The lamp of a person is his spirit-Basie Ligthelm

A few months ago, I had a dream. A very busy dream, lots of action, cannot really remember the detail. What I do remember was the final line : “the lamp of a person is his spirit”. I don’t know who spoke it, but it was loud, like a declaration!

I woke up thinking about the strange closing line. I know the verse in Matthew that says “the lamp of the body is the eye”, but I have never heard about this one. Was it a message from God? What does it mean? Is it someone that wants to divert me? Only later did I find the verse in Proverbs that says the same thing “The spirit of man, is the lamp of the Lord”

I started reading about the human spirit and realised that in our modern society, the total focus is on the soul and the body of the person. The functions of the soul are amongst others – the intellect, emotions, desires, will and senses. The whole fashion and sports industries’ focus is on the body. So what about the spirit? Can we train our spirit? What are the functions of the spirit? Can the spirit be hurt or damaged? Can the spirit be healed?

Going back to the beginning, we see how Adam and Eve walked in fellowship with God. They were created for fellowship and intimacy with the Creator. God walked with them in the garden every day. They were naked but it did not bother them.

They could eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said to them : “the day you eat of that tree, you will die”. Adam and Eve ignored the warning, they ate.

As a child I thought: “God was not serious about this warning. He just wanted to scare them. They did not die. They continued to live and became parents of the whole human race!”

But they did die. Not in their soul, not in their body, but in their spirit. That part of a human being that is the lamp of God.

How do you revive your spirit? Or how can the spirit be revived? The first question is an impossibility as man cannot revive his own spirit. The second question is relevant but how does that happen? Can somebody outside of man revive the spirit of a man? Jesus said to Nicodemis “You must be born again.” God revives our spirit. When man asks God for cleansing. When any human is washed by God in the detergent of God. That detergent is the blood of His own Son. The only detergent acceptable to God. When a man is spiritually dead, he has no communication with a living God. When he realises he cannot save himself. He cannot wash himself. That he needs a saviour, and that saviour is God himself, then his spirit is revived, by the One he puts his trust in. It is an act of God.

What are the functions of the spirit? Here are a few. It is where we worship God, it enables us to communicate with Him, enables us to hear His voice, prayer and intercession, intimacy with our creator, our conscience, wisdom, our ability to understand situations, supernatural knowledge, our perception of the future, our ability to operate in the power of God. These all happen through our spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God’s agent on earth. The Holy Spirit is the person that enables me, through my spirit to live in fellowship with God.

Where is the spirit? Is it in my head? Is it close to my heart? Jesus said : “He who believes in me, from His innermost being, will flow rivers of living water.” This is the location of the spirit. A place where only the Holy Spirit can reach and the place where God dwells. Medical science or any technology cannot reach there. It is our innermost being. God said through Isaiah: “I dwell on a high and holy place (heaven), and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit. In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Changing Your Mind - Bill Johnson

"It is unnatural for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible."

One of the major functions of miracles and supernatural living is to offer immediate, irrefutable proof of what God wants to happen on earth. It demonstrates who God is by showing what His reality looks like. The apostle Paul put it this way,

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2, emphasis mine).

Aren't you tired of talking about a gospel of power, but never seeing it in action? Aren't you tired of trying to carry out the Great Commission without offering proof that the Kingdom works? Too many of us have been like a vacuum cleaner salesman who comes to the door and throws a handful of dirt in on the floor and says, "I represent the new Whiz Bang vacuum cleaner company. My vacuum cleaner is so strong that you have to remove pets and small children from the room. It sucks up everything in sight." But instead of demonstrating the vacuum cleaner he simply hands you a brochure (tract), promises that the machine will work, and walks away. That's cheating people!

The Lords Prayer Reveals God’s Will - Bill Johnson

...We are out to destroy the works of the devil...

In what is known as the lords prayer, Jesus said clearly and concisely:

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

(Matthew 6:9-10).

The will of God is simply this: “On earth as it is in Heaven.” Isn’t it refreshing? When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we’re praying for the King’s dominion and will to be realized right here, right now. That is a life-transforming, paradigm-shattering way to “do” normal Christianity. What is free to operate in Heaven – Joy, peace, wisdom, health, wholeness, and all the other good promises we read about in the Bible – Should be free to operate here on this planet, in your home, your church, your business, and your school. What is not free to operate there – sickness, disease, spiritual bondage, and sin – should not be free to operate here, period. We are out to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). It’s an awesome way to live!

When we make this our primary understanding of God’s will, the other areas that trouble us so much will seem to sort themselves out (Matt. 6:33).

When we make this our mission, lives are set free, bodies are restored, darkness lifts from people’s minds, the rule of the enemy is pushed back in every way imaginable. Businesses grow healthy, relationships flower again, people re-connect with their calling and purpose in life, churches grow, and cities feel the effects of having the kingdom flourishing within them. Energy is freed up for Kingdom works in ways I have never seen before. Things happen regularly that are so extraordinary it’s like stepping into the pages of a good novel. But it’s not a made-up lifestyle; it’s the lifestyle for which we were made.

Building a Kingdom culture by Bill Johnson

Bill leads the Bethel church in Redding California

A culture is the system of beliefs, disciplines, practices, and relational boundaries that reveal how life is lived among a particular group of people. Movements of any kind succeed when they have created a culture that can sustain it. Revivals have failed at this point in times past. Instead the great moves of God have been measured by how many meetings we have, and how many people we bring into our buildings. While this is good, it is incomplete.

We have been working on building a kingdom culture in order to sustain the present move of God. A culture of revival by nature positions itself for future advancements. It is this approach that enables and empowers people to invade society instead of waiting for them to come to us. The transformation in the world system around us is absolutely amazing.

There are multiple troughs you can feed out of right now. There is a whole bunch of horrible news you can feed out of in one and there is incredibly good news in another. I've been feeding out of this one full of good news for so long, people have to remind me that this other one exists.

When you feed in this one called bad news its so easy to come under it. It's easy to come under the weight of infirmity, affliction and torment of the mind.

Being a people with constant good news is "living in denial." :) It's when the enemy makes a suggestion, you reply "request denied". It's the right kind of denial. You don't dwell on the garbage that the enemy feeds out to people.

What we have really worked hard at for the last 20 years; especially over the last 8 years is to try to build a culture on what God is doing right now. Trying to arrange our conversation, thinking, planning and praying around that.

Pressing on by Roland and Heidi Baker

Roland and Heidi Baker lead Iris Ministries in Mozambique.

Heidi and I would both be dead by now if our doctors had been right.

A few years ago Heidi was in the hospital for a month with a staph infection that went out of control. The doctors gave up on her and told her she could write her tombstone. Then suddenly, while preaching in a lot of pain, God healed her, and the next morning she was out jogging!

Four months ago I was diagnosed with terminal dementia, and was barely alive. I needed help to shower, change clothes, put on my shoes, clip my fingernails. I didn't know what country I was in, and couldn't remember anything from the day before. Heidi built a room for a full-time caregiver for me in Mozambique. Doctors said I wouldn't live long, and family was called.

I had friends who wouldn't give up on me, and they sent me to a Christian center in Germany where I received incredible medical care in a faith-filled environment. Today I am back in Pemba ministering the Gospel, ready to fly my plane again, and reconnected with our friends and staff here. I look forward to pushing back the frontiers of missions in Sudan, DRCongo and wherever the need is greatest.

We cannot function in this world without the power of our God. Some of us haven't yet been brought to our extremity, and so we aren't fully and forcibly aware of our dependence. But our time will come. We need Him to stay alive. We need Him for our health. We need Him for our healing. We need Him for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We need more than talk. We need Him more than church, a missions program or financial support. We need more than any human being can do for us. We need sheer, raw power in the goodness and love of God. We need power to appreciate our God, to make Him the greatest pleasure in our lives. We need power to rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. We need power to experience His Kingdom, to move in His environment.

How do we get power? It is the grace and gift of God. He plants in us a hunger that will not be denied. He opens our eyes to our poverty without His powerful Presence. He grants faith where there was none. In His power we can rest even while under demonic attack. His power fixes our eyes on Him. In His power we are able to discipline ourselves in everything. We can cast our cares on Him because He is willing to use His power on our behalf.

How can we be sure He cares for us? The cross. We go to the cross always to find confidence to approach Him. We will not empty the cross of its power. There and only there we find salvation of every kind. At the cross we come to know our God and His heart toward us. At the cross we learn to become utterly dependent on His power.

The Normal Christian Life by Bill Johnson

Bill leads the Bethel church in Redding California

1 Cor. 4:20 NKJV

It is abnormal for a Christian not to have an appetite for the impossible. It has been written into our spiritual DNA to hunger for the impossibilities around us to bow at the name of Jesus.

The lack of miracles isn't because it is not in God's will for us. The problem exists between our ears. As a result, a transformation, a renewing of the mind, is needed, and it's only possible through a work of the Holy Spirit that typically comes upon desperate people.

Stories of the impossible are becoming the norm, and the company of people who have joined this quest for an authentic gospel, the gospel of the Kingdom, is increasing. Loving God and His people is an honor. We will no longer make up excuses for powerlessness because powerlessness is inexcusable. Our mandate is simple: raise up a generation that can openly display the raw power of God.

The EITHER/OR dilemma by Mike Eltringham

Mike leads a church, Well of Life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In the minds of many/most believers is the misconception that they must take a stand in one ‘CAMP’ or another when it comes to certain theological truths.

Please don’t hear what I’m NOT saying!

While on the FUNDAMENTALS (which are Heaven and Hell/Death and Destiny issues), this might be true, on many others, God gives us the liberty to hold TRUTH-in-TENSION, and/or to at times, agree to disagree!

I recently read an article by a Dr. Sam Storms, and in it was this statement, and I quote:-

“Please understand that the issues below are not regarded as fundamental in the sense that one must believe them in order to be a Christian. I have not listed such foundational truths as Trinitarianism, the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture, the virgin conception, sinless life, penal substitutionary sacrifice, and bodily resurrection of Christ, or the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

I'm focusing, rather, on issues that differentiate men and women who are all Christians. I am a Calvinistic, charismatic, complementarian, amillennial, baptistic Christian hedonist. But, I trust you understand that I believe someone who is an Arminian-cessationist-egalitarian-dispensational-presbyterian, or some other odd mixture thereof can also be a Christian. I hope those who regard me as an even odder theological mixture will extend the same generosity.”

This has always been a tendency, and Scripture gives a number of accounts as well, which endorse the wisdom of Solomon, that there is NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN!

 On the issue of SIN, the disciples were adamant-e.g.- the man born blind- John 9:2 “His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"- What was Jesus response.....3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

 On the issue of APOSTOLIC input and relationship, the Corinthian church had taken their stand- ILLUS- 1 Cor 3:3 “4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task.”- What was Paul’s response- 1 Cor 3:1 “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”

 On being on JESUS TEAM, the disciple had clearly drawn a line in the sand- ILLUS- Mark 9:38 “38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."-Again, what was Jesus response....39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40 for whoever is not against us is for us.41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

 Even in Moses day, in terms of who was on his team and who could minister/prophecy, there were ‘camps’ potentially forming- Num 11:22 “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.27 A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them!"- Moses response was not what his leaders expected-ILLUS- ....29 “But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"

So what am I saying/getting at?
All over the world, there are these camps forming over the issue of being WORD or EXPERIENCE, EVANGELICAL or CHARISMATIC, FUNDAMENTALIST or REVIVALIST, SOCIAL or SPIRITUAL, GRACE or LAW etc, based Church.

Each has it’s own strengths and weaknesses, appealing to different individuals who prefer either a SAFER or more UNPREDICTABLE approach!

So what am I/we? I believe that we must CONTEND to be BOTH!
 Do I embrace the Gospel of God’s GRACE, for sure...in its fullness.

 Do I believe we need to take responsibility for our lives, shortcomings, failures.......yes! (Paul did- 2Cor2:6)

 Am I a WORD –BASED man, leading a WORD-BASED Church....absolutely!

 Do I believe in the GIFTS and want to see the MANIFEST PRESENCE of God....absolutely!

 Jesus did/does- Lk 24:13 “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;16 but they were kept from recognizing him.17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" ...."About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

This for me is the Key..... “Mighty in WORD and DEED”!

We need good THEOLOGY which leads to DEMONSTRATION of His PRESENCE and POWER! We cannot afford the luxury of camping in either of the above exclusively! So many ministers and ministries, and denominations for that matter, have erred on this point...why??

Good THEOLOGY (by revelation) must result in PROCLAMATION and DEMONSTRATION!

It is time for us to evaluate our lives, leadership, meetings and Churches to make sure we are not in danger of ‘camping’ on either extreme!