Holy Spirit & Fire
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INTRODUCTION "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:9-10
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty, . The subject matter presented in this book deals extensively with doctrinal matters, for both the complex and fundamental minded readers. The theological matters focus upon the Person, Work, and manifestation of the Holy Spirit, observing that He benefits the universe as a whole, touches the hearts of the unsaved, and enables the Christians to observe the practical aspect of living, thus empowering them to evolve into ‘new creatures.’ The aspects of the Holy Spirit are present in a threefold approach, to nourish the Body, Soul and Spirit in a realistic manner. Much of the doctrinal evidence is established in the Book of Acts, which in times past was called the "Acts of the Holy Ghost." There are two central themes presented in Acts, the "Petrine part," and the "Pauline part." In the "Petrine part," Luke takes great effort to reveal the link between the ascended Christ and His people on earth. He projects that the manifestation of the Spirit is indeed Christ and He dwells among the Believers and within their souls. In the latter - 19 Chapters - Paul perceives that the Holy Ghost is Christ in the Church and His Spirit dwells in and among His people, as in Rom. 8:11: But if the Spirit of Him that praised up Jesus from the dead - dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? The Holy Spirit is the third Person a "Parkleotos" manifestation of the Trinity, co-equal, co-eternal and co-existence with the Father and the Son. The Holy Ghost was birthed in the Spirit of Yahweh and is the central mode of God’s creative, visualizing power in the universe. Aspects of His mission include bringing salvation and illumination, gracing mankind with His power and authority, and thus enabling us to grasp the essence of our mission here on earth. The Holy Spirit indwells mankind, as He drives away aridity from our souls. He renews our strength daily, illuminates the word, and gives our prayer life a new meaning allowing us to grasp the deep and essential Truth of God. He leads us from darkness to the marvelous light. Most important, He falls equally upon the common, ordinary people, ensuring that the baptism is not reserved for an elite chosen few. He has united all denominations to Christ, and with this bond, we can go boldly before the throne of grace and cry "Abba Father," for we are His children. WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT MISSION? John 16:7: But I tell you the truth; It is for your good that I am going away, unless I go away, the counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will sent him to you. The Holy Spirit works in the universe for the good of All mankinds: 1. He strives with mankind for the good of His soul 2. He redeems the world from sin and reconciles the world to God 3. He justifies mankind before God and reveals Christ as our Savior 4. He touches the hearts of the unsaved, encouraging them to accept the plan of Salvation. 5. He gives the world an understanding of God through creation 6. He convicts the world of sin and restrains iniquity. "But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you." This book also discusses the period of transition for the Church world, including its rebirth and progression through the ages. Shortly after Pentecost, Christians were greatly persecuted at the hands of King Agrippa, who loved the unsaved, but reviled the Believers. He imprisoned Peter, killed James and had Steven stoned to death. The Romans and the Sanhedrins martyred many. The rest of the Church folk were constantly living in terror, strife and confusion. In spite of all of these obstacles, the Holy Ghost kept the church united and growing. The Book of Acts reveals that the Holy Ghost is our chief Administrator, moving upon the hearts of the unredeemed to accept Christ as their Savior. He works relentlessly to transform the lives of those converted into new creatures by the love of God. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more--because I live, ye shall live also. At that day, ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. Jn 14:18-20 Lastly, the Holy Spirit exalts and reveals Christ as Lord. He reveals the ‘saving power’ God has provided for us through the plan of salvation. God so loved the world that He gave. His only begotten son. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and he baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:37-38 Various scriptures throughout the Bible are cited to extend a comparative view for both the complex and fundamental minded readers, concerning the work and manifestation of the Holy Spirit. "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk"--Isaiah 28:5-10 As we view the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, He manifested Himself as the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is regarded as the creative visualizing force, imparting unique skills, strength, visions, purification, wisdom and prophecies to enable the Israelites to fulfill their missions. (I.e.: He led the children of Israel in the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day.) He rested upon the prophets when they were to prophesize or when God wanted to appoint a chosen leader. These were only temporary situations, but in the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit does "a new thing." He manifests His powers and presence in and through the Believers. After Christ’s ascension, the Spirit was bestowed upon His followers to empower them, to maintain the unity of the faith. In the Book of John, when Jesus asks God to keep them from falling in the day of temptation. "Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. . . .I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but you should keep them from the evil one." {John 17:11-15} The Jewish prophets possessed a burning desire to reveal the coming of the Messiah. It was recorded more than six hundred years before Christ birth that God would disrobe Himself of divinity, and suffer and
early in the morning our songs shall rise to thee
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty God in three person,
Blessed Trinity...Hymnal
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About the Book
Chapter 1 Prelude to Pentecost deals with the Word made manifest in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Power of the Word expressed in Logos and Rhema [Gk.]. "In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was God." Dunamis, God's manifest power, is given unto mankind, along with exousia, the authority with which to use that power in all areas of our lives. Practical conditions leading toward salvation and the Results of Being Filled from a both a Bib1ical as well as a personal aspect are explained. Chapter 2 Origin deals with the pneuma [GK], the invisible divine breath of God [YHVH] to both moral and spiritual ends. The infinite Being is the third person manifestation of the Godhead. The spirit's origin is manifested in the form of a dove, which serves as the physical form of the spirit of endowment. He has a personal name, Paracletos, as introduced in Christ's farewell discourse [Jn 14:16), guaranteeing the abiding presence. The Tabernacle setting is discussed and the questions "What is the Church?" and "What are the necessary functions needed in the Millennium?" are addressed. Chapter 3 Deity of the Holy Spirit deals with the genealogical background of Christ. The Titles attributed to the Holy Spirit confirm His Deity. The Oneness of God is explained in detail along with The Trinity Doctrine "par excellence." He enlightens, teaches, protects, intercedes, prophecies, creates, destroys, anoints, and makes known the deep mysteries of God. His divine attributes and personality, in addition to His ability to comfort us in times of despair make his presence vital to our well being. Chapter 4 The Holy Spirit and Fire gives detai1ed explanation of the Fire of God, both its healing and destructive forces. Emblems of the Holy Spirit are discussed. I share my own personal experience of the power of the Fire of God in my 1ife. The three aspects of Sanctification are described I) Positional, 2) Experimental and 3) Ultimate. Chapter 5 The Power of Prayer and Praises involves the Building Blocks of Effective Prayers, the model prayer, the Pitfalls and the Sovereignty of God. Prayer is an intimate communion with God, erupting from our spiritual knowledge of Him and our recognition of His glory. All prayers, whether they be simple and routine or complex and elegant, should include the basic criteria as demonstrated in the Model Prayer - adoration, thanksgiving, petition, contrition and intercession. The Model Prayer also encompasses the effects of faith, fasting, confession and repentance, praise and worship. Chapter 6 The Newness of Life describes the spiritual energies that provide us with the fulfillment and completion we feel thanks to the presence of Christ in our lives. Self Discipline is an important trait we all must possess in order to evolve into "new creatures," whereby we will receive the willingness to repent for our sins. The renewal of the human mind, Mankind's Reversa1 and the Three-fo1d Nature of Mankind, are presented along with the supernatural phenomenon, the ability to speak in tongues, the glory of spiritual gifts and the grace of miracles in our lives are discussed. Chapter 7 Conditions or Being Filled and Offenses deals with the Sermon on the Mount, leading directly to the "fruit of the Spirit." The beatitudes are discussed, as well as the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Origin of Sin, Inherited Curses, and Reprobate Mind [Rom. 1]. The effect Sin has on our lives and the Holy Spirit's conviction against sin and the consequences he bequeaths upon sinners are addressed.
About the Author
Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Evangelist Betty Mathurin-Promise received her earliest training at the esteemed Tuskegee Institute. She later traveled north and pursued her education at the New York School of Interior Design, and some noteworthy schools in New Jersey, including Essex County College, the Deliverance Institute and the Eastern Theological Institute. In 1987, she was officially ordained at the church of God in Christ International under the presiding Bishop J. P. Lucas. With experience as both a preacher and teacher, she is currently an active member of the Greater Friendship Baptist Church under Reverend John T, Teabout, and is in the process of earning her doctorate degree. Now a widow, she and her late husband, Noe Mathurin, had four children, two of whom are now deceased, and eight grandchildren. She currently resides in Newark, New Jersey.