You may be thinking “how did she come to that conclusion?” I'm glad you asked. :)
I’ve been led to study the work of the Holy Spirit and it has been incredible! But even though I’m learning that the Holy Spirit can do some amazing things, I don’t see much of it happening around me. I see some, but it seems like I should see more. When was the last time you saw a baptism and the person filled with the Holy Spirit began to prophesy? When was the last time you went to church and saw demons being cast out and lives changed forever? When was the last time you saw the sick being healed right there and then or someone being raised from the dead? When was the last time you saw Christians so filled with joy for the Lord that they started selling what they have to bring the profits to the church treasury? And what about meeting daily to pray and praise as a congregation?
But all of this and so much more is what the disciples experienced during the beginnings of the christian church! And people were added to their numbers daily. And in a small amount of time, the gospel was taken to the then known world!
What happened between then and now that we don’t see those things happening that much anymore? What is the difference? Well, the only thing I could come up with is that we have complicated religion!
For centuries the world was immersed in what is called today the Dark Ages. It was a time of darkness in many areas, but for sure it was dark spiritually. For years, no one was allowed to think for themselves, but only do what the church said they needed to do. The church was the only way to salvation. Tradition was of utmost importance. People were made to feel guilty for the wrong things they did and had to pay a price for forgiveness because God would not accept them otherwise. God was portrayed as an angry God, ready to zap dead anyone who would go against Him. People had to earn their salvation and had to work hard for it. Studying the Bible was not necessary because the priests did that for the people...or did they? And if someone had the nerve to think for themselves and went against any of the church's ideas, that person would be persecuted, excommunicated or killed.
We don’t live in the dark ages anymore, but I don’t think we’re completely free from that way of thinking.
Don’t we still struggle with the guilt of sin and that unless we get our act together, God cannot accept us? Do we still struggle with the idea that God is angry and ready to zap us when we do wrong? Is tradition still a big part of our church? And how many of us rely on pastors or evangelists' study of the Bible without checking it ourselves? And if you go against the norm, aren’t you in a way persecuted by criticism or judgement?
Do we also try to work our way to Heaven? Maybe not by paying alms or by inflicting corporal pain, but what about through the way we dress, eat, or the way we worship?
Following God is not like this. We put all kinds of ideas and burdens on ourselves and on others, just like the Jews did. Jesus challenged their laws His entire ministry. So I think the reason we’re not seeing the work of the Holy Spirit more clear in our churches and our lives is because we get ourselves in the way, way too much! And Jesus knew we would do that, so He reminded us often that we needed to be like children.
“And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
When you look at children, aren’t you in awe at how gentle their spirit is and how they totally trust those who are responsible for their care? Don’t they completely rely on promises made? Their faith is so simple, so pure. If you tell a child that spider man can walk on the walls they believe it. Of if you tell them santa is real, they believe it. But if we tell an adult that God can heal the sick, then we go well yes, but...
Notice what that verse says in the beginning: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children.” Unless we change. We need to change or we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven. We need to change and become like children! Vs 4 says that we need to take a humble place like children, and vs. 6 calls God’s little ones those who believe in Him.
Do you believe in God? Do you believe in God with no restrictions? Do you believe in His strength and wisdom to carry you through? He’s responsible for your care, do you trust Him completely? Do you rely on His promises knowing that they are faithful and true and that He, unlike earthly parents, doesn’t change? And how are you doing at taking a humble place? Are you in the way of God’s work in your life or of some one else's life? Taking a humble place means leaving your self out of the picture. In more adult language, dying to self.
I've just started on this journey with the Holy Spirit and I’ve seen Him do some incredible things. Couples turning away from divorce, God providing financially, sick being healed, people freed from the depths of depression, division beautifully turned into unity, love prevailing... and you know what? I can’t wait to see more. I want more! And I want to go Home! So I can forever praise the God who makes my life in this crazy little world a life of abundance and joy.
Don’t you want more in your life? Don’t you want that abundant life Jesus said He came to bring? Don’t you want to experience God as much as it is possible in the world? He said we could when He sent the Holy Spirit. Didn’t Jesus say we could do all He did and much more? (John 14:12.) Don’t you want your church to grow like the early church the book of Acts talks about? Don’t you want your church to be full to the brim and have the problem of having to build a bigger church? Don’t you want people to be in one accord, united, to solve problems and differences in a way that honors God? Don’t you want to see people’s lives being transformed before your eyes? Don’t you want to see the sick being healed and the dead being raised to life? Don’t try to explain any of this away. God says it’s possible and it did happen during the early church, so it can happen for us now too. I think the only difference between them and us is that we are being baptized with the Holy Spirit by sprinkling and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit my immersion!
I challenge you to pray more for the Holy Spirit. Tell God you want to see and live the way the early church lived. Tell Him you want to see people added to the church daily, and people being on fire for God! It’s time to get this work done and go Home!
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 14:12,13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13
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