Living in the Power part 3

Part 3

“Tongues is a way for us to pray without our own ‘this is what I want and this is what you are going to do’ name it and claim it tendencies getting in the way of what God has in mind–what He wants to do, what only He can see from his perspective, it is praying for what He wants us to contend for.”

So what is this Holy Spirit baptism we’ve been talking about? For those who don’t know, here’s a little Holy Spirit 101.

 When we receive Jesus, confess that we believe in Him and ask forgiveness for our sins, what Jesus referred to as being born again, we receive the Holy Spirit. It is the guarantee of our salvation, literally receiving new life that can never die.  But there is more, Jesus also makes available, and desires us to have more— to be completely immersed in his Spirit, to be baptized in it— or him. To not just be saved, but also to be equipped and empowered.

Jesus himself makes it quite clear that there is a distinction between receiving the Holy Spirit and his salvation and receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and his power.

The first time Jesus saw the apostles the day of his resurrection he said to them:

“Peace be with you!”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-23

Right away Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit, breathes life into their very souls giving them eternal life— salvation! But then later Jesus tells them there is more to come, he didn’t just come to seal their eternity— he had come to bring the very Kingdom of God into their lives– a few weeks after his first meeting, just before he leaves to return to heaven them he tells them:

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5

Remember what John the Baptist said?

 “I baptize you with water but there is one coming after me who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire!”

So here they are They had just received the Holy Spirit the breath of life from the creator himself— but now Jesus is telling them, the good stuff is yet to come, you now have life but the gift I have been telling you about is  yet to come.

And so, after they watch Jesus ascend into the clouds they do just as Jesus asked them to do, they hang out in Jerusalem and on the Jewish feast day called Pentecost, while they are all together praying, not just the apostles but 120 disciples-

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:2-4

Jews from all over the world who were in Jerusalem celebrating Pentecost heard all the commotion and came to see what all the fuss was about, they heard all these Galilean Jews speaking in the languages of the countries they came from proclaiming the wonders of God and were amazed, some thought they were just drunk but Peter stood up and said “We are not Drunk as you suppose-“

¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy. Acts 2:16-18

“In the last days I will pour out my Spirit…” We are in the last days and God has indeed poured out his Spirit, the last days certainly did not end with the apostles, that would make no sense at all, how could they be the recipients of the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days and we are not, there cannot be another age, what the dispensationalists call the church age, after the last days.  Either these are the last days, of this present earth, or they are not.   Either the Holy Spirit has been poured out or it has not. 

I know it has because the scriptures say it has and because it has been poured out on me, I have not only received his Spirit because I have believed in Jesus Christ as my Lord as Savior but I have also had the Spirit poured out on me, I have been immersed in the Spirit, I have been baptized in the Spirit.  And I have tried my best to live and to follow in the power and the leading of the Spirit— to be a witness using the gifts he entrusted me with, looking at the world through his eyes and always going back to the source of my strength.

To have lived the life I lived, to have made it through the challenges and trials of life, to have even come anywhere near my hope of being a good person, of making a difference in this world, of being able to love my children and my wife sacrificially, to be able to endure the pain both physical and emotional, illness both physiological and psychological, to do more than just survive but to thrive— none of that would be possible without the power the Lord so freely gives me simply because I asked. You need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit otherwise you are just spitting in the wind and wondering why you keep getting wet! Life is hard, why face it powerless!?

Jesus said I am giving you the power so you can be my witnesses. We witness by loving people— All people. If you are filled and moving in the power of the Spirit, and you get yourself out into the world, they will be drawn to you. It still amazes me when people I barely know pour out their hearts to me. Everyone is hurting and needs to know they are loved. Real love can only come from Jesus—via His Holy Spirit through us.

So what about this tongues thing?

When we are baptized in His Spirit one of the main gifts made available to us is tongues. Which is nothing more than a handy word that means speaking in a language other than our own. It is literally a prayer language, a language that is not one we understand. It is one we control, I only speak in tongues when I choose to and for as long as I choose to–  just as I do my own tongue— English.

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. ² For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. 1 or 14:1-5

Paul says here; I would like every one of you to speak in tongues… The gift of our prayer language is a way to pray straight from the heart without our minds interfering— straight from our heart to God’s. A perfect prayer releasing his power, seeking his perfect will and plan without our own agendas getting in the way, without our own to do lists for God confusing God’s will for us.

Tongues is a way for us to pray without our own this is what I want and this is what you are going to do name it and claim ittendencies getting in the way of what God has in mind–what He wants to do, what only He can see from his perspective–it is praying for what He wants us to contend for.

It is a way to effectively engage in the spiritual battles going on all around in a way that all our prayers of understanding never could in our doubting, frightened and self-seeking flesh.

Praying in tongues releases the power of God into whatever situation, whatever person we are praying for. When I had my daughter come up front in our church to pray for her babies as I shared with you last time, I finished by praying in tongues. That wasn’t for the church, that wasn’t for me, that was for the Holy Spirit who wanted to be released into Cally’s womb in power to take care of those babies and that is why those babies were no longer choked off from growing anymore, that is why Cally and her husband both felt the love and the presence of the Lord in the last, what could have been very scary and painful, weeks of her pregnancy with two little miracles growing within her being formed and blessed by God.

And if things had gone awry, we would have still trusted God and known that ultimately those babies were still in his care and that in the end we would all be together. And even in our grief– what would seem to be inconsolable grief to those looking in– there would have been a peace, a peace beyond comprehension. Why? Because we, because Cally has been baptized in the Holy Spirit and the power of our God is our comfort and our counselor. Our peace does not come from what goes on around us, it comes from within.

We need that power, God wants us to have that power, Jesus died to make that power available to you!

We can’t be messing around church, we need God’s power or we are going to lose this world and all that are in it, the time for lukewarm Christianity is over.

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. …Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. Rev 3:16, 20

The Still Small Voice

Prophets Among Us part 4

“God comes to you in the quite, in the stillness, in a place of peace, when you are ready to listen.”

So, I know the big question you have been asking, wondering when I was going to address it in this series on the prophetic, because I have been asked this question many times before; how do you know? How do you know when you are hearing from the Lord–a word to share, a word of encouragement, or a promise?

In my earlier days of following the Lord—after having gone from just knowing Him to actually following, i.e. trusting Him—I earnestly desired to hear more and more from the Lord, to discern the words of the Holy Spirit living within me, which I had finally started listening to and hearing from often, after the mind and soul numbing haze of marijuana I had been dwelling in for too long was dissipated.

I spent many hours in prayer, in worship and in His word, getting to know Him and having more and more of the me he had created me to be revealed and released. Those early days were amazing. I was still single and often spent my weekends in the beautiful high country of Montana, fasting and seeking the Lord. Just me and my trusty Malamute—Nakina, a bible, a fishing pole, a pup tent and a sleeping bag stuffed into my backpack.

The beauty of those days, alone in the mountains far removed from the distractions of people and electronics, was that I learned to recognize the voice of the Lord. I had Literal mountaintop experiences that would shape my future as key elements of His plan for me unfolded, His heart speaking to mine in ways that my head could perceive and receive.

But you don’t need to climb a mountain, you just need to learn to be still and listen, and to know that He is God.

Be still, and know that I am God Psalm 46:10

And after a while you’ll learn to hear Him sometimes even through the clutter, in a moment when needed, like a trusted friend who comes alongside in the midst of a struggle and offers to help. When just hearing the voice, knowing they are there is a help in itself. You don’t even have to see their face, just hear the voice, and you know—I am not alone.

So it is with the Holy Spirit—the comforter.  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things. . . Luke 14:26

Think of it this way. When your spouse calls, or your mother or your child, and they don’t identify themselves; do you ask? “I’m sorry, who is this?” No, I certainly hope not! If you don’t instantly recognize the voice of a loved one, someone you should know intimately, than you have a problem. And that problem is; you have not spent nearly enough time with them, and if you did, you were certainly not listening to them.

So, the short answer to how do you know when you are hearing from the Lord? You get to know His voice by having spent time with Him. Not just talking at Him, but listening to Him, having conversations, or just shutting up and listening when He wants to speak.  Prayer is a two way connection.

Now, here is the rub, we do not hear the Holy Spirit with our ears, so it is not a matter of recognizing the tone, the pitch or the tenor of a voice, it’s learning to discern the voice of God with our spirit. We all have a running dialogue going on in our heads, an inner voice we cannot hear with our ears, but one that is certainly there. It has a tone, a cadence and a personality and even a dialect, one that mimics our speaking voice in many ways, but is much more consistent and unchanging.

Chances are, the voice you hear in your head, your inner dialogue, sounds much the same at fifty years old as it did when you were five. You might use bigger words and have much more to dwell on, but you are really unchanging. I believe that voice generates in our souls, is given language and storage space by your brain, but the soul is ageless, eternal, and so your inner self, your inner voice, is changeless, and will remain so long after this flesh is no more. The brain is primarily concerned with our survival–keeping us alive and comfortable, often to our detriment as it equates wants with needs, but our spirits are the voice of the real you. (This the battle between teh flesh and the spirit the scriptures often refer to.)

So, just as you know your own inner voice, even though your ears do not hear it, the voice of the Lord, via His Spirit dwelling within is perceived in like manner, and you can come to know and recognize the voice of the Lord. It is part of an inner dialogue that does not originate from you, but is still at your control, remember; the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 1 Cor 14:32

The voice of the Lord is not demanding, overpowering or obnoxious—He does not consume all your other thoughts leaving you feeling powerless to resist, nor does He leave you feeling afraid or desiring to hurt yourself or others—that is either teh voice of teh flesh, or the voice, or voices, of malevolent spirits—demons—and if that is happening you need to take authority and cast them out in JESUS name. Or seek the help of a Spirit filled Pastor, brother or sister, to help you pray them away.

There is indeed a sure test to know whether something you hear, whether internally that you don’t believe originated from you, or from another claiming to speak for God that makes you uncomfortable or seems contrary to scripture, and that is to ask them to confess out loud that Jesus is Lord—the Son of God come in the flesh.

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. 1 John 4

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. Now that is not to say that He cannot be persistent— boy, can He be persistent. Like when he wants you to go to Bible college to prepare for the ministry after you have decided you do not want to, or when he tells you something He wants you to share with someone else.

The Lord had told me during one of my early mountaintop experiences with Him that I would be a pastor one day. 15 years, a wife, kids, a good construction job and a cattle ranch later, I had given up on that promise being fulfilled, and in fact, I had realized that was not a mantle I wanted to bear.

That’s when the Lord decided it was time. I knew that the reason He was telling me to enroll in the accredited Bible institute that my church had just started was to get me into that role of pastor. So, long story short, the inner dialogue that went on for several months within my soul, as I drove the lonely highways of rural Montana back and forth to work, went something like this; “Sign up for the Bible institute” No, I don’t want to. “Sign up.” No I don’t want to. “Sign up.” No, I’m not worthy of that call, I know why you want me to! “Sign up…” Fine, I’ll enroll, but I won’t like it! —”Thank you! We’ll work on your attitude later.”

Could I have ignored that voice? Yes, but I knew better, and I was and have been immensely blessed. Yes, challenged, stretched and even led to make great sacrifices, at times—like the ranch… But had I not listened I would have missed my calling, missed the fulfillment of knowing that I was walking in His plan for me. And honestly, what is more valuable or desirable that knowing that your life’s purpose, His purpose for your life, was fulfilled.

That can only come by listening. Listening to the still small voice.  

Even Elijah, the incredible and mighty man of God, prophet of renown, defeater of the prophets of Baal and counselor the Messiah on the Mount of Transfiguration, even he had to learn to hear and recognize the voice of God, and he discovered, as you will, that God comes to you in the quite, in the stillness, in a place of peace, when you are ready to listen.

From 1 Kings:

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

I love that story. Our God is not a God of Hype or showboating, He is a God of peace, of gentleness, of love. He is our Father who loves it when we seek to sit and listen at His feet.

But what about the prophetic? That comes after you learn to listen.

After you learn to recognize and heed, then He will begin to entrust you with words to share with others, that’s when it becomes the prophetic—then you are ready to be counted among the prophets among us.

And that’s what we’ll explore next time.

(Sorry for the long blog but this is not a topic you should abbreviate)

Free to Prophecy

The Prohet Amongs Us -part II

“If I am not speaking or teaching things that Jesus would speak or teach, speaking on behalf of the Father, then I am wasting yours, and my, time.“

…but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:16—17

I began this blog today, the second in what I promised last week would be a series of teachings on the Holy Spirit given gift of prophecy, by seeking a word from the Lord. I began, as I do all my blogs, sermons, or any teaching I do for the Lord, by praying and asking for direction. And as usual, the Lord responded.

 After a few seconds of praying for direction to bless, encourage, and challenge God’s people I stopped speaking from my mind and allowed the Lord, whose Spirit resides in my heart, to then put the words in my mind that he would have me write or speak.

The Lord was faithful and I was receptive to hear, and after a few words of encouragement that I was on the right track in my desire to teach you about this amazing gift, the Lord put the words; “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” in my mind.

Recognizing this as scripture I immediately did a quick search and found this in 2 Corinthians, a reference to Moses having to veil his face after being in the presence of the Lord, thus shielding the people he was to relay truth to, from the full impact of the glory of God’s word. This is a veil which continues to cloud understanding today, for all but those who allow the Lord to give them understanding, thus we are free.

We are free by virtue of the Holy Spirit of our God, made available to indwell us by the cleansing blood of Christ, and released in us when we seek the baptism of fire that John the Baptist prophesied would be available through the Son.  …but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17—17

There is now nothing to hinder us from receiving, understanding and reveling in the full glory of God’s word, whether written or spoken to our hearts.

So this very blog, on prophecy, is based on a prophetic word given me, directly by the Spirit, just as I sat down to write. This is what we in my church tradition (Foursquare) call prophetic preaching, or, in this case, teaching.

It’s really that simple. I sit down not having a clue which of many possible directions I could go with this very large topic, and within the span of a minute or two, I receive a word giving me a clear direction, then trusting that the Lord will continue to guide me as I just start writing.

My mind is still engaged and I am in full control of my faculties, unlike those who seek to speak on behalf of lesser spirits as they go into trances or allow their hands to be guided by unseen forces. All the grammatical or typographical errors are mine, yet the words are inspired— at least as long as I continue to write with a desire to honor and glorify the Father, and to advance his Kingdom by my words.

So it is with prophecy—the simplest way I can explain it is that prophecy is speaking on behalf of God, rather than just about him.

As a pastor, I often approach the pulpit with the attitude of, okay Lord, if you were standing here before these people today, what would you say? If I am not speaking or teaching things that Jesus would speak or teach, then I am wasting everyone’s time.

But this is not a gift for teachers or preachers exclusively, and there are those who are called and anointed to serve the church as prophets–more of an office gift–but this is a gift that is available to all who have received and been baptized in the Holy Spirit. A gift that has been given primarily for the encouragement of the church. And one that can be utilized in proportion to your faith and your desire to be used of God for his glory and with the right heart.

For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 1 Cor 14:31—32

Notice the second part of this, that the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. That is why I said the grammatical errors are mine, the Lord often uses our words, our way of speaking, our language, to communicate his truths to those who speak our language. There are times when the Lord gives me a word I am not familiar with and I have to look up it’s meaning, but for the most part he speaks to and through me in my heart language, Montana flavored western twang English with an undertone of Minnesota nice.

And, because the sprits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, we choose whether or not to share what we are given, or to embellish it. (If you do either of these don’t expect to keep recieving much to share)

Prophetic words must be understandable to the hearers. That is why tongues, although an incredible and beneficial manifestation of His Spirit, does not generally benefit the church, other than as a form of prayer, because no one can receive the message being spoken and thus be encouraged.

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; 1 Cor 14:3—5

What an amazing and powerful endorsement by the Apostle Paul, in the midst of an incredible section of teaching about the gift available to us who believe. Sadly, a large part of the church refuses to accept that this, or any supernatural gifts, are still available to us today.

But this has been my reality for four decades now, so no, you’re not going to argue me out of it. I know all the theological hoops that can be jumped through to deny the gifts of the Spirit for today, for this dispensation, but I have also spent most of my life studying and living in the truth that we are in the last days spoken of by Peter on the day of Pentecost, and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Thus the gifts poured out on the first century church are just as available and powerful as ever—if not more so.

But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. . .  Acts 2:16—17

Like I have asked before; how can those days be the last days, while these days are not? Last means last. We can’t back up into time and say that we are no longer in the last days or that we are not yet. If this makes no sense, that is the point—in the last days God will pour out his Spirit and men and women alike will prophesy—so here we are. The last days started on Pentecost, two thousand years ago. An eyeblink of time in the light of eternity, and continue until we see the Son of Man return on the clouds of Heaven. For more on this check out: https://howtobeafunctionalfamily.wordpress.com/2021/04/29/this-is-that/

So, claim your freedom, remove the veil of fear, ignorance, disbelief or fear from your heart mind and soul, and be ready to hear from your God, your Father who loves you and whose Spirit dwells in you fully, just longing to speak his love to you, and through you. Free yourself from the veil and allow the words of God to come alive in your heart as you read the scripture with new eyes, with prophetic understanding. And be ready to share what you learn. Living waters are meant to flow, to refresh many, not stagnate in a private resevior.

You are one of the prophets among us, if you love Jesus. Free yourself to hear His voice. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And free yourself from anything that would hinder you from living the life He has planned for and called you to. No, you cannot do it—but He can, trust Jesus for your freedom.

Keep watching this blog and we’ll continue to explore this dynamic and vital topic as these last days appear to grow short and the battles intensify. You need to learn to hear, to distinguish the voice of God, the true from the false, and I want to help you do so.

The biggest thing is believing that you can hear. Don’t sell yourself short. You are meant for greater things!

Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

1 Samuel 3:10

Let the Spirit free your heart for His glory. –Here I am Lord, send me!