10-29-2016 God establishes our rulers

                      

                       Prayer                                        Voice

How many of us regularly pray for the leaders of our towns, states, provinces or countries?  How many of us realize that no matter where we live, our mayors, governors, national level representatives, our presidents (I speak as an American) or heads of state are placed in position by our sovereign God.  That is no matter by what procedure they think they have gained their position, God set the stage for them to be where they are.  To illustrate what I mean, I’d like to use the book of Daniel and king Nebuchadnezzar.  Then I’d like to share what our responsibilities are in respect to these men and women in authority over us with several passages from the New Testament, which apply, no matter where we live.

Twice, Daniel was summoned before Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to interpret dreams the king had dreamed.    

Our first situation is the statue of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay (Daniel 2:1-49).  Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by the dream which he couldn’t remember so he commanded his magicians, sorcerers and the like, not only interpret the dream, but also declare what it was.  When they failed to do so, He commanded that all these ‘wise’ men, who could do nothing, be executed, including Daniel (who was not summoned initially).  Before the execution commenced, Daniel requested an audience with the king.  In short before the king, Daniel identified God as one who interprets dreams so, having consulted with the Lord, he told the king his dream and the interpretation, but in the process, he acknowledged the power and authority God had given Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel said to the king “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever for wisdom and might are His.  He changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and sets up kings, He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those of understanding.  He reveals the deep, secret things.  He knows what is in the darkness and the light dwells with Him” (Dan. 2:20-22).

And part of the interpretation was “You, oh, king are a king of kings.  For the God of Heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength and glory.  He’s given into your hand wherever the children of men are or the beast of the field or the birds of heaven and He has made you a ruler over them all.” (Dan. 2:37-38)

Daniel goes on to explain the dream but look at what he says about God and Nebuchadnezzar.  He praises God that He reveals all things as well as the extent of His power.  Then Daniel tells the king that God gives rulers what they have – strength, power and dominion and defines Nebuchadnezzar’s boundaries.

In the second dream, Daniels prophecies Nebuchadnezzar’s fall from grace, madness and restoration.  At the end of the interpretation, Daniel cites the authority of the dream and again God’s sovereignty.

Again speaking to king Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel says “This matter (the dream) is by the decree of the watchers (‘guardian’ angels) and by the word of the holy ones (according to referenced sources, same as watchers) for the purpose that the living might know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives (those kingdoms) to whomsoever He will and sets up the most humble of men.” (Dan. 4:17)

In a nut shell, no man has any power or authority unless God gives it to him because He and He alone is able.

In the New Testament we find:   Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power except from God and the powers that are, are ordained of (belong to, comes from) God. (Romans 13:1)

Therefore who resists the power, resists the ordinance of God and they shall be the recipients of damnation. (Romans 13:2)

For rulers aren’t a terror to those who do good but those who do evil.  Therefore will you be afraid of the power, but do good and you shall be praised by the same (in authority). (Romans 13:3)

He (the ruler) is the minister of God to the well-being of the good but he doesn’t bear the sword in vain towards those who are evil for he is the minister of God to execute revenge and wrath upon those who do evil. (Romans 13:4)

Therefore we need to be subject, not just because of wrath, but for our own conscience’s sake. (Romans 13:5)

In short, God sets our leaders over us to keep order and make life bearable.  When we step out of line, we suffer the consequences, but it is well, when we go by the rules. And we need to remember, we have One who knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Heb. 4:12) so whatever we do, we do with all our energy unto the Lord and not to please men.  (Colossians 3:23)

We can move in confidence because we know that no one, no one, has power over us without God’s permission (John 19:11, also read book of Job especially verses 42:1-6)

 So what is our duty in respects to those in authority over us?

Therefore I exhort you to give all prayers, intercessions and supplications for all men first. (1 Tim. 2:1)

Then for kings, who are in authority that we might lead quiet and peaceful lives in Godliness and honesty. (1 Tim. 2:2)

For this is good and acceptable in the sigh of God, our Savior.  (1 Tim. 2:3)

So Father sets those in rule over us, no matter where we live.  However, wherever we have a voice in who those rulers are, we should exercise that privilege.   As Christians, we should prayerfully evaluate the candidates.  That is get all the information available and seek God as to which is the right choice and exactly who is God’s choice.  Then let the Holy Ghost guide our actions.

Because of rumors here in America, I would strongly suggest that it wouldn’t hurt to pray that God provides accurate tabulations of whatever type of voting mechanism is used, paper or electronic.  With all the electronic genius’ out there today and with paper, where there is a desire, there is no problem manipulating results. 

We need to remember that as we pray, we don’t ask the Lord to give us what we deserve, but rather what we truly need for our respective realms where we live.  What we need?  So it would be well with us.

We need to do our part by doing what Father tells us and what He puts on our hearts, then do it.

When we do nothing, the enemy has his way and we have no right to complain when results are contrary to our hopes.

As I’m jotting this down, King Saul comes to mind.  Israel wanted a king just like other countries.  Saul seemed to fit the bill.  He was tall, head and shoulders above everyone else, good looking and apparently an all-around ‘nice guy’.  (1 Sam. Chapters 9 & 10).  God gave the people what they asked for, Saul.  It just didn’t turn out so good and finally God did set His choice on the throne, David (2 Sam. 5:1-4).

We need to definitely speak our voice (by voting) as we seek God’s direction.  But we need to do it prayerfully, especially when the world is moving so far away from God.  Amen

10-15-2016 A Spiritual Explosion

As I was just getting started with my AM prayer session (10/11/2016) and as I was going over Jeremiah 1 and Ezekiel 37, (my personal scriptural prophecies which we [Father & me] remember daily) and as we were going over the part in the passage in Jeremiah chapter one where the caldron pot is tipping over and is emptying which is Father’s wrath pouring out against Israel because of their disobedience Father said that this also applies to mankind AND the new covenant church, today, for the same reason.  Mankind should be a no-brainer as man continually draws away from God.  Today’s church because much of it still is resistant to how Father wants His church to function.  In our prayer, we always start with the caldron pot in Jeremiah then jump to Ezekiel 37, then come back to the beginning of Jeremiah beginning with verse four.

In Ezekiel, the valley of dry bones, God is telling Ezekiel that He is going to reconstitute, rebuild, Israel.  Today, the dry bones represent the new covenant church.  The bare essentials have always been there (God always has His number [1 Kings 19:18]) since Jesus and the age of the apostles but the operation of the church has fallen off quickly from how it was originally established.  In the 1/2/2016 entry into this blog we spoke of the dry bones from Ezekiel 37.

Before we get into Ezekiel let’s back up a bit.  The dry bones in the valley are significant to today’s church, because even though the church has set aside the practices of the early church, the basics, the dry bones, have always been there:  Jesus Christ is the Messiah and when we confess Him with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead we shall be saved (Romans 10:9).  And the church has hung onto that and the idea that we have a lifestyle to live for Jesus “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  From there, Christianity has become clouded over the centuries as to how it should be culminating to where we are today.  Too much of the church ordains ministers who are still embroiled in their sins and bodies are promoted in many churches simply because they are warm bodies who are available and willing but there are also those who agree (okay maybe even ‘suck up’) with the leadership irregardless of their personal relationship with Father or their spiritual maturity, just to gain position.  What does the bible say about church leaders?  (Acts 6:1-7).  I’m not just talking about the pastor, or associate pastors or elders and deacons, but anybody in a leadership role.  There are more passages addressing leadership but Acts chapter six describes what bare bones are necessary for leadership roles and it speaks of people who seek after God with all their hearts.  Nonetheless, Father has kept His number in the church (as a whole, though not necessarily in each individual fellowship), just like when Elijah was hiding out from Ahab and jezebel (1 Kings 19:13-18) where 7000 had not bowed their knee to Baal, God has had His number all the way up until today.

 Now a quick synopsis of the “Valley of Dry Bones, 1/2/2016 entry in the Homecoming.   We start with the Protestant Reformation of the 1500 & 1600’s Father started connecting all those disarrayed, dry bones in the valley with sinew as He started connecting those bones in their proper places so they would have the shape of people, that is each bones connected in their proper place.  With the Protestant Reformation Father started re-revealing many forgotten biblical truths.   

Through the Holiness Movement of the 1700 & 1800’s He then covered those bones and sinew with muscle so they could function, to have the capability of movement (our body functions because we signal our muscles what we want to do and they respond), when called upon, as they should.

 

With the Pentecostal Movement of the late 1800 into the early 1900’s He covered those bones, sinews and muscle with skin so the church would look like what He intended, a ‘complete’ body, but even so, it was still lacking.  Yes, believers received their spiritual language (tongues) through the Pentecostal movement but our relationships with the Lord was not yet fully developed.

Now, today, God is breathing life back into that package of dry bones by bringing His children back into a true relationship with Himself, which He has desired all along.  Where we acknowledge Him as the true, living God (Jeremiah 24:7) and that we not only live for Him but He has given us the power to live this life and to be witnesses (John 20:22-23, Acts 1:8) and to do the things Jesus called us to do – everything He did, and more (John 14:12)

All this is leading up to where Father is bringing His church today.

All of Father’s true churches, all of Father’s prophets are all talking about walking in a closer relationship with the one true God Who created all that is.  Things that I read, things that I hear, people with whom I talk are all in agreement about our striving and God bringing us into a closer walk with the Father.

This brings us to what Father shared with me this past Tuesday.

Many of God’s prophets (including Doug Addison) have said that we are in a seven year period, a season, of God’s grace which began January 2015.  In this season Father is blessing His children, bringing restitution and restoration.  Blessing in things we have not received before, restitution for things that have been ‘stolen’ (notably by Satan) and restoration of things we have ‘lost’.  All of this comes as we seek first His Kingdom (Matt. 6:33) which in turn encourages us to press towards His calling for each of us as an individual(Philippians 3:14).

I hear some prophets talking about beyond this season into the next which will be one of great revival, an outpouring of the Holy Ghost as the world has never seen before and, indeed, Father has shared this with me earlier this year before I heard it from others.  The current season is preparing God’s children to serve in the next season in all power, strength, faith and determination. 

Father showed me three numbers which are pertinent to what is currently going on and that which is yet to come.

About two years ago, Father had me check out the biblical meanings of numbers.  I looked at seven or eight lists and they all pretty much agreed with the two lists I mention here:

Biblenumbersforlife.com

http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.net/teachings/books/secrets-of-time/appendix-e-the-biblical-meanings-of-numbers/

My definitions are taken from these two lists.

We are in the second year of our first seven year season. 

2    =    union, division, witnessing

The church is two coming into the place where God intends for us to be one in Spirit

The division represents the various talents and callings He has placed on each of our lives

Witnessing, again we are being prepared to witness for Jesus Christ as never before, not just in word, but in deeds as well.  To be true, living representatives of His Word.

The blessing, restitution and restoration is to develop us into true witness for Jesus and this has already been taking place.  That is Father has already been establishing souls and growing them spiritually.  This won’t happen all at once but by as this this season progresses, Father will have established much of His ‘army’.  As this season opened, we are already starting to see some of this coming into place but as it draws to a close, we will see more and more of what God is doing materializing and it will be clearly evident.  It will be growing during this season to be mature for the next.  

As we already said the next season will bring a great evangelical outbreak, an outreach explosion, a soul harvest.

The total of both seasons equals fourteen years

14  =    Deliverance, salvation, spiritual perfection

By the end of the second season, fourteen years in all, Father will have accomplished most of the soul harvest.  Again, it will be happening throughout season two, but by that season’s end, Father will have grounded His church so they are living for Him through Jesus Christ, no doubts, ready for harvest.  Souls will be delivered from all sorts of oppressive demonic influences and they will know they now belong to Jesus Christ and there will be no doubt about their salvation and how to show love towards Father through Jesus.  Through the operation of the Holy Ghost in and through their lives souls will be rocketing towards spiritual perfection.  We won’t reach this perfection until we are literally with Jesus, but souls will be walking as close as possible until Jesus calls us home. 

From now, there are just a little more than twelve years left for both seasons to culminate at the end of season two.

12 =     governmental perfection, God’s power and authority

The perfect government resides under King Jesus, the perfect King

God will have His way with the world.

Now, what I know is that when Father moves, Satan does his best to counter attack.  So as these two seasons press on, don’t be surprised if spiritual attack also increases.  Expect it. 

As the second season begins, it is reasonable to expect increased demonic activity in efforts to stop, or at least, slow down, God’s soul harvest.

It is reasonable that spiritual warfare will increase to new levels, but as children of God, we will be walking with Him and in His power and authority (Romans 13:1).  Jesus gives us authority over sickness and demons (Mark 3:14-15).  Resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7) because we are resisting him carrying Jesus’ yoke (Matt. 11:29-30), or should I l say Jesus carrying us.

Could this be the beginning of tribulation leading to Armageddon?  Don’t know, but it won’t matter because Father is always in control.  I just know He’ll do things according to His timing and be assured that Father is bringing all of His children into a deeper relationship with Himself that we can be all that we can be in Christ Jesus, doing all that we can do for His glory, serving and ministering to the needs of the people.  He is preparing His children to truly live for and abide in Him.  AND there is a magnificent evangelical explosion coming to grow the body of Christ to its fullest. And this generation can and will be, wholly or in part, a part of that explosion. 

Amen

 RECEIVING THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST

 God/Holy Ghost like a cloud                                    Holy Ghost pours out of that cloud

  

            We refuse to accept                           Rivers of living water gushing forth

My wife and I were in marriage counselling in a Southern Baptist church in Maryland.  The pastor had a funny idea – if the couple were not saved, he wouldn’t perform the ceremony.  He felt that Jesus had to be in the marriage if it were to succeed.  The pastor asked me if I had ever given my heart to Jesus I responded “I’ve attended Sunday School in this church from elementary school through high school.”  Now this was a new pastor in the church.  I don’t remember if he had been there a little over a year or a little less than a year, but he asked me again if I knew Christ.  Again I responded “I haven’t missed many services either.”  He looked at me and again said that wasn’t what he asked so he asked me again if I had ever given my heart to Jesus.  I’m twenty-six years old in this stage of my life and one might think I could have continued to side-step him BUT the Holy Ghost convicted me in my heart with the third question that the only honest and truthful answer I could give was “No”.  He asked me if I would like to and still under the conviction of the Holy ghost I prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer’ with him letting Jesus into my life.  This was back in 1972 and ever since that moment I’ve known I belonged to God through Jesus Christ.  

Have I always lived like I belonged to God?  No, but that was the beginning of my walk and my growth in the Lord with and through Jesus.  I’ve spent a life time since then yielding more and more of my life over to Christ and I must admit, that because of ignorance, stubbornness and a myriad of other reasons it has been a long slow trek for me.  I will say this, that every time I think I’ve made good headway, Father shows me how little I have actually grown.  Oft times I wonder if I will ever grow up!

I mean, naturally I’ve grown physically.  I have aged, my body has physically changed but this is only one part of growing up.  There are two more areas involved: emotionally  and spiritually.

Basically emotional maturity is not letting our emotions control us, but rather we bring our emotions under subjection to ‘our spirit’, our will.  We yield our unbridled will to Jesus and become subject to His leading, then we endeavor to bring the rest of our body into subjection to our will (as it is subject to Jesus, see 1 Corint. 9:27).  This means our speech, our actions and our thoughts.  Our goal is to become Christlike in and through our complete lifestyle, what we say, what we do and what we think.  

When I was ten or eleven a bunch of us kids would go up to the top of the street to play.  There was an avenue with each direction split by a grassy island, which of course had opening to allow passage both ways from each street.  One night as we were playing up there, I fell and split my hand open on a piece of broken glass.  I walked back to my house with my friends, my hand gushing blood and was taken to the hospital for stitches.  But I told myself “What a big boy I am now.”  I hadn’t shed one tear the whole time.  And I didn’t shed a tear the rest of my life until my wife went to be with the Lord about fifty years later.  So, am I saying that we control our emotions so that we never display them again?  Of course not!  Read Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”.  Don’t forget to read the rest of the chapter.  Everything has a time and a place.  Even Jesus got angry (Matt. 21:12-13), when He overthrew the tables of the money changers and said “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!”   Trust me, Jesus wasn’t saying this with a soft still voice.  He turned tables over.  He was hot.  And rightfully so.

When my wife went to be with the Lord, I cried.  When I was alone (just me and the cats and the Lord), more than once I cried with deep sorrow that I had for my loss.  She was with the Lord so it was her gain, but I missed her deeply and I even felt a little guilty that maybe there was something I could have, should have, done.  Father told me later, there was nothing I could have changed. She had suffered much in her lifetime and it was her time.  From that moment on Father began His work in me.

By the way, it was my loss not expressing emotions for so long.  I lived in a controlled rage for most of those years.  By the grace of God I didn’t ‘go off’ often but when I did, it was short, pent up bursts of emotion – no tears, just anger.  I don’t know how different my life would have been over the years, but I do know now that even though it is OK to express our emotions, we don’t let our emotions go ‘haywire’.  We express them when necessary, but we aren’t driven by them.  I’ve always been a relatively ‘closed’ person.  Didn’t share much with others, even hardly with my wife, but over the years, Father opened me up.  Even now, I don’t share my business with others except when it can help them get through something.  And I will say that now, more than my wife and children get hugs from me.

Spiritual growth turning our lives over to the Lord.  To do that means reading the bible.  If we don’t read we don’t know what it says.  If we don’t know what it says, we can’t apply it to our lives.  When we don’t seem to be able to understand it, we get help.  Spiritual growth also mean improving our relationship and communication with Father.  These two go hand in hand – communication and relationship (works in our natural lives, too).  When we read the bible, we learn how to distinguish what God is telling us versus our own mind or even a demonic entity trying to put thoughts into our minds.  When we pray, Father opens up our understanding of what we read in the bible.  When we read more, our prayers become more effective because we learn how to pray.  As our prayer life increases we understand better, as we understand better we can draw more from what we read and then get even closer to our Lord.  As we interact with our pastors, church elders brothers and sisters in the Lord, we feed and draw from each other growing even more so don’t forsake the fellowshipping together (Heb. 10:25) for we overcome him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony (Rev.12:11).

 

Spiritual growth is ‘how close are we willing to walk with Father?’  What does it take to walk closer with Father through Jesus Christ?  And that, my friends, as Paul Harvey used to say ‘is the rest of the story.

My baptism in the Holy Ghost came in 1978, nearly six years after I had given my heart to the Lord.

Briefly, my wife and I went to a rally in Frederick, Maryland presented by a noted spirit-filled, evangelical speaker, who was also a pastor in a Virginia church.  At the end of the rally they broke us (those who professed an interest) into three groups: salvation, healing and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  My wife and I went for the baptism.  We had been hearing and learning a little about this from some charismatic friends and decided since we were already ‘saved’, weren’t interested in a healing so what was left?  As we gathered, there was a group of maybe a dozen or so people.  The leaders of the group explained what we could expect and what we needed to do.  After some prayer they tried to ‘jump start’ us (they said some words in the Spirit and asked us to repeat after them).  By the end of the session.  Everybody, including my wife, was speaking in their spiritual language.  Everybody that is except me.  I was hurt, concerned and maybe even a little angry.  I knew the bible, I

could feel God’s hand on my life and I was more spiritual than my wife (I thought) so what was wrong with me?

My wife and I went home and talked and prayed about it some and she was getting tired (it was well after midnight) so she went to bed.  I stayed up talking with Father more.  He finally gave me some instruction and by the time we (God & I) were done I had received  baptism in the Holy Ghost, including the evidence of speaking in tongues (my spiritual language).  Now I know that Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:44-46) were saved AND baptized in the Holy Ghost at the same time, as Peter yet spoke.  So I see in scripture that  salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost can happen at the same time or there might be a time lag as in Acts chapter nine when Saul (Paul) met our Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and gave his heart to Him but it was later in Damascus that Ananias came to him and he (Saul) received the baptism of the Holy Ghost then (Acts 9:17-18).  I’ve been reading Kenneth Hagin and he, too experienced a lag in time between his salvation experience and his baptism in the Holy Ghost experience (“The Holy Spirit and His Gifts”).

Indwelling and Infilling

So what I’ve been learning recently is terminology.  I’ve personally known what I experienced and have seen confirmation in what I’ve been reading, I just didn’t know what things were called.

Indwelling

The Holy Ghost comes to dwell within the hearts of all believers.  Those who have repented their sins, confessed jesus Christ and believed that God has indeed raised Him from the dead are ‘believers’ (1 John 1:9 & Romans 10:9).

After the ‘Passover Supper’ Jesus talked with His disciples and in part “…Nonetheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient that I go away for if I don’t, the Comforter will not come, but if I depart, I will send Him to you…” Jesus had to experience the crucifixion and the resurrection before His disciples could receive the Holy Ghost.

So after the resurrection, fearing the Jews, the disciples were gathered together when Jesus came and stood in their midst.  Part of what Jesus said to them was “Receive the Holy Ghost.  Whose sins you remit, they are remitted to them and whose sins you retain, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23).   And so the disciples received the Holy Ghost.  But this wasn’t the baptism (infillng) of the Holy Ghost which occurred in Acts chapter two, but rather this was the indwelling, where because of our faith, the Holy Ghost takes up residence in our hearts.

Paul shares with us that because we believe in Jesus, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and He ils the earnest (downpayment) of our inheritance (salvation) until our redemption (Eph. 1:12-14), or with Jesus in eternity.

Infilling/Baptism

In his book “The Holy Spirit and His Gifts”, Kenneth Hagin explains the difference between the ‘indwelling’ and the ‘infilling’ of the Holy Ghost.  

 Jesus talking with His disciples in the temple said “He who believes on Me, as the scripture said, rivers of living water shall flow out of his belly.” But He was speaking of the Spirit which believers would receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38-39).  This is the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  And Jesus promised when He said to them “But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you and to be (this is not ‘to be’, but AND) witnesses for me in Jerusalem … and to the farthest parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8).

What has helped me the most in understanding the difference between  the indwelling and he infilling is looking at John chapter four and John chapter seven.  Jesus tells the woman at the well “If you knew the gift of God and He who was talking with you, you would ask to be given the living water.”  … and “Who drinks this water (from Jacob’s well) will thirst again, but he who drinks the water I will give him will never thirst, but it shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:10-14).  This is the Holy Ghost taking up residence in us at our ‘salvation experience’ and equates to when Jesus breathes on His disciples and says “receive the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22-23) which is the indwelling.  But the ‘rivers of living waters’ flowing out of our bellies (John 7:38-39) is the full operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the infilling, or the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit builds us up as an individual.  It confirms our salvation (Romans 8:14-16), leads us into all truths (John 16:13) and helps our infirmities (Romans 8:26-27).  It’s like, as Paul says, the praying in tongues builds up the individual, me, (1 Corinth. 14:4).  Paul goes on in the same passage to push prophesying as being better because it edifies the church (1 Corinth. 14:4-6) but) tongues (as the outpouring of the Holy Ghost may be used with the conditions given in v6, by revelation, knowledge, prophesying or doctrine, each which come down to an interpretation of the tongue.  And Paul tells us that the tongue in church should be with interpretation (1 Corinth. 14:26-31) so all can benefit.

Now, even though speaking in tongues (our personal prayer language) and the ‘prophetic’ tongue all come by the same Holy Ghost the capability to pray in the spiritual language is received with the baptism in the Holy Ghost. Note again, personal prayer builds us up as an individual and the ‘prophetic tongue’ builds up others. 

Father has given me something I can live with and that is a correlation with the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in respects to my personal prayer language, in that it builds me up but stays within me (or between God and me) (I drink and will never thirst).  Where the ‘prophetic’ tongue is the outpouring of the Holy Ghost or the power of th Holy Ghost manifested through me (rivers of living waters).  I know that there are those who would probably argue this, but I said it was something ‘I can live with’ or helps me understand the difference between the indwelling and the infilling (baptism) of the Holy Ghost.  I mean it is still the same Holy Ghost, just a difference in how He operates or manifests Himself in us or through  us, the difference, again, is edifying me or edifying those around me.  Having said all this, I am aware that the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the speaking with other tongues (Acts 2;1-4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6, three witnesses).  I’m not saying we have ‘tongues’ without the baptism of the Holy Ghost, for we don’t have tongues, our heavenly prayer language, without the baptism, but it does help me understand the relationship between the indwelling and the ilnfilling of the Holy Ghost. 

Now, keep two things in mind:  1)We should not quench the Spirit (1Thess. 5:19), that is extinguish to put out; and yield ourselves to God as servants of righteousness, for whom we yield ourselves to, we serve (Rom. 6:13-19).  2)We yield ourselves to serve God and don’t forbid or deny the Holy Ghost to operate in us and/or through us by rejecting what Father has freely given us.  When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness He will provide all that we need (Matt. 6:33).  Let us receive it, with rejoicing.

God/the Holy Ghost  is like a cloud

A while back, Father brought to my remembrance a rain cloud I had seen on the distant horizon.  It was raining and as I watched, fingers reached down from the cloud to the earth and there was no disconnect between the cloud and the earth. 

Eventually the fingers blended together so the cloud reaching down to the earth had become one single mass.  It looked like the cloud itself was reaching down to the earth’s surface and settling on it.  Of course, the rain cloud eventually emptied, the rain stopped and the cloud dissipated. 

However, God’s ‘cloud’ never dries up and never dissipates.   Father spoke to my heart saying “In similar fashion I pour out My Holy Spirit on those who will receive Me.”  Again, this is the situation we read in Acts chapter two with the apostles and disciples in the upper room.  They were expecting to receive the Holy Ghost as Jesus promised, they just weren’t sure only soon (Acts 1:5).  They were expecting Him and they received Him when He came.

When God led Israel out of Egypt, He did so in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exod. 13:21-22) so I’m not surprised He would relate to a cloud to demonstrate this truth as He blessed the disciples.

We can fend off the raindrops

When it rains, we use raincoats and umbrellas to help stay dry.  As depicted in the picture, with our umbrellas up, the rain can’t get to us and we stay dry, untouched by the raindrops.  Now I’m talking about the baptism in the Holy Ghost, our receipt of power from on high.  Our umbrellas are our doubts, fears or even (maybe) our denial that the Holy Ghost is for today (as some believe).  We may even believe but then say “It’s not for me.” because we don’t know how to receive or are maybe even afraid to receive Him because we don’t truly understand how the Holy Ghost works.  We reject, for whatever reasons, therefore we don’t receive the power from on high Father offers to all believers.

 John 7:38 says “out of his (the believer's) belly shall flow rivers of living water.  This is an outpouring from us, this is expressed in the picture of the geyser.  The baptism gives us the power to be vessels for God through Jesus Christ because the Holy Ghost is alive, well and operating within us, not just the salvation experience, but true power from the Father to do the works Jesus has called us to do (John 14:12) and do them most effectively.

Apollos preached a strong word (Acts 18:24-28) but when he ‘bumped’ into Aquila and Priscilla, they explained the ways of God more perfectly and the implication is he (Apollos) had more power behind his word than before.  Even Later, Paul alluded to the fact that Apollos had become a major player in spreading the gospel as he referenced him in his letters (1 Corinth. 3:3-7).  After all who were Paul and Apollos?  Nothing more than ministers of God’s Word for us.

We can only do so much with our salvation experience, but we can do so much more when we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost receiving power from on high - to live our lives for Him and then to more effectively do whatever ministry He to which He has called us.  Amen.