I So Want to be Spirit-Led
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).
"They Follow Me"
The constant theme that runs through the New Testament scriptures is the importance of the Holy Spirit, and the need to be truly led by Him. The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all one; but three unique personages. When Jesus said, "they follow me" He wasn't saying we would all follow him and ascend into heaven with him, but that we would be led by him.
The agent of the Trinity on earth is now the Holy Spirit and He is the one we are to follow. Jesus sent Him here, as he had promised, on the Day of Pentecost for that very reason. Many Christians are perplexed as to how to aactually ccomplish this supernatural appeal from Jesus to follow him down here on planet earth. Well, that's what this week's Blog is all about -- how to be Spirit-led.
The agent of the Trinity on earth is now the Holy Spirit and He is the one we are to follow. Jesus sent Him here, as he had promised, on the Day of Pentecost for that very reason. Many Christians are perplexed as to how to aactually ccomplish this supernatural appeal from Jesus to follow him down here on planet earth. Well, that's what this week's Blog is all about -- how to be Spirit-led.
You've already been Spirit-led whether you know it or not.
Any truly born-again Christian has experienced being Spirit-led. Do you remember the gentle (or maybe not so gentle) tugging on your heart that you felt when you really heard and understood the gospel for the first time? Well, that tugging was the Holy Spirit convicting you of your sinful state and your need of salvation. This may have been the first and last time you heard His voice, but nonetheless, you were Spirit-led.
Good News
God wants us all to be Spirit-led, but the Institutional Church has, for the most part, has left the Holy Spirit on the outside looking in (Lk 13:34 KJV). We are not longer encouraged to listen for His still small voice and are left with only divisive Bible doctrine, psychological motivation and emotionalism which titillates our souls, but not our spirits. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is still available in power and wants to be restored to his rightful place in the Body of Christ (the one without walls of division).
How did Jesus' disciples become Spirit-led?
Well, it all began at what we have come to call the Last Supper. "And Jesus breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). After this the disciples were given instructions, by Jesus, to go to Jerusalem and to wait until they received the "Promise of the Father." Jesus was speaking of the coming of the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) in power (Acts 1:8 NKJV).Once they received this second impartation (or the empowering of the Spirit) they received an ongoing access to, and relationship with, the Holy Spirit. Without this (the Holy Spirit's empowerment) one cannot understand what it truly means to be Spirit-led.
I never could figure this out:
I don't know why God set it up the way he did regarding what seems to be two separate and distinct encounters with the Holy Spirit, but it seems as though that is exactly what he did (that is unless you want to remove some of the pages of the Bible). Some churches fight to keep the Holy Spirit out by saying that there is no more empowerment from Him to the church -- that somehow it all stopped when the Bible was canonized and went to press.
They still want the salvation part of course, but reject the rest. It's kinda like God putting out a buffet where you get to pick and choose what parts of the Bible you want to eat and just pass by the parts you don't like the taste of.
Here are the two distinct encounters with the Holy Spirit:
- We have the one at the point of salvation described in John 20:22 (KJV) and again in Rom 10:9-10 (KJV)
- And we have the one through which we receive power Lk 24:49 (KJV), Eph 4:8 (KJV) and 1 Cor chapters 12-14 9 NKJV). Receiving this power from God is accompanied with speaking in tongues and is commonly referred to as the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit"
Oh no, not tongues!
Believe it or not there are some denominations that consider speaking in tongues some sort of badge of spirituality, and that without it your salvation is questionable at best. How's that for a demonic doctrine with which to create division in the Body of Christ? We should not be seeking tongues anyway; but rather the Holy Spirit. The tongues is the outward manifestation of the inner reality of having received the full empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Let me back up a bit here For those of you who don't even know what "speaking in tongues" is, you can find references to it in the following verses:
Mark 16:17; Acts 2:3; Acts 2:4; Acts 2:11; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 Cor 12:28; 1 Cor 12:30; 1 Cor 13:1; 1 Cor 13:8; 1 Cor 14:5; 1 Cor 14:6; 1 Cor 14:18; 1 Cor 14:21
Now that's a whole lot of verses to have to remove from the Bible if you don't like them!
The institutional church is the culprit
The reason tongues are considered so offensive to so many folks is because of the way the church has attempted to administer it. Typically it turns into an emotional side show with a lot of shouting and psychological manipulation -- it's been that way every time I have witnessed it.
Truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit rarely shows up because he's the Spirit of unity; and institutional churches promote division. The only choice the institution has is to fake it!
Truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit rarely shows up because he's the Spirit of unity; and institutional churches promote division. The only choice the institution has is to fake it!
A story of Jack and Jill
A couple by the name of Jack and Jill are visiting a church where the Pastor is ministering the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Let's listen in: "Look over there Jill," says Jack. "Do you see those believers ... that group there; over in the corner? They're seeking "The Baptism in the Holy Spirit." Can you hear the Pastor encouraging them to begin praying?" Jill responds, "Yea, and he's really being quite aggressive." Jack kinda chuckles, "Whew, he sure is -- and he's gettin' 'em pretty fired up too." Jill responds, "He's even got 'em raising their hands and worshiping out loud now. Wow, listen to that will ya! Actually sounds pretty neat, huh?" Jack whispers, "Okay, okay , shhh, let's see what happens next!"
Jill is wide-eyed by now and continues, "Look! now he's laying hands on each one and is praying in tongues over each of them. He's telling everybody tn the room that had previously received tongues to all begin to pray in tongues also. This is gettin' way emotional, huh?"
Jack replies, "Yea. and I don't believe my ears. Did you hear the Pastor tell them to mimic those others believers who are speaking in tongues -- and they're actually doing it!!" At this point Jill can' barely contain herself, "Everyone is so emotional and their all shouting, "You got it!" "You got it!" "You're speaking in tongues!" "You're speaking in tongues!" "this whole thing is gettin' outta control!"
Jill looks at Jack with a total look of unbelief on her face, "Now this is really weird!" Jack whispers over to Jill, "What da ya say we get outa here ... quick!"
Jill is wide-eyed by now and continues, "Look! now he's laying hands on each one and is praying in tongues over each of them. He's telling everybody tn the room that had previously received tongues to all begin to pray in tongues also. This is gettin' way emotional, huh?"
Jack replies, "Yea. and I don't believe my ears. Did you hear the Pastor tell them to mimic those others believers who are speaking in tongues -- and they're actually doing it!!" At this point Jill can' barely contain herself, "Everyone is so emotional and their all shouting, "You got it!" "You got it!" "You're speaking in tongues!" "You're speaking in tongues!" "this whole thing is gettin' outta control!"
Jill looks at Jack with a total look of unbelief on her face, "Now this is really weird!" Jack whispers over to Jill, "What da ya say we get outa here ... quick!"
Well, there you have it
The sad part of this fictitious account is that it is not an exaggeration. This is the way most churhces administer the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. After a meeting such as this is over, the "newly initiated" will end up leaving all pumped up thinking that they have something that they simply do not have.
As time passes, and they begin to realize that getting emotionally stirred up and mimicking someones else's tongues didn't bear any fruit, they either abandon the whole idea as something that "just isn't for me" or from then on just make up words in their heads so as to be accepted by their peers.
I have no doubt that folks that minister the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in this way are sincere and well meaning, but even good intentions are no excuse for this type of psychological and emotional manipulation. There is nowhere in the Bible that a scene such as this ever takes place. How did we ever get so far off biblical base? If it wasn't for God's grace no one would ever receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
As time passes, and they begin to realize that getting emotionally stirred up and mimicking someones else's tongues didn't bear any fruit, they either abandon the whole idea as something that "just isn't for me" or from then on just make up words in their heads so as to be accepted by their peers.
I have no doubt that folks that minister the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in this way are sincere and well meaning, but even good intentions are no excuse for this type of psychological and emotional manipulation. There is nowhere in the Bible that a scene such as this ever takes place. How did we ever get so far off biblical base? If it wasn't for God's grace no one would ever receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
So what am I supposed to do?
First of all know that God wants you to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. This is how he directs the real Body of Christ in the earth to do spiritual assignments. Notice that on the Day of Pentecost, as described in Acts 1:4 (NKJV), that it was "the Spirit" that gave them utterance." They didn't have to mimic anything -- they just had to be desiring the Holy Spirit and expecting whatever it was that God had for them. Yes, tongues came next, but they had no idea that it would. Let me say that again, IT WAS THE SPIRIT (and not men) that gave them utterance!
Other similar accounts in the Bible:
There was another account of this happening at Cornelius' house in Acts 10:44 (NKJV). As Peter was still speaking to them, of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to spontaneously speak in tongues.
There was yet another account found in Acts 19:6 where Christ was preached, they were baptized in water, Paul laid his hands on them and they received the holy Spirit along with the manifestation of speaking in tongues.
This is my recommendation for receiving
the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Just let God be God!
God didn't need any help on the Day of Pentecost and he doesn't need any help now. We need to learn to get out of the way and let God be God! His arm is not too short to reach out to you, after all it's Jesus who wants this for you. The following is a reasonable biblical approach to being Baptized in the Holy Spirit: - Get saved (Acts 2:38 KJV).
- Desire to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16 NKJV).
- Wait for the promise of the Father; just like the disciples did on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:39 (KJV)
- Spend time with the Lord as you praise and worship Him. Lk 24:49-52 (KJV); Rom 4:21 (KJV); Heb 10:23 (KJV) You don't have to beg or plead, just remain receptive.
- If you don't receive right away, just walk in it for a season. God is faithful to His promise (Matt 7:7 KJV).
I know that in one of the verses above the apostle Paul laid his hands on them and they received. If you have an apostle (or other truly anointed person) on hand, by all means avail your self to the Holy Spirit's anointing working through him. Many folks claim to be apostles nowadays, but you can easily tell one by their supernatural fruit -- no supernatural fruit, no apostle.
Now what?
Once you have received this second impartation of the Holy Spirit, and whenever the need arises to be really Spirit-led, you will simply need to be still in order to hear the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. Of course you will then have to act upon what you hear by faith.
Conclusion
If we simply let God be God, without the distractions of all the religious trimmings, we'll be used and empowered by God in exactly the way He wants us to be ...
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