Saturday, November 6, 2010

Hubert Lindsey's testimony about being baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire

This blessed audio was made by Brother Hubert Lindsey who was a former Baptist. It was originally recorded on audio cassette and later transposed to CD format for the edification of the body of Christ. Since then it was posted on http://holy.sermon.net by Brother James Allen and today posted by Rick Roehm on the Churches on Trial. Enjoy the powerful and lifechanging testimony for Christ made by our dear our dear Holy Hubert Lindsey. It Biblically clarifies a Baptism that many denominations do not accept or fully understand. May the content of this audio bless you all richly in the Lord Jesus Christ. It can be downloaded, e-mailed, or shared...just click menu on the player below.

Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire

Friday, November 5, 2010

Man struggled to keep the Law of Moses. Calvary took away that struggle.

In order to see human struggle more clearly let's go back before Christ died at Calvary. To a time of the dispensation of the Law of Moses before Grace came, before the Spirit of God flowed from the cross at Calvary, and before the Church the body of Christ came into play as we know it today.

A Jewish man grew up in a religious culture to do religious works in the domestic life, in the social life, and in his personal life before God. From his youth he worked to learn and to keep the Law of Moses or he was a violator to the commandments of God, which were 613. The first five books of the Old Testament contain these 613 commands given by God, not just the 10 commandments written in the tables of stone. Jewish religious works were difficult and daunting to keep and practice. Man struggled daily to learn and practice the many ordinances and statutes that the Law of Moses required him to keep in order to be holy before God. The Law of Moses required the righteous works of man which every Jewish man struggled to do. The reason it was a struggle for man to keep the Law of Moses is because of the rebellious will of man, the Adamic nature.

The Adamic nature was in total opposition to the Law of Moses. God said to do... the human nature says don't do it. The inner struggle of a Jewish man to obey God was almost endless because his natural will was forever inclined to disobey the Law of God. There was no full time operation of the Holy Spirit (as we know the Spirit in the Church today) to lead, to guide, and to direct the practitioner of the Law of Moses. Under Law righteousness was not a gift from Heaven as we know it through Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. The righteousness of the Law was achieved and advanced toward by the religious works of a Jewish man. Only self, human will, and man's natural inclinations and tendencies were able to govern man's choices and decisions to do right. This was a problem for man under the Law of Moses because of inherited unrighteousness that man was born with. Man had to struggle with all he had to live up to God's standard of righteousness. That's why men under the Law of Moses failed over and over again without victory. There was no victory for man over the inner struggle before Christ went to Calvary and birthed the Church, the body of Christ.

During the period of the Law of Moses men had no power from God's Grace like we have it today in the Church, the body of Christ. Men of old had only future hope in prophecy of a Messiah who would be despised and rejected of men. They had no actual crucifixion of a Saviour to die once at Calvary which in turn offered a blessed and eternal forgiveness for their personal sins. Under the Law of Moses men only had a Levitical Priesthood, a particular priest, and a Temple that offered only a place for men in Israel once a year to take our lambs, goats, and bullocks as a sin offering for their yearly atonement. The Law of Moses offered man no redemptive work of Salvation within the heart and being like Salvation today. The Law of Moses gave no freedom from the guilt of sin that men bear in their hearts and conscience. Under the Law of Moses men carried the whole load of guilt in the conscience. Under the Law men struggled to do as God said because the inclination of man wanted to do differently. Men wanted to go their own way and not the way of God. Men struggled daily to learn and obey the 613 commandments of which if they broke one Law they were guilty of them all.

James 2:10...For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

How blessed we are today in the Church to have a Saviour who said, "It is finished"! What Jesus meant by that statement is man no longer had to struggle to be right with God. Righteousness would now come into the human soul as a gift from God through man's belief and trust in what Christ did for each and every believer personally, on Calvary's Cross. The Law was abolished and Grace came into play! Man would no longer have to bear the burden of guilt for all past sins because Christ was the chastisement of our peace. Jesus said after His death, "It is finished". The conscience of a believer in Christ is freed from guilt by the Grace of God. Christ suffered and died on the cross at Calvary so man wouldn't have to struggle to do right. Human works of the Law of Moses were taken out of the picture and the finished work of Christ at Calvary became the center stage for all humanity. This Divine Revelation comes through the preaching of the Gospel. In the Church age now... man could be made right by the Grace of God because Christ said it is finished! Christ suffered and died so we wouldn't have to struggle anymore like men of Israel struggled to keep the Law of Moses. Even holiness today is not achieved by man's obedience to keep the Law of Moses. Holiness is enacted by the Grace of God that flows from the effects of a Saviour on the cross which in turn reflects upon the human soul of a believer in Christ.

There is no struggle under Grace to do right in the eyes of God, but under the Law of Moses it was a constant struggle to keep the Law of Moses. In Christianity there is no bondage from religious works, its simply liberty and peace found when the person of Christ takes over your heart and life. The blessing of the Holy Spirit comes in and makes the unsaved man a child of God. Under Grace man can have power from above to govern his actions and conduct! Glory! A man under Grace doesn't have to follow rules, statutes, laws, and commands. Under Grace the heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit becomes the law of God in the heart of a believer. No more need to offer animal sacrifice once a year. Christ was made sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! Under Grace it is not a struggle to be holy in the eyes of God because holiness is found through personal enlightenment to the Christ of Salvation. Holiness of heart is found when personal forgiveness is found in the new birth. Christ meant what He said, "It is finished". Not more struggle for man to do! It's about what Christ did! It's about what Christ is doing now from the Throneroom! Human works to achieve God were finished at Calvary! Now, God comes into the heart and character of man as a result of belief and trust in Christ and His finished work on the cross at Calvary. Men under the Law of Moses could not experience this great treasure and blessing. Glory, we can today in the Church under Grace.

Christ took away our struggles at the cross at Calvary. Hallelujah! Christ gave us a better life today in Christianity than any man could ever work for under the Law of Moses. Hallelujah! We walk in the God-given Spirit not in the flesh. Under the Law the flesh directed mans footsteps. Under Grace the Spirit of God directs our footsteps.

Rom 8:3-4...For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,

Aren't you glad we're under the blessing of Divine Grace today in the Church, instead of the Law given on Mt. Sinai?

Rom 6:14-15...for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Man doesn't struggle to have the Grace of God. Grace doesn't come by human works. Grace is the operation of the power of God's Salvation in the human soul. Grace makes men the workmanship of God not by human works but by the finished work of Christ that flows from Calvary. Men do not struggle to obtain Grace. Grace is freely given because of your personal belief and acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour. Under law men struggled! Under Grace men receive the blessing of Christianity..."freely".

Rom 8:32...He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

1 Cor 2:12...Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Holy Spirit (the reprover) deals with the negative side of life

In God's plan for humanity it was necessary for Christ to go to Calvary so that the Holy Spirit could minister to the hearts of men in the unbelieving world. The power of Calvary is ministered through the preaching of the Gospel message. The Holy Spirit is behind the preaching of Christ and shows sinful men what they really are in light of our Saviour. At Calvary...the Church was birthed. The law was abolished and the Grace of God was given to allow the ministry of the Holy Spirit to deal with the negative side of humanity.

When Jesus foretold of His death at Calvary He called the great blessing of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. The Comforter came after Christ's death at Calvary. Jesus knew of the comfort the Holy Spirit could provide fallen man with after His ascension to the Father. Jesus knew the Holy Spirit would reveal His presence and holiness...and reprove man of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit...a reprover...shows man who Christ is. The Holy Spirit...a reprover...shows man what he really is in light of the person of Christ. The Holy Spirit..a reprover...ministers truth, holiness, and righteousness to the heart of man and to the unbelieving world.

Jesus sent the Comforter to "reprove" and deal with the negative side of humanity. The purpose of the ministry of Holy Spirit is to reach the unbelieving world with the truth about who Christ is and what Christ does within the Church, the body of Christ, today. The unbelieving world has to recognize Christ in order for their fallen will to be broken. A broken will allows Christ to get man's attention. Only God has the power to break the rebellious will of fallen man. The Holy Spirit has the power to reprove, convict, and break the human will enough to cause fallen man to turn to Christ and receive Him as Saviour and Redeemer. The Holy Spirit sways the heart of man to repentance. The Holy Spirit sways the heart of man to belief and acceptance of Christ. The Holy Spirit "reproves" and "convicts" man just enough to get him to Salvation.

Examine the following words of Christ concerning the Comforter, closely.

John 16:7-11...Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

This is why Christ commanded us to preach the Gospel. It's the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit behind the Gospel message that reproves, sways, and converts the human soul to Salvation. Glory to God! The Spirit of God shows us who Christ is, then we see ourselves as we really are. The Holy Spirit reproves! The Holy Spirit deals with the negative side of life.