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by
Sam Storms
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February 18 - November 2, 2017
But none of the preceding excuses would ever have Satan’s desired effect on Christians if the latter were fully aware of their identity in the risen Christ and the unchallenged authority that is theirs in Jesus’ name.
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Still another possibility is that this fall is a reference to his defeat each time his house is plundered (Matthew 12:22–32)
Don’t ever think of yourself as at one end of a rope and Satan at the other, both of you struggling to overpower the other. No! You are in Christ who is over all. Satan is beneath you, in Christ’s name.
My answer is not that we have the same authority, it’s that we have even greater authority!
Christians often forget this. We fail to fully appreciate the fact that we have been raised up and seated with the exalted Lord, under whose feet all principalities and powers have been subjected (Ephesians 1:19–2:7; Colossians 2:9–10).
No one would ever think of saying: “O God, preach the gospel to the lost,” or “O God, teach the truth to your people,” or “Lord, would you please visit the sick today as I’m simply too busy.” We would rightly consider a person who prays and does nothing to be disobedient.
Our approach should be, “Speak the word of command in Jesus’ name UNTIL it is done.”
I suggest that this charisma is most likely the Spirit-empowered ability to distinguish between what the Holy Spirit does, on the one hand, and the works of another spirit (demonic) or perhaps even the human spirit, on the other.
Remember: the key is not in particular words or formulas but in the simple, irresistible authority of the risen Christ in whose name you act.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7–8)
the Holy Spirit is a glorious gift, the consummate treasure whom we hold dear.
The language of quenching the Holy Spirit comes straight out of your Bible, not just mine! Paul gave this energetic word of exhortation to the Christians in Thessalonica: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22).
What, then, is our responsibility? Paul tells us: we are to fan the flame of the Spirit’s fire! Intensify the heat! Rekindle what has grown cold from neglect and indifference (2 Timothy 1:6). Facilitate! Teach! Encourage! Make it safe for people to step out in faith and expectation. Don’t create an atmosphere of fear in which people are terrified of making a mistake and being publicly denounced for their failures. Don’t forbid speaking in tongues; don’t despise prophetic utterances. Instead, when you discern the Spirit’s presence, when his fire is detected, pour gasoline on it!
The mechanical manipulation and virtual depersonalization of the Spirit has frightened many evangelicals and made them understandably skeptical of any claims to miraculous activity. In view of such patterns of ministry, any talk of experiencing the Spirit is summarily dismissed as dishonoring to his exalted status as God and a failure to embrace his sovereignty over us rather than ours over him.
The Spirit is supremely Christocentric.
Spiritual songs are most likely unrehearsed and improvised, perhaps short melodies or choruses extolling the beauty of Christ. They aren’t prepared in advance but are prompted by the Spirit, and thus are uniquely and especially appropriate to the occasion or the emphasis of the moment.
Could it be that we quench the Spirit’s work either by denying the possibility that he might move upon us in this way or by so rigidly structuring our services that there is virtually no time allowed for God’s sovereign interruption of our liturgy?
Simply put, it doesn’t matter how badly people may have abused this gift. It is a sin to despise prophecy.
Because Christians are afraid of fanaticism and excess, they are often tempted to manipulate the situation to maintain some sense of control.
As we will see in a moment, manipulation is more concerned with one’s motives than with one’s methods. It isn’t so much how you conduct a service but why.
So here we are faced again with a very difficult question: “What is the dividing line between legitimate, God-glorifying, encouraging ministry, on the one hand, and illegitimate, man-centered manipulation, on the other?”
In some charismatic circles, there is a tendency to refer to people who do not experience powerful and visible physical manifestation as HTRs, that is to say, people who find it “Hard to Receive.” I want to suggest a slight change in terminology and refer to them as HTMs, people who find it “Hard to Manifest.”
Most likely, these people are very open to receive from God. Their hearts are repentant, humble, and hungry for the presence and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. If such is true, they will most certainly receive a touch from God. But that doesn’t mean they must manifest physical phenomena. They may, but if they don’t, it isn’t necessarily because they are closed to what God is doing.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
but also awakens and prepares the human heart to be ever more receptive and vulnerable to the work and voice of the Spirit.
What matters to me is that God have my all: my mind, will, feet, eyes, ears, tongue, heart, affections, and yes, my hands.
There is a price to pay to move forward in the pursuit and practice of the charismata. Are you willing to pay it? If you are, God will more than abundantly provide whatever is needed.
