Showing posts with label spirit-filled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirit-filled. Show all posts

Monday, June 24, 2013

Spirit #13 – After the Holy Spirit, the Fall Out



Workings of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire upon the few frightened believers hiding in an upper room. Afterward, they poured out into the streets—full of courage and joy—and preached the gospel for the first time since Jesus’ death and resurrection (Acts 2).

Thus begins the spiritual journey of three types of born-again, spirit-filled Christians:

The first type seems to have lost all ability to think reasonably. These bark up trees, crawl on all fours in the church aisle, or slap other Christians—while claiming these behaviors are from God. Please…

The second type are barren Christians eager to manifest all of the power gifts of the Spirit, yet, bring none of the Spirit’s fruit to the family of man, the family of God, or even their own families. Tsk…

The third type loves God and others from the heart—with tough love. God anoints their heart since that is where all actions originate. Thus, they manifest the anointing through 1) what they say; 2) what they do; 3) what they see; 4) what they smell; and/or 5) what they hear. Until they familiarize themselves with their consecration, they too will offend. It’s just part of our walk of ignorance. Sigh…

The bottom line is to keep love, keep faith, and keep going. Until we “get it”, maybe those who we’ve offended along the way, will forgive us and—dare we hope?—befriend us again.

After all, if even for one season, we’re all destined to walk alone.

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Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge 1769. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Spirit #1 – WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Workings of the Holy Spirit


Most spirit-filled Christians often confess, “We have to walk in the Spirit”, yet most do not know what that means.

To “walk in the Spirit” is to bring forth the Spirit’s fruit:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness (kindness), faith, meekness (humbleness), and temperance (self-control) (Gal. 5: 22, 23). Thus, fruit-bearers are more spirit than flesh. We know this because juxtaposed of the fruit of the Spirit, are the works of the flesh. Some of these works are hatred, jealousies, outburst of anger, selfish ambitions, envy, murders, and drunkenness*.

Jesus said we would know fruit-bearers by the fruit they displayed (Matt. 7:20; 12:33). One example from an earlier Christian generation was our elderly, who displayed full-fruited lives of patience, gentleness, and humbleness.

Unfortunately, spiritual fruit are oftentimes not appreciated or recognized by today’s flesh-bearing Christians. The reason is in our hearts. A Christian, whose heart is filled with jealousy against another, will speak badly against the one they are envious of because of the abundance of evil the heart contains (Matt. 12:34 NKJV).
  
Thus, to display the fruit of the Spirit is our responsibility as Christians. And if we think we have a choice in this matter, then we’ve forgotten we’ve been bought with a price and our lives are no longer our own (1 Cor. 6:20). Clearly, Jesus required fruit-bearing:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain… (John 15:16 NKJV)

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible unless otherwise noted. NKJV = New King James Version. *(see complete list in Galatians 5: 19-21)