• Posted in Charismatic, Holy Spirit, Life in the Church, Service, Vision
In this post we want to look at two dimensions of our vision statement, being bible-saturated and spirit-empowered. The Bible gives us the plans (like The Dangerous Book for Boys) and the Holy Spirit gives us the power (like the trial-and-error of my building project). Without these our efforts at building God's church will be wayward, reckless, and probably just wrong.
• Posted in Charismatic, Holy Spirit
J.I. Packer offers a great insight about life in the Spirit in his book, Keep in Step with the Spirit.
• Posted in Books, Charismatic, Presence of God
As God has been teaching our church the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are reminded that the greatest blessing offered to us in the gospel is to experience the presence of the Creator God. In his short, but profound book, The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer writes, "To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love."
• Posted in Charismatic, Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 says to all Christians, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." The verb "be filled" is famously a present tense verb which means to do it regularly, continually. Then it is an imperative verb, which means that it is a command and not a suggestion. Last it is a passive verb, which means that while the command is given to us, God is the One who must "fill" us. We put ourselves out there to be filled, but then we must trust Him to fill us.