Tag: prophecy

Come Holy Spirit

Posted on by Olaf

Jesus promised he would send The Holy Spirit to bless, comfort, guide, teach and empower his followers by pouring out abundant spiritual gifts upon us. Why has there been so much division among Christians around this blessing over the years? The problem surely cannot be that of the Holy Spirit so it must point to errors in our understanding, belief or experience.  What has been your experience and expectations? Some think he is a force rather than the third person of the Trinity. Then there are ‘Cessasionists’ like John Calvin who believed that spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing ceased with the Apostolic Age. By contrast, John Piper would be an example of a ‘Continuationist’ believing that those gifts and others are for the church today.  Christians have fallen out with each other over these things, churches have divided and denominations have been formed. Does the Holy Spirit belong to a bygone era or is he present and active today? Does it matter?

  • ‘Come Holy Spirit, God and Lord! Be all thy graces now outpoured on the believer’s mind and soul, to strengthen, save and make us whole’ – Martin Luther

A VISION OF GOD

Posted on by Olaf

Have you had a vision of God?  Do you want one?  The old saying is, ‘you don’t get because you don’t ask!’.  Actually it was Jesus himself who said this: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’ (Matthew 7:7).  Have there been special moments when you’ve sensed God right next to you, in what you’ve seen, thought or heard?  Everyone who is called has heard a call, distant or close.  Some hear it in the early part of life as a child, some hear it in the crises of mid-life and others hear it in the very last parts of life.  It doesn’t matter when so long as you recognise and respond to the one calling.  So here are some visions others who’ve gone before have had and some thoughts to mull over!

‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days’ – Joel 2:28.29