David Diga Hernandez David Diga Hernandez

Other-Worldly Beings

All too often, the believer will trade the supernatural for the superficial, the sacred for the mundane, the heavenly for the earthly. One might object, “When have I traded the heavenly for the earthly? I would never do such a thing.”

All too often, the believer will trade the supernatural for the superficial, the sacred for the mundane, the heavenly for the earthly. One might object, “When have I traded the heavenly for the earthly? I would never do such a thing.”

Yet it’s done on the daily. When one takes no time to pray but has plenty of time for scrolling through social media, a trade is made. When one consumes hours of media yet reads not one word of Scripture, a trade is made. When one chooses to say “yes” to a sinful temptation and rejects the power to live holy, a trade is made. When one remains silent about the gospel and instead chooses to blend in with everyone else, a trade is made. Choices are made between the eternal and the temporary.

Everyday, we must choose to either live as citizens of this earth or as citizens of Heaven.

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. (Philippians 3:20, NLT)

We’re not from here. Literally speaking, the believer is an other-worldly being filled with God’s divine power, the Holy Spirit. So we must choose. For what world are we living? In what world are we investing? From which world do we derive our identity? 

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17, NLT)

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. (James 4:4, NLT)

Of course, we exist in this world, but that doesn’t mean that we are to move with the patterns of this world.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2, NLT)

Choose a world. Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword - to divide His sheep from the goats. To which world do you belong? 

To invest your life in a temporary world is to embrace temporary life, but to invest your life in an eternal world… is life eternal. We are not of this world.

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Bold As Lions

When you stand righteously, you stand boldly before God. When you stand boldly before God, you live confidently before everyone and everything else.

Sin produces cowards. If you lack boldness in your life, consider the possibility that the lack of boldness may have come about as a result of a lack of righteousness. Here’s what the Bible says.

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1, KJV)

When someone is living righteously, they have nothing to fear. Despite what superstitious preaching might try to make you think, the believer who walks in holiness before God does not need to live in paranoia, constantly wondering if some demon has gained influence over them. Despite what culture might teach, the believer who lives in righteousness before the Lord doesn’t need to be afraid of people. 

What can demons of darkness do to the one who walks in the light? What can mortal man do to the one who has gained the favor of Eternity Himself? 

When you live righteously, demons can’t deceive you and people can’t pressure you. Devils can’t handle you, and culture can’t cancel you.

When you live righteously, free of guilt, you can go before God in bold confidence.

21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. (1 John 3:21-22, NLT)

When you stand righteously, you stand boldly before God. When you stand boldly before God, you live confidently before everyone and everything else.

Truly, the believer has only one concern: obedience toward God. Righteous living liberates the believer from all ungodly fear. So if there is any sin in your life, take this as a sign from God. Repent before the Lord of all sin, and allow the Holy Spirit to make you holy. All believers can be truly free from the immorality, the ungodliness of cowardice.

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What is Speaking in Tongues?

When you pray in tongues, you declare aloud in the natural realm that which the Holy Spirit groans in the spiritual realm. When you pray in tongues, you pray perfect prayers, crafted by the Holy Spirit. You pray with His power, according to His will, surrendered to His leading.

What is speaking in tongues? What is actually happening when you’re exercising this powerful gift? Why does it strengthen your spirit so effectively?

As a believer, you have a deep connection with God.

10But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT)

On a 24/7 basis, whether you’re aware of it or not, your spirit is fellowshipping with God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Who knows God perfectly, communicates with your spirit.

Now consider these three realities:

#1 The Holy Spirit prays for you

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. (Romans 8:26, NLT)

That verse is not directly referencing the gift of speaking in tongues, but it is connected.

#2 Your Spirit is one with the Holy Spirit

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)

Your spirit is one with the Holy Spirit. So whatever He prays, your spirit prays.

#3 When you pray in tongues, your spirit is praying.

For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. (1 Corinthians 14:14, NLT)

So if my spirit prays what the Holy Spirit prays, and if my spirit prays when I speak in tongues, then that means that when I pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit is praying for me, through me. The surrendered syllables and sounds that are released when I pray in tongues carry upon them the Holy Spirit’s very own intentions and meanings.

When you pray in tongues, you declare aloud in the natural realm that which the Holy Spirit groans in the spiritual realm. When you pray in tongues, you pray perfect prayers, crafted by the Holy Spirit. You pray with His power, according to His will, surrendered to His leading.

The Holy Spirit wants to pray aloud for you, and when you pray in tongues, you give Him that voice.

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Watchmen on the Wall

Don’t abandon your post. Don’t neglect your assignment. Don’t allow the enemy to take the city. Sound the alarm. There is a very real threat out there, and we must lovingly warn all. Be a watchman over your home, over your community, over your school, over your workplace. God holds us each responsible for our assignments.

In the Bible, watchmen were individuals who were assigned to watch over a city or a military base. Usually, watchmen would be posted on a high wall or tower, so that they could see the enemy coming from long distances. The watchman’s primary assignment was preventing surprise attacks from surrounding enemies. Were the enemy to attack, the watchmen would sound the alarm.

Biblically speaking, you are a watchman on the wall. 

Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’ (Ezekiel 33:4-6, NLT)

As spiritual watchmen, you and I have been assigned to preventing attacks of the enemy. We sound the alarm by proclaiming the gospel message, and the need is urgent. 

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1, KJV)

We are the watchmen of the night, the spiritual light in darkness. Though each man and woman is held personally accountable by God, you and I have the responsibility to preach the gospel to them.

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16, KJV)

Don’t abandon your post. Don’t neglect your assignment. Don’t allow the enemy to take the city. Sound the alarm. There is a very real threat out there, and we must lovingly warn all. Be a watchman over your home, over your community, over your school, over your workplace. God holds us each responsible for our assignments.

This is a spiritual battle for souls. Take your position, stand strong, and preach the gospel. The hour is late, and time is running out.

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Remnant Rising

It is being revealed who esteems Christ over culture. Take note. Sadly, many of the churches bowing to the systems of the world today could very well be the ones bowing to the system of the anti-Christ when it has fully come.

Let he who has eyes to see, see. Let he who has ears to hear, hear. In this hour, God is cleansing His house. 

For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? (1 Peter 4:17)

A distinct line is being drawn. While many are conforming to culture, others are standing strong for what is true. A remnant is rising.

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. 27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ (Matthew 13:24-27)

Indeed, from where did all the weeds come? From where have deception and division come? From where have demonic doctrines come? The enemy has attempted to sow these things in the Church. There are those who look like us, talk like us, and pretend to believe the Word of God like us. But we can rejoice and rest in the fact that God himself will take care of it:

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. 29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” (Matthew 13:28-29)

Ultimately, it’s God Who will judge, God Who will separate the wheat from the weeds. We need to only wait and see. And while the final judgment comes at the end of all things, there are certainly seasons - even now - when God will clean house. 

What we’re seeing today is a separating, a revealing of truth. Truly, God is cleansing His Church. It is being revealed who truly believes the authority of the Word over the opinions of the world. It is being revealed who esteems Christ over culture. Take note. Sadly, many of the churches bowing to the systems of the world today could very well be the ones bowing to the system of the anti-Christ when it has fully come. 

For now, we just watch God do what He does. Who bows to culture? Who participates with the world’s systems at the cost of obedience to God’s Word? Who softens the message? Who winks at sin? God will bring separation.

This prophetic message is both a warning and an encouragement. Get ready. God is cleansing His house.

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Can Every Believer Pray in Tongues?

At first glance, that verse seems to indicate that the gift of speaking in tongues is not for every Christian. Paul’s line of rhetorical questioning communicates a clear message, right? Well, as with all Scripture, context and study are key.

Can every believer pray in tongues? What does the Bible actually teach on this topic? To answer this question, let’s first look at the portion of Scripture that seems to indicate that not all believers can pray in tongues.

29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:29-30, KJV)

At first glance, that verse seems to indicate that the gift of speaking in tongues is not for every Christian. Paul’s line of rhetorical questioning communicates a clear message, right? Well, as with all Scripture, context and study are key. 

Consider these points:

Firstly, Paul lists several other gifts in that key selection of Scripture. Are all teachers? No. But the Bible teaches us in 1 Peter 3:15 that all believers should be ready to teach about their faith. So there’s a clear difference between having the gift of teaching and just being able to teach. Are all workers of miracles? No. But there’s a difference between the gift of miracles and experiencing miracles in one’s own life. Do all have the gift of healing? No. But the Bible teaches us in Mark 16:18 that all believers will be able to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. So there’s a difference between the gift of healing and a believer being able to lay hands on the sick and believe for a healing. The same reasoning would apply to the gift of the evangelist. Not every believer is an Ephesians 4:11 evangelist, but every believer should evangelize. 

So is the Bible contradicting itself? By no means. It’s clear that there’s a difference between a gift, which is a public and focused area of Spirit-enabled grace, and an everyday act of faith. Likewise, there’s a difference between the personal prayer language of the believer and the gift of tongues used in public Church settings (Along with the gift of tongues interpretation.) 

If the verses in 1 Corinthians 12 actually taught that the gift of tongues is not for every believer, then the same verses would also have to mean that not every believer can believe God for miracles, believe God for healing, or, if we applied the same logic to Ephesians 4:11, that not every believer can evangelize. 

The second point to consider about 1 Corinthians 12:29 & 30 is simpler. Note that it asks, “Do all speak with tongues?”, not “Can all speak with tongues?”

So can all believers pray in tongues? Here’s what Paul says:

I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:5, NLT)

Why would Paul the Apostle wish for something that was contrary to God’s will? And, if that wasn’t the will of God, why would the Holy Spirit allow that wish to be permanently recorded in the inerrant Word of God?

In Acts 2:4, the Holy Spirit didn’t discriminate. All spoke in tongues.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4, KJV)

And Peter clearly taught that all believers could do the same.

This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” (Acts 2:39, NLT)

What promise? What is for all who have been called?

And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. (Acts 2:33, NLT)

That promise, for all who have been called, was both seen and heard. What was seen and heard? They saw them receive the Holy Spirit. They heard them speaking in tongues.

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For the Sake of Souls

As we approach the close of 2020, I am inviting you to invest your year-end donation into this evangelistic healing ministry. We’re focused, effective, and, most importantly, obedient to the Holy Spirit. Make a contribution yourself or from your business or organization.

While the world calls our attention to various causes and reforms, there remains a cause which is most important to the Father - that is the cause of souls. The cause of souls is different than any other cause in that it impacts eternity. 

For over 18 years, this ministry has remained steadfastly focused on winning souls. We win souls and build believers through events and media. Our ministry spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit through teachings, sermons, videos of God’s power in action, podcasts, blogs, worship productions, an online Bible training program (The Holy Spirit School), and international events. Millions watch the content. Thousands have been saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit. And hundreds of Christian leaders are being trained and raised for ministry.

In this hour, the Holy Spirit is on the move. This thriving, growing, effective ministry is His doing. And He’s just getting started. This is only the beginning. 

The future is bright. The harvest is ready. So I invite you to join this important cause. If you’ve looked around the world in frustration, if you’ve wondered if anything can be done to push back against the darkness, if you’ve longed to be a part of something that’s making a real difference in this world, then here’s something you can do, right here and right now, to make a real difference for the Kingdom of God. 

For the sake of God’s glory…

For the sake of humanity…

For the sake of a generation…

For the sake of souls…

Right now, I want to present to you both a challenge and an opportunity to be a part of something that can truly change the world. 

As we approach the close of 2020, I am inviting you to invest your year-end donation into this evangelistic healing ministry. We’re focused, effective, and, most importantly, obedient to the Holy Spirit. Make a contribution yourself or from your business or organization. 

Make a one-time gift or become a monthly supporter by Clicking Here

You can give from anywhere in the world, with almost any currency. Our donor system will even accommodate gifts made of cryptocurrency and stocks.

Though I believe that God will bless the giver, remember that we don’t give to get. We give because we love the Lord and because we believe in the cause of souls. Join hands with thousands of other supporters from around the world. Together we can do more than we could ever do alone.

Click Here to give a one-time gift

Click Here to become a monthly ministry supporter

Partner with this growing, effective ministry today. Together, let’s win souls. Thank you for your support. I don’t take it for granted. May God bless you, and remember, nothing is impossible with God.

- David Diga Hernandez

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The Worst Case Scenario

There could be thousands of other risks and dangers present in the world. But panic will cause you to arbitrarily single out some specific risk or danger. With all the dangers that life presents, panic will scream, “Everyone put your life on hold until this one specific issue is dealt with.”

Several years ago, I battled heavily with anxiety. Over the course of this struggle, my fear progressively, incrementally robbed me of life and joy. For some reason, I developed a fear of riding in cars. I can’t explain why that became the fixation of my fear. All I know is that I was afraid. Every time I heard of an accident, read about accident statistics, or saw wreckage on the side of the road, my fear would intensify. After a while, I began avoiding freeways. Then I began avoiding driving. Then I began avoiding even being a passenger in a car. Eventually, I was stuck, trapped in my own irrational snare of “What ifs.”

Thankfully, that mentality didn’t have a hold on my mind for too long. 

But my experience with anxiety and fear has given me insight on how fear works.

Fear begins with the question, “What if?” 

What if the worst should happen? What if I am harmed? What if this? What if that?

That question then becomes a fixation. That fixation eventually becomes a bondage. 

Slowly, incrementally, progressively, eventually fear robs you of life.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV)

God did not create you to live in fear. It’s an insult to your Creator to squander the potential of life because of fear.

When you fix your mind on a worry, that worry becomes the center of your life. It’s one thing to take caution as you live your life; it’s another thing entirely to allow a fear to become your life. It’s not just harmful to live in fear; it’s immoral.

Fear will always assume the worst case scenario. You won’t ever be able to enjoy anything that God has gifted to you, because you’ll always be fearfully looking for what’s lurking in the very next moment.

Fear makes you irrational. It’s wisdom to be aware of risks and to do your part to avoid them. It’s foolish to put your life on hold until all risks are gone. If you get into a car to drive, you’re risking your life and the lives of others. Is it wisdom to halt all traffic until the day all traffic accidents are prevented? When you take your loved ones to enjoy a meal, you’re risking your life and the lives of others. Should we close all restaurants until the day that the government can prevent all food poisoning accidents and choking hazards? The most dangerous thing you’ll ever do is live. Caution, yes. Paranoia, no. 

Fear makes you panic. Fear has the power to blow things so far out of proportion that it’s impossible to live. If you set your mind on something often enough and intentionally enough, its place in your thoughts grows. That’s how panic sets in. It’s amazing how panic works. There could be thousands of other risks and dangers present in the world. But panic will cause you to arbitrarily single out some specific risk or danger. With all the dangers that life presents, panic will scream, “Everyone put your life on hold until this one specific issue is dealt with.” 

And it’s nonsensical, irrational, tragic. All irrational fear, no matter what it’s about, will eventually lead to this conclusion: let’s all stay sheltered until nothing bad ever happens again.

Fear makes you selfish. Fearful people can easily become selfish people. In an attempt to protect themselves, they demand that others too become just as fearful and panicked. Fear encourages you to attempt control over those around you. I used to do that. Whenever I was in the car, I wouldn’t let my loved ones drive on the freeway. The risk I wasn’t willing to take became the risk I wouldn’t let others take. I would make them feel bad for causing me to be afraid. But, I discovered, that’s just manipulation.

Now, of course, I’m not denying that there were very real dangers in the world. And wisdom avoids unnecessary or excessive risk. And some people are more vulnerable to certain dangers than others. That’s all to be considered. But don’t allow fear to make you put your life on hold, and don’t allow fear to make you demand that others put their lives on hold. 

Stand up against fear. Resist the irrational at all costs. Don’t back down. Fight fear and claim the freedom that God has given to you - to live life. That’s the right thing to do, the selfless thing to do, the moral thing to do, the godly thing to do.

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Are the Spiritual Gifts No More? The BIBLICAL Answer

Have the spiritual gifts ceased to be? Are they no longer in operation in the church today? This is a fiercely debated issue, and I’m not going to be able to address every point of contention in just one article. My goal, rather, is to just get you thinking in the right direction, the Biblical direction.

Have the spiritual gifts ceased to be? Are they no longer in operation in the church today? This is a fiercely debated issue, and I’m not going to be able to address every point of contention in just one article. My goal, rather, is to just get you thinking in the right direction, the Biblical direction. 

We must recognize, first and foremost, that our foundation is the Word of God - no debates there. So, does the Word of God teach that the gifts have ceased to be? Not by any stretch of the imagination. 

The belief that the spiritual gifts have ceased is called “cessationism.” Those who believe that the gifts have ceased are called “cessationists.” Of course, that’s an oversimplification of the terms, as there are varying beliefs even within cessationism. But, for the sake of conversation, we’ll stick with the simpler definitions I just gave you. 

So upon what exactly does the cessationist base their faulty interpretation of reality?

There are a few things. 

#1 Speculation

#2 Arguments from History

#3 Poor Biblical Interpretation

#1 Speculation

First, you’ll notice that cessationists use a lot of speculation - something they’d discourage in any other context. Here’s an example of speculation: Paul the apostle instructed Timothy to use wine as medicine. “Why”, the cessationist will ask, “didn’t Paul just heal him?”

Then they’ll conclude that because Paul didn’t heal Timothy or because Timothy didn’t just heal himself, that the spiritual gifts had already stopped operating. This is faulty logic for a couple reasons. 

Firstly, there are many examples in Scripture where godly men died, suffered, or remained sick. This by no means leads to the conclusion that therefore God just picked some subjective spot on the timeline of history to end His demonstrations of power. This just means that God’s sovereignty still applies even in the context of the miraculous. His sovereignty and His miracles have never been at odds with one another. So, there are instances, both in the OT and NT when God didn’t demonstrate his power as people thought He should. Simply put, God exercising His sovereignty to withhold a miracle never means that miracles are no more.

Secondly, the other problem with speculation is that it’s just that - speculation. There’s nothing in all of Scripture that even comes close to indicating that God’s power has stopped working. Now here’s where things get interesting. Once you show through Scripture that God’s power still works today, the cessationist will dodge the point. 

They might interject, “Oh, we believe that God still demonstrates His power. We believe He still does miracles. He just doesn’t do miracles through the spiritual gifts anymore.” And what a telling dodge that is on the part of the cessationist. They have to play semantics, word games to hold their position. 

But the position of those who believe the spiritual gifts are still in operation is quite simple: just as God moved sovereignly and miraculously through men and women in the past, so He still moves today. As believers who embrace the spiritual gifts, we don’t actually believe that we carry power of our own or that we wield a gift independently of God’s will - nor does the Scripture teach that. Again, God’s sovereignty applies even when spiritual gifts are involved.

Sadly, the cessationist rejects God’s sovereignty because they box him in to their worldview. They rely on their own personal experiences - or lack thereof - rather than the Word. That’s ironic being as how the spirit-filled believer is the one often accused of relying upon or focusing too heavily upon “experience.”

#2 Arguments from History

But if it’s not speculation the cessationist is using, it’s going to be an argument from history. For example, the cessationist may say that the early church fathers didn’t pray in tongues or that there were some early believers who believed the gifts had ceased. 

In the first place, there are thousands of actions all of us perform every week for which there will never be a historical record. How can we know what the early church didn’t practice? We’d need a complete record of every early church member’s life to know that. The cessationist is in a tough position, in that he has to prove that the early church - all members and leaders -stopped practicing the spiritual gifts.

Still, the cessationist might be able to point to some early church father who believed the gifts ceased. But all that does is demonstrate that there were even cessationists back then. There were debates and differences of opinions even then. We honor the early church, but we shouldn’t idolize it. The Bible, not historical Christian figures, is the final authority. The question is not, “What did the early Church believe?” The question remains, “What does the Bible teach?”

So then after you rightfully dismiss the cessationist’s philosophical or historical arguments, the question arises: does the cessationist have any good Biblical reason for his position?

#3 Poor Biblical Interpretation

The best a cessationist can offer is a poor interpretation of this verse:

8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. (1 Corinthians 13:8-10, NLT)

So the gifts will cease to be in operation at the time of perfection. So when does that take place? The Bible clearly tells us in the next two verses:

11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, NLT)

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anyone on earth (besides the Holy Spirit) who knows everything “completely.” The Scripture, in this context, is most certainly talking about eternity. Until then, the gifts are still available to the Church. 

Now, I can already see the comments. Of course, there are angles that I couldn’t address in this short article, but I assure you that whatever the angle, whatever the argument, cessationsm has been Biblically, thoroughly debunked. And I want you to pay close attention to the comments that cessationists might leave on this post. Notice that all of the dissenting comments will fall under the categories of personal attack, speculation, historical arguments, or forced interpretation of Scripture. Many will reference their bad experiences with the spiritual gifts. Many will misunderstand several of the points made in this article.

Some will say I misrepresented cessationism. I didn’t. Some will say I twist the Scriptures. I don’t. Some will say that there’s plenty in Scripture to show cessationism to be true. There isn’t. No amount of scriptural gymnastics can produce such a counter-biblical view. So the next time someone tries to tell you the gifts have ceased, ask them for the specific chapter and verse. Don’t be intimidated by those who love to debate. Stand on the Word. There’s no debating with the Word of God.

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The 3 Expressions of the Gift of Tongues

There are three expressions to the gift of speaking in tongues. Here’s how I’ve termed them:

1: The Personal Tongue

2: The Proof Tongue

3: The Prophetic Tongue

There are three expressions to the gift of speaking in tongues. Here’s how I’ve termed them:

1: The Personal Tongue

2: The Proof Tongue

3: The Prophetic Tongue

Though you won’t see those exact terms in the Bible, when you study the Scripture, you’ll clearly see that there are, in fact, three expressions to the gift of speaking in tongues.

The Personal Tongue 

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church (1 Corinthians 14:1-4).

The personal tongue does not benefit others, but that doesn’t mean it holds no value. The Bible says, “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally.” The personal tongue is for self-edification, and it’s a heavenly language. Those who use it aren’t speaking an earthly dialect; they are speaking mysteries—only God can understand them.

This personal expression of the gift of tongues strengthens you personally.

The Proof Tongue 

The second expression of the gift of tongues is the proof tongue. Now this is the expression of tongues that is heard as an earthly language. We see this demonstrated in Acts 2: 

And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers (Acts 2:4-6). 

Many heard their own languages being spoken by the believers. It was a true miracle. The Holy Spirit supernaturally empowered the believers to be heard speaking in earthly languages they did not know. The gift was a sign to the unbelievers; thus, I call it the proof tongue. 

The Prophetic Tongue 

The prophetic tongue is the expression of the gift that is used in the context of a church assembly. This gift, when used, commands the attention of the assembly of believers. Because this expression of the gift can disrupt the flow of a church service if misused, Paul put some regulations on it: 

Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately (1 Corinthians 14:26-28). 

The prophetic tongue is meant to be spoken aloud in a gathering of believers. The tongue is then to be supernaturally interpreted so that the believers present can be helped by the prophetic message. 

Now, allow me to embolden the lines of distinction between the three expressions of this gift:

The personal tongue benefits the individual (1 Corinthians 14:4).

The prophetic tongue benefits the Church (1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:26).

The proof tongue benefits the unbeliever (1 Corinthians 14:22).

The personal tongue requires no interpreter or interpretation to be beneficial to the individual (1 Corinthians 14:4).

The prophetic tongue requires an interpreter to benefit the Church (1 Corinthians 14:26).

The proof tongue requires no interpreter for the interpretation to be understood by the unbeliever (Acts 2:8).

The personal tongue is understood by no one but God (1 Corinthians 14:2).

The prophetic tongue is understood by the Church with the aid of an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:27).

The proof tongue is supernaturally understood by the unbeliever (Acts 2:8).


One gift, three expressions. Each expression serves a different purpose.

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The Holy Spirit Prays for You

If you could see into the realm of the Spirit, if you could watch the Holy Spirit pray for you, you would see Him with tears streaming down His face. You would hear Him praying with such force that His booming voice, the very same which spoke the world into existence, would shake the room. I dare even say that you would see Him pounding His fist on the floor as He prayed.

Think about the fact that the Holy Spirit prays for you. The one Who knows you like no one else knows you, prays for you like no one else prays for you. We often seek impartation through God’s servants. But think about the exciting reality that the Holy Spirit prays for you Himself.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Romans 8:26-27. NLT)

In those moments when we lack the words to pray, we can rely upon the divine momentum given to us by the Holy Spirit, for the Bible says that He prays for us with groanings - deep longing. Even when we lack that fire of prayer, He doesn’t. He never lacks passion. He prays for you with more fervor than would a father have while praying for his son, than would a grandparent have while praying for their grandchild, than would a mother have while praying for her children. He prays for you with groanings - passionately, fervently, with longing, from deep within.

If you could see into the realm of the Spirit, if you could watch the Holy Spirit pray for you, you would see Him with tears streaming down His face. You would hear Him praying with such force that His booming voice, the very same which spoke the world into existence, would shake the room. I dare even say that you would see Him pounding His fist on the floor as He prayed.

He knows you like no one else knows you - every flaw, every insecurity, every need, every thought. And He prays for you like no one else can pray for you.

And He doesn’t just pray with groanings. He prays according to the will of God. He bends you toward the will of the Father. He inclines your heart unto the commands of God. Every prayer He prays over you makes you more like Christ and corrects your course.

The Holy Spirit, the ultimate prayer warrior, the mightiest of all intercessors, prays for you.

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Holy Spirit: Again and Again

The Holy Spirit does not abandon the true believer. But even after you receive the Holy Spirit, you can receive fresh infillings of His power, again and again. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is both a well and a river - a constant state of being and a continual flow.

When you were born again, you received the Holy Spirit. And He isn’t going to abandon you. Jesus said so Himself.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (John 14:16, NLT)

The Holy Spirit does not abandon the true believer. But even after you receive the Holy Spirit, you can receive fresh infillings of His power, again and again. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is both a well and a river - a constant state of being and a continual flow.

Now, many are under the impression that the Holy Spirit didn’t show up until Acts chapter two. In fact, the Holy Spirit was at work since the beginning.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2b, NLT)

Now I want to show you a Biblical example of a group of people receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, again and again, in new, fresh ways. 

Take a look at the 72 disciples of Jesus. They were given power to cast out demons and preach the gospel.

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” (Luke 10:1 & 17, NLT)

What power was it that enabled these 72 disciples to cast out demons? It was the power of the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus expelled demons by means of the power of the Holy Spirit.

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. (Matthew 12:28, NLT)

If Jesus needed the power of the Holy Spirit to cast out demons, then the 72 definitely needed the same. Yet these same people - the 72 - were some of those among the crowd that received the Holy Spirit by the breath of Christ.

Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22, NLT)

So the 72 received the power of the Holy Spirit when they were released to preach and drive out demons. Then some of them were present when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. Yet again, this same group had another experience. For in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit graced the Church in a new way.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4, NLT)

It didn’t end there. For this same group, Peter and John among them, was filled with the Holy Spirit again. Take a look at Acts 4.

23On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.  (Acts 4:23-24)

Now, listen to what they prayed!

29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30, NLT)

They prayed for boldness. Didn’t they already receive that when they were filled? They prayed for miracles. Hadn’t they already been seeing miracles? You see, they were praying for a fresh touch of power. But then take a look at this. Those believers, some of the 72 among them, those who had already been filled for ministry, those who had already been breathed upon by Jesus, those who had already received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost - experienced yet another infilling and preached with even greater boldness. 

After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31, NLT)

They didn’t necessarily receive more of the Holy Spirit; rather, they surrendered more of themselves and experienced greater measures, newer touches of the Holy Spirit’s power. May you receive His touch, everyday, again and again.

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The Holy Spirit is Jealous Over You

Ungodly jealousy is born of fear; godly jealousy is born of love. The Lord saw how captivated I was by my baby girl. It was as if He was saying, “Don’t forget about me.” No, the Lord wasn’t angry. No, the Lord wasn’t being petty. The Lord’s jealousy is loving and righteous.

When Aria was a newborn, I would hold her and make up songs for her. As I would sing, she would stare at me, and I would stare at her. 

Once, while I was holding and singing to her, a certain worship song popped into my head. It was random. The song wasn’t even one that you would consider popular. Of course, I didn’t sing it to Aria. I wasn’t about to sing, “I love you, Lord” to my daughter. That would have been odd. Instead, I ignored the thought and continued to sing to Aria some random melody that I made up for her. Moments later, the worship song again popped into my mind. And again, I pushed the thought aside. It seemed so out of place for the moment. Though I continued to ignore it, the subtle urge to sing that worship song just wouldn’t go away. 

The main lyric of that worship song is, “I love you, Lord.” 

The next evening, I attended a church service. I wasn’t preaching; I was just there to assist a spiritual father. It was a beautiful service, and I was enjoying every minute of it. Then, during the worship, suddenly, the worship team began to play that song—“I love you, Lord.” 

Again, it’s not the most popular song these days. In fact, other than in my own services, I can’t think of another setting where I’ve actually heard anyone sing that song. It was quite a coincidence, so I thought. But, sure enough, right then and there, the worship team started to play it. 

As everyone joined in singing that song, I thought to myself, “What are the odds? I was just thinking about this song yesterday while holding my Aria.” 

That’s when the Holy Spirit revealed something astounding to me. 

You see, as I was singing to my Aria, I was totally consumed by her. The Holy Spirit was watching me, and His holy jealousy was stirred. You see, He was the one trying to get me to sing that song to Him when I was holding my Aria, and He was the one leading the worship team to play it in that service.

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? (James 4:5, NKJV) 

Ungodly jealousy is born of fear; godly jealousy is born of love. The Lord saw how captivated I was by my baby girl. It was as if He was saying, “Don’t forget about me.” No, the Lord wasn’t angry. No, the Lord wasn’t being petty. The Lord’s jealousy is loving and righteous. 

As the worship team continued to play, the people all harmonized, “I love you, Lord.” And there, in that beautiful moment of worship, I responded to the Lord’s pulling. I sang to Him, and even up until now, I sing that song to Him as often as I can. He loves it when I sing it to Him. And, to be clear, the Lord loves when I spend time with my family, but He doesn’t want to be forgotten.

In everyday life, when He sees us constantly choosing distractions over our time with Him, His holy jealousy is stirred. Remember, we are His. His jealousy over us is rooted in His love for us, and that love calls us away from the things of this world; that love takes us to higher places.

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Low Signal

As a person will try to make up with volume what lacks in connection during a spotty phone call, so some believers try to make up in emotion and hype what is lacking in connection during prayer. The connection is there, but they allow matters of the flesh to disrupt what would otherwise be a moment of powerful prayer.

If prayer is to be powerful, it must be an act of the spirit, not of the flesh.

But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 1:20, WEB)

You cannot accomplish spiritual growth through carnal actions. Neither can the flesh sustain what the spirit begins. 

Some pray from their emotions. Some pray from their own carnal cravings and desires. Some pray from need. But the most effective prayers are prayed when you pray from your spirit. 

As advanced as our phones have become, those who use the call feature will still, from time to time, experience the problem of a weak or low signal. Whenever I’m on a phone call that begins to lose signal strength, the person on the other line will, more often than not, start to yell louder so that I can hear them. But because of the poor phone connection, their unclear communication just goes from being gibberish to being loud gibberish. In moments like those, I explain to the caller, “You don’t have to yell. The volume is fine. The problem is the connection.”

The problem is not the volume. It’s the connection.

As a person will try to make up with volume what lacks in connection during a spotty phone call, so some believers try to make up in emotion and hype what is lacking in connection during prayer. The connection is there, but they allow matters of the flesh to disrupt what would otherwise be a moment of powerful prayer.

Willpower fails. Emotion fails. Carnal effort fails. Intellect fails. It’s not by power nor might, but by the Spirit. Too many believers exhaust themselves in prayer, straining to obtain what can only be found in connection with the Spirit.

The key then is to lower the emotional, carnal volume and just listen to the spirit. Let the Spirit guide you as you surrender to Him. Be at peace. Don’t become agitated or emotionally riled. Relax. Surrender. Trust.

Trust not in your ability to connect with the Holy Spirit but in His ability to connect with you.

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No Longer Desperate

Our pleading is too loud. Servants beg. Strangers beg. Sons come boldly with faith. Desperation is a great initiator but a terrible sustainer. Desperation initiates, but only faith sustains. Desperation is what brings me to the Lord, but once I have Him, why would I ever be desperate again? You don’t enter the glory through noisy desperation; you enter through faith-filled confidence. Confident faith, not desperation, is the way to know the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes God has to break you before He can bless you. Never underestimate God’s ability to make use of a desperate situation. The Scripture is filled with examples of people who sought God in the midst of trying times. Sometimes, life will present challenges to you that are beyond your ability to handle. The death of a loved one, a dreaded diagnosis, the addiction of a friend, an unexpected financial calamity - no one is exempt from trials. 

And God uses hardships to draw people closer to Him. In fact, desperation is a part of my testimony. God used desperation to free me from religion and bring me to life in the Spirit. 

No doubt, in desperate times, one should call upon God. Biblically speaking, desperation definitely has its place. So not all desperation is a bad thing.

But, to be honest with you, I believe that desperation is overrated, and its place is all too often misunderstood. While we should call upon God when we face hardships and while God will use tough consequences to bring forth repentance, desperation should neither be the persistent posture nor the lifestyle of the Spirit-filled believer.

We mustn’t believe the idea that we have to plead and press in order to invoke a response from God. In the first place, none of us are so persuasive as to be able to convince God to do anything. Here’s the reality: Our persistence doesn’t move God; He’s unmovable. Rather, our persistence positions us to receive. 

And it’s not as though God is looking down from Heaven withholding His presence and power from us, waiting for us to become “desperate enough” in order for Him to move. “Oh if only you had shouted louder. If only you had jumped up and down during the song service. If only you had cried for five minutes longer, I would have heard you, I would’ve responded.” 

Sadly, some Christian leaders push the idea of a “desperate lifestyle” either by sincere mistake or out of a need to hype an atmosphere. Perhaps some even want to create a desperation culture so that it appears that the people are responding more strongly to their preaching or worship-leading. Whatever the reason, it must be noted that the believer doesn’t have to beg for an audience with God.

I imagine the conversation between the believer and God sometimes goes something like this:

Father, do you hear me?

Yes, I hear you.

Father, please, listen to me!

I’m listening.

God, please, don’t ignore me!

I’m not ignoring you.

You don’t need to beg for God’s presence when He lives in you. You don’t need to plead to be heard when He’s already listening. You don’t need to cry out for something that’s already been given to you. Believer, you’re already one with God:

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)

Imagine how much time you could save in prayer if, instead of begging God to hear you, you simply believed that He already does. 

Could it be that the reason we’re so often desperate for God is because we’ve not been connecting with God daily as we should? If I eat regularly, I still become hungry. If I skip too many meals, I become starving. Spiritually hungry? Yes. Spiritually starving? No. Desire God? Yes. Desperate for God? No. 

Our pleading is too loud. Servants beg. Strangers beg. Sons come boldly with faith. Desperation is a great initiator but a terrible sustainer. Desperation initiates, but only faith sustains. Desperation is what brings me to the Lord, but once I have Him, why would I ever be desperate again? You don’t enter the glory through noisy desperation; you enter through faith-filled confidence. Confident faith, not desperation, is the way to know the presence of the Holy Spirit.

There’s no need to punish yourself or exhaust yourself. Just come boldly through faith.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. (1 John 5:14, NLT)

I don’t pray to connect with God; I pray from connection with God. I don’t worship to connect with God; I worship from connection with God.

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When is the Holy Spirit Received?

When is the Holy Spirit received? And if the Holy Spirit lives in all believers, why does the Bible teach that we also need to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Do we need to receive the Holy Spirit more than once?

When is the Holy Spirit received? And if the Holy Spirit lives in all believers, why does the Bible teach that we also need to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Do we need to receive the Holy Spirit more than once?

Well, it’s true that believers receive the Holy Spirit once they are born again. All believers belong to God, and all who belong to God have the Holy Spirit. 

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) (Romans 8:9, NLT)

Because salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, it should be clear to us that the Holy Spirit is present in our lives at the very moment of salvation. 

Why then are we told in Scripture about the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Why would the believer need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit if the believer already has the Holy Spirit? To answer this question, we must understand that man’s being has three aspects:

Body, soul, and Spirit.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NLT)

Your body is your earth suit, the means by which you interact with this world. Your soul is the realm of decision - mind, will, emotions, personality. Mind - what you think. Will - what you desire. Emotions - what you feel. Personality - how you behave. Your spirit is the part of your being that is already in perfect union with God. Your Spirit desires as God desires, because your spirit is joined with the Holy Spirit.

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)

All spiritual growth, then, is not a matter of obtaining more from God but of manifesting what is in your spirit to your soul and body. In your spirit, you are complete. In your spirit, you know God. In your spirit, you are one with the Lord. The Holy Spirit lives as one with your spirit. The spirit is perfect. The soul and body are being perfected. 

Now, to be baptized with the Holy Spirit is to be immersed in and overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. Think of a ship. A ship stays afloat because though it is in water, the water is not in it. It’s not until the water floods the inside of the boat that it sinks and becomes baptized.

When you were saved, you received the Spirit. When you become baptized with the Holy Spirit, you release the Holy Spirit. He flows from within your spirit and floods the soul and body. He rises from the inner man (the spirit) and floods the outer man (soul and body).

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38, NASB)

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a matter of you getting more of the Holy Spirit; it’s a matter of the Holy Spirit getting more of you. The baptism with the Holy Spirit isn’t rain from Heaven; it’s a flood from within. The spiritual waters in which you are baptized don’t come from the outside in, but from the inside out.

The waters of the Holy Spirit overflow from your innermost being (your spirit) and flood the soul and body. The Spirit within you transforms, emboldens, and empowers the outer man (soul and body). The greater the surrender, the greater the flow. He’s received at salvation, released from within at baptism.

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Oneness with the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” I want to live in such a way that I can say, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Son.” Just as you cannot outpace your reflection in the mirror, so you should desire to reflect the nature of God.

Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” I want to live in such a way that I can say, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Son.” Just as you cannot outpace your reflection in the mirror, so you should desire to reflect the nature of God. 

I want to live in the rhythm of the Spirit. I desire to be One with Him.

Enoch lived in such a way. He walked with God so closely and for so long that he simply ceased to exist.

And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:22-24, KJV)

Think about that. Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took Him. When I read that, I said to the Lord, “Father, I want to be a ‘was not’ too.” The believer should desire to cease to be. I want to be a tear in the fabric of this reality through which Heaven can invade earth. I want to become a portal through which the glory can touch the natural, transforming all around me, conforming my surroundings to the will of the Spirit. Lord, make us empty spaces through which you can exist in this world. It should be your desire that your presence and His presence would become indistinguishably one, that you would carry His presence wherever you step.

Believer, let your hands be His hands. Let Him heal and touch through them. Let your eyes be His eyes. See things, people, and situations the way He sees them. Let your mouth be His mouth. Speak His Word. Let your ears be His ears. Listen for His voice. Let your feet be His feet. Step wherever He leads. Let your being be His being. Let your heart beat as one with His. Crucify your will, and, in its place, allow God’s will to be resurrected.

Disappear in God. Decrease so He can increase. 

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The Holy Spirit is God

No believer doubts the deity of the Father. No true believer doubts the deity of the Son - otherwise, they would not be a genuine believer. If there is any doubt raised concerning divinity, that doubt seems to most often be aimed at the Holy Spirit. So I want to show you, as simply and concisely as possible, that the Bible most certainly reveals the Holy Spirit as God.

People often ask me questions like, “Can I pray to the Holy Spirit? Can I worship the Holy Spirit? 

And, while I understand the Biblical truths concerning prayer and worship, while I understand that we are taught to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, I want to address this idea that the Holy Spirit is somehow less divine than the Father and the Son.

No believer doubts the deity of the Father. No true believer doubts the deity of the Son - otherwise, they would not be a genuine believer. If there is any doubt raised concerning divinity, that doubt seems to most often be aimed at the Holy Spirit. 

So I want to show you, as simply and concisely as possible, that the Bible most certainly reveals the Holy Spirit as God.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. 

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:7, NLT)

Secondly, we see that the Holy Spirit is omnipotent. In Luke’s gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit is the very same as the power of the most high.

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35, NLT)

Thirdly, we see that the Holy Spirit is omniscient. He searches the mind of God and knows the mind of God. Therefore, He knows everything God knows. Thus, He is all knowing.

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT)

Finally, the Holy Spirit is eternal.

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:14, NLT)

Who else but God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal? Clearly, the Holy Spirit is God.

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Demonic Division

The truly Spirit-filled can rise above the political chaos, rise above the emotionally-charged bickering, rise above the pettiness of worldly concerns. Don’t pollute your anointing or dilute God’s power on your life by preaching your opinions instead of God’s Word.

If God’s pattern of Church growth is multiplication through discipleship, then the enemy’s strategy would be just the opposite - division through discord. 

Though the enemy has always sought to divide God’s people, I’ve discerned a more intense effort in this season. You’ve probably seen it too:

“If you don’t agree with me, unfriend me.”

“Now I see your true colors.”

“You’re toxic.” 

"You’re a part of the problem.” 

“You’re ignorant.”

Those are the kinds of phrases being thrown around between believers. People are becoming offended and hurt because they somehow weren’t aware that other opinions existed besides their own.

The temptation and the tendency of man is to demonize those who express contrasting beliefs. Now, of course, if someone denies the fundamentals of the faith - truths like the resurrection of Jesus, the need for repentance from sin, the deity of Christ, or the authority of the Bible - then there is a time for separation. When something directly contradicts the Word, there’s no room for compromise. 

But, for the most part, if we agree on Christ then we agree. 

We may not all agree on how to get there, but we all want to get to a better, more godly Kingdom reality. We may not even all agree on what the actual problems are. One believer’s proposed solution might be another believer’s idea of a problem. 

But we must choose to not demonize fellow believers or even assume the worst about their motives. This is the role of grace for one another. 

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15, NLT)

Unity is the mark of the true Church.

Now, I can already hear potential objections to what I’m teaching here. People may say things like, “If they truly loved me, they would see things from my perspective.”

And therein lies the problem. There would never be division if we only disagreed on the things that didn’t matter all that much to us. The contention arises when there is something that contradicts our deeply held beliefs. It is because our deepest beliefs stir up the most intense emotions in us that division works in the first place.

And it’s easy to try to spiritualize our disagreements. We blame their “bad spirits” or claim that God has somehow exposed them for who they “really are.” But maybe - just maybe - you’ve disconnected because of pride. 

The Church, the body of Christ, is united by something much deeper, something much stronger than any one perspective, belief, or mindset. As important as any one issue is to you, it cannot be more important than our call to unity. It’s what distinguishes us from the world.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 13:34-35, NLT)

The world looks on in bewilderment. They can see that though we each have deeply held beliefs, we have something deeper still that unites us. When they see that the truth of God’s Word is more important to us than any other source of thought, they will know we belong to God. 

So long as we stand on the side of holiness and truth according to God’s Word, we stand together.

Jesus is God. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus rose again from the dead in bodily form. Jesus sits at the right hand of God. The call to repentance, the need for salvation, the authority of God’s Word - those truths unite us. We may disagree on the peripheral, but let’s unite for the sake of the primary. 

The truly Spirit-filled can rise above the political chaos, rise above the emotionally-charged bickering, rise above the pettiness of worldly concerns. Don’t pollute your anointing or dilute God’s power on your life by preaching your opinions instead of God’s Word. 

There’s a world that’s dying and going to hell - and Jesus is still the answer. The gospel is still the mission. Let’s stop the bickering and come together for the sake of souls. 

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David Diga Hernandez David Diga Hernandez

Special Update: New Ministry Training E-Course

I’m happy to announce that we have added another e-course to the Holy Spirit School.

I’m happy to announce that we have added another e-course to the Holy Spirit School.

Ministry Growth: Biblical Keys to Stewarding and Growing Ministry

In this e-course, I will give you both the practical and the spiritual tools you need to become fruitful in the ministry God has entrusted to you. 

Now, to be clear, this is not an ordination program, so both aspiring and seasoned ministers alike will benefit from the Biblical content. 

This is a 10 part course with bonus Q&A content. 

We will cover:

  • The Call of God

  • What is Ministry?

  • 8 Keys to Effective Ministry 

  • Bonus Q&A

Students will receive a free digital study guide, online testing, and a certificate of completion when they complete the course. Additionally, I’ve compiled a list of technological tools that you can use to better steward your ministry. And, just like all of our content and e-courses, thanks to our monthly ministry partners, this ministry e-course is absolutely free. 

To get started, just create or open your free student account by going to https://www.holyspiritschool.com/courses/ministrygrowth.

- David Diga Hernandez

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

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