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).
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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).
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).
Monday, February 28, 2011
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.
Monday, February 21, 2011
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).
Monday, February 7, 2011
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.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, January 17, 2011
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.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Jesus is the Only Way
There is only one way and that way is Jesus Christ. Many say he is not “The” Christ, but only “A” Christ. There are others who will bring one to the throne room of grace as well. However, how can one accept a religion that is a lie? For example, the Qur’an states that Jesus is a prophet. It says, “Then she (Mary) pointed to him. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?' He (Jesus) said: ‘Verily! I am a slave of God, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet . . . (19.29-30).”1 The Qur’an further states, “O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination (9.73).”2 The Muslims do not believe that there is such a thing as the Trinity. The Qur’an says:
People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and in His Messengers, and do not say: ‘God is a Trinity.' Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. God is indeed just One God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. God is sufficient for a guardian. (Qur’an 4.171).3
Jesus is called, by the Muslims, a prophet. However, I submit by the previous admissions that he was a liar. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him (John 14:6-7).” He has stated in this passage that he and the Father are one. Yet the Muslims call him a prophet. By there own admission, if he has claimed anything other than being a prophet he is a liar. He claimed he was one with the Father. Why would one believe a book, like the Qur’an, that has so blatantly contradicted itself?
Hindus and Buddhist believe you can pray to an object made with hands and their prayers will be answered. Why not pray to your television or kitchen table. It will produce the same effect: nothing!
The power of the Holy Spirit reveals these truths to those who are seeking in the midst of lies that are purported by the powers of darkness. Satan’s sole aim is to divert the Children of God and those seeking God away from the truth that is in his Word. Jesus said, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible (Matthew 24:24).” So why is it not possible for the elect of God to be deceived by these false prophets: because of the power of the Holy Spirit. He gives believers the comfort of the truth of salvation in Christ. When Jesus went away he told the disciples he would send a comforter or counselor. John 15:26 says, “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.” The Holy Spirit testifies to Christ and helps the believer to discern between truth and lie.
It is quite possible at this point I have not stated anything other than what is obvious to the average Christian. Christians know that they have the power of the Spirit in them if they are in Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 8:9-11:
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. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 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.
Therefore, if the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, why do you walk in defeat? Why do you succumb to the temptations of the world and of the flesh? Quite possibly it is because you have allowed the power to be quelled in you by those who do not believe God can do the same work through us in the twenty-first century that he did in the first century.
There are those who say that miracles ceased after the last apostle. If that is so, how do you explain the miracles that I have seen in my life or the lives of others? Am I a liar or have I merely seen what I wanted to see and it can be explained away?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table
There are many who claim today that there are many roads to the top of the mountain. Oprah has claimed that Jesus is not the only way. She has said that for such a vast people there cannot possibly be only one way; one God. Surely, a loving God would not send to Hell those who worship him in a different way. The truth is, God has given us the way to worship him in truth and many have rejected it. It is called the Word of God; The Holy Bible. This Word tells us of a God that is Holy and wants us to approach him on a Holy basis. He is a God that cannot be approached from the standpoint of the world because we are all sinners.
God does not send anyone to Hell. It is a path that is chosen by an unbelieving world. There are many paths in which to take. Nevertheless, there is only one that leads to salvation. John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.” Many want to make the road easy, but God’s Son had to sacrifice his life so that we might have eternal salvation. Matthew 7:13 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus himself has told us that he is the only way to heaven.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Power We Leave On The Table
When you begin to over-think what God has told you is truth, you presume on the knowledge of God. Hence, you assume said knowledge for yourself. God becomes secondary due to the one who has more intellect than an all knowing God does. Knowledge is a good thing. However, knowledge that takes our focus away from God is knowledge that is not of God. As in all things, the focus must be on Christ; else, what is the knowledge to accomplish? Where will the knowledge take one who wants to focus on the aspects of the world? Obviously, said knowledge might possibly bring fame or fortune to one who uses it in a materialistic way. It might help one discover what he perceives to be “the purpose of life.” It can even make one the most powerful person in the world or, at least, one of the most powerful in the world. Mark 8:36-38 says:
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables one to be able to understand the mind of God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that believers have the mind of Christ. That powerful mind, able to understand the mysteries of God, comes through the Holy Spirit. When Philip asked the eunuch if he understood the Scriptures he said in Acts 8:31, “How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Without the power of the Holy Spirit common man cannot understand the Word of God.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables one to be able to understand the mind of God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that believers have the mind of Christ. That powerful mind, able to understand the mysteries of God, comes through the Holy Spirit. When Philip asked the eunuch if he understood the Scriptures he said in Acts 8:31, “How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Without the power of the Holy Spirit common man cannot understand the Word of God.
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table
I make no apologies for my bias. I state freely that I have taken Jesus as my Lord and Savior and believe him to be God the Son. Being God, it makes the miraculous much less fantastic and much more ordinary for what one would expect a sovereign God to do. - Rick Hertless -
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table
". . . Jesus said the pagans seek after the things of the flesh (Matt 6:28-34). As Christians we are to seek after the things of God. We must place him first and foremost in our hearts and allow him to bless, or not, the way he sees fit for our lives. The very thing you desire may not be his will or desire for your life. It is better to wait on him and discover what he wants than to force an answer that may lead to discipline."
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table
God says that he will give us the desires of our heart in Psalm 37:4. Nevertheless, the desires of your heart should be focused on him.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Witnessing for Christ
There is no greater loss than a Christian who is content to watch the lost come and go without reaching out in the power of the Holy Spirit to help a person change his or her life: one who is content to sit powerless even though he or she has the power readily available to use for the glory of God. - Hertless, The Power We Leave On the Table 2010 -
Friday, June 18, 2010
His Gospel Power
His Gospel Power is a syndicated Radio program in 8 states and the internet. You can listen to the weekly broadcasts at www.thegospelword.com and scroll down the list of preachers to Rick Hertless. The program is focused on glorifying God and giving the listener a glimpse into the struggles and solutions for the life of the Christian in everyday life.God is real and he cares about your life struggles. He cares about everything that is going on with you. Even though it feels as though you are struggling alone, God is their to prop you and give you comfort. His promised Holy Spirit whom he sends to his children will guide you in every struggle you are facing today. Do not fear what you are seeing and hearing in the world around you. God is not surprised.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Power We Leave On the Table Video
Click below for the link to the video for my new book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucMEEI7-YX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucMEEI7-YX0
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