The Promise of the Father

He presented himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:3-5

The promise of the Father. This is the controversy that still plagues the Church today, what exactly was that? If you read plainly the scripture you know it was the Holy Spirit. So after Pentecost how exactly did someone know when the Holy Spirit came upon them? Reading the entire book of Acts without any doctrinal blinders and with a plain open mind the evidence is pretty clear. Many theological experts say that the ‘sign’ gifts are over and that they died and went away with the apostles. And that God doesn’t use those ‘gifts of the Holy Spirit’ anymore in people — and this is called the doctrine of Cessationism. This is usually spread within western countries who are very comfortable in resources and hold scholarly intellectualism to a high degree. But in poor third world countries and in major Christian persecuted countries the sign gifts are abundant. One side uses intellectual debate and scholarly scriptural interpretation to defend their beliefs, the other side humbly uses deeply personal experiential testimony of God moving in their lives, and the miracles they have witnessed personally.

Religion has never been a ‘friend’ to the Holy Spirit. Consider the example of the Pharisees and scribes. They had endless debates over what they thought the scriptures meant. How many of them got it right when Jesus showed up on the scene? So much of religion tries to neuter the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He gets in the way of the ‘machinery’ of religion. You know, the ‘business’ of the Church. The buildings, the salaries, the marketing, the lights, the sound system, the children’s wing, … the production, the performance, …and ultimately the money. 

If Jesus asked them (The ‘professionals’) to leave all of that behind .. could they? But then Jesus would literally have to stand in front of them to ask them .. because 99.9% of them have squelched the Voice of the Holy Spirit within them. They have to compromise and deny the Voice of the Holy Spirit within them (if there ever was any) to continue within the ‘system’, business, and machinery of the institution. Of course Jesus chose learned highly scholarly intellectual men as His first disciples .. right?

Do you deny God’s power in your life? Do you deny the work the Holy Spirit is trying to do within you? Do you have strict perimeters of HOW He can do that work? Do you put Him in shackles and say “You Holy Spirit can only work this way in me. You must speak audibly to me for me to believe it is you. You have to convince me you are real. I will not believe in miracles.” 

My life exists because He moved in me beyond medical science, logic, and natural possibility. One doesn’t have the Holy Spirit drench you with His Presence and then heal you from stage four AML — and continue to deny His power or abilities. Then He continues to open the spiritual realms to you — when you are a teenager all the WHILE you are sitting in a doctrinally Cessationist Church. It really messes with the understanding that has been drilled into you by the so called ‘experts’.

I no longer put shackles and limits on God. And the mystery of Him is WELL beyond my understanding. The more He shows me and opens His heart to me the less I know I know. God is GOD. My little understanding is exactly that … little.

Where have you boxed God in? Is He your talisman? Is He your genie? Is He your ‘one arm bandit’? Is He your religion ‘formula’? Is He your comfortable weapon? We all use Him they way our ‘self’ wants to. But how does God want to move in your life? How much does He want to have a relationship with you? Where do you think the barriers exist in this relationship… with God? Do you dismiss the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you make Him — impotent by denying His power or love for you?

PRAYER:

Father you ARE God. You can do far above what I understand. Please help me understand what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in my life. Open my spiritual ears and my mind to hear Him. Come Lord Jesus and speak to me, be with me. I want to know your Presence in a deeper way.  Jesus baptize me with your Holy Spirit, immerse me to my core. Come and be in me. Direct my steps. Teach me Your ways. Illumine your Word to me and within me. Thank you Father for Your love. Thank you Father for Jesus. Thank you Father for the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for the work the Holy Spirit is doing in my life. I confess I really need you.

In the name above all names … Jesus.