Balance of teaching the Word of God and Moving in the Holy Spirit
"Sir I said Do Not Move While We are In Motion...or we will tip over and get no where at all."
THE BALANCE TRAIN
It is a very delicate activity
It has been said that a meeting where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are allowed to be freely exercised is a balancing act.
Think
of it as if a circle of people are carefully passing around a tray with
glasses of water upon it. They are trying very carefully not to spill
the water as they pass the tray from one to another.
One
speaks out in tongues, another gives an interpretation, while another
sings out in an inspirational spiritual song. Another gives a word of
knowledge while another gives a prophecy in song.
This
is what it is like. Each and every member of the meeting being
sensitive to the Holy Spirit's direction and orchestration. The meeting
moves forward and accomplishes God's goals when it is conducted decently
and in order. Things run along smoothly with no crash and burns.
I have
been in large meetings where everyone was singing in the Spirit
(singing in tongues) altogether at the same time. When suddenly, without
anyone other than the Holy Spirit giving direction, everyone stops
singing except for one person. Then just as suddenly someone else joins
them in a sort of a duet. And then the whole room full of people gently
joins in a chorus. And then an absolutely amazing thing would take
place.
It was at this point
that there would be manifested the most powerful spiritual atmosphere
where you felt as if you should be taking off your shoes because it was
Holy ground that you were standing upon.
There
is a church experience beyond the stimulation of the intellect with
Bible study. There is a church dimension that few ever get the opportunity to
experience. True heart felt worship with Christians who are not afraid
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and know what balance is in their operation.
I have had the wonderful pleasure of being in meetings like this.
And
I
have been in carnal meetings masquerading as spiritual meetings, when
in reality flesh was at work pretending that the Holy Spirit was moving
in their midst. Nothing quenches the Holy Spirit faster then flesh
acting as if He were
behind their antics.
behind their antics.
Holy reverence
dictates that we be sensitive and truly worshipful to insure balance
for forward momentum or we will get no where...few make it through the
straight and narrow gate.
David Sloane
12,03,08
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I
wanted to add some thoughts that I had while working today, 12,04,08.Over so many years I have noticed that teachers of the Word always like to down play and marginalize those of us who love the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Why just today my son mentioned hearing John Courson
saying on the radio something about not validating those of us who
desire the Spirit's moving.
He said that if we just stay in the Word that would be enough Spirit moving for us.
He said that if we just stay in the Word that would be enough Spirit moving for us.
I humbly beg to differ. Why?
I
had this conversation about this topic out in the parking lot of
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in 1973 with the then assistant pastor Lavern
Romaine.
Romaine told me that there has to be 'balance.' His very words to me on this topic were, "David, too much of the Word and we will dry up, too much of the Spirit and we will blow up, a correct balance of both and we grow up."
Romaine told me that there has to be 'balance.' His very words to me on this topic were, "David, too much of the Word and we will dry up, too much of the Spirit and we will blow up, a correct balance of both and we grow up."
I never forgot that
conversation with him. I have noted over the years that churches that
marginalize any operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit while lifting
the Word of God high over everything else, (almost to the point of 'Bibliolatry,') can become some what dry in a sense for me personally.
Ok, so you never heard the term Bibliolatry.
Years ago all of us who would go out to the desert to seek the Lord came up with this term on our own.
Today it is in common usage.
Bibliolatry is the worship of the Bible or any other text over God Himself.
Years ago all of us who would go out to the desert to seek the Lord came up with this term on our own.
Today it is in common usage.
Bibliolatry is the worship of the Bible or any other text over God Himself.
I
have been in churches that minimize the teaching of the Word of God and
maximize the exercise of the spiritual gifts.
Man what a mess!
People looking like Funky chickens doing that bouncing up and down thing and others shaking their hands and others shouting like lunatics.
I have spiritual discernment and in some of those places the Holy Spirit wasn't moving at all, but they did their thing any way while insisting that the Holy Spirit was doing those strange things and goings on. Now that is not to say that such things can not happen, I have seen them happen where the Spirit of God is indeed moving in the midst.
Man what a mess!
People looking like Funky chickens doing that bouncing up and down thing and others shaking their hands and others shouting like lunatics.
I have spiritual discernment and in some of those places the Holy Spirit wasn't moving at all, but they did their thing any way while insisting that the Holy Spirit was doing those strange things and goings on. Now that is not to say that such things can not happen, I have seen them happen where the Spirit of God is indeed moving in the midst.
When
a church teaches the Word of God in it's entirety and allows the balancing
exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, there can be such a sweet
manifested presence of God.
The sheep need this inspiration of both activities in perfect balance to one another.
The sheep need this inspiration of both activities in perfect balance to one another.
1 Corinthians 14:4
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
The
sheep need to be edified. Above we see two ways this can be
accomplished.
One is by speaking in tongues.
The other is by being exposed to prophecy.
There are many other ways.
One is by speaking in tongues.
The other is by being exposed to prophecy.
There are many other ways.
When was the last time that you spoke in tongues?
When was the last time that you heard someone give prophecy in a gathering of Christians?
When was the last time that you heard someone give prophecy in a gathering of Christians?
Apostle Paul understood this all too well:
1 Timothy 4:14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Prophecy is declaring the mind and heart of God.
It is making known God's will.
The laying on of hands is the impartation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Some would teach today that such things have ceased since we now have the written Word of God. They are in serious error and are teaching others to be impotent and powerless as witnesses for Jesus Christ by their false concepts.
It is making known God's will.
The laying on of hands is the impartation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Some would teach today that such things have ceased since we now have the written Word of God. They are in serious error and are teaching others to be impotent and powerless as witnesses for Jesus Christ by their false concepts.
2 Peter 1:19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
They quote the above verse as if it declares the cessation of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus
Christ would have stayed upon the earth and lived out the full extent
of His natural life if this were true.
But He had to leave this earth so that the Holy Spirit could come. Apparently for some reason, unknown to us at this time, only one person of the trinity can be in resident here on earth at one time.
But He had to leave this earth so that the Holy Spirit could come. Apparently for some reason, unknown to us at this time, only one person of the trinity can be in resident here on earth at one time.
Although we see all of them present at the immersion of Jesus by John the immerser.
Luke 3:22And
the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a
voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I
am well pleased.
And
the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a
voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I
am well pleased.
We see the Holy Spirit descending and the Father declaring
and Jesus the Son in the above verse. The Holy Trinity.
With in the one Godhead there are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
With in the one Godhead there are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not a force or an energy or an essence, He is a person.
We want this person of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Why?
Because
it is He who manifest the presence of Almighty God to us. And anyone
who has ever truly been in a service where the Holy Spirit comes and
manifest Almighty God, never ever forgets that experience, never! Spiritual growth!
Once
you taste of the 'real' of God you can never be satisfied with less
then that.
You search and search, looking for that church that 'gets it.'
But you never can seem to find it.
You leave disappointed until eventual you give up.
You search and search, looking for that church that 'gets it.'
But you never can seem to find it.
You leave disappointed until eventual you give up.
Satan
steps in and tries his best to convince you that it was all a dream.
He gets you to chalk it up to your youthful exuberance or just an emotional period of your life.
He gets you to chalk it up to your youthful exuberance or just an emotional period of your life.
No!
It was a genuine manifestation of Almighty God that you were ever so blessed to have experienced.
It was a genuine manifestation of Almighty God that you were ever so blessed to have experienced.
Years
and years of Bible study can never do for you what just one simple
touch of the Holy Spirit can do for you. It can change your life for the
rest of your days.
The mind listening to teaching is important, but the human spirit being touched by the Holy Spirit is just as important.
John 4:24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Worship Him in your spirit!
The mind.
Ephesians 4:23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Philippians 2:5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Feed your mind on the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Titus 3:5Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost;
Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost;
Washing of regeneration?
In
biology, an organism is said to regenerate a lost or damaged part if
the part regrows so that the original function is restored.
Restoration.
Regeneration.
Restoration.
Regeneration.
Renewing
of the Holy Spirit.
We need this experience that comes of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore this is why I desire the moving of the Holy Spirit as well as teaching from the Word of God!
We need this experience that comes of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore this is why I desire the moving of the Holy Spirit as well as teaching from the Word of God!
P.S.
John Courson is one of my favorite Bible teachers after Chuck Smith.
David Sloane
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12/13/2013
I wanted to add a few things to update the above.
There is a very correct balance between the Word of God teaching and the moving of the Holy Spirit in a healthy Church environment.
Jesus Christ was known as a "prophet, powerful in Word and deed before God and all the people"
Luke 24:19
Jesus said,"The Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life."
John 6:63
God works through His Word and His Spirit in perfect balance.
Any church that only teaches the Word and any church that only operates in signs and wonders is an "Ishmael" a half son.
Abraham acted in the flesh in an attempt to fulfill a promise of God for a son and only produced a half son of the promise.
A son today that conflicts with the true son of the promise, "Isaac" who was the full son of Abraham. The fulfillment of Gods promise to Abraham.
Word only churches conflict with Spirit only churches and vise versa.
This is an obstacle to a healthy New Testament Church.
It is an act of the flesh to only teach the Word and doctrine.
It is an act of the flesh to only operate in signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit.
It is an act of true spirituality to operate in both signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Word of God and doctrine together in a delicate balance.
What will it be Church?
Ishmael, the flesh?
Or Isaac, the promise of God fulfilled?
If the Church heeds this message it will operate in true power and purity, teaching the Word and moving in the Spirit.
Jesus said to the Sadducees, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."
Matthew 22:29
Paul the apostle said:
"Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."
1 Thessalonians 1:5
Paul also said:
"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power."
1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul combined the Scriptures with a demonstration of the power of God in perfect delicate balance!
The two together, the Bible, God's inerrant and infallible Word, the Scriptures, and the supernatural, powerful signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. Balance.
Jesus said that the Sadducees were ignorant of both of these.
In most of our modern day churches it has been one or the other and not both together. Recently a couple of great man of God passed away who missed this completely in their churches.
God took these men home early because I believe the time of imbalance is over.
To only emphasize one aspect of the correct balance, like these men of God did in their churches was very wrong.
God had to remove these influential men from the scene in order to start to correct a great wrong in the Church in the land today.
It is wrong to emphasize only one side of the equation but it is right to have a balance of both in equality.
Do you want to see God moving in your midst in power and mighty majesty? Do you want to see the Holy Spirit rain down in your midst in magnificent revival?
The Scriptures and the Power of Almighty God together will accomplish this.
Has the modern day church been deceived into thinking that it could operate in a lopsided fashion and accomplish anything?
A true New Testament Church will operate in a balance of the Word and in Power of the Holy Spirit if it wants to impact this our world in this day and age.
Some Christians have been taught for years that their knowledge of the Scriptures was enough, that their emphasis of correct doctrines was enough.
They believed sincerely that it was enough and the only way to conduct "church."
Anything else was totally irrelevant and unnecessary to them.
The Power of God moving in signs and wonders was only something that happens on the pages of their Bibles and not really for today.
To think like that is to be imbalanced. The Word and the Spirit, balance.
The New Testament Church is not complete without signs and wonders!
Jesus said to our early Church founders, "Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high...You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8.
The apostle Paul warned us against "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
2 Tim 3:5
Balance is the basis upon which God will grant spiritual power to His New Testament Church.
The true emergent church of today will be a church of balance, a true restoration of a New Testament Church in the Land.
Not a powerless, boring church but a Church in revival where souls are being saved on a daily basis in Almighty God power of the Holy Spirit and in in the doctrines and teaching of the Word of God!
BALANCE!
I have fought to bring this message to others my entire walk with God.
Fighting to bring about balance.
I have been asked to go away because of my message at times.
But my prophetic calling in the Lord requires me to bring this message to others in the Body of Christ.
You can plainly see why.
We will see the restoration of the New Testament Church!
And then, and only then will there be the greatest out pouring of God's Holy Spirit in the land like never before in the Church.
Are you beginning to get it?
Do you want to walk in perfect balance?
There is coming a birthing of the promises of God, the Isaac of God.
The Ishmael church is falling apart with out their leadership that God has now removed.
We will begin to see in the land a restoration of the New Testament Church of balance.
This is the promised Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ represented in the land that will shine brightly before all the eyes of the earth in this our time...
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
12/13/2013
There is a very correct balance between the Word of God teaching and the moving of the Holy Spirit in a healthy Church environment.
Jesus Christ was known as a "prophet, powerful in Word and deed before God and all the people"
Luke 24:19
Jesus said,"The Words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life."
John 6:63
God works through His Word and His Spirit in perfect balance.
Any church that only teaches the Word and any church that only operates in signs and wonders is an "Ishmael" a half son.
Abraham acted in the flesh in an attempt to fulfill a promise of God for a son and only produced a half son of the promise.
A son today that conflicts with the true son of the promise, "Isaac" who was the full son of Abraham. The fulfillment of Gods promise to Abraham.
Word only churches conflict with Spirit only churches and vise versa.
This is an obstacle to a healthy New Testament Church.
It is an act of the flesh to only teach the Word and doctrine.
It is an act of the flesh to only operate in signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit.
It is an act of true spirituality to operate in both signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Word of God and doctrine together in a delicate balance.
What will it be Church?
Ishmael, the flesh?
Or Isaac, the promise of God fulfilled?
If the Church heeds this message it will operate in true power and purity, teaching the Word and moving in the Spirit.
Jesus said to the Sadducees, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."
Matthew 22:29
Paul the apostle said:
"Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."
1 Thessalonians 1:5
Paul also said:
"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power."
1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul combined the Scriptures with a demonstration of the power of God in perfect delicate balance!
The two together, the Bible, God's inerrant and infallible Word, the Scriptures, and the supernatural, powerful signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. Balance.
Jesus said that the Sadducees were ignorant of both of these.
In most of our modern day churches it has been one or the other and not both together. Recently a couple of great man of God passed away who missed this completely in their churches.
God took these men home early because I believe the time of imbalance is over.
To only emphasize one aspect of the correct balance, like these men of God did in their churches was very wrong.
God had to remove these influential men from the scene in order to start to correct a great wrong in the Church in the land today.
It is wrong to emphasize only one side of the equation but it is right to have a balance of both in equality.
Do you want to see God moving in your midst in power and mighty majesty? Do you want to see the Holy Spirit rain down in your midst in magnificent revival?
The Scriptures and the Power of Almighty God together will accomplish this.
Has the modern day church been deceived into thinking that it could operate in a lopsided fashion and accomplish anything?
A true New Testament Church will operate in a balance of the Word and in Power of the Holy Spirit if it wants to impact this our world in this day and age.
Some Christians have been taught for years that their knowledge of the Scriptures was enough, that their emphasis of correct doctrines was enough.
They believed sincerely that it was enough and the only way to conduct "church."
Anything else was totally irrelevant and unnecessary to them.
The Power of God moving in signs and wonders was only something that happens on the pages of their Bibles and not really for today.
To think like that is to be imbalanced. The Word and the Spirit, balance.
The New Testament Church is not complete without signs and wonders!
Jesus said to our early Church founders, "Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high...You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8.
The apostle Paul warned us against "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
2 Tim 3:5
Balance is the basis upon which God will grant spiritual power to His New Testament Church.
The true emergent church of today will be a church of balance, a true restoration of a New Testament Church in the Land.
Not a powerless, boring church but a Church in revival where souls are being saved on a daily basis in Almighty God power of the Holy Spirit and in in the doctrines and teaching of the Word of God!
BALANCE!
I have fought to bring this message to others my entire walk with God.
Fighting to bring about balance.
I have been asked to go away because of my message at times.
But my prophetic calling in the Lord requires me to bring this message to others in the Body of Christ.
You can plainly see why.
We will see the restoration of the New Testament Church!
And then, and only then will there be the greatest out pouring of God's Holy Spirit in the land like never before in the Church.
Church are you listening?
Are you beginning to get it?
Do you want to walk in perfect balance?
There is coming a birthing of the promises of God, the Isaac of God.
The Ishmael church is falling apart with out their leadership that God has now removed.
We will begin to see in the land a restoration of the New Testament Church of balance.
This is the promised Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ represented in the land that will shine brightly before all the eyes of the earth in this our time...
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