Singing about the Holy Spirit, and letting the Holy Spirit move, are not necessarily the same thing - sometimes they are two different things. Sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to move - but instead of letting Him move, we keep singing about letting Him move. We can sing a song, "Welcome Holy Spirit". But singing that He is welcome does not mean we are welcoming Him.
A meeting leader can say, "You are welcome in this place, Holy Spirit." But saying that He is welcome does not mean He is welcome.
Welcoming Him means to deliberately give Him time in the service to do what He wants.
Sometimes that involves stopping what we're already doing - because sometimes two things can't happen as well together.
It's hard to sing or talk, and drink a glass of water at the same time! Similarly, singing can get in the way of receiving from the Holy Spirit.
Praying and interceding can get in the way too. If we want to pray but the Holy Spirit wants to do something else in the meeting, then our praying can be a hindrance. Speaking in tongues, doing warfare, dancing, giving announcements or news, and preaching can all get in the way of what the Holy Spirit wants to do. Sometimes those things are exactly what the Holy Spirit wants us to do - but at other times He wants to do something different.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will interrupt what we are doing and do what He wants anyway. When He does, we can be aware of it and can flow with Him rather than carry on with what we were doing and obstruct Him.
At other times, the Holy Spirit will wait for us to let Him move. Letting the Holy Spirit move is something we can do on purpose. When we make room for the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do in our meetings, on purpose - it shows we are practically welcoming Him. When we deliberately give Him time to move, it shows we have a desire and are acting our faith that He will move. Then He will move.
So we can help or hinder the move of the Spirit in our meetings.
Sense what He wants to do at any given point in the meeting, and when you sense it, flow with it 100%. Encourage the congregation to flow with it. If the musicians keep playing, make sure they are helping the congregation to flow with Him. If the congregation is meant to be receiving from the Spirit or manifesting the Spirit in other ways, then if the band is encouraging the congregation to sing instead, it can be a hindrance.
That's the reason we sometimes see a greater manifestation of the Spirit when the music stops. It shows the music wasn't functioning as a 'ministry of helps'. It was dominating the proceedings of the meeting, rather than assisting the will of the Spirit.
Showing posts with label anointing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anointing. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Quotes from Dr Rodney Howard-Browne
"People don't know about travailing prayer now."
"You are dispensers of the Holy Ghost".
"I'm not here to put the fire out - there are other preachers who can do that".
"Pentecost is real - I love its narrow way".
"If you don't get it on the inside, you're never going to get it on the outside".
"...the devil hates the Holy Ghost - because he knows about the Holy Ghost."
"The Holy Ghost will get you through".
Friday, 21 October 2011
The Hand of the Lord
The hand of the Lord is with you. The hand of the Lord is the Holy Spirit. Therefore when you speak, the Lord will confirm your word with manifestations of the Spirit following. You will see!
Sunday, 12 June 2011
What it Means to Welcome the Holy Spirit
Singing about the Holy Spirit, and actually letting the Holy Spirit move, are not the same thing - they are two different things.
Saying, "We welcome you in this place Holy Spirit" is not the same as actually welcoming the Holy Spirit.
To welcome the Holy Spirit, you literally have to give Him time to do what He wants. You have to stop doing what He doesn't want you to be doing, and start letting Him do what He wants to do - start doing what He wants you to do.
Praying for the Holy Spirit to move is not the same as letting the Holy Spirit move. Sometimes we need to stop praying and start letting Him do what He wants to do, during a meeting.
Preaching about the Holy Spirit is not the same as letting the Holy Spirit move. Sometimes you have to stop speaking and let the Holy Spirit touch the people.
The key is to find out what the Holy Spirit wants to do - and let Him do it. Find out what He wants you to do - and do it.
Just because the Holy Spirit led you to sing, pray or preach before, doesn't mean He wants you to sing, pray or preach now - He may want to do something different now. If He wants to do something different - if He wants you to do something different right now - then persisting to do what was appropriate before won't be appropriate now - in fact, it will be a hindrance.
Welcoming the Holy Spirit means to sense what He wants to do right at this moment - stop doing something else - let Him do what He wants - start doing what He wants you to do. And do it when He wants - not at some other time that suits you better.
The results will be amazing, satisfying and refreshing! Not only for you, but for the whole congregation.
Saying, "We welcome you in this place Holy Spirit" is not the same as actually welcoming the Holy Spirit.
To welcome the Holy Spirit, you literally have to give Him time to do what He wants. You have to stop doing what He doesn't want you to be doing, and start letting Him do what He wants to do - start doing what He wants you to do.
Praying for the Holy Spirit to move is not the same as letting the Holy Spirit move. Sometimes we need to stop praying and start letting Him do what He wants to do, during a meeting.
Preaching about the Holy Spirit is not the same as letting the Holy Spirit move. Sometimes you have to stop speaking and let the Holy Spirit touch the people.
The key is to find out what the Holy Spirit wants to do - and let Him do it. Find out what He wants you to do - and do it.
Just because the Holy Spirit led you to sing, pray or preach before, doesn't mean He wants you to sing, pray or preach now - He may want to do something different now. If He wants to do something different - if He wants you to do something different right now - then persisting to do what was appropriate before won't be appropriate now - in fact, it will be a hindrance.
Welcoming the Holy Spirit means to sense what He wants to do right at this moment - stop doing something else - let Him do what He wants - start doing what He wants you to do. And do it when He wants - not at some other time that suits you better.
The results will be amazing, satisfying and refreshing! Not only for you, but for the whole congregation.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Cessationism and Textual Criticism
MARK 16:17-18
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Many cessationists claim that Mark 16:9-20 does not exist in the oldest and "best" manuscripts, but was spuriously inserted into more recent, and therefore less reliable, manuscripts. This claim is then used as their basis for asserting that tongues ceased when the last of the Twelve Apostles died, or when the canon of New Testament Scripture was finalized.
But if tongues indeed ceased when the last of the Twelve Apostles died, and if it had been taught by the Apostles that this was to happen, and if it was commonly understood by the time the spurious "newer" manuscripts were being written that tongues had now already ceased - then what motive could have existed for anyone to include such a spurious insertion?
There wouldn't have been any benefit from inserting a reference to "tongues" in any new manuscript where no references to tongues existed in any older, original, "better" manuscript - if tongues had already ceased by then.
So could this mean that tongues had not ceased by the time the "newer" manuscripts containing Mark 16:9-20 were written? that the very oldest manuscripts must have included Mark 16:9-20? and that the manuscripts containing Mark 16:9-20 may not have been newer manuscripts after all?
In any case, the truths about tongues contained in Mark 16:9-20 can be established elsewhere in the New Testament without even relying on the confirmation provided by Mark 16:9-20. So the contrived controversy about this passage can't prove anything against the truth that tongues are still for today.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Many cessationists claim that Mark 16:9-20 does not exist in the oldest and "best" manuscripts, but was spuriously inserted into more recent, and therefore less reliable, manuscripts. This claim is then used as their basis for asserting that tongues ceased when the last of the Twelve Apostles died, or when the canon of New Testament Scripture was finalized.
But if tongues indeed ceased when the last of the Twelve Apostles died, and if it had been taught by the Apostles that this was to happen, and if it was commonly understood by the time the spurious "newer" manuscripts were being written that tongues had now already ceased - then what motive could have existed for anyone to include such a spurious insertion?
There wouldn't have been any benefit from inserting a reference to "tongues" in any new manuscript where no references to tongues existed in any older, original, "better" manuscript - if tongues had already ceased by then.
So could this mean that tongues had not ceased by the time the "newer" manuscripts containing Mark 16:9-20 were written? that the very oldest manuscripts must have included Mark 16:9-20? and that the manuscripts containing Mark 16:9-20 may not have been newer manuscripts after all?
In any case, the truths about tongues contained in Mark 16:9-20 can be established elsewhere in the New Testament without even relying on the confirmation provided by Mark 16:9-20. So the contrived controversy about this passage can't prove anything against the truth that tongues are still for today.
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