Hello Everyone,
How many know
that we, like refrigerators, are dependent creations … without being
plugged in, we have potential without power … vision
without vitality to make it happen!
Jesus
said when the Holy Spirit comes they would have POWER … be plugged into the Divine
ability they needed to do whatever needed to be done!
As the fire of God … the
Holy Spirit enables our conformity to Christ!
John the
Baptist told of a day when Jesus would —
"Baptize
them with the Holy Spirit and fire!"
The fire
of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer doesn't destroy us … it's
used to develop us!
The Holy
Spirit as fire is a study in itself … but let me give you a few examples of the
way the Holy Spirit uses fire to conform us into the Christ likeness!
In
Matthew 3:11,12 we read about the farmer's fire that's used for a purging
purpose — the farmer uses fire to consume the useless and conserve
the useful! That's exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives!
In
Malachi 3 we read about the refiner’s fire that's used for a purifying
purpose — the refiner knows when the process is complete because he can see
his image in the metal!
Scripture
talks about the potter's fire? A fire that's used for a perfecting
purpose — once the potter has shaped his vessel ... he covers it and
then he puts it in an oven!
Cortland
Myers Writes:
"The finest china in the world
is burned at least three times, some of it more than three times. Dresden
china is always burned three times. Why does it go through the intense
fire? Once ought to be enough. Twice ought to be enough. No, three times are
necessary to burn the china so that the gold and the crimson are brought out
more beautiful and then fastened there to stay.
We are fashioned after the same
principle in human life. Our trials are burned into us once, twice, three
times, and by God's grace these beautiful colors are there and they are there
to stay forever!"
As the initiator and
inspiration for unrestricted praise … the Holy Spirit enables our communication
with and about Christ!
"All
of them were filled, and all of them spoke in tongues!"
They all
spoke in a spirit-enabled language of praise … this wasn't an experience or
expression reserved for a select few or the super-spiritual!
On
several other occasions in Acts … we see the same thing happen again … this is
the only repeated initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit!
The need
to praise and proclaim in an unhindered and unrestricted way
isn't a badge of super-spirituality … it's a bridge to a built up
life!
Paul
writes that —
"The
one who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies or builds himself up!"
That's
always the purpose of spirit-enabled praise … to lift Christ up so that
he might build us up!
"As the Spirit enabled
them" —
means that praying or praising in a spiritual language isn't something someone teaches
us to do, it's something the Holy Spirit enables us to do!
Greater
Things Are Still To Come!
Pastor Phil
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