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The Holy Spirit

T

theTruthful

Member
hi all... i am new to this community. lately, my heart has been so stirred up to preach, and preaching to our youth once a week just isnt enough for me. so, i decided to start doing some videos on youtube, and so these 3 links are part 1, 2, and 3 in order of my first video. the whole thing is like twenty eight minutes... i know that is kinda long but some messages are just hard to be condensed. anyway, i would appreciate any feedback/ constructive criticism. and... i would like for it to be based on scripture, otherwise it will probably be hard for me to receive it. thank you much!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdaizKniPvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtgl4Wo-HqI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKCvUdsd4uA
 
T -

If you hit ICor2 - and noted that the Holy Spirit is the same to God as your human spirit is to you - you would be right on (since that is what Paul specifically states).

Also, if you noticed that the Holy Spirit is NEVER seen in heaven (interesting, huh...), you would be right on.

Also, if you noticed that the ONLY legit Creed is ICor8:6 and NO Holy Spirit is present, you would be right on.

Also, if you noticed that in the greetings the Holy Spirit is mostly omitted - and most other places where God and Jesus are mentioned, the same - you would be right on.

Best,
Anth
 
My pastor also discussed the Holy Spirit, saying that the church doesn't teach about Him enough. He even said that we can be filled with the Spirit daily. I think that the Lord may be planning a big revival in the church, and the Holy Spirit is an important part of His plans.

As for your sermons, I thought that they were intriguing, thought-provoking, and very Biblical. I even found myself saying, "Praise the Lord!" while hearing you speak. I also like how you quote Scripture often throughout and that you depend on the Word of God as the only source of truth. It is clear that the Spirit has drawn you to ministering by preaching, and I also believe that the Lord has begun a good work in you by your teaching the church to embrace the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. I am confident that a revival is near.

Now I would like to ask you some questions, brother. I was taught that we receive the Holy Spirit upon belief in Jesus Christ, for it is written in Ephesians 1:13-14,

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Do you believe this?

Secondly, what is your opinion of how we are filled with the Spirit? Pastor Greg Laurie believes that this phenominon is often subtle. There may be some truth to that, but a senior pastor at my church told me that it is "like being under the influence of the Spirit," being controlled by Him, and even putting us in uncomfortable situations so that we may proclaim the Gospel. I myself believe that I had an unusual experience just like this. I felt like I HAD TO quote the Bible to a Muslim woman who was just walking through the mall. I walked over to her and couldn't think of anything particular to say...YES! HE DID FILL ME! I REALLY HAD NO CHOICE! I just followed her and quoted the easiest Scripture I could remember, saying, "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, nobody goes to the Father except through Him." This broke every rule of socialization, and people laughed at me, but I didn't care. Do you believe that I was filled with the Spirit?

Finally, If you don't mind, I would like to know your name, and I'm interested to know how long and actively you have been preaching. I would also gladly listen to more videos and give you further feed back if you'd like.

Sincerely, Dane
 
Anth said:
T -

If you hit ICor2 - and noted that the Holy Spirit is the same to God as your human spirit is to you - you would be right on (since that is what Paul specifically states).

Also, if you noticed that the Holy Spirit is NEVER seen in heaven (interesting, huh...), you would be right on.

Also, if you noticed that the ONLY legit Creed is ICor8:6 and NO Holy Spirit is present, you would be right on.

Also, if you noticed that in the greetings the Holy Spirit is mostly omitted - and most other places where God and Jesus are mentioned, the same - you would be right on.

Best,
Anth
Click to expand...

Acts 10:38



and to you dane, thank you for your VERY encouraging comments. i appreciate your feedback greatly... this is not the only forum i have posted this on, and your response has been the most encouraging. i will definitely be making more videos very soon... likely tonight or definitely this week. i am working on a website to get up and going so that i can post regularly and help edify the body of Christ. i would gladly welcome all of your feedback!

my name is Caleb Stewart and i am from missouri... i have only recently begun preaching, within the last year or two. im 22, just graduated from college... was gonna get a corporate job but i didnt have peace about that. as i was thanking the Lord for showing me what to do, the pastor of the church i am at now asked me to be the youth leader. i had never had a conversation with him before... so i was shocked, but after asking the Lord about it, i just knew it was right. so here i am.

as per your questions, i believe that receiving the Holy Spirit is separate from the new birth that occurs when we receive Jesus as our Lord. For example of this, Acts 19:1-6 would be a good place to look. notice paul says to them, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" and notice that paul did not lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit until after they were baptized in the name of Jesus.

another scripture that comes to mind is Luke 11:13 that says, "If you 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?"

this scripture shows me that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God unto his children. God's children must ask God for this gift to receive it. but they must first become born again in Christ to be His children.

we also know that we are referred to as the temples of the Holy Spirit. i do not believe that the Holy Spirit can come live inside of a sinner's body. i believe that we must first believe in Jesus and be born again by faith in him, and then we become able to receive the very presence of God on the inside of us.

about the Muslim woman, you know Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide you into all truth. He takes the place of Jesus as our teacher since Jesus had to go away into heaven. so, i believe that the guidance of the Holy Spirit is most often just an inner urge, what 1 John 2:20 calls, "But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things." we obviously cant know all things on our own, but the Spirit of God knows all things. and He reveals those things to us as we need to know them. what you said there that day may have just been a seed God planted that someone else will water. walking by the Spirit, is a walk of faith, so i think it is important not to doubt as we act on those innermost unctions. with that, we must also learn to distinguish the difference between our own inner, fleshly voice, and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

as a point of personal experience, i can say that i believe the Holy Spirit's primary leading will be thru the word. as i preach to many people, i always seem to have the right scripture come to mind. for example, i didnt draw up an outline to make those videos. i had something stirring in my heart, and i hit record on the video camera and just began to preach out of my heart. sometimes, i have tried to preach but the scriptures just wont come to me, so i stop and go to the Lord in prayer and find out what is wrong. i never try to over ride that innermost, soft, scratchy feeling when something isnt right. because when i have in the past, things didnt go right and then i was responsible for missing what the Lord wanted to do there...

does that help you out? any thoughts?
 
Yes, that does help, and I do have some thoughts. I believe that you cannot enter Heaven without the Holy Spirit, for it is even by the Spirit that Christ resurrected, so wouldn't He raise us up, as well? Also, I think that rejecting the Spirit and blaspheming Him are one in the same, and as Jesus said, such a sin "will not be forgiven you. Not in this age or the age to come." Do you believe these things?
 
well, where it talks about being born again, i believe that is by the power of the Holy Spirit.... that our spirits are recreated: a new creature in Christ Jesus. but I believe that the Holy Spirit lifting us up is a separate thing from receiving him to dwell in us forever. also rejecting and blaspheming Him can not be the same thing because in Matthew 12:32, he is talking about who we speak against. if blaspheming was the same as rejecting, then it would not say that "And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." because if rejecting and blaspheming are the same then by that it would be forgivable to reject Christ. also note when Jesus says that it is because people are accusing him of casting out devils by the devil when he was really doing it by the Holy Spirit.

anyway i gotta run to church, but i posted another short video to clarify a few things.... ill be back in a few hours. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWTSCV7nQDM


God Bless!!
 
Truth

Not sure what A10:38 has to do with any of my statements - BUT it is still a great verse... AMEN!

Best,
Anth
 
to be honest, im not sure what you were getting at in your post... i finally thought i understood but if that scripture i gave does not directly address what you were saying, then i guess not...

so what did you mean?
 
Did you read the texts I provided and understand the concepts I gave??

I provided I believe 4 key concepts related to the Holy Spirit. If you have all these - you have some of the most fundamental basics; if you are missing one or more, then there is some homework remaining to be done. That is not to say there is not additional items - but I am focusing on the Holy Spirit rather than the works of the Holy Spirit, etc.

Best,
Anth
 
well, i read what you wrote... but (and i am in no way meaning this disrespectfully) i really failed to see your point. the only thing that i could even begin to see application with is the fact that God's Spirit is to Him what mine is to me. (like the scripture the deep things of God are revealed to us by His Spirit)

what does it matter if He is in heaven or not? (i mean i think He is because God's Spirit is God and He is in heaven. i believe His Spirit is infinite and not bound by time or space.) but what does it really matter if He is seen or isn't seen in heaven?

what does it matter if He is mentioned or omitted in the greeting?

im seriously not meaning to be rude, if you could hear my voice and not just read my words, you would know that im asking this with sincerity... wouldnt these questions fall under the heading of "vain and foolish questions which breed strife?"

unless i missed a much greater point that you were making, in which case i apologize...
 
well, i read what you wrote... but (and i am in no way meaning this disrespectfully) i really failed to see your point. the only thing that i could even begin to see application with is the fact that God's Spirit is to Him what mine is to me. (like the scripture the deep things of God are revealed to us by His Spirit)
Click to expand...

Truth

First, thanks for your sensitivity and consideration - impressive - I will try to provide the same.

Understanding who/what the Holy Spirit is has always been challening. However, there are clear cut clues. The first is Paul's own definition in ICor2. The point is - is your human spirit a separate person than you are??? I don't think so - it is, in some fundamental sense, you yourself. Now, do I understadn all that - NO WAY - BUT I do know that my Spirit is not a separate person than I am. Thus, I must conclude that despite certain sorts of descriptions possibly otherwise, the clear teaching of scripture is that the Holy Spirit is simply an extension of God rather than a separate person of God. That is my point re: ICor2.

what does it matter if He is in heaven or not? (i mean i think He is because God's Spirit is God and He is in heaven. i believe His Spirit is infinite and not bound by time or space.) but what does it really matter if He is seen or isn't seen in heaven? what does it matter if He is mentioned or omitted in the greeting?
Click to expand...

Very good question. Take a look at Col3:1. Funny - we see God and we see Jesus - BUT no HS... Again and again you will see the God, the Father, and Jesus the Lord BUT no Holy Spirit.

Most impressively - you will NEVER see the Holy Spirit in heaven BUT you see Jesus there. This should be a pretty big clue as to the nature of the Holy Spirit... The fact is that the Holy Spirit is NOT in heaven because the Holy Spirit is the manifestation of God in this realm...... Think about it now - read Rev 20, 21. Do you see the Holy Spirit in the new heavens and new earth...???? NOPE! Should be a clue there somewhere...

OK - if you let this sink in, you will have quite a different picture than the one you are getting in your Discipleship 101 class I imagine - but that is the benefit reading all of the Bible itself rather than simply being indoctrinated (and, I think that is your goal).


im seriously not meaning to be rude, if you could hear my voice and not just read my words, you would know that im asking this with sincerity... wouldnt these questions fall under the heading of "vain and foolish questions which breed strife?"

unless i missed a much greater point that you were making, in which case i apologize...
Click to expand...

I hope you see the bigger picture now - I find it utterly fascinating to understand the manifestation of God - the Holy Spirit of God - as the basis for the working/energizing of God in our lives and in the church.

Blessings to you
Anth
 
Oh - I forgot ICor8:6.... the only legitimate creed (notice how all the churches use the Nicene Creed - about 350 - 400 years later than the Word of God.... talk about traditions of men...).

1 Corinthians 8:6 (American Standard Version)
6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.

Notice who is missing??? Notice who the one God is??? Lots of clues here... :yes

Best,
Anth
 
Hi Caleb

Thank you for the message you brought in your video and I can’t help but agree with much of what you said.

I do have a different perspective on the gift of the Holy Spirit and would ask you to consider the following:

Prior to pentecost Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.â€

Now consider who Jesus was speaking to. Was He speaking to the world or was he speaking to His own? I contend that it was to His own. He was speaking to God’s children – those to whom He was sent.

So when Jesus said, “If you 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?†He was not speaking to those who were born again.

Yes I agree that those who are born again are God’s children, but those to whom Jesus was speaking were not born again, since the Spirit had not been given.

Blessings
Ed
 
azlan88 said:
Now I would like to ask you some questions, brother. I was taught that we receive the Holy Spirit upon belief in Jesus Christ, for it is written in Ephesians 1:13-14,
Click to expand...

Hi Dane, I would like to give you this verse, that shows that people are not automatically filled with the Holy Spirit the moment they believe in Jesus. Here it is and you can read it and make up your own mind:


Act 19:2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.

...............Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
 
anth, what you said makes much more sense now. i apologize for the confusion... regarding the Holy Spirit, i would agree with the most fundamental idea that God's Spirit is God... that my spirit is me... that is absolutely what i believe. regarding the Holy Spirit being in heaven, it is true that He is the manifestation of God here in the earth, but we must also realize that it will be no different when all of us are in heaven. in 1 Corinthians 15, we read:

"24 Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For he has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is manifest that God is an exception, which did put all things under him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."


when all things are subdued to Christ, we see him offering up his kingdom to the Father. this is so that God the Father may be all in all! how is He going to be all in all? how are we going to be His holy temple? it is by the Holy Spirit, of which Jesus said, "He will never leave you nor forsake you." The Holy Spirit is the EARNEST of our INHERITANCE!

would u agree that while the Holy Spirit is indeed the manifestation of God in this earth, He will also dwell in us forever in heaven, and therefore it is absolutely vital for us to receive Him?




mutzrein... good questions! i would agree with you concerning who Jesus was speaking to... He was speaking to men who were not yet born again: men who could not yet receive the Holy Spirit. that scripture you used there is enlightening: The Holy Spirit was with them, but could not be in them yet because they had not been born again. however, i think this scripture of Jesus saying how much more would the Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask had to be referring to the future. it was instruction for us for after the day of Pentecost. why would he be telling them to ask for the Holy Spirit if the Holy Spirit already lived with them? they certainly could not receive the Holy Spirit on the inside of them!

read John 7: "37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

We had to receive Jesus before we could receive the Holy Spirit. And Jesus had to fulfill the Cross before we could receive Jesus. we know that when Jesus died on that cross that the veil in the Jewish temple to the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom. The Holy Spirit had been living with them but He left to dwell in the hearts of men.

and if it was Jesus talking to the Jews for some reason rather than us, and he said it is as simple as asking your Father... why would it be any more complicated than that for God's born again real children of His household and family? do we not have a greater covenant than the Jews had?

im still curious... is there some other way that you believe we, as children of God, receive the Holy Spirit?
 
I disagree about when we recieve the Holy Spirit. Let's look at Acts 8:14-16,

"Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

During Pentecost, the Spirit was just coming down to earth. Also, the body of Christ had not yet recieved the Spirit until then. However, now that the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, when we become a part of the body of Christ, we also share in the Spirit of Christ. For it is written in Ephesians 1:13,

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

Also note that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inhertance. If people had to ask for the Spirit, then that would be inconsistent with Scripture, indicating that they had no guarantee of their inheritance when they accepted Christ, and that is a direct contradiction to Scripture.
 
azlan88 said:
I disagree about when we recieve the Holy Spirit. Let's look at Acts 8:14-16,

"Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

During Pentecost, the Spirit was just coming down to earth. Also, the body of Christ had not yet recieved the Spirit until then. However, now that the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, when we become a part of the body of Christ, we also share in the Spirit of Christ. For it is written in Ephesians 1:13,

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

Also note that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inhertance. If people had to ask for the Spirit, then that would be inconsistent with Scripture, indicating that they had no guarantee of their inheritance when they accepted Christ, and that is a direct contradiction to Scripture.
Click to expand...

:amen
 
azlan88 said:
"Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Click to expand...


this contradicts your point doesnt it? unless you are saying that Peter and John did not yet have the Holy Spirit? which is absolutely ridiculous because that would make Peter a liar when he quoted Joel 2:28 on the day of Pentecost saying, "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.... that God should pour out His Spirit upon all flesh...."

that scripture there means that the people who Peter and John went to pray for to receive the Holy Spirit did not yet have it! it did not mean that peter and john didnt have it. if they didnt have the Holy Spirit at this point, they would have been disobedient to Jesus who told them to WAIT in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high.

go on to read in that same passage and you see in acts 8:18 the Holy Spirit being imparted by the laying on of hands (through prayer... aka asking God for the Holy Spirit) those believers in Samaria already had been baptized in the name of Jesus. they needed something else in addition to that!

it is plain as day in that scripture. if u cant see from acts chapter 8 that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and salvation through belief in Jesus are two separate things, then God help you, because i certainly cant.
 
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