Chex Mix And Homemade Goodies
(This is a discussion about the baptism of the Holy Spirit)
Having been raised and reared as a Southern Baptist I understand that what I said could be misconstrued as critical. But let me ask you this, if I had a party and I had some Chex-Mix on the table and you were eating it, but did not know that there were homemade fresh pies, cakes, and other delicious edibles in the dinning room because I didn't tell you they were there, wouldn't you get a little out of sorts to find out about them after the party was over? I know I'd be upset. I see a spiritual lesson in this.
There is always so much more, but you have to seek, ask, and knock. How many of us who lived our spiritual lives thinking there was nothing more till one day someone came along and offended us and made us search for answers, or showed us where some more goodies were? I know this is a silly illustration, but it's true. I could not live with myself knowing that there was a Holy Spirit out there that wanted to empower God's children but couldn't do it because no one would speak out that there was more and that this is how we get the power to do as Christ did.
I love you and what you said was valuable. Just wanted you to understand where my heart was when I said what I did. I'm not offended in the least, and wholeheartedly pray that those on here who have not yet sought out this gift of the Holy Spirit will soon do so. Below you'll find what I said in different words. Perhaps it's not quite as harsh as mine seemed to be.
Much love and many blessings,
Cindy
"Every true Christian is born of the Spirit. As such they have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in a number of important ways. These ways include but are not limited to: conviction, regeneration and the witness of the Spirit in our lives that we are children of God. However, the dimension of power that God wants for His children can only be reached through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
It is God's will that every Christian be baptised in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38,39). Even though some Christians achieve results without the actual baptism in the Holy Spirit, they would achieve more if they yielded to God so as to receive the Baptism in the Spirit. It is possible for a Christian to recognise many aspects of the Holy Spirit's work and enjoy a measure of His blessing in life and ministry, without ever being baptised in the Spirit in the Biblical way."
Some say that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit no longer exists today. Others take another approach and say that EVERY born again Christian was baptised in the Spirit at his conversion. Both kinds of teaching have the effect of robbing believers of something very important that Christ provided for them as part of their necessary inheritance in this life. We will see from the Bible that the baptism in the Spirit is not the same as regeneration. It is important that we do not allow tradition - even "evangelical tradition" - to take a higher place than the Word of God in our doctrine and in our lives." ~ Mike Fackerell
Cindy,
I totally agree with what you're saying here and what Mike has said. You know, it's the same with salvation. For so many years I was without the saving knowledge of Christ in my life, simply because no one was bold enought to witness to me that I needed a personal relationship with Jesus and to be born again. Least of all my church! When I got saved, for awhile I was really ticked off at the Catholic church for not teaching me this.
There was a time when I was so depressed and suicidal that I literally "ran away from home" and went to a Catholic retreat house to see if I could find a way to have hope. You'd think I'd have found answers there, but no. I found compassion, but no one told me the real answer was total surrender to Jesus. It's the same with the baptism in the Holy Ghost. We need to be sharing and encouraging believers to seek ALL that God has for them. And as always, with LOVE, not judgment or condemnation.I like what Mike said and I can see it over and over again; the Holy Spirit 1. convicting, 2. regenerating and 3. empowering. And I believe this is a pattern (or should be) in our lives as we grow in Christ. He (the Holy Ghost) convicts us of sin, empowers us to repent and receive forgiveness and deliverance continuosly as we strive to walk with God. This is where we derive hope in our Christian walk. We know when we surrender to the conviction of the Holy Spirit he will empower us to take hold of the Word and be delivered!
You may think this is silly, but here's how I picture it in my mind: Here's a farmer (sinner) trying to hand till his field. Hard work. He gets a mule to help him (religion), but it's still hard and discouraging.
Sometimes he feels like giving up. All the while, there is a John Deere (salvation) in the barn with his name on it, but he doesn't even notice it because it's covered up and no one has told him it's his as a gift.
One day, someone tells him he should be using his John Deere that was a gift to him. He discovers it and is thrilled to find it filled with gas and ready to go with the basic equipment and wonders why nobody told him it was there all the time. But he finds he needs more attachements to
get the job done the way he really wants to.
Things are better, but he could do more work, be more profitable and a better farmer if he had all the attachments! Since he has no extra money for them, he goes to the distributor (God) and asks if maybe he could buy them on time, or pay for them some other way. But the distributor (God) tells him he can have every attachement for FREE. This is how I look at the Baptism! We've got it all available to us and it's a free gift from our heavenly Father. What a God! What gifts He gives!!!
Now, wouldn't you be silly not to accept His gift?
Love,
Rhea
Click to subscribe to FromTheVineEzineWebmaster - Cindy Hyde
Page Created by Remnant Web Designs
Hosted by The Remnant
