Man was made in God’s image and was given the ability to know spiritual matters. When man sinned his ability to commune with God was diminished. This is why we are dead in sin. Now we have to use an inferior method to commune with God, our mind, which is the seat of our emotions and understanding. Man, by our own mental ability cannot know God, we can only know about Him. God communicates through the Spirit while we expound our thoughts through the intellect of the physical world. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV) Divine reason comes by the way of the Spirit so we, being naturally minded, cannot receive spiritual mysteries unless they are revealed to us by God.
When the Spirit tries to reveal its secrets to the human heart, reasoning struggles to absorb the knowledge because our natural ability is inadequate to receive the spiritual perspective of God. We find Biblically taught Christians who conceive the truth to be something their mind cannot grasp, because truth only comes through the Spirit. So people today look elsewhere for their religious pleasures. They look to ritual ceremonies, to emotional outpourings, and in artificial feelings. Whereas a spiritual sensation flows out from the eternal light of the soul, which enlivens our Christ-like nature as the morning Son warms us on a cool day. Spiritual revelation will not enter a disobedient soul, and will not dwell in a body that is subject to sin. Christians are struggling with the truth today. We need to learn that doctrine alone will not enlighten us to the ways of the Holy Spirit, and generally accepted religious practices will not bring us closer to God.
If we are going to have a relationship with someone, we have to spend time with them. This is the only way we can get to know someone personally. The Holy Spirit is a person with feelings and characteristics similar to us, but not equal. If we as adults have a relationship with a child, it is a fair comparison to the Holy Spirit being the adult. The only difference is the age gap. The Holy Spirit is billions of years old. He was here when this universe was created some fourteen billion years ago, and then some. As far back as He has been in the past, so has He been in the future. We must develop our spiritual eyes and ears craving to know God, and to have personal intimate communication with Him through meditation and prayer. True, unwavering faith gives us the knowledge of God, and tells us that we are not alone.
Nothing is new under the sun. God was, is, and will be the same regardless of how we try to define Him. We have great confidence and faith in God that He never changes. One of the greatest things I love about Him is His predictability. It should give us great comfort that through Him we can become just as dependable. Through regeneration, the Holy Spirit conducts an orchestra of revelation with the strings of comfort, the woodwinds of counseling, the horn section of conviction, always bringing us back to the reality of God. We have the virtuoso of light dancing through our mind as He enlightens us in His ways. When we struggle to relate with Him He conducts the base instruments to play a deep, inarticulate prayer conveying our pain, despair, and pleasure to our heavenly Father. God gives the whole of Himself to every one of us, all that He is, and all that He has done for us who share in the glorious consciousness of His being.
The liveliness of a nonreligious person and one who has received the gospel of grace without the power of the Holy Spirit are very similar. The difference between the two is the religious man has learned to disguise his sin, and hide it from those around him. Churchgoers are just as worldly as non-churchgoers for the simple fact that they have received the Word of God without power. They have been taught that believing there is a God, they have been found not guilty of their sins. Satan and all his cohorts believe in God, and will all burn in hell for all eternity. Without the actual change in one’s life, and I don’t mean a surface change, but a transformation as deep has human life itself, your soul will be lost. It saddens me that the most beautiful expression of God’s love for us has been so perverted.
The Word of the Gospel affirms a man’s freedom, but the power of the Holy Spirit makes us free. To be a friend of this world is to be an enemy of God. The self of mankind seeks social approval, and the desire to please those around us separates us from God. Churches are fragments of society bound by a common thread. They walk holding on to each other assuring those around them everything is going to be okay, but their hope will fail them with their spiritually dead relationship with God. How can we please God and man alike. How can we escape this desire for social gratification. No one can do it alone. The power cannot be taught. It requires a reversal of human nature and a supernatural act. It is the action of the Holy Spirit through daily Bible study and prayer (DBS&P). Through this process, the new way of life replaces the old and it drives out all of our improper motivations, and replaces them with the revelation of the power of God. The Holy Spirit kills out the root of “the self,” and replaces it with God consciousness. This process is not complete until all the poison of social relevance has been replaced, and a new creation is born.
There is a strange type of insanity in the world today. Moral madness has swept the nations, an intense degree of self-determination, and an acute delusion that salvation is a minor matter completely in our control. How foolish is mankind to believe that God is subject to our will, and stands by waiting for our pleasure. Man’s uninvited will has intertwined secular activities that have threated the life of the church. Men who are not called by God have taken over the control of the Church and have infused their role with the worldly view of self-importance. The call of a minister to lead the people of God is not by their own will or determination, but is divine and completely out of the hands of man. Men are not called by their innate ability, or by training, but by the effective calling of God.
God cannot use us in our present condition until He has conquered our will. Only after we have surrendered our own self-determination can God bless us. It is a difficult thing to understand. We have to give ourselves away to gain control through Jesus Christ. We haven’t been given life for ourselves, because we have been created to be dependent upon God. It is in our DNA. By placing our dependency in Him, we realize the full potential of our nature. Our prayers should be for the Holy Spirit of God to invade and conquer us. Until He does we are destined to disintegrate into self-destruction. As long as we hold onto the flesh, safety and peace of mind will elude us. God rescues us by allowing us to vanquish our self-reliant nature. When we get to the point of defeat in our lives we are forced to our knees in submission. When we cry out to God in agony He swoops down and invades our nature with eternal life. He delivers us from ourselves.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are. (1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NIV) God chooses the poor of this world who are rich in faith to become heirs to the Kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him. The cross of Christ saves us, but also slays our will that is contrary to His way. The cross defeats our confidence in ourselves, and brings tears of joy with the reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Whosoever refuses to surrender their old life to the cross is only trying to cheat death. No matter how hard you fight against the will of God, in the end it will only bring self-destruction.
The spirit realm is the existence of life above matter. It has no dimension, weight, or size. This is the domain of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God can infiltrate matter including the mind and body of a believer. He can penetrate our spirit and make corrections while our integrity remains uninjured. All things that are contrary to our relationship with God are removed. The quality of our relationship depends on our desire to fully surrender to His power. He is the spirit of love and life, and is limitless as He performs His duties for the eternal purpose of God. Let us surrender every room in the library of our mind, and provide Him with complete access to the darkest corners of our heart.
The Trinity of God is an inseparable union between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The only time, in my knowledge, they were separated is when Christ was crucified on the cross. This is when room was made for you and me to have a relationship with God. Their attributes are as one, and when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost the power that came upon the followers of Christ had never been released on human nature before. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 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 2:1-4 NIV)
This inundation of power would bring moral authority to mortal man with the inspiration of supernatural energy affecting every part of the believer’s life. This all-sufficient influence has the ability to produce God-like character in mere mortals who were once full of evil. At its purest form, it can be directly applied by the Spirit of God to the spirit of man by the pressure of moral obligation to the conscience, thus leading us to have direct contact with God. This process occurs through Bible study, prayer, and song. When we develop a personal relationship through daily Bible study and prayer (DBS&P), the average church service will seem meaningless. There is a form of godliness in church through the symbolic gestures of song, sermon, and prayer. But the supernatural, divine, creative impulse of a one-on-One relationship with our God and our Creator is not there.
It is the Spirit that makes alive the ways of God. Organizational unity places the worshiper in a mental state of suspension. A daydreaming numbness comes over us because we are not the least involved in anything that is happening before us. We have to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as a person, and that takes the involvement of the love of God to take possession of our soul. We feel closer to heaven when we have a one-on-One relationship. Church should not be a conundrum of religious activities, but a group study in how to get closer to God on our own. The only remedy for the desperate trouble that so many Christians are in is the total invasion of power from above. Only the Spirit of God can reveal to us the majesty, mastery, and mystery of Almighty God.
Compromise with the world is everywhere. The average church is so entangled with secular life that its patrons never realize how thoroughly they miss the revelation of the Bible. These are blind pastors leading a blind congregation of believers, worshiping at the same time, trying to gain acceptance from the world. Everything we do points to the physical. The cure for our problems comes from no less than an avalanche of power from above. Only the Spirit Himself can right our wrongs and prescribe a cure to the full discovery of the heartfelt magnificence of the power of God. Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:11) His greatness is greater than the capabilities of our mind. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) As fire He spoke to Moses in the burning bush. 
As fire He dwelt above the Israelites throughout their wilderness journey. I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. (Ezekiel 1:27-28) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
The Shekinah glory that was so prevalent during the Old Testament times has now moved inside us to take up residence in our heart. Thanks to the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross, the curtain to the Holy of Holies has been rent in two so the deity of God could now dwell in men. The Holy Spirit is an incorruptible fire that purifies the thoughts of mankind. Those of us who seek out and thirst to know the ways of God should search out our thoughts and expel any impurities. To seek out pure righteousness while still being under the curse of sin can be elusive. Our desire to grow in our faith in Christ brings our soul closer to communion with God. Our search is not for happiness, it is for holiness, and for divine intelligent reasoning. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:8-9)
The disease of sin in mankind is like a ship broken free of its mooring, tossing restlessly in the waves of life, and having no direction or moral fortitude. Our illness is revolt, and disobedience. Our cure cannot come from the outside of us, it has to come from within. Until we set our own will aside we are still in rebellion, and until we relinquish our own firmness of purpose we are merely trying to merge His will with our own. There must be a step, a beginning of surrender before the Holy Spirit can step in, and the grace of Christ intercedes with conviction. It is a lifelong process of bringing self-possession to a joyous reunion with God-possession, and bringing our emotions under His control. “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”(Zephaniah 3:17)
Unless we are born of the Word of God and the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. If you can say, “Jesus Christ is Lord” the Spirit of God resides in you. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6) Church membership, baptism, or confession of faith will not get you a one-on-One fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God. We could clear up a lot of confusion in the Christian world if we would stop following other believers and start following Christ. We become Christians through the new birth, and this process starts when we develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through daily Bible study and prayer (DBS&P). We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10) Through faith we yield our hearts to God, and faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
There are distin
ctly two races of people on this earth. The sons of Satan, and the sons of God. We are both baptized by a spirit, but the essence of the world and the spirit that lives in the heart of born-again believers is as far apart as heaven and hell. Tolerance is the mindset of today, and is just another name for disinterest. We cloud our faith of moral obedience to God so not to offend anyone, and in essence what we are doing is selling out by not standing up for Christ. We are placing a cap on our light so we do not offend others. So many Christians today are no different than the Pharisees of the past. We devote ourselves to worldly religion, which is built on a system that crucifies Christ over and over again.
The Beatitudes gives us the characteristics of a born-again people. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10) In humble modesty we hide our good deeds from others. We forgive those who sin against us, and we avoid praise from others. We give not only to those we love, but we give to our enemies without seeking something in return. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Your salvation is free, and all that is required is that you believe, because believing is receiving. The Holy Spirit is there with you, but through obedience to the Word He will reveal to you the mysteries of God. He will be jealous of you, and will not tolerate sins of the self. He will take the direction of your life, and lead you down the path of right living. You may have been heading in one direction, but through obedience you will head in God’s planned administration of your life. God will bless you most abundantly, and you will be awarded the solemn privilege of suffering for the Lord. You may not be as popular as you once were, because people resent you for who you are. There will be complaining, and accusations, and if there isn’t, you are doing something wrong. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)
We give up on the life we created for ourselves, and journey down the marvelous path of a Spirit-led life. We have to be careful, because we can silence and grieve Him through sin. He requires our attention on a daily basis (DBS&P). Not just reading the Bible but consuming it with the very depths of our soul. The Spirit-filled life is not some super-deluxe form of Christianity, it is the duty of all Christians everywhere to obtain a God-like state of mind. The mystery of the Holy Spirit was hidden from mankind for four thousand years. God was only allowing a select few to receive the power from within. Now it is available to all who believe.
If you, being controlled by the spirit of flesh know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:12-14) These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) Would you like Jesus to breathe on you the gift of the Holy Spirit? I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that if you believe and follow these guidelines you too will be indwelled by the Spirit of God. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
By purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 6:6-7) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. (Ephesians 4:29-31) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:4-6) May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Maturity In Christ 