The Spirit Filled Life

1 Corinthians 12:11, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” Have you ever watched your favorite band play live music- whether in person or on video?  Did you notice how all the musicians had a specific part to play to…

1 Corinthians 14:1, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” As a pastor I hear the excuses people make all the time to not be used in the spiritual gifts.  The most popular one I always hear is, “I don’t have any spiritual gifts because God hasn’t given…

1 Corinthians 14:32-33, “32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace —as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” There are generally two opposite opinions concerning the order of the gifts that are both wrongly held in many…

Mark 16:17, “And these signs will accompany those who believe…” When God choose Moses to be His representative He gave him miraculous signs to verify the message, Exodus 4:1-9.  The same is true when Jesus in the above passage spoke to his disciples to go and preach the Gospel to all people.  He promised to…

Mark 9:25, “… he rebuked the impure spirit. You deaf and mute spirit, he said, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” I’ll never forget the first time I personally saw demons cast out of a man.  I was a young pastor working in the inner city of New Orleans. …

1 Corinthians 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” Paul in the above passage summarizes his mode of operation when preaching the Gospel.  He 100% relied upon the “demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”  This can be clearly seen all throughout his…

1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” Some Christians who reject the present day manifestations of the Holy Spirit try to use Paul’s own words against him.  They take the following verses…

Acts 2:39, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Peter preached the above words in boldness and in full confidence that God was going to keep baptizing and empowering His disciples with the Holy Spirit until Jesus’ return. …

Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Some people in the church forget that the Holy Spirit is just as much of a person as the Father and Son are.  Unfortunately, Christians can sometimes treat the Holy Spirit like He is…

Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” In the Old Testament Moses was commanded by God to anoint the priests for service in the Tabernacle by pouring oil over their heads and letting it run down their beards and their…