Pastor Steve's Ministry Tour of the United Kingdom in 2006

Pastor Steve & Pastor Kathy,

   You're like peanut butter and jelly. Separate you are OK but together a power combination . Your love and passion shows not only through your countenance but through your actions. I appreciate the way you never give up on our church, on my family, and on me! Words cannot describe the  amount of appreciation I feel. - Anita Richard Jr.

 

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Hello and thank you for visiting our Pastor's Notes Page. These are transcripts and notes from Pastor Steve's recent sermons. We have found that not everyone has the time or the quiet to sit and listen to an audio recording of a sermon. But by providing the transcripts you can read the entire message and even go back and meditate on certain points within a few short minutes. If these messages are helpful to you, would you please take a moment to e-mail us and let us know and please include your first name and town where you live. We have been contacted from people as far away as New York and Indiana. Also if you are one who would prefer to hear an audio version of the sermon please let us know and we will be happy to add that feature to our site. 

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Scroll Down if you've already read the first 10 parts. We've just added parts 11-17 to the "Influence of the Holy Spirit series. Thanks for your interest!

THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

SERIES Part One

More in this series below...

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, May 25, 2008 am

 

John 14:25-26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Today I’m beginning a series on the subject of the Holy Spirit and the reason for the series is that there is so much about Him to adequately teach and explain all that the Holy Spirit does for us will take time. Typically when one hears the sermon is about the Holy Spirit one assumes that the subject will be on The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and yes that is going to be included in the coming weeks. But today I want to bring to your awareness of His tremendous influence in our everyday lives and by doing so you will certainly appreciate Him more and also help you realize you are never alone.

First of all, remember the Holy Spirit is a member of the God Head. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and these three separate beings and yet are one. I’ll explain that in future sermons as well. Who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them? Every person that has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and has invited the Holy Spirit to dwell in them. I’ll explain that also in a future sermon. But for now just accept that as fact.

We see in our opening text that Jesus is telling His disciples that He will not be with them much longer in his earthly bodily form, but that he will send the Holy Spirit as the amplified Bible defines Him…Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby),and He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance everything I have taught you.

Every time you read the word, spend time in prayer, or receive a word from the Lord about your future the Holy Spirit provides us with the ability to retain and remember the information. So there is times where you are dealing with some kind of a situation and the Holy Spirit will cause you to remember what God’s word is for you to draw strength, faith and instruction. That is truly a priceless influence that keeps us all in check and balance in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is the inner working of the Holy Spirit. As a Pastor there are times when I feel that one of our people might be bordering on making a bad decision, times when I see someone slipping away from the Lord and I go after them as a shepherd is to do. Yet there are times there is no power of persuasion that will change the mind of a person. Certainly the frustration of a believer being married to a non believer can be overwhelming and there seems to be no way the believing spouse can win their mate over. Parents of rebellious children also know all to well the heartache and frustration of trying to steer their children on the right course.

Nothing in the natural seems to work and the reason people resist correction of any kind is due to a spirit of pride. I remember when I was 18 years old, fresh out of High School. I took courses on sales I could sell anything to anyone I thought. My first job was selling furniture. When I first got hired my boss flattered me and got me all puffed up. I was in his words a fresh faced nice looking young man with pretty white teeth, back then my teeth were white and my hair was brown and all I’d need to do is smile and I’d sell everybody and make a lot of money. My flesh liked that!!!

But he sent me to work in another store in the chain to be trained by a former Army Drill Sergeant turned sales manager. He began to teach me about the products so I’d have product knowledge, then he began to teach me how to do a presentation. But there was a problem I had as do many young people. Every time he tried to teach me something I said “I know…I know” and every time he’d watch me present to a customer and he saw opportunities to make a sale that I had blown and the customer walked without buying he would critique what I did wrong… and I would respond, Yeah But… Yeah But!!! So I had the I know… I know… Yeah but… syndrome. At this point is where his giftings as an Army Drill Sergeant came in. He messed with my head so much I came to the place I wasn’t sure about anything, I lost what I called confidence but was actually pride, and from there he trained me to be the kind of salesman I was expected to be.

THIS IS WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES TO EVERY BELIEVER. He goes after our pride because God hates pride but never to destroy us but to build. He is able to get into the hearts, conscious’ and minds of people and cause them to make the logical conclusion, I think I prefer obeying the Lord over fighting Him.

Now certainly and fortunately except when a stronger ointment needs to be applied… In no way is The Holy Spirit a Drill Sergeant. He is patient, loving, kind, merciful, and will endure our nonsense and never refuse to work with us. He will not impose himself on any of us. He is a gentleman that asks for permission. But at the same time He is the one who inspires us to desire to grant Him permission.    

The Bible says when we are truly saved, Behold old things are passed away all things become new. Our minds are renewed. Our tastes change, our desires change, and the Holy Spirit plays a key role in making that happen.

When this Prodigal Son came back to the Lord I remember having tears streaming down my face as I emptied a wine bottle and cans of Beer down the sink why because somebody told me I had to? Because a book of rules said so? No because the Holy Spirit imparted a desire to stop and I no longer desired it. I cannot explain His power or how it all happens but I know it happens. People I knew that loved to gamble and some were good at it. But the Holy Spirit got to them and they simply lost the desire even when they won they felt ashamed.

This is why I am happy to tell everyone here today… If there are things in your life right now that bother you and you want to see changed… Give God praise because it is evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in your life and he is right now in the process of helping you overcome. See in reality if we knowingly are doing sinful things and we don’t feel any guilt over it that is where we are in trouble because the Holy Spirit is not strong in that persons life… so if that’s true… then someone else is strong in that persons life.

But even the enemy was not strong enough to keep everyone here today out of God’s house and you are sitting here today because of the tremendous influence of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit wants to lead us to where we need to be… and right now that place is the altar. Come and thank him Thank Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit to you today and encourage the Holy Spirit to keep up the good work on your life.    

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The Influence of the Holy Spirit Part 2

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Proverbs 14:12-13 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.   Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Proverbs 3:5-7  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Isaiah 55:8-9  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In part one in our series (above) we discovered the valuable Influence that the Holy Spirit has on our character and who we are. How He alone has the ability to change our lives changing our likes and dislikes and how he makes intercession for us and most of all that the Holy Spirit that dwells in every believers hearts is not a thing or some entity, But rather is a member of the Godhead. God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit.  

Tonight I want to address the value of His influence in leading us to make right choices and avoid making wrong choices. Clearly there is blessings that come from good choices and definitely consequences that occur in making bad decisions.

Even mature Christian people can make bad decisions based on the disception of emotions. Many Christians have made bad decisions based on…Well I feel good about it! I feel peace about it! Good decisions are not discerned by how we feel about things. Missionaries giving up their comforts of home, saying good-bye to family and friends to go live in some far away country is not something Missionaries feel good about. It is for them simply what God has called them to do. Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane didn’t feel good about the idea of being savagely beaten and hung from a cross. But it was what God called him to do.

Many people make bad decisions due to the Lust of the Eye of what they see. Samson chose to put his trust in a Philistine woman over the Lord and this resulted in blindness and slavery. King Saul discounted God’s instructions and did what he felt was a good idea. His mind from that point was tormented and ultimately he and his son would be killed in battle. Judas Iscariot’s greed led him to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. But Judas at the time thought he was slick. But later he committed suicide after he realized what he’d done. Lot chose the pretty green valley with all the bells and whistles over taking to the Hills. A harder place to graze his herds. But his choice based on what appeared to be more attractive, prettier, and easier caused him to lead his family and herdsmen into peril and deep sin in a place called Sodom & Gomorrah. His decision caused the death of his wife and herdsmen.

All of us at one time or another  ignorantly and foolishly almost to the point of gross irresponsibility and negligence in our walk with God has brought on hardships and bad circumstances that could have been avoided had we simply valued the influence of the Holy Spirit and waited for his answer.

OUCH… There’s a word we hate… Wait! Isaiah 40:31. Some people have said well I prayed about it and asked God if I should do this but he didn’t answer so I decided… But you and I have to understand why rebellion is so deadly. Rebellion which is insisting on having our own way… is defined in God’s word as Witchcraft. Witchcraft is a sin. The wages of sin is death. All the Bible characters I shared about were men who rebelled against God and it brought on consequences including even death.

Now two things to be happy about., All Old Testament characters including Moses suffered for making bad choices. But thank God you and I live under God’s grace because of the Blood Covenant through Jesus Christ. His given us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Hopefully by having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us we can minimize the chances of making bad decisions and avoid consequences from the start. But even when we do falter and make bad decisions the Holy Spirit can lead us to repentance and be completely forgiven even to the point where God’s love covers a multitude of sins.

Tonight I want you to thank the Lord Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts to lead us and guide us, even correcting us, and driving us toward repenting when needed. Thank the Lord that the Holy Spirit is our comforter in times of distress and our guide to deliver us out of any dark tunnel. Next tell the Lord that now more than ever you revere the wisdom of the Spirit of God who releases all good things.

Finally the biggest test for a child of God is not only submitting to God’s will but to submit with a glad heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Some people have tried and failed to submit to God’s will because they attempted to do it reluctantly and ultimately they will weaken and give into their flesh.

When God says "No" to your will and you want to obey His will ask the Lord to use his Holy Spirit to help you to do His will with a glad heart.

No Missionary (and I only use this illustration because it is the purest human definition of self denial) goes overseas reluctantly but gladly as the Holy Spirit has dealt with them. Ask the Holy Spirit to not only help you do God’s will but to recognize and appreciate Him more than ever.

 

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 3

Rev Steven Kirwin  Sunday, June 1, 2008 AM

2 Corinthians 3:4-11 We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this—that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!

 7-8The Government of Death, its constitution chiseled on stone tablets, had a dazzling inaugural. Moses' face as he delivered the tablets was so bright that day (even though it would fade soon enough) that the people of Israel could no more look right at him than stare into the sun. How much more dazzling, then, the Government of Living Spirit?

 9-11If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation? Bright as that old government was, it would look downright dull alongside this new one. If that makeshift arrangement impressed us, how much more this brightly shining government installed for eternity?

In our last two messages on The Influence of the Holy Spirit we’ve been made aware of His influence in our decision making, seeking His will and we have supplied you with sermon notes from Wednesday Night as well as last Sunday morning for those that would like them. You can also read the transcripts on the Pastor’s Notes of our website.

Today we will  discover his power to take us from the Milk of God’s word into the meat of God’s word. The Milk of God’s word is simply this .. the basic fundamentals for every new believer to understand who Jesus is, what he did 2,000 years ago for you and me and a good example of that is that every new believer is counseled to read the Gospel of St. John as opposed to say The Book of Revelation which is pretty deep. The Gospel of John is foundational. 

Certainly there are people who say they have read the Bible from cover to cover at one time in their lives and deceptively they feel that is adequate. Others have read the Bible and see it only as a book of rules, a book of morals. And sadly many others have read very little of God’s word. Some peoples knowledge of God’s word is solely based on hearing someone’s commentary on the subject. Sometimes looking to TV and radio preachers or just their Pastors to impart some insight to God’s word. That’s just not good enough and that should not be acceptable to any Christian when we know that it is the desire of the Holy Spirit to reveal to you personally the hidden treasures of God’s word.

In our opening text Paul tells us of the power that the Holy Spirit can bring to the Word of God. The letter itself kills because  at face value it appears to our flesh as unobtainable ideals. This is too hard, I’m a failure, I cannot make it.  But the Spirit gives life meaning that God’s word becomes affirming to us… With God’s help, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.

As we read God’s word time and again (hopefully everyday) the passages of scripture go past being simply faith promise verses or Bible stories of what different people went through. The Holy Spirit can speak to us through God’s word and receive guidance, instruction and even identify our situation and circumstance with that of a Bible Character. Times you’ll feel like Job and yet the Holy Spirit encourages you that not only will you come through but you’ll come through with double blessing. Times you’ll feel that you’ve sinned and failed too much to ever be able to live for God… but we discover all of our Bible Heroes were initially obscure and sinful, and generally failures and losers who God raised up to become great.

In fact the Holy Spirit can reveal to you hidden meanings to everything we read. For example for the Israelites wandering in the wilderness they were starving, God supplied them with Manna. In Hebrew Manna means “What is it” it was a Heaven’s food. They got tired of eating manna and grumbled so God in his wrath gave them Quail and so much of it they became sick and vomited  on it. The Holy Spirit can take that illustration and show today’s church the Manna is Jesus… “man does not live by bread alone but by the word of God’ and yet people can grow tired of Jesus, not desiring to go to church, not desiring fellowship with the Lord and God’s people and choosing rather to prefer Quail the meat of this life and God being a jealous God whose rejected and provoked will allow someone to stray and get their fill of Earthy Quail until it makes them sick.  

The Influence of the Holy Spirit inspiring us to become students of God’s word and inspired with Godly Passion for Christ can do the same thing for us that it did for Moses when he received the written 10 Commandments on the tablets which caused his face to glow like the sun.

For years scientists have a device that can determine the Aura of a person. They film a persons image and by subjecting the image to various photographic filters can see various glowing colors around that person. Good Aura’s of positive light and Bad aura’s of oppression and negative trouble energy.

If you live in the company of sinners you become a magnet for more evil to come into your life. But if you dwell in the secret place of the most high you are under the shadow of the almighty protected from evil and the light of God outshines all the strongholds in your life and purges them out.

As you and I invite and allow the Holy Spirit access to our hearts and minds and He reveals to us the hidden treasures of knowledge and wisdom we become more dynamic and a more powerful force for good.

When the Bible says, You and I are to let our light shine for the Lord it is not just a figure of speech… You and I are given Light to be light for the Kingdom of God through the Influence of the Holy Spirit. 

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 4

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, June 1, 2008 pm 

Matthew 12:38-40 (Message Bible) Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. "Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?"

 39-40Jesus said, "You're looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you're going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish's belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave.

We’re in a time that saint and sinner alike are intrigued and seek to be dazzled by miracles, signs and wonders. Certainly we are in a time of miracles that God is doing some amazing things as he said He would do in the last days.

As Christians we can rest assured that God’s word is chock full of miracles and power. But it can be said that many Christians like the Pharisees have just become satisfied with observing and marveling at the the supernatural. But the Bible teaches us that we aren’t to follow signs and wonders but signs and wonders are to follow us.

Some Christians have admittedly said they much prefer watching Christian Television over going to church. Why? TV lets you sit and comfortably watch but Church compels and  inspires us to DO!!! And sadly not many really want to “Do” This is why Jesus said the Harvest is white and ready to harvest but the laborers are few. Some people think they’re spiritual because they’ve seen someone move in the gifts of healing but friends I can watch Westerns all day long and that does not make me a cowboy! This is why the Bible says, "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the custom of some is not considering the hour." When we see people get healed when we see people get miracles and blessing it should be of no surprise to any Child of God as we should all be moving in God’s power and anointing! Yet some Christians have been diluted with the intrigue of God’s giftings but they themselves are not growing spiritually. They aren’t dying daily to their sins. Many Christians still have not overcome sins in their lives that they had before they accepted Jesus Christ! We have to even ask ourselves are we really saved and what is the evidence of it? I watch Christian TV!!!??? Atheists watch Christian TV!!

The Influence of the Holy Spirit on this subject is this… Not all of us need a healing miracle but we all need the presence of God in our lives.

The Holy Spirit is in the business of taking common ordinary people like you and I with all of our flaws, imperfections, and even bad character traits and work in our lives to remove traces of lust, bad habits, secret sins, wrong attitudes and so forth and make us into the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit wants to help you and I emulate and become more Christ like in our nature and the way we live.

He can take what appears to be too hard for us and help us conquer those things in our lives.

He can change the way we use our free time. He places a desire in our hearts to prefer Him using our time over our flesh seeking only a spirit of entertainment to pacify us.

Think about what is happening in the world today. Children who once played in the streets and parks interacting with other people sit alone and isolated in front of a video game or 24 hours of children’s television. People on the internet for hours blogging, watching streaming video, emailing and through this spirit people don’t trust other people, have become introverts, and don’t even want to talk with other people. All the more reasons for the Holy Spirit to do a work.

To Drive a car under the influence of alcohol is a bad idea and will get a person into a lot of trouble and yet even with all the warnings and education against such acts  people still do it!

Oddly enough Living under the Influence of the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit can change your live and he alone can set you FREE and that is a good idea and even with Testimonies of God’s great blessings few people allow the Holy Spirit to influence their lives and decision making. I know what God’s will is but I don’t like it.  No wonder so many peoples lives are in a shambles.

Tonight let’s agree that giving the Holy Spirit permission to work in our lives is a good idea and will reap to us countless blessings.

Greater than watching someone else get a miracle is you getting a miracle!!!

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 5

Rev Steven Kirwin Wednesday, June 4, 2008

 

John 14:26 & 27 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

In the past four messages on the subject of “The Influence of the Holy Spirit” we have come to appreciate just how much the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, working through circumstances, through even helping us yield our will to his, how he enables us from falling into sin,  how He teaches us, inspires us and even has the power to change the way we think. Truly He helps us fulfill the passage of scripture which says…

Acts 17:28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'  

Tonight there is another truly Platinum benefit of living for Jesus Christ and having the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. A benefit that the world cannot even imitate successfully. That is the Peace of God that passes all understanding.

Think about the unbeliever, the wayward, and the worldly. Where do they go and what do they do to find peace during some distress or trouble?

Every worldly attempt at finding peace actually releases more consequence than peace. People looking to drugs and alcohol to find peace of mind discover the consequence of the coming down, the crashing, not to mention the risk of addiction. My Bible says in Proverbs “Wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

I think about people who suffer from severe depression. Strong medication even treatments of electric shock therapy sometimes is prescribed but all they do  to some people is make them a shadow of their former selves. Listless and distant.

But the Power of the Holy Spirit can do wonders in bringing us peace and calm even in times of difficulty. Peace during a time from the loss of a loved one, peace during a time of fearful circumstances, peace during a time of uncertainty, peace in the mist of whatever the storm may be. In our opening text we read from the Amplified Bible because it points out how the Holy Spirit brings us peace… COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, AND REASSURANCE.

Psalm 34:18-19 (NIV)  18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles,  but the LORD delivers him from them all;

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ’s intent that we not be agitated and become overwhelmed by circumstances and yet we all do. When the Disciples were on their boat at sea and a raging storm tossed their boat to and frow. Waves of water pouring into the boat and land is miles away perhaps they should have known Jesus was with them. They should have realized that if Jesus could sleep through all this then they had nothing to worry about. But friends just like you and me Fear can overtake our faith and we begin to doubt. Yes I know that God has delivered me before, I know he’s healed me before, I know he has provided for me before, I know he has given me miracles and favor before but what about this time????

Can you understand why we must live for Jesus? Can you understand why we cannot live without the Holy Spirit in our hearts. He has the power to help us sustain, maintain, he gives us the ability to Wait on God’s timing. Our flesh says if the answer doesn’t come now, I doubt it will come at all. But through these circumstances which are life’s lessons to help us build our confidence, faith, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ time and again we learn to wait for God to unfold his perfect will and plan and the best possible solution to whatever circumstance we face. We come to really know and not just confess God is never early, He’s never late, but He’s always on time.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 6

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, June 7, 2008am 

1If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.  4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Living under the influence if the Holy Spirit isn’t just about the gifts, signs, and wonders, nor the miracles or the healings. In 1 Corinthians 13 we see that the greatest gift the Holy Spirit imparts to us is the wonderful capacity to truly LOVE.

It is impossible for our flesh to really express LOVE. In marriage counseling a person sharing of how that they know that they are truly in love is they will say how wonderful the other person makes them feel. Sometimes individuals may  encounter someone who does a lot of nice things for them and in gratitude will express their love for that individual. But sad to say the truth could be they  may not really love that person at all but only love what they do .

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One day two people can really love each other whether as friends or sweethearts but then one is offended and ho quickly love can turn to hate and sweetness into bitterness.

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So real love isn’t what someone does for you or how they make you feel but rather real love is a force that drives each of us to give of ourselves to others.

In verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13 we find the true definition of love…

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Who does the definition of Love truly define? The Lord Jesus Christ! Here’s something many Christians cannot do… FORGIVE and yet Love demands us to forgive. Love keeps no records of wrongs. Real Love is selfless, it’s esteeming your brother better than yourself… choosing to think good of all people rather than living with bitterness and always carrying a chip on our shoulders.

But Jesus even instructs us to even Love the Unlovely.

Luke 6: 27 & 28 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,   Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

I don’t know about you but it really takes a conscious effort to choose to love someone who has spoken evil of you and even hurt you. In fact in many circumstances it may seem downright impossible to really feel genuine love and this is again where the Influence of the Holy Spirit comes in.

With our permission he can inspire us to live a life of kindness and love, never thinking ill of anyone. What the Holy Spirit wants you to experience is freedom from roots of bitterness, wounds, and offenses that the enemy would use against you to curse your life with despair, failure, and even the berating of our own selves which leads to self condemnation and ultimately self destruction.

As long as you can walk in love and be able to think well of people and be forgiving you walk clean and their dislike of you is their problem and not yours to dea with. Praise God.

So in conclusion let’s decide today to invite the Holy Spirit to remove self centeredness, self preservation, pride and ego and release a spirit of God’s love moving in and through our lives.

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THE INFLUENCE OF OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 8

A CHANGE OF ROUTINE

Rev Steven Kirwin  Sunday, June 22, 2008 am

Read John 21:1-8

What happened to Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, and the other disciples that morning is a clear example of hearing the voice of the Lord, doing what he says to do and reap the reward. 

They had been out all night long and caught no fish. Make no mistake about it Peter was a professional fisherman. He had weathered storms and all sorts of challenges during those years. From mending nets to every minute detail going fishing was a routine. Likely he had thrown his nets from the left side of his boat for years if for no other particular reason it was just what he always done. The wood on the left side of his boat likely had rope burns from where the nets had been cast and dragged in year after year. 

Likewise you may be here today and you have pretty much done what you’ve always done just out of routine and habit. 

Sometimes people limit their abilities to what kind of carreer or job they will apply for based on what they’re comfortable with or by what they have always done. 

Even in relationships, statistics have shown that women will go from one bad relationship to another simply because they follow the same pattern of what they find attractive in a man. Same can be said about men. 

Even in the level of commitment to Christ can be parallel of level of commitment we give ourselves to in other matters. 

One person may say, I didn’t grow up shouting and praising God so why should I change now. I consider myself a Christian but I’m just not the kind of person that feels a need to go to church all the time. I’m just find living my faith as I’m living it now, I don’t want to make any changes. 

The point we’re making here is that one thing our flesh hates is change. We find comfort and security in routine even IF the routine gives us less than hoped for results.

But in this hour I believe God wants to raise up Champions. Champions of faith, people who are determined to be the head and not the tail. Discontent with mediocrity and a cloud of failure that tells you you can never be nor never have more than what you are and what you have right now. 

The Bible says that in whatsoever you do do it heartily unto the Lord. Breaking off the limits that we ourselves have placed on our lives. 

Every person that has ever had an encounter with Jesus Christ has experienced change. The first initial change in your life occurred when you came to Jesus Christ. The Bible calls it the Born Again experience. Sins of the past were forgiven and we were given a brand new start. But change doesn’t end there. Every day it’s the Lord’s intention to change us. Changing our character, our level of commitment, and invoking integrity into every facet of our lives. How we live, what we allow in our lives, how we handle our personal business matters, pay our bills, being a good helpmate to our spouse and a better parent to our children. How we pursue excellence in our jobs and careers. By pursuing excellence it will reap the promotions the raises and the prosperity. 

A change comes into our level of commitment to Christ. Living by example. How do we tell children to live for Jesus and pray, read the Bible and worship the Lord if we don’t???  How do we tell our kids that going to church is important and then tell them we’re not going to church because there’s too much going on and you’re too tired. 

Jesus will test the sincerity of our intentions to succeed and to excel by our willingness to change our routine oftentimes flat out rut. 

Peter did what he always did when it came to fishing and on this night he headed for shore without any fish in his nets. Imagine his exhaustion, frustration,  and sense of failure. 

Then there’s Jesus calling out to them from the shore… Hey Guys do you have any fish???? Peter says, NO!!! NO FISH, NO NOTHING!!! 

Then Jesus says Cast your nets on the other side!!! Peter has got to be thinking, EXCUSE ME!!!  Cast my nets off the right side of the boat. But I’ve always cast my nets off the left side. What difference does it make?

Jesus may have been calling out to you for a long time to make a change. Change in attitude, change in level of commitment to him, change in what kind of job you’re looking for, change in level of obedience, CHANGE!!! 

Well you may just need to do what Peter did. He grabbed those empty soggy cold nets dragged them across the boat to the right side and through them back into the water and then suddenly the net was heavy with fish and yet the net didn’t break. Such an abundance of fish came in that other smaller boats had to help Peter get all the fish to shore. 

You may have endured week after week of hearing testimonies of new jobs, new places to live, financial miracles and exciting opportunities to serve the Lord shared by other people and it’s too the point where you almost want to cry. Where’s my miracle, where’s my healing? Where’s my breakthrough.

Your breakthrough might be like that great multitude of fish. All night long those fish were inches away from the net but a change had to take place to catch them all. How’s your walk with God? Do you love him??? Are you willing to make changes in attitude and commitment??? Allow the Holy Spirit to influence the changes necessary to release you to new heights of victory!

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 9

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, June 28, 2008 am

 

Acts 1:2-8 …until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."   So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 2:1-21  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They 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.

 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome  (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine   Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
 " 'In the last days, God says,  I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
 Your sons and daughters will prophesy,   your young men will see visions,
 your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women,  I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.   I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below,  blood and fire and billows of smoke.   The sun will be turned to darkness  and the moon to blood  before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.   And everyone who calls   on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Today we get into the real meat of the subject of “The Influence of the Holy Spirit” We all know that every person that has been saved has received the in filling of the Holy Spirit. Afterall it took the Holy Spirit to get each of us to realize that we were sinners in need of a savior and once we received Christ the Bible says the Holy Spirit now resides in each of our hearts. As far as salvation is concerned you are as saved as you’ll ever be.

During the past 8 installments on this teaching we have shared how the Influence of the Holy Spirit can work in a variety of ways to give us peace, comfort, direction, correction, a desire to live for Christ, to do what is right and so forth.

But now through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit we discover a gateway to speaking in other tongues, the interpretation of tongues and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit which we will explore in depth in the coming weeks.

But today, I want to begin by recognizing the change that came in Peter’s life when he received the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” Peter was a man’s man. A rough, tough, narly fisherman. One day when Peter say the people disrespecting Jesus he said, Lord why don’t you send fire down from heaven and burn them all up. Now that’s a temper!!! Jesus called him one of the Sons of Thunder and that was no compliment.  Then when Jesus was being arrested he drew a sword and cut off the Centurions ear and again Jesus rebuked him. His intentions were sincere but his spirit was off. Then of course the Big One… He turned his back on his friend even to the point of denying knowing Jesus at all.

In these last days we see people turning on friends all the time even in churches people who were once friends don’t want anything to do with each other. What are they going to do when they get to Heaven??? But with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit,  Peter discovered anger management. Some would think it manly to speak your mind and let the chips fall where they may regardless of who you offend, but through the Holy Spirit Peter learned “A kind word turns away wrath” and in fact takes more character not to become provoked to anger… and He became a loyal and faithful friend of the Lord Jesus Christ serving Jesus right to the very end.

Then of course we also discover the anointing to become Peter the Rock on which Christ would build his church. The word Jesus gave Peter had now been fulfilled. Peter moved in gifts of healing and power and his anointing was so intense two incredible things occurred through him. One was that a sick person even being slightly touched by His shadow was instantly healed. He cast out demons in Jesus name and led many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. His anointing was so strong that people dare not even try and lie to him.

In the early church it was imperative that people follow God’s instructions precisely and anything less would have diminished the power that was given to the early church. All the people were told to sell everything they have and bring it to Peter to manage. Ananias shows up. Peter said Ananias did you sell everything you have and bring all the money? Ananias said Yes when in fact he didn’t he had kept some money for himself. Because he lied to Peter he dropped dead. Then later Saphira who was Ananias’ wife shows up not knowing what has happened to Ananias. Peter asks her the same question. She lies and drops dead. This enforced God’s word, Touch not mine anointed and do not speak evil against dignities. Sending the fear of God into the people to obey God’s commands.

But here’s the amazing part. Before the Day of Pentecost Jesus was just one man doing miracles. While with Christ the disciples could perform some miracles and healings but not to the capacity that Christ could.But now through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit…John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 10

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, June 28, 2008 pm

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Let’s recap what we learned this morning… I want to begin by recognizing the change that came in Peter’s life when he received the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” Peter was a man’s man. A rough, tough, narly fisherman. One day when Peter say the people disrespecting Jesus he said, Lord why don’t you send fire down from heaven and burn them all up. Now that’s a temper!!! Jesus called him one of the Sons of Thunder and that was no compliment.

Then of course the Big One… He turned his back on his friend even to the point of denying knowing Jesus at all.

What changed? Peter discovered anger management. Some would think it manly to speak your mind and let the chips fall where they may regardless of who you offend, but through the Holy Spirit Peter learned “A kind word turns away wrath” and in fact takes more character not to become provoked to anger… and He became a loyal and faithful friend of the Lord Jesus Christ serving Jesus right to the very end.

Peter moved in gifts of healing and power and his anointing was so intense two incredible things occurred through him. One was that a sick person even being slightly touched by His shadow was instantly healed. He cast out demons in Jesus name and led many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. His anointing was so strong that people dare not even try and lie to him. Ananais and Saphira lied to Peter about their giving and they both dropped dead!

And now let’s talk about you and me and how we fit into all of this…

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

For a majority of religious denominations… The miracles of Jesus are nothing more than a history lesson of what happened in the past. Lots of good churches preaching sound doctrine. Some will talk about Acts 2 as something that was remarkable. But Jesus makes it clear that this is no history lesson. He did many miracles in fact the Bible tells us that the amount of miracles that Jesus performed in his 3 years of ministry were so abundant that there aren’t enough books that could be written to cover them all.

But his message to his diwsciples and to His church today is IMPARTATION. I want to empower you to follow my example and because now that I am with the Father and because there are so many Christians I want to enable them all to do remarkable things for the Kingdom of God. This is precisely why he tells us not to become content being only hearers of the word but desire to become a doer. To become a more effective doer requires you and I to receive the same gift Peter and all that were with him on the Day of Pentecost and that is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The gift of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is so powerful no wonder the Devil works overtime to keep people from desiring it. He causes some to fear receiving it. Others don’t believe it. Others say they got prayed for to receive it once or twice and didn’t speak in tongues and they shrug their shoulders saying I guess God doesn’t want me to receive this gift. Think about that, for most of us if we want something else in life  bad enough we don’t give up. A person trying to get a job doesn’t give up with the first rejection. How many married couples would still be single if we gave up with the first rejection? But somehow the enemy has succeeded in many lives to devalue the greatest gift since salvation for the child of God and that my friend is power.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

When a person receives the Baptism in the Holy Spirit there is no question as to whether or not they’ve received this gift.

Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance”

What does it mean to speak in tongues and why should I want to?

Tongues is a Heavenly language that is unknown to you but known to the Lord. The Bible says, the Holy Spirit releases the ability for your soul to communicate with the Lord with words beyond your vocabulary.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

I Corinthians 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

It definitely serves to make your prayers more fruitful and effective. It also is the gateway or means if you will that exposes you to the nine gifts of the spirit.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 11

Rev Steven Kirwin Wednesday, July 02, 2008 

Acts 3:1-11 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

 After Peter and the others received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit they became empowered and tremendous healings and miracles were performed which got the people’s attention and then Peter preached repentance exposing the fact that theses people had turned their backs on Jesus Christ preferring the thief Barabbas to be released and many repented and were saved. 

One such example was the cripple at the Gates Beautiful which is the entrance to Jerusalem. Again it’s interesting that Peter is being used where Christ left off. Reading between the lines, we see that the crippled man had sat for years at the Gates Beautiful begging for alms. That must mean that every time Jesus passed through Jerusalem he must have either saw him or perhaps missed him because the crowds around him were so great. Nonetheless the resurrected Christ sent Peter and John on a Divine Appointment for this man to receive his healing. 

With this man begging for alms Peter and John  could have either passed him by or perhaps given him some of their food and left it at that. But the Divine Appointment that God wants us to focus on even and perhaps especially in this hour is not just be satisified  to give  something that a person needs in the natural but ask the Lord to empower you to impart what God wants to give to them. If they had just given this man alms only  this man would have continued in this lifestyle. But Jesus wanted to change this man’s lifestyle and set him free from the very cause of his problems… He was crippled and could not survive any other way than what he was doing. 

So under this tremendous anointing Peter and John pray for this man’s healing and instantly the man is healed and leaps to his feet. Where did this man go? He followed Peter and John to the Temple courts! And what did he do??? He was leaping for joy and giving praise to God. 

Acts 3: 11-16 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

2,000 years later there are Christians, I mean good solid Christians who still ponder the notion of Divine Healing as though it’s either not real, or it doesn’t happen anymore, or they find themselves intrigued by the person who is moving in the gifts of healing as though it is something to marvel at or that just certain individuals have been given this unique gifting.

But here’s what  Peter wants you and I to know and get into our spirit is this…

vs 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.

16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

What Peter discovered after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and what he taught the new converts is simply this… There is power in the name of Jesus and when you and I are willing and desire to move by faith in the name that is above every other name miracles and healings and yes even extraordinary salvations which include complete deliverances will come forth.

The Gifts of Healing is one of the Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit and it is a gift more Christians should desire to move into led by a spirit of love and compassion that also is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 12

Rev Steven Kirwin Wednesday, July 09, 2008 

Acts 8:36-40 26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a]eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants?   For his life was taken from the earth."

 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"^[c] 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

This story is a great example of how the Holy Spirit can send you out of your way to a Divine Appointment. A lot of the Divine Appointments that we hear about are by chance. For example, I was just going to the store to buy some milk and this person and I began a conversaton and one thing lead to another and I shared with this person about Jesus Christ.  

But in this instance we find that an angel of the Lord had instructed Philip where to go 26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

But that is all that the Angel instructed him to do. No reason was given or information about what was going to happen. 

Here is where Godly wisdom comes in or more specifically that one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12 is the Word of Wisdom. Since the time that we were children our human nature craves to know “Why” and typically if we don’t know why we probably won’t do it. But with the instruction of the Holy Spirit we often discover that when the Lord speaks to us it is usually brief and to the point and by faith we must trust the Lord and obey his instruction. He doesn’t always reveal his reasons or purposes to us for all that we experience but we simply submit ourselves to the understanding that Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord to them who are called according to His purpose.” 

But the question is would have Philip have known and understood this instruction had he not been Baptized in the Holy Spirit? 

How many times could we have missed God in some opportunity, blessing, or usefulness along the way because we didn’t understand this principle. We made decsions out of God’s will because we sought reasons not to do as we please. Clearly the holy Spirit enables you and I to learn to hear from the Lord, and trust the Lord enough to obey Him. 

Philip is obedient and takes the journey and meets the Eunuch from Ethiopia. Notice that both the Eunuch and Philip were leaving Jerusalem. The Eunuch was heading home and Philip was going to Gaza. Why couldn’t they have just met when they were both in Jerusalem. God’s ways are higher than our ways! The Eunuch had stopped to read the writings of the prophet Isaiah which pertained to Jesus but he couldn’t understand it. Philip’s divine appointment was to help the Eunuch understand what Isaiah was talking about  which was the prophesy of who Jesus the Messiah would be. Perhaps the Eunuch while in Jerusalem had not yet taken the time to read and ponder these writings but now on the road home he was. This is a perfect example of God’s timing. The Eunuch was ready. 

Next take note of who this Eunuch was. He was an important government official who served the Queen of Ethiopia and was in charge of all the money. That means he was a man who could be trusted and of high integrity who only knew how to tell the truth. Why is that important? He is about to have a supernatural born again experience by receiving Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. What do you think will happen when he gets back to Ethiopia and reports to the Queen about what happened to him??? 

Philip could not have known the tremendous impact his obedience was going to have in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ in Ethiopia. 

Finally note how open and eager the Eunuch was. After Philip shared the good news about Jesus Christ and the Eunuch sees a stream of water so he stops his chariot and asks Philip “Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 

Then Philip baptizes the eunuch and Philip then “suddenly took Philip away to where he was seen preaching  in Aztos. An amazed Eunuch rejoiced and gave God praise because truly the Lord went out of his way to give this man a divine appointment.

This is another benefit of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit and moving in the gifts. 

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 13

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, July 13, 2008 am 

Acts 16:16-18 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. 

Wednesday night we shared a wonderful account of a Divine Appointment fully arranged by the Lord. That was when an Angel appeared unto Philip and instructed him to leave Jerusalem and travel toward Gaza. When he did he met a Eunuch who had also left Jerusalem and was returning home to Ethiopia where he served the Queen of Ethiopia handling all of the money for the Queen. When Philip meets this Eunuch he discovers that the Eunuch had been resting in his chariot studying the writings of the Prophet Isaiah pertaining to Jesus Christ.  Through that Divine Appointment the Eunuch was saved and even asked Philip to go ahead and Water Baptize him right away. Reading between the lines we can assume that once the Eunuch returned to Ethiopia he would report to his Queen all that happened. Being a man of High Integrity and honor likely this resulted in the spreading of the Gospel in Ethiopia. Philip was not sent to multitudes but rather to one man who likely would get the word out to the multitudes in Ethiopia! 

This morning is an unfolding of another Divine Appointment and we will discover the affirmation of the passage of scripture…”And we know all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Now in our opening text we learn clearly that Fortunetellers and soothsayers are not of God.  

Acts 16:16-18 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. 

The Influence of the Holy Spirit will cause you and I to be able to discern who and what is of God and what isn’t. This is important in these last days for the Bible even warns that the very elect can be deceived and the enemy can also mimic signs and wonders to draw people away from Christ to persue other gods. Then what the Baptism in the Holy Spirit does is gives you and I the anointing and authority to cast devils out of people as the Apostle Paul did with this young girl.

But what we see occur afterward is the backlash of the enemy. She was a slave girl and her masters had made a lot of money by using her  powers of soothsaying and fortune telling.

Acts 16:19- 24 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

An inner cell is known today as the hole. A cell beneath a cell. The conditions were horrific with human waste all around you, the stench, the darkness must have been terrifying. 

But again Paul and Silas are living under the Influence of the Holy Spirit and instead of agonizing over the pain from their wounds and being in terror…

Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Watch this…

26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

So clearly we see that God had a Divine appointment for the jailer and his family to be saved.  But watch this… God is so good… What happened to Paul and Silas was evil, it was wrong but look what the Lord did about that…

35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."

 37But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out."

 38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 14

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, July 13, 2008 pm 

Acts 19:1-11While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
      They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

 3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" John's baptism," they replied.

 4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.

Here again we see a strong enforcement that believers should seek after and receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. These twelve ministers had been Baptized in water but had not even heard of the Holy Spirit let alone desire to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit. But once they received the Baptism they spoke in tongues and prophesied. In verses 8-11 we see that they faced opposition in the synagogue for three months and there were those who would not believe. These people were so resistant that  Paul tells the 12 ministers to break up and go out and preach everywhere else where people are that will receive the word. Within two years everyone living within the province of Asia had heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented to them. Why so fast? Because these ministers were empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel.

The next amazing thing that occurred was our introduction to the prayer cloth.  

Acts 19:11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

This is the Biblical foundation for our use of the prayer cloth. There are times we will pray for someone to be healed that lives out of the area and we can take a prayer cloth, anoint it with oil which represents The Holy Spirit and pray for a healing anointing to be imparted into the cloth and when the recipient receives this cloth in faith and applies it to the area of the infirmity they can receive a healing miracle.

You may even visit someone in the hospital and bring the prayer cloth with you and pray over them and leave the cloth with them. We’ve certainly even heard testimonies where a believer has an unsaved friend. The friend thinks the notion of a prayer cloth is nonsense but the believer sometimes will slip a prayer cloth in their pillow case and God does a miracle! So in the gifts of healing we can even use an ordinary piece of cloth to release extraordinary miracles all in the name of Jesus through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Now again as in the case of the girl who was a fortune teller that Paul cast out the evil spirit from her we see once again the Devil attempt to mimick the miraculous workings of the Holy Spirit  with a counterfeit spirit.

Acts 19:13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Friends if you’re not saved and you’re not living for Jesus be very careful not to take the Lord’s name in vain. Anybody can say Jesus but it takes a person with a relationship with Jesus to fully understand and appreciate and safely move in His power gifts.

In this hour we see familiar spirits in operation even confusing believers. People believe that some guy can speak to a person’s dead family members and that they are all doing great and they’re all watching out for you. There are those who claim to predict things in the future and even claim to be believers. But friends if what they say does not line up with the word of God even if they do good deeds they are nothing more than people under the influence of familiar spirits, counterfeit spirits that bring confusion to a person’s faith and understanding of God’s word.  The real prophets of the Lord solely acknowledge the Lord himself and hold fast to the tenants of faith.

But I believe that a fresh anointing is coming to expose the counterfeits and at the same time validate and release a new fear of the Lord to reverence and respect the things of God. Let’s read what happened after the Demons chased the Seven Sons of Sceva away all bloody and naked…

 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Once again what the Devil intended for evil God turned around for His good.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 15

Rev Steven Kirwin Wednesday, July 16, 2008 

1 Corinthians 12:28 (NIV) And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

In our text we discover God’s intent to use the Influence of the Holy Spirit to release His church to move in power. Many times we hear references made to the Apostle Paul. So what is an Apostle anyway?

The Apostle is an overseer. As we read Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Colossians, Philippians we see the Apostle Paul making corrections in the early church, teaching sound doctrine, and establishing a church government of order even to how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be administered in the church. So in today’s church there are those individuals that God has raised up to be overseers of a number of churches and the local Pastor reports to the overseer giving an account of what is happening in the local body. The Apostle decides who will serve and how they serve and in the case of John Mark, Paul determined not to allow John Mark to travel and minister with him because earlier John Mark had abandoned Paul and Barnabas to do his own thing. This is when Silas was now appointed as Paul’s traveling companion.

The next Influence of the Holy Spirit is the Prophet which is the Pastor of the local body. The anointing and mantle that is placed upon the Pastor empowers him to see things that are hidden, workings of darkness will be exposed and revealed to Him for the sake of protecting and preserving the church. For example…We know how Gossip and strife is lethal  and therefore wherever it is taking place will be revealed for the sake of God’s divine protection over his church.

 Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Next is teachers. The teacher is so incredibly valuable to the church in the teaching of sound doctrine allowing an environment where people can ask questions and listen and learn about the ways of the Lord.

Now in most churches there is the Apostles or Overseers if you will, there is the Prophets or Pastors if you will  and there are the teachers.

But here is where the Influence of the Holy Spirit can move all of us into moving in the supernatural realm of faith.  “Workers of Miracles” make no mistake about it you must be a  person devoted to prayer and filled with the Holy Spirit where the Lord can use you in some Divine way. Praying and releasing your faith as you pray for a person to receive a complete deliverance from either a spiritual or natural crisis and the miracle happens. A person cannot seem to find a job, but the Holy Spirit impresses you to pray over them and not too long afterward they get hired at a company to work.

Next there’s the Gifts of Healing. A person under the Influence of the Holy Spirit can be used by the Lord to impart “GIFTS” of healing to those that are sick. Perhaps Sunday I will go into greater detail what the term “Gifts of Healing” means. But basically like salvation healing is a free gift of God and anyone who has been healed of Cancer or any other illness has received a gift from the Lord. So we can say that a person used in the Gifts of Healing are people who are delivering these Gifts that God has sent.

Next, Those that are able to help others… God has prospered them with the means, with the time, with the compassion and love of Christ to help a person in need. This can also include counselors who are anointed and trained to help people with problems, addictions, or marital problems overcome their difficulties.

Those with the gifts of administration. It’s not enough to have a great idea but a person under the Influence of the Holy Spirit can be used of God to bring a dream into a reality because of a God given know how of what to do to make things happen. Gifts of Administration can include coordinating events, also training ushers, teachers, and church leaders, working with and following up with the youth and children. Simply stated, gifts of administration enables a person to focus on even the smallest of details that others might overlook and such attention to detail releases the desired outcome.

Finally and those speaking in divers kinds of tongues. These clearly refer to prayer intercessors. Everyone who has been Baptized in the Holy Spirit will speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance. That is the physical evidence that someone has been Baptized in the Holy Spirit.

But a person who has been Baptized in the Holy Spirit and the Lord has called them to prayer will through time develop the ability to speak in a variety of languages. Some known in the world some unknown to the world but all known to the Lord. Why divers kinds of tongues… A greater ability to communicate with the Lord. That’s essential to a prayer intercessor… Because …

James 5:16…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  

So we can conclude that the Lord has every intent to equip His church with supernatural ability that will ensure that souls will continue to be won into the Kingdom of God by all means.

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 16

Rev Steven Kirwin Sunday, July 20, 2008am

 

1 Corinthians 12:1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 we read of the Nine “Gifts” of the Holy Spirit and each gift is unique and powerful so as we are doing in this series we will take our time to explore what each these gifts are.

Today I am going to begin with “The Word of Wisdom”, “Tonight the Word of Knowledge” and Wednesday Night “The Prophetic”  The reason for this is for many Christians who have never been taught what the differences are most commonly associate Words of Knowledge and Words of Wisdom with the Prophetic. But as we will discover today each of these gifts are distinctively  different from the other.

I Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; vs 10 to another prophecy;