The earthly abode of the Holy Spirit

[methinkshe]

You are correct in stating that the Holy Spirit is already with us, but some believe they can be "refilled", as in ensuring you have enough oil for your lamps, where the oil is the Holy Spirit and the lamp is us. Personally, I believe that when we neglect God in our lives, we begin take back parts of our lives we once gave to His Spirit. He is always there, but we only allow Him to have only so much of us to work with. The rest we keep to "ourselves". The more of us we give to God, the more the Holy Spirit fills us. Seeking the refilling of the Holy Spirit actually is a way of recommitting our life to Him, releasing that part of us that we had been holding onto.

When the Day of Pentecost came to the Upper Room, there sat upon each believer tongues of fire. Fire not only represents judgment, but also purification.

Hope this helps.

Dear OneLight,

Belatedly, I have just realised I need to correct your above statement that I have underlined.

Acts 2:3

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. NIV

or

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." KJV

So the manifestation "seemed to be like tongues of fire" or was "LIKE as of fire" rather than they WERE tongues of fire.

I know it is a small difference but I really need to get into the detail at the moment, therefore I must get the detail correct in my mind.

I hope you understand that I am not trying to be pedantic but rather to discover the WHOLE counsel of God, from Genesis to Revelation, and to do this I must be very careful that I accept only that which is said in God's Word as opposed to loose transliterations.

Your sister in Jesus,

Ruth

You are correct. I was not quoting scripture. Yet, they could only describe what they saw to the best of their ability. Your question was about fire. Yes, fire is a judgment, but also a refining fire that purifies, so the detail of them being like fire does not matter in this case, but your concern of if the fire is a judgment or a refinement. Look up what is said about the refiner's fire in Malachi 3.

Is it not the case that when the Holy Spirit assumes a visible form, He assumes that which will be symbolic of the thing to be represented?

Thus, at Pentecost, He assumed the form of

[methinkshe]

Wow! This book - "War on the Saints" - is a real eye opener.

It was written 100 years ago but is so apposite today that it might have been written yesterday.

I am now on chapter 6 and all those discomforts I have known in my spirit (which, tbh go far beyond what I have voiced in my o.p., since 2 of my children are caught up in an "emerging church" type fellowship within which I have been unable to find any unity in the Holy Spirit) have been answered, so that I am beginning to understand the hows and whys of my spiritual unease with their ways.

Please. please, has anyone else read this book and examined it in the light of Scripture?

It answers so many of my questions that I cannot believe that it has entirely escaped the attention of the church of Jesus.

What think you, my Berean brothers and sisters?

I think I will stick to scripture and allow His Spirit to guide and teach me. There is so much to glean from His words that I don't have time to read that books of men.

Very wise.

The more I read of the book the more things I found that didn't stack up in the light of Scripture and the more confused became the writing style to the extent that I found it next to impossible to understand what was being said. So, somewhat belatedly, I searched for a critique and found the following:

http://www.pfo.org/pennlews.htm

Pressing Truth to the Extreme

The Errors of Jessie Penn-Lewis

I have to agree with the critique.

I therefore withdraw my approval of the book as being helpful exposition and apologise for, and repent of, leaping before I had fully looked.

Yours was by far the wiser course.

Blessings in Jesus.

[nebula]

Re "calling down fire".

Even "the refiner's fire" is symbolic of God's wrath against sin, burning away the dross in the lives of believers and consuming the wicked.

It just seems to me that "calling down fire" is precipitating the judgement that "must begin at the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17). Which is okay in the sense that one desires to be purified, so long as one is aware that this is what one is inviting, i.e. the "fiery trials" of 1 Peter 4.

But the sense in which this "calling down fire" came across in our church was not one of seeking purification and refinement but rather of seeking power in and of itself. Not, for instance, power to preach the Gospel, as with tongues of fire, but just isolated fire or raw power. I think that this is what is bothering me.

Actually, fire was seen other times in Scripture.

There was the pillar of fire by night that was the manifest presence of God to the Israelites in the wilderness.

Fire also consumed the sacrifice.

When I've heard fire being used in sermons, prayers, and songs, it was these applications that seemed to be the focus.

[OneLight]

You are correct in stating that the Holy Spirit is already with us, but some believe they can be "refilled", as in ensuring you have enough oil for your lamps, where the oil is the Holy Spirit and the lamp is us. Personally, I believe that when we neglect God in our lives, we begin take back parts of our lives we once gave to His Spirit. He is always there, but we only allow Him to have only so much of us to work with. The rest we keep to "ourselves". The more of us we give to God, the more the Holy Spirit fills us. Seeking the refilling of the Holy Spirit actually is a way of recommitting our life to Him, releasing that part of us that we had been holding onto.

When the Day of Pentecost came to the Upper Room, there sat upon each believer tongues of fire. Fire not only represents judgment, but also purification.

Hope this helps.

Dear OneLight,

Belatedly, I have just realised I need to correct your above statement that I have underlined.

Acts 2:3

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. NIV

or

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." KJV

So the manifestation "seemed to be like tongues of fire" or was "LIKE as of fire" rather than they WERE tongues of fire.

I know it is a small difference but I really need to get into the detail at the moment, therefore I must get the detail correct in my mind.

I hope you understand that I am not trying to be pedantic but rather to discover the WHOLE counsel of God, from Genesis to Revelation, and to do this I must be very careful that I accept only that which is said in God's Word as opposed to loose transliterations.

Your sister in Jesus,

Ruth

You are correct. I was not quoting scripture. Yet, they could only describe what they saw to the best of their ability. Your question was about fire. Yes, fire is a judgment, but also a refining fire that purifies, so the detail of them being like fire does not matter in this case, but your concern of if the fire is a judgment or a refinement. Look up what is said about the refiner's fire in Malachi 3.

Is it not the case that when the Holy Spirit assumes a visible form, He assumes that which will be symbolic of the thing to be represented?

Thus, at Pentecost, He assumed the form of

[Guest]

The ones that "call down" the Holy Spirit as though at our command,

I always thought of those as prayers, not commands.

Yeah, I know, so did I to begin with.

But when one thinks about it and examines Scripture, why do we, as believers who have received the Holy Spirit on conversion/regeneration, pray for the Holy Spirit to come down when He has already been sent by the Father in Heaven to facilitate our regeneration and is already dwelling in us?

I began the o.p. by stating my concern re the location of the Holy Spirit. I thought it was a very minor point. However, having read the the first 6 chapters of the book, "War on the Saints" I am beginning to think that it is hugely important not only to know the location of the Holy Spirit on earth, but also the location of the Father and the Son - i.e. in heaven. Do we pray to "the god within" which equates to eastern mysticism and universalism, or to the God in Heaven and the Son seated at His right hand? How does the Holy Spirit fit in to this?

I'm on a journey......praise the Lord! I love to discover more of His wonderful truth!

Hi,

I did read your original post about the "location" of the Holy Spirit. For what it's worth...David had a question about this in Psalm 139. Check it out. (Psalm 139:7-12). At the library I can not cut and paste, so bear with me for only posting the location of the passage in Psalms). Personally, I do not believe that the Spirit of God can be contained in a physical area. He(The Holy Spirit is omnipresent, that is, He is present everywhere all the time). And to even stick my neck out further, I've always understood that my relationship with God is relational, not physical. The way I think, yes, the Holy Spirit indwells my spirit, He made me alive in my spirit, but I take that in the sense of relational, not a physical sense. When I read about being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:15-20, considering the comparrison Paul made of drinking winel and being under the "control" of that and the resulting consequences, I understand what Paul is saying is that we should be controlled by the Spirit of God, rather than going my own way of doing things. And I think that is where Romans 12:1&2 become very practical, in the renewing of my mind. Hope all this made just a bit of sense.

God bless,

Randal

[Guest]

If they were seeking power, then their hearts were in the wrong place. People need to seek purification alone, to be more like Christ. What becomes of us after we are purified is Gods will, not ours, for we have been bought with a price and no longer belong to ourselves.

Tongues

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. Psalms 52:1-4

Are Blessed

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:5-8

When The Lord Blesses Them

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Luke 21:12-15

Trust Him

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. Proverbs 3:5-6

____________

Be Blessed Beloved Of The KING

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27

Love, Your Brother Joe

[Fez]

There is no "earthly abode" of the Spirit. Although He is in every one of us who are saved.

Kind of like this....

We eat steak, potatoes, salad, drink a coke, eat a dessert. This enters our bodies and nourishes us.

If we were to prick a finger and extract a drop of blood, all the nutrients we ingested are in it in some form, or have gone toward making it. But we can't separate the steak from the ice cream in the blood. It is just blood.

So it is with the Holy Spirit. We nourish the new creation we are with the word, with hearing the word, reading the word, praying, walking a righteous path, loving and obeying.

This is how the Holy Spirit lives within us (in an earthly sense). But again, prick a finger, and all of the ingredients make up the blood, make up the Holy Spirit within us.

And if we don't nourish ourselves as the word commands, we have a part of that nourishment of the blood missing, we become anemic in a sense, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell within us.

[canuckamuck]

Has anyone else ever puzzled over this one?

Acts 4

23 When they [Peter and John] had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL 25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, 'WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS ? 26 'THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' 27 "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

This happened after Pentecost.

I think in this sense being filled with the Holy Spirit refers to be being full of the awareness of the Holy Spirit, and perhaps manifestations of the Holy Spirit, not actually receiving the Holy Spirit, because that happened previously for them at Pentecost.

One can be full of joy, or confidence, or pumpkin pie on more than one occasion. Of course it isn't as nice as being full of the Holy Spirit.