www.hisgospelpower.org

God is using His Gospel Power in a mighty way. Israel has joined our listening audience. Through the technology of the internet, along with Israel, His Gospel Power is now reaching the lost in the United States, Russia, Japan, China, France, The United Kingdom, The Republic of Korea, The Netherlands, Ukraine, and The Republic of Moldova.

His Gospel Power also airs on KXEG Phoenix, Arizona; WLNO New Orleans, Louisiana; KWDF Alexandria, Louisiana; and KIOU Shreveport, Louisiana.

We are praying about expanding into 20 new markets by the beginning of January 2012. As you can imagine this is a huge faith undertaking. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We live by faith and not by sight.” God has given me the vision to spread His Gospel around the world. It is my prayer that you will partner with us to spread his Word. As the listening area in the United States grows, the listening area around the world grows as well. Each radio station has different listeners around the world, via the internet, which naturally expands the reaches of the Gospel. Many of you have contributed to His Gospel Power since its beginning. Thank you for your faithfulness!

These last days are times in which we should step up our efforts, not withdraw. God has lain on my heart to “Walk by faith and not by sight” in a huge way this past two weeks. I am acting on what he has impressed on me to do. I pray that you will act as well.

God bless you as we spread his Word together. You can listen to the program on the internet at www.thegospelword.com. When the page opens, click on “click here to choose a speaker.” Then scroll down to Rick Hertless. The program is renewed weekly on the internet in its entirety. His Gospel Power is heard daily on the above stations in the format of a fifteen minute program.

Thank you for your faithful support.

www.rickhertless.blogspot.com

His Gospel Power

His Gospel Power is now being heard in the United States, Russia, Japan, China, France, The United Kingdom, The Republic of Korea and The Netherlands, The Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

Spreading the Gospel

Through the technology of the internet, His Gospel Power is now reaching the lost in the United States, Russia, Japan, China, France, The United Kingdom, The Republic of Korea and The Netherlands. It is through you contributions this has been made possible. God is spreading the Good News because of servants like you. Thank you for your faithfulness.

God is Still in the Miracle Business

Healing

             It would seem as though the gift of healing, like many of the other gifts, has ceased in the world today according to cessationists. If God can still heal, why would he not still empower one with the gift of healing? However, what of those countless numbers who have been healed beyond what the doctors can seemingly do. It seems unlikely that one gift would be separated to cease (or more precisely the word gifts) and others would remain. Perhaps that is the reason that many healings are explained away. It is more likely that since healing is physical instead of spiritual, one is less likely to be deceived. As stated earlier, Gaffin is convinced that not all gifts have ceased.  If this is so, it is to the shame of the believer, for God has given us the Holy Spirit to be filled with his power and discernment. If we are walking daily in the Spirit, we will be able to discern between evil or godly spirits, and know which spirits are from God, with the same assuredness as witnessing miraculous healing. Gaffin says, “Like word gifts, healing is simply not an eschatological phenomenon”⁵⁷, but in light of Acts 2:17-19, how can one make such a blanket and decisive statement? Carl Brumback in “What Meaneth This” says that the signs and wonders are rare today “because of our unbelief!”⁵⁸ John Wesley “lays the blame on the church…because the love of many…waxed cold. That was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found.”⁵⁹ D.M. Panton writes, “Sapped in faith, in holiness, in aloofness from the world, the church relaxed its grasp of the gifts.”⁶⁰ These men understand that God has told us to abide in Christ and to keep growing in the Spirit daily. It is up to us to nurture our faith and learn what God has for us on a daily basis.

            Possibly, one misconception is the role of the miracles themselves. Miracle was not given as a status symbol or just for the sake of doing miracles. They were given to glorify God and bring souls to the Kingdom. 

Gift of Tongues

Only Believe

            In Mark 9:23-24 Jesus says, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  Jesus is not speaking only of the “then” but also of the “now”. A theologian is not a theologian unless he understands that the promises of God’s Word apply to us now. If the promises are not the same, then our hope is lost. Why would Jesus say we have eternal life, “all things are possible for him who believes”, and then say that it is only for that inaugural period of time? The same argument that Gaffin uses to refute continuationists earlier about apostles, can be used here. You cannot have it both ways. Cessationists have such a hard time selling their idea of God because it is not consistent with what the Word tells us. It is not even consistent with what they argue amongst themselves. Did Jesus say, “All things are possible” or was he limited only to the day in which he walked the earth and shortly thereafter. If the gifts were for the unbeliever, don’t we have unbelievers today? If the Jews required a sign in the first century, wouldn’t they require a sign today?

The Second Blessing

            Unfortunately, many charismatics today couple miraculous gifts with the belief they are not available to anyone who has not had the “second blessing”. They call this being “baptized in the Spirit” with evidence of speaking in tongues.

First let’s analyze the Second Blessing. The baptism of the Holy Spirit comes on each believer at the moment he or she receives Christ into his or her heart. Merrill Unger has written a book entitled The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit that explains in great detail the baptism of the Holy Spirit with such clarity that the Lord verified it immediately to this writer’s heart upon reading his words. Even though we do not agree on all terms of the book, we can agree on this, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is not the gift of the Holy Spirit; this is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This, according to Unger, “is not the gift of the Spirit. It is an inseparable part of the salvation the gift of the Spirit has bestowed.”⁶¹ The baptism of the Spirit is what Jesus promised us when he left. He said that he will not leave us alone, but will send a comforter. (Jn 14:16) It is not scriptural to think that we are saved by the grace of God, and then have to wait for more. What more could he give? He has given us the gift of eternal salvation. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is what gives us our strength to persevere until the end. It is part of the grace of God that insures that we will not fall away (Jude 24-25). Without that indwelling we would not have a chance to serve God in completeness. The second part of the baptism, according to charismatics, is speaking in tongues. It should be noted at this time that the use of the word “Charismatic” is used very loosely. It does not always describe someone who believes that speaking in tongues is a gift for everyone. It can also be used for those that want to allow more freedom in the spirit and want to express their worship in a more demonstrative way. I have mainly used it because in the research I have noted that the words “Pentecostal” and “Charismatic” are often used interchangeably.

 This is a ministry that can be used today, but is not a necessary part of being baptized in the Spirit. There is no work that man has to do to be baptized in the Spirit. It is only a work of God. If God wants us to all speak in tongues, then he will enable us, but it is his call, just as it was at Pentecost. Whether tongues are intelligible or not is not the issue of this book, so we will go into no detail about the mechanics of the gift. Paul said that he wished everyone spoke in tongues, (1 Cor 14:5) a statement that when analyzed says that everyone did not speak in tongues.

Pentecostals want to find all that God has for them, just as do evangelicals. Unfortunately, they are looked upon as unreasonable fanatics by many. In 1915, F.F. Bosworth, a fully credentialed member of the Pentecostal community, began to have doubts in the way that some in the community were promoting the evidence of speaking in tongues as a sign of being baptized in the Spirit. He tried to diminish the importance of tongues and stated, “I am sure if this movement could be free of this one error in teaching and would preach the greater things about the baptism our opportunities for usefulness would be increased many fold.”⁶²

God makes available to everyone his power through the work of the Holy Spirit. If we will seek him he will give us what we ask according to his will. The second blessing, according to Unger, is really “the basis of the infilling, but not the experience of the infilling itself.”⁶³ The infilling of the Holy Spirit is what he gives us to carry out the individual ministries that he has assigned to us. The infilling allows us to have the boldness and the wisdom to complete a ministry that we otherwise might not be equipped to do. This is where the gifts of the Spirit are given to us to be able to complete our task. F.F. Bosworth said that the “real mark of the Spirit in a person’s life was that the person developed a new compassion for others and increased ability to minister.”⁶⁴ However, this is exactly what should be noticed in an individual who has accepted Christ in his or heart. As the Christian begins to understand the compassion of Christ and furthers his or her walk in obedience this compassion will grow also. It might be interesting to note that a person that is seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit is seeking all that God has for them. If taught correctly, the individual just has to be told that they are walking in the Spirit daily and needs to give control over to Jesus to allow him to guide them into a deeper walk. The power of the Holy Spirit is already with them and within them. They need to give control to God so that the Spirit can manifest himself. Ken Hemphill says, “If it weren’t for the Spirit of God empowering us to do so, we could no more take the gospels to the far corners of the world than we could take it to the corner of the street.”⁶⁵

One receives the Holy Spirit as soon as he or she is saved. Galatians 3:2 says, “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” One receives the Spirit by believing. Ephesians 1:13 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit . . .” It would appear that one is filled with the Holy Spirit upon conversion. However, there is a mystery of Acts when it appears as though they received the Spirit after conversion. Acts 19:1-2 says:

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

If one stops in the middle of the passage, one will not get the context of the entire Scripture. It would appear that Paul is talking with disciples of Jesus. However, upon the completion of the verse one gets the entire picture. Acts 19:3-6 continues:

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

The disciples in question in this passage were disciples of John the Baptist. They had not even heard the complete Good News yet. Once Paul explained it to them they were then baptized in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit fell on them.

The promised Holy Spirit was, and is, the Spirit of Jesus. Many have a problem with this concept. In fact, there are those who are afraid they will be equated with the “Jesus Only” doctrine or “Oneness.” Romans 8:9 – 11 says:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

From this passage one can see that the Spirit of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one in the same. This is called the Trinity; the three in one God. Even though the Trinity is difficult to understand for finite minds, it is not difficult for God. His majesty confounds the minds of the intellectuals. Jesus was filled with the Spirit of God (Matthew 3:17). Jesus said he must go to send the Spirit to us. The Spirit he was sending was the Spirit of God who indwelt Jesus. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in those who have accepted him as Lord and Savior. Paul calls the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God. They are all one in the same. Does this passage mean that Jesus “threw his voice” up to heaven at his baptism so as to deceive those who were witnesses? God is not the deceiver; neither does he need to deceive. However, if God is omnipresent, and he is, there would be no deception nor would there be any. Nevertheless, God is still three personalities; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If one cannot understand the magnificence of God, one tends to try to justify God with one’s finite mind. The truth is, even though God is three separate persons, he is still one in the same. Romans 3:30 says there is only one God. 1 Corinthians 8:6 says, “. . . yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” Even though Paul says there is only one God he equates him with Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 8:6 said all things come from God the Father, but John 1:1 says that all things came from Jesus. In fact, John 1:1 equates Jesus with God when he said “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Is this a contradiction? No! It is a confirmation that Jesus was God who came in the flesh, walked on the earth, died and was buried and raised to life on the third day. He ascended to the Father to send us a comforter, the Holy Spirit of God.  

CD Signing

The CD signing was a great success on July 9, 2011. Thank Hastings, Bryan, Texas for your hospitality. I look forward to visiting again soon.

The Power We Leave On the Table

Why can we no longer have apostles? Is not God still God? Is not Jesus still Jesus? Can we not have apostles anymore because “Great men of God” have not experienced Jesus appearing to them? After all, these men who have written so many books and preached so many sermons would surely have had Jesus appear to them as he did to Paul. Moreover, what of Paul? Paul was not an apostle until after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He was called by Jesus on the road to Damascus. He can still do that today. One might ask, “How would believers know if one who claimed to be an apostle was genuine?” The answer is, the same way that they knew in the early church. The Holy Spirit will guide us. The fear is that we will follow Jim Jones or David Karesh, but if the flock is educated to understand the difference, then that will not be allowed to happen. Jesus said, My sheep will know my voice (John 10:26). Acts 2:17 – 19 says:

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 

Are these not the last days? Those who deny the miraculous today are afraid of the scam or the abuse and will not recognize that the Holy Spirit will guide us and bring these false prophets to the light. Many do not want to be deceived by what the power of the spirits of darkness; but by denying the power of God, they already are guilty of that.

             Some might say, “Wait a minute, Jesus is no longer on the earth in the flesh. Therefore, there can no longer be apostles.” What about Paul? Paul calls himself an apostle yet Jesus was already buried and risen again when he was declared as such. Paul’s declaration was verified by Ananias in Acts 9. Paul even claimed to be taught by Jesus. Galatians 1:12 says, “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” Even though there are those who say that Paul received this revelation from the Holy Spirit, I believe he quite possibly was taught by Jesus himself when he was dispatched to Arabia and Damascus for three years (Galatians 1:17). That is not to discount the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s Word, but it is an emphasis of Paul the apostle. Wow! What a seminary that must have been. Not to mention the fact that no one has actually come up with an actual way in which the Holy Spirit revealed Scripture to the writers.

Could not Jesus appear to someone today and teach him in the same fashion as Paul? Of course he could! God is not limited by our time continuum. He is only limited by the constraints he places on himself and from his Word it would not appear that he has limited himself to us.

In the book Jesus Freaks: DC Talk and the Voice of the Martyrs there is a story of a Muslim who was converted much the way Paul was. In an account of Zahid, a Muslim priest from 1986 Pakistan, he tells of an experience he had with God. He, like Paul, was a persecutor of Christians. Zahid was a zealot for Islam. He sought those who blasphemed the prophet Muhammad or the Qur’an. Zahid reported he was reviewing the Bible looking for contradictions when a bright light with a voice appeared to him and said, “Zahid, why do you persecute me.”⁵⁶ Sound familiar? Not long after his conversion he was locked up for two years. In a “snafu” by the law he was released instead of being executed as scheduled by his captors. Could he not be called an apostle? Not much more information is given about Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus than Zahid’s. Is Zahid a liar? Is the story in the book fictitious? It is arrogant of anyone to say that God no longer speaks to people in the way he has done in the past.

As a preacher of the Gospel, the Lord speaks to me often. Sometimes he speaks through an individual, but most of the time he comes to me in a still small voice that instructs me in my ministry. He has spoken to me in dreams and prophetic messages. I have experienced what others have said cannot happen today. He has never chosen to speak to me audibly, but I have no doubt that he can if he so chooses. It would be the height of arrogance for me to say that he cannot speak to anyone audibly since he has never spoken to me.  

CD Signing

Event Scheduled Sat, July 9th 2011 Event Time: 1-3pm Store Address: Hastings Entertainment ‪725 Villa Maria‬ ‪Bryan, TX 77801‬ ‪(979) 823-5923‬

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are so controversial and vast that it will be impossible to cover all aspects of this topic in one short chapter. A major question is, are the gifts still in operation today? Many argue scripturally and others experientially. There are those that argue from both sides and still the controversy has not been settled. Of one thing we can be sure, there is a Holy Spirit, omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.

The Holy Spirit is present throughout the Bible in quiet power. In the OT His ministry was coupled with God the Father in silent submission. The Holy Spirit temporarily indwelled individuals with the power of the Spirit to complete the work of God. In the NT he was promised by Jesus Christ and told that he would not only comfort us, but also give us power from on high to carry out the specific ministries that the Lord has planned for us. Are there still gifts of the Spirit today that follow the disciple until he dies or does the Holy Spirit only work when needed and then leave to work another day? Are all the miraculous gifts dead and buried? The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have the same power today that he had 2000 years ago and many thousands of years before that.

Exciting News

His Gospel Power will begin airing on KXEG, Phoenix, Arizona on June 1.
His Gospel Power currently airs on:

    KIOU, Shreveport, LA – Population 436,000

    KWDF, Alexandria, LA – Population 1.25 million

    KRXT, Rockdale, TX - Population 250,000

Added to that list is KXEG, Pheonix, Arizona - 3.2 million

God is spreading the gospel through His Gospel Power.
Do you want to get involved? Go to www.rickhertless.com and click on donate or buy one of my books or CDs. Proceeds go to the radio ministry.
God bless you as you support the gospel of Christ.
Blessings, Rick Hertless 

KXEG Coming June 1, Phoenix, Arizona

His Gospel Power will be joining KXEG in June 5 days a week. His Gospel Power, a 15 minute program dedictaed to the glorification of Jesus Christ will partner with KXEG to bring His Gospel Power 5 times a week at 2:00 PM in the afternoon. Watch for more details coming soon.

Jesus Gives Us the Holy Spirit

            It was because of Jesus’ work that we have the Holy Spirit. He said that he must leave so we can receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) and those who did believe, received at Pentecost. John 20:22 is a controversial verse that has been interpreted different ways. It is controversial because some believe this is proof of the second baptism or baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary says, “He gave them something of his own ways and mind and nature, his own spirit, God’s own Spirit…,” indicating that Jesus actually gave them the Spirit at this time. Carson says that John is merely calling attention to an event that has already happened to add emphasis to Pentecost. Carson writes:

Jesus’ ‘exaltation’ and command Receive the Holy Spirit are best understood as a kind of acted out parable pointing forward to the full enduement still to come (though past for John’s readers). A suitable Johannine analogy might be the washing of the disciple’s feet: ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me’ (13:8). That can be read at a simplistic level as exhausted in footwashing itself points forward to the spiritual washing achieved by the Lamb of God whose death takes away the sin of the world. John has repeatedly developed these anticipating steps in his narrative; it is not surprising if he uses one more to show that the story does not end with his book.

Smith says there is no parallel to the Spirit given to the disciples in John and the Spirit that falls at Pentecost in Acts. They are simply two separate events. He says, “…there is no parallel between the fulfillments except that they are fulfillments. In John, Jesus breathes into the disciples. In Acts, there are the public events of the day of Pentecost.”

Though I am not disputing the importance of this issue, it is certainly not something that can be decided one way or the other in such a brief discussion. It will have to be left up to each individual reader to decide on his or her own. The most important thing to understand for this discussion is that we receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus to be Lord of our lives.

We have seen how the Spirit points to Jesus, fills us with power, testifies to Jesus, gives us gifts to minister and makes us a new creature through the blood of Christ. We do not have to rely on our own power to walk in the strength of Jesus, but are given a comforter and counselor to guide us through life’s trials, experiences and victories. Jesus has given us many gifts beginning with life on earth. Then he gives us the ability to walk in his love in this life and ultimately eternal life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to give a sufficient definition to describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is vital to the way that we abide in the love of Christ. Our source of power to live in abundance in this life is truly from the Holy Spirit.

The Deity of Christ: Myth or Miraculous?

It would be inappropriate if not impossible to talk about the power of the Holy Spirit without talking about his power as he lived in Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible, the Spirit is noted for his power. He sits in the background in quiet and ever present power, waiting to be called upon to show the magnificence of the one in which he serves; God the Father.

There are many who do not believe that Jesus was instilled with miraculous powers. However, for a God who gave powers to Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and Samson, it would be no stretch to come down to earth and live inside a man that possesses all of the same powers and more. Where did this power come from? How could a man, Jesus, have the power of God and even the power to rise from the dead? Caulley says:

Luke records Jesus’ power to cast out demons “by the finger of God,” an OT phrase for God’s power (Exod. 8:19; Ps 8:3; Luke 11:20). This power is identified with the “Spirit of God” (Matt. 12:28), i.e., the Holy Spirit (Matt.12:32). At Jesus’ baptism the spirit came upon him (Mark 1:10; “the Spirit of God,” Matt. 3:16; “the Holy Spirit,” Luke 3:21), and he received God’s confirmation of his divine sonship and messianic mission (Matt. 3:13-17). Jesus went up from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) and after the temptation began his ministry “in the power of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:14).

God is spirit (John 4:24). He operates in our lives in the Spirit. He indwells us with his Spirit. He did miraculous works through the Spirit in Christ Jesus.

Jesus did miraculous works, but could not have done them without the Spirit. Matthew 12:28 says that Jesus drove out spirits by the Spirit of God. The power of God was operating in Jesus through his Spirit. Jesus was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:11).

The Gifts of the Spirit

Jesus walked in the power of all of the gifts listed in I Corinthians 12:1-10. He displayed all of the gifts in the book of John, except tongues and the interpretation of tongues. It could be argued that he even displayed this gift, because of his ability to talk with everyone that he met with no language barriers. John mentions miraculous signs seventeen times in his Gospel.32 Smith says, “…the Christological emphasis in his Gospel is unmistakable.”33 This Christology would include the meekness of man and the power of God; the power that is given through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” 1 Corinthians tells us that the gifts are given through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus had the gift of wisdom. The Jews were amazed at his teachings. He had no formal training but he was teaching them in the theology of a scholar (John 7:14-24). The Holy Spirit worked in Jesus to tell him what to say. Mark 13:11 says, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus had the gift of knowledge. John tells about the woman that Jesus spoke to at the well. Andreas Köstenberger, Encountering John, says that John 4:17-18 regards Jesus’ supernatural knowledge.John the Baptist testified about Jesus with a supernatural knowledge that came from the Holy Spirit. He was full of the Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15). John 6:61- 70 includes the gift of knowledge. Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray him. John 14:26-27 says:

"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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

It would seem here, aside from the supernatural peace, that Jesus is saying he will give supernatural knowledge to those who believe as well. He said the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things.”

Jesus had the gift of faith. He had the faith to know that Lazarus would be raised from the dead (John 11:1-37), along with all the other miraculous works that he did. He believed, never doubting, that what he asked of the Father would be done.

Jesus had the gift of Healing. He healed the official’s son (John 4:46-54). He healed the man at the pool (5:1-15). He healed the man born blind (9:1-12) and he raised Lazarus from the dead (11:38-44). The power of healing, like his other gifts, was available to him at all times.

I have laid my hands on people many times and the Lord has chosen to use me to heal. I have seen people healed instantly. Sometimes I pray for someone and they are not healed. Sometimes I pray for someone who is not healed until they are prayed for by another believer and then God heals them. There is no formula and God is not in a box. The most important thing is to be willing to allow God to use you to do his ministry at any given time. You should never be afraid to pray for someone out of fear that your prayer will not be answered and you will look bad. The focus is not on you, for it is God who answers the prayer; not you!

Jesus had the gift of miraculous powers. He changed the water into wine (John 2:1-11). He fed the five thousand (6:1-15) and he walked on the water (6:16-24). Not all believe that Jesus had miraculous powers. According to Erickson, Rudolph Bultmann “concluded that much of the New Testament is myth…” Bultmann considered the language in the New Testament to be that of symbolism. The miracles of Jesus were simply works that could not be described other than to make them sound bigger than they really were. One has to wonder what the definition of miracle is for Bultmann. Nevertheless, most who believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God realize that it is not speaking figuratively. It is stating the life a man who was fully God and fully man and could do things beyond mortal limitations. Josephus, a Jewish historian, said, “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it is lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ…” Some scholars have refuted as to whether Josephus actually wrote these words, but William Whiston says:

“…and since the principle testimony, which is that concerning Jesus of Nazareth himself, has of late been greatly questioned by many, and rejected by some of the learned as spurious, it will be fit for me, who have ever declared my firm belief that these testimonies were genuine, to set down fairly some of the original evidence and citations…”

He continues by stating:

“…The style of all of these original testimonies belonging to Josephus is exactly the style of the same Josephus, and especially the style about those parts of his antiquities wherein we find these testimonies. This is denied by nobody as to the other concerning John the Baptist and James the just, and is now become equally undeniable as to that concerning of Christ.”

Jesus had the gift of prophecy. Jesus prophesied about his death in the Good Shepherd discourse (John 10:11-18). His prophecies further include the power that the Christian who abides in him will be able to sustain through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit prophesied through Caiaphas that it was better for one man to lay down his life for a nation in John 11:50-52. However, can the Holy Spirit speak through an evil man? Origen answers this question with a resounding “no”. According to Ronald E. Heine, Origen had a major problem with this line of thinking. Origen said that Caiaphas could not have possibly prophesied because the Spirit had not come upon man yet. Jesus had not yet been glorified. However, when confronted with the problem that the Spirit of Lord had in fact come on people of the OT, he had to recant his previous stance and give an answer of uncertainty. Heine writes:

Finally, he answers the last question by asserting that “evil spirits too can bear witness to Jesus and prophecy of him…as that spirit which said, ‘We know who you are, the holy one of God.’ Origen concludes his discussion by presenting a defense for the view that the Holy Spirit did speak through Caiaphas. He denies that this is his own view, however and leaves it to the reader to draw his own conclusions about Caiaphas’ prophecy.
The question is, “If it was not the Holy Spirit, then what sort of spirit prophesied in Caiaphas?” In Numbers 24:2 the “Spirit of God came upon” Balaam to prophecy for Israel. We must conclude that God will speak through evil men since he spoke through a pagan diviner. The Spirit of God in this passage was indeed the Holy Spirit. Therefore, even though Origen concludes that it was not the Holy Spirit that spoke through Caiaphas, but that of another spirit, it is safe for us to conclude that it could have been, and probably was, the Holy Spirit giving the prophecy that Jesus would lay down his life for the nation of Israel and indeed all mankind.

There are many examples of the gift of prophecy in the Gospel of John. Some examples are:

o Jesus predicted his death (12:7-5).

o Jesus predicted his crucifixion (12:23-34).

o Jesus predicted his betrayal (13:18-30)

o Jesus predicted the Peter’s three time denial of Jesus (13:38).

o Jesus prophesied that the Holy Spirit would come (14:15-21, 25-27; 15:26-16:16).

o Jesus prophesied that the disciples would leave him all alone (16:31-33)

After quoting John 16:13-14, RSV, Wayne Grudem said, “Thus, the disciples are promised amazing gifts to enable them to write Scripture: The Holy Spirit would teach them ‘all things,’ would cause them to remember all that Jesus had said, and would guide them into ‘all the truth.’” The simple conclusion is that Prophecy is prevalent in the NT under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had the gift of discernment. He discerns between spirits many times in the Gospels. He discerns that the religious leaders are of the Devil (John 8:42-47). He discerns the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees (9:35-41). He also discerns that the Jews (religious leaders) are not his sheep (10:22-30).

It is safe to say that Jesus operated in all the gifts (probably even tongues). All of these gifts were in operation because of the Holy Spirit. He walked on the earth in the completeness of God and fullness of the Spirit (John 3:31-36). He said that he must go so that he could send us the Spirit to reside with us (Luke 24:44-49).

The Spirit Testifies to the Life of Jesus

The Spirit of God testifies to Jesus. He filled John the Baptist from birth and it was the testimony of the Spirit through John that he was given the power to speak of the glory of Jesus. Luke 1:15 says, “for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” John 5:31-32 says that God sent John the Baptist to testify to the validity of Jesus.

John was filled with the Holy Spirit and testified so that men could understand who Jesus was, thus fulfilling prophecy. God the Father testified to Jesus also when the Holy Spirit descended on him at his baptism. Although the Baptism of Jesus is not mentioned in John’s Gospel, it is assumed that people would already know of this event from previous Gospels. The Spirit testified to Jesus through the Prophets of the Old Testament as well. John 1:45 says, “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

In The Gospel According to John D.A. Carson says that there are six passages in John’s Gospel where scripture speaks or writes of Christ. He also says, “By predictive prophecy, by type, by revelatory event and by anticipatory statute, what we call the Old Testament is understood to point to Christ, his ministry, his teaching, his death and resurrection.” God has been preparing us for the coming of Christ since the beginning of Genesis.

The Spirit gave testimony of Jesus through his earthly ministry. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was empowered by the Spirit to do God’s work. In Encountering John, Andreas Köstenberger says, in John’s Gospel, “…references to the Spirit are limited almost exclusively to his role in Jesus’ earthly ministry…” However, this power is also shown to be given to us as well. Mark 1:8 says, “I (John the Baptist) baptize you with water, but he (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (Parenthesis Added).” Luke 11:3 says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Köstenberger says the power of the Spirit shows through in Jesus’ ministry by miraculous signs. It is difficult to read of Jesus’ earthly ministry and not see the miraculous.

You Must Be Born Again

John 3:5-15 says that no one can enter into the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again. Israel’s teacher, Nicodemus could not understand this great mystery. Jesus said in verse five, “…no one can enter into the kingdom of heaven unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” This verse has drawn a host of interpretations, but it seems clear enough that it was interpreted in the very next verse. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit (3:6).” In other words, we are born of water in the mother’s womb and then born of the Spirit when we accept Christ into our heart. Carson explains that the previous interpretation is only one of many interpretations and explains:
Many find in ‘water’ a reference to Christian Baptism (e.g. Brown,2. 139-141) for Bultmann (pp.138 n. 3) and others who have followed him, this is so embarrassing that he suggests the words ‘water and’ were not part of the original text, but added by a later ecclesiastical editor much more interested in Christian ritual than the evangelist himself…Those who adopt this position, of course, are forced to admit that John’s words could have had no relevance to the historical Nicodemus.”20

In other words, some use this as an argument that one must be baptized to be saved.

There are other places in the Bible where it appears as though water is the symbol for the Spirit. Jesus said to the woman at the well, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice:

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39).

This is a plain explanation from John that the living water from within is the Spirit.

The washing of the disciple’s feet in John 13:8 is not necessarily a symbol of the Holy Spirit, but possibly a symbol of the servitude that will be instilled in each believer when he is indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them” (13:17). Carson says that it is a symbol of what Christ has done for us on the cross. He says, “The act of footwashing is a symbol of this complete washing, and not some additional cleaning.”21 As with much of the Bible this is quite possibly one of the meanings, but the Scripture is rich and has many meanings. Jesus is also speaking of being a servant. He is admonishing the disciples to keep serving one another in love and thus continue to show the world the true meaning of love (13:12-16).

Man Will Be Filled With the Spirit

Jeremiah prophesied of a time when “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts (Jer. 31:33).” Hebrews 10:15-16 says, “The Holy Spirit testified to us about this. First he says, ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds’.” John testifies of the Jesus who walked on the earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:12 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:25 says, “All this I have spoken while still with you. 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.” The Synoptics are evidence of what God has promised. The Holy Spirit reminds us of his works daily. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the book of John is fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah. The total fulfillment came on the day of Pentecost. John is teaching of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus so that we may know the kind of power that is accessible to us.

The Holy Spirit will indwell us and give us power to preach the Gospel to the very ends of the earth.13 Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you . . .” to be his witnesses. Was Jesus only talking to the apostles when he said these words? Of course not! If he was, why have we bothered to include them in the inspired Word of God? If all of his Word is not applicable to today why read any of it? There are those who say there are Scriptures that we do not apply today. For example, we do not put adulterers to death in twenty-first century America. Therefore, all of the Word of God is not in effect today. However, the same ones who use this argument try to use the argument that the Old Testament is no longer valid since the dispensation of grace in Jesus Christ. In addition, one might argue that the Bible is specific when it says that unrepentant adulterers shall be put to death on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, what has been said in the Old Testament is still valid in the New Testament. There are many other arguments that try to explain away the power God has promised to those who believe. Nevertheless, we are told that we will possess power that the world does not possess if we follow Christ.

The Holy Spirit Points us to Jesus

 

            The most important job of the Holy Spirit is to point us to Jesus. Robert Kysar says, “The Spirit enables one to recognize Jesus as the God-sent revealer, to execute an awakening, and to deepen and strengthen faith.”¹¹ It is through his witness that we can have a saving knowledge of Christ. T.S. Caulley says:

The Holy Spirit will dwell in the believers (John 7:38; cf. 14:17) and will guide the disciples into all truth, the Holy Spirit (16:13), teaching them “all things” and bringing them “to remembrance of all that [Jesus] said” to them (14:26). The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus, as the disciples must also testify (John 15:26-27).

The KJV of the Bible calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter. The word in the Greek is paraklētos. It has a wide range of meanings; comforter being one of them. While there is no direct English translation for paraklētos, comforter does not seem as though it encompasses the word in the way that it should. Andreas J. Köstenberger says paraklētos is “particularly difficult”¹² to translate. The NIV translates paraklētos as “counselor”. However, this translation is also inadequate even though it does have the meaning of legal counselor as well as one who would counsel for a psychological problem or a predicament as well. Counselor also brings to mind someone who might guide another. Paraklētos also means intercessor or someone who intercedes. Therefore, we have a comforter who counsels us and intercedes for us. In short, he points us to Jesus. He helps us to rely on the one that was sent from the Father and his name is Jesus. As we continue through this book it will soon become evident just how difficult it is to find any word that is all encompassing when it comes to Holy Spirit.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

            Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10b NKJV).” The power to lead the abundant and victorious Christian life comes from the Holy Spirit. According to John’s Gospel there can be no doubt that Jesus was walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and was operating in all of the gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:1 - 10 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant…To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,  to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

When Jesus left this earth, he imparted gifts to each of us according to his will. This impartation was done by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that we can have the power to witness for Christ (Acts 1:8). Without said power we would be witnessing in our own flesh and would not possess the tools it takes to witness to a lost and dying world and experience the abundant life.

            Millard J. Erickson explains that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were on this earth ministering together and were in the Father’s will the entire time. Millard writes, “In Jesus’ life we find a pervasive and powerful presence and activity of the Spirit. Even the very beginning of his incarnate existence was a work of the Holy Spirit.”⁵

            John’s Gospel tells us more about the Holy Spirit than any other Gospel.⁶ John also spotlights the power of the Holy Spirit to perform the miraculous. Walter Elwell tells us, “John’s treatment of the miracles is distinctive. He never calls them ‘mighty works’ as do the Synoptists, but ‘signs’ or ‘works’.”⁷

John places his emphasis on “high Christology.”⁸ Christology (from Christ and Greek logia) is a field of study within Christian theology. Define.com defines Christology as, “A treatise on Christ; that department of theology which treats of the personality, attributes, or life of Christ.”⁹ D. Moody Smith says, “The Holy Spirit plays a more prominent part in John than in any other of the Gospels.”¹⁰ Jesus gives the Spirit without limit, which also means he has the Spirit without limit. John 3:34 says, “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” The power of the Holy Spirit is evident in the Gospel of John. We have already seen some of the evidence to prove that, but there is much more.

God Cares for You

Sometimes, when things are not going your way it may be hard to believe, but God cares for you. We had a revival at the church. A man named Clyde Annandale was the dramatist. He portrayed King David. In his portrayal he explained how David might have felt as he faced Goliath. It was a myriad of emotions as he made us laugh and cry with his wonderful depictions. Clyde had never been to our town. There was a man in the audience; a man that I have known for sometime. A man who has had his struggles as many of us has had. This man had decided to begin to renew his walk with Christ. During a part of the portrayal of King David, Clyde encourages others to follow Christ and have faith.

Unknown to him, out of all of the people in the crowd, he chose this friend who has been struggling. In a way that only Clyde can do, he encouraged this man above and beyond what might have been expected. I began to praise God and the power of his Holy Spirit. Clyde reached across another individual to reach out to the man. He physically took him by the hand and pulled him closer to him. He exhorted him to have faith in God. No matter what he was facing, God would take care of it if he had faith that he would do so. When I asked Clyde later why he chose the man over the one who was standing right in front of him he exclaimed, “I don’t know. I just saw something in his face and felt the Lord wanted me to address him instead of the one I had chosen.”

I suppose there are those who read this and call it a coincidence. Nevertheless, I have witnessed many of those same types of “coincidences” in my walk with the Lord. It seems as though the Holy Spirit always knows how to “coincidentally” choose someone to encourage in the time when he or she needs it most. The power of the Holy Spirit resides in the caring love of God. As he follows each of his children, he guides them in the times that they cry out to him most.

That is precisely what he has done for me in my life. At the time I needed him most, he was planning for me to come to him in a great and mighty way; a way that my mind had not conceived of. A way that has led me in a life of obedience and abundance I have never experienced before. Because of his undying love, you will experience his magnificent power in your own life if you will be available to him to teach you what he has for you to learn.

God is All Powerful

 

God is omnipresent (he is everywhere), he is omniscient (he is all knowing) and he is omnipotent (he is all powerful). He cares about our daily lives and loves us more than can be imagined by man. It is difficult to understand how one can deny God. He is seen in all things everyday. Science cannot figure out what keeps humans breathing. They have it within their power to preserve life. Nevertheless, it is not within their power to breathe life into a corpse. Neither is it within their power to create life. Creation is left for All-Powerful God himself.

I know a man who one day decided he was going to be an atheist. He no longer believed in God. He said he no longer believed in an all powerful God who was in control of the universe. However, one day he had an encounter with his mortality. There was a catastrophe in his life. At that moment he decided that there is a God. Even though he was not willing to recognize his god as Jesus, he did recognize that there is a power that he cannot control. At that point he decided he was now an agnostic. He proclaims there is a God, but not one who cares about him in a personal way.

What one places value on in a life quickly fades as one sees a loved one lying in a casket or in one who learns of their own terminal disease. Nevertheless, the power of God lasts beyond the grave and takes us to eternity. The power that is offered to those who will accept it will open up their life to a new love that cannot be explained, nor duplicated. Even so, the power of God cannot be experienced by merely believing in a “higher power” or “force of the universe.” The power of God can only be experienced through the Son, Jesus Christ.

This power is the power of the Holy Spirit who was given by God through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus said that he must go so he can send a comforter. That comforter is the Holy Spirit. Many religions recognize a power greater than their own. However, they fail to understand the significance of the power for which they are searching. Earthly man is seeking temporary powers that will fill the void in his or her life for but a fleeting moment. In America, the most common god sought after is materialism and/or money. One seeks for the creature comforts that are sure to ease the pain of their suffering and fill the void in one’s life. If one could talk to Marilyn, Elvis, or Michael Jackson one would find out that material possessions will fill nothing. In fact, in each of the three examples, it created a larger chasm in their soul rather than filling it. When what they were seeking came to them, the void soon returned stronger than ever. That is because the power they were seeking was only temporary and did not completely fill their heart nor confirm what the meaning of life was.

Once one finds out that the meaning of one’s life is to live for God and give him glory, one finds that nothing else is important. We are created to glorify God. Granted, to an unbelieving world which thinks that their existence is all about them, this seems like a boring life. However, when one experiences the life that God has for them, one begins to understand the rapture of the Christian life. Nevertheless, one cannot experience the fullness of Christ without the power of Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is what makes a Christian able to live the over-coming life of the Christian faith. Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame the world through the power of the Holy Spirit who now resides in us. How can I make such a claim? All theologians know that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to Jesus. However, one cannot forget that the three are one. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Paul said in Romans 8:9-11:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 

In this passage Paul uses the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit synonymously.   Quite possibly one might say they do not understand the Holy Spirit. I submit, he is not to be understood but embraced. His power cannot be harnessed or limited by the understanding or the power of man. However, he may choose to limit his power to any individual who denies his power. God seeks to work through man, but he will not force himself. He is a patient God who wants all to come to him of their own accord.   

So why is America sinking deeper in sin and degradation? It is multifaceted, but simplistic in nature. America has embraced every religion that has been purported to it. As we have accepted the huddled masses, we have accepted their apostasy as well. God warned Israel not to intermarry. It had nothing to do with the race of the people interjected into the nation. It had nothing to do with being a pure race. It had everything to do with the probability that Israel would accept every god that was introduced to it through such a union. There are many examples of said apostasy in the Bible. Apostasy is merely an abandoning of the faith. Israel forsook God and turned to worthless idols. Israel’s biggest sin was the turning away from God to other gods. Solomon is an excellent example. He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. 1 Kings 11:9 says, “The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’S command.”  

As we go through this book together you must pray to understand what God is trying to tell you. Of course, the assumption of prayer is that you are a believer. If, however, you are simply trying to come to a conclusion about the truth about God, it is my prayer that you will have a better understanding of the power that is given to those who believe in Christ. 

Do not Fear the Holy Spirit

Why would one fear gifts that God would give him to enable him or her to do his ministry? Why would he or she discount what God says one can have if he or she asks for it? It would seem evangelicals fear charismatics. Possibly they are thinking, what if one “buys into” the charismatic philosophy and God requires them to jump over a pew or fall down in exhilaration of the Spirit.

First of all, God never makes anyone do anything. He only works through those who are willing to accept his power and allow him to move in their life. He did not force me to become a preacher. Quite the contrary, I began in the ministry when I was about twenty years old. After about eleven years I got a little disillusioned and ran. I was in absolute disobedience. He did not require that I stay in the ministry, nor did he make it impossible to leave. However, the call is strong if we will listen to God. Approximately sixteen years later, I succumbed to his call and now he is blessing my ministry.

God in his grace even blessed me in my disobedience to a certain degree. Nevertheless, had I decided to be obedient from the start there is no telling what he would have done. It would seem that many hide behind the guise of God’s completed work to deny the miraculous powers of the Spirit today. I have no doubt that the previous statement will be challenged by all who are certain that God cannot (or will not) work his miraculous works in the twenty-first century. What was the date that God stopped using his disciples to show his glory through miraculous signs? Why would he stop? 1 Corinthians 14:24 says that tongues is a sign for the unbeliever. Later in this book we will discuss the gifts. Therefore, it would not serve a purpose to state it in this chapter. Nevertheless, it is important for one to understand the possibility remains that God might use his miraculous powers as a sign to the unbeliever today as well as in the first century.