Moving with the Holy Spirit

(How to keep from casting two shadows)

When the enemy comes come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Where the Spirit of the Lord is divine love is wonderfully manifested. The person in whom the Spirit of the Lord abides will not even allowed one unkind word to be spoken against those who oppose them or toward those believers who may differ in understanding from them. The love of God itself becomes the very life of their message. The Holy Spirit comes with His fire purging and purifying us to such an extent that we will not think, speak, or hear evil of anyone. The Holy Spirit is symbolized as a dove. When we are yielded to Him we know the very moment we grieve His Spirit within us by an unkind thought or word. We are called as it were to live in a sea of pure divine love.

In His presence the Lord Himself fights our battles for us we are to only commit ourselves to His judgment fully in all matters never seeking to defend the work or calling He sets before us. We are content to just live in His wonderful the immediate presence. Nothing that is contrary to His pure Spirit is allowed here. We desire the false to be sifted from the real by the Spirit of God. Our hearts longs to be continually searched to the depths both in action and motive. We will  allow the Living Word of God Himself to decide absolutely all issues in our lives. In this posture before Him we soon find this holy atmosphere is becoming unbearable to the carnal spirit. Our choice then becomes one that says all carnality must go. Honest seekers of the Spirit of Grace and Truth will find a great joy in remaining in this place with the Lord. Those who have pure hearts and really mean business with God can abide in this realm His holy presence. We must fly to the mercy seat taking off our shoes as it were for it is a holy place. As only fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

By the knowledge of the Spirit we come to know just how utterly outcast, how completely despised, rejected and badly lost to the world were those that met in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Let us not cheapen the cost of their “Pentecost”. Their leader and master had just passed so to speak through the “hangman’s” noose at the hands of the highest civilization of the day. (The latter will always resemble the former in completeness.) We may then each of us say to ourselves: “As our cross, so will be our Pentecost”. God’s way to the glory of Spirit filled life was through Calvary. Individually it is still so today. The purity and fullness of the individual spirit built life must depend upon the completeness of the individual Calvary. This is principal which cannot be altered. There can be no pride in this place that God is calling us to as God is taking strong men and women to pieces and putting them back together again for His glory. It is a tremendous overhauling process as pride, self-assertion, self-importance, self-esteem, cannot survive there. In this placed those with haughty religious spirits preach their own funeral sermons quickly.

We do not dictate to the Holy Spirit as it is He who is leading us. Let none of us think we know what is coming or just what it is that God might do. We are only to expect that God will be there and do with us and through us as it pleases Him. We choose by His great grace to allow spontaneity as ordered by the Spirit. No subjects or sermons to be announced for a certain time, no special speakers for the hour. We simply desire to hear from God through whoever He chooses to speak not respect one person above another. Whether rich and educated or poor and unlearned all are the same as the only perhaps the former have a much harder death to die. We are to recognize honor and lift up the Lord Jesus alone. All are equal and no flesh shall glory in His presence. He cannot use the self-opinionated, as these are gatherings lead of the Lord. This often has to start in poor surroundings to keep out the selfish human element. All must come down in humility together at his feet. This humbling often prepares us for what God has for us if we allow it to have its work.

The Spirit of the Lord is delivering us from ecclesiastical hierarchism and its abuse. As we desire God and God alone. We seek not to touch one another in human spirit but desire rather to meet God first. We gather to seek a quiet place alone with God and worship Him then meet with each other only in spirit knowing each other after the flesh no more. The gatherings themselves start spontaneously perhaps with a testimony, a word of encouragement, an offering of praise, or dance or song all done in worship unto our Lord as He leads. Not hurrying along as there is no prearranged program to be jammed through on time. It’s quite alright to have a dozen people on the floor trembling and being moved upon by God almighty. We simply keep ourselves shut up to God in prayer and worship of Him allowing our minds to remain fixed upon Him as He continues to free us from lawlessness and we learn to take our cues from Him together as one obeying the Spirit in meekness and humility. All learn to give way to the Spirit’s move whether it be a child, man, woman or stranger. It might be from the back of the gathering or the front, they may be standing, sitting or lying on the floor, it makes no difference. In honor we prefer one another expecting the Lord to burst through anyone He chooses as we rejoice that God is moving and working in our midst. No one wishing to show themselves, rather our thoughts are only of obeying the Spirit of God to the glory of God.

If we will allow and expect this kind of pure and holy atmosphere of God’s presence it will prevent anyone but a fool attempting to push oneself forward without real anointing from God. Even then we are not to become anxious as any such action will not last long as the Holy Spirit is the One overseeing the meeting. Did He not do so in the early church where Annais and Sapharia were concerned? If we then desire a holy pure and glorious move of the Spirit in our midst can we expect any less of the Holy Spirit today? Surely we can expect Him to take care of any imposters and liars that should come into the midst of His holy and pure bride. Let the Lord be our defense and allow Him to work in any way He should choose. What a wonderful day it is to be alive in the Spirit of God!  Let’s expect God to move in anyway He desires even if it should offends our carnal minds.

While someone is speaking or singing, suddenly the Spirit may fall upon the people. As God Himself gives the altar call people may begin to fall all over the place. Like the slain in battle they began to weep and cry out right where they are for the mercy of God. Whoever may be speaking or singing or playing an instrument at the time must be sensitive allowing the Spirit to change the order whenever He desires. When He moves all obey and move with Him. A healing may take place over there, someone break out in the dance back there, a song over there and a tongue or prophecy may come forth way over here. Right in the middle of all this someone may have a vision of the Lord. It may all seem strange or even like chaos to our way of thinking but it’s not our way we are concerned about, it’s His way, and it’s a higher way.

It’s a fearful thing to hinder or grieve the Spirit. All that is done is bathed in worship and prayer in the presence of the Lord as we yield letting the Holy Spirit have full control. The old nature comes to its death with all its pride, arrogance and good works. In the light of Jesus we begin to despise ourselves, even begging the Lord to drop a curtain so close behind us on our past successes that it would hit us in the backside. We must forget every good deed as though it had never occurred. As soon as it is accomplished we move forward again as though we had never accomplished anything for Him. Each day is new each moment is new in Him. Otherwise our good works become a snare to our own hearts.

Those who have been highly esteemed will come to loathe themselves in the clear pure light of God. Those who have been leaders among the saints usually die the hardest for they have so much reputation and good works to die to. However, as the Spirit of the Holy One gets through to them they will gladly turn over a new chapter as well. Death is seldom a pleasant experience this is why we fight it so hard. The strong ones always seem to die the hardest. Yet, love will prevail as death is swallowed up by the Spirit of Life and we are raised into the image of our Lord!

Someone has said “It’s not the one who can build the biggest brush heap, but rather the one who can set their heap on fire that will light up the country!” God never waits for a perfect instrument to appear if He did He would certainly be waiting yet. A charge of dynamite may not produce the finished product but it does set loose the stones that later stand as a foundational work under the Sculptors skilled hand on which He builds. Fallen humanity is such a strange thing at best, so shattered and very imperfect. Still God takes these earthen vessels and hides within us the treasure of His precious Holy Spirit. In the embryonic stage of all new experiences much allowance must be made for human frailty. There are always many rough, impulsive imperfectly balanced spirits among those who are first touched by the movement of God in the midst. The understanding of the Spirit of God is so limited in the beginning that we are liable to make a mistake sometimes failing to recognize all that may really be of God. We are able to understand fully only to the measure that we ourselves possess the Spirit. Snap judgment is always dangerous. Judge nothing before the time. God often uses a company that may look something like Gideon’s small band or David’s little army in the cave of Adullam to open the way to victory for those who are to follow.

Persecution will always be strong for those who will lead the way in a fresh move of God. It seems that there are also usually spirits of fanaticism that will try to distract the movement of Holy Spirit. Often we may be able to do little but look on and seek heaven as we allow Holy Spirit to take the lead when this should happen as we choose to set aside all human leadership for the most part. Woe to the one who gets in His way selfishly seeking to dictate or control. The Spirit will not tolerate interference of this kind. As human instruments we become a mere backdrop for the work of the Holy Spirit to project forth from as all hearts and minds become one heart and mind under His direction.

As the cleansing stream flows though the City of God the Living Word prevails. Without effort we find that demons are cast out, the sick are healed, blind eyes restored, dead raised, souls saved, baptisms of joy and peace abound. Languages of men and angles as well as various other gifts of the Spirit are freely given in the pure divine flow. Surely His church in all of it’s beauty and glory is coming out into the open. We seem to be in the beginning stages of such glorious days that have been promised, yet at the same time they are awful days for one who would take a stand against the moving of the anointing of Holy Spirit. These are days of privilege as well as days of responsibility and danger. Warriors of the faith are being developed, the weak are becoming strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Hearts are being searched as with a great spotlight of the Holy Spirit. Yes this is a tremendous time of sifting as nothing can escape the all searching eye of Holy God. Jesus is being lifted up, His blood magnified and Holy Spirit honored once again. As we yield to Holy Spirit there is much slaying power being made manifest. This causes much resistance and regrettably it will keep many away from the real purifying work of God.

One of the most alarming threats today is humanism with its surge towards materialism and the philosophical claim that the end of all being is ones own happiness. This demands the supernatural as the only corrective. In Enoch’s time human sin was fast making God mockers and God took him, spirit, soul and body that men might be startled with the proof of a Divine Being and an invisible world. In Elijah’s day general apostasy was rebuked by the descent of horses and chariots of fire and if ever humanity needed to be confronted with fruits of power above natural abilities. Jesus as the ultimate man comes onto the scene when moral decay was perhaps at it’s worst and reveals the glory of God is man fully alive. He beats death hell and the grave, and is given all power and authority in heaven and earth from His heavenly Father then says to His followers; “I now give to you the same authority that the Father has given me!” There is a living God behind all power and authority who guides all by His providence, and converts all by His great grace even now. Oh, our weakness! Oh, our unbelief! How we need Holy Spirit to lead us afresh to a complete trusting of His leadership as He brings us into the image of our Lord furnishing us with all that’s needed to reign triumphant in this life.

The presence of God in the Church will put an end to infidelity. His Word cannot be doubted when His Spirit is felt. For a thousand reasons we need that Jehovah should come into the camp, as in times of old when He visited and delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt. Now, as then nothing but only the total leadership of Holy Spirit will bring us out from under bondage of the present system of sin and death that keeps the body of Christ from coming into the fullness of His Spirit. Some will heed the call and willingly sacrifice their own reputation so that others may be able to enter into all the glory that is to follow. It has been true in times past; it will not be any different for us today.