Charismatic Bible Studies #2

[Hidden In Him]

II. What is the Holy Spirit’s work? What Does He Do? (Part 1) —

The question for this study is this: How has the Spirit of God worked in your life in any (or all) of the ways below?

A. He purifies believers.

Matthew 3:11-12 "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. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

• Greek expert D.A. Carson says the grammatical construction “suggests a unified concept, Spirit-fire or the like” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary on Matthew, p. 105). Carson adds that “there are good reasons for taking ‘fire’ as a purifying agent along with the Holy Spirit” (105).

B. He comes upon believers for certain tasks.

Luke 1:15-17, 67 …[John] will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah… [67] and his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.

• The great prophet John the Baptist was empowered for His ministry by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit’s enablement John turned many Israelites back to the Lord. And He served as the contemporary prophet announcing the coming of the Lord Jesus to earth.

• John’s father Zechariah, when “filled with the Spirit,” began to prophesy a mighty message about the coming Savior and John’s prophetic introduction of Him.

C. He is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate.

John 14:16-17a 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 (NIV).

• Some other translations: “another Helper (NASB) … another Counselor (RSV) … another Comforter (The Amplified reads, "Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby").

D. He will teach us, and give us recall of what we have learned.

John 14:26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

• God gives us human teachers of His word (Ephesians 4:11). But the ultimate, infallible Teacher is the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). He inspired the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21), and therefore He is the One perfectly qualified to teach us their meaning.

• Not only does the Spirit teach us the things of God, He also gives us recall of these things when we need them. He will “bring to our remembrance” the things we have learned about the Lord.

E. He will show the future.

John 16:13, KJV …when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth … and He will show you things to come.

• He has shown us things to come in the hundreds of predictive prophecies in the Scriptures. And as He deems it to be needed, He gives to individual believers specific guidance and insight for their own futures.

 

[Pearl]

I do not have a 'front of house' 'ministry', and suspect that not may of us do. Probably most of us work 'behind the scenes' in the places that God has placed us. Even if our ministry is in our own homes we will have received the gifting from the Holy Spirit to be the best we can be. As we read our bibles the Holy Spirit will often show us something new in a passage we have read many times before. He will enable us to keep calm in troubled times. He will show us what to say to somebody who needs a word or comfort and direction. He is in every aspect of our daily lives - or he should be.

 

[Pearl]

DIFFERENT NATURES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

In the bible there a number of ways the Holy Spirit is described:

1. Fire
2. Wind
3. Breath
4. Water
5. Dove

Each of these manifestations is true and relevant but they are different in their characteristics.

1. The fire of the Holy Spirit ignites in us a spiritual flame, a burning desire to please God and sets us on fire too so that our zeal for God consumes us.

2. The Holy Spirit when he comes as wind can blow away all the debris in our lives and remove all obstacles.

3. The breath of the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us and awakes us from our dormant state to new life whether we are just starting out as Christians or have known Jesus for many years.

4. The Living Water refreshes and revives our souls and plumps us up spiritually, he quenches our thirst for God.

5. And in the form of the dove the Holy Spirit is a symbol of the peace that cannot be understood by those who do not know Jesus.

 

[Pearl]

This is something that happened to me as I was coming home on a crowded bus on a very cold and wet day. I thought to myself, 'Jesus is on the bus with me'. There was an empty seat next to me and I asked him silently, 'Are you sitting next to me Lord?' And I thought, 'No, you would be standing so someone else could sit down'. Then I asked him, 'Are you standing in front of me?' After a few seconds I began to tingle from top of my head right down to my toes and I KNEW without doubt that Jesus was telling me that he actually within me. It was a beautiful moment and people must have wondered what I was smiling at.

Thank you Lord that you are with me wherever I go; not at my side or in front of me but actually within me. So close!!

 

[Pearl]

Another manifestation of the Holy Spirit in my life happened when we invited some younger people from our church to come and pray together in our home. There were five of us altogether, Ray and me and Janet, Carol and John. We knew them by sight from church meetings but had never had much to do with them before so we weren't all close friends or anything.

We were all on our knees around the room with our backs to each other and there was some serious prayer going on, in English and in tongues. I don't know how long we prayed but it was quite some time and then simultaneously we all started to laugh so much that we couldn't stop and ended up rolling around on the floor laughing in the Spirit, something I've never experienced before or since. It was so joyous and didn't feel at all weird.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Another manifestation of the Holy Spirit in my life happened when we invited some younger people from our church to come and pray together in our home. There were five of us altogether, Ray and me and Janet, Carol and John. We knew them by sight from church meetings but had never had much to do with them before so we weren't all close friends or anything.

We were all on our knees around the room with our backs to each other and there was some serious prayer going on, in English and in tongues. I don't know how long we prayed but it was quite some time and then simultaneously we all started to laugh so much that we couldn't stop and ended up rolling around on the floor laughing in the Spirit, something I've never experienced before or since. It was so joyous and didn't feel at all weird.

Praise God. People go off on the whole "holy laughter" thing because there have been instances where it was being fabricated and faked and caught on film, but I do believe the real thing exists. When the Spirit of God takes over a congregation they become one together in the Spirit, and whatever the Spirit is communicating to the church at that point gets communicated to all of them at the same time.

I haven't responded to this thread myself yet, just sort of letting it lay dormant until I can get to writing some responses. But thanks for getting the ball rolling.

 

[Pearl]

Praise God. People go off on the whole "holy laughter" thing because there have been instances where it was being fabricated and faked and caught on film, but I do believe the real thing exists. When the Spirit of God takes over a congregation they become one together in the Spirit, and whatever the Spirit is communicating to the church at that point gets communicated to all of them at the same time.

I haven't responded to this thread myself yet, just sort of letting it lay dormant until I can get to writing some responses. But thanks for getting the ball rolling.

Are my posts the sort of thing you want? I wasn't sure.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Are my posts the sort of thing you want? I wasn't sure.

You're Charismatic. Your posts are always what I want, LoL.

Speak your mind.

 

[marks]

This is something that happened to me as I was coming home on a crowded bus on a very cold and wet day. I thought to myself, 'Jesus is on the bus with me'. There was an empty seat next to me and I asked him silently, 'Are you sitting next to me Lord?' And I thought, 'No, you would be standing so someone else could sit down'. Then I asked him, 'Are you standing in front of me?' After a few seconds I began to tingle from top of my head right down to my toes and I KNEW without doubt that Jesus was telling me that he actually within me. It was a beautiful moment and people must have wondered what I was smiling at.

Thank you Lord that you are with me wherever I go; not at my side or in front of me but actually within me. So close!!

Beautiful communion!

Knowing God this way is, to me, so far above everything else, that the spiritual gifts, the working and fruit of the Spirit are more like, OK, what's next to do? Maybe something ordinary seeming, maybe something extraordinary, but never as extraordinary as the Creater of All living in me, and having an active interaction in my life!

Much love!

 

[Hidden In Him]

Beautiful communion!

Knowing God this way is, to me, so far above everything else, that the spiritual gifts, the working and fruit of the Spirit are more like, OK, what's next to do? Maybe something ordinary seeming, maybe something extraordinary, but never as extraordinary as the Creater of All living in me, and having an active interaction in my life!

Much love!

Good word!

 

[marks]

Another manifestation of the Holy Spirit in my life happened when we invited some younger people from our church to come and pray together in our home. There were five of us altogether, Ray and me and Janet, Carol and John. We knew them by sight from church meetings but had never had much to do with them before so we weren't all close friends or anything.

We were all on our knees around the room with our backs to each other and there was some serious prayer going on, in English and in tongues. I don't know how long we prayed but it was quite some time and then simultaneously we all started to laugh so much that we couldn't stop and ended up rolling around on the floor laughing in the Spirit, something I've never experienced before or since. It was so joyous and didn't feel at all weird.

One time when I had called to God for more power in my life, He had directed me for prayer, and laying on of hands by my then-pastor. Afterward, driving home, I began to realize what He had done, and I knew He had made a life long change in me, in trusting Him, and the same thing, I just got so filled up with Joy I began to laugh, I don't think I stopped for 45 minutes or something like that! Pure joy!

Much love!

 

[marks]

II. What is the Holy Spirit’s work? What Does He Do? (Part 1) —

He assures us of our relationship with God,

Romans 8:16 KJV
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Much love!

 

[marks]

2. The Holy Spirit when he comes as wind can blow away all the debris in our lives and remove all obstacles.

And as wind comes and goes and you don't see any of that, only the effects . . . He comes out of nowhere, as it were!

I had a pastor who said their favorite words in the Bible were, then suddenly, God . . .

Much love!

 

[Pearl]

One time when I had called to God for more power in my life, He had directed me for prayer, and laying on of hands by my then-pastor. Afterward, driving home, I began to realize what He had done, and I knew He had made a life long change in me, in trusting Him, and the same thing, I just got so filled up with Joy I began to laugh, I don't think I stopped for 45 minutes or something like that! Pure joy!

Much love!

Love that @marks and it reminded me of our friend Tony after he got filled with the Holy Spirit at a large Christian gathering in Manchester. He was so full of the joy of the Holy Spirit that he drove through every red light all the way home.

It's lovely to remember all these things that I'd almost forgotten about and to read other people's experiences of the Holy spirit in their lives. You really can't fake it.

 

[marks]

He was so full of the joy of the Holy Spirit that he drove through every red light all the way home.

LOL!

 

[Rita]

I have not had any dramatic things happen, but often as not I will just know what to write at times. I also have very deep empathy for those who many would not give the time of day too.
I have come to know and trust the Holy Spirit as my counsellor and claimed the truth that he alone knows what lay at the heart of any issues. Through ten years I allowed the Holy Spirit to take me on journeys trough my past and deal with all the pain I had buried. He would allow things to act as triggers to the memories and buried emotions. At the time I had a picture of a house with many rooms, each room was gradually emptied and cleared. Then, nearing the end of that process I had the image of a large trunk , bound with chains, that was stored in the basement. I came to realise that it was time to deal with the stuff I had really locked away. Eventually I was able to leave so much at the cross, the next day the mental mind games that I had for over 30 years were gone.
He has given words of encouragement for my daughter when the doctors told her the baby she was carrying would miscarry.... That baby is now 17years old.
I do sometime sense things with people , and often ‘ feel burdens ‘
I must admit that since my mum died 8years ago and my son had his breakdown and tried to take his own life to there have been barriers. I haven’t had any pictures since that time.....

Rita

 

[amadeus]

Another manifestation of the Holy Spirit in my life happened when we invited some younger people from our church to come and pray together in our home. There were five of us altogether, Ray and me and Janet, Carol and John. We knew them by sight from church meetings but had never had much to do with them before so we weren't all close friends or anything.

We were all on our knees around the room with our backs to each other and there was some serious prayer going on, in English and in tongues. I don't know how long we prayed but it was quite some time and then simultaneously we all started to laugh so much that we couldn't stop and ended up rolling around on the floor laughing in the Spirit, something I've never experienced before or since. It was so joyous and didn't feel at all weird.

Give God the glory!

 

[marks]

but often as not I will just know what to write at times. I also have very deep empathy for those who many would not give the time of day too.

These ARE dramatic things to me.

Can you imagine, sitting down for a normal forum day of, well, you know what it's like, when suddenly, God Himself has written a reply to you? Through the fingers of someone who just knew what to write? And you read it, and know, God spoke to you!

To be one of the outcast, rejected, and to suddenly know you are loved? These are big to me.

There is such a tendency, I think, to see some of the gifts as bigger or better or more powerful. I don't see any difference myself between multiplying fish and loaves and seeing Nathanial under the fig tree. Between quieting the raging storm on the sea, or quieting the storm in my heart, both with a word. Perhaps quieting the storm in my heart is more meaningful to me.

I think some people enjoy being "the one" who gets to through down their staff to become a serpent. Simon, wanting to be the one who would give out the Holy Spirit. Those who enjoy being associated with power.

There is the same eternal power in speaking a word of wisdom and in raising the dead. There is nothing too hard for God, which is to say, there is nothing that is easy as opposed to hard, all is in His power.

Much love!

 

[theQuestioneer]

Jesus was thinking of the Power (Gabriel to Mary) not just as a POWER- but emanating from the One (Not Three) who SENT "It". A Nameless Ghost didn't have an affair with Mary- the Power of God transferred God's son!

Numbers 11:16- And Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee. 17- And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take

>>> of ("some")<<<

the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put

>>> it <<<

upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee,
that thou bear it not thyself alone.- ASV (To see God's Name
where it belongs)

He repeats this description of it as "it" a few
verses later.

The Apostle Paul MOVED by the Holy Spirit, also
did:

Rom 8:26-Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit

>>> itself <<<

maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.- KJV

Now who in there right mind can think of God as an "It"!

 

[Rita]

These ARE dramatic things to me.

Can you imagine, sitting down for a normal forum day of, well, you know what it's like, when suddenly, God Himself has written a reply to you? Through the fingers of someone who just knew what to write? And you read it, and know, God spoke to you!

To be one of the outcast, rejected, and to suddenly know you are loved? These are big to me.

There is such a tendency, I think, to see some of the gifts as bigger or better or more powerful. I don't see any difference myself between multiplying fish and loaves and seeing Nathanial under the fig tree. Between quieting the raging storm on the sea, or quieting the storm in my heart, both with a word. Perhaps quieting the storm in my heart is more meaningful to me.

I think some people enjoy being "the one" who gets to through down their staff to become a serpent. Simon, wanting to be the one who would give out the Holy Spirit. Those who enjoy being associated with power.

There is the same eternal power in speaking a word of wisdom and in raising the dead. There is nothing too hard for God, which is to say, there is nothing that is easy as opposed to hard, all is in His power.

Much love!

Good Point xx
Some of my letters have been received’ at just the right time ‘ .....
However sometimes I ‘ feel ‘ led to respond to people or on threads here, but many just think it’s me, a women writing, and they don’t actually hear The Lord through the words. You see I know when I am just responding as me and when I am being inspired to write, but sadly whether The Lord is heard requires a open ear to hear. It’s a two way communication.
With regards to having empathy for those who many would disregard, it’s usually to pray for them. However that empathy does run alongside people around me as well. The empathy is often misjudged as being linked to liberalism on the forum, which is kind of sad. Rita