Pentecost

by Don Merritt

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (2:2-4)

The Ap0stles waited in Jerusalem as Jesus had instructed them; they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. As they waited, the religious authorities were going about their business as usual, thinking that they had gotten rid of that Jesus guy once and for all. Yes, of course there were whispers and rumors about Him, but that sort of foolishness was to be expected from zealots and nutjobs like those who had followed Him.

No sir, it was back to regular business; the ceremonies, customs, traditions and commerce would go on as they always had− the danger had been nailed to a cross.

Yet unbeknownst to the religious authorities, the Holy Spirit had come upon the Apostles, with Power, so much so, in fact, that many thought they were drunk!

“They have had too much wine.” (2:13)

More at: https://lifereference.wordpress.com/2020/01/22/pentecost/

Russell Moore on the Need to Be Aware of True Spiritual Attack

https://churchleaders.com/pastors/videos-for-pastors/365399-russell-moore-aware-true-spiritual-attack.html

Developing a Relationship with God the Holy Spirit — What Do We Learn from 2 Peter about the Holy Spirit?

https://larrydixon.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/the-forgotten-third-developing-a-relationship-with-god-the-holy-spirit-what-do-we-learn-from-2-peter-about-the-holy-spirit/

Three Examples Of Spiritual Warfare

Wellman

There is a war on…a way against Christians, so what can we learn from others who have battled Satan and his demons?

Job and Satan

In the Old Testament, “there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1), so we know that Job was “one who feared God and turned away from evil” and was “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil,” but that can create a self-righteous person. Job was declared righteous by God, but Satan believed it was only because God had blessed him, so Satan answered, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:10-11), however, if you read Job 29 and before, you can see that Job had become, the great “I am” as he boasted, “I did this and I did that.”  Notice Job says, “I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know” (Job 29:15-16), so Job began to justify himself before others, and really, before God, even though Proverbs 16:8 warns us all that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This is why we must remember that we can do nothing without Christ anyway (John 15:5), and the reason we must give Him all the glory. God Himself has appointed works for us to do, if only we walk in them (Eph 2:10), but to boast on doing this or doing that for others is only going to lead to a prideful attitude, and that pride is just what the Enemy wants. You’re playing right into his hands.

The rest is at: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2018/01/12/three-examples-of-spiritual-warfare/

Developing a Relationship with God the Holy Spirit –The FRUIT of the Holy Spirit!

https://larrydixon.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/the-forgotten-third-developing-a-relationship-with-god-the-holy-spirit-the-fruit-of-the-holy-spirit/

What Do We Learn from the Gospel of MARK about the Holy Spirit?

https://larrydixon.wordpress.com/2019/12/07/the-forgotten-third-developing-a-relationship-with-god-the-holy-spirit-what-do-we-learn-from-the-gospel-of-mark-about-the-holy-spirit/

The Holy Spirit and Transformation

Anyone who reads the apostle Paul’s letters comes away with the clear idea that Paul taught the Holy Spirit was/is a transforming Agent. One example is Romans 8:4: “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (NIV).

Let’s agree to agree: The Holy Spirit works in us to transform us into Christoformity.

How?

That is the question in the work of Volker Rabens’ academic book, The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul: Transformation and Empowering for Religious-Ethical Life. This book is now in its 2d edition and published by Fortress.

Continue at: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2019/12/04/the-holy-spirit-and-transformation/