Adstar

I think the Holy Spirit is like being pregnant. You cannot be half pregnant. the Holy Spirit either dwells in you or it does not.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

InHisLove

I have to say a great big AMEN! to this statement Adstar.

I believe the Holy Spirit dwells in all Christians the same. However, it seems He is MORE in me at times and LESS in me at other times. Why? Because, I let my flesh get in the way of my faith.

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Look Forward And Progress!

Look Backward And Run Into Things!

Ben

Dusty,

There was a time (not very long ago actually) that I would have argued with you, (like at least one other did above) but now that I have been "baptised in the Holy Spirit" I will never again doubt the experience. A former pastor of mine used to make fun of Christians who claimed they had received the second touch (or baptism of the Holy Spirit, or entire sanctification) and he led me on to do the same. Never again. My life of agreeing with the forces of darkness every time I got the urge to sin is gone forever, PTL I am free indeed!

My mother used to do something very similar every time I mentioned being born again. She said she was not born again, she didn't know any Christians in the church she attended who were born again, her folks were not born again nor were any of her friends born again. I told her that Jesus said "Ye must be born again" in John 3:3 so she asked her pastor, Reverand Smith. He told her that Jesus told Nicodemus only that he had to be born again (and not everyone else) just like he told the rich young ruler that he had to sell all of his worldy goods and give them to the poor in order to gain eternal life, so she simply pooh pooed the entire experience and continued to attend her old line denominational church that has lost about 4 million members in the last ten years. I told her if that is true then about 99% of the Bible is not for us today. Romans were written to the Romans, we are Americans. Ephesians was written to a group of Christians in Ephesus, Corinthians written to Christians in Corinth etc, etc. Of course Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were not written to anyone other than people named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, so I guess I'm off the hook completely! My name is Ben

Ben

Ben

Mark_18

Funny and very true. Preach it!

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Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE

smellycat

i guess this is when Jesus said i never knew you,meaning we were still sinning so the spirit never comuned.

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1. GOOD BAD SALVATION

Ben

"I never knew you" is considerably different from "I knew you one time but your sinful ways has caused me to negate the promise I made in the holy scriptures." Jesus said in John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." We didn't chose God, God chose us! "John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

The God I serve forgives sin and empowers us by His Holy Spirit to resist the wiles of the devil.

Ben

Boanerges

Just my opinion and my experience.
When we are born again we do indeed receive the Spirit of God but there is a baptism in the Holy Spirit (Mat 3:11) . Also born again believers were instructed to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18)- if we do not abide in the vine the we become dry and lifeless. If God uses us as a vessel He fills us and pours us out on others and we are continually filled.
God is limitless and we can spend our entire lives just getting to know a fragment of His goodness.

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Anything that dims my vision for Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps me in my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me; and I must, as a Christian turn away from it. – J. Wilbur Chapman

Dusty

Thanks , Ben,

People can debate all they like with me but you know what ? I know that I know that each time that I am broken before Him is the time when I feel the Holy Spirit more and I have to say that this morning at the alter the presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong and the annointing so powerful that I could not stop speaking in tongues and tried to speak English but English would not come out, so to all those with doubts, well I can say with all honesty that there is more of the Holy Spirit after we are saved. all we have to do is seek and you will find. And to tell you the truth you will never be the same. Ask my dear brother Mark. He will tell you. Amen and amen. Thank you Jesus.

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Trials prove a Christian

Love confirms a Christian

But death crowns a Christian

revlynn

Mark, the Holy Spirit is not an "it". He is the third person of the Trinity, equally God with the Father and the Son. As God, He is infinite. Infinity cannot be divided - you cannot have a little bit of infinity. The problem is not that we need more of Him, but that we need to give Him more of us.

One day the Church will wake up and realize the awesome fulness of what God has given us.

blessings,

Lynn

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New Social Networking site for Australian Christians

Boanerges

O to go deeper into your river of life my God- I have been walking with Christ almost 30 years and yet I still find depths of His love and presence I have yet to plumb.
Some do not believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (no I am not talking about tongues) but such folk (as I once was) have simply not experienced that yet.

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Anything that dims my vision for Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps me in my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me; and I must, as a Christian turn away from it. – J. Wilbur Chapman