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In this blog, I provide training and instruction on Who the Holy Spirit is, why we need Him, and how to receive Him, as well as His holy fire.  You will learn about the new wine, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the biblical basis for the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the role of the triune Godhead in drawing people to Himself, and the supernatural power available for all disciples.  I also discuss the importance of being led by the Spirit, correctly discerning the things of the spirit, and testing the spirits.

As the Scripture says:

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luk 11:9-13)

The Person of the Holy Spirit	Baptized with the Holy Spirit	Holy Fire Baptism
Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?	Supernatural Power for All Disciples	Discerning the Things of the Spirit
The New Wine	Testing the Spirits of False Prophets	The Holy Trinity
The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God	The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit Speaks
The Spirit without Limit	The Laying on of Hands	International Impact of Pentecost
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit	False Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit	The River of God
The Witness of the Spirit	Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies	Led by the Spirit - Part I
Led by the Spirit - Part II	The Baptism of Christ	The Gift of Speaking in Tongues
Anointed by the Holy Spirit	Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?	The Bubbling Forth of the Spirit's new Wine
Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Author's Note: You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

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Doulos Missions International now offers discipleship training online through the Doulos Training School (DTS).  Please visit the DTS online at Doulos Training School to find out more about how you or someone you know can participate.

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. Partner with us online by giving to DMI.

Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism

Dear saints,

Today I would like to share with you ten synonymous, divine expressions used in Scripture for the baptism with the Holy Spirit:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

The first expression is “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, which we sometimes call the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This expression is analogous to water baptism, which is literally immersion in water, except this is immersion with the Spirit. Here are the passages where this appears, including all four gospels and Acts: 

Jesus said: "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Act 1:5)

Peter stated: "Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 11:16)

John the Baptist said: "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mat 3:11)

"I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mar 1:8)

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luk 3:16)

"And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33).

For more on this, see Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Comes on You

The second expression is “the Holy Spirit comes on you,” or ”the Spirit comes down from heaven” and remains on you, or ”the Spirit of God descending,” or "the Spirit of God alighting on" a person. These expressions indicate how the immersion with the Spirit happens, whereby the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and comes upon you. Here are the passages where these are used:

Jesus said: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:8)

"...because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 8:16)

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." (Act 10:44)

Peter explained: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning." (Act 11:15)

"When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Act 19:6)

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him." (Mat 3:16; cf. Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22)

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. And I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (Joh 1:32-33).

Filled with the Holy Spirit

The third expression is “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Act 2:4)

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Act 4:31)

Note that the saints in Jerusalem had already been filled with the Holy Spirit prior to this occasion (Ac 2:4), but after they prayed, they were filled once again (ac 4:31). Therefore, the same expression -- filled with the Spirit --that is used for the initial experience of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is also used for subsequent fillings.

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 9:17)

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit..." (Eph 5:18).

In this last passage, the original language indicates a continual being filled, not just a one-time event. Literally it means, "be being filled with the Spirit," indicating something that we are always doing.

Receive the Holy Spirit

The fourth expression is “receive the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And with that He [Jesus] breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 20:22).

The Greek word for receive is lambano, meaning "to take, seize, accept, receive" etc. This is not a passive verb, in the sense that you passively receive mail in your mailbox or receive an email in your Inbox, but an active one in which you have to take, seize, or accept in order to receive. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you need to actively do so by taking Him and accepting Him into your heart.

Jesus said: "'Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." (Joh 7:38-39a)

"When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:15).

"Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:17; cf. 2:33 and 38).

"and [Simon] said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 8:19)

In that last example, it is understood that Simon saw something powerful happen when they received the Holy Spirit, or he -- a former sorcerer, known as "the Great Power" -- would not have offered money in order to have this ability to have people receive the Holy Spirit upon the laying on of his hands. In other words, when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, it was not a silent, uneventful moment, in which it was impossible to know if anything even happened. Rather there was powerful evidence, as we see in all the other instances where people spoke in tongues and prophesied when they received the Holy Spirit.

"And [Paul] asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'" (Act 19:2)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

The fifth expression is “the gift of God”, ”the gift of the Holy Spirit”, or ”the heavenly gift”. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are all familiar with the free gift of salvation, which is eternal life. But salvation is just the first gift. Salvation is a package deal, with a subsequent gift that God has for us, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 2:38)

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" (Act 8:20).

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45)

"So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?" (Act 11:17).

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4).

Made Partakers of the Holy Spirit

The sixth expression is “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”. The apostle wrote to the Hebrews:

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4, NASB77).

The original Greek word for partakers is metochos, meaning "a participant; a sharer; by implication an associate: - fellow, partaker, partner." This means that those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit have been made companions, fellows, associates, or partners with the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father Gives the Holy Spirit

The seventh expression is the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, or "He gives the Spirit". Jesus said:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luk 11:13).

Note that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to His children who ask Him. So ask Him to give you the Holy Spirit, and then receive Him. The Father gives the Spirit through Jesus, His Son. John the Baptist said of Him: 

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” (Joh 3:34).  

Jesus said: "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. 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." (Joh 14:15-17)

"Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Joh 7:39b)

For more on this, please see The Spirit Without Limit.

The Promise of My Father

The eighth expression is ”the promise of My Father” or "the promised Holy Spirit". The Father has promised the Holy Spirit to those who are called, who have repented and believed in His Son Jesus Christ. But as I mentioned in the last section, you must ask Him. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49, NASB95).

A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. Therefore, the Father has made declaration to assure us that He will give us the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear." (Act 2:33)

"...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Act 2:38b-39)

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The ninth expression is “pour out my Spirit”, which we often refer to as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Act 2:17; cf., Joel 2:28)

"Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." (Act 2:18; cf., Joel 2:29)

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45).

For more on this, see Outpouring of the Spirit.

The Anointing or Being Anointed

The tenth expression is the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where this is used: 

After the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His water baptism and remained upon Him, and following His wilderness temptation, Jesus went into the synagogue. When they handed Him the scroll with the Scripture reading for that day, He opened it to the place where it said the following, which he read aloud: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..." (Luk 4:18)

This clearly shows that once the Holy Spirit came down and alighted upon Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, because He had anointed Him. The anointing is something that goes back all the way to the days of Moses, when God commanded him to anoint his brother Aaron the high priest with oil. Not only were priests anointed with oil, but kings were as well. The flask was opened and the oil was poured on the man's head, after which the man was said to be anointed. The process of pouring the oil over the man was called an anointing or the anointing. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, He anoints you. Importantly, Christ means Anointed One, and He anoints His followers with Holy Spirit.

The apostle John wrote: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."(1Jn 2:20).

John continued: "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1Jn 2:27)

The anointing John referred to is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is another one of those synonymous expressions that means the same as being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You must receive the anointing, according to John. It is real, it remains in you, and it teaches you about all things. For example, once you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you will understand the Word more clearly and accurately, because the anointing teaches you. 

For more on this, see Anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Closing Words

In this study, we have learned that the following ten expressions that were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit in Scripture all refer to the same awesome experience: “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, "the Holy Spirit comes on you”, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, “receive the Holy Spirit”, “the gift of God”/”the gift of the Holy Spirit”/”the heavenly gift”, “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”, the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, ”the promise of My Father”, and the "anointing of the Holy Spirit".

I am not aware of anything else in Scripture having so many different, synonymous expressions to describe it. The fact that there are so many -- ten in all -- indicates how critically important it is that we receive the Holy Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Wherever note, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission.  "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Holy Fire Baptism, Anointed by the Spirit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, The New Wine, Led by the Spirit, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, Fruit in Every Season, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit, The Spirit Without Limit, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I also recommend Restored Truth.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Bubbling Forth of the Spirit's New Wine

Today I'd like to share a brief devotional meditation with you about the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

New Wine in New Wineskins
Jesus said, “Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Mat 9:17)

Why is it that men pour new wine into new wineskins, which are more flexible and stretchy, rather than into old wineskins, which are more rigid and brittle? This is because the fermentation of wine produces CO2 gas that is 40 times the volume of grape juice. When that is kept in a closed container, as is necessary for fermentation to occur, it must be able to expand as more and more carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. As mentioned, old wineskins are brittle and do not expand like new ones do, so putting new wine into old wineskins would result in both the wine and wineskin being lost. But putting new wine into new wineskins results in both the wine and wineskin being preserved.

Since the fermentation of wine produces CO2 gas that is 40 times the volume of grape juice, just imagine how much gas is produced by one liter of wine. Liquids are typically measured in liters in a lab and gases are measured in cubic centimeters (cm³). Therefore if the volume of CO2 gas produced by one liter of grape juice during fermentation is 40 times that volume, then it would produce 40 x 1 liter or 40 liters. 1 liter = 1,000 cm³, so 40 liters = 40,000 cm³. That's an enormous volume of gas compared to the relatively much smaller volume of liquid!

Fermentation Gas a Type of the Holy Spirit
The gas produced during fermentation of new wine is a type or illustration of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, Who is infinitely greater in power than the believer who is not Spirit-filled. There is a bubbling up of the Spirit within the Spirit-filled believer that cannot be contained by religious forms, customs, structures, and organizations. Even the human body cannot contain it, which is why it comes out of the believer in various manifestations of power like speaking in tongues, prophesying, gifts of healing, miracles, joyful laughter, dancing, lifting up the hands in worship, etc. Groups (such as denominations or religious institutions) that are bound by their religious forms, customs, and structures cannot control this, so they don’t know what to do with it. That's why when they encounter Spirit-filled people in their midst, it can result in a breakage like a broken wineskin, whereby the Spirit-filled person runs out, much like new wine runs out of a broken wineskin.

What is fermentation? It is the process of sugars being broken down by enzymes of microorganisms in the absence of oxygen. It’s an anaerobic process, which is why it can happen inside a sealed wineskin. Those enzymes break down the glucose in the juice, and that is what produces the gas. Those gas bubbles are a byproduct of the sugars being broken down by the enzymes. The gas bubbles just appear seemingly out of nowhere from within the fermenting liquid. The gas bubbles up from within the wine. That reminds me of the living water that Jesus said would bubble up from within the Spirit-filled believer.

A Gushing Fountain
Jesus said, “’Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (Joh 7:38-39).

On another occasion, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Joh 4:13-14).

The expression “welling up” in that verse is from the Greek word “hallomai”, meaning to jump; figuratively to gush: - leap, spring up. Therefore, Jesus was saying that the living water He gives us, which is the Holy Spirit, will become a spring of water gushing, bubbling up, or springing forth like a fountain. This water of the Spirit bubbles up to eternal life. That reminds me of one of the Hebrew words for "prophet" in the Bible.

One of the three Hebrew words for "prophet" is nabi, which literally means "to bubble up" like a fountain. It describes one who is stirred up in spirit. Likewise, the Hebrew word most often translated "prophesy" is naba, which literally means to "bubble up" and to "flow forth."

Be Being Filled
Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Eph 5:18). The Greek word for "be filled" here is pleroo, which means to be filled to the full or to be filled up. But the verb is in the present continuous tense, meaning that it is an ongoing daily process that we submit to, not a one-time thing. You could say, "Continually be being filled" with the Spirit.

Closing Words

I hope that this brief article has helped to show how every believer who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit has this ever-expanding, ever-bubbling fountain within, which gushes forth to eternal life. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, and you have never received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, then let me encourage you to ask the Heavenly Father for it today, since He promised to give this gift to His children (Lk 11:13; 24:49; Ac 1:4; 2:38; 10:45). Open up your heart today as much as you are able to, and receive this wonderful, free gift. And if you have already received, then continue asking for more each day, and be continuously filled with the Spirit as the Scripture says to be (Eph 5:18). The resulting, ever-expanding power that will be in you will be greater than anything you could bring to the table on your own.

Attributes: Images used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only. Fountain in Geneva, Switzerland by Matt Jones under free license through Unsplash. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.  

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Baptized with the Spirit, The New Wine, The Spirit Without Limit, The River of God, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism. and Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?

There are those who teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see in operation in the New Testament during the first century AD have ceased, and that they are no longer in operation. One of the Scriptures they cite is the following statement by the apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians: "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (1Co 13:8). This is known as cessationism, which was originated by Reformers such as John Calvin.

First of all, in its context, what Paul meant by that statement was to contrast love with the gifts of the Spirit. The Corinthians emphasized speaking in tongues, and Paul stated that one day the gift of tongues will no longer be needed and prophecy will one day cease, but that love will endure forever. He did not mean that at the end of the first century all the supernatural gifts of the Spirit would cease.

Having a Form of Godliness But Denying Its Power

The people who believe in cessationism deny the supernatural power of God without any proper Scriptural basis. Paul warned us about such people when he said they are those who are "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:5).

Such people have often been known to accuse those who operate in the supernatural power of God and the gifts of the Spirit to be merely pretending to do so, or in some cases cessationists accuse such people of doing so by the power of demons. When they say such things to those who are genuinely operating in the power of God, they are attributing acts of the Holy Spirit to the devil, and in doing so are in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, if they have not already done so. While there are certainly counterfeit miracles and healings that the demons are able to perform through those who are under their control, there are also genuine miracles, signs, and wonders that the Lord is doing today. 

These Signs Accompany Those Who Believe

Jesus Himself said, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18). 

These are the signs that follow those who believe in Jesus Christ. In other words, these signs are seen in the lives of those who believe in Him. They do these things in His name: drive out demons, speak in new tongues, lay hands on the sick and they recover; and even deadly poison doesn't harm them if they drink it.

The fact that these signs still follow believers in Jesus to this day is well-documented and supported by indisputable evidence. I have personally experienced the gifts of the Spirit and countless other signs and wonders operating in my own life, seen them in operation in others, and know people who have also experienced them in their lives. This includes but is not limited to healing, miracles (including raising the dead), word of knowledge, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits, deliverance from demons, gems coming down from heaven, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, dreams, visions, encounters with angels, being caught up to heaven, visits to hell, prophecy, and much much more. To God be all the glory forever and ever. 

Why should anyone consider it incredible that God still raises the dead (Ac 26:8)? After all, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (Joh 14:12). This means that anyone who believes in Him will do the works Jesus did during His earthly ministry (that includes raising the dead), and even greater things than these! If you believe in cessationism, you are making God out to be a liar. The reason these signs don't follow you is because you don't believe.

Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever

Speaking of prophecy, cessationsists believe that the only prophecy that happens today is the preaching of the Word. They deny that anyone can still prophesy for the Lord as the prophets did in Bible days, but they are badly mistaken. The gift of prophecy is still in operation today, just as all the other gifts are. God changes not (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17). He has not changed from the way He worked in the days of the Bible. He is still a supernatural, wonder-working God. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

Do Not Quench the Spirit or Despise Prophetic Utterances

That is why we are commanded not to quench the Spirit or despise prophetic utterances (1Th 5:19-20).  We are instructed in Scripture to test them all, and correctly discern the things of the Spirit.  The saints are to pass judgment on the utterance (1 Cor 14:29), and all things be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16).  We are instructed to test the fruit and verify the good character of the messenger (Mt 7:17-19; 12:33).  We are to search the Scriptures to ensure that the message is consistent with the Word (Ac 17:11). If the fruit (character) and message are consistent with the Word, then we should receive it as from the Lord.  We are to hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1Th 5:21-22). Genuine dreams, visions, revelations, signs, and wonders that come from God always confirm the Word, but do not add to it (Mar 16:20).

Last Days Outpouring of the Spirit

On the Day of Pentecost when the early church received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, as tongues of fire appeared over their heads in the upper room, the apostle Peter explained to the observers what was happening, by quoting the prophet Joel:

"No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Act 2:17-21)

This passage clearly says that God will pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days, which is the period we are now living in. The last days began during the first century (Ac 2:16-17; Heb 1:2; Jas 5:3; 1 Jn 2:18; 1 Pet 4:7) and continue until Christ's return. The evidence of the outpouring of the Spirit as stated in this passage (Act 2:17-21; Joel 2:28-31) includes people seeing visions and dreaming dreams, as well as prophecy, signs, and wonders. Since the last days did not cease during the first century, but continue to this day, that means the outpouring of the Spirit also continues and so do all of these signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit.

Continuation of Five-fold Ministry Gifts

In Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, he said that God gave certain ministries to the Church as gifts to equip the saints for works of service (Eph 4:11-13). These gifts include apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. 

Cessationists believe that only some of these gifts still exist today, namely pastors, teachers, and evangelists, but that apostles and prophets ceased at the end of the first century. However, if you read the Ephesians passage in context, Paul said that these gifts would continue until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Last time I checked, the church had not yet attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Therefore, there is still a need for all of these five-fold ministry gifts to equip the saints for works of service.

Even during the first century, there were more than just the Twelve apostles. Of course, there was the apostle Paul along with his fellow apostle Barnabas (1 Cor 9:5-6), but he even mentioned others in his writings that were apostles also, such as Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7). An apostle is a "sent one" and the Lord is still sending people today. Although there are still false apostles today as there were during Paul's day, there are still true apostles and prophets as well.

Speaking of modern prophets, some of the New Testament prophets included Agabus (Ac 11:27; 21:10), Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32), as well as other unnamed prophets (Ac 11:27-28), and ones that were named (Ac 13:1). There is nothing in Scripture that says this ministry was discontinued by God, as I have already stated earlier. Quite the contrary! In fact, Paul said, "And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues." (1Co 12:28). And he went on to give specific instructions for how prophets are to conduct themselves in the Church (1 Cor 14:29, 32).

Articles Disproving Cessationism

Many of my other articles address the topic indirectly. Here are some examples:

Supernatural Power for All Disciples

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Holy Fire Baptism

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues

Discerning the Things of the Spirit

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit's Role in God's Kingdom

Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?

By the Spirit of God Alone

International Impact of Pentecost

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

Healing is in the Atonement

A Warning to the Nay Sayers

Testimonies Disproving Cessationism

There are also countless testimonies and videos documenting the fact that genuine signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today. Here are just a few:

Forty Days in Heaven and Hell

Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell

Gems from Heaven (our personal experience)

Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies (see Howard Pittman's testimony)

The Body Parts Storehouse in Heaven (one of our graduates)

The Voice That Changed Everything -- the Testimony of Dr. Stenhouse (a personal friend of mine)

Amazing Healing and Deliverance in Uganda (one of our graduates)

Saved By a Vision of Second Coming (a personal acquaintance of mine)

The Night the Lord Came Into My Hut (one of our graduates)

Testimonies from Voila (a pastor I came to know in Romania)

Pastor Raised from the Dead (a Bulgarian pastor I know)

Boy Raised from the Dead After One Day (through one of our disciples)

Supernatural Encounter While Striving to Draw Closer to God (another one of our students)

Outpouring of the Spirit (our personal experience)

Michael Shigaba's End Time Message for Mankind

Dreams and Visions: Tsunamis, Asteroids, Nuclear, etc.

Prophetic End Time Warnings from Little Children

Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins (someone I know personally)

More Than Dreams

And the list goes on and on. For more examples proving cessationism is false, please see EternalDestinations.info and Testimonies from Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

Please check out those articles and testimonies carefully, and I think you will find plenty of Scriptural proof that cessationism is false. It is clear from Scripture, as well as abundant experiential evidence, that the gifts of the Spirit have not ceased to operate to this day. Our God is an awesome God, all things are possible with Him (Matt 19:26), and nothing is impossible for those who believe (Mk 9:23). If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, who has been saved through faith in Him, and you have not yet received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire, then I encourage you to pray and ask Him for that gift today. This will open up the door for the supernatural power of God to begin operating in your life, too, which is all part of the full gospel. For the kingdom of God is not merely a matter of talk, but of power (1 Cor 4:20)!

Attribution notice: Scripture quoted from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The False Gospel of Eternal Security, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Exposing Heresy. If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

Most of us know that Jesus Christ was anointed by God, but we may not fully understand what that means. Let's take a look at this in Scripture to better understand what it means to be anointed.


Anointing the Kings of Israel 
First we'll begin with a little bit of historical background on the practice of anointing. Normally in Israel, when God appointed a man to be their king, then they anointed him, which consisted of pouring sacred, aromatic oil over his head or entire body. Anointing people originally came from the Hebrew practice used to anoint Aaron as high priest, which was later followed to anoint their kings, such as when Samuel the prophet anointed Saul as king.

"Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, 'Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?' " (1Sa 10:1)

After removing Saul, because of his disobedience, God made David their king, but He began by initially having Samuel anoint him with oil while Saul was still reigning in Israel.

"The LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.' " (1Sa 16:1)

Once the Lord indicated to Samuel that Jesse's son David was to become king, "Then the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.' So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah." (1Sa 16:12-13)

Notice how once David was anointed by the prophet at God's command, then from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. It was immediately after David was anointed as king that he defeated Goliath the giant single-handedly by the power of God. There was a direct connection between Samuel anointing David with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord coming upon David powerfully. The anointing with oil was the physical act and the Spirit of God coming upon him was the spiritual act. There is always a link between what happens in the physical and spiritual realms, as I have written about in my article called The Link Between Two Realms.

Another example was when God had Jehu anointed as king.

"The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, 'Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi...Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, "This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel." Then open the door and run; don't delay!'" (2Ki 9:1-3)

The prophet did what Elisha told him to do and found Jehu.

"Jehu got up and went into the house [with him]. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: "I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel."'" (2Ki 9:6)

Notice that the Lord God said to Jehu, "I anoint you king." While the prophet anointed him with oil, God anointed Him in the spirit.

Afterward the men that Jehu had been meeting with asked him what the prophet said to him in the house.

"Jehu said, 'Here is what he told me: "This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel." ' They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, 'Jehu is king!' " (2Ki 9:12b-13).

Afterward, Jehu went on to do great exploits for God. It was he who destroyed the whole house of evil King Ahab his master. It was through Jehu that God avenged the blood of His servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord's servants shed by Jezebel. The Lord used Jehu to cut off from Ahab every last male descendant in Israel in a single event, except for one of them, whom he killed separately. It was Jehu who had Ahab's wicked wife Jezebel assassinated (2Ki 9:7-10), and later had all the prophets of Baal killed in a single event (2Ki 10:19-29). Certainly he was anointed by God to do all of this through the power of the Spirit.

God Anointed Jesus
Just as God anointed Aaron the high priest, and kings like Saul, David, and Jehu, He also anointed Jesus of Nazareth. The apostle Peter said:

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Act 10:38, NASB).

Peter taught that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and this is how He "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil." When Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil, He did so through the power of the Holy Spirit, which indicated that God was with Him. Jesus Himself said that the Lord had anointed Him:

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luk 4:16-21).

When Jesus made this declaration at the onset of His public ministry, He read the passage from the prophet Isaiah's sixty first chapter, which had been fulfilled in Him. In short, by reading that passage, Jesus was proclaiming: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me." The reason the Spirit of the Lord was on Jesus was that the Spirit had anointed Him. In other words, the direct result of the Spirit anointing Jesus was that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit always results in the Spirit of the Lord being upon a person. Moreover, just as happened with David, when a person is anointed and the Spirit comes upon him powerfully, he then goes about doing mighty deeds for God. In the case of Jesus, as I have already said, "He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil."

Jesus was anointed by the Spirit at His baptism when the Spirit came upon Him and remained upon Him.

"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luk 3:21-22)

That was the moment when the Spirit of the Lord anointed Him, as He proclaimed later in the synagogue in Nazareth. After He was anointed, He was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit, where He was tempted by the devil for forty days while fasting from all food. Through the power of the Spirit and the Word, He overcame every temptation. After that time, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luk 4:14a). Thus we see that the Spirit was upon Him in power after He was  anointed, just like what happened to David.

Jesus was also anointed with actual oil, but this came later on, shortly before His crucifixion, when a woman named Mary anointed him with very expensive ointment, which He said was to prepare for His burial (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8).

Because Jesus was anointed by the Spirit, He was called the anointed One (Ac 4:6), or the Messiah, which comes from the Hebrew word Maschiah, meaning "anointed One." The English Word "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos, which is a translation of the Hebrew word Maschiah.

There were many prophecies about Christ all throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, as I have written about in my article Yeshua Ha'Maschiah in the Tanakh. Many of those refer to Him as the Messiah, which is usually translated as the Lord's "anointed One" or "Anointed" in English (e.g., Ps 2:2; 1Sa 2:35; Psa 89:38, 51; 132:17; Dan 9:25-26). But He is also referred to in other passages by different titles as well, such as "the Branch" (Isa 4:2; Zec 3:8; Zec 6:12), "My Firstborn," (Ps 89:27), and "My Servant" (1Ki 11:36; 2Ki 19:34; 20:6; Psa 89:3, 20; Isa 22:20; 41:8-9; 42:1, 19; 43:10; 44:1-2, 21; 49:3, 6; 52:13; Eze 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hag 2:23; Zec 3:8).

There are many other titles for Him, but let's just focus for a moment at that last one, "My Servant." As you can see from the Scriptures I have referenced above, it is used extensively throughout Scripture, especially in Isaiah, who wrote the Servant songs (also called the Servant poems or the Songs of the Suffering Servant). These are four songs, which include Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12. I want to call your attention to one particular verse in the opening line of Isaiah's first Servant song, which says:

"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations." (Isa 42:1)

This verse is clearly referring to the Lord's anointed Servant, who is the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. I specifically want to call your attention to the way that God says, in the context of speaking about His Servant, "I will put my Spirit on Him..." This is a key aspect of being anointed by God. When God put His Spirit on His Servant Jesus, He anointed Him with the Spirit, as it says later in Isaiah's prophecy:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (Isa 61:1)

In this verse the Lord clearly says that the reason the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him was that He had anointed Him. And for what purpose was He anointed? He was anointed to serve, since He was the Lord's Servant. In what ways did the Spirit anoint Him to serve? He anointed Jesus to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Keep that in mind as we now look at how this same "anointing to serve" applies to the disciples of the Lord's Servant.

Anointed Disciples of Christ 
We get the word Christian from the word Christ, which I have already explained means Anointed One. At Antioch the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11:26), which in Greek is Christianos. The disciples of Christ are supposed to follow in His steps, since He has given us an example to do so (1 Pe 2:21). That means that just as He was anointed by the Spirit, we must be anointed by the Spirit. Just as the Spirit came upon Him and remained upon Him, we must ask for and allow the Spirit to come upon us and remain upon us. Only those on whom the Spirit comes and remains are anointed. This is the true biblical meaning of being anointed, as we have seen from Scripture.

This is what happened to the first disciples on the day of Pentecost, just as Jesus had promised that they would receive power when the Spirit would come upon them (Ac 1:8; 2:4). And as I pointed out in my article Holy Spirit Baptism, the same thing happened to all subsequent disciples who received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. They all received power when the Spirit came upon them. Therefore, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the event whereby the Holy Spirit anoints a person, coming upon him just as the sacred oil would be poured upon a person in the traditional sense, and remaining upon him in such a way that he receives power in his personal life. This anointing of the Spirit enables every anointed disciple to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all who mourn. It enables the disciple who receives it to do the works that Jesus did, and even greater works than these, just as He promised to all who believe in Him (Jn 14:12). This is what it means to receive power to be His witnesses when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you, as Jesus promised us in Acts 1:8.

The apostle Paul wrote about the anointing saying: "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Cor. 1:21b-22)

The apostle John wrote about this anointing by saying: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." (1Jn 2:20)

This teaches us that those who have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit have an anointing from the Holy One, and through that anointing we know the truth, because the Spirit of Truth always guides us into all truth (Jn 16:13). John further added:

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1Jn 2:27).

This means the anointing that we receive from the Holy Spirit, which is a real anointing, remains in us and teaches us about all things.

Closing Words

Just as the priests, kings, and prophets of Israel that were appointed by God were anointed with oil, so the Lord's Servant Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to serve with supernatural power. That meant that the Spirit was on Him and remained upon Him. In the same manner, every disciple must receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, so that he may be anointed by the Spirit, receiving supernatural power to serve and to be a witness for Christ. Each one of us needs to have the Spirit of the Lord come upon us and remain on us, in order to live an empowered life. If you have never received that anointing, then I encourage you to seek it today from the Lord, who gives the Spirit without limit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. "Anointed" image may be subject to copyright, used according to Fair Use Act for non-profit educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Baptized with the Spirit, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, Holy Fire Baptism, The Spirit Without Limit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, The New Wine, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, and The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit. You may also enjoy By the Spirit of God Alone and Coronation of Christ as King. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.