Reflections On the Importance of the Holy Spirit in These Last Days

Have y0u taken the time to evaluate your relationship with the Holy Spirit? I ask because of what I see as a failure of the Church to recognize the important role He has been given by Christ to His sanctified followers. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as our Counselor and Helper, who guides us to walk in His teachings and statutes. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and leads us into all understanding of God's Truth. We also read in Scripture that the Holy Spirit comforts us, seals our inheritance, intercedes on our behalf, empowers us to testify of Jesus and God's love, produces spiritual fruit in us, sanctifies our lives and purpose, equips us with spiritual gifts, and dwells within us. Our relationship with Him is exceedingly personal. Yet, how many of us can say we truly know Him?

I must admit that for a large segment of my faith life, I knew of the Holy Spirit, but did not really know Him like I knew Jesus and the Father. And, to be honest, I was a bit jealous of other Christians who had grown up in denominations where the presence and knowledge of the Holy Spirit was vibrant and active, and a relationship with Him was customary and familiar. And I was surprised that as I sought to grow in my knowledge of Him and began to develop an intimacy with Him, I also began to see a distancing or separation from some of my fellow Christians. I was told that the kind of experiences I was looking for weren't possible for today's Believers; that the power and fire that rained down on the First Century Believers was only to jump-start the Church; that the closing of the Canon has left us with centuries of faith in the saving grace of Jesus, and that's all we need.

There's also the flip side of that coin ... the members of the Body of Christ who manipulate and falsely imitate the power of the Holy Spirit. They damage His reputation by impersonating a sanctified, Spirit-filled Believer, and open a spiritual door for the Anti-Christ to convince the Modern Church that His power no longer exists. That kind of thinking has shown me just how misunderstood the Person of the Holy Spirit is in the 21st Century Church. [NOTE: This is where I must declare that I distinguish "the Church" from the "Body of Christ".] For the sake of this discussion, to me, the Church represents those Believers who, like the Pharisees, are clinging tightly to the Doctrine of Cessationism [the gifts of the Holy Spirit were for the establishment of the Church and ceased with the deaths of the apostles]. If this is their belief system, then their interest in developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit will be minimal. And they will point to the recent Church debacle surrounding Shawn Bolz and Bethel as proof that the Holy Spirit is no longer actively present in the Body of Christ.

Yet, within this same Body of Christ there is a sizable [if not equal] number of Believers who walk in Jesus's ways as their model. There is a recognition [and reliance upon] the Holy Spirit to convey the thoughts and will of the Father as it pertains to our purpose in His Kingdom on earth. As for me, I firmly believe that just as God used the Holy Spirit to speak to His followers in the past, He continues to be the same today (as He's been in the past, and will be in the future). He never changes! So, I find myself talking to Holy Spirit as often as I do Jesus because I know that He is the conduit -- the instrument God uses to protect Jesus's transmission of His will for my life. And I can trust Him. In fact, there is so much deception, fraud, lies, and corruption in the world today, that trusting Him is more important than ever. 

There are many Anti-Christ spirits roaming the earth and sowing their animosity and malice among men who hate God. We can see them clearly if we trust that the Holy Spirit resides in us and we trust in His promptings. That's so important because the Bible tells us there will be much deception in the last days, led by the "Man of Lawlessness". When he is revealed, the world better know who they are in Christ, and able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide you through the false teachings and signs that will be manifesting on the earth. We are given clear instructions to neither "be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message of a letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] come.

Furthermore, the Bible says that day will not come until the rebellion and apostasy comes first -- the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians when the Man of Rebellion is unmasked. Mankind will have wandered so far from righteous living, as Jesus commands, that it will be easy to fall for the false promises of the Deceiver. But God will bring a strong spirit of Delusion over the world so that we must choose whom we will follow. We are currently experiencing economic pressures, fear of war, death, and disease; the pressures of distress and oppression. It's not difficult to see that the financial systems of the world are teetering, and the promise of a one-world monetary system to replace our failing ones is looking more inviting to a world that has lost millions in their buying power.  

But behind that false mask will be a system that will take control and authority over every financial decision and transaction made. So it will be with a one-world religion, as well. The world will, at first, worship the Beast figure because, again, it offers false promises. But the world will soon be manipulated and forced into bowing down to the Beast. As Believers, we must remain true to our Lord and stand firm in our faith, refusing to compromise, even when faced with the worst of trials and persecutions -- even unto our death. And that means our discernment radar must always be turned on loud and clear. And do you know what that radar sounds like? The voice of the Holy Spirit!

We must not fall victim to the distorted and corrupted doctrines of the false christs that lead only to the perverted and depraved systems of Satan's Beast. Let us cling to Jesus until He returns; remaining obedient and steadfast in His Truth. The future looks shrouded in darkness, but we must continue to hope in the Light of Heaven, our Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He said we will suffer for His Name, but He will return for us and deliver us into everlasting Life with Him. There is no person or system on earth [or in the heavenly realms] that can promise us anything superior to that glorious future! So, yes, I fear that there is more bad news coming, but, I will trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Oh, the hope that we possess in our inheritance born of Faith! Listen for His Voice!

2 Timothy 1:14     Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious Truth that has been entrusted to you. 

Shunned For The Sake of Christ!

This is going to be a sensitive subject among the Body of Christ. But it needs to be talked about, and I can speak from experience how the Holy Spirit's guidance can lead to conflict with Church leadership. In fact, I'm pretty sure that what I am going to share will offend some among my fellow Christians. That is not my intent. But I think this topic is important to understand, and I hope it can be received in a spirit of love and truth.

Of course, I am not representing myself as an authority on Church doctrine and "religious rules", but I believe what I have experienced and seen happens more often than the Faith community is aware of, or wants to admit. So, let's just dive in... first of all, what is the definition of shunning? What does it look like, and perhaps even more importantly, what does it feel like and how does it affect your walk with the Lord? 

According to the dictionary, "to shun" is to persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone through antipathy [a deep-seated feeling of dislike; hostility] or caution. In a simpler explanation, it means "to avoid or keep away from; isolate". Within the institutional Church, it is my opinion that too often, we find that people are being shunned for what they believe. Now, let me be clear ... if your belief system or theology does not align with God's Truth in Scripture, then it is incumbent upon us to avoid agreement with it and attempt to correct it, or at the very least, have an open and loving conversation about our differences, always pointing back to Scripture. But, when the sole purpose of that conversation is to discredit someone [or exclude, ostracize,or make them outcasts] because their understanding of Scripture is different than an established [by men] ritual or doctrine of a particular denomination, then I think we sully the reputation of the Church and cause harm to the Body of Christ.

Could we, for a moment, consider that perhaps God is working through some of these people to bring new understanding to His Word? Or to reveal more of Himself in their experiences? Let's take a quick look at several instances in the Bible where religious ideals were challenged by people who were shunned... yet these outcasts became an integral part of  God revealing His redemptive plan. Think of the Samaritan Woman at the Well and the Woman with the Issue of Blood -- both isolated, spurned, and marginalized because they didn't fit the narrative of what a good Jew looked like. They didn't qualify for the accepted definition of "chosen by God". Yet their stories reflect that no one is disqualified from Jesus's compassion and healing, shattering the social barriers that had kept them isolated. Furthermore, their testimony of Christ's love and acceptance touched lives with His Truth.

The Bible provides more examples of people who are rejected and considered outcasts: the story of the only one of the ten lepers who returns to tell Jesus of his gratitude at his physical healing and the grace of the Lord to accept him, resulting in faith that made him well. Then there is Hagar, through whom God shows us that the world's acceptance of worth does not resemble His; all are cherished in the eyes of God. There are more examples of Biblical characters whom society or the religious communities shunned because they didn't resemble the accepted standards or fit the mold established by "leaders of the faith" ... this describes Leah, Zacchaeus, and the Prodigal Son.

But perhaps there are none more familiar than the Disciples who were shunned and judged by the religious Pharisees because they brought new teachings that came from Christ, Himself. Of course, we know that the religious leaders did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and therefore His revelations were seen as heresy and contrary to orthodox doctrine. Yet those teachings were God's Truth that He wanted revealed to the world. Can you possibly accept that God still works the same through people today? Let me briefly share my experience...

I was exposed to the Church and the Bible at a young age, but was not "raised in the Church", so I did not grow up in a strict religious environment of doctrinal teachings. But in my early thirties, Jesus pursued me and got my attention through a car accident in which He saved my life. I spent the next nearly 30 years, seeking more knowledge of my Lord and Savior, joining a church, and then seeking new churches as my husband and I moved to new locations. As my knowledge of the Bible grew, due to increased personal time studying it with my husband, my spirit became restless, sensing that there was more of God [and Jesus] that He wanted to reveal to me, but I wasn't receiving it from the Church, no matter how hard I tried to find Him there. 

That's when I began to actively pursue my relationship with the Holy Spirit, and responding to His promptings. He made Himself known to me through my intense Bible studying. The result was that the fullness of God (and all the ways He wanted to minister to me and His followers) began to be revealed. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out [Proverbs 25:2]. That was a Biblical Truth that became a stepping stone for my husband and myself, as the Holy Spirit began leading us into more and more of God's Truth and His purpose for our lives. We learned about the power and authority Jesus gave us to do what He commanded: heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers (socially ostracized), raise the dead -- we haven't accomplished that yet, though we have seen Jesus extend the life of individuals [whom Death was trying to claim] when we prayed and laid hands on them; and most importantly we have shared the Good News of salvation through Christ and the inauguration of His Kingdom on earth. We are extremely grateful that God trusts us to be His ambassadors for this time.

BUT, it has also been our experience that organized and institutional religion isn't too fond of those of us who hear differently from God than what has been written in their religious doctrine and Church rules. As the Holy Spirit began to illuminate God's Truth beyond the orthodox teachings of the Church, we began to find ourselves being uncomfortable with the "status quo". We wanted to shout, "People! There is more to God than what we've been taught! He's bigger than the box we have stuffed Him in!" And the experience of becoming shunned was our new reality within the confines of "the building". Whenever we tried to share what the Holy Spirit highlighted in Scripture, our fellow church members looked at us like we had three eyes, and horns were growing out of our head. And it all came to a head one day while I was sitting in a Ladies Bible Study.

I think we were discussing how to deal with feelings of hurt and trauma in our lives, and the Holy Spirit began whispering to me to share a recent, what I would call a "divine revelation", that Jesus had accomplished through a text I had received from a reader of this blog. The short version is that she had suffered sexual trauma in her teens and had been to her pastor, leaders in her women's Bible Study, and other Christian resources to help her with the residual effects of this trauma (depression, suicidal thoughts, and wondering where Jesus was in all of it). But she got no answers to relieve her physical, emotional, or spiritual pain. She said she was telling me her story because I was the last hope for someone to help her, and could I call her? 

At first, I was overwhelmed. We were separated by several states and how could I help her with a phone call? My wise husband asked me, "Do you think Jesus can do that, using you as His instrument of Healing"? I didn't waste a minute and called her. The result was that the Holy Spirit guided me, revealing what Jesus wanted her to hear, and how He wanted to heal her. She had told me [in her text] that she felt like there was a glass wall between her and Jesus. She could see Him, but couldn't hear Him or get to Him. After our session, she told me that she saw that glass wall shatter and she walked into His loving arms and felt His love coursing through her! She wanted the world to know that He was real, and He was alive, and He can heal us! 

Well, that experience had me in tears and thanking Him that He had trusted me to do His bidding. And as I sat there in that Women's Bible Study, listening to women pour out their hearts over the hurts they were struggling to conquer, I wanted them to know He could heal them like He had healed that reader. The Holy Spirit kept whispering, "Tell them". But I fought back out of fear ... "They won't hear me. They won't receive it". Again, the Holy Spirit whispered, "Tell them. The truth will set them free". I finally obeyed and revealed my experience with Jesus and my new friend who now was celebrating her freedom. I was almost immediately discounted and looked at as a heretic, spreading unBiblical deception. One woman went to the Pastor, who renounced my experience and the shunning began.

But my faith had been transformed. I knew the Truth of what the Bible had written about our commission from Jesus. I had followed His commandments (Matthew 10:8) and I had witnessed and experienced His power that comes to disciples willing to trust Him and be guided by the Holy Spirit. My husband and I would refuse to be silenced about the work Jesus still desires to do in the world. We would receive the work of the Holy Spirit to lead us and teach us in our moments of prayer, through the inspiring and revealing words of Scripture, and through all the trials in our lives; helping others to overcome their own trauma and trials. We would commit ourselves to living out our faith with the Holy Spirit's wisdom, counsel, understanding, might, knowledge, and the fear (awesome reverence) of the Lord that He provides.

So, to anyone who feels they have experienced shunning from The Church or Society, do not let that deter you from doing what the Holy Spirit has shown you is bringing glory to God. Learn to hear what the Lord says to you and about you, rather than man's interpretation. ALWAYS ask the Holy Spirit for discernment, and ask permission to reveal what the Lord and Holy Spirit have revealed to you. Perhaps you are being used by God to challenge others to seek more of God's Truth and Wisdom. 

Shunning is not pleasant, and you will need the strength Jesus can provide to endure it. But once you've been convicted that you are receiving the Truth, you can overcome any doubts the Enemy is whispering. Suddenly, what you've read in the Bible makes perfect sense and comes alive! You see just how big our God is, and you are able to proclaim the Gospel message with humility, faith, and clarity. As your walk with the Lord becomes stronger and closer, you will find yourself equipped for service to Him and His Kingdom. Nothing -- and I do mean Nothing -- is more important in this life. Trust in His calling on your life and be bold in walking it out. Be Blessed!     

 1 Corinthians 2:9-10      But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him" -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of. God.