BELIEVING TO WALKING

       FOLLOWING
   THE HOLY GHOST

The HOLY SPIRIT:
THE
GIFT that
keeps on listening

    Madison Avenue sorcerers have long used their deceptive arts to create enticing campaigns to enable the rough and ready Christmas shopper to tread the straight and narrow road of Christmas bliss so they can find that perfect gift for friend and loved one alike. The wizards of Babylon have taken the vision of sugar plums dancing in the head of the children on Christmas Eve to greater and greater heights with each succeeding Yuletide season. We have been graced with the gift that lasts forever, the present that men dream about, the one she can't resist and the gift that keeps on giving. They stir up our greed for gold and silver, vacations and transportation, diamonds and jewelry, electronics and perfume, coats and hats, candy and cards; all of which, as the Scripture says, are to perish with the using. Ah! What a wonder to receive a gift that satisfies and benefits the soul and spirit ‑ a gift from God.         If you are looking for a real gift this Christmas, or any time actually, if you are born-again, you could receive a gift that is greater than all the rubies of India, a gift that keeps on listening, keeps on answering! Jesus said, "Ask and it shall be given unto you." Most evangelical Christians assent to this in principle, but few believe its purpose and power, for asking begins with asking for the Holy Ghost and His spiritual powers manifested by the gifts of His miracles, knowledge, wisdom and Word. Knowing the truth of the scripture which says that Jesus came, died and then ascended on high "and gave gifts unto men" is one thing, trusting Christ to give us gifts "according to His riches in glory" is quite another. Jesus tried to reassure us to have faith for receiving great spiritual gifts, especially concerning the Holy Ghost when He said; "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
       The gift of the Holy Spirit, and the accompanying gifts, make our spiritual lives rich with power, our minds stable with understanding and gives us comfort in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the gift to the believer that keeps on comforting, the gift that keeps on teaching; the one true gift of God that keeps on giving. Once we have asked Jesus for the gift of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and received it by faith, the Spirit will keep giving gifts to us that will enhance, enlighten and strengthen our relationship with Jesus. As a token of this love and promise of gifts, the Spirit gives us, first, the gift of speaking in tongues; a gift that opens the door to all other supernatural, spiritual gifts. At first, this gift seems a useless and foolish thing to our carnal minds, a gift that only makes us seem as if we were silly children. But in a certain respect it is the greatest of all the gifts which the Spirit will give a Christian because it is the gift that keeps on listening. It is not a gift about speaking or talking, because we must give our tongues over to the Spirit of Christ in child‑like faith. But rather it is the gift of having God's wisdom spoken by the Spirit On behalf of us. We do not know what He is saying or asking, but we know He is taking our deepest groaning and stirrings in our spirit to the Father. Paul put it this way in Romans 8 - “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

       The Spirit forms our prayers in His own language before we even know what is needed or desired and takes them to the ever listening ear of the Father. The gift of speaking in tongues is truly the gift that keeps on listening. If you haven't received it yet you should make this gift the absolute highest on your Christmas list. You should seek books, tapes and personal help from ministers or agents of the spirit of Pentecost to receive this great gift without delay. Pray to the Lord for increased faith to receive this gift of heavenly access as a child. No other gift could serve you as well as this gift that gets the ear of God in such a supernatural and perfect way, in an instant of time. There are no busy signals, no downed lines, no cable problems, no "kickouts", boot‑ups, hard drive crashes, connection interrupts, or blue screens ‑ it is a direct access line for the born‑again Christian to God's ear any time, day or night; it is the perfect and instantaneous way to present needs, known and unknown, to the throne of God.
       If you have been or were ever taught to be suspicious of this gift then take another look and reconsider. All bible-believing denominations (loosely called Evangelical) are forced to concede that God gave this gift of the Holy Spirit with the accompanying gift of speaking in ‘tongues’ was given without doubt to the fledgling Church. The bible says also that god does not repent of giving His gifts. The fact that this gift is not or will not be received by all, and perhaps just a few, is worthy of debate and discussion. That it may be confined in general reception to the early days of the Church life, called the former rain in Joel and to the last days before Christ’s second advent, called the latter rain by Joel, is also worthy of honest discussion. What is unquestionable is that the gift of tongues is an original and unique gift to man of the Holy Ghost, prophesied of by Isaiah and reserved for the powerful prayer life of those who seek to be relegated to the submission and devotion of the Holy Ghost in times of great need. What greater need in the Church has there been than during the inception and infancy of the Church and then in its full maturity in the end when Christ comes back to receive His Church-Bride who has grown into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Himself. It is true that the start of something is half the battle, but the bible says,Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”Ecc. 7:8 Our patience begins and ends with being patient to let the Holy Spirit to have His way with us. (See Yielding to the Spirit on this page) If the Church needed the glory of the Spirit and its gifts to edify, unify and mature the Church in the beginning, how much more does it need the gifts of the Spirit and praying in tongues to perfect them in the last days of its preparation for the bridegroom? Sadly, too many in the Church have missed this truth and have chosen to revere the rational mind above the mind of Christ, teaching that God took it away and gave the gift of tongues over to the hands of Satan to use as a tool to deceive, confuse, harass and impede Church glory and maturity. This shouldn’t find place even in the rational mind. Why would God do this? He is not the author of confusion for those who seek Him and love Him. If we had the child‑like faith that Christ told us to return to, and that we often claim to want, then we would not be suspicious of the Holy Ghost and His gifts, especially the one that gives us unlimited access to the ear of the Father.
      If you have been taught to be suspicious of this gift then ask yourself these questions. Were the 3,000 men and women on the day of Pentecost suspicious of God's gift of tongues of fire? Did Paul, who said he thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than any of the charismatic Corinthians, treat speaking in tongues as an insignificant gift from God? And what about the twelve men in Acts with whom Paul met and spoke on the road to Ephesus? When Paul asked them about receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost they freely admitted they had never even heard of the Holy Ghost. This was not the response of heathens or aborigines; it was the statement of confirmed believers who were not too stubborn to admit their ignorance. But they received the Holy Ghost and the gift of tongues without suspicion or reservation. They did not suspect that God would be trifling with them by giving them a useless gift or allowing Satan to give them an unclean language. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, so declares the Bible. God has not withdrawn the gift of speaking in tongues; the Church withdrew their faith. Very few of us will open a package on Christmas morning and throw it back into the face of the giver. Even if we don’t understand it or appreciate it, we accept it with joy because it comes from one who is presenting a token of their love to us. But we treat God’s gifts with disdain when we throw the gift of tongues back in His face, and yet claim to love Him more than anyone else in the world.
       Many years ago I knew a woman who had recently been converted to Christ. She was, by nature, a very docile and gentle person. She spoke so quietly that if a dishwasher was running or a jackhammer chattering away outside one had trouble hearing her voice. Outwardly, she was submissive and humble, but even she had a stubborn streak in her heart and could not readily receive everything God could offer her. This was in the days of the height of the Charismatic Movement and the gift of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues was being discussed, debated, taught and received in every nook and cranny of every denomination of Christianity. But even this contrite, gentle soul was suspicious, until God intervened in a miraculous manner.
      While resting at home one day the phone rang and she answered it. The voice on the other end of the line was speaking in tongues. Startled, the demure lady asked; "Who are you looking for?" The voice simply responded by asking for her by name. When she replied, “Yes, this is she", the voice resumed speaking in tongues and never again spoke a word to her in English. Within moments the tears began to flow from my gentle friend’s eyes and she instinctively knew that the Holy Ghost was urging her to join with Him in speaking in tongues. She fell to her knees and with tears of repentance, mixed with joy, she started to utter unknown words of the Spirit. They were slow at first, but then picked up with rapidity until she was boldly speaking in a "natural" cadence. She never understood the words, but knew they were being spoken to God by the Holy Spirit on behalf of her deepest spiritual needs. They were a form of intercession, a pure and perfect language of the Spirit of Christ, being instantly delivered to the ears of the Father in heaven. She knew what Paul was talking about when he had said, the Spirit "makes intercession for us uttering things we know not how to utter".
      I also know a brother and sister who received the gift of tongues unbeknownst to one another miles part in two different cities on the same day, one by the laying on of hands, the other alone without urging from the Church body, to confirm and validate the timeliness for the gift of tongues in today’s spiritual life. I could tell of many, many unique and personal testimonies, including my own, of the validity of the gift of tongues, but the above two should suffice. This gift is vital to our spiritual health. It is like having a physician on hand at all times listening to our every ailment, like having a loving mother ready to hear our every fear and disappointment, or having a friend who hears our every hope; or like having a father near to us for sweet counsel at all times. We have a God who hears of our concern about Him and our fellow man. Through the Spirit our heart can talk to God. The gift of speaking in tongues is not about talking at God; its glory and power is in the fact that we can speak perfect prayers at the drop of a hat  and that God is always listening because they are prayers of faith and truth formed by His very own Spirit. It is the gift that gives us access to the throne by the blood of Jesus. The gift that keeps on listening...

“When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

 

YIELDING
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN
TREATING THE HOLY GHOST?

     I recently had a dream which I'm going to tell you, but first I must give you a little background. We live in Ayer, MA in an apartment. A few years ago I purchased an African Gray parrot. His name was Paco. He was around two-years-old when I got him. He could say a few words and one phrase. He was quite lovely to look at and to listen to. The phrase he could say was "Paco wants a chip". Apparently someone must have trained him to say that by giving him chips. We had to sell him because he was a little loud and we didn't have enough time to spend with him. I kind of miss him though. Now here comes the dream.

I dreamt I was in a small room and there was a hallway attached to it which was lined with bird cages on each side. I was walking through the hall with this man looking for my bird. As I approached the end of the hall I heard "Paco wants a chip". The man I was with said, "There he is, the loud mouth, over there!" I knew it was my bird and I was happy for a split second until I saw him. Cautiously I opened the cage and let him out. Oh how sad-looking this bird was. I could tell he was not healthy and not happy to be there. I remember weeping for this bird. How I'd missed him and he didn't want anything to do with me! Then I said to the man, "Can I take him home now?" He said, "No, he has to stay here another year." It was like he was in prison. My heart was broken and that's how I woke up.

 

The Interpretation

Have you ever heard God speak to you? Well that morning God clearly spoke to my heart and gave me the interpretation to my dream. God said, "Your bird being caged up and looking like he did is an example of how you keep the Holy Spirit caged up in your life. How do you think He feels? He's a person you know.”

Oh how terrible I felt realizing how I'd been treating Him, putting Him second and being too involved in the things of this world. I repented and told Him how sorry I was and that I loved Him and would never again keep him locked up. If anything I'm the one who should be in a cage, and He could let me out once in a while.

In John 14:16 &17 Jesus speaks about sending the Comforter-Helper to those who believe so that He can abide in us forever. What a great gift we have! The only way He can guide us and teach us is if we let Him. I thank God for His mercy in my life.

Now this is what God revealed to me personally, and I thought I would share it with all of you who read this wonderful magazine in case there is someone else out there who hasn't been giving the Holy Ghost a chance to do His work in his life. Please, oh please, don't keep him caged up.

 

May God bless you,

Your brother in the Lord

Andrew J. Boucher

 

 

OBEYING

Integrity Needed:
Holy Ghost is Serious Business

 by LeRoy Gardenier

 

Over the years, in my old life, I had practiced and performed religious rituals with as much sincerity of heart as I could muster. Nevertheless when I came to know the Lord Jesus in a personal way and the Holy Ghost entered my heart, one of the earliest "leadings" I can recall was the Spirit's stern warning to be scrupulously honest and straightforward about my real intentions whenever or wherever I gathered with other Christians in His name.

When I read, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" 1 Cor. 11:30-31, I saw even more clearly that functioning as a member of the Body of Christ, being entrusted with the handling of His Word was serious business, indeed, and never, ever to be trifled with in any way. Eli, the priest, was smitten because of negligence. Saul, the king, brought destruction on himself and his house because of a presumptuous and rebellious attitude. Ananias and Sapphira were struck down separately for conspiring to lie to the Holy Ghost. There are many others as well, the prophet eaten by a bear, Aaron’s son’s incinerated for offering strange sacrifice, Simon Magus for trying to buy the Holy Ghost, etc., etc.

Proverbs 4:23 admonishes: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." False teaching and bad example that encourages "the freemasonry of false fellowship"; preaching of the humanly-inspired social gospel of good works; and, promoting the pernicious twisting of God's own Word - these are issues that can easily be cloaked in "Christian" garments but, inexorably, corrupt the heart. To worship Him "in spirit and in truth", the Lord seeks solely and simply "honest inquirers with true hearts."


TRUSTING

Lay your burdens down

Word from the Lord given to T. Smith Feb. 15, 09

 

My children why do you so carefully pack your concerns and your cares every day when you wake up? As if a person going on a camping trip makes sure that they have all of their necessary items. Why do you pack all those things my dear children, so carefully? Take stock in all of them and count them and itemize them and make sure that you have them. Haven’t I told you even in this very day, the words that came forth? Haven’t I told you many times that I’ll take up your cares and your concerns?

            Why must you always be as Martha caring about every detail? And letting slip at any time, that one thing that matters. That Mary, that good thing that I would not take from her. Why must you hold onto these things? I have said that there is a rest. I said that I would take up your burdens and your troubles for I truly care for you and every care that you have. Why don’t you believe? What happened to those who were cast off and fell in the wilderness, but those who did not believe? I will not take that good thing away from them. Why are you so proud of yourself when you pack so tightly so neatly and so carefully all of your burdens. To take off for a nice weekend camping trip, every day. Why are you so proud of that? Should you be proud that you don’t believe me? Should you lay your burdens down? Should you give them to me? I have spoken to you, prophetic words even by a stammering tongue, lay your burdens down. Why do you take such pride in them? I Am. Your, Father.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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BELIEVING IN THE hOLY GHOST
Jesus Ascended to Heaven
so we
could receive and
believe in the Holy Ghost

                                                                    by Eloise Gardenier

It had been on my heart to write something about Pentecost and I had been hoping for a revelation from the Lord with something a little different about this most important day in Christendom. Then, one morning in April, as I was beginning to awake, the Lord spoke to me one lone word in that "still small voice" similar to the way he had spoken to his prophet Elijah as recorded in I Kings 19:12. The word he gave me was: trilogy.

The obvious Biblical trilogy and the one that came immediately to mind is about the three most important events of Jesus’ life on earth: His birth, His death, and His resurrection. Without this and His ascension to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand, the day of Pentecost could never have come. But the Lord went on to show me another trilogy of sorts, a trilogy of Christian celebrations. They are Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Unfortunately, Pentecost has always been the most forgotten of these three special days, mainly because it has to do with the Holy Ghost and that its ultimate reality required that Jesus go to the Father so the ‘Comforter’ could be the Minister to the Church. Though it is often disregarded by Christians it is equally as important as Christmas and Easter in God's overall plan for the Church because it completed the work the Father had sent Jesus to do here on earth. Because of Pentecost the Third Person of the Trinity was able to come into the world and begin His work of judgment and comfort.

Much of the Church completely ignores this day or only gives it a nod. Even those who have declared they are Pentecostals, having received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, all but ignore this glorious day when the Spirit of God freely fell on repentant, true believers. Others, who choose to label themselves "Charismatic", shying away from using the word Pentecostal or Holy Ghost, also let the day of Pentecost slide by without appreciation for the wonders that this day has ushered in. By treating their experience and life in the Spirit as if it were for circus delight rather than growth of the fruits of the Spirit, Charismatics water down the true meaning of Pentecost. Often their experience is even a counterfeit of the true Pentecostal experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost and ends with little devotion and regard for yielding to the third person of the Trinity.

But Jesus Himself told us how important it was that the era of Pentecost should come to believers. Jesus said to those closest to Him: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."But why was it expedient for us that the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, should come? As Jesus said of Him: "And when He is come, He will reprove the WORLD of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more; Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." The reason Jesus said; "It is expedient that I go away"; was two-fold. On this earth, as the "son of man" as well as the Son of God, Jesus was confined to the place where His body of flesh was located. He could only preach, teach, minister to and convince those in His physical presence. But when the Holy Ghost was given God could be with every believer, everywhere, all the time, in a strong, personal way, teaching, guiding, comforting and edifying them. Because the spirit is invisible and introspective His presence must be believed for and accepted by faith.

Second, since Jesus would no longer be physically present believers would need to be believe and trust and they too would have the Spirit to constantly remind them of true righteousness that would live only by the abiding will of God, Jesus, manifested by the power of the Holy Ghost from within and without. Jesus had told his disciples, "When the Spirit is come He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment."

 

The Spirit Held by No Bounds

God remained in heaven on His throne as the Director of His "Plan of The Ages" in this dispensation. He sent His Son to earth to die for the sins of man. In order to make his death for us legitimate He had to be born of woman yet remain the Son of God. His flesh was man, His Spirit God. But when Jesus returned to His Father, redeemed and glorified, He sent the Holy Ghost, called the Spirit of truth in John 14:17; the comforter, who will teach you all things in John 14:26 - the comforter and spirit of truth who will testify of me, in John 15:26. He has no bounds, He is free to touch, persuade and convict hearts all over this earth in every instant of time.

Proverbs 15:3 instructs us; "The eyes of the Lord are in everyplace, beholding the evil and the good." Again, in Zechariah 3 & 4:10 we are given the same message; "...upon one stone shall be seven eyes:"... These are the omnipotent eyes of the Spirit of God. And once again we get a similar reference to God's eyes, or the probing of the Holy Ghost, in II Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him …” In the midst of this trilogy of the life of the Savior and the trilogy of the days of Christian celebration is the working of the trio of the unified Trinity of the Godhead.

The work of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost involves their total cooperation and unity in all the work they do to bring about God's wonderful "Plan of the Ages". Much of it has been to make an avenue for the Holy Ghost to come into the world en masse. It began even in the Old Testament when only a few special servants were personally visited by God the Father. It was a rare happening and usually had to do with special instructions, testing, or warnings issued. Most of these visits were one on one. A few examples are: Adam and Eve, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and, of course, the rest of the judges and prophets.

What a Trinity. Each having a different role to play, but always in complete agreement! How completely perfect God's omnipotent works have been, in giving the whole world a chance to become His tried, tested and saved sons and daughters. His personal work in the Old Testament was only the beginning of His preparation for a family made in His own image. It was "Act I" of His pageant for all our sakes. Old Testament saints were used to set the stage for "Act II".

 

Power of Holy Ghost Manifested in the book of Acts

By all the groundwork done for us in the Old Testament the time finally came for another phase of God the Father's wonderful family plan. Jews and Gentiles alike, all who were willing, to accept Jesus would be made a part of His eternal household of faith. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection/ascension, was the second act of God's play or program. Let us go back to that original Scripture the Lord brought to my mind. Jesus is preparing those closest to Him. He must return to the Father and it was expedient (be good, be better for, be profitable for) for the Church that He go away. Then He explains that if He does not go away the "Comforter" (The Holy Ghost) will not come. But, He continues, if He does depart He will send the Holy Ghost to them. They did not understand at the time but they certainly did once they experienced the power and presence of the Holy Ghost after the initial pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2 and the entire book of Acts thereafter is the story of the power of the Holy Ghost in the early apostles' lives.)

 

Always two witnesses in heaven:

The Church Age is the Holy Ghost's turn on earth

There is another reason why Jesus had to return to heaven in order for the Holy Ghost to come. It is god’s will that two ‘Persons’ of the Trinity be in heaven at all times, each one taking His turn at ministering to a lost World. The Father was the first to visit a "few good men" during the centuries of the Old Testament, while Jesus and the Holy Ghost were in heaven. Then Jesus walked among more men, including individuals, small groups and large crowds during His thirty-three year stay here on earth. Meanwhile the Father and the Holy Ghost were together at home in heaven, to support Jesus during His time of suffering, shame and victory. Then Jesus had to return to be with the Father in heaven while the Holy Ghost took His turn and came to earth to do His work. His part in that "Perfect Plan of the Father" is to cover the whole earth with His power and gifts while drawing hungry hearts into the true family of God. This period will continue until the Age of Grace is completed when the Spirit will be partially withdrawn 2 Thess. 2:7 during the period of judgment known as the Tribulation. At this time the Gospel will be preached from heaven. I believe the Holy Ghost will still search out hungry hearts until Jesus returns with His saints in that final great heavenly cavalry charge at Armageddon. The Father and the Son’s ministries were filled with actual appearance, so the Holy Ghost has manifested Himself here and there with the tongues of fire and by His gifts to the Church, but for the most part He requires that the Church believe and trust in His power in the unseen realm of the Spirit. We must believe if he is to have power toward us.

In summation, the word the Lord tells a story of a trilogy within a trilogy. Those have reaped the wonderful fruits of the Pentecostal gift and life can and should remember Jesus’ mission here and that it is what made the day of Pentecost possible. That day of Pentecost is only ten days apart from Christ's ascension and I can respect it with the same awe, reverence, gratefulness and joy as I do Christmas and Easter. We can seek the Lord on how to keep this period of time each year, if we are so inclined. But the larger more actual trilogy is the way of the workings of the Trinity. Each one has taken His turn in His time here on earth, each of the three persons of the Trinity fulfilling His own special calling here on earth to seek out, draw, convict, persuade, instruct, even woo individuals into what will be God's eternal family. The Father appropriately began this plan by choosing those He felt would set a good foundation, including the only nation He calls His own, the Jewish nation - and others before that also - men like Enoch and Noah. It was the Father who wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone for Moses to deliver to the people, just an expression of the character and love of His Only Son, Jesus Christ. Then the Father turned over this ministry of personal contact with mankind to Jesus, who came, died and rose again so that all our sins might be forgiven, if we are willing to repent and receive our "new life" and be born-again of the Spirit. Then Jesus, when His part was fulfilled, returned to the Father for our good, that the Comforter might come. The Spirit then, knowing no bounds, could give all of mankind a chance to accept God's Plan of the Ages, and become a part of his Eternal Family.

Those of you who have had the blessed experience, started that first Pentecost, praise God for it. If you haven't received this perfect gift from God, seek Him for it, with all your heart. It gives us the power and helps us to occupy until He comes. Spiritual Advantage of praying in Tongues.


YIELDING TO THE hOLY GHOST

A Lesson Learned From the Law of The Leper

Yielding to the Spirit

is Our Righteousness

by Terry Smith

 

This lesson shall take the tack that all born-again Christians are, in the true spiritual sense, "cured lepers". We have all been plagued by sin's rotting effects; some have nearly been eaten alive by sin - the most basic of all of man's afflictions. We have all experienced the running sores of guilt and fear, the torment of putrefying, disfiguring envy and jealousy, the gnarly mutations of the spirit caused by obsessive lust and hatred. Our leprosy, painful and deadly, would be incurable, leaving us to a miserable, ugly fate were it not for the saving grace of Jesus and the love He proved for us at Golgatha. Because of this boundless love of Christ, snatching us off of the "isles of lepers", many Evangelicals make the mistake of assuming that born-again Christians are fully vested with God's righteousness from the instant they enter God's kingdom; that there is no cleansing or washing needed for those "cured of leprosy". But this is an unfortunate fallacy.

While all who are saved by grace stand clean before God in the sense that they are forgiven of past sins and able to be in His holy presence because of the atoning blood of God's only Son, we still need to seek after His righteousness. No one is made instantly perfect, holy, or righteous; that’s why Jesus issued the directive to be holy as god is holy and perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. If it was a ‘given’ then there would have been no necessity for Jesus to instruct us to become holy and perfect. New birth only marks the beginning of a process, lets us start with a clean slate so we may become holy and righteous in the sight of God. There is a difference between being forgiven and having a new start in Christ, and living a pleasing life toward God by living a daily life of faith in the Spirit. Just as babes start with milk and graduate on to meatier food, as they require it for the maturing and growing process, so Christians must get past the infantile stage and ingest meaty, substantial spiritual food if they hope to grow healthy and strong in Christ.

The Bible alerts us to the fact that there are degrees of quality among the personal lives of Christians. "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Tim. 2:20-21). We must not only do what is right, we must cease to do wrong. We must "flee youthful lusts" and associate with those of similar spiritual ambitions. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Tim. 2:22). If attaining to righteousness did not involve a process or quest then Jesus would not have told His disciples to seek after it and certainly would not have suggested to us to hang around with and fellowship with those who seek God out of a pure heart. There is some truth to the old adage that we are known by those with whom we associate.
       The seeking process is two-fold. The main aspect is to acquire the spirit of righteousness through yielding to the Holy Ghost. The second aspect is to shun our sin and shed the old man - to repent of all our carnal and earthly ways, including any lingering faith in man. True righteousness is only accomplished in us when we allow the Holy Spirit to have full reign over us, so that He gradually and completely gains control of our personal thoughts, or tongue, and our whole living and daily life. He can help us to pick up our cross if we will only yield to Him. We can be like the widow who cast in her ‘whole living’ and thereby so impressed Jesus. The law of the cleansing process for the leper delivered to Israel in the statutes of Leviticus was also designed to illustrate this great spiritual truth that we are to shun the flesh and be cleansed from our unrighteousness. This enlightening law of the leper and how it was given to us as a wonderful acting out of this marvelous principle of transformation from filthy sin to God
's righteousness, a process which requires yielding to the Spirit’s wisdom and guidance, which God hopes and expects every forgiven sinner to embark on and complete as he or she walks humbly and in reverence with Christ.

 

Being born-again is merely the Beginning

It is fashionable in many Christian circles – no! more than fashionable – to think that man is inherently well-intentioned and that he is by character good-willed and of a loving nature, even though this is completely contrary to the message of the Scriptures."There is none that is righteous, no, not one who doeth good." But many Evangelicals and Pentecostals sincerely believe in man's goodness. They believe that it merely needs to be unleashed from within. Forgetting what they were taught in the Bible, they fawn over the doctrines of Ecumenism, desiring to share in humanistic dreams and powers. They just don't want to be left out. They fall for the good-looking charmer like a school kid swooning in the arms of the supposedly loving and progressive thinking ecumenical churches.

The first casualty of this spiritual infatuation with the "love" movement is the preaching of genuine righteousness and spiritual perfection. Power hungry, self-serving shepherds of the flock do not want to insist on righteousness from their people because it will empty pews and decimate bank accounts. They want influence in the community and the world of politics; they want recognition and acceptance from the sheep and they often want large salaries. It is a dubious thing when pastors are richer than the mean of their congregation, and numbers on the roll translate into money, human resources and personal prestige. And money, laborers and prestige translate into power.


John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by preaching "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" The first words preached by Jesus after He was tempted in the wilderness were "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" Without repentance there can be no salvation for a person. It is simply not possible. We, therefore, must first admit our inherent nature to sin, ask for forgiveness for our particular sins, our rejection of God and, then, trust in the blood of Jesus to be the payment for those transgressions which we have committed with regularity from our youth against God and man. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) For without this miraculous conversion from a fleshly, carnal being to a spiritual being there can be no abiding communion with God. He is a spirit and must be worshiped as a spirit. He will not abide in a stony dead place, but will reside in us only when our hearts have received life through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness which only His shed blood can purchase. In short, we must be born-again.

Yet this new birth, so fundamental and necessary to eternal life, should never be viewed as the end-all or the complete fulfillment of being a pleasing son or daughter to Him. It is merely the first leg of that road less traveled, the beginning of the pursuit of giving our utmost for His highest. Our new birth is only our first step in seeking God's righteousness, when we are given the potential or, the "power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). If we were not to seek God's perfect righteousness then why would scriptures like, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12), and "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:" (Heb. 12:14), and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48), be stated so forcefully?

 

Law of Cleansing is a Process

 

  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

  This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

  And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

  Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

  And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:

  As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. (Leviticus 14:1-7)

 

The law of the cleansing of the leper shows this very singular point: that there is one true spiritual process for having the righteousness of Christ grow in us. God, in three persons, is everywhere in this law of the cleansing of the leper; the Trinity completely dominates the process. The leper is not completely passive for he must do his part, but it is a concessionary role in which he must be actively submissive to God's will. The law, as it was designed, provides a temporal and corporeal working model for necessary and true things that exist in the world of the unseen. The New Testament calls the law "a schoolmaster" and in this case we are taught a most important spiritual lesson on the chalkboard of Mosaic Law.

It is clearly stated that the Old Testament rituals are meant to be nothing more than "a shadow of things to come" (Col. 2:17). If this law of the cleansing of the lepers was not meant by God to be a spiritual lesson then we would be compelled to admit that it is nothing short of bizarre. Consider it. A priest was to take two doves from a man who once had signs and symptoms of leprosy but no longer did, kill one dove in a clay pot while running water over it, take the other bird along with the scarlet, hyssop and cedar, dip them into the blood of the dead bird, sprinkle it seven times on the one-time leper and pronounce him clean. Then he was to take the living bird into, not just a field, but an open field and let it go free. Now ask yourself this question. Is God into meaningless gibberish and mystical rituals just to satisfy an urge to dominate and confuse people, or is there a greater meaning behind these curious acts? Because if this whole ritual does not signify a great spiritual truth of salvation then it is just an exercise of remote and strange incantations that signify nothing. But we know that God is a God of purpose and that He is practical, and always looking to teach us about the ways of salvation and the deep things of the redemption process. He tells Isaiah, "Come let us reason together. ... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be white as snow."  (Isa. 1:18) This ritual was created to show man the way to walk in the paths of Christ-like faith; to walk in the ways of a "leper" who is cleansed from his filth and can be "free as a bird".

To begin with we must acquaint ourselves with the symbols of this parabolic ritual.

 

The leper is you and me - a sinner whose sins, like the natural leper, have eaten away at his body, soul and spirit. (Rom. 3:1, Rom. 7:18)

 

The priest overseeing the operation is the great High Priest and mediator between God and man: Christ. (Hebrews 2:17,3:1,4&5;1Tim. 2:5)

The birds represent the Holy Ghost and His ministry. (Matt. 3:16, Mk 1:10, Luke 3:22 & John 1:32)


The scarlet stands for the blood of Christ. (Red dye)

The hyssop stands for the weakness of man. (Fragile plant)

The cedar is the strength of God. (Strong, enduring, the mightiest of plants)

The earthen vessel is the human condition, life in this temporal body of dust and clay.

Running water is symbolic of the Word and its cleansing powers and ability to quicken the Spirit of God within us.

The mixture of the above elements represents the process we undergo with these spiritual ingredients to have righteousness worked in us.

The open field represents the destination God has for us of freedom and complete emancipation from sin.

The symbolism of why there must be one dead bird and one living bird is much of the point of the law's teaching and will become clear as the lesson unfolds.

 

We must notice that the leper is already clean when the process of ritual begins.

"This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:" (Lev. 14:2-4)

This process is not about curing him of his leprosy (sin) for the man is observed by the priest to already be free of symptoms of the disease. We, therefore, must conclude that this lesson in spiritual truth is targeted for those who already know God and have had their initial sin miraculously wiped away. They are already born again. So, this is not about evangelistic concerns of bringing people to Christ. The person or object of the ritual, the "leper", is already cleansed and cured. We must conclude then that this, strictly speaking, is for those who are already engaged, to whatever degree, in a walk with Christ. Now, the former leper is to go through a purifying, process.

All of the elements are assembled. They include, first, the birds (the Holy Ghost and His ministry) and then the scarlet, cedar and hyssop; which are Christ's atoning and powerful blood, the strength of God and the recognized weakness of the former leper, respectively. The ingredients being all in place before any action takes place is indicative of the fact that the man has been cured of leprosy (sin), as when one becomes born-again, and everything is spiritually in place making it possible for the process of cleansing and true righteousness to begin.

 

An Odd Sacrifice

The Holy Spirit Indwells the "Clean Leper"

 

"And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:"

 

Notice that the first action is performed on command of the priest (Jesus) who has the bird inserted into the vessel of clay and slain. How strange and cruel this would seem if it did not have spiritual significance. It, however, points to the truth of the human condition and what drastic measures God must go to in the heart of man to get him cleansed and on the road to righteousness. A gentle little bird must be sacrificed to make a leper clean. The gentle bird here is none other than the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not the only one who ‘sacrifices’ Himself for us. For the Holy Spirit makes great sacrifice for us when he dwells within us. It is symbolic of the true sacrifice that God makes when He commits His Spirit to a life in and with us. This is the significance and spiritual meaning of first placing the bird within the vessel of clay and then slaying it once it is within it. Take note that the priest is the one who commands that the bird be placed within the vessel and sacrificed. The Holy Ghost - by the command of Jesus alone, for he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost (Matt. 3:11) - is placed inside the earthen vessel and that vessel is us. This sacrifice, for the bird is slain, is great and shows forth the immeasurable sacrifice the Holy Ghost has made by agreeing to dwell within these vessels of clay called men (Gen.1:26,2:7,Job 13:12,33.6 & 2 Cor. 4:7). It is not spoken of enough concerning the sacrifice which the Holy Ghost makes each and every time He does the bidding of the High Priest and indwells a cured "leper". For the Holy Spirit, and we emphasize HOLY, to become totally associated with these sons of dust and unclean sinners and to go everywhere, be everyplace and live the life of any mortal is a great sacrifice for a holy God. It would be like one of us sharing the existence and life of a scorpion, or an unclean dog, and being locked in their bodies, doing the things they do, living their fears, anxieties, lusts and ignorant, carnal desires. Christ’s atoning blood has made the unclean, clean, making it like a ‘former’ leper. The blood has made us a clean vessel and prepared the way for the Holy Ghost (the dove-bird) so that the vessel is clean enough for Him to place Himself within us. This is why no person can have the Holy Ghost placed within except he first be cleansed by the born-again blood of Jesus. The blood of Christ scours or soul and spirit and the Spirit can move in. But the Holy Spirit, in a sense, allows Himself to be slain. He is imprisoned. He dies to freedom and self for our sakes. This is so we are not alone; left without guide, comforter, teacher or soul-mate (John 14:16-18) while waiting for Jesus's return from heaven where He now sits on the right hand of the Father waiting for that blast from the trumpet of the archangel.
What a sacrifice the Holy Ghost has made and we do not give Him due credit for this, but this lesson teaches us that we can and ought to do so. To see His willingness to indwell a cured leper as an extraordinary and incalculable sacrifice of love is to begin to give Him some honor and worship. As we shall see, it is the Spirit
's hope that we will set Him free and not keep Him confined in the depths of our human nature represented by the earthen vessel.


God hopes that the risk He is taking, this great sacrifice of indwelling flesh will not go for naught by having the Spirit languish in the earthen vessel, His power suffocated by neglect or an unresponsive, disinterested heart, His love shunned and forgotten by a carnal mind and thirst for the things of earth. Notice that the High Priest does not perform the actual sacrifice. He has someone else pour running water, or as the Scriptures call it elsewhere, "living" water, over the bird as it is being slain in the vessel. How curious, until we make the connection with the living Word. The water is the life-cleansing and dynamic power of the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). The Holy Ghost is the one who performs the whole sacrifice of Himself and all that pertains to it, including the pouring out of the Word upon the sacrifice. The running water is also the regenerative power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the daily renewing brought by the indwelling presence of the Holy Ghost which is abundantly worked in us. Titus 3:5-6 The Spirit works this in us and performs the whole operation of liberation from sin in us Himself., for that is what the whole sacrifice is about, declaring the liberation and cleanliness of a formerly leprous sinner.

Though a sacrifice is made, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us does not die, but lives with vitality - if we will go out into the open air and set Him free. For the Spirit to live the Christian must go the next step in the process. He must concede to Him, yield with compassion to Him, not imprison His Will and power, but let Him have full range, fly free and be unrestricted.

            

A Spiritual Admixture Cleanses the Cured Leper

  "As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean..."

 

The High Priest, you will observe, is still very much in charge of the whole process. He must remain in charge. Just as it would have been entirely inappropriate for the "cured leper" to wrench any part of the carefully prescribed process from the control of the priest, so it is wrong for any believer to think that the aspects of this spiritual process in Christ can be altered or manipulated. Now all ingredients must be brought together into one homogeneous and perfect spiritual mix. This is the hard part and the least likely to be understood or accepted by the "cured leper". If we allow Him to do it, Christ will mix the power of His resurrected life, with faith in God, and ever decreasing reliance on ourselves to bring ever increasing righteousness in us. This brings and unavoidable dichotomy, a tension within our spirit. We are pulled to God and away from self. Christ will increase our faith to trust and believe God, will help us grow in grace so we can rely His strength rather than our own, so we may, as the Proverb says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Prov. 3:55-6)The verse which follows reinforces the other part of the mixture for righteousness, that we not rely on our own goodness or insightfulness for good. It says,"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Prov.3:5-7) As Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 1:9: "we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead". Jesus used analogies to connect us to His cross so that we would understand that, like Him, we are to be "dead" to self. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:23-24) and, "he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:38) The scarlet ingredient in the sacrifice represents the power of Christ's blood to save, forgive, deliver and free us to live a spiritually rich existence. The cedar represents the trust which Christ, who is "the author and finisher of our faith", will encourage us with and provide for us. The hyssop is the death to self that is a recognition of our human limitations and fleshly weaknesses, whereby, we no longer trust in our own powers and weapons.

With these four spiritual ingredients mixed together: the living bird, the scarlet, the cedar and the hyssop; (the Holy Ghost, the blood of Christ, God's strength and man's humility) the High Priest (Jesus) now dips them into the blood of the sacrificed bird. This act symbolizes that true righteousness can only be brought about after we have first submitted to the baptism of the Holy Ghost (symbolic of the initial bird being placed in us as a vessel of God). Then, and only then, can the four elements of righteousness: (1) the freeing power of the blood of Jesus (2) the power of the living presence of the Holy Ghost within us (3) the ability to believe and yield to the Spirit of God and (4) the denial of all aspects of self; blend perfectly and harmoniously together combining in full force to begin to grow the fruits of God's righteousness in a "cured leper" made spotless by Christ’s forgiveness. The act is begun by the High Priest who is the only mediator between God and man. It is conditional upon the reception of the Holy Ghost by the "jar of clay", the Holy Ghost having "sacrificed" His holy and heavenly nature to indwell the ‘earthen vessel’. Seven times (signifying that it is a process accomplished fully over a period of time and that it does not take place overnight or in an instantaneous fashion through prayer or by miracles) the priest sprinkles the mixture on the "cured leper". When this is done, and only when this is done, does the priest pronounce the one-time leper clean. Notice, the priest does not pronounce the leper clean at the outset of the whole ritual when he first determines he is spotless and cured. It is only at the end of this remarkable and spiritual ritual that the man, cured of leprosy (sin), is finally called, clean.


One should now readily see that the process of seeking and gaining righteousness for the "cured leper", the born-again Christian, is from beginning to end, all about the Holy Ghost. Only one thing remains in the process. We must let the Holy Ghost have His way; it is He who must be in total control if righteousness is to reach its greatest height in us. He must be set free in our hearts to have full reign over our life. He should be our guide, comforter and teacher. He should have His way at all times, and we should be ready and willing to unleash Him in every situation. The end result of this remote ritual, this otherwise strange law which comes to light only in the radiant and lucid beams of Christ's understanding, and the Word as taught by the Holy Ghost, is for the living bird within us to be set free. This clearly means we are to allow the Holy Ghost to have reign. To let Him fly. It is for us, the 'cured leper' to: "... let the living bird loose into the open field.'




OBEYING THE hOLY GHOST
 

Beware! The Unpardonable Sin
OBEY THE SPIRIT AND LIVE

 We reprint this letter about obedience to the Christian Spirit Magazine
first published in April 1995 from Mr. F. Candell


Dear Staff,

I pray this letter finds you in his light, and that your burdens are light (Matt. 11:29, 30). I have enclosed a copy of a message I was guided to compose. I hope you find it suitable for print. It is a message that truly neeText Box: Do not resist the Holy Spirit, when truth comes into your life, obey it! It comes from God. He would not give it to you if you did not need it. And know when he gives you truth, he gives you the power to follow that truth and obey the Holy Spirit. But know that the Spirit can¬not abide in someone that willfully and deliberately disobeys the truth, God's word!ds to be shared. In these end-times it is urgent that we, as God’s children, try to send messages that will help others to see the truths as our Lord meant us to. Yet a lot of Christians are very confused and are mislead. As Christ said "The Gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow and only a few will find it." (Matt 7:14) I'm trying to shine a bright light on that narrow road so that others may find it. Although I am in constant struggle (Rom. 7:15-25) and I am with­out fellowship, He has blessed me with the ability to see and understand many truths in his Word. I try to share them when I can. Well may God's grace and blessings be upon all who sin­cerely love our Lord, Jesus Christ (Eph. 6:24). I will keep you and your m­inistry in my pray­ers.

 UNPARDONABLE SIN

 In Matthew 12:31,32 Christ said "where­fore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. But the blasph­emy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men". The message is clear. A person may cross the line that separates our Lord's mercy and his wrath and not be able to cross back!

Are you scared that you could cross that line, and be severed from his love and forgiveness? Can we actually do some­thing so atrocious that even our Lord's never ending love and mercy for us could be denied? Well ask Noah! Do you think it could happen again in our time? See Luke 17:26 (water & fire?).

It is not His will that any should be lost. But understand that His word is law! He has made a provision in His word that all can be cleansed and sanctified. 1 Jn 1:9/Isa 1:18 You might ask after read­ing the above mentioned scripture how then can there be an unpardonable sin? The answer is simple; God will not force his forgiveness upon us. Notice in I John 1:9 the word "if", if we confess, confess in faith and repentance. The sin that is known to us in our heart is never forgiven if it is not admitted. Therefore unpardonable. Let's define the word sin, so there can be no mistakes, 1 Jn. 3:4 whoever com­mits sin t­ransgresses also the law. For sin is the transgression of the law.

But it is also an offense against the Holy Spirit. Christ said the Holy Spirit would teach us all things, help us rem­ember His word, and guide us into all truth. (John 14:26, 16:13) The Holy Spirit will either rebuke us or convict us of sin. (John 16:7, 8 Eph. 5:18-21) So please understand that as long as we "allow" the Holy Spirit to teach, guide and convict us, we can never be guilty of the unpardon­able sin. HALLELUJAH! But if we refuse to acknowledge the Spirit and his guid­ance we insult the Holy Spirit.  The book of truth says that people insult the Holy Spirit three ways; they grieve Him, resist Him and despise Him. Eph. 4:30/Acts 7:51/Heb. 10:29 Dangerous business!

Why is it unpardonable? Because without the Holy Spirit we cannot be saved, without the Spirit we cannot truly repent! The Spirit makes us aware of our sins, (that little voice that quotes scriptures to your mind­) without the Spirit in our hear­ts it becomes hardened, our con­science gets dulled. When we refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit what hope can there be for us? Understand now why it is unpardon­able? There are three common ways man can commit the unpardonable. One is to say that they do not want to be saved. They are comfortable in their worldly materialistic liv­es, but their lives are not filled with the joy and peace, only those blessed with the Holy Spirit can know their lives are not abundant. Prov. 28:13 The second way is most unfortunate be­cause these people honestly want to be saved and get right with the Lord. For one reason or another they procrastinate and end up not doing the very thing they so wanted to do, totally surrender to the Lord! The third group of unpardonable sinners are members of the Church -Chris­tians! Surprised? There is a greater danger of these Christians falling into unpardonable sin than any others. You see, sanctification is an ongoing process, a complete meta­morphosis, from caterpillar to butterfly. Some people, once they are saved, become comfortable and complacent. They feel secure in their chur­ch. But the more we let the Spirit guide us in the Lord's Word, the more truth he reveals to us and also the more accountable we become for our actions. No one gets all of God's truths re­vealed to them at once. As we grow we are guid­ed more and more along the path of righ­teousness! We must keep moving, growing, learning and guiding others, if we stop we could end up like the Church of Laodicea. They were filled with the Spirit, but be­came lax in His word and were allowed to be cheated out of salvation by being luke­warm and believing lies. Col. 2:1 & 4: 1­3,15,16/Rev. 3:14-20/2 Thess.2:10-11 Is there one thing God's word says is wrong in your life yet you rationalize it away as being "O.K."? If so, you are clinging to sin!

Do not resist the Holy Spirit, when truth comes into your life, obey it! It comes from God. He would not give it to you if you did not need it. And know when he gives you truth, he gives you the power to follow that truth and obey the Holy Spirit. But know that the Spirit can­not abide in someone that willfully and deliberately disobeys the truth, God's word! If I went to your house and you cook­ed me a wonderful meal with yo­ur mot­her's passed-on recipes and you w­orked hard all week to obtain the funds to pur­chase this special meal. How would you feel if when served it, I set the plate on the floor for your dog to eat? Would you cast the truth God gives you in His Word thro­ugh the Holy Spirit aside? John 12:35 Listen to God's word, not to man's phi­losophies. Be not deceived, don’t lose your cro­wn! Rev. 3:11, Col. 2:8-10 Be firmly rooted in His Word as you have been guided and taught by the Spirit. Col. 2:7 Refuse to follow His Word as you know it and by that sin you shall be judged, it could even get to an unpardonable extent. James 4:17/John 15:­22, 9:41/Prov. 14:12/Luke 13:24/Amos 8:12/James 1:22 In closing I ask you to look up the Scriptures quoted in my short message, let the Spirit guide you.

I procrastinated for almost 10 years putting off what I knew to be the truth but was not socially acceptable. I even went to prison and I thank the Lord for not letting me drift away by my heart becoming hardened. There were times I did not know him, but I asked forgiveness from my heart! And he knows our heart; he forgave me and blessed me with the Holy Spirit. I am not perfect in that sense and stumble all the time, some­times I don't even think I'm a good disci­ple. Rom. 7:15-25 It is a daily battle I fight, I do not always win the battles, but I will win the war because I have Christ watching my back! Eph. 6:10-17 (Notice no back armor!) So put on the full armor of God, lift up the sword of truth, be a doer of the word and not only a hearer James 1:22 and wait on the day that we will hear his voice so softly saying, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord." Matt. 25:­21



TRUSTING THE hOLY GHOST

He cares for us
In the Care of The Holy Ghost

Text Box: A Gift of Knowledge  	I had a dream that a black women, dressed in white, had a baby and it was a very precious child. The black woman loved her child so much I could see it in her eyes.  	With her was a white women (also dressed in white) who saw the black woman with her child and could see the great love the black woman had for her child.  	The black woman asked the white woman if she would take care of the child for her. The white woman was amazed at the thought of it. The black woman told the white woman that the white woman was free and she could offer the child more than she could. All she had was her great love for the child.  	The white woman said the child was better off with her because of the great love the black woman had, but in her heart she knew that, in a way, she had more to offer the child. She also knew her love for the child was nowhere near the love the black woman had.  	The black woman handed the child to the white woman and then she took her own life. The white woman couldn’t believe her eyes and she felt such a great sense of responsibility for the child knowing the price that was paid so that she could care for the child.   - END OF DREAM –    	A few days later the Lord told me the dream was about Jesus (the black woman) and the Holy Ghost (the white woman).    -	Joelle Gagnon

INTERPRETATION:

    When Jesus ascended into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father he promised to return again for his bride, the church. What we often overlook is that this means Jesus is not with us in the flesh. We should know and understand the effect this reality ought to have on our faith and relationship with God. When we say we wait for His return we are necessarily conceding that we know He is not here on earth with us. To put it in another way, if you are waiting for someone to come, you are, by default saying he is not with you.

       So how is Jesus with us then? Whose care are we in? Jesus has left us in the care of the Holy Ghost until His return. This is an undeniable truth revealed by the Hold Scriptures. Remember, Jesus said to His despairing disciples when He was leaving them that they should rejoice, not just for Him because He was going back to be with His Father, but also because it was expedient that He should leave and send the comforter, even the Holy Ghost to abide with them. By the presence of the Holy Ghost, Jesus can dwell with all of us all at once. The Holy Ghost is the omnipresence of God.
            It is by the Holy Spirit that we have fellowship with the Father and the Son. Ephesians 2.18 says, “for through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Through the sacrifice of Jesus, who gave His own life (for no one took it, He gave it up willingly just like the black woman in the dream) , and by the power and care of the Spirit (Holy Ghost) believers can come to the Father. The Holy Ghost is our teacher, guide, comforter and the means by which we have access to the Father. Of course, it is all made possible by the shed blood of Christ on Calvary. So it is through Jesus, by the Holy Ghost, to the Father. Through, by and to. This is the working of the Trinity and the Holy Ghost is critical for the integrated workings of our fellowship with God.
            The Holy Ghost is a person, the third person of the Trinity. The dream shows that the Holy Ghost is our nanny. We should throw ourselves into the care of the Holy Ghost until the return of our Lord and Savior. If Jesus were here we would have to make a pilgrimage to see and hear Him and to sit at His feet and be taught. We would all have to go to where He was to be in His presence. But now, by God’s great design for this age of grace, we can all be with God constantly and instantly thanks to the loving care and presence of the Holy Ghost who can give us spiritual access to God who is a spirit.
            Jesus said it was expedient for Him to go and for Him to send the Holy Ghost. Every believer can be with Jesus every moment if they rely and trust in the Holy Ghost and His power. Wherever the Holy Ghost is received, revered, yielded to, and embraced (not just in word but in all reality), there is liberty. The body can only be one in the Spirit and have fellowship with Jesus and the Father by the Holy Ghost. Jesus has given us over to the Holy Ghost until He calls us to heaven with a shout and the sound of trumpets. Until then, let us throw our lives into the arms of the comforter, teacher, and guide – the gentle Holy Ghost. - Joelle Gagnon

 
STANDING IN THE hOLY GHOST

Stand Up in the Spirit
We Can be Strong in Christ
                                                                            by Steve Gagnon

      I wonder if you have seen before, as I have, men and women, brothers and sisters in Christ, who have an obvious zeal for God. These believers in Christ boast of a wonderful excitement they have found in walking with the Lord. These worshippers of our Lord Jesus have a glow in their eye and about their faces. Their countenance clearly tells us that the Spirit of God is alive within them and the joy and the peace which God has set in their hearts overflows within them to the extent that it affects the very flesh on their face. Victory in Jesus is what comes to my mind when I see a person whose face shines so brightly at the mention of the name Jesus Christ. I think we are all familiar with the joy that is upon the face of someone who has received, in their heart, Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. Perhaps we can remember looking at our own face in a mirror shortly after we had become born-again. Most likely our countenance did show the change because of what took place in our spirit within us. Whose face cannot change, when we realize that our spirit was dead to our heavenly Father but through our acceptance of the blood of Jesus, which is victorious over all death, we are cleansed and made new? Now we know our spirits have become alive to God. He looks upon his new child in Christ with good pleasure for his son's name sake and we are assured of a new life right now and forever with our Creator in heaven. This is the victory in Jesus that can put peace and joy in our hearts and upon our faces.
       Unfortunately many experience a temporary change in their countenance. After a honeymoon time with the Lord our own nature within is always sure to show itself and shake up our new found faith. We can count on it. Very often early in our walk our relationship with Jesus is strained by what can seem to be a constant struggle between the nature of our flesh and the Spirit of God. In Romans chapter 7 Paul speaks clearly about this. He says in verse 7, "I would have never known the sin in my heart - the evil desires that are hidden there - if the law had not said; "You must not have evil desires in your heart." (Romans 7:7 Living) When we are walking with Jesus the Spirit sets the law of God in our hearts. Jeremiah 31:31-33 is a prophecy about a new covenant when the Lord will put the law upon the hearts of men. Paul continues in Romans chapter 7, to speak of the struggle within. He writes "I love to do God's will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God's willing servant but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin. So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free." (Rom. 7:22-25 Living) ... He has set me free. These are the words that describe victory in Jesus. Unless we seek out God's will and strive headstrong to be pleasing before the God we serve, the joy and peace which once filled our heart can now become smothered by shamefulness. Our new countenance can change and reflect the painful struggle of the battle that wars within us.
      Now how about those who we know have been walking with Jesus for years and the peace and joy still shows brightly upon their face. What makes this believer in Christ different from another? I'll tell you not only has this believer received Victory in Jesus but he has also been walking victoriously in Jesus. Because we are Christians We should be compelled by enthusiasm for what Christ has done for us to walk victoriously in Jesus. What does this mean? To get right to the point it means we should march forward, always toward Christ and seek to become strong by his Spirit, and in his Spirit. We should seek to become spiritual strongmen in Christ. I should say right now to the reader that if the very thought of walking victoriously in Jesus excites you and stirs a desire within you, if you want to be able to say of your own relationship with Jesus, that it is sure, strong and victorious, then you should seek the free gift from God, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This Baptism which is told of by Jesus Himself in Acts 1:8 says that the believer, when baptized by the Holy Ghost, will receive power. If you have already received this baptism then you have within you the very same Holy Spirit that enabled Paul, Peter, Timothy, and the other first followers of Jesus to become spiritual strongmen in Christ. Jesus said the Apostles shall be witnesses unto Him in both Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts if the earth. God had no plans to send out spiritual weaklings among the world to testify of His Son Jesus. If we allow God's Spirit to do His work of deliverance in our lives and want nothing less than the very most that the Father has to offer to us, we can stand firm in our claim of walking victoriously in Jesus. God will then have good pleasure in us and will allow us to testify before the Church and unto the uttermost parts of the world about His son Jesus Christ.

Stand Strong in the Spirit of God
      God wants to make us spiritual strongmen, but for this we must trust the Holy Ghost fully, not only that He wants to make us perfect, complete and strong, but that he will do it, if we allow. (See sidebar: God Wants, God Can, God Will) We ought to seek to become this and not settle into being spiritual weaklings and wimps; cry-babies who want their own way, who throw tantrums or become obstinate toward God. We should desire the strength of the Holy Spirit which God has available for all in His Church; that baptism of fire by which we can receive strength, endurance and wisdom to do the work that God will give us faith to do. We can become strongmen not for ourselves but spiritual strongmen for our Lord, to exhort and edify one another in the ways of God. Let us abstain from the unnecessary things of the flesh in order to trim down the excess of worldly desires and begin to do away with any vestiges of a sinful heart. If we find there is an area in our lives which we know is a stumbling-block before us and it hinders our walk with the Lord we should become headstrong in placing this behind us and claiming our victory through Jesus. Isaiah says, "Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know that I will triumph". (Isaiah 50:7 Living) We ought to stand up strong in the Spirit of God. If necessary, rebuke the enemy in Jesus' name. We have the right to use the great authority of Jesus' name against  Satan which may constantly place temptation in our way. Stand up strong in the spirit of God. Let us desire to become mature Christians.
      
Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."Col. 3:1-2 Desire to become a mature Christian. We all need to keep our guard up against the flesh. We must stand strong in our faith for the power of the Holy ghost within us to overcome all spiritual enemies. Let's not settle for anything less than the very most God has for each of us. Let us all become true worshippers of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Then we will have a glow in our eyes and about our faces that will clearly tell the world that the Spirit of God is alive within us. The joy and peace which God does set in our hearts will overflow within us to the extent that it will affect the flesh of our faces.

LIVING IN THE SPIRIT

Our lives
ought to be centered in Christ
We are welcome to be
seated in heavenly places

      In the preceding articles we have presented the reader with the essential building blocks which are necessary ingredients in the immersion process for the perfecting of the individual believer’s relationship with the Holy Ghost. Beginning with believing, and followed closely by yielding, obeying, trusting and standing in the Spirit, a relationship is built which situates the believer to receive all the higher spiritual qualities for which the Holy Ghost has designs for giving rise to in the potential disciple. The Holy Ghost wants to be rich toward us and provide us with all spiritual gifts so that we can stand tall in Christ. The high designs which the Spirit has for the believer are those which turn a Christian into a true disciple of Christ, namely: living and walking in the Spirit. It is His intent that we should live, breath and have a real, textured spiritual existence wrapped in a perpetual life in the Spirit. This higher, living and walking relationship in the Holy Spirit is the end-all, the penultimate and ultimate relationships, needed to facilitate entry into Christ’s life. It is only at this degree of one’s relationship with the Holy Ghost, fully resurrected from the sarcophagi of one’s own provincial little world, that the believer has now entered into a mature relationship with the Spirit of God. The process delineated in the articles on this page amounts to an approximation, but rudimentary sum of the conglomerate experiences which is scripturally termed the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The process belonging to the baptism of the Holy Spirit has been generally outlined as beginning with believing in the Spirit of God and then experiencing the necessity of yieldedness and obedience, then the reality of trusting and standing firm in His power, and not the power of self. Only then can one’s existence be centered daily in the life of Christ, which comes by and through the closeness of a relationship which is in unquestioning submission to the Holy Spirit. This includes all the requisites of the Spirit’s Will and hopes concerning this immediate life, as well as the one that is to come, and can be lived not just daily, but as finitely and minutely as on a moment by moment basis. The Holy Ghost can be that close to us.

The above preliminary experiences of our immersion can only be brought about as a result of giving ourselves over to the care and direction of the Holy Spirit by faith. They are necessary precursors if the last two ‘bottom-line’ fruits of immersion, i.e. living and walking in the Spirit, are to be realized in all actuality so that the believer becomes a living, walking determined, focused, faithful, disciplined follower of Jesus Christ. Until then the Christian can only be talked to and dealt with by God in the way which Paul talked to the Galatians who walked in the letter of the Law and in the carnality of the flesh. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and WALK AS MEN?” It is only when one finally stands in the Spirit, able to have all threats and lures staved off and defeated, being dressed in the armor of God (see Galatians 6), that one can then, live in and walk with, the Spirit of God in a mature and immovable fashion, confidently going before the throne of grace, in full assurance of faith to make known those petitions for others before God. “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”, schools the Book of James. However, living in Christ’s life and not one’s puny world can never be brought about by one’s own will power or one’s steely discipline. The operation of God which works on us to dissolve faith and confidence in our own carnal power (even when one may be trying to be faithful and prudent with the best intentions and trying to follow God) can only be accomplished by the Spirit of God Himself who sets things up in the course of our life to ‘nullify’ our ego and dismantle our confidence in self-power. Only the Spirit can dismiss the ego and fill the void with the invigoration of Himself. We must concede to the sacrifice of ego; permit the entrance of a new a better way. We must sacrifice our ego in exchange for the sacrifice the Holy Ghost is willing to make for us by committing to live with us.  (See above: Yielding to the Holy Ghost: a Lesson Learned From the Law of the Leper)  We are taught by Jesus Himself that “without Him we can do nothing”. It is the Spirit who convinces us of all righteousness and steers us gently and in timely fashion away from all unrighteousness. The Holy Ghost convinces us, not only that we should be like Jesus, but that we can walk even as he walked. “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, EVEN AS HE WALKED.” 1 John 2:6 The Spirit, when we exist in true state of believing in Him, when we are yielded, obedient, trusting and standing solid in faith and unmovable, will make it, engineer things, so that we can have our life dissolve into perfect association with Christ’s – we truly and actually are living in Him. We must hear His voice and be obedient to it. If we say we cannot hear His voice we are calling Him a liar. He has told us that we need to live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth. He also says He will supply our every need. Speaking to us is the prime way god provides for our every need according to His riches in glory. This is His promise to us. It is the Spirit Himself who cuts the path, clears the way and makes God’s voice clear and distinct in our heart. This is the Holy Ghost’s job to guide us into all Truth, this, His passion, to deliver THE WORD to us. We can stride along in the steps of the Spirit who shadows always Jesus. But… We must be wise and attentive. The Spirit is a tutor who teaches the individual the way in which to enter into Christ’s life; how to cross over that stolid chasm of dreary and dead carnal life by way of a spiritual bridge which joins life with and into Christ’s own life. This is what is meant by this fabulously wonderful scripture: But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and EVEN AS IT HATH TAUGHT YOU, YE SHALL ABIDE IN HIM”. 1 John 2:27  This is a scriptural testimony of the Holy Ghost which teaches us that we must be immersed in His guidance that leads to living, or abiding, in Christ’s life. This ‘living in Christ’ means that one is devoted to the extent of being obsessed, or in other words, affectionate to Christ’s hopes and not one’s own, enthusiastic about Christ’s plans and not in one’s own exclusive universe, loyal to the kingdom of God and to Christ’s promises of salvation and His absolute enthrallment with the Father’s Will, . Conformity to this is living fully in Christ. Only full reverence and respect for the Holy Ghost can produce this metamorphosical path to a perfect relationship so that living in Christ becomes second nature and unthinkingly real in the born-again saint.

We can say that this supernatural chain of supernatural spiritual experiences is ‘natural’ because it naturally and logically follows that we should live in Christ’s life in all reality. We are His, bought and paid for by the priceless value of the blood of God. It is only ‘natural’ that we should by the supernatural power and unerring guidance of the Holy Spirit live Christ’s life and forsake all personal construction of our own. The Bible drives the point home in these passages: “For ye are the temple of the LIVING God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 2 Cor 6:16  And we know that this temple talked of by Paul is the temple of the Holy Ghost and as God is to live in us, we are also to live in Him and exist in His life, which is Christ’s life.  “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”. He also said elsewhere: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Today, as never before, God has rolled out the red carpet leading into His throne room and is issuing an open invitation for all born-again Christians to come before Him where they may experience the joy and awesome power of being in the presence of His Royal Majesty and Awesome benevolent nature.

All too often we saints think in terms of God looking down upon us from above. Those who understand that God inhabits the praise of His people often think in terms of God descending to the place of worship and inhabiting a place, a church, a home, or a heart, through the praises of the saints. This is a truism, but… in this hour, instead of coaxing God down to us, God is telling us to come to Him. This is an added factor in worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Come up to His temple, come through the real gates by the Spirit, enter into the courts, the real courtyard of the real temple of which Moses' tabernacle was merely an earthly replica; and come into the temple, past where the veil once hung, and into the Holy of Holies sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb, the innocent blood shed for us which is the only ointment that renders us a clean conscience toward God. The Lord God Almighty, the one and only Potentate of the universe, is calling to all those who have "put on" Christ by being washed in the blood of His dear Son, saying to them that they are welcome, come, if you are washed in the blood and worship in all reality at my throne in the hub of the universe.

Born-again Christians have always had the privilege of boldly entering God's throne room of grace, but how many Christians have understood the reality of this privilege? How man take regular advantage of this great heritage which was won for them by the victory Jesus won on the cross at Calvary'? It is now time for the Church, as a potent body, to take advantage of God's sweeping invitation to come to Him.

We ask: How many would refuse to go to the President of the United States if issued an invitation to the White House? How many would not focus, and with excitement, be consumed by the importance of the invite? Especially, if they were encouraged to ask of the President anything that they felt was advantageous to the kingdom? What citizen would not be ecstatic and mightily proud to be received by the leader of the people and be honored to be heard at the seat of their country's government by its leader?

But our invitation into God’s presence is greater by far. Think of it, dear saints, we are not being invited to see the mere leader of a country, or to the seat of some earthly power; we are being summoned to the hub of the universe, to the heart beat of all creation, to the very spot from which all life emanates and every atom and molecule of Creation consists and is held together. We are able to live in life. It is time to live in the Holy Ghost. There can be no greater place to be received, no sweeter place to spend our time, anywhere in all the universe, than the Holy of Holies, the throne room of His Royal Majesty, the God above all gods. As never before, in these last hours, God the omnipotent, the Creator of heaven and earth has called His people to a continual assembly in the actual, true, and only real Holy of Holies, the one in heaven where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father waiting for the trumpet call which will signal the gathering of his bride in a twinkling of an eye, the glorious church prepared without spot or wrinkle, whom Jesus adorns in holiness and righteousness. Come into the Holy of Holies, calls the Holy Ghost to our souls and minds, to our spirit. “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Heb 12:22-23

As David instituted a 24 hour tabernacle of praise, so God is instituting a 24 hour open-door policy as never before, inviting any and all to come, to feel welcome and free in His throne room. He only desires that we come in the right spirit and frame of heart and mind; in the Spirit and in the arms of His Son, Jesus, all under the auspices of the Trinity. God is calling his people to set their affection on things above and not on things of the earth. Check your Will and your ego at the door, mount the cross, be crucified and enter into God’s Will by the Spirit under the forgiveness of the shed blood of Christ. You must be born-again to have this kind of ‘security clearance, this sort of privilege before the master of all things. Then you may enjoy his presence, have communion with God in its deepest reality and fatherly affection. Christ is calling His Church to gather into the nucleus of things, the hub of the universe, His Father’s throne room which is in the heavenlies.

Ephesians tells us, "For through Him (Jesus) we have access by one Spirit to the Father." By the Spirit, through the blood of the Lamb, to the Father we come. It is: BY THROUGH and TO: to God’s throne in heaven itself. (See: How the Trinity Works)This is a reality, albeit a spiritual reality, just as sure and real as any earthly tangible thing, including that body which is that “temple” of your soul and spirit.

And so the Trinity beckons us, Jesus greets us, ushers us in, permits us - embraces us; that we can and should come into the Father’s presence with joy and assurance. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience …” Heb. 10:22 Dear saints, this is the method of our might in the last hours, this is the residence of strength the citadel of the soul, the might of our spirit. This, dear brothers and sisters, will be the power of the Church in the coming hours and days! Let us focus on every aspect of entering into this great dwelling place of the Universe, the Holy of Holies and being before his throne of grace, in his actual presence, where we can receive instruction from the Father on his Will for us in our everyday lives, resting in the arms of Jesus, living in the Spirit so that we may walk with Him.

on to THE ULTIMATE...
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