Who Is Called and How Will They Do It?

In Christ Jesus 

Today's lesson is one of the most critical lesson's that the man of God can ever learn.

 It will teach you why some move forward into the Lord and accomplish great things and why others are left behind in their own pathetic self centered useless efforts only to fail.

You can do it?

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

God does not call capable men. He makes men that He calls capable. 

The most efficient and fruitful men of God are those who know that they are weak and unable of themselves to accomplish the task that they are called to.

Men who think that they can do the spiritual work of the Kingdom of God in their own capacities are missing out on the power of God. How many of us use our natural talents and intellect to do the work of the Holy Spirit?

I once worked for a pastor of a Vineyard church. He had hired me to do some work on his personal office in his home.

 While there I had a revelation that this man would stand in front of his mirrored wardrobe sliding doors and practice his gestures and actions like an actor in a silent film. My sense of him doing this was very strong.

In curiosity I decided to visit his church just to see if my revelation was true. Sure enough this guy put on quite a performance. 

Moving all over the place like some actor. Only one problem, he was boring. There was no Holy Spirit empowerment in evidence. I found myself checking my watch to see when it would all be over. It shouldn't be like this.

His church building was large and inviting, but it was more then half empty. I just knew that he would fill the place if he would stop relying upon the arm of the flesh.

Today that church is still limping along when it could be thriving. I get grieved every time that I drive by that church, knowing what I know. (Update: That Church has since closed and another has taken it's place)

God had let me know that the man of God would be like Lonnie Frisbee if he could just release control to the Holy Spirit. I told him this.

Even as good of an oratory composition and delivery of speeches and with speaking fluently we get, it will never be enough. 

We can practice in our mirrors until we are blue in the face and it will never be enough.

No matter how persuasive we can be, it is not going to be enough.

Galatians 3:3

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

In my walk with the Lord I have come across a few men of God that understand these things.

 They have learned to yield to the Holy Spirit completely.

 I don't find my self checking the time, in fact I get caught up in the moment of ministry because the Holy Spirit's empowerment is present. I feel as if my spiritual batteries are being charged up. 

When I leave their presence, I go away filled and blessed. Ready to face my week with renewed strength.

It is not this way when I am in front of those who rely upon their natural strength to do the work of the ministry. I get bored. And I leave the same way that I came.

 Sometimes even worse off then when I came. It is not supposed to be like this. Something is wrong.

How many times have we been told that we are to attend faithfully no matter what?

 I go to get spiritually fed upon the Word of God, not to see someone's dry performance.

 Lonnie Frisbee would say to me, "Get under the spout where the glory comes out." He told me that I would be called a 'spiritual lone ranger' and other things, but pay them no attention. 

You have to go where you are getting fed spiritually.

Let's take a closer look at what I am trying to point out here.

"And, behold, I send the promise of my father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke. 24:49

The term relates usually to the putting on of clothing or garments. Thus, it would relate to the putting on of power in some way, (endued is Strong's 1746, "enduo").

 The term is also used of putting on armor in Eph. 6:11; of putting on royal apparel in Acts 12:21; and John the Baptist being clothed with camels hair in Matt.3:4.

Paul in Rom. 13:12,14 mentions that we are to put on the armor of light and the Lord Jesus Christ. This may relate to the idea of the armor of Eph. 6 and the warfare that we are in at the present time.

Acts 1:8 uses the term as well. "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me...." 

 It would seem that this is something we do, or that we can control. 

It seems to me that this is a result of the Spirit controlling us and working through us. If this is true then as we are filled we have this power available to us.

The power is from God. The power is for the propagation of the Gospel. 

The power is secondary to the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

The term is quite descriptive. It is Strong's 1411 and is the Greek word dunamis, which we gain our current word dynamite from. 

It is translated a number of ways.

 Wonderful works Mat. 7:22; mighty works Mat. 11:20; power of God Mat. 22:29; power Mat. 22:30; ability Mat. 25:15;  miracles Acts 2:22; power Acts 4:33; miracles Acts 19:11, I Cor. 12:10, 28; power Ro. 1:20; principalities nor POWERS Rom. 8:38; etc.

I Cor. 2:3-5 uses the term in stark contrast to our own power. 

 "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 

We must learn that we have no power in and of our own. We must learn that the power that is available to us is from God. We have not the power in and of our own selves.

You have read this information concerning the Spirit and His relationship to you. What are you going to do? Are you going to move forward in your life? Are you going to leave control up to Him?

 The knowledge you have places you in a position of needing to respond one way or another.

"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:5,8)

Acts 11:15-17: "As I [Peter] began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...

Notice the terms that are used here to describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit:

 "the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message"

 "the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles" 

"They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have" 

"the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning" "God gave them the same gift as he gave us"

"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ... 

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 

When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:12-17)

Notice that Peter and John were not sent to Samaria until the apostles heard that the Samaritans had received salvation by believing the Gospel message which Philip had preached.

 When Peter and John arrived, they laid hands on the Samaritans and then the Holy Spirit came on the Samaritans. Therefore, some amount of time passed between the moment the Samaritans were saved and the moment they "received" the Holy Spirit.

This brings up an interesting question. Most Christian denominations teach that everyone automatically receives the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, so why does it appear as if the Samaritans did not automatically receive the Holy Spirit when they received salvation? 

 There is a very simple answer to this question, and this answer will become clear as we gain a better understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

This passage says that the Holy Spirit had not yet "come upon" any of the Samaritans. Notice that this is the same wording which is used to describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit in all of the examples above.

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" 

They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 

Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:1-6)

This passage says that the Holy Spirit "came on" these disciples. Notice that this is the same wording which is used to describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit in all of the examples above.

There was a three-day gap (see Acts 9:9) between the moment when Paul was saved and the moment when he was "filled" with the Holy Spirit when a disciple named Ananias laid hands on him:

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18)

Today there are many confused bible teachers who would deny this baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 They come up with all kinds of intellectual arguments against it. 

There is a conference called "False Fire" where men like this have gathered together to proclaim that those of us who believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit are evil.

It is no wonder that the modern day church is so powerless to do the work of the Kingdom of God. 

This generation is moving far from God and unless we Christians get this baptism of power, we will be ineffective vessels in our ministry to the world around us.

Our own natural efforts will never get the job done. "Just do it! You can do it!," are only slogans of man's own energy trying to do it. 

We hear all kinds of Rufus Glitter Teeth men in pulpits spouting new age type slogans around us. They write useless books that have no power of God in them.

What we need is our faces on the carpet in humility before the Lord.

 Seeking the Holy Spirit baptism from Jesus who is the Holy Ghost baptizer.

  The baptism of the Holy Spirit will give power in ministry...then...and only then...can you really do it.

David Sloane