We Are Not in the Holy Spirit Dispensation

There is no way at all we should minimize the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but there are so many who are being led astray by wrong teaching about the Spirit. It is imperative that we know what the Bible teaches about this matter.

The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement in our day has elevated the Holy Spirit to a place which far supersedes even the exalted position God gave to Jesus. In the Divine plan, the Spirit was never the source of truth. Jesus said, “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak . . .” (John 16:13). The work of the Spirit was to be the means by which the Spirit delivered the truth to the apostles and prophets who spoke and wrote these heavenly words. These words from the Spirit changed the lives of men. Paul described it this way, “By revelation He made known to me the mystery . . . by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:3-4). Our knowledge of the mystery of Christ does not come from direct operation of the Spirit “whispering” truths in our ears in the midnight hours of our meditations, but from reading the actual words of the Spirit found in a holy book!

Note also that the coming of the Spirit was never intended to result in the promotion of the Spirit. Jesus also said, “He will glorify Me . . .” (John 16:14). Yet in our day many, in their teaching on TV and in the books they sell,  exalt the Spirit and His work far above Jesus and His work! It is not enough to have the Savior of the world within our hearts. We have missed it all without the relationship with the Spirit. They have relegated Jesus to a secondary place and exalted the Spirit far above Him.

Hear the exaltation the Bible gives to Jesus both in heaven and on the earth. “God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). “And He [God dj] put all things under His [Christ dj] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church…”  (Eph. 1:22). “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers…that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:16-18). “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18).

The point is obvious. We are not living in the age which glorifies the Spirit. We are living in the age where the Spirit Himself revealed that we must honor Jesus!

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Before the Womb and After the Tomb

There is a political philosophy which advocates that the government should dominate every aspect of one’s life from the cradle to the grave. We lived for nearly ten years in New Zealand, and the view there was described by the words, “From the womb to the tomb.” Without getting into an evaluation of this philosophy, let me tell you of another program that surpasses these.

Think of how the Bible describes heaven’s concern for us which precedes our earliest existence. Paul spoke of this when he affirmed that God “…has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Tim. 1:9). Paul also wrote to Titus about the “hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Tit. 1:2). Before time began! That’s when His care for us started!

His care for us even precedes the time we were placed in our first cradle. Paul told the Galatians that God “separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace” (Gal. 1:15). And God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Some may see these as showing a unique relationship God had with His prophets, but it does show God knows individuals when they are in the womb.

David’s words leave little doubt about God’s concern for individuals before they are born. “For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (Ps. 139:13,15).

He also cares for us in infancy. “But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts” (Ps. 22:9). He has His angels who watch for every child on this earth (Matt. 18:10).

Space does not allow us to show His presence throughout all of our lives, but He is present! His eyes are over us (1 Peter 3:12) and He never leaves or forsakes us (Heb. 13:5). He is also with us in death (Ps. 23:4).

From womb to the tomb? His care is better than that! He cares for us before the womb and after the tomb! This is not just a philosophy. It is an eternal truth from heaven!

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Consider Yourself Warned

Life is filled with warning signs like, Bridge Out Ahead . . . Poison . . . Do Not Operate Machinery After Taking This Medication . . . Rip Currents . . . Soft Shoulders . . . Road Narrows . . .  Do Not Pass . . . Detour . . . Travel Advisory . . . etc. We are wise to heed them. Have you ever considered the four places God placed a “Be Not Deceived” warning sign in the New Testament?

Jesus warned, “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name…” (Luke 21:8). It is ironic that this warning about false teachers was given to four disciples whom we think could never be deceived—Peter, Andrew, James and John. Now, if those men who had traveled with Him for three-and-a-half years could be deceived, shouldn’t we “Consider Yourself Warned”?

The second time the expression is found in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 6:9. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” In an age of increasing immorality, America should heed this warning sign from God. “Consider Yourself Warned.”

In this same letter, Paul gives the “Be Not Deceived” warning the third time. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33). We often give this warning about how evil companions corrupt good morals to young people, but older ones need to heed it just as much. If you think that your ungodly friends could never pull you down, you have already been deceived! “Consider Yourself Warned.”

The fourth time the expression is found is in Galatians 6:7-8. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Every person is either sowing to the Spirit or he is sowing to the flesh. Your life is either focused on this world and all of its deceptive appeal, or it’s focused on your spiritual side. If you think you can live in both of these worlds at the same time, you have already ignored the heavenly danger sign.

Wise individuals read and heed warning signs. Wiser individuals read and heed heavenly ones. Are you wise?

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Thank God for Lectureships

In the past two months I have been part of two lectureships (one in Ohio, the other in Indiana) and have been reminded of just how wonderful these events are. I understand the great interest many brethren have in such events.

Lectureships are a refreshing time of change from the mundane lives we live. Isn’t it so taxing on our spirits when we face the same routine day after

day, week after week? Even Jesus saw the necessity for a break from the rigors of life. He told the

disciples,“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). He and the

apostles separated themselves from the multitude and were refreshed. Lectureships do this for us!

Lectureships allow you to spend time with brethren. At the recent lectureships, I have had some of the most enjoyable times I could imagine simply by being with my brethren—not just during the lectures but in times between various sessions. I have rejoiced at seeing those I have known in the past, and have grown to love and appreciate the new ones I have met. These men and women are

going to be with me in heaven for all eternity. Time with them is a foretaste of heaven!

Lectureships challenge your thinking and rekindle new resolve. It is easy to become complacent and stagnate spiritually. Literally hundreds of hours are spent in preparation of lectures by those who speak, and I gain the benefit of all that time. Jesus described the kingdom being like a householder who brings new and old things out of his storehouse. Lectures remind me of things I have known in the past, and they open new horizons for study.

Lectureships increase faith in a faithless world. I live by faith; I walk by faith; I am saved by faith! But that faith only comes from time I spend hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). There is little in daily life that allows me time to mediate on the really important things in life. There is almost nothing in the media, the news, TV, radio or movies that produces faith. If my life is filled with that which chokes out spiritual time, then I am dying and may not realize it! Lectureships are some of the most important times when our faith can increase dramatically in such a short time.

Now think about all of this in view of our upcoming lectureship. We are just weeks away from the time when every one of us can be refreshed, be with our brethren, be rekindled and increase our faith! Make your plans, now!

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Is There Anything More Tragic Than This?

The pictures of the third world countries of starving children burn images in our souls that simply cannot be erased. In a land of obesity, we sit on our plush couches and are moved when we see the poverty in other parts of the world. Is there anything more tragic than this?

A study by the United Nations shows there are 800,000,000 starving people on this earth with 25,000 of them dying each day from starvation. It is hard to imagine this as we look at the abundance of food in stores. Yet, the reality is about 20 people have starved to death since you started reading this article. Is there anything more tragic than this?

As much as it may surprise you, the truth is that there is something more tragic! There is another death, not of thousands, but of hundreds of thousands each day. It is from spiritual starvation! There is no country exempt from this starvation. It is not just in the poverty-stricken, third world countries, but in the most affluent nations on this earth. Europe is filled with houses of worship that are empty! God has been abandoned there in almost every form, and the same thing is happening in our own land. We are starving to death and don’t realize it.

The spiritual food is all around us. The New Testament has been translated into over 1,100 languages and less than 3% of the world’s population does not have access to the New Testament. Americans purchase 40,000 Bibles each day. The spiritual food is all around us.

Yet, we are starving to death! Whereas just decades ago most Americans had a working knowledge of the Bible, the average attendee at churches today leaves worship “feeling better” without having been fed the food God provided.

Those of you who are reading these words, take time to evaluate just how much you are being fed. The parable of the sower describes how the word entered the hearts of some, but then they “…are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14). Are you one who attends worship and Bible class regularly only to get your life so busy that the word is pushed out from your heart? The word can be removed by things not inherently evil!

The difference in the two kinds of death by starvation is so obvious. We are moved by the one and ignore or deny the other. There is a famine in America and we are starving to death. Is there anything more tragic than this?

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