Friday, June 26, 2009

Wisdom From Dead Guys...

As I study about the Holy Spirit I come across many wise words from beloved pastors or theologians who are long dead (physically speaking, of course). Here's a sample:

"We must have the Holy Spirit's power and presence, otherwise our religion will become a mockery before God, and a misery to ourselves." -Charles Spurgeon

"We need more of the presence of the Holy Spirit – more in the pulpit, and more in the congregation. Where He is, there will be life, health, growth, and fruitfulness. Where He is not, all will be dead, tame, formal, sleepy, and cold." -J.C. Ryle

Amen. I couldn't have said it any better myself. No, really, I couldn't!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sunday Quotes!

This past Sunday we considered what it means to be "filled with the Spirit". These quotes were very helpful:

“We are not only to come to Jesus once, in penitence and faith, but also thereafter to keep coming and keep drinking, because we keep thirsting. We do this physically. Whenever we are thirsty, we get a drink. We must learn to do it spiritually also. The Christian is a spiritual dipsomaniac, always thirsting, always drinking. And drinking is not asking for water, but actually taking it. It is extremely simple. Drinking is one of the first activities that babies learn; indeed they do it by instinct.” -John Stott

“What we should seek (and this applies to all Christians) is that God pour his Spirit out upon us so completely that we are filled with joy, victorious over sin, and bold to witness. And the ways he brings us to that fullness are probably as varied as people are. It may come in a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and tongues. It may come through a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and no tongues. It may come through a crisis of suffering when you abandon yourself totally to God. Or it may come gradually through a steady diet of God's Word and prayer and fellowship and worship and service. However it comes, our first experience of the fullness of the Spirit is only the beginning of a life-long battle to stay filled with the Spirit.” -John Piper

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sunday Quotes!

Last Sunday we examined the gracious work of the Holy Spirit called "regeneration" - aka: "born of the Spirit", "born again", or "new birth". Whichever name you prefer, it is still an incredible and mysterious work of God that causes our dead spirits to become alive so that we may see our need for the Savior.

"Exactly what happens in regeneration is mysterious to us. We know that somehow we who were spiritually dead have been made alive to God and in a very real sense we have been born again. But we don’t understand how this happens or what exactly God does to us to give us spiritual life." -Wayne Grudem

"One thing is very clear—we cannot work this mighty change ourselves. It is not in us. We have no strength or power to do it. We may change our sins—but we cannot change our hearts. We may take up a new way—but not a new nature. We may make considerable reforms and alterations. We may lay aside many outward bad habits, and begin to do many outward duties. But we cannot create a new principle within us. We cannot bring something out of nothing… Who then can make a dead soul alive? No one can do it but God." -JC Ryle

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Recommended Reading on the Holy Spirit


Thought these might be useful for those who want to go deeper in a study on the Holy Spirit.

1. I Believe in the Holy Spirit, by Michael Green
2. Keep in Step with the Spirit, by JI Packer
3. Baptism and Fullness, by John Stott
4. Follow the Wind, by Steve Brown
5. The Beginners Guide to Spiritual Gifts, by Sam Storms

There are, of course, other great books about the Holy Spirit, but these five are a good place to begin.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sunday Quotes!

We began our series "We believe in the Holy Spirit" by reading Acts 2:1-13 and considering this question, "What does this mean?" (verse 12). This was especially fitting as it was Pentecost Sunday. I preached on (1) the Promise of the Spirit, (2) the Presence of the Spirit, and (3) the Purpose of the Spirit.
These quotes were helpful:

"We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified." (Nicene Creed)

"This is the caution: whenever revival comes—whenever the Holy Spirit is poured out in extraordinary power—this division happens in the Christian community. Some genuinely inquire as to what this is, and test all things, and hold fast to what is good. Others stand outside and mock and write off the enthusiasm as merely human, "They are filled with new wine." -John Piper

"When floodlighting is done well, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior." -JI Packer