RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

[Johann@P]

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT


"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."--- Act 2:4.

ON THE day of Pentecost all who were gathered together in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit--women as well as men, obscure disciples, as well as illustrious apostles. Deacons called to do the secular business of the Church must be men filled with the Holy Ghost. That he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost, was a greater recommendation of Barnabas than that he had parted with his lands.

The majority of Christians have seemed to suppose that the filling of the Holy Spirit was the prerogative of a few--they have never thought of it as within their reach; and the Church has been paralysed for lack of the only power that can avail in the conflict against the world, the power which was distinctly pledged by her ascending Lord. Pentecost was meant to be the specimen and type of all the days of the years of this present age, and we have fallen far below this blessed level, not because of any failure on God's part, but because the Church has neglected its privilege.

We must desire to be filled for the glory of God. We must seek the Spirit's power, not for our own happiness and comfort, nor even for the good that we may be the better able to effect, but that "Christ may be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or death."

We must bring cleansed vessels. God will not deposit His precious gift in unclean receptacles. We must be washed in the blood of Christ from all conscious filthiness and stain, ere we can presume to expect that God will give us what we seek.

We must appropriate Him by faith. There is no need for us to wait, because the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church. We need not struggle and agonize in the vehemence of entreaty, but have simply to take what God is waiting to impart. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him (Act 5:32).

We must be prepared to let the Holy Spirit do as He will with and through us. There must be no reserve, no holding back, no contrariety of purpose. Let us believe and reckon that we are being filled with new power and joy which shall be for the glory of God and the service of man.

PRAYER

We pray, O God, that the Holy Spirit may so infill us, that sin and self may have no dominion over us, but that the fruits of the Spirit may abound to Thy honour and glory. AMEN.

 

[JAL]

We must appropriate Him by faith. There is no need for us to wait, because the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church. We need not struggle and agonize in the vehemence of entreaty, but have simply to take what God is waiting to impart. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him (Act 5:32).

Your advice is a logical construct - horribly devastating to the church in my opinion because if you had asked Charles Finney, for example, who was the greatest revival preacher in American history, or Pastor Yonggi Cho who bult the largest congregation in church history and wrote a book called Prayer, Key to Revival, these men would have told you that waiting upon the Lord in prayer, entreating Him for reviving outpourings, is the ONLY way to both obtain and maintain large-scale revival.

"How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ASK Him" (Luke 11:13).

Faith-appropriation doesn't work because, for one, it is outpourings that bring more faith (faith is a fruit of the Spirit), rather than faith that brings more outpourings.

"This kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting" (Mat 17:21).

You're right that Pentecost set an example for all of us - they WAITED in prayer for a "loud and clear" sign from heaven before going out to preach. Same pattern in Acts 4:30-31. Same pattern in the OT: before marching into battle the army of Israel was supposed to wait on the Lord - even if it took a whole year - for a "loud and clear" sign (the pillar of Cloud/Fire levitating visibly into the sky) - see Numbers 9:15-23. That passage is INCREDIBLY REDUNDANT because the Lord is trying to drive this point home, but the church still doesn't get it.

 

[Johann@P]

but the church still doesn't get it.

Thank you for the reply @JAL, as per under your profile: These are just my opinions, not "the facts"
I personally don't believe in a "revival" but tumultuous times in, and ahead.
As to the Holy Spirit...

Christ] might live for his praise and glory.
Eph 1:13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, [Lit. in him] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession [Lit. of the possession] for his praise and glory.

ἐν ᾦ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες … ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε. St Paul marks three distinct stages by which the Gentiles passed into their assured position in Christ, hearing, believing, and being sealed. But these stages, though distinct, are organically connected, and the whole process is conceived as taking place ‘in Him.’

As to the "last days..."


2Ti 3:1 What People will be Like in the Last Days
¶ You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2Ti 3:2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good,
2Ti 3:4 traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
2Ti 3:5 They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.

In this melancholy forecast the Apostle is describing a recrudescence of heathenism, with its attendant wickedness, which he assures Timothy will take place in the ‘last days’ of the Church, rather than the prevalence of forms of heresy. The crying evil of those corrupt times will be that men professing to be Christians (2Ti_3:5) will yet be conspicuous for all the worst vices of paganism. The germ of the evil may be seen in the present (2Ti_3:5), and he warns Timothy against the methods of the heretical teachers which will ultimately have such disastrous results, by perverting the truth and by enfeebling the consciences of those whom they ensnare.

God bless
Johann

 

[JAL]

Thank you for the reply @JAL, as per under your profile: These are just my opinions, not "the facts"
I personally don't believe in a "revival" but tumultuous times in, and ahead.
As to the Holy Spirit...

Christ] might live for his praise and glory.
Eph 1:13 You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, [Lit. in him] you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession [Lit. of the possession] for his praise and glory.

ἐν ᾦ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες … ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε. St Paul marks three distinct stages by which the Gentiles passed into their assured position in Christ, hearing, believing, and being sealed. But these stages, though distinct, are organically connected, and the whole process is conceived as taking place ‘in Him.’

As to the "last days..."


2Ti 3:1 What People will be Like in the Last Days
¶ You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2Ti 3:2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good,
2Ti 3:4 traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
2Ti 3:5 They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people.

In this melancholy forecast the Apostle is describing a recrudescence of heathenism, with its attendant wickedness, which he assures Timothy will take place in the ‘last days’ of the Church, rather than the prevalence of forms of heresy. The crying evil of those corrupt times will be that men professing to be Christians (2Ti_3:5) will yet be conspicuous for all the worst vices of paganism. The germ of the evil may be seen in the present (2Ti_3:5), and he warns Timothy against the methods of the heretical teachers which will ultimately have such disastrous results, by perverting the truth and by enfeebling the consciences of those whom they ensnare.

God bless
Johann

You don't believe in waiting upon the Lord in prayer for revivals? That sounds a bit strange to me.

"They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 4).

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalms 85:6).

This reference to joy challenges faith-appropriation. If I could appropriate all the Lord's resources by simple faith (resources such as joy), why is the writer suggesting that the fullness of joy pends waiting for revival?

 

[JAL]

@Johann@P,

As a matter of fact, you can test it for yourself. The full joy of the Lord should be something beyond what we can ask or understand - beyond our wildest dreams, indeed even more ecstatic than earthly intoxications such as drugs and alcohol.

So test your own theory. If you can appropriate all the Lord's resources by simple faith (resources such as joy), the following experiment should work. For the next few minutes, try to appropriate THAT level of joy by faith.

Ok, did it work? I'm quite sure it failed - failed miserably (pun intended).

 

[JAL]

@Johann@P,

If we are to appropriate all the Lord's resources (such as power) by simple faith, there is no need to pray for the church to be empowered, right? All we need to do is get on the phone and TELL people to engage in faith-appropriation. Yet Paul PRAYED for the church to be empowered:

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,d 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3).

The term "dwell" in the Greek has geographical connotation - Paul is asking for Christ to come dwell in their hearts, this can only mean outpourings supplementary to what they had already received.

Similarly in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus felt weak and agonized, He didn't simply "appropriate God's power by faith", rather He PRAYED, and an angel came and strengthened Him.

 

[Johann@P]

You don't believe in waiting upon the Lord in prayer for revivals? That sounds a bit strange to me.

"They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 4).

"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalms 85:6).

This reference to joy challenges faith-appropriation. If I could appropriate all the Lord's resources by simple faith (resources such as joy), why is the writer suggesting that the fullness of joy pends waiting for revival?

@JAL in the two scriptures you have quoted in Psalms 85.6 has nothing to do with our modern day view of "revival" and so in Is 4..which is 40

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

But they that wait upon the Lord - The word rendered ‘wait upon’ here (from קוה qâvâh), denotes properly to wait, in the sense of expecting. The phrase, ‘to wait on Yahweh,’ means to wait for his help; that is, to trust in him, to put our hope or confidence in him. It is applicable to those who are in circumstances of danger or want, and who look to him for his merciful interposition. Here it properly refers to those who were suffering a long and grievous captivity in Babylon, and who had no prospect of deliverance but in him. The phrase is applicable also to all who feel that they are weak, feeble, guilty, and helpless, and who, in view of this, put their trust in Yahweh. The promise or assurance here is general in its nature, and is as applicable to his people now as it was in the times of the captivity in Babylon. Religion is often expressed in the Scriptures by ‘waiting on Yahweh,’ that is, by looking to him for help, expecting deliverance through his aid, putting trust in him (see Psa_25:3, Psa_25:5, Psa_25:21; Psa_27:14; Psa_37:7, Psa_37:9, Psa_37:34; Psa_69:3

Nothing re "revival" here..

Gal_5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

1Th_1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.


Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

God bless
Johann

 

[JAL]

@JAL in the two scriptures you have quoted in Psalms 85:6 has nothing to do with our modern day view of "revival" and so in Is 4..which is 40

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I have no idea of what logic you are using here. You're saying that NEITHER of these two biblical references pertain to receiving the Lord's resources such as His sanctifying/reviving power and joy? What Bible are YOU reading?

 

[Johann@P]

The term "dwell" in the Greek has geographical connotation - Paul is asking for Christ to come dwell in their hearts, this can only mean outpourings supplementary to what they had already received.

That Christ may dwell (katoikēsai ton Christon). Another infinitive (first aorist active) after hina dōi. Katoikeō is an old verb to make one’s home, to be at home. Christ (Christon accusative of general reference) is asked to make his home in our hearts. This is the ideal, but a deal of fixing would have to be done in our hearts for Christ.


κατοικησαι
G2730
V-AAN
κατοικέω
to house permanently


κατοικέω
katoikéō; contracted katoikṓ, fut. katoikḗsō, from katá (G2596), an intens., and oikéō (G3611), to dwell. Reside.
(I) A certain, fixed and durable dwelling, as distinguished from paroikéō (G3939), to sojourn, dwell in a place temporarily. To dwell in, inhabit a house or place (Mat_2:23; Mat_4:13; Act_7:4). Followed by en (G1722), in, with the dat. (Luk_13:4; Act_1:20; Act_2:5; Act_7:2, Act_7:4; Act_9:22; Act_11:29; Act_13:27; Heb_11:9; Rev_13:12); by epí (G1909), upon, with the gen. (Rev_3:10; Rev_6:10; Rev_8:13; Rev_11:10; Rev_13:8, Rev_13:14; Rev_17:8; Sept.: Lev_20:22; Lev_25:18-19); with the acc. (Act_17:26); by poú (G4226), where, and hópou (G3699), wherever (Rev_2:13); by ekeí (G1563), there (Mat_12:45; Luk_11:26; Sept.: Gen_11:2); implied (Act_22:12; Sept.: Gen_13:12; Gen_19:29).
(II) Metaphorically of God, with en (G1722), in (Act_7:48; Act_17:24; Sept.: Psa_2:4; Psa_9:11); of Christ as being permitted to take up full residence by His Spirit in the hearts of Christians (Eph_3:17); of the fullness of the Godhead which was in Jesus (Col_1:19; Col_2:9); of the Spirit dwelling in man (Jas_4:5); of the righteousness dwelling in the new heavens and the new earth (2Pe_3:13 [cf. Sept.: Jer_32:17]).
Deriv.: egkatoikéō (G1460), to dwell among; katoíkēsis (G2731), the act of coming to dwell, a dwelling, habitation; katoikētḗrion (G2732), a settling-down place, habitation; katoikía (G2733), habitation, house.
Syn.: enoikéō (G1774), to dwell in; perioikéō (G4039), to dwell around; sunoikéō (G4924), to dwell with; ménō (G3306), to abide, remain; skēnóō (G4637), to live in a tent; kataskēnóō (G2681), to pitch one's tent and lodge in it.
Ant.: astatéō (G790), to wander about not having a permanent dwelling place; diérchomai (G1330), to travel, pass through; apodēméō (G589), to go to a foreign country, to journey.


Part of Speech: Verb
Tense: Aorist
Voice: Active
Mood: iNfinitive

In context...


Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Still nothing re revival in the last days and I don't want to come across as argumentative, just reading the scriptures, believe it as it stands written, Perfect Tense.

God bless
Johann

 

[JAL]

That Christ may dwell (katoikēsai ton Christon). Another infinitive (first aorist active) after hina dōi. Katoikeō is an old verb to make one’s home, to be at home. Christ (Christon accusative of general reference) is asked to make his home in our hearts. This is the ideal, but a deal of fixing would have to be done in our hearts for Christ.


κατοικησαι
G2730
V-AAN
κατοικέω
to house permanently


κατοικέω
katoikéō; contracted katoikṓ, fut. katoikḗsō, from katá (G2596), an intens., and oikéō (G3611), to dwell. Reside.
(I) A certain, fixed and durable dwelling, as distinguished from paroikéō (G3939), to sojourn, dwell in a place temporarily. To dwell in, inhabit a house or place (Mat_2:23; Mat_4:13; Act_7:4). Followed by en (G1722), in, with the dat. (Luk_13:4; Act_1:20; Act_2:5; Act_7:2, Act_7:4; Act_9:22; Act_11:29; Act_13:27; Heb_11:9; Rev_13:12); by epí (G1909), upon, with the gen. (Rev_3:10; Rev_6:10; Rev_8:13; Rev_11:10; Rev_13:8, Rev_13:14; Rev_17:8; Sept.: Lev_20:22; Lev_25:18-19); with the acc. (Act_17:26); by poú (G4226), where, and hópou (G3699), wherever (Rev_2:13); by ekeí (G1563), there (Mat_12:45; Luk_11:26; Sept.: Gen_11:2); implied (Act_22:12; Sept.: Gen_13:12; Gen_19:29).
(II) Metaphorically of God, with en (G1722), in (Act_7:48; Act_17:24; Sept.: Psa_2:4; Psa_9:11); of Christ as being permitted to take up full residence by His Spirit in the hearts of Christians (Eph_3:17); of the fullness of the Godhead which was in Jesus (Col_1:19; Col_2:9); of the Spirit dwelling in man (Jas_4:5); of the righteousness dwelling in the new heavens and the new earth (2Pe_3:13 [cf. Sept.: Jer_32:17]).
Deriv.: egkatoikéō (G1460), to dwell among; katoíkēsis (G2731), the act of coming to dwell, a dwelling, habitation; katoikētḗrion (G2732), a settling-down place, habitation; katoikía (G2733), habitation, house.
Syn.: enoikéō (G1774), to dwell in; perioikéō (G4039), to dwell around; sunoikéō (G4924), to dwell with; ménō (G3306), to abide, remain; skēnóō (G4637), to live in a tent; kataskēnóō (G2681), to pitch one's tent and lodge in it.
Ant.: astatéō (G790), to wander about not having a permanent dwelling place; diérchomai (G1330), to travel, pass through; apodēméō (G589), to go to a foreign country, to journey.


Part of Speech: Verb
Tense: Aorist
Voice: Active
Mood: iNfinitive

In context...


Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Still nothing re revival in the last days and I don't want to come across as argumentative, just reading the scriptures, believe it as it stands written, Perfect Tense.

God bless
Johann

Revival "in the last days"? I think you're trying to put words in my mouth, as if I'm anticipating some grand-finale end-of-days revival spelled out in Scripture.

I said nothing of the kind. I'm simply challenging your claim that the Lord's resources (such as power and joy) are fully available to us via simple faith-appropriation instead of waiting prayerfully upon the Lord. Whether you refer to these resources as "revival" or some other term is probably not terribly relevant here. You're nitpicking my terminology instead of refuting my arguments.

 

[Johann@P]

I have no idea of what logic you are using here. You're saying that NEITHER of these two biblical references pertain to receiving the Lord's resources such as His sanctifying/reviving power and joy? What Bible are YOU reading?

You were talking about "revival" and naming some of our reformers, revival in a Pentecostalic sense, revival as in the days of the reformers, and I have shown you scriptures that perilous times is coming, tumultuous times, nothing re "revival"
God bless
Johann

 

[Johann@P]

Revival "in the last days"? I think you're trying to put words in my mouth, as if I'm anticipating some grand-finale end-of-days revival spelled out in Scripture.

I said nothing of the kind. I'm simply challenging your claim that the Lord's resources (such as power and joy) are fully available to us via simple faith-appropriation instead of waiting prayerfully upon the Lord. Whether you refer to these resources as "revival" or some other term is probably not terribly relevant here. You're nitpicking my terminology instead of refuting my arguments.

Probably a miscommunication, nothing wrong with what you are saying here.
God bless
Johann.

 

[Johann@P]

You're nitpicking my terminology instead of refuting my arguments.

If you would adhere to biblical terminology and not worldly oratory, there would be no miscommunication.
Johann

 

[JAL]

You were talking about "revival" and naming some of our reformers, revival in a Pentecostalic sense, revival as in the days of the reformers, and I have shown you scriptures that perilous times is coming, tumultuous times, nothing re "revival"
God bless
Johann

The things of these "revivals" are the very things we seek today - a church-increase of holiness, joy, strength and even evangelism. The very sorts of things that those verses I cited are referring to, things concerning SANCTIFICATION, things that YOU referred to when you talked about faith-appropriating the Lord's resources.

You and I share the same aspirations, therefore, but you try to deny this by consigning mine to some odd category such as "Pentecostal revival" as a basis for arguing that it cannot happen today. Seriously?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT


"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."--- Act 2:4.

ON THE day of Pentecost all who were gathered together in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit--women as well as men, obscure disciples, as well as illustrious apostles. Deacons called to do the secular business of the Church must be men filled with the Holy Ghost. That he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost, was a greater recommendation of Barnabas than that he had parted with his lands.

The majority of Christians have seemed to suppose that the filling of the Holy Spirit was the prerogative of a few--they have never thought of it as within their reach; and the Church has been paralysed for lack of the only power that can avail in the conflict against the world, the power which was distinctly pledged by her ascending Lord. Pentecost was meant to be the specimen and type of all the days of the years of this present age, and we have fallen far below this blessed level, not because of any failure on God's part, but because the Church has neglected its privilege.

We must desire to be filled for the glory of God. We must seek the Spirit's power, not for our own happiness and comfort, nor even for the good that we may be the better able to effect, but that "Christ may be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or death."

We must bring cleansed vessels. God will not deposit His precious gift in unclean receptacles. We must be washed in the blood of Christ from all conscious filthiness and stain, ere we can presume to expect that God will give us what we seek.

We must appropriate Him by faith. There is no need for us to wait, because the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church. We need not struggle and agonize in the vehemence of entreaty, but have simply to take what God is waiting to impart. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that obey Him (Act 5:32).

We must be prepared to let the Holy Spirit do as He will with and through us. There must be no reserve, no holding back, no contrariety of purpose. Let us believe and reckon that we are being filled with new power and joy which shall be for the glory of God and the service of man.

PRAYER

We pray, O God, that the Holy Spirit may so infill us, that sin and self may have no dominion over us, but that the fruits of the Spirit may abound to Thy honour and glory. AMEN.

It is as simple as that. Ask Him to fill you. Thank you for sharing!
Blessings.

 

[Blade]

Hi thanks for this. Receiving the sweet sweet holy Spirit is a promise only to believers. The Father through Christ told us in luke 11:13. Easy exactly as SIS (Maria) said AMEN!

"If you then, being evil, 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!” You then thank Him for He cannot lie nor can you receive any other spirit.