The Advent Part 6
Acts 1:4-5, “And being assembled together with them, He command them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”
Toward the end of the forty days in which Jesus was among His disciples after His resurrection, while they were all assembled together, Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. From this commandment we can conclude that it is likely the disciples had planned to leave Jerusalem after Christ’s ascension to the Father. From a logical viewpoint they really had no reason to remain in Jerusalem, there was nothing keeping them there, this was the selfsame place that received them with stones and tortures, the selfsame place in which the Lord Jesus Christ had been crucified, so why would they remain?
Although from the prism of human understanding it would have been better for them to leave Jerusalem, since it would have most likely spared them troubles and tribulations, Jesus commanded them to remain in the city, and wait for the promise of the Father.
The life of a servant never revolves around what the servant thinks is best for him, but what his Master thinks is best for Him. Our opinions, our feelings, our thoughts are irrelevant when it comes to the will of God, because His will must be preeminent in us throughout our journey here on heart.
‘But I feel it would be better if I went about a certain task this way rather than the way God instructed me.’
And that is where the descent into disobedience begins, that is where the descent into rebellion is birthed, because we place our own feelings and emotions above the will of God, and attempt of our own volition to make it easier on ourselves. There is only one right way to go about the work of God, and that is the way in which God instructed you to go about it.
The disciples were commanded to remain in Jerusalem, and because they were true servants, because they were true followers of Christ, they didn’t present Jesus with a list of why it would be best if they left the city, of why it would be more advantageous to find another place wherein they could gather and fellowship, they simply obeyed and remained.
In His command to His disciples Jesus highlights two Persons, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. He commanded them to wait for the promise of the Father, which would be fulfilled in the Person of the Holy Spirit, and through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In essence, Jesus was entrusting His disciples into the hands of the Father, and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the journey they were about to embark upon, and the work they were about to begin.
Once again we see that there was no specificity to the command of Christ, He simply told them to wait, until they received the promise. Often times we want details when God commands us to do something, we want to know every step of the journey, but just as often God simply tells us to wait, or to go, or to do. The disciples didn’t start asking how long they would have to wait, or what they should do while they were waiting, they didn’t start inquiring as to how the baptism of the Holy Spirit would feel, or what the experience would be like, it was enough for them to know that Jesus commanded them to wait, and that they would receive the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit not many days from then.
When God promises a certain thing, we must trust in the promise of God. We ought not to grow agitated, we ought not to grow impatient, we ought not to check our watches and tap our feet, and find other distractions to occupy our time with, but prayerfully, hopefully, joyfully, and peacefully wait until that which God promised will come to pass.
The disciples were now called to begin their work, the training wheels had come off, and the work they were about to begin would be very public. Jesus chose Jerusalem as the most visible place, the most appropriate place for the burning torches that would be His disciples after advent of the Holy Spirit to burn brightly for the glory of God. Beginning at Jerusalem, the gospel of salvation would be preached throughout the world, and countless souls would come to know the love, the grace, the mercy, and the saving power of Christ Jesus.
The fulfillment of the promise, the advent of the Holy Spirit was the last piece of the puzzle, the last thing that needed to be done that the disciples might be thoroughly equipped for the work they had been called to.
One last thing I wanted to emphasize today is the fact that the Holy Spirit is not only the promise of the Father, but also comes from the Father. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit, but He attributes this sovereign power to none other than God.
John 16:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father He will testify of Me.”
Throughout the life and ministry of Christ we see the interconnectedness between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, realizing that all that Jesus had He had from the Father, all that He spoke, the Father gave Him to speak, all that He did He did in accordance to the Father’s will.
John 12:49, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”
John 5:19, “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 13
The Advent Part 5
The forty days that they spent with Jesus after His resurrection were perhaps the happiest days for His disciples, because although they were still flesh and bone, they had fellowship with the risen Christ.
The Word does not tell us that Jesus spent every minute of every hour of those forty days with His disciples, it was not a permanent fellowship, but rather He was seen by them during forty days, at various times and for various lengths of time, teaching them what He needed to, then returning as He saw fit.
I have often wondered what it was that Jesus spoke to His disciples about during these forty days. What was it that He taught His followers during the time He was with them after His resurrection? Apparently I am not the only one to have wondered this, since there are countless opinions and hypotheses concerning what it was that Jesus taught them, from the Gnostics who used to say that Jesus taught His disciples mysteries not contained within the New Testament, yet which they somehow came to possess, to others who say that Jesus taught His disciples concerning the hierarchy of the church.
Although opinions vary, one thing is certain, Jesus would not teach His disciples something that contradicted His previous teachings, such as hierarchy. Before His suffering death and resurrection, Jesus was not a fan of hierarchy within the body of believers, so logic would dictate that His feelings on the matter would have remained the same.
Matthew 20:25-27, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
As far as what the Gnostics claimed, concerning the ‘seven mysteries’ the word ‘mystery’ is not associated with any of them in the Bible. There is no such thing as ‘secret doctrine’ the way into the kingdom is plainly written within the pages of the Bible, confirmed by Christ’s own words, that no man comes to the Father but by Him.
For some reason however, man has this overwhelming urge to complicate the simple, to attempt and convolute the simplicity of scripture, then claim that he’s discovered the secret of secrets, the mystery of mysteries, and only by following after him, or supporting him, or buying his audio teaching on the matter will you likewise know the secret and mysterious doctrine.
I realize this is off topic, but stick to Scripture. Let the Word of God guide you, let it be a lamp unto your feet, and a light for your path, and if something does not match up with Scripture, if someone claims ‘secret doctrine’ or ‘new revelation’ concerning Biblically pre-established dogma, reject it from the onset even if it sounds good or pleasing to the flesh.
If we read the Word carefully, we get a general idea of what Jesus spoke to His disciples about for the forty days He was among them.
Acts 1:3, “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.’
Mystery solved! Jesus spoke to His disciples of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. What these things were specifically, we may discover when we stand before Him in eternity, but not before.
I realize it is painful, but sometimes we must allow for the possibility of not knowing certain things, because certain things were not revealed to us. As to why this is, God knows, and that’s good enough for me.
Jesus was preparing His disciples for the work that was ahead of them. There was no talk of ‘secret doctrine’ or ‘mysterious revelation’ not included in Scripture; He was speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and their responsibility and duty in furthering it.
Mark 4:11-12, “And He said to them, ‘to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.”
To them, to the Disciples of Christ, as well as to us, it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. In this world, the kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace, and in the age to come it is a kingdom of glory. Christ is one with His kingdom, and His kingdom is, wherever He is Lord and King, be it in a heart, in a family, in a community, in heaven or on earth.
1 Peter 3:15-16, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
Now to sanctify is defined as to set apart for sacred use, to make holy, to purify or to consecrate. If we desire to have the kingdom of God in us, then we have no other means of attaining it, than to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts.
I have said it often enough, but it bears repeating, God is not interested in having roommates, He is not interested in sharing the space of your heart, He is not interested in having one room above the garage while the rest of you is filled with worthless pursuits, desires, and vices, He demands that we sanctify Him in our hearts, that we consecrate ourselves to Him, and that we remove from ourselves anything that would hinder the fullness of Him in us.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The forty days that they spent with Jesus after His resurrection were perhaps the happiest days for His disciples, because although they were still flesh and bone, they had fellowship with the risen Christ.
The Word does not tell us that Jesus spent every minute of every hour of those forty days with His disciples, it was not a permanent fellowship, but rather He was seen by them during forty days, at various times and for various lengths of time, teaching them what He needed to, then returning as He saw fit.
I have often wondered what it was that Jesus spoke to His disciples about during these forty days. What was it that He taught His followers during the time He was with them after His resurrection? Apparently I am not the only one to have wondered this, since there are countless opinions and hypotheses concerning what it was that Jesus taught them, from the Gnostics who used to say that Jesus taught His disciples mysteries not contained within the New Testament, yet which they somehow came to possess, to others who say that Jesus taught His disciples concerning the hierarchy of the church.
Although opinions vary, one thing is certain, Jesus would not teach His disciples something that contradicted His previous teachings, such as hierarchy. Before His suffering death and resurrection, Jesus was not a fan of hierarchy within the body of believers, so logic would dictate that His feelings on the matter would have remained the same.
Matthew 20:25-27, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
As far as what the Gnostics claimed, concerning the ‘seven mysteries’ the word ‘mystery’ is not associated with any of them in the Bible. There is no such thing as ‘secret doctrine’ the way into the kingdom is plainly written within the pages of the Bible, confirmed by Christ’s own words, that no man comes to the Father but by Him.
For some reason however, man has this overwhelming urge to complicate the simple, to attempt and convolute the simplicity of scripture, then claim that he’s discovered the secret of secrets, the mystery of mysteries, and only by following after him, or supporting him, or buying his audio teaching on the matter will you likewise know the secret and mysterious doctrine.
I realize this is off topic, but stick to Scripture. Let the Word of God guide you, let it be a lamp unto your feet, and a light for your path, and if something does not match up with Scripture, if someone claims ‘secret doctrine’ or ‘new revelation’ concerning Biblically pre-established dogma, reject it from the onset even if it sounds good or pleasing to the flesh.
If we read the Word carefully, we get a general idea of what Jesus spoke to His disciples about for the forty days He was among them.
Acts 1:3, “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.’
Mystery solved! Jesus spoke to His disciples of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. What these things were specifically, we may discover when we stand before Him in eternity, but not before.
I realize it is painful, but sometimes we must allow for the possibility of not knowing certain things, because certain things were not revealed to us. As to why this is, God knows, and that’s good enough for me.
Jesus was preparing His disciples for the work that was ahead of them. There was no talk of ‘secret doctrine’ or ‘mysterious revelation’ not included in Scripture; He was speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and their responsibility and duty in furthering it.
Mark 4:11-12, “And He said to them, ‘to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.”
To them, to the Disciples of Christ, as well as to us, it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. In this world, the kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace, and in the age to come it is a kingdom of glory. Christ is one with His kingdom, and His kingdom is, wherever He is Lord and King, be it in a heart, in a family, in a community, in heaven or on earth.
1 Peter 3:15-16, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
Now to sanctify is defined as to set apart for sacred use, to make holy, to purify or to consecrate. If we desire to have the kingdom of God in us, then we have no other means of attaining it, than to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts.
I have said it often enough, but it bears repeating, God is not interested in having roommates, He is not interested in sharing the space of your heart, He is not interested in having one room above the garage while the rest of you is filled with worthless pursuits, desires, and vices, He demands that we sanctify Him in our hearts, that we consecrate ourselves to Him, and that we remove from ourselves anything that would hinder the fullness of Him in us.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 12
The Advent Part 4
Even throughout His ministry we see Jesus being filled by the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was ever present in the life of Christ, even before His death, burial and resurrection, and the advent of the Holy Spirit, or the outpouring thereof was simply a continuation of Christ’s ministry here on earth after His ascension.
Luke 4:1-2, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned form the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, he was hungry.”
Everything that Jesus did, or does, is through the Holy Spirit. Likewise, in order for the things that we do to be useful and true, in order for the things that we do to be beneficial to the kingdom of God, they must be done through the Holy Spirit, and by the unction of the Holy Spirit.
In the first eleven verses of the book of Acts we see four critical moments in the life of Christ Jesus our Lord. In the third verse, we see two of these four critical moments, namely His suffering, and His resurrection, which are two essential components in the preaching of the gospel. From the beginning, the sufferings of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ were elements upon which the Disciples of Christ insisted in their preaching, and they must likewise be elements upon which we must focus.
The Son of God came in the flesh that He might die so that we might be saved, yet death could not hold Him, the grave could not claim Him. He rose again on the third day, that we might know He is God, and that if we are in Him we will likewise one day arise.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died four our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present but some have fallen asleep.”
By revealing Himself to His disciples, by allowing them to see Him, and touch Him, and talk to Him, the truth concerning the resurrection of Christ was proven and solidified. The undeniable proof of His resurrection was the fact that He showed Himself, alive to His disciples for forty days, eating and drinking with them.
Luke 24:38-43, “And He said to them, ‘why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.’ When He had said this He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He took it and ate in their presence.”
This was no mass conspiracy, it was no mass delusion, Paul attests to the fact that not only was Jesus seen by Peter, also known as Cephas, and by the twelve, but by over five hundred brethren at once. Some had fallen asleep, but the greater part of them remained upon Paul’s writing of his first epistle to the Corinthians.
Both Luke and Paul were educated men, Luke being a doctor, Paul having been groomed from early youth to become a Pharisee. These were men with options, men who could have succeeded in life, men who would have climbed the social ladder, and in their own right become men of influence and renown. If there had been no truth concerning the resurrection of Christ, if there had been no truth concerning the nature of Jesus, these men would have readily disavowed themselves of the entire thing, pursuing their careers, and doing other things.
No man would give up the trappings of this life as Paul and Luke would have had access to for a lie, no man would choose to be hunted and hounded, beaten and tortured, maligned and despised rather than live peaceably in a nice home, with a family and loved ones for something they knew to be a fallacy. These men were committed unto death because the reality of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, the reality of whom Jesus was, was undeniable, self-evident, unshakeable, and cemented in their hearts.
They had the testimonies of the brethren, they had their own personal experiences with Christ, and they could not deny what their eyes had seen, what their ears had heard, what their hands had felt, and the transformation that had taken place in their hearts.
If the reality of Christ is cemented in our hearts, if we know, that we know, that we know that He is Lord and King, Savior and Redeemer, the Son of God come in the flesh, then we will follow Him with rejoicing even when the path becomes difficult to walk, even when opposition swells up against us, even when persecution becomes a way of life, and the probability that we will sooner or later have to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ becomes all the more plausible.
These men didn’t just raise a hand in a crusade then went on about their lives as if nothing had happened. These men did not remain as they were before their encounter with the Christ, they were radically transformed, their lives were no longer their own, and the sum of their existence was now the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. It is this level of commitment that God requires of His servants; it is this level of devotion that God demands, wherein we place nothing above His will, be it family, friends, jobs, positions or ourselves.
It is the belief that we can have all of God and the world concurrently that keeps many believers from knowing the fullness of the God they purport to serve. Either we are God’s in totality, with every fiber of our being, with every breath that we take, or we are of no use to Him.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Even throughout His ministry we see Jesus being filled by the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was ever present in the life of Christ, even before His death, burial and resurrection, and the advent of the Holy Spirit, or the outpouring thereof was simply a continuation of Christ’s ministry here on earth after His ascension.
Luke 4:1-2, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned form the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, he was hungry.”
Everything that Jesus did, or does, is through the Holy Spirit. Likewise, in order for the things that we do to be useful and true, in order for the things that we do to be beneficial to the kingdom of God, they must be done through the Holy Spirit, and by the unction of the Holy Spirit.
In the first eleven verses of the book of Acts we see four critical moments in the life of Christ Jesus our Lord. In the third verse, we see two of these four critical moments, namely His suffering, and His resurrection, which are two essential components in the preaching of the gospel. From the beginning, the sufferings of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ were elements upon which the Disciples of Christ insisted in their preaching, and they must likewise be elements upon which we must focus.
The Son of God came in the flesh that He might die so that we might be saved, yet death could not hold Him, the grave could not claim Him. He rose again on the third day, that we might know He is God, and that if we are in Him we will likewise one day arise.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died four our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present but some have fallen asleep.”
By revealing Himself to His disciples, by allowing them to see Him, and touch Him, and talk to Him, the truth concerning the resurrection of Christ was proven and solidified. The undeniable proof of His resurrection was the fact that He showed Himself, alive to His disciples for forty days, eating and drinking with them.
Luke 24:38-43, “And He said to them, ‘why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.’ When He had said this He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He took it and ate in their presence.”
This was no mass conspiracy, it was no mass delusion, Paul attests to the fact that not only was Jesus seen by Peter, also known as Cephas, and by the twelve, but by over five hundred brethren at once. Some had fallen asleep, but the greater part of them remained upon Paul’s writing of his first epistle to the Corinthians.
Both Luke and Paul were educated men, Luke being a doctor, Paul having been groomed from early youth to become a Pharisee. These were men with options, men who could have succeeded in life, men who would have climbed the social ladder, and in their own right become men of influence and renown. If there had been no truth concerning the resurrection of Christ, if there had been no truth concerning the nature of Jesus, these men would have readily disavowed themselves of the entire thing, pursuing their careers, and doing other things.
No man would give up the trappings of this life as Paul and Luke would have had access to for a lie, no man would choose to be hunted and hounded, beaten and tortured, maligned and despised rather than live peaceably in a nice home, with a family and loved ones for something they knew to be a fallacy. These men were committed unto death because the reality of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, the reality of whom Jesus was, was undeniable, self-evident, unshakeable, and cemented in their hearts.
They had the testimonies of the brethren, they had their own personal experiences with Christ, and they could not deny what their eyes had seen, what their ears had heard, what their hands had felt, and the transformation that had taken place in their hearts.
If the reality of Christ is cemented in our hearts, if we know, that we know, that we know that He is Lord and King, Savior and Redeemer, the Son of God come in the flesh, then we will follow Him with rejoicing even when the path becomes difficult to walk, even when opposition swells up against us, even when persecution becomes a way of life, and the probability that we will sooner or later have to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ becomes all the more plausible.
These men didn’t just raise a hand in a crusade then went on about their lives as if nothing had happened. These men did not remain as they were before their encounter with the Christ, they were radically transformed, their lives were no longer their own, and the sum of their existence was now the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. It is this level of commitment that God requires of His servants; it is this level of devotion that God demands, wherein we place nothing above His will, be it family, friends, jobs, positions or ourselves.
It is the belief that we can have all of God and the world concurrently that keeps many believers from knowing the fullness of the God they purport to serve. Either we are God’s in totality, with every fiber of our being, with every breath that we take, or we are of no use to Him.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 11
The Advent Part 3
Acts 1:1-3, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do an teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He trough the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
The majority of the books that make up the New Testament are addressed to someone. Either they are addressed to a believer, such as Timothy, Titus, Philemon, or the well beloved Gaius, or to a body of believers such as the church at Rome, the church at Corinth, the Church at Ephesus, the church at Galatia, or the church at Philippi. The book of Acts is no different, as its writer, Luke, addresses it to a man by the name of Theophilus.
As to whom this Theophilus was, I fear it will remain a mystery at least in so long as we are tethered to these mortal coils. Some brazen theologians have said that Luke was not referring to a person, but rather Theophilus is a fictitious name which encompasses all believers who truly love God, since Theophilus in the Greek means ‘lover of God.’ Although it sounds good, and even plausible, there really is no foundation for this hypothesis, and as such I am of the firm belief that Luke was writing to a man, to an individual, the selfsame individual who funded his exploration of the person known as Jesus Christ, to discover whether or not He was authentic, or another pretender and huckster.
In his first book, the gospel according to Luke, at the very beginning, in fact within the third verse of the first chapter, Luke makes reference to this selfsame individual, this Theophilus, calling him ‘most excellent.’
Luke 1:1-4, “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which are most surely believed among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”
Whoever this Theophilus was, we know that he was a man of power and authority, since the title of ‘most excellent’ was reserved for the ruling class of the time, such as the most excellent governor Felix, to whom Claudius Lysias wrote a letter concerning Paul the Apostle. This was no average citizen, this was no peasant; he was a man of considerable influence, wealthy enough to finance Luke’s investigation of Christ for as long as it took.
From what we can ascertain from the writings of Luke, Theophilus was also a believer. He had come to believe in Jesus, and he had hired Luke to go and investigate and see if he had been duped, if somehow he’d been conned or taken by a well-orchestrated scheme, or if Jesus was everything it was said that He was. Luke’s conclusions concerning the Christ, are self-evident, in both his gospel, as well as in the book of Acts, confirming to Theophilus that not only was Jesus everything they had heard that He was, but much, much more. Indeed He was the Messiah that they had been waiting for, indeed He was the Son of God come to redeem mankind, indeed the grave could not hold Him, nor could death claim Him. It was all true, there was no shadow of doubt, there was no inconsistency, and the witnesses as well as Luke’s firsthand account of what he saw had proven these truths out.
As a continuation to his first letter to Theophilus, Luke reminds the man that in his previous letter he had written concerning Jesus, and in the current letter he was about to pen he would likewise continue in the same vein, namely Jesus. Theophilus had already been informed of all that Jesus began to do and teach, and by now his faith had been solidified, and he knew the certainty of those things in which he was instructed.
Now it was time to write another chapter, to pen another letter, and inform Theophilus what the followers of Christ were doing now that He had ascended to heaven, encouraging the man that although Christ had gone, He had not left them orphans, He had not left them to wander in the darkness, but after presenting Himself alive, He had been seen by them for forty days, then told to wait with the expectation of receiving something more.
The life and work of Jesus does not end with the cross and with the grave. This was just the first chapter, and it continued after His resurrection and especially after His ascension.
Now the Word tells us something remarkable that most people have a tendency to overlook or dismiss. Luke tells us that Jesus did and taught until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.
In the gospel according to Matthew however, it tells us that it was Jesus who spoke to His disciples and instructed them.
Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen”
So which was it? Was Jesus speaking through the Holy Spirit, or did he speak to His disciples? Actually it was both, because just as Christ and the Father are one, Christ and the Holy Spirit are likewise one. There is no inconsistency here as some would try to claim, and the only reason they would claim such a thing is due to their ignorance concerning the triune God, and the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Acts 1:1-3, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do an teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He trough the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
The majority of the books that make up the New Testament are addressed to someone. Either they are addressed to a believer, such as Timothy, Titus, Philemon, or the well beloved Gaius, or to a body of believers such as the church at Rome, the church at Corinth, the Church at Ephesus, the church at Galatia, or the church at Philippi. The book of Acts is no different, as its writer, Luke, addresses it to a man by the name of Theophilus.
As to whom this Theophilus was, I fear it will remain a mystery at least in so long as we are tethered to these mortal coils. Some brazen theologians have said that Luke was not referring to a person, but rather Theophilus is a fictitious name which encompasses all believers who truly love God, since Theophilus in the Greek means ‘lover of God.’ Although it sounds good, and even plausible, there really is no foundation for this hypothesis, and as such I am of the firm belief that Luke was writing to a man, to an individual, the selfsame individual who funded his exploration of the person known as Jesus Christ, to discover whether or not He was authentic, or another pretender and huckster.
In his first book, the gospel according to Luke, at the very beginning, in fact within the third verse of the first chapter, Luke makes reference to this selfsame individual, this Theophilus, calling him ‘most excellent.’
Luke 1:1-4, “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which are most surely believed among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”
Whoever this Theophilus was, we know that he was a man of power and authority, since the title of ‘most excellent’ was reserved for the ruling class of the time, such as the most excellent governor Felix, to whom Claudius Lysias wrote a letter concerning Paul the Apostle. This was no average citizen, this was no peasant; he was a man of considerable influence, wealthy enough to finance Luke’s investigation of Christ for as long as it took.
From what we can ascertain from the writings of Luke, Theophilus was also a believer. He had come to believe in Jesus, and he had hired Luke to go and investigate and see if he had been duped, if somehow he’d been conned or taken by a well-orchestrated scheme, or if Jesus was everything it was said that He was. Luke’s conclusions concerning the Christ, are self-evident, in both his gospel, as well as in the book of Acts, confirming to Theophilus that not only was Jesus everything they had heard that He was, but much, much more. Indeed He was the Messiah that they had been waiting for, indeed He was the Son of God come to redeem mankind, indeed the grave could not hold Him, nor could death claim Him. It was all true, there was no shadow of doubt, there was no inconsistency, and the witnesses as well as Luke’s firsthand account of what he saw had proven these truths out.
As a continuation to his first letter to Theophilus, Luke reminds the man that in his previous letter he had written concerning Jesus, and in the current letter he was about to pen he would likewise continue in the same vein, namely Jesus. Theophilus had already been informed of all that Jesus began to do and teach, and by now his faith had been solidified, and he knew the certainty of those things in which he was instructed.
Now it was time to write another chapter, to pen another letter, and inform Theophilus what the followers of Christ were doing now that He had ascended to heaven, encouraging the man that although Christ had gone, He had not left them orphans, He had not left them to wander in the darkness, but after presenting Himself alive, He had been seen by them for forty days, then told to wait with the expectation of receiving something more.
The life and work of Jesus does not end with the cross and with the grave. This was just the first chapter, and it continued after His resurrection and especially after His ascension.
Now the Word tells us something remarkable that most people have a tendency to overlook or dismiss. Luke tells us that Jesus did and taught until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.
In the gospel according to Matthew however, it tells us that it was Jesus who spoke to His disciples and instructed them.
Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen”
So which was it? Was Jesus speaking through the Holy Spirit, or did he speak to His disciples? Actually it was both, because just as Christ and the Father are one, Christ and the Holy Spirit are likewise one. There is no inconsistency here as some would try to claim, and the only reason they would claim such a thing is due to their ignorance concerning the triune God, and the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 10
The Advent Part 2
As I said in my previous post, the book of Acts constitutes a true and undeniable link between the Gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament. The book of Acts follows the gospel according to Luke, and it shows us the way in which the gospel of Jesus Christ was spread after the day of Pentecost, the day on which the power of the Holy Spirit fell, and gave birth to the congregation of believers which we know today as the primary church. It was after the advent of the Holy Spirit, it was only after the power of God fell upon those gathered in the upper room that they went out and preached the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
I’ve always found it interesting that first Jesus tells His disciples to go and preach repentance and remission of sins in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, but in the same breath He tells them to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high, because He would send the Promise of the Father.
It was only after the power of the Holy Spirit fell that the Acts of the Apostles truly began, it was only after they were endued with power that they were able to go and preach and do great exploits in the name of Jesus.
Lest we misunderstand, the book of Acts does not contain a comprehensive and all inclusive list of the acts of the Apostles, nor does it name all of the apostles. A comprehensive account of all the acts of all the apostles would be a wonder to peruse, but alas within the book of Acts we see the acts of the apostles Peter, John and Paul, through which the Holy Spirit did amazing works, and performed extraordinary miracles, as well as some worthy laborers, who were not apostles, such as Stephen, Philip, Barnabas, James the brother of Jesus, and others.
There is very little that we discover concerning the activity of the other apostles within the book of Acts. In fact, it would seem that Scripture as a whole is not overly concerned with our interest regarding what we would call the giants of the faith. Very little background is given about men whose shoes we are unworthy to carry, never mind ever hope to fill, because the Bible is not man centered, but God centered, and the only name that it praises, glorifies, highlights, and points us to is the Christ, our Lord and Savior. Even in regards to great men and prophets such as Isaiah or Jeremiah, we find no biography or backstory, and others like the prophet Micaiah who appears briefly in the twenty second chapter of first Kings, are mentioned as far as their calling is concerned, and disappear back into history.
Likewise Luke does not focus on the history of the life of every Apostle, but in broad strokes shows us an ensemble of the primary church, even though they are all mentioned in the thirteenth verse of the first chapter of the book of Acts. All these men, extraordinary as they might have been as individuals, are presented as one body, with one purpose, with one goal, and with one vision, working together for the glory of God.
The book of Acts could also be called the ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’, because it is in this book that we see a special focus being placed on the work of the Holy Spirit, and the aftereffects of Him having fallen upon those gathered in the upper chamber. This singular event, the advent of the Holy Spirit, is the sole reason why uneducated men, men without power or position, men without pedigree or influence, changed the world. Their lives were fruitful, because they had the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is the promise of God, not only for a select few, not only for a specific generation, not only for those in leadership, but for every child of God, for every believer, and every soul that has come to the foot of the cross in humble repentance. Whomsoever desires and asks for this power, not so they might grow rich or famous or gather a following, but so that they will glorify the name of the Father and be bondservants of Christ, are promised to receive it. This promise was not made by man, but by Christ Jesus, and even God Himself as we discover in His Word.
In his gospel, Luke tells us of the acts of Jesus while He was still in the flesh, while He was still among them, and in the book of Acts he tells us of the continued work of Christ after His ascension into heaven, performed through the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, and as an aftereffect impacting those around them to the farthest corners of the earth. The book of Acts ends not with an ordinary or expected finish, because the holy chronicles, and the acts of those who are Disciples of Christ have no end, but rather than have an end it continues to this day, and the Son of God still works among those He has chosen and equipped for every good work.
Throughout the book of Acts one thing is certain and self-evident, the disciples would not have had the impact they did, they would not have reached the countless souls they did, they would not have been witness to the miracles that they were witness to without the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we desire to see the same works, if we desire to see the name of Christ glorified, to see the lame walk, to see the oppressed set free, to experience dreams and visions from the Lord, to have the necessary discernment that we might not be deceived or sidetracked, then we need the power of the Holy Spirit. In this late hour, dare I say we need Him more than ever before, because when He is active in us, we will begin to experience the fullness of what God has in store for His children, and we will count all the trials and the hardships as not worthy of being compared with the glory that has been revealed in us.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
As I said in my previous post, the book of Acts constitutes a true and undeniable link between the Gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament. The book of Acts follows the gospel according to Luke, and it shows us the way in which the gospel of Jesus Christ was spread after the day of Pentecost, the day on which the power of the Holy Spirit fell, and gave birth to the congregation of believers which we know today as the primary church. It was after the advent of the Holy Spirit, it was only after the power of God fell upon those gathered in the upper room that they went out and preached the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
I’ve always found it interesting that first Jesus tells His disciples to go and preach repentance and remission of sins in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, but in the same breath He tells them to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high, because He would send the Promise of the Father.
It was only after the power of the Holy Spirit fell that the Acts of the Apostles truly began, it was only after they were endued with power that they were able to go and preach and do great exploits in the name of Jesus.
Lest we misunderstand, the book of Acts does not contain a comprehensive and all inclusive list of the acts of the Apostles, nor does it name all of the apostles. A comprehensive account of all the acts of all the apostles would be a wonder to peruse, but alas within the book of Acts we see the acts of the apostles Peter, John and Paul, through which the Holy Spirit did amazing works, and performed extraordinary miracles, as well as some worthy laborers, who were not apostles, such as Stephen, Philip, Barnabas, James the brother of Jesus, and others.
There is very little that we discover concerning the activity of the other apostles within the book of Acts. In fact, it would seem that Scripture as a whole is not overly concerned with our interest regarding what we would call the giants of the faith. Very little background is given about men whose shoes we are unworthy to carry, never mind ever hope to fill, because the Bible is not man centered, but God centered, and the only name that it praises, glorifies, highlights, and points us to is the Christ, our Lord and Savior. Even in regards to great men and prophets such as Isaiah or Jeremiah, we find no biography or backstory, and others like the prophet Micaiah who appears briefly in the twenty second chapter of first Kings, are mentioned as far as their calling is concerned, and disappear back into history.
Likewise Luke does not focus on the history of the life of every Apostle, but in broad strokes shows us an ensemble of the primary church, even though they are all mentioned in the thirteenth verse of the first chapter of the book of Acts. All these men, extraordinary as they might have been as individuals, are presented as one body, with one purpose, with one goal, and with one vision, working together for the glory of God.
The book of Acts could also be called the ‘Acts of the Holy Spirit’, because it is in this book that we see a special focus being placed on the work of the Holy Spirit, and the aftereffects of Him having fallen upon those gathered in the upper chamber. This singular event, the advent of the Holy Spirit, is the sole reason why uneducated men, men without power or position, men without pedigree or influence, changed the world. Their lives were fruitful, because they had the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is the promise of God, not only for a select few, not only for a specific generation, not only for those in leadership, but for every child of God, for every believer, and every soul that has come to the foot of the cross in humble repentance. Whomsoever desires and asks for this power, not so they might grow rich or famous or gather a following, but so that they will glorify the name of the Father and be bondservants of Christ, are promised to receive it. This promise was not made by man, but by Christ Jesus, and even God Himself as we discover in His Word.
In his gospel, Luke tells us of the acts of Jesus while He was still in the flesh, while He was still among them, and in the book of Acts he tells us of the continued work of Christ after His ascension into heaven, performed through the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, and as an aftereffect impacting those around them to the farthest corners of the earth. The book of Acts ends not with an ordinary or expected finish, because the holy chronicles, and the acts of those who are Disciples of Christ have no end, but rather than have an end it continues to this day, and the Son of God still works among those He has chosen and equipped for every good work.
Throughout the book of Acts one thing is certain and self-evident, the disciples would not have had the impact they did, they would not have reached the countless souls they did, they would not have been witness to the miracles that they were witness to without the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we desire to see the same works, if we desire to see the name of Christ glorified, to see the lame walk, to see the oppressed set free, to experience dreams and visions from the Lord, to have the necessary discernment that we might not be deceived or sidetracked, then we need the power of the Holy Spirit. In this late hour, dare I say we need Him more than ever before, because when He is active in us, we will begin to experience the fullness of what God has in store for His children, and we will count all the trials and the hardships as not worthy of being compared with the glory that has been revealed in us.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 9
The Advent Part 1
Now that we’ve covered a few of the particularities of the person of the Holy Spirit, we will proceed to the advent that changed everything in regards to the early church. If we study the history of the primary church with diligence, we see an amazing transformation within the ranks of the believers, going from cowardly, fearful men, to bold and courageous defenders of Christ even to their deaths.
I have thought long and hard how to best approach the advent of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the power and the subsequent gifts, and have decided that the best course of action, as far as this particular part of our series is concerned, is to approach it in an exegetical manner.
For much of today’s church exegesis or the critical explanation of a text is a lost and dying practice, because many either consider it too tedious, too time consuming, or too in depth for our hyper, overactive, and attention challenged generation. If anything deserve exegetical study however, it is the Word of God, and it is worth taking the time to know it, understand it and live it.
With all requisite honesty, there is no other way for me to approach the advent of the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Holy Spirit than by exegesis, because there’s just so much meat, so many finite details that we must uncover, that I would be doing both you and myself a disservice if I approached it haphazardly and in a cursory manner.
And so, at least for the first two chapters of the book of Acts, or the Acts of the Apostles, we will be discussing each verse, individually and in depth, so that we might understand not only what happened on the day of Pentecost, but why it had to happen, and that it was promised and foretold by none other than Christ Jesus.
In reading the history of the primary church, and discovering the backgrounds of most of the Disciples of Christ, certain questions immediately spring to mind. They are questions that can only be answered when we understand exactly what it was that took place on the day of Pentecost, and what the fulfillment of Christ’s promise truly meant.
The questions are these: How is it that the followers of Christ, a handful of Galileans, simple fishermen and provincial Jews, became world renowned figures? What change took place in these fearful men who denied Christ, and ran away as He was being crucified, that transformed them into fiery, fearless, and unapologetic defenders of the new faith? How were these uneducated and untrained men able to leave such a lasting mark on the world, that it not only birthed a new culture, but changed civilization as they knew it? How is it that a movement born among the Jews, having a Messiah of the Jews as its central figure, and founded on Jewish Scripture, became a faith embraced by every nation, people and tongue as it is today?
It is the book of Acts that gives us the answers to these questions, and many others, and in my estimation it is the only link that connects the teachings of Christ Jesus the Savior in the gospels, with the fully matured Christianity of the Epistles of Paul the Apostle, and the other writers of the New Testament.
In order to understand the Spirit of the Holy Scriptures, we must know the letter of it as well; otherwise we will surely lose our way, and find ourselves far from the truth of God. Yes, I am a stickler for sticking to the Word, for seeing all things having to do with the Spiritual through the prism of the Bible, because it is the light unto our feet, that keeps us from stumbling, that keeps us from going astray, and that keeps us on the narrow path of faith. Absent light, we wander in darkness, unable to discern, to know, or to perceive the path before us, or follow it with certainty and surefootedness.
The books that make up the New Testament can be divided into three major groupings. The first grouping is the historical books of the New Testament encompassing the four Gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles, the second grouping is the didactic books, or the books intended to convey instruction and information encompassing the twenty one Epistles, and the third grouping is the prophetic books, which in reality is one prophetic book, namely the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth of five historical books of the New Testament, and is one of the most exciting books of the Bible. The way it is presented, the miracles it relates, the lives of the Apostles that it chronicles, all make the book of Acts a worthwhile and thrilling topic of study.
There is however more to the book of Acts than dynamic miracles, courageous saints, powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and supernatural experiences. Within its pages we also discover a powerful and personal message for us as individuals, a message most necessary in our day and age when an awakening and a revival are desperately needed.
Within the pages of the book of Acts we discover not only what is required in order to see an awakening or a revival, but also what a true awakening or revival looks like. Contrary to popular belief, a tried and true awakening or revival does not consist of a larger than average Christian crowd gathering in a certain place, to hear a certain preacher, but it ultimately impacts the world, and those of the world, reaching the city from which it sparks, and ultimately the nation and awakening them to the reality of the love and saving power of Christ Jesus.
True revival calls the sinner to repentance, it calls the wayward back to the narrow path of faith, and it calls the prodigal back into his Father’s house. True revival cannot be insulated within the walls of the church or the walls of the cathedral, but it must make its way beyond the confines of a building or a denomination and draw those who are in the darkness toward the light of Jesus.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Now that we’ve covered a few of the particularities of the person of the Holy Spirit, we will proceed to the advent that changed everything in regards to the early church. If we study the history of the primary church with diligence, we see an amazing transformation within the ranks of the believers, going from cowardly, fearful men, to bold and courageous defenders of Christ even to their deaths.
I have thought long and hard how to best approach the advent of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the power and the subsequent gifts, and have decided that the best course of action, as far as this particular part of our series is concerned, is to approach it in an exegetical manner.
For much of today’s church exegesis or the critical explanation of a text is a lost and dying practice, because many either consider it too tedious, too time consuming, or too in depth for our hyper, overactive, and attention challenged generation. If anything deserve exegetical study however, it is the Word of God, and it is worth taking the time to know it, understand it and live it.
With all requisite honesty, there is no other way for me to approach the advent of the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Holy Spirit than by exegesis, because there’s just so much meat, so many finite details that we must uncover, that I would be doing both you and myself a disservice if I approached it haphazardly and in a cursory manner.
And so, at least for the first two chapters of the book of Acts, or the Acts of the Apostles, we will be discussing each verse, individually and in depth, so that we might understand not only what happened on the day of Pentecost, but why it had to happen, and that it was promised and foretold by none other than Christ Jesus.
In reading the history of the primary church, and discovering the backgrounds of most of the Disciples of Christ, certain questions immediately spring to mind. They are questions that can only be answered when we understand exactly what it was that took place on the day of Pentecost, and what the fulfillment of Christ’s promise truly meant.
The questions are these: How is it that the followers of Christ, a handful of Galileans, simple fishermen and provincial Jews, became world renowned figures? What change took place in these fearful men who denied Christ, and ran away as He was being crucified, that transformed them into fiery, fearless, and unapologetic defenders of the new faith? How were these uneducated and untrained men able to leave such a lasting mark on the world, that it not only birthed a new culture, but changed civilization as they knew it? How is it that a movement born among the Jews, having a Messiah of the Jews as its central figure, and founded on Jewish Scripture, became a faith embraced by every nation, people and tongue as it is today?
It is the book of Acts that gives us the answers to these questions, and many others, and in my estimation it is the only link that connects the teachings of Christ Jesus the Savior in the gospels, with the fully matured Christianity of the Epistles of Paul the Apostle, and the other writers of the New Testament.
In order to understand the Spirit of the Holy Scriptures, we must know the letter of it as well; otherwise we will surely lose our way, and find ourselves far from the truth of God. Yes, I am a stickler for sticking to the Word, for seeing all things having to do with the Spiritual through the prism of the Bible, because it is the light unto our feet, that keeps us from stumbling, that keeps us from going astray, and that keeps us on the narrow path of faith. Absent light, we wander in darkness, unable to discern, to know, or to perceive the path before us, or follow it with certainty and surefootedness.
The books that make up the New Testament can be divided into three major groupings. The first grouping is the historical books of the New Testament encompassing the four Gospels as well as the Acts of the Apostles, the second grouping is the didactic books, or the books intended to convey instruction and information encompassing the twenty one Epistles, and the third grouping is the prophetic books, which in reality is one prophetic book, namely the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth of five historical books of the New Testament, and is one of the most exciting books of the Bible. The way it is presented, the miracles it relates, the lives of the Apostles that it chronicles, all make the book of Acts a worthwhile and thrilling topic of study.
There is however more to the book of Acts than dynamic miracles, courageous saints, powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and supernatural experiences. Within its pages we also discover a powerful and personal message for us as individuals, a message most necessary in our day and age when an awakening and a revival are desperately needed.
Within the pages of the book of Acts we discover not only what is required in order to see an awakening or a revival, but also what a true awakening or revival looks like. Contrary to popular belief, a tried and true awakening or revival does not consist of a larger than average Christian crowd gathering in a certain place, to hear a certain preacher, but it ultimately impacts the world, and those of the world, reaching the city from which it sparks, and ultimately the nation and awakening them to the reality of the love and saving power of Christ Jesus.
True revival calls the sinner to repentance, it calls the wayward back to the narrow path of faith, and it calls the prodigal back into his Father’s house. True revival cannot be insulated within the walls of the church or the walls of the cathedral, but it must make its way beyond the confines of a building or a denomination and draw those who are in the darkness toward the light of Jesus.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 8
The Godhood of the Holy Spirit Part 2
As promised yesterday, today we will focus upon the divine attributes of the Holy Spirit, and once again, Biblically prove out certain truths concerning the third Person of the triune God.
The first divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omniscience. Just as the Father, the Holy Spirit is all knowing.
We see this truth as being self-evident not only in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament as well.
Isaiah 40:13-14, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?”
In the New Testament, perhaps the most telling scripture passage concerning the omniscience of the Holy Spirit, or the fact that He is all knowing, is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
There are three important elements within these three verses that we must take into account in order to understand the importance of the Spirit of God. First of all, the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Second of all, we can only know the things of God by the Spirit of God, and third of all, we have received the Spirit, who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Absent the spirit of God, we cannot know the things of God, and as a gift freely given to us, it is the Spirit that allows us to know the things given to us by God. From this scripture passage one can conclude that many today are walking in darkness, unaware of the things of God because they do not possess the Spirit of God.
The unlimited knowledge of the Spirit is also referred to by Jesus in the gospel according to John, who points out the fact that not only would the Spirit guide us in all truth, but will also tell us things to come.
John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
The Word clearly tells us that God is no respecter of persons, and that He judges without partiality. Why would He show favor to one particular generation, revealing to them things to come, and guiding them in all truth via the Holy Spirit, then suddenly withdraw this great gift, this great blessing, and leave the subsequent generations in the dark, wandering about powerless, defenseless, and absent divine inspiration? It is a question those who deny the present work of the Holy Spirit have a difficult time answering, but due to stubbornness, and an unwillingness to admit error, they somehow find reasoning, an excuse, and a justification for not pressing in and desiring the fullness of the power of God.
The second divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omnipotence. Omnipotence is defined as having unlimited or universal power, authority or force. Once again we see these truths both in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament.
Psalm 104:30, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.”
Job 33:4, ‘The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
In the New Testament the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit is best highlighted in the message the angel of the Lord brings to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus.
Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
This attribute of the Holy Spirit is also seen as Jesus promises His disciples that they would be endued with power from on high, which is the Promise of the Father for the faithful and obedient.
Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Because Jesus had commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem, because He promised His disciples that they would be endued with power from on high is the reason we find one hundred and twenty souls gathered in the upper room, in prayer and fellowship, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. They were not there accidentally, they were not there by chance, they had gathered, and waited for the specific purpose of seeing the promise of Christ, concerning the Holy Spirit come to fulfillment. From that point onward, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit was evident throughout the early church, with signs and wonders following, with words of prophecy and revelation being ever present, and it has been thus throughout the history of the body of Christ.
Romans 15:18-19, “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient – in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
The third divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omnipresence. Simply defined, omnipresence is to be present everywhere simultaneously.
Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.”
There is no place where the Spirit of God is not present nor is there any period of time wherein the Holy Spirit did not exist. As God is omnipresent, the Holy Spirit is likewise omnipresent, not needing to leave one location in order to be in another, but simultaneously being everywhere.
The third divine attribute of the Holy Spirit is His foreknowledge. Only God can know the future, or what the future holds, not a day from now, or a week from now, but years, decades, centuries, and even millennia in advance.
God is outside of time and space as we define it, and as such knows the end from the beginning; He sees the history of man play out long before it comes to pass.
One of the greatest examples of foreknowledge is the specificity of Christ’s betrayal by Judas, as well as the specificity of how Judas would perish foretold by the Holy Spirit via the mouth of David, a thousand years in advance.
Acts 1:16-17, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
As promised yesterday, today we will focus upon the divine attributes of the Holy Spirit, and once again, Biblically prove out certain truths concerning the third Person of the triune God.
The first divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omniscience. Just as the Father, the Holy Spirit is all knowing.
We see this truth as being self-evident not only in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament as well.
Isaiah 40:13-14, “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?”
In the New Testament, perhaps the most telling scripture passage concerning the omniscience of the Holy Spirit, or the fact that He is all knowing, is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:10-12, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
There are three important elements within these three verses that we must take into account in order to understand the importance of the Spirit of God. First of all, the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Second of all, we can only know the things of God by the Spirit of God, and third of all, we have received the Spirit, who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Absent the spirit of God, we cannot know the things of God, and as a gift freely given to us, it is the Spirit that allows us to know the things given to us by God. From this scripture passage one can conclude that many today are walking in darkness, unaware of the things of God because they do not possess the Spirit of God.
The unlimited knowledge of the Spirit is also referred to by Jesus in the gospel according to John, who points out the fact that not only would the Spirit guide us in all truth, but will also tell us things to come.
John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
The Word clearly tells us that God is no respecter of persons, and that He judges without partiality. Why would He show favor to one particular generation, revealing to them things to come, and guiding them in all truth via the Holy Spirit, then suddenly withdraw this great gift, this great blessing, and leave the subsequent generations in the dark, wandering about powerless, defenseless, and absent divine inspiration? It is a question those who deny the present work of the Holy Spirit have a difficult time answering, but due to stubbornness, and an unwillingness to admit error, they somehow find reasoning, an excuse, and a justification for not pressing in and desiring the fullness of the power of God.
The second divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omnipotence. Omnipotence is defined as having unlimited or universal power, authority or force. Once again we see these truths both in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testament.
Psalm 104:30, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.”
Job 33:4, ‘The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
In the New Testament the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit is best highlighted in the message the angel of the Lord brings to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus.
Luke 1:35, “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
This attribute of the Holy Spirit is also seen as Jesus promises His disciples that they would be endued with power from on high, which is the Promise of the Father for the faithful and obedient.
Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Because Jesus had commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem, because He promised His disciples that they would be endued with power from on high is the reason we find one hundred and twenty souls gathered in the upper room, in prayer and fellowship, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. They were not there accidentally, they were not there by chance, they had gathered, and waited for the specific purpose of seeing the promise of Christ, concerning the Holy Spirit come to fulfillment. From that point onward, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit was evident throughout the early church, with signs and wonders following, with words of prophecy and revelation being ever present, and it has been thus throughout the history of the body of Christ.
Romans 15:18-19, “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient – in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
The third divine attribute of the Holy Spirit, is His omnipresence. Simply defined, omnipresence is to be present everywhere simultaneously.
Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.”
There is no place where the Spirit of God is not present nor is there any period of time wherein the Holy Spirit did not exist. As God is omnipresent, the Holy Spirit is likewise omnipresent, not needing to leave one location in order to be in another, but simultaneously being everywhere.
The third divine attribute of the Holy Spirit is His foreknowledge. Only God can know the future, or what the future holds, not a day from now, or a week from now, but years, decades, centuries, and even millennia in advance.
God is outside of time and space as we define it, and as such knows the end from the beginning; He sees the history of man play out long before it comes to pass.
One of the greatest examples of foreknowledge is the specificity of Christ’s betrayal by Judas, as well as the specificity of how Judas would perish foretold by the Holy Spirit via the mouth of David, a thousand years in advance.
Acts 1:16-17, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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