We welcome you, Holy Spirit, Part 5

By Helen Jesze, 14^th June 2024

In this last section of our series about the Holy Spirit, we will finish looking at Truths and Myths about the Holy Spirit.

Myth: Now I’ve been filled with the Spirit, I’ve arrived!! Many people in Charismatic or Pentecostal churches think this, and they rarely use this wonderful gift, becoming stale and dried up spiritually.
Truth: This is only the ‘doorway’ into a whole new life in the Spirit, not the end.

Myth: It is the Holy Spirit who speaks in tongues, not the person.
Truth: It is the person who speaks, but the Holy Spirit who gives them the ability and the language.

Myth: When a person gives a message in tongues or prophesies they must always shout.
Truth: Sometimes a message or prophecy is very powerful and authoritative, other times it’s very gentle even yearning. It depends on the type of anointing present in the meeting, also how the Spirit leads at the time. Also, if we are praying for a person who is very upset or heartbroken, and prophesy over them, we should be very gentle and loving.

Myth: We can only be used in the Gifts of the Spirit when we feel victorious or full of the Spirit.
Truth: God can use us even when we are bruised and brokenhearted ourselves. I was at a conference and something had happened before we went there, which was like a weight on me. I could not share it with anyone and felt heartbroken. Also, that morning more messages had arrived from the persons concerned, making it even worse.
  At the evening meeting, one of the leaders came and asked me if I would go to the front and open in prayer. I felt as though I had nothing to give but I knew I must obey. As soon as I stepped out into the aisle, the Holy Spirit hit me and gave me a prophecy, which I then gave out. The anointing swept through the room and the Lord moved mightily among the pastors, missionaries and their wives who were there. We are only a vessel and God steps into our weakness!! It doesn’t depend on us! All glory goes to Him!

Myth: Every type of Spirit anointing is the same.
Truth: This is not the case. Sometimes the Lord gives us a message ahead of time which we can give out in the meeting. Other times we only receive this as the anointing increases or when we are praying for a person. We could also liken it to an ‘Elijah’ and ‘Elisha’ anointing. Elijah received prophetic words from God without a minstrel, but Elisha was different. In 2 Kings 3:15 we read how Elisha called for a minstrel to come and play, and only then did he get the word from the Lord.
  Some ministers know the importance of worship to release the anointing of the Spirit, e.g Kathryn Kuhlmann with her healing ministry and Benny Hinn are well- known examples.

Myth: In 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 it says: ‘Do all speak in tongues?’, obviously not, so I don’t need to.
Truth: Many people use this as an excuse that they do not need the baptism in the Spirit or to speak in tongues. However, here, in this passage, the Apostle Paul is not speaking of Christians in general. He is speaking of the ‘offices’ (The Five-Fold Ministry) God sets in his Church. All can prophesy but not everyone is a Prophet. All can speak in tongues but not everyone has the gift to give messages in tongues to the Church with interpretation.

Myth: We cannot be sure that if we speak in tongues it is from God.
Truth: Jesus said to his disciples:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil (natural), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Matthew 7: 9-11

When we received Jesus as our Saviour, it was his Holy Spirit who came to live within us. He is already there. We are not asking any other spirit to come in. To illustrate, perhaps, we may have a glass with a small amount of water in, but to be overflowing, we need to pour in more water until it spills over. The anointing of the Spirit which is within us is increased to overflowing. It wells up within us and is poured out on us. Nothing to be afraid of!!

Myth: The baptism in the Spirit and speaking in tongues is of the devil, and not from God.
Truth: When Jesus was on Earth, some people, even religious ones said his works were not of God but of satan. Also, nowadays, there are some even born-again Christians who cannot or will not accept the baptism in the Holy Spirit. George and I lived many years in Germany as missionaries. Not only was there a Wall in Berlin which the Communists had erected, but there was a spiritual ‘wall’ which had came about earlier. Let me explain.
  In September, 1909, 56 leading ministers from different German denominations got together and debated for 19 hours whether the revival and outpouring of the Spirit which was happening at that time in different countries, including Germany, and the resulting Pentecostal Movement, was of God. They decided it was not from God but from the devil. They drew up a document declaring this, and each signed it, representing their particular Church. This document was called Die Berliner Erklaerung (The Berlin Declaration). Much was said in religious circles about not wanting another Pentecost. Yet when Hitler came some years later, some churchmen said, “Hitler has brought us a second Pentecost!”
  Because they had closed their hearts to the Holy Spirit, they were deceived and could not recognise the true nature of Hitler. There is no comparison to the Holy Spirit and the demon spirits which controlled Hitler. So the Pentecostal Movements in Germany were looked upon as a sect for many years, which made it very difficult for them. But now, praise God, much has changed and there are many Christians who are baptised in the Spirit, and are still in their own denomination.

Myth: All tongues are for the same purpose.
Truth: There are three different uses for speaking in tongues.

a) The tongues we receive on being baptised in the Holy Spirit are for our personal prayer-language, to edify and build us up. This is between God and us, spiritual languages which satan cannot understand. The Spirit prays through us the Will of the Father. Tongues can also be used as a weaon against satan.

b) In 1 Corinthians 13, we read about “speaking with the tongues of men and of angels”, in other words, human languages which can sometimes be identified and understood, and other times, tongues which are heavenly and unknown to us.

c) There are times God will speak a message in tongues through a person in a meeting and then there is an interpretation, so that everyone can understand.

“Anointing, fall on me. Anointing, fall on me. Let the Power of the Holy Ghost Fall on me, Anointing, fall on me!” *************************

We conclude our devotionals about the Holy Spirit with this Part 5. Much more could be written, but we will leave it here. There are others who are better qualified to speak about this, but I pray this has been a help and blessing to you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the Gift of your Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity! Pour your anointing out upon us afresh, we pray. Help us to take down our spiritual and mental ‘umbrellas’ of unbelief, fear, scepticism and wrong teaching which hinder your Spirit falling upon us and doing his work within us. Come, Spirit, Come! We pray in the Name of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen!