WHO AM I?

GOD THE FATHER, JESUS THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

BLOG 6

I am beginning Blog 6 with these two critical questions – first, have you surrendered your life to the Lord God Almighty, which brings you in the Kingdom of God (being born again)? Second, and most important, have you asked the Holy Spirit to “fill/baptize” you with Him? 

If this blog is new to you, may I strongly recommend you read previous blogs concerning the Holy Spirit. 

Why is it essential that I continue to focus on the Holy Spirit? 

It is imperative that we as believers give much emphasis to what is written:

“See then that you walk circumspectly. Not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things in God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (Eph 5:15-21)

If you have not asked Him to fill/baptize you, you are, tragically powerless in your walk with the Triune God.  Powerless in that the Holy Spirit is the Lord Jesus working through Holy Spirit not only to hear, empower, guide and direct the Spirit-filled saint, but provide one with “workable” gifts and fruit of the Spirit. If one is born again and has gone no further, I repeat, he/she is indeed powerless in accomplishing that which the Holy Spirit has for those who are indeed, Spirit-filled!

Let’s visit Matthew 3:4 where we find Jesus coming from Galilee, to be baptized by John the Baptist. We find John trying to prevent baptizing Jesus, declaring “I need to be baptized by You and You are coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed Him. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

It is in Chapter 4 that we see the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil!  Thus, the beginning of Jesus’ empowerment by the Holy Spirit for forty days and forty nights (fasting). During that time that the deceiver, Satan, tried his best to lure Jesus into his “way of life” and worshipping him. 

Thankfully, Jesus declared “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” In verse 11, we read “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”  Thus, the ministry of Jesus began on earth for 3 years + until His death on the cross, with the declaration of His last three words “it is finished”. Thankfully, He had accomplished on earth what His Father had planned for Him, praise God! As it is written, Jesus was resurrected and for the next 40 days He visited with His disciples continuing to teach and empower them for the things to come. However, it is crucial to declare that even though Satan left Jesus “for a season”, he came back to harass Jesus until Jesus returned to the Father, as he constantly harasses us believers! 

Please keep in mind, that we saints are not to be fearful of the devil, for we as believers, must stand on the commands/promises of the Lord, keeping in mind what is written, and therefore, how crucial it is for us to spend much much time reading, understanding and being obedient as to what God Almighty has written in His Word! For by not doing so, it truly keeps us as believers, ignorant, and guess who “claps and smiles” when we are not growing in what is written in the scriptures and as well not being obedient as to what is written!  Also, it is crucial to know just who the deceiver is – more on this in a future blog – for it is mandatory for us to know just who we are fighting in the spirit world! Also, keep in mind that Satan never wins, concerning God’s born-again children, although there are times when we think he has!  Remember, he is the deceiver and destroyer! Appropriate to comment – another powerful reason for believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit!

It is appropriate at this point to encourage you to check out which Bible you are reading and studying.  Truly, there are several Bibles which I trust, such as:

*  The New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Jack Y. Hayford-   Executive Editor)

*  Dakes Annointed Reference Bible (Dake)

*  ESV STUDY BIBLE (English Standard Version)

*  Exegeses - The Ready Research Bible – A Literal translation and Transliteration of Scripture (Herb Jahn exegete)

* The Amplified Bible (Zondervan Bible Publishers)

* Messianic Jewish Family Bible – Tree of Life Version (Jewish Voice Ministries)

* NLT Bible (New Living Translation)

I am sure there are others, but I encourage you to evaluate the Bible(s) you read and fervently study! I never thought I would declare that there are Bibles are not worthy to have in one’s library! But, there is a “famous” well known Bible that I would not encourage believers to purchase! 

Years ago, when I read the reliable research concerning this Bible, I was truly disheartened for there are so many scriptures that are either mistranslated or omitted!  Be on guard and alert, saints. I would label this Bible as a weapon of the “deceiver”! I would strongly recommend asking the Holy Spirit for His wisdom concerning this crucial item – for it is written “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,  who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

Lastly, I would highly recommend The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, introduced in 1957 with the express purpose to educate/clarify believers of the complexities of the Bible.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.  And their righteousness is from ME.” Says the Lord. (Is. 54:17)

and,

“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He is in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit who He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)                                             

Thus, it behooves us Christians to be so very aware of the powerful warnings for each of us:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore, they speak of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:1-6)

Thank You, our loving and caring God Almighty for these critical warnings. 

More to come in Blog 7.

BE GLORIFIED LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, BE GLORIFIED