 13: 1-5.
On Sunday evenings we are going to be studying the true "signs and wonders" of the Holy Spirit. These true signs are to be evidenced among the true people of God (Mark 16: 17-18, Jn. 14: 12; Rom. 15: 19). The Holy Spirit is not to be feared, He is to be glorified. Many are afraid, simply because they see all this false stuff going on in the name of the Holy Spirit, but not by the power of the Holy Spirit. This should never deter us from learning and living the truth of the Holy Spirit.
Please join us each Sunday evening at 6: 30 PM. Everyone is welcome, and there will be periods for questions and answers.
©2009 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
PERMISSION IS GRANTED to post this article on any website or blog, or other electronic media, provided it is posted in it's entirety without alteration, and a clear link is included back to this website. No permission for hard copy, print, or other use is hereby granted. This article may not be sold or used on for profit websites or projects. CLICK HERE to send us any links to the places where you put this article.
Starting July 5th at 6: 30 PM every Sunday we will be studying What the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. We will explore every aspect of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit...His person, His work, His gifts and His graces, and why we should not be afraid of Him.
Since the Holy Spirit is God, and not just some impersonal power or force, we will seek to discover the secrets to His "presence" in our lives. There is a very important sense in which the entire history of God in the Bible, is the history of His "presence" with His people.
God promised to be with His people since the earliest days of the history of redemption. He had Moses construct the Tabernacle so that His "presence" would be manifested among the people as he dwelt in the Shekinah Glory on the Mercy Seat. Then, later on, His "presence" filled Solomon's Temple and He dwelt among His people in that place. Jesus came and the "presence" of God once again came among men. Immanuel, one of Christ's names, means "God with us". Again we see the concept of "presence" in terms of man's relationship to God. It should not surprise us then, that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to occupy this place of the "presence" of God with his people. He is now with us, in us, and is God's "presence" in the church which is His new Temple.
Why is this important? It is important because people who have the "presence" of God within, have immediate and powerful influences from the Sovereignty of God in their lives and ministries. God does what God want's to do. So this has far reaching, and life-changing ramifications in the life of every believer. It is God Himself who lives in us. His "presence" manifests itself according to His own sovereign administration and will. If people do not see God in us, it is because we are not letting our inward light shine, as Jesus told us to do. "Let your light so shine among men...that they will glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5: 16).
"Christ in you" (Col. 1: 27), is what the Christian life is all about. The church is a "habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2: 22). Because this is true, our posture then should be to glorify God as God. Let God be God, and let Him rule among us in power and might, manifesting His glory as He sees fit through the Holy Spirit.
It is not up to us to try to manifest the the Holy Spirit in our own strength or human resources. Try as we may, all that we could ever produce is a glorified energy of the flesh. That is why so many false miracles and signs are evident in the so-called charismatic and pentecostal churches. The flesh is capable of working itself into a frenzy and producing all kinds of gyrations in it's sinful energy, including: falling on the ground (slain in the spirit), babbling in false tongues, uttering myterious words (prophecies), psychological healings etc. These things are real. Nobody would say that they are not real. The problem however is their source. They are not from the source of God's "presence". They are from the source of the "flesh". They are "worked up" not "poured down". So, in reality, they have nothing whatsoever to do with Pentecost. They have nothing to do with "the Holy Spirit". They are "real but false" signs and wonders. We are warned repeatedly that these false "signs and wonders" are a clear indication of the last days, the final period of human history on earth. Look up and compare Mark 13: 22; 2Thess. 2: 9-11; Matt. 24: 24; Rev. 13: 11-15; Rev. 19: 20 and Deut. 13: 1-5.
On Sunday evenings we are going to be studying the true "signs and wonders" of the Holy Spirit. These true signs are to be evidenced among the true people of God (Mark 16: 17-18, Jn. 14: 12; Rom. 15: 19). The Holy Spirit is not to be feared, He is to be glorified. Many are afraid, simply because they see all this false stuff going on in the name of the Holy Spirit, but not by the power of the Holy Spirit. This should never deter us from learning and living the truth of the Holy Spirit.
Please join us each Sunday evening at 6: 30 PM. Everyone is welcome, and there will be periods for questions and answers.
©2009 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
PERMISSION IS GRANTED to post this article on any website or blog, or other electronic media, provided it is posted in it's entirety without alteration, and a clear link is included back to this website. No permission for hard copy, print, or other use is hereby granted. This article may not be sold or used on for profit websites or projects. CLICK HERE to send us any links to the places where you put this article.
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