Post by Zac Loh on Sept 1, 2005 21:46:44 GMT -5
We have to confront ourselves with a few pointed questions, and answer them honestly within ourselves.
1. Is the Holy Spirit, God?
2. Does the Holy Spirit Love The Church More Than We Do?
3. Does the Holy Spirit Know More About The Church Than We Do?
If our answers to all these three questions are ‘yes’, we must, then, aspire to become a person who is sensitive, and submissive, to the Holy Spirit.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is mind and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15)
Jesus is the Head of the Church, and the Holy Spirit, His Administrator. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, into Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Head of the Church. The Holy Spirit also administrates, what is from the Head, to us. We are not the Head, neither are we the Administrator. But what can we do? We can surrender. There are places in our hearts that we can do nothing about, except to surrender. Are you striving in Christian living, and life, in general? Surrender. Are you struggling to cope with weaknesses, worldliness and sin, and the pressures of ministry? Surrender. This is a surrender in faith, not a surrender in defeat!
THE GOD WHO ANSWERS BY FIRE
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinion? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore, let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay in on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” (1 Kings 18:21-24)
A spiritual holy fire will hit the church. This holy fire will purify. This holy fire will cause us to have a purity of the heart. Every sin and worldliness in us will get burnt up. The Spirit is asking us to surrender our life. We will have to offer ourselves to be the sacrificed at the altar of the Lord.
And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. (1 King 18:31-32)
The twelve stones represented the church. We are the living stones. God purposed and planned that the church, the spiritual Israel, be consumed by the fire from heaven. The Stones were gathered together to build an altar. In the book of Acts, the whole church gathered themselves together with one accord to pray. Both times when the power hit, they were assembled together in unity and prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:1-4; 4:23-24, 31).
True spiritual unity is what we are looking for. And it happens in a prayer meeting. Only this holy fire from heaven can consume us. Why?
And he put the wood in order; and cut the bull in pieces, and laid in on the wood, and said, “fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:33-35,38)
This is a fire that fell from heaven, and it hit the wet sacrifice, Jesus said that we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-18). Nevertheless, we are still surrounded by the spirit of the world. We are drenched by the spirit of the world, a spirit of lukewarmness. The good news is that, this holy fire can consume us even if we are wet by the spirit of the world.
Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39)
It is no wonder that the people acknowledged and confessed God after that holy fire! When the unbelievers see a heavenly holy fire consuming us, they will believe. How can we truly shine without this holy fire?
He will baptize you wit the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11b)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me… (Acts 1:8)
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3).
How are we going to save the world? Not by the human zeal, but by the fire and power from heaven. Each person received a tongue of fire of the Holy Spirit and each got a fiery tongue, anointed to preach the gospel. There shall be a division: those who are hit by the holy fire and those who are not touched by it at all. God is asking you to make a choice: do you want to be at the altar of the Lord or at the altar of Baal? The holy fire only hit the altar of the Lord. God will not leave His church as she is. No longer can we sit on the fence, being neither here nor there. There is coming an anointing, a holy fire anointing. Elijah’s fire was a holy fire sent from heaven. Our God is a consuming fire. He is both passionate and holy.
1. Is the Holy Spirit, God?
2. Does the Holy Spirit Love The Church More Than We Do?
3. Does the Holy Spirit Know More About The Church Than We Do?
If our answers to all these three questions are ‘yes’, we must, then, aspire to become a person who is sensitive, and submissive, to the Holy Spirit.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is mind and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15)
Jesus is the Head of the Church, and the Holy Spirit, His Administrator. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, into Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Head of the Church. The Holy Spirit also administrates, what is from the Head, to us. We are not the Head, neither are we the Administrator. But what can we do? We can surrender. There are places in our hearts that we can do nothing about, except to surrender. Are you striving in Christian living, and life, in general? Surrender. Are you struggling to cope with weaknesses, worldliness and sin, and the pressures of ministry? Surrender. This is a surrender in faith, not a surrender in defeat!
THE GOD WHO ANSWERS BY FIRE
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinion? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore, let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay in on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” (1 Kings 18:21-24)
A spiritual holy fire will hit the church. This holy fire will purify. This holy fire will cause us to have a purity of the heart. Every sin and worldliness in us will get burnt up. The Spirit is asking us to surrender our life. We will have to offer ourselves to be the sacrificed at the altar of the Lord.
And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. (1 King 18:31-32)
The twelve stones represented the church. We are the living stones. God purposed and planned that the church, the spiritual Israel, be consumed by the fire from heaven. The Stones were gathered together to build an altar. In the book of Acts, the whole church gathered themselves together with one accord to pray. Both times when the power hit, they were assembled together in unity and prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:1-4; 4:23-24, 31).
True spiritual unity is what we are looking for. And it happens in a prayer meeting. Only this holy fire from heaven can consume us. Why?
And he put the wood in order; and cut the bull in pieces, and laid in on the wood, and said, “fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18:33-35,38)
This is a fire that fell from heaven, and it hit the wet sacrifice, Jesus said that we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-18). Nevertheless, we are still surrounded by the spirit of the world. We are drenched by the spirit of the world, a spirit of lukewarmness. The good news is that, this holy fire can consume us even if we are wet by the spirit of the world.
Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:39)
It is no wonder that the people acknowledged and confessed God after that holy fire! When the unbelievers see a heavenly holy fire consuming us, they will believe. How can we truly shine without this holy fire?
He will baptize you wit the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11b)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me… (Acts 1:8)
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3).
How are we going to save the world? Not by the human zeal, but by the fire and power from heaven. Each person received a tongue of fire of the Holy Spirit and each got a fiery tongue, anointed to preach the gospel. There shall be a division: those who are hit by the holy fire and those who are not touched by it at all. God is asking you to make a choice: do you want to be at the altar of the Lord or at the altar of Baal? The holy fire only hit the altar of the Lord. God will not leave His church as she is. No longer can we sit on the fence, being neither here nor there. There is coming an anointing, a holy fire anointing. Elijah’s fire was a holy fire sent from heaven. Our God is a consuming fire. He is both passionate and holy.