The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter Two How to receive and retain a Pentecostal fullness from our Lord Jesus We must come to God with humility of mind and sincerity of heart Pride in past achievement is the enemy of further progress. We should not let pride in past achievement and past blessing from God, make us think that there is nothing more to receive from God. A feeling of arrival and attainment is the most deadly foe of spiritual progress. The unsearchable and everlasting riches of Christ were hidden from many of those who Christ preached to, because of their false feeling of spiritual attainment, and their determination not to embrace anything outside of their tradition or experience. Mt.13v15,16. Lk.19v42. Jn.9v39-41. Eph.3v8. Arrogant self-sufficiency, not only brings blindness to further revelation, it often means the death of the things that we have attained. We shall never, not even during the endless ages in heaven, come to the end of what God is, or what He has for us. There will always be a sense of amazement, overwhelming gratitude and love, as we continually and eternally learn of the greatness of our God of love, and His incredible and loving plans for us. When we consider the everlasting riches of our almighty and unlimited Lord, we can never say that we have reached the limits of our Christian experience. Pride in our religious traditions can cause us to resist God. Acts.7v51-53. It is a fact that pride in our traditional beliefs and habits of worship dies very hard, we can be bound by our traditions, and they can keep us from receiving what God has for us. It took a vision of Christ to persuade Paul that his traditional worship had been replaced by a much superior New Covenant. Let us learn, therefore, to not only treasure the precious truths and experiences that God-inspired revivals of the past have brought to us; but we must also be willing to be led by God into what may be new ways to us, but which are in reality, rediscoveries of neglected New Testament truth. It is a great tragedy when devout souls miss the answer to their prayers for revival, through preconceived ideas as to how God should work. We all need to watch that we do not limit God. Ps.78v41. It takes a genuine humility of mind for a Christian of long standing, to admit that they have been without, or blind to, some vital part of God's armoury and provision for His children. Jesus said that it is only the penniless beggars, who receive the riches of heaven, those who feel that they have “arrived,” miss His blessing. Mt.5v3. N.B. Opposition is inevitable when revival comes. Many people love their formal church services, and like things to remain as they are, so the formation of earnest praying groups in their churches disturbs and convicts them, and can produce problems. The usual excuses for criticism of these praying groups are, “The Church is the place to pray;” “These meetings cause division;” “These Christians think that they are better than us;” or even “They are heretical.” The experience of Spirit-filled Christians is sometimes resented and rejected, no matter how humbly, sincerely and graciously it is presented. Sometimes, unfortunately, as Paul directs, we are forced to “turn away” from churches and people that oppose and reject the saving power of Christ, and the moving and gifts of the Holy Spirit. 2Tim.3v1,5. In Acts.18v7., we see that Paul continued his meetings in the house of Titus Justus, next door to the synagogue, after the majority of the Jews in the synagogue had rejected his message. Acts.13v42-52. 17v1-5. 18v4-8. In such circumstances let us remember that love is still kind after it has suffered long; and let us rejoice in those churches which do not resent, but rather encourage, the earnest seeking of God, and the spiritual progress of fellow Christians. Seeking honour from men, is a great spiritual danger. Jn.5v44. One of the greatest obstacles to seeking God for His gifts, is the desire to seek honour from men; Christ said, “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” Jn.5v44. Prov.29v25. Compromising truth in order to seek honour from men, positively destroys faith and spiritual experience; we can sell our soul to the denomination we serve, as well as to “the company store.” A fear of being thought unorthodox, eccentric, fanatical, or even heretical, can deter God's dear children from seeking God's gifts, or from testifying of what God has done for them. It is sad to say that many today still “love the praise of men, more than the praise of God.” Jn.2v23-25. 5v41. 12v42,43. Acts.5v29,32. We should always obey God rather than man, and if it becomes necessary, we should say like Paul, “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them all to be mere rubbish, that I may win Christ.” Phil.3v7,8,9-14. We thank God for those Christians of all persuasions and denominations, who have been prepared to stand true, and even die, for their convictions about Christian truth and experience. The danger of an evil heart of unbelief over spiritual gifts. Heb.3v12,19. Critics who use the failures of Pentecostal Christians to justify their unbelief over spiritual gifts are on dangerous ground. As we look at the New Testament Christians, we realise that we are not looking at perfect people, but rather people who God is perfecting. In their growth from spiritual infancy to maturity, the New Testament Christians, like ourselves, are seen to be guilty of mistakes and failures, in some way or other. They also had their cases of shipwreck of faith and apostasy. Some critics have said that a Pentecostal experience and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, “Not of God,” and “Of the Devil,” because they have managed to find cases of failure and apostasy among Pentecostal Christians today. I would ask them, “What Christian group has had no cases of spiritual ship-wreck and failure?” Even the apostolic band could be looked upon as, “Not of God,” by this method of examination; Christ was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and forsaken by all the apostolic band. The Bible also tells us of many more great and good men who have failed God, but their failures have not invalidated their experience of God. Are we to throw away the accounts of the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and many more because of their lapses of faith and holiness? Of course not, it is quite ridiculous. Anyway, what kind of justice is it that judges the faithful, by the failures of the faithless, or the shipwrecks of the apostates? Let the tree be judged by its good fruit, not by the fruit that has gone bad. Mt.5v44-48. The Christian that is moved by the love of God, does not compile a catalogue of failures, for the vilification of fellow Christians, it sorrows over the fall of a Christian, and helps to restore them. 1Cor.13v5. Gal.6v1. I would not dare to judge anti-Pentecostal Christians to be “Of Satan,” or “Not of God,” because of their spiritual wrecks. We all need to be watchful and exercise discipline over ourselves. 1Cor.9v27. 1Tim.6v6-12. 1Pet.2v11. 1Thes.5v22. The lives of many remarkable and godly believers today, testify to the value of a Pentecostal experience. < >
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Chapter Two

How to receive and retain a Pentecostal fullness from our Lord Jesus

We must come to God with humility of mind and sincerity of heart

Pride in past achievement is the enemy of further progress.
We should not let pride in past achievement and past blessing from God, make us think that there is nothing more to receive from God. A feeling of arrival and attainment is the most deadly foe of spiritual progress. The unsearchable and everlasting riches of Christ were hidden from many of those who Christ preached to, because of their false feeling of spiritual attainment, and their determination not to embrace anything outside of their tradition or experience. Mt.13v15,16. Lk.19v42. Jn.9v39-41. Eph.3v8. Arrogant self-sufficiency, not only brings blindness to further revelation, it often means the death of the things that we have attained. We shall never, not even during the endless ages in heaven, come to the end of what God is, or what He has for us. There will always be a sense of amazement, overwhelming gratitude and love, as we continually and eternally learn of the greatness of our God of love, and His incredible and loving plans for us. When we consider the everlasting riches of our almighty and unlimited Lord, we can never say that we have reached the limits of our Christian experience.

Pride in our religious traditions can cause us to resist God. Acts.7v51-53.
It is a fact that pride in our traditional beliefs and habits of worship dies very hard, we can be bound by our traditions, and they can keep us from receiving what God has for us. It took a vision of Christ to persuade Paul that his traditional worship had been replaced by a much superior New Covenant. Let us learn, therefore, to not only treasure the precious truths and experiences that God-inspired revivals of the past have brought to us; but we must also be willing to be led by God into what may be new ways to us, but which are in reality, rediscoveries of neglected New Testament truth. It is a great tragedy when devout souls miss the answer to their prayers for revival, through preconceived ideas as to how God should work. We all need to watch that we do not limit God. Ps.78v41. It takes a genuine humility of mind for a Christian of long standing, to admit that they have been without, or blind to, some vital part of God's armoury and provision for His children. Jesus said that it is only the penniless beggars, who receive the riches of heaven, those who feel that they have “arrived,” miss His blessing. Mt.5v3.

N.B. Opposition is inevitable when revival comes.
Many people love their formal church services, and like things to remain as they are, so the formation of earnest praying groups in their churches disturbs and convicts them, and can produce problems. The usual excuses for criticism of these praying groups are, “The Church is the place to pray;” “These meetings cause division;” “These Christians think that they are better than us;” or even “They are heretical.” The experience of Spirit-filled Christians is sometimes resented and rejected, no matter how humbly, sincerely and graciously it is presented. Sometimes, unfortunately, as Paul directs, we are forced to “turn away” from churches and people that oppose and reject the saving power of Christ, and the moving and gifts of the Holy Spirit. 2Tim.3v1,5. In Acts.18v7., we see that Paul continued his meetings in the house of Titus Justus, next door to the synagogue, after the majority of the Jews in the synagogue had rejected his message. Acts.13v42-52. 17v1-5. 18v4-8. In such circumstances let us remember that love is still kind after it has suffered long; and let us rejoice in those churches which do not resent, but rather encourage, the earnest seeking of God, and the spiritual progress of fellow Christians.

Seeking honour from men, is a great spiritual danger. Jn.5v44.
One of the greatest obstacles to seeking God for His gifts, is the desire to seek honour from men; Christ said, “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” Jn.5v44. Prov.29v25. Compromising truth in order to seek honour from men, positively destroys faith and spiritual experience; we can sell our soul to the denomination we serve, as well as to “the company store.” A fear of being thought unorthodox, eccentric, fanatical, or even heretical, can deter God's dear children from seeking God's gifts, or from testifying of what God has done for them. It is sad to say that many today still “love the praise of men, more than the praise of God.” Jn.2v23-25. 5v41. 12v42,43. Acts.5v29,32. We should always obey God rather than man, and if it becomes necessary, we should say like Paul, “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them all to be mere rubbish, that I may win Christ.” Phil.3v7,8,9-14. We thank God for those Christians of all persuasions and denominations, who have been prepared to stand true, and even die, for their convictions about Christian truth and experience.

The danger of an evil heart of unbelief over spiritual gifts. Heb.3v12,19.
Critics who use the failures of Pentecostal Christians to justify their unbelief over spiritual gifts are on dangerous ground. As we look at the New Testament Christians, we realise that we are not looking at perfect people, but rather people who God is perfecting. In their growth from spiritual infancy to maturity, the New Testament Christians, like ourselves, are seen to be guilty of mistakes and failures, in some way or other. They also had their cases of shipwreck of faith and apostasy. Some critics have said that a Pentecostal experience and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, “Not of God,” and “Of the Devil,” because they have managed to find cases of failure and apostasy among Pentecostal Christians today. I would ask them, “What Christian group has had no cases of spiritual ship-wreck and failure?” Even the apostolic band could be looked upon as, “Not of God,” by this method of examination; Christ was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and forsaken by all the apostolic band. The Bible also tells us of many more great and good men who have failed God, but their failures have not invalidated their experience of God. Are we to throw away the accounts of the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and many more because of their lapses of faith and holiness? Of course not, it is quite ridiculous. Anyway, what kind of justice is it that judges the faithful, by the failures of the faithless, or the shipwrecks of the apostates? Let the tree be judged by its good fruit, not by the fruit that has gone bad. Mt.5v44-48. The Christian that is moved by the love of God, does not compile a catalogue of failures, for the vilification of fellow Christians, it sorrows over the fall of a Christian, and helps to restore them. 1Cor.13v5. Gal.6v1. I would not dare to judge anti-Pentecostal Christians to be “Of Satan,” or “Not of God,” because of their spiritual wrecks. We all need to be watchful and exercise discipline over ourselves. 1Cor.9v27. 1Tim.6v6-12. 1Pet.2v11. 1Thes.5v22. The lives of many remarkable and godly believers today, testify to the value of a Pentecostal experience.

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