The Spirit Upon and The Spirit Within

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 KJV

And not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies. Rom 8:23 BBE

The spirit upon endows us with power to do. The spirit within endows us with power to be.

The spirit upon is intended basically to endow with strength and ability for a specific assignment or ministry. We see examples with Judges, Kings and Prophets. However, the Spirit within is intended basically to conform us to the image of Christ. It is foundational. That is what identifies us as sons of God. It is a seal that we belong to God. (Eph 1:13, 4:30)

The Spirit upon in the new testament can be seen as the various ministry gifts (apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists, care, administration, giving, intercession etc), gifts of the spirit (tongues, interpretation, prophesy, healing, miracles, faith, discernment, word of wisdom, word of knowledge) etc. As much as they are important, it is not the ultimate. They are important but as soon as their work is done, they are lifted. "Prophesies will cease..." 1 Cor 13:8. All these ministries are to prepare the body of Christ to become the habitation of God. "He gave... until we come to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ" Eph 4:11-13

However, the Spirit within is a more permanent expression. God designed us to be the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). He intends to make His dwelling among men. (Rev 21:3). While Paul encourages us to covet spiritual gifts (1Cor 14:1), He encourages us that love is the main thing (1Cor 13:1-13). Love is the platform upon which all gifts of the spirit are most efficient. Love is the most excellent way. We do not attain love by the 'Spirit Upon.' We attain love by the 'Spirit Within' (Rom 5:5). God is Love and God in us will help us become and manifest love-the main thing.

Both manifestations of the Holy Spirit aren't disjointed. As a matter of fact, while we fellowship together, the 'Spirit Upon' helps to edify and encourage others and also the entire body of Christ together. The gifts of the spirit as well as the ministry gifts are for edification (1 Cor 14:5). The word edify means to add brick to brick as in building up an edifice. So in essence, the purpose of the spirit upon is to create a perfect dwelling for the spirit within.

As we covert spiritual gifts, even more earnestly we should desire to be filled by the Holy Spirit. God will not restrain His spirit from those who ask genuinely. As a matter of fact, it is one prayer He longs to hear. If His will is to make His dwelling among men, asking for His spirit to dwell in our heart is foresight. It is like asking God to give us what He wants us to have. God's intention is for us to become and not to do. The most dreadful comment in scripture was directed at those who assumed doing could compensate for being. (Mat 7:21-23)

On a final note, I am personally convinced that the barrier between percieving the Holy Spirit as a 'thing' or 'person' largely depends on whether He dwells within or upon. Let me put that in another way: we fall into the delusion that the Holy spirit is not a 'person' because He doesn't live within. If all we have from Him is his anointing for ministry, knowing the personality of the Holy Spirit becomes an abstract adventure. A number of people view Him only as a force or divine influence, now we know why. However, when He dwells within, without controversy and having being a witness of His life, we know without doubt that He is indeed the third person of the trinity.

As we journey towards destiny, may every deed, thought, word and intention be focused on further conforming us to the Sons of God, the image of Christ and the habitation of the Holy Spirit.

The Torch and the Wood: Retaining God

Both the torch and the firewood are made of wood. Both will be lit up. Both with have a taste of fire. Both will give light. Both will generate heat. Eventually, time will tell the difference. One will eventually burn out while the other will keep burning. While the ashes of the wood is being blown away by the wind, the frame of the torch is intact. One is destroyed and the other remains unperturbed. This looks to me like Isaiah 43:2 "You will walk through the fire without being consumed...." This describes two classes of people. Firstly, a people who are ignited, burn to give light and such light never go out. The other class are those whose light go out because there's no capacity to retain light. What makes the difference?

Torches are usually covered with a layer of clothe soaked in sulphur. They are soaked to form a flammable layer that can sustain and keep fueling the fire. And at the same time, the layer of clothe prevents the wooden frame from being consumed. When eventually they are lit they ignite faster, they burn brighter, for much longer and the flames never destroy the wood. Interestingly, the fire is said not to go out even when dipped in water! There are men clothed in glory, like the Original Adam, whose life would keep burning to give the world light for all eternity. He would have kept burning brightly to light up the rest of creation and illuminate the universe if he hasn't removed his covering of glory by disobedience. We are the light of the world, we ought to keep burning and not be consumed.

God is the father of lights. Jesus is the light that lights up all creation. He gives a worthy share of light to everyone. He lights everyone up. However, some retain light and some give up and stop giving light after a while. Exodus 3:2 records an experience that is quite related. It was a burning bush that wasn't consumed. Why was that? God was there! God was in the midst of the bush. It is the presence of the Lord that can help us sustain the light of God. When God dwells within, we can burn without being consumed. This first expression of fire or light is a pure one. God Himself is that light. Even in its purity, God's light is not convenient for the godless. It makes them uneasy.

However, there is another such fire aimed to destroy. An illustration of this is in Daniel 3. Even when the source of the light or fire is the devil himself, the inherent nature of the man determines the outcome. The soldiers who dumped Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah into the flames got consumed. However, the men with whom God was lived. Job said "when I've come through the fire, I with shine like pure Gold." While flames destroy the godless, it purifies the godly. While persecution weakens the fearful, it strengthens the faithful. He that has nothing, what he has will be taken. While he that has, will get more. This can be paraphrased to read, He who has no godliness, even as small as mustard seed, will loose all. However, he will add to whoever has God, even if it be the seed of Christ in him.

Lets talk about water too. The spirit of God is sometimes described to come as rain. Joel 2 typifies this. How do we survive such a massive outpour of the spirit so that we are not moved by the heavy torrents or displaced or buried by His flood?

Noah's ark wasn't tested by fire but by floods. The ark made it and everyone in it. Here is the answer. It was coated with pitch, inside and outside. Pitch protects the wood from decay. It protects the water from getting into the grains of the wood. Asides decay, it also prevents the wood from soaking in too much water thereby making it too heavy to float. As much as wood can float, it cannot float for so long. And once exposed to water, it is soaked and becomes too heavy to float. Also, the process of decay starts. Coating with pitch prevents all of that. This in no way imply that we can get in too much of God that can destroy us. It simply implies that, when we are properly prepared we can endure Gods heavy torrent.

What is this process of preparation. Coating with pitch-inside and outside. From by favourite bible dictionary, I realised that pitch symbolises a process of purging or cleansing. Coating the ark inside and out will mean not just an outward display of morality but also an inward transformation into the image of Christ. This is the process of our justification and sanctification. We are washed and purged both in our hearts and in our deeds. Only then, can we receive and retain the Holy Spirit. Only then can we survive his visit. There no wrath in the nature of God. However, those who keep Him in and allowed Him to remodel their lives into a befitting place for himself will not be obliterated when He shows up in majesty.

What then happens if we can't retain light? Or survive the deluge? We already stated earlier that our inability to retain God will make us burn out. Truly wood will hold fire, but not for so long. It exhausts itself and since He has none-of-Christ in him, there will be nothing-of-him left. A more practical illustration will be the 10 Virgins. For a moment, put away what you think you know about the story and picture one lamp without sufficient oil. The lamp burns brightly for a while and soon the wick begins to glow. A glowing wick is we expending ourselves, we'll burn out soon. We ought to be simply channels-be a conduit for godliness (oil) to sustain righteousness (flames). When oil is exhausted the wick is destroyed. Wisdom ensures that there is sufficient oil. The danger of foolishness is not just darkness when the touch goes off but just before the lamp goes out, the wick is destroyed.

Another quick illustration is the new wine and the new wine skin. When the skin is new, it can retain the new wine. However, when the skin is old, the skin is destroyed and the wine spills. Many times we stop here, but there is indeed a way to put new wine in old wineskin. This is no other way than purging. The process of purging the wineskin is different from the wood. But the principle remains the same. It is all a process to change the wineskin from what it was to what God wants. And that's same for the wood.

Joel prophesied that the Spirit of God will be poured out upon all flesh. However, He will have different effect on different categories. Upon the torches He will bring Light. But, although the unprepared wood will also burn brightly, it is only for a moment. Such cannot retain God. Rom 1.

Luke 12: 49  I came to start a fire on earth. I would be happy if that fire were already burning.

The fire will be kindled in a short while. All will be lit. How bright you shine, how long you'll last and whether you'll be there when all is done depends if you're a torch or just wood.

Bruce to Caitlyn, How About You?

The whole world is still experiencing the ripples of the news of season-Bruce Jenner's transformation into Caitlyn. Hundreds of others have gained confidence and have begin to speak up. As a norm, I love to find answers. I search through the scriptures to build a formidable argumet. However, this time I seem hesitant both to find answers that alread stare us in the face or to air my views. Even now, I do not intend to prove anything about 'transgender' from scripture. I have learnt that facts do no good to those without faith. Even the most accurate details could be misinterpreted when revelation is absent. So, I have a simple task to achieve with this piece - make us realise that this is simply a big distraction from our own transformation.

While reading Rick Joyner's Delivered from Evil, I found words for the disturbance in my heart.

Matt 13:24-30
Then Jesus told the people another story. ‘This is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like’, he said. ‘A farmer planted some good wheat seeds into his field. But one night, when everyone was sleeping, a bad person came to the farmer’s field. He did not like the farmer. This bad person planted seeds from weeds among the good seeds. Then the bad person went away again.

The good seeds grew and the plants began to make seeds. But when this happened, the weeds also grew. So the farmer’s servants came to speak to him. “Master, many weeds are now growing in the ground where you planted the wheat seeds. How did this happen?” they asked him.

The farmer said to his servants, “A bad person who does not like me has done this.” “Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?” the servants then asked the farmer. “No”, replied the farmer. “I do not want you to do that. If you pull up the weeds, you will also pull up some of the wheat plants.

Let the good plants and the weeds grow up together. After that, it will be time for the workers to cut the plants that have large seeds. They will bring them inside from the fields. I will ask the workers to cut the weeds down first. They can tie them together and burn them. Then they can cut the wheat and bring it into my building. I can store it there.” ’

God has left the tares to mature with the wheat so that the in the process of weeding, genuine sons of the kingdom are not lost. He has allowed this, not perpetually, but till the harvest. Another reason is that we can hardly tell the difference at an early stage. The wheat and tares look alike until the harvest. Then the wheat will bend over because of substance and content while the tares remain upright because it's empty and light. We have come very close to the harvest. Evil is beginning to mature, so is good. The difference between righteousness and iniquity is becoming clearer. People no longer sin out of ignorance, people choose to.

But here is my concern: while the workers of iniquity are perfecting strategy and reaching the zenith of their depravity, where are the saints? Have we perfected the art of living right? Has our righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees? Have we been able to discern God's voice both in the earthquake and the still wind? Have we learnt to transverse the narrow way by prompt response to instruction? Have we become skillful in warfare and trustworthy in our dealings?

I have another concern. We can only be transformed by paying attention to the process and faithfully following all of God's prescriptions so that we don't have complications or become half baked saints. Caitlyn has gone through years of precise therapy. Pints of hormones has gone into his/her veins and soon, a very delicate surgical procedure will stamp his physical transformation. He has endured days of councelling and psychological therapy to take care of the transition in the mind. What have we done?

I must say, along with our lethargy, Caitlyn's story among many others have kept us busy and distracted. Our focus have shifted from Jesus to proving them wrong. The devil doesn't mind if we speak against him from now till he is crushed in victory. He doesn't care if we compile scriptural backings that prove him wrong, so long as it keeps us busy and unable to complete our own transition into the image of Christ. Friends, get cracking. Let fix our gaze on Jesus and His word. In Him is our only hope for the much expected change.

While Bruce says call me Caitlyn, what would you like to be called?