Angels are ... EVERYWHERE!!

I had an unusal experience and encounter with God today on a much-needed day off. I have always been challenged and provoked by Rob Rufus's plea that we cannot just live from conference to conference in encountering Him. Rob said;

"If I don't experience the Presence of God daily then I get lonely".

It didn't depress me or condemn me because Rob isn't that kind of teacher. But it did provoke me! Every day I have been waking up wondering if God would reveal Himself to me! This morning was no different. I was blessed by much sleep but didn't wake up feeling particularly heavenly. However my faith was stirred by a message from my dear friend Pete. He wrote this;

"Last night at the end of the service, Malcolm's dad Alasdair, led the closing hymn after he preached (love divine). And when we get to the line "suddenly return and never, never more Thy temples leave" I had a brief glimpse of heaven open and the angels flying over us as we worshipped. It was very brief, but it was so real. The heavens are open!".

I was driving into town after reading that stirring, wonderful encounter and I was listening to the "Glory and Grace Conference" sessions. The amazing prophet Isi de Gersigny sang a prophetic song and a line (that I have heard before) really caught me;

"Light and glory come from the Eternal Throne".

For some reason I found tears running down my face. As I was driving in two thoughts came clearly to me. Firstly I asked God; "Why am I 30 and I am only beginning to see angels? Why is this the first time I have heard from Pete about him seeing angels? What's wrong with us?!". I heard God clearly reply and sound quite amused. He said;

"Son you have only just started to see angels because you haven't really been looking. And secondly you haven't seen them because you didn't think you were worthy. You aren't worthy. But My Son is, and that's the only price required".

I had to sit in the car in the car park for a while and gather myself but as I got up and began to walk through the Bullring Shopping Centre I began to feel that something was different. I hope I can describe this experience. You know how sometimes you can see someone out of the corner of your eye and yet when you turn to look at the person they are gone. Darting away like they were never there? That was my feeling. I was walking through hundreds of shoppers yet had the sense that there were other beings in the shopping centre. Angels were walking through - angels were following some of the shoppers. I could hear the rustling of robes.

I was standing waiting for Scott at one point and looking across a balcony at another cafe and I had the distinct feeling that someone was smiling at me. No mistake. Yet when I looked there was no one there. What to make of all this?! Was I losing my mind?! As I stood there revelling in the Presence of God in that shopping centre, an old charismatic song we used to sing in New Covenant Church in Dunstable came back to my mind. A line was;

"When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of You ... I worship You, I worship You - the reason I live is to worship You".

I felt God impressing on me that the veil between heaven and earth is becoming thin. Angelic manifestations occured in the Bible! Why don't we see them now? Does the fact that we don't see them prove that they are not present or here? Not at all - the problem is ours. The angels are there. But we simply need to look. The angels are ... EVERYWHERE!! I texted Pete and told him all that had happened. I save his texts because there is so much teaching wisdom in them. He replied;

"Well we prayed that God would meet with you today! In Leviticus the priest must go in with blood, "lest he die". But Hebrews says that Jesus has gone in with His own blood so THERE IS NO WRATH. The blood covers the tabernacle (which contains the 10 Commandments - so all the times we have broken the law are covered). So only light and glory come out. The veil protected us before from the fire of God burning us up. Now the veil is torn because it is SAFE for His glory to come out and it is safe for us to go in. No more wrath - only light and glory!".

Please hear what I am saying. I am not bragging of some ridiculous hyper-spirituality or a vivid imagination. I was in a shopping centre for crying out loud! I am trying to raise faith. If God in His grace will show me this - then what will He pour out for us all? Angels are ... EVERYWHERE! Let's start looking because when we see them truly - they will point to Jesus Christ - risen, glorified and exalted!

Are You Giving? Are You Receiving?

When Scott wrote his review of "Together on a Mission 2007" he bemoaned the lack of Dave Holden's contribution to the preaching ministry last year. He had a fair point. I love Dave Holden! He is very practical and down-to-earth in the way he imparts truth but that truth is life-changing. I spent a quiet Sunday afternoon re-visiting some of the past "Together on a Mission" DVD's that I have got in my library and was taken by this point.

It is far too easy to get caught up in the politics of arguing which speaker would be best to speak at a conference but we can forget why conferences are actually of benefit to us. Yes Mark Heath wrote recently that they can be "feasts of the Word" when Mark Driscoll comes to visit. But I prefer to see conferences as Rob Rufus instructed Mobilise in July. They are high points of encountering God - where the opportunity is available to "learn the address of the Holy Spirit". To be able to go back to our homes, towns, cities and nations and remember how we can encounter God in power. Why is that important?

Dave Holden had one answer:



Yes it is vital that we encounter God for our own personal walks with Him. We must get to know Him as "Abba!" - our intimate and loving heavenly Father who has so much to pour out and lavish on us. But we also must get to know Him because there is a lost and needy world out there who are just as desperate to encounter reality. And what greater reality than the Living and awesome God - Creator of the Universe!

Are you receiving the Holy Spirit in power? Are you "be being filled"? If so - are you giving out? Are you ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not? Am I being filled with the Spirit like a wind filling my sails so I am moving? Am I ministering the Holy Spirit in power? If not, why not?

When Were You Last Filled with the Holy Spirit?

I have decided that I am not very subtle when I enthusiastic about someone! Anyone who's been following the blogs for a while will know that I am benefiting hugely from Rob Rufus's teaching and ministry at the moment! But the Bible does talk about proving all things - being overly cautious and cynical is just as wrong and dangerous as accepting teaching without question at all. I have been re-reading Gordon Fee's marvellous "God's Empowering Presence" in preparation for my trip to Hong Kong and was excited to read his exposition on 2 Corinthians 3. Fee's exposition sounds remarkably Rufus-like!!

Fee starts off by writing;

"Paul begins with a contrast between the respective ministries of the two Covenants with "glory" appearing as the dominant motif".

Glory!! Since encountering Rob Rufus at "Together on a Misson 2006" I must confess my concept of the word "glory" was limited to heaven. How wrong can I be?! Fee goes on to write about the Old Covenant glory;

"It was a glory that could not be seen by the original recipients and was in any case intended to fade away".

I have fallen into the trip before that I believe other Christians have also followed in struggling to come to terms with the Scriptural promise that the New Covenant glory is FAR more glorious than the Old! My relationship with the Holy Spirit is so feeble that I have looked back into history at the Israelites who could see the cloud of glory and have been jealous of them. This is un-Scriptural. Gordon Fee (like Rob Rufus) makes the direct connection between the glory of the New Covenant and the Holy Spirit;

"The glory of the New Covenant continues because it is of the Spirit".

This is why the Holy Spirit is not an optional extra! We must - like Kathryn Kuhlman - get to know Him and get to learn how He talks, moves and works. But above all Gordon Fee - like Rob Rufus - emphasises that the Holy Spirit brings a vital element of freedom to us - the New Covenant believers.

"Thus the Spirit brings freedom, the kind of freedom, that allows God's new covenant people to be, as Moses was, in God's very Presence and there to behold the glory of God".

It is wrong to excuse the lack of God's manifest Presence and develop a theology of His omni-presence as that reason for why He is not manifesting Himself! The whole object of the New Covenant is that the veil has been torn in two and we can "walk boldly into the throne room of heaven!". Yes indeed Jesus has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us - but we cannot deny that throughout the Bible there is a distinct difference between God's ominpresence and His manifest Presence. Let us cry like the prophets; "Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down!".

Finally in the footnote Gordon Fee goes on to make an important note;

"Paul's point throughout remains singular; for the Corinthians now to pick up the Law is to retrogress - in this case to be like the very people who still have veils over their hearts because they lack the freedom of the Spirit".

Again pure-Rufus! Paul does not react to the Corinthian's excess by bringing them back into Law! To make such a transition is to "retrogress". Lacking the freedom of the Spirit is to have a veil over their hearts. We must resist the grace-hating spirits at all costs and ensure that the Holy Spirit has complete freedom to come and do what He will when He will in our churches!

It occured to me after reading this chapter in "God's Empowering Presence" - until we can truly believe 2 Corinthians 3:1-4 - that being in the New Covenant truly IS more glorious than the Old then surely we will to a degree always be stuck in Old Covenant mentality and practice and action. And that's not a good thing. Let's get believing the Bible and encountering the Holy Spirit!

So to my original question! Gordon Fee writes of being filled with the Holy Spirit;

"On Ephesians 5:18; Here then is the ultimate imperative in the Pauline corpus - God's people so filled by/with the Spirit's own Presence that they come to know God in all His fullness and reflect the way they live in relationship to one another and God Himself".

As Rob Rufus said there is much MUCH more to being filled with the Holy Spirit than simply being a "half empty cup needing to be filled up to full". The filling of the Holy Spirit means that we can come to know God in all His fullness - His Presence - His glory. When were we last filled with the Spirit!? When did we last allow our sails of faith to be stretched out fully and to feel the wind of the Spirit fill us and take us to places we have never dreamt of!? We don't have to be particularly "holy" or "righteous" to receive Him. As Rob Rufus said - God is looking for yielded vessels not perfect vessels.

Come Holy Spirit!

"Let Your Rain Fall Down" by Kate Simmonds

One of the songs I have been enjoying the most on the new Live Worship CD from "Together on a Misson 2007" was Kate Simmonds powerful song which is a cry for the Presence of God to come manifest itself amongst God's people - it's called "Let Your Rain Fall Down". One of my most vivid memories of singing this (and I think this is when the recording was done) was just after Rob Rufus had spoken to the conference and the Spirit of God was brooding over the conference hall. I found it quite difficult to actually stay standing up (which is a first for me during worship). I wasn't the only one - Scott and Pete did too! But here are the lyrics - if you want to truly experience how powerful it is then go buy the CD!

We Bow Before the Holy One (Let Your Rain Fall Down).

We bow before the Holy One as You meet us in this place,

Here we'll be still know You are God as You meet us in this place,

Abandoned to Your praise, I give my life to Your glory Lord.

Chorus: Let Your rain fall down, let Your rain fall down, let Your rain fall down - on us.

I hear the sound of heavy rain, let Your glory fill this place,

Oh power of heaven fall again, let Your glory fill this place,

This dry and weary land - cries out for Your revival, Mighty God!

God of Elijah send the rain, come and flood this land again,

With your justice and compassion with your hope and restoration,

With Your gospel of salvation come and heal this broken nation!

Let there be a visitation - change us with Your revelation,

With power to capture the attention, to captivate a generation,

Let us see Your glory Lord! Let us see Your glory!

Rob Rufus - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit" - 3

Here are my notes from the 2nd in Rob Rufus's sermon series - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit - His Names, Titles and Operations". The notes from the first sermon are here and the second sermon is here. I am so thankful to God for the internet that makes it possible for me to follow with City Church International, Hong Kong - this incredible series!! Rob preached this sermon last Sunday on the 23rd September.

"This conference is Glenda's initiative coming from God. As we have travelled the world many leaders have asked to come and stay in our home in Hong Kong and learn about the grace of God and signs and wonders. It is an honour that they want to come - but this conference was birthed to serve the international community. But we are only 3 years old and we are hosting an international community! God will bless us as we serve them. Have sent out 1, 500 letters to Hong Kong church leaders. Hillsong host a conference for 2 weeks every year and doctors and dentist will take time off to drive delegates to the conference. God is calling us to show just such generosity. Let's go over the top with exaggerated kindness to make our international guests to feel welcome. This will be a trigger and a catalyst as we welcome the international community! We want a flood of Cantonese people coming.

I am tired of Christian celebrities and conferences that announce the coming of a guru. God is bringing a seaon where He is using the little people of the Kingdom who don't know what they are doing and have no self-confidence. This is the Kingdom. Once they have had a taste of miracles these people will go for more broken limbs and deaf ears.

"(John 5, 14) Jesus said that the people didn't have to believe Him if they didn't see miracles and just so the Church can stand up to an unbelieving society and say you don't have to believe us if you don't see miracles".

"Your Kingdom is not about knowing concepts and bible academics and cerebral information but Your Kingdom is about divine encounters that translate into doing the ministry of the Lord Jesus".

The apostle Paul didn't come parading his intelligence and academics but came with weakness and fear and trembling. His words were not wise and persuasive but with a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. To make change we must dial down on our enthusiasm for the flesh and increase our dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. This week I tried to raise someone from the dead - I am happy to report that I failed because that offends me and provokes me because it should be done as a normal practice. Jesus said "Go out ... raise the dead ... freely you have received and freely give". The secret is humility and weakness. Dial down the enthusiasm of the flesh. You tried to make this thing happen. The flesh of man represents human ability. You can't take responsibility for raising the dead - you can't do it - but I can. You dial down the flesh and I will dial up the power of My Spirit.

"The whole theme of Galatians is grace versus law or human flesh versus the supernatural. Whenever you see the word "flesh" in Galatians it means human effort trying to be righteous under the law of God".

But sadly the NIV translated "flesh" as "sinful nature" and it is very misrepresented. The Bible talks of Jesus coming in "flesh" which would then mean He came in "sinful nature". In the book of Galatians it says if you walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. If you get to know the nuances of the Spirit then you will not elevate your flesh or dial it up in self-righteousness. In Galatians 6 it talks of "sowing to the flesh ... sowing to the Spirit". Eternal life doesn't mean living forever - we will all live forever either in heaven or hell! (John 17) "This is eternal life ... that you know Him".

"Eternal life means that you have a divine encounter with the living God and that you live with God and know God and hear His voice!".

If you live in the Spirit then you will experience eternal life! Want to talk today about the Holy Spirit in different titles and different Names because His Names reveal different aspects of His character to us. Pull the Word out of me today - have had to walk through intense spiritual opposition today because of this word. It is time to hear this word today. (Galatians 4:6) "Because you are sons God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts that calls out "Abba! Father!". The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of His Son. That means that Spirit causes you to call out "Abba! Father!". It means "Papa!" or "Daddy!".

This isn't an academic doctrinal position but an experience - this is the Spirit of His Son bringing revelation that you are no longer a slave under law. God will no longer disapprove of you but you now have the FULL rights of a son!

Under the law God promises that He will not forget sin. Under grace and New Covenant He promises He will not remember our sins.

The Gospel is a revelation of how right you are with God through Christ Jesus. Jesus identified with you at your worst on the Cross so you can identify with Him at His best at the right hand of the Father.

Faith lives from the invisble realm where we are seated with Christ Jesus.

As you focus on grace there comes a mental peace to your life because grace takes the focus from your unworthiness to Christ's worthiness. It is not just Abba Father but it is a manifestation of the revelation that we have full rights as a son!

These truths are current now! All of that transacted - you move out from Old Covenant thinking into New. This doesn't just get you to heaven but brings mental peace on the earth.

The majority of people in South Africa are there who are mentally damaged and bruised because they were in shame-based churches who preached Old Covenant Law. If we do not preach the good news of the Gospel we are producing mental illness in the Church.

It is an incredible responsibility to preach and teach the Word of God. Much preaching and teaching is dressed up to look like New Covenant teaching but it is Law-based and Old Covenant.

Under the New Covenant if you are sinning currently and your sin stops God's favour on your life then your sin is more powerful than the favour of God.

Romans 5 says where sin abounds grace abounds much more. There are so few miracles in the church because there is so much flesh in the church trying to make you try harder. When the Spirit comes then revelation comes that we are sons with full inheritance. If you think that being holy means keeping the law and go on to break one, then God sees you as breaking every law. You lie and God sees you as not just a liar but an adulterer, an idolater, a murderer. But grace on the other hand sees you as permamently righteous! Grace abounds much more under the New Covenant!

Everywhere you teach this - alarms go off and people say "You are giving people a license to sin". I have checked the church out worldwide. They are sinning without a license! But in legalistic churches people just get better at sinning in secret.

Colossians 2 says we have been made complete in Christ! (2 Corinthians 3:7) - the ministry which brought death came with a fading glory. God has removed the ceremonial law of the 10 Commandments. What was written on tablets of stone? The 10 Commandments! We try so hard to keep the law but break one and we break them all! Try and sustain the flesh and you dial down on the supernatural! The reason the Israelites worshipped the golden calf was because they were self-righteous already. God brought them out of slavery already and announced the law already and told them to keep it fully. If you fully obey all the 10 Commandments the blessings will come! Israel should have said - no! We can't keep them! But they said - everything You say, we will do. So while God wrote the 10 Commandments they were worshipping the idol.

Please don't tell me law-keeping makes you holy. It doesn't. It makes you self-righteous.

The New Covenant starts in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost and they came down from the Upper Room drunk they were so full of God! The people down below had done something worst than a golden calf! They had crucified the Lord of glory yet got saved that very same day! Who could wipe out the 10 Commandments? God could. Colossians 2:14 - God cancelled the written code of the rules against you and nailed it to the Cross, triumphing over principalities and powers at the Cross!

When the Church preaches the Law to God's people, it re-arms a disarmed devil and gives condemnation rule in the Church again and cripples the working of the supernatural in the Church.

The Law was given (Galatians 3:23) to expose self-righteousness and to show them how unholy they were. People can see that the Law is standard exposing arrogance and pride and must throw ourselves on the New Covenant and the grace of God in Christ Jesus. People can sit and hear the message of grace but it's controversial because legalistic people ALWAYS want to bully and dominate people who are in grace. Pride says we can't embrace the message of grace because it looks like we have been wrong. That is being a Pharisee. They claimed they studied the Scriptures about the coming Messiah and yet He stood in front of them and because He was different they rejected Him. They were men of the letter - cerebral men. When you have the living Word of the Living Spirit - when something new shows up you have never seen before and it is God, you seize it. If it is a counterfeit then you can reject it and know it straight away. But if you live as a slave to religious systems you will worry and fret.

Look for the phrase; "Full rights as sons". (Galatians 4:1) "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying Abba ... you are also an heir ...". Don't have a heart for religious calenders. Every day is a day to walk with God.

The first sign of legalism is that you lose your joy. What has happened to all your joy? The hardest thing as a preacher is to stir joy within a legalist.

Ishmael was born by ordinary means but Isaac was born by the power of God. Haggi and Sarah represent the two Covenants. The Covenant wrote on Mount Sinai produces slaves but the Covenant Sarah represents produces free men and free women. Who is your Mother? Romans 7 says we were married to the Law but then died to the Law! Some Christians commit spiritual adultary and go from the Law to Sarah. They don't know which one they belong to. Who is your Mother?! Haggi or Sarah? Even people of grace can be barren sometimes - you can have famine in the middle of favour. You are allowed to be joyful in barrenness!

Legalistic people love to dominate, control, elevate themselves as elitist and they love titles and control. They hate people of grace. They always point out your failures and your shortfalls and hate anything that encourages and uplifts.

Jesus the great High Priest wore ordinary clothes and let people call Him "Jesus". I am Rob. Not Pastor Rob or Rev Rob. That's why millions are leading institutional churches. But millions are gathering under the banner of grace. Don't be discouraged at the millions who are leaving.

It's better to be in the Caves of Adullum in David's Army than under Saul's legalistic rule.

The slavewoman's son will never share in the freewoman's inheritance. Kick the controlling spirit of witchcraft out! Get rid of condemnation! You are born under grace and have full rights as sons! Freedom! You don't need titles to be important but signs and wonders and the voice and Presence of God! What does the name Isaac mean? We are not children of the slave woman but the free woman! "Stand firm and do not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery". The yoke of slavery is the Law! We have churches around the world desperate for freedom but feel burdened by their sins. Everyone sins in this room! I don't encourage that - but even when you sin, you are STILL a son of God!

My obedience or disobedience does not make me righteous or unrighteous - my righteousness depends on the righteousness of the One Christ Jesus! Grace provides God's gift of righteousness!

The Law says "Do - do - do" to earn God's favour but grace says "It's DONE - you HAVE God's favour!".

Isaac means "Laughter". What is Sarah? Grace! What did grace give birth to? LAUGHTER! When the Toronto Blessing hit the earth, why did the majority of the Church call it blasphemy or evil? Why is joy frowned upon by most of the Church? Because they are children of Haggi. They felt elite because their failure to laugh is proof of their zealousness for God. Rather they are children of the slavewoman. When grace and Abraham got together they gave birth to laughter! What happens when you truly get a revelation of the grace of God? Laughter and joy will be birthed in your life!

Some teach that even if you don't have it now, just keep praising and He will give it to you. Error. Law - law - flesh - flesh! You have it NOW! You are not praising as a work of the flesh to earn it. You have it NOW! You are not praising to earn something! Maybe we have barrenness in our lives. Children - relationships - finance - husbands or wives.

When barrenness goes on in an area of our lives for a long time and are living in grace and believing in grace, yet grace doesn't seem to produce results, the temptation is to go back and try through the law to produce fruit. NO! If you are living in grace and haven't seen the signs and wonders in your life yet and are tempted to go back to a works programme of prayer and fasting and behavioural modification programmes you will drive yourself into insantity and become a religious nutter.

It is not your prayer and fasting that produces the supernatural in your life but rather your INHERITANCE in your life and one day you lay your hand on someone and miracles take place not because you have earned it but because of who your Father is.

(John 14:12) "I pray the Father and He will send you the Comforter who will abide with you forever". How many people can spend 9 hours in their prayer closet every day of the week? If that's what it takes to produce miracles then it is reserved for a few lucky full time guys. That's a works programme so that the Body of Christ will refer to gurus seeking them for themselves and what they do to earn the miracles.

Our heart in this church is to produce the Priesthood of every believer to run with the freedom of the New Covenant! Hong Kong needs it!

There are millions of God's people under the control of manipulating leaders who have taught the law and put them under such confusion and slavery and when they hear the light of grace and freedom and it is too much for those damaged souls and so they creep back into their pitholes of slavery. As a leader I need to be very patient and love and care for the people and bring them gently out into the glorious freedom and light of the Holy Spirit.

Don't come under the Law in trying to be free from the Law. The only One who can help you be free from the Law is the Spirit of His Son.

Rob Rufus - "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit"

Having an hour or so to spare at my parents before I go to work, I thought I can do no better than to take some notes from Rob Rufus's latest sermon from City Church International, Hong Kong. He has just begun a mighty series called "Knowing the Person of the Holy Spirit - His Names, Titles and Operations" (Sounds kind of Puritan doesn't it?!). So here are the notes from Part 1 preached on the 9th September (I'm typing as I listen);

"The Church in it's purest form was birthed by God in a state of supernatural drunkenness, liberty and freedom and they never were more in the plan, will and pattern of God drunk in the Holy Spirit. As the Church got more and more sober and intellectual and cerebral and intellectual, the Church got more and more out of the pattern and the will of God".

The Church was birthed under the Anointing! Peter preached an ordinary sermon and 3,000 got saved. It isn't how clever or how spiritual we are - it is whether we have God in our midst. If we have a lot of God in our midst then a lot of things take place!

"What the Church calls 'decently and in order', they mean by that is conservatism, the control of man, noone gets saved, no devils come out of people, no one gets miraculously healed, no blind eyes opened, no deaf ears opened, no one is raised from the dead and no one gets excited about Jesus! That is 'decent and in order' - the order of the graveyard".

"We are decently and in order - of the Resurrection Life!".

What's just happened is the message. Last checked - God is in a good mood and He is planning on being in a good mood for the next billion trillion years because of the Cross of Jesus! Why are we wanting to let our lives be soaked and saturated in the Holy Spirit? One of the words speaking of the Holy Spirit is "baptismo". A cloth would be "baptismo" into a dye and the very fabric and substance of the cloth would come out a different colour.

"God wants to "baptismo" us into the glory so we are saturated, immersed, filled with God and wherever we go there is an outflow of the excessive abundance of the Presence of God!"

The more of God coming into your life - two things will happen - 1. You will have an intimacy with God. The word "intimacy" speaks of being "One". Intimacy with God exceeds every other desire and passion in our lives. Burdens and anxiety will lift off you when you are intimate with God. God said; "Son they are trying to get New Testament results through Old Testament methods. I will come through New Testament grace in New Testament power and THEN My people will pray and fast!". Revival has come! It's here! It is not the time to get caught up in the cares and worries of this world. We have been waiting 400 years for the inheritance that is ours! Don't waste this life now!

"We have crossed the Jordan and we are going in! If you are legalistic and stay on the wrong side of the Jordan, your manna is drying up and it's tough! We are no longer wandering in the wilderness eating manna, going around and around mountains! We have replaced desert with vineyards we never sowed, houses we didn't build, land we didn't buy - and milk and honey is ours now!".

In the heart of all this there are lukewarm Christians caught up with worries!

"We need to get away from Christians who have a form of godliness but deny the power!".

Lukewarm Christians who serve when it is convinient! So firstly we must know the Holy Spirit because of INTIMACY - secondly because of INFLUENCE. The Holy Spirit will give you influence. "3, 000 saved" - that is influence! There is an influence coming from another realm of glory! That is quite different from dry evangelism knocking on doors and trying to get people converted.

"New Testament evangelism is that you get drunk in the Holy Spirit, get so free in God with an influence of the Presence of God and THEN people's hearts are touched!".

Speaking to over 20, 000 people every week through our website. That is influence! Preaching and speaking on God Channel - that is favour! Shut the TV and the cell phone off and go and get into His Presence! This series on the Holy Spirit will be a 6 to 8 part series as we head towards our Glory and Grace Conference. Some of you have felt the Presence of God and not sure what to do with it.

"This isn't for special people or special moments - this is your daily inheritance and your daily privilidge. This isn't through the Father or the Son - this is through the Spirit and He is equal to the Father and the Son!".

There is only one God but three distinct Persons - the most transcendent and mysterious doctrine. You don't have to understand it!

"There are too many people thinking instead of drinking!".

The more you know the Holy Spirit, the more you fellowship with the Holy Spirit - He will reveal Jesus to you and you will have access to the Father and you will have encounters with heaven through the member of the Godhead on the earth. If you want encounters with Jesus it isn't about how much you do or do not sin, or pray or do not pray. This is the New Covenant - not the Old Covenant!

"The Holy Spirit is not third in importance - His function is third but His importance is not! He is a Person, not a power and not a force".

If the Holy Spirit is a power we will want to get hold of it BUT if the Holy Spirit is a Person then we will want Him to get hold of us. If the Holy Spirit is a power then we will want it to accomplish our will and whim BUT the Holy Spirit is a Person then we will want to surrender to Him in awe and wonder. If the Holy Spirit is power then we will feel superior and proud we have it BUT if the Holy Spirit is a Person then in His great love the Third Person of the Trinity has chosen to dwell within us.

One of the greatest workers of miracles in the last century was Kathryn Kuhlman and she said; "We do not use the Holy Spirit - He uses us. He is not looking for perfect or holy vessels - He is looking for yielded vessels fully surrendered to Him".

That is what holiness is - yielding to Him. The Father plans everything, the Son pays for everything at the Cross and every good gift comes from the Father. (James 1:16) "Comes from the Father" but it must come through the Son.

"You can only experience it when you walk in the Spirit and know the Holy Spirit. If you don't know the Holy Spirit you cannot receive the Father's blessing because they don't know the Holy Spirit".

Evangelical conservative legalistic Christians do not know the Holy Spirit because He must be walked with in daily occurances. We want to talk about His titles and His Names so we can get insight into what He is like and what He does so we can get to know Him.

He is known as the Holy Spirit - He is a Spirit who is holy. He will always treat you in a pure way - never in an abusive way. He will always treat you with purity, integrity - He is moral - never legalistic. Demonic spirits that the New Age operate by are lying spirits that promise power. Demons make people sick and so when psychics pray for you the demons will lift off and you can feel a measure of healing. The Western world is opening up to the New Age in an unprecedented way. The Holy Spirit is a Holy Spirit - a lovely, wonderful Spirit of God.

(Psalm 51:11) "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me". David understood that without the Holy Spirit - he was finished. Many Christians today wouldn't even know the Holy Spirit had gone if He left!

Without the Holy Spirit, finite demons will get you addicted to all kinds of darkness but the Holy Spirit promises He will never leave us or forsake us. If Jesus won't leave us or forsake us then neither will the Holy Spirit because He is the revealer of Jesus to us!

"Much of the church will tell you that the way to a clear conscience is to "DO". Rubbish! It hasn't worked for centuries! That makes the people of God more condemned! (Hebrews 9) - You don't get a clear conscience by doing good and serving! You get a clear conscience by the power of God and the New Covenant".

"A perfect Saviour - a perfect sacrifice at the Cross perfectly satisfied the Father on our behalf and a perfectly satisfied Father gives you and me a perfectly clear conscience".

Our conscience is based on the eternal finished work of the Cross. The Father looks at me and says "Conscience clear!". Too many Christians don't have clear consciences because they don't believe the debt has been paid. There were people today in this room who were sitting passively watching people get blessed and hoping that one day they would be holy enough to encounter God - that is Old Covenant thinking!

"Legalistic self-righteous arrogance says we have a clear conscience because of what we do!".

The Father gives the Holy Spirit to people who don't deserve Him but He will give the Spirit in abundance! (Luke 11:13). He is also called the Spirit of God! (Genesis 1:1-3). Once the Spirit of God moves in your life things will take on form and order and beauty and light. (Romans 8:14). He is called the Spirit of the Lord! These different titles mean different things! (Judges 6:34) "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon". When the Spirit came upon Gideon - 300 men destroyed an army of 3, 000.

"The Spirit of the Lord comes on people like Samson and Gideon and you to defeat overwhelming numbers that oppose you. To stand here and believe we can touch China and influence millions of people around the earth because we believe He is the Spirit of the Lord. Numbers and opposition and sieges and mountains cannot hold us in IF we walk in the Spirit of the Lord!"

It MUST be the Spirit of the Lord coming upon you that will defeat the devil. You cannot face overwhealming numbers without the Spirit of the Lord.

He just wants to be with you because you have been justified freely through the blood of Jesus Christ! He can fellowship with you! You can't stop doing things wrong unless the Spirit of the Lord empowers you! It is stupid to say "Get holy and then He will come!". He WANTS to come to weak, sinning, demon-oppressed Christians and He will come upon you and you will rise up and face overwhelming numbers of opposition!

It is not enough to get baptised in the Spirit and talk in tongues. You have to get to know the One who empowers you to speak in tongues. We must want to know the Spirit of God who drives out demons and who leads us. We want to know the Spirit of the Lord who came on Gideon. We want to know this Mighty One who will raise up a standard against the Evil One! You can deal with the Mideanite army - 300 will chase them and hack them to pieces! (2 Corinthians 3:17) - "Where the Spirit of the Lord is - THERE is liberty!".

"The Holy Spirit never tries to manipulate or control you with guilt".

Where He is - there is liberty. When you go into churches and find self-obsessed and analytical Old Testament thinking Christians, that is a demonic spirit.

"Never try to fight a man or woman operating by the Spirit of the Lord! Never try and criticise any man or woman operating in the Spirit of the Lord even if their doctrine is wrong. Watch what happens to the opponents and critics who come against those operating in the Spirit of the Lord - it is fun to watch! Life gets very exciting when you know the Spirit".

"(Ephesians 5:18) - Present tense! "Be BEING filled!". It is no use being baptised in the Spirit at the end of the Second World War and spoke in tongues for 3 minutes! Be BEING filled with the Holy Spirit. Many think of an empty glass being filled with water - that is static and boring! That isn't what the Greek is saying! "I'm half full now I am full".

The language is of a big sail of a yacht being FILLED with wind! Christians in a move of the Spirit of God can sit motionless! But others lives are moving forward and being empowered! God wants to bless but they need their sail up - to be BEING filled! The sail is faith that because of the grace of God He can't help Himself but bless us!".

Marriages get changed! How to get your wife to treat you like a King - treat her like a Queen! There are so many things to talk about the Holy Spirit and we are heading towards the Grace and Glory Conference! Sails are catching wind and moving! No more talk of "trying to pray for the sick". When your sails are full and you want to pray for the sick, you can't help but pray! We will see holiness and revival when the sails are up and being filled! The unsaved don't have sails - they don't know Jesus or the Holy Spirit!

"We are the people of the Holy Spirit! We are His ambassadors!".

Every person on the planet soon will have this One who we are talking about poured out upon them! The pneuma of God - the breath of God will take you to more intimacy - more influence on the people of the earth.

"A Fresh Touch" - July 1982

Here is another gem from the past that I have dug up. It emphasises the urgent need that we do not rest on our pneumatological laurels simply because we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We must press on deeper into the glory and Presence of God.

“A Fresh Touch from God!” – July 1982

This is a constant need! We can go on in our old ways, relying upon the pattern of established habit rather than the spontaneity of resurrection life and power. Now there is nothing necessarily wrong with habit. There are good habits, even excellent habits. But sometimes a regular practice can degenerate into a formal repetition of a scheduled duty, rather than a joyful experience of a phase of our walk with Jesus.

Therein lies the clue. Much of the travelling along the dusty road of Galilee and Judea must have had the potential of being wearisome, tiring and quite literally dry! But the One the disciples travelled with made all the difference.

This truth about the need for a fresh touch from God appears in the Word in many ways. For example, the manna had to be gathered fresh daily except on the Sabbath or it “went off” (Exodus 16:20). The lamps in the tabernacle had to be “kept burning continually” (Leviticus 24:1, 2). The showbread had to be set out before the Lord regularly (Leviticus 24:8). The disciples filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) were filled again (Acts 4:31) and again (Acts 13:52 cf Acts 9:17 and 13:9 with Ephesians 5:18). To get a fresh touch from God we need a fresh meeting with God as Elijah discovered (1 Kings 18:46; 19:3, 5, 7 ff).

It may, indeed usually will involve revelation of our own need as Isaiah found (Isaiah 6). Paul expressed the necessity of “pressing on towards the mark” (Philippians 2:7-16).

One thing is clear; God is willing to touch us. Just as Jesus often asked sick people, “What is it that you would have me do for you?” so the Lord in effect asks us the same question daily. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23). Let us accept a new delivery!

Apart from a daily renewal, however there are special seasons of seeking God and receiving a fresh touch. It is important from time to time to set aside a longer period when we can seek His face and receive a fresh touch. Remember what has often been said about the experience of the Holy Spirit; “One baptism, many fillings, constant anointing”.