Five-Fold Today - Spirit-Filled Life - Positioning Struggles - Usurping the Gospel - On Being a Life-Based Church - My Love - Perfect Or Not Perfect?

January 26, 2001

Spirit-Filled Life

Doug Morrell

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Rom. 8:14)

The Apostle Paul says, if you are led by the Spirit of God, you are a son of God. Now, to be led by the Spirit means that you are under the control of a being other than yourself.

Lesson 3: Characteristics Of The Holy Spirit
In Christ Jesus, We Have Been Given Two Resources

  1. The presence of the Holy Spirit and the assistance of growing in relationship with God.

  2. The power of the Holy Spirit filling and overflowing us allowing us to extend God's kingdom authority in us and to others.

Jesus desires that each of us have the same power and ability that he had for ministry. Jesus, who emptied himself of all his powers as God, carried out his life on human terms. He asks us to do the same. The major difference obviously is that Jesus never sinned because he was born of God. But Jesus came to do more than to simply live a sinless life. His goal was not only to save sinners, but to come and break the curse and to become Lord of a new generation of redeemed men and women. And he wants to fill each of us with the power that will enable us to do what he did, to move his mission forward.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work...you, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world...for everyone born of God overcomes the world (1 John 3:8; 4:4; 5:4)

Jesus

  1. Born of the Holy Spirit (Mth. 1:20; Luke 1:35)

  2. Sinlessly perfect (Mth. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:21)

  3. Received the Holy Spirit's power (Mth. 3:16; John 3:14, 35)

  4. Triumphed over the enemy and delivered the needy (Luke 4:18-21; Mth. 28:18-20)

Believers Today

  1. We are reborn by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8; Rom. 8:11)

  2. We are declared forgiven in Christ Jesus (Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 5:9; 8:1)

  3. We are commanded to receive the Holy for his ministry Spirit's power for service (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)

  4. We are commissioned to the same ministry and victorious life as Christ (Mth. 28:18-20; Acts 10:38; Mark 16:15-20)

When we are filled with his Spirit, the world can be changed by his grace and power. We are here to change our world!

The Holy Spirit Is A Person
The Holy Spirit has been given as a gift to the church to assure that the continued ministry of the resurrected Christ is expressed and verified. The Holy Spirit has all the characteristics of a person:

  1. He possesses the attributes of mind (Rom. 8:27), will (1 Cor. 12:11), and feeling (Eph. 4:30).

  2. He engages in such activities as revealing (2 Pet. 1:21), teaching (John 14:26), witnessing (Heb. 10:15), interceding (Rom. 8:26), speaking (Rev. 2:7), commanding (Acts 16:6, 7), and testifying (John 15:26).

  3. He has a relationship with human persons: He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3), and blasphemed (Mth. 12:32, 32).

  4. The Holy Spirit possesses the divine attributes of the Godhead: He is eternal (Heb. 9:14), omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-10), omnipotent (Luke 1:35), and omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10, 11).

  5. He is referred to by such names as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of promise, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of life, the Spirit of adoption, and the Spirit of holiness.

  6. He is illustrated with such symbols as fire (Acts 2:1, 2), wind (Acts 2:1, 2), water (John 7:37-39), a seal (Eph. 1:13), oil (Acts 10:38), and a dove (John 1:32).

Nothing To Be Fearful About
Becoming Spirit-filled is not some mysterious, abstract relationship with God. There is however a difference between being filled with God's Holy Spirit and being filled with any other kind of spirit. Jesus highlighted this when he said:

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:11-13)

The abundantly clear promise of Jesus is that anyone who asks to be filled with the Holy Spirit will not come up with something hard and dry (stone), something destructive (scorpion), or satanic (snake). We must see the Holy Spirit for who he is, entirely and beautifully different from those from the realm of darkness and confusion.

What The Holy Spirit Is Like The Holy Spirit is just like Jesus. To help his disciples prepare for his departure and the Holy Spirit's coming, Jesus said:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16, 17)

Jesus says, "I will send another Comforter." By saying this, he was saying that the Holy Spirit would help them in the same way as he had been doing.

The Holy Spirit Is Our Teacher
As a teacher, the Holy Spirit's assistance is not so much academic as one of inward instruction. He teaches us what to do and say at important times. He helps us keep our life (conduct and standards) in accordance with what Jesus wants. He helps us understand and keeps us consistent with Father's heart and purpose.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to help the Church in the task of touching the world with God's love. He strengthens us within and stabilizes us to withstand circumstances and moves us in power.

When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26, 27)

The Holy Spirit Is A Convincer
No one can remain passive when the Holy Spirit is at work. He convinces people that sin separates them from God; that Jesus is God, and that this is the focal point of salvation; and that this world system is headed toward destruction. He does what we could never do: He convinces people that God is right, that man needs a Savior. Our role is not to attempt to convict or condemn others by zeal, argument, or ability. Our work is to bear witness to others of Jesus Christ, pray, and let the Holy Spirit accomplish the task he is best suited for.

  1. The Holy Spirit Convicts/Convinces: our tendency is to do the work of the Holy Spirit. We can never accomplish what He has been sent forth to do. Have confidence in His abilities.

  2. The Holy Spirit Convicts/Convinces People: the Holy Spirit is fully capable of breaking through every barrier in the heart of man. We are called to sow seed and water. Ours is to witness in Spirit and pray, believing it is God who will accomplish the bringing forth of harvest. Prayer "energizes" the Holy Spirit. Manipulation, intimidation, and domination in any form are never characteristics of those led by the Spirit of God.

    But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (John 16:7-11)

The Holy Spirit Brings Glory To God
The greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence is that if the Holy Spirit is at work then Jesus will be praised. Jesus will be honored. Jesus will be worshiped as God's Son. Jesus will be announced as Lord and King. A great deal of confusion exists in American Christianity today because of the "evidence errors" that are so widely spread. The teaching that any specific "sign" or "spiritual gift/endowment" must accompany the infilling of the Holy Spirit simply does not hold up under honest scrutiny of God's Word.

It has been of benefit to many, in our ministry, whenever an "evidence error" in the mind of an individual could be identified and then removed by the truth as stated by our Lord Jesus...."..you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8).

The evidence of first having received, and secondly, walking (continuously) in the Holy Spirit, is even less controversial, less popular, less "showy", and more empirically/Biblically sound than the "evidences" most suggest; it is an increasing measure of love (godliness) as evidenced by; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. According to John 15:1-8, the fruit (which is often mistakenly suggested as the progeny of man) is, in fact godliness. That is, what the heavenly vinedresser looks for in His people is Christlikeness (Gal. 5:22, 23).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22, 23)

There is one absolute test of whether an experience is of God. If there is genuine commitment to honor, to obey, to praise, and to worship and glorify the Lord Jesus, then the Holy Spirit is very present. One thing is for certain, Satan will not glorify the Son of God. The Holy Spirit's ministry of making Jesus real, glorifying Him, is his highest desire.

He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John 16:14, 15)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray that we may make this right choice. We know that we hear the call of the flesh within us, the desire to seek for self advancement, and for self glory, to be in the public eye, and to be in the center of the circle rather than let you have that place! Help us, Lord, to realize that this can never be until we are willing to believe what you said about what we are. But, oh, we thank you, Lord, that, when we do, the opposite is true. As we lay hold of you, you lay hold of us. Your life becomes sweeter, and greater, and more fragrant, more evident, more manifest, more mighty through us, to become effectual, fervent, earnest workers for your name's sake. We ask it may be so, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Grow in grace and truth...

doug morrell
--
Live Christ Deliberately!
Christian Outfitters
outfitters@christianoutfitters.com
http://www.christianoutfitters.com

Positioning Struggles

Shelly Mathis

I am training you up as sons in My house, and the storm you feel raging about you is Satan contending over your positioning. His aim is to cause you to give up your inheritance. Do not indulge the flesh, for in doing so you open the door to his evil devices. Rule over your soul, forbidding the entertainment of his lies. His lies will manifest in your thoughts and emotions in these ways: insecurity, inadequacy, intimidation, unworthiness, accusations, and memories of past failures. If he cannot get you to abandon your position, he will try to hold you back with fear or push you ahead with assumption. Quiet your soul like a weaned child! Be still in My presence, and know that I am God. Yield to the Holy Spirit alone, for I have sent Him to guide you on the path of destiny and into perfect victory... the receiving of your inheritance.

Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them - those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.' Isaiah 41:11-13

Nothin' But Jesus Ministries
http://www.NothinButJesus.com
samathis@uswest.net

Usurping the Gospel

Bryan Hupperts

I finished reading a fascinating interview with a well-known individual who was calling for less profanity in our public lives. This person is a political conservative. He mentioned how much he liked another well-known conservative media personality who I also admire and was touting the call for stronger families. Did I mention this man was also known for having sex with another man during a public stage performance? With his cadaver like skin, and transvestite attire, he's hard to miss. This conservative has deep spiritual values (he's a committed Satanist) and is none other than the lead singer for the shock rock group Marlin Manson! But freaked out parents of the world, relax! He is, after all, a conservative.

Then there's the new book on the market called God, Guns, and Rock & Roll written by another conservative who holds family values, gun rights, and the ideology of most evangelical Christians. The author is Ted Nugent, a.k.a. The Motor City Madman, also known for penning raunchier than raunchy songs about women. God, guns, and apple pie; it's almost the American dream. He claims to have never touched alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Women were notably excluded from his personal Thou Shalt Not list. I wonder if he has ever opened a Bible?

Walk into most any American Christian bookstore and you can find books written by well-known conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. You know, the guy with "talent on loan from God." Rush talks about God freely but denies being born again. After all, he is also a conservative and therefore on God's side. And as long as he holds to a Judeo-Christian value structure, he must be OK. Right?

A friend and I were talking not long ago about Judeo-Christian values and the clarion call from all strata of society for their return. My friend wryly observed that the reason we so readily embrace Judeo- Christian values in the church is that we have so completely mixed law and grace that we no longer can discern the difference. I suspect he may be right. Judeo-Christian values have their place but they are not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ahemmm.

So am I against a call for morality and civility? No, of course not. I would love to see well-mannered school children that aren't afraid of crack, weapons, and actually go to school to get a productive education. But I do want to underscore a troubling development I see: usurping the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with conservativism. The two are not the same.

The Gospel is the Good News that God loves sinners and was "in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself." My great Uncle is a Pentecostal preacher and he has a sign stuck in the middle of his church property that reads, "Take Jesus as your friend, and you'll never be friendless." That hokey sign always makes me smile because it nails the truth about the love of God for a world in desperate need of Good News.

Think I'm off base with this? Try this. Who hosts a talk show, openly touts spirituality in public life, and freely talks about things of the spirit? The answer: Oprah. She no longer needs a last name because most humans on the planet know who she is. Is she a warm, compassionate soul? Yes. Is she spiritual? Yes. Is she a disciple of Jesus Christ? Hardly.

If we substitute morality and conservative Judeo-Christian values with the message of repentance and faith in God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, we have become as those who preach another Gospel. Spookier still is that we may well succeed in creating a generation of civil, moral Pharisees who believe in God, but don't know him, and therefore don't trust anyone who claims to.

Two things in society scare me. The first is when the wicked are in political power. Witness the past 8 years in the USA. The sleaze was enough to drive me to midnight showers for the want of feeling clean. The second thing that spooks me is when the "religious right" are in political power. Surprised? Unless they are genuinely passionate disciples of Jesus (having both the love of the Truth AND the love of people), they actually frighten me. Over many years, I have met power mad people inside and outside the church who come to mistake their own convictions and opinions as the absolute voice of God – and God help you if you disagree. When the poisoned arrows of persecution are aimed at you, it really doesn't matter if the shooter is "churched" or "unchurched." Arrows are still arrows and persecution is still persecution.

Don't usurp the Gospel of Jesus with conservativism and Judeo- Christian values. It wasn't those who passionately believed in strong families, smaller government, and personal rights – things I holds dear – who turned the world upside down. It was those who were hopelessly in love with their Savior. It was those who believed the Gospel.

Bryan Hupperts © 2001
SheepTrax Digest
www.SheepTrax.com

On Being a Life-Based Church

Greg Manalli

Here is a truth; Jesus never left the earth except for a few days. He merely changed bodies. When the Holy Spirit came to the earth He was the Spirit of Christ. What made Jesus The Christ was the Holy Spirit whom He received without measure. Now what makes us Christians is the same Holy Spirit. The Spirit that once filled a body singular, our Lord's, now fills a body plural, us, Eph. 1:22-23. We are now his body and every bit as much the Lord's body as the one He inhabited while on the earth.

So then, how do we see ourselves? What kind of "church" are we? Are we programming based or ministry based? Are we gift or need based? Is our emphasis on methods of evangelism? Do we call ourselves Pentecostal or Baptist? Should we belong to an organization or denomination? Are we to meet in cell groups? Is that the basis? How do we grow? The answer to all these questions is the same. We need to see that our life is His life and His life is our life. We as His body can only live to fulfill the will of the head of the body. The body does not have a will of its' own, or if it does it is a monster.

"I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me"….Gal.2:20. Christ is not an "it". Christ is a person. That person lives in each of us and each of us in that person. He filleth all in all, Eph 1:23. Our life plural is a function of the life of the one in us and through us. What He is, we are collectively. While Jesus received the Holy Spirit without measure John 3:34, we receive all the Holy Spirit, but with the Holy Spirit releasing only a measure of the enduement of His grace to each of us as He sees fit. With each measure of His grace fully working in all of us we then work together to bring the whole body to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ. Jesus emptied Himself of his earthly body so He could pour Himself back into us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

His life is the basis of our lives and the basis of all that follows. Whether it is ministry or character, it is from Him and for Him. The graces flowing from us to each of us is also for Him and to Him. As we build up His body in the earth we build Him up in the earth. As He is lifted up, men are drawn to Him. There is no more valuable work of the body than this. Even evangelism must have its' conclusion in this up building work. It all resounds to His glory.

Now we come to everyman's' gifting. Do we see these gifts for our benefit alone? While the gifts of Eph 4:11 are referred to as gifts they are part of the "gift of Christ" whom we all receive Eph 4:7. How then do we all receive these gifts? By impartation, there is a release of each gift into the body to partake of the grace of that gift. Thus, the whole body enjoys the apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching anointing. The blessing of the gift is to the body and not to the ministry.

As Jesus said "it is the father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" John14:10. So we say, "it is the Christ who dwells in us who does what He does through us. I don't just have gifts, I have the Gift!" He is releasing a measure of Himself in and through me to you, and the same is true from you to me.

Every gift then, those of Romans 12: 3-9, 1Corinthians 12:1-ff and Ephesians 4:7-11 are manifestations of the life of Jesus with the exception of tongues and interpretation of tongues. He is merely releasing Himself by the Holy Spirit in and through us. As they were part of His life on the earth, they are still part of His life on the earth in us. Thus, we are "Life-Based" in our concept of church.

Now what does that do to our ideas about gifts and ministry? What does it do to the way we want to structure and formulate our churches? What does it say about emphasis given to particular aspects of church life? Jesus said "Without me you can do nothing", John 15:5. He is the foundation and the building all in one. He is in it and trough it and unless he builds it we labor in vain, Psa.127:1 .I bring these questions up because we all have been guilty of detaching the life from the work of the life. That soon leaves "externals" with no internal life force to which we are conscious of and accountable to. It is like having scaffolding without a building.

How long can we run our programs and function in our ministries and gifts of the Spirit without surrendering all of it back to Him? I suppose about as long as we have. But now there is an awakening and a hunger for intimacy. In intimacy, He makes Himself known and there we learn what He gives of Himself in grace to each of us. What He is we become and we end up saying "I am what I am by the grace of God" 1Corintians 15:10 as He imparts Himself to us. For us to live is Christ!

Apostle Greg Manalli
greg@folchurch.org
Ephesians Ministries International and
Fellowship of Life Church
http://www.folchurch.org

My Love

Dave Howe

My people, Love as I love you.

Love as I loved you when I was upon the cross - When I said " Father forgive them for they know not what they do" - When I forgave you all that day.

My Word says that love is greatest.

For if you can preach and understand the all mysteries of my Word - But have not love - Then you are nothing.

If you sing the song of the angels - But have not love - Then you profit not.

For if you can heal the sick - Cast out demons - Prophesy in my name - But have not love - Then you nothing more than a noisy gong or clanging cymbal - Nothing more than smoke that is driven before wind.

For many will come before me on the day of judgment and say Lord we healed the sick - We prophesied - We cast out demons in your name - But I will say to you - Depart from me for I never knew you - Depart for you had not love for your brothers - Depart for you did not truly care for the least of my children - Did not gave the water of love - Did not care for me.

My people - The reason there is so much sickness among is that you do not discern my body - Do not love your brothers whom you can see - Do not discern my blood.

For how can you claim to love God who you cannot see when you do not love your brothers who you can see. Stop fighting my children stop fighting - Stop fighting like spoilt children and grow up into my Word - Grow up in my love - Grow in the fruits of My Spirit - For against such as these there is no law.

For it is my command that you should love each other as I love you - For as you grow in love then you will truly grow in My Word - Grow from the milk to the meat - Grow and become rich in My Spirit says the Lord.

For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom - For love is freedom.

My children - Love as Love you - Love each other unto death as loved you unto death - For it is then that the world will see My Son within you - Then that the lost shall come in - Then that the oil of My Spirit shall flow down upon you my children - For when my people dwell in love unity will flow like oil says the Lord.

My children - Repent and love - Love without measure for I AM love - Love as I love you says the Lord.

Dave Howe
davehowe@fdn.co.uk
www.davehowe.co.uk
Wellspring prophetic ministries england.

Perfect Or Not Perfect?

Homer Owens

The Bible has some contradictory statements in it that we must come to deal with if we are to continue to grow in our knowledge of God. One of the most interesting contradictory statements to me is found in Philippians 3:12 and then in 3:15. ³Not that I....have already become perfect....Let us therefore, as many as are perfect....² This sounds like a serious paradox, but as we begin to look into a higher dimension than where we live we can see what God is telling us.

Most Christians live on an immature level of appearance, experience and feelings. God lives on a level that is perfect in everyday and He tells us over and over that we are with Him on His level. ³As He is, so are we in this world². (1 John 4:17) Jesus walked in union with His Father and because of this living waters constantly flowed from Him. We have the same opportunity.

Jesus tell us this in John¹s gospel. ³He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ŒFrom his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.² (John 7:38) This happens to us as we sit with Him in heavenly places and allow Him to fill us with Himself. This is called being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Satan¹s great mistake was wanting to be like God. We must want God. We then become a unique expression of God because of the indwelling Christ. The devil wanted to be independent and our desire is to be in union with God. This was the sin of Adam and Eve. They became independent of God by embracing knowledge rather than embracing the giver of knowledge.

Our true citizenship is not on this earth. We are citizens of Heaven and this is a dimension that does not operate on our feelings or experiences. It operates by faith and we must say that this is where I am now living. We are to live and operate in this heavenly dimension. We do not work toward perfection. We are perfect in Christ. We do not have to overcome or become anything. We get sidetracked sometimes because we forget who we are in Him. As we begin to see ourselves as perfect expressions of God our lives will forever be changed from Glory to Glory. We are natural overcomers then.

This is what we were created for. To be in Him and Him in us. We are children of God and have been created in His glorious image. We can never experience our full inheritance in Christ until we first realize that there is a Spiritual dimension that goes beyond the visible, physical dimension. We will never get their by more praying, reading the Bible or witnessing or on and on. We must accept the mystery of the gospel, which is the union of our spirit with the Spirit of Christ. Then we can do those other things and they will be a blessing.

This is coming to you from Homer Owen in Waco, Texas. My home page is
http://home.earthlink.net/~homerowen/
Blessings!

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