Letters to the Faithful.
Many will be offended by what is said here. But that’s because the wrong spirit is in play! That’s a bold statement and here is why. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance (Tolerance), Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. This is a road map of what is used when we walk as Christians which includes; “To test every spirit”; including God’s and our Advocate; the Holy Spirit. What! Test God's very Spirit that is sent for our aid? Are we not born of a Royal Priesthood through our Lord, Jesus Christ? Then all our thoughts and actions ought to reflect that authority won by His Blood and is it not said; “satan comes as an angel of light”. When everything is said and done, it is we of the Body who have allowed evil to take advantage of us.
We as the Body have been set free from all forms of rituals, spastic and uncontrolled body movements. For is not the Spirit of God; gentle? Paul mentions nothing regarding a Holy Spirit possession and when the Apostles in the upper room began to exclaim and exhort God; the Spirit appeared as if a flame was over their heads causing them to be in bliss and speaking in foreign tongues to indigenous strangers of these languages. The Spirit of God is not wasteful, random or fickle just for His amusement.
Oct. 2, 2018.
The Practical Christian Series.
The Spirit.
The Study Series
*archives*
The Holy Spirit and all Righteous Spirit only reflects God's will and is why we are admonished to test the spirits; including the Spirit of God; the Spirit of Righteous Angels and men; and the spirits of fallen angels and unrighteous men. We are a form required to operate in a physical world by God's will and for that matter, satan's; is applied from the spiritual and unseen one. When last did an unseen fallen angel or demon kill someone? But the spiritual influence in possessed or evil men have and do kill other people.
Any manifestation of a person controlled by a spirit is illegal! And is where we acknowledge this illegal possession as demonic. Some churches may state people have demonic influence but yet in the same breathe state when people in their congregation holler, jerk, gyrate, shake uncontrollably and roll on the floor; have the Holy Spirit in them which causes these actions. Yet, Jesus, Paul, Peter and all other Apostles mention no such spiritual manifestation. But God does!
God gave us His Spirit but He did not give them to the animals. Yet, God spoke through a donkey. Why? Because if He occupies a body with its own spirit; the weaker one is suppressed and this violates the whole purpose of making men, angels in His image and giving them free will. He did not want clones, robots; but individuals! This is so because the permutation of differences is infinitely exponential. And that’s why it can be said; “All things are possible with God”. Because there are no limitations or boundaries with His Righteousness for His creations.
What is the Holy Spirit and how is He recognizable? The Holy Spirit in simple terms is the arm of God. He is the go-between of God’s seat; His authority which is the Word and those called to minister God’s Kingdom; including Angels and of course man. Now; the saved man has been given a seat in Heavenly places with authority by the Word. But this is only by Grace and certainly does not put the Holy Spirit at our beckoning. We do not control the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit certainly and absolutely does not control us. This goes for all creatures of God that have the innate Spirit of God in them.
Only when there are spiritual possessions there are limitations. Every possessed person has some form of restriction. Mainly in human motor skills and effective communication. This is not referring to the influence of an outside evil spirit but an indwelling one in a person’s body, and mind just like king Nebuchadnezzar; who ate grass as if he was an animal. By definition of a possession; one has no control over themselves. If this is the case. Then is it not obvious that “holy rollers” are not manifesting the real Holy Spirit whose gifts does not include self-inflictions? There are two distinctions that many from the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Evangelical communities demonstrate to have in common and are attributed to the touch of the Holy Spirit, including “slain by the Spirit” and “unbridled excitement” of the body, mind, and spirit.
Being “slain by the Spirit” is an indication that God wants that person to be at rest and to experience something that is personal with God's presence. While the “unbridled excitement” is an euphoric feeling of God’s joy and presence. Just to note here; neither of these Spiritual manifestations are required for Salvation nor does it speak to that individual's level of Righteousness. They speak more to a deep desire by these individuals to want to experience the tangibility of God by His Holy Spirit. It also, unfortunately, speaks to the immaturity of some of these individuals and not a merit because no Godly person in the Bible demonstrated or required these type of manifestation to be servants to God’s Righteous cause. These are not Spiritual gifts!
Spiritual gifts as outlined by Paul for God’s will; is Jesus Christ! And not displays of spiritual manifestations that do nothing but alienates the Body from each other. If there is no clear-cut benefit to the Body; then how useful is it? I have seen someone shake uncontrollably and then collapse to the floor; only to get up and do it all over again; with no Spiritual or physical benefit in prophecy, word or healing for those around them. Can we really say this is God’s Glory being displayed? Is God into amusement with His images of Salvation?
And to be clear! The Fruit of the Spirit is not from a carnal mind but from the spiritual one. Where it is administered through us by the Holy Spirit. It is a higher application of these actions one to another. These Fruits are gifts just as the other gifts Paul makes reference to including prophesy and healing. They are not governed by any form of law such as cultural norms or traditions and certainly not common social courtesies. The best example of this is when Jesus on the cross says to the Father while looking at His accusers, "Father; forgive them, they know not what they do". You would think being hung on the cross; His concern would be His physical and mental pain; His self-preservation, and His disappointment and ultimate demise from those He tried to help, serve and save. He needed the Spirit's Fruit to enable Him to overcome His flesh and act as any Godly man ought to; in and by the Holy Spirit.
Many of the Pentecostal persuasion of the Body welcomes the Holy Spirit with every gathering of their church while some nontraditional churches completely deny the workings, gifts and the Fruit of the Spirit. It's no wonder the devil keeps many in confusion. For how can we put him under Christ’s feet when as a whole; the Body squabbles over the very Spirit of God’s Throne. Can some be that blind to deny this person that has prominence even before the Word was spoken and without the Spirit; the Word would be of no Power.
As Christ’s Body; we are to be Righteous in the administration of His will in cooperation with the leading of God’s Holy Spirit in the areas as demonstrated by Jesus and later by the Apostles; the seventy and others that were sent out for the exultation of God; including the healing of the mind, body and spirit; to establish God’s Kingdom; enable the Word to be preached and Salvation to be received. All these are only effectively accomplished with the Spirit of God with our own free will of controlled bodies, mind and spirit utilizing not only the innate talents given to each individual but also the skills developed as we receive the gifts and Fruit of the Spirit; fulfilling the promise of; “How be it when the Spirit comes; He will guide, reveal and teach all things of God”.
Selah
Gen. 1:2, Num. 22:28, Lk. 23:34, Jn. 16:13, Gal. 5:22