I am so totally for the Holy Spirit!!
I’m down with the dynamic, indwelling, empowering presence of God (the Holy Spirit).
I’m all for the fruit that He wants to manifest in my life (Galatians 5:22-26).
And I’m ”swinging on the vine” of God’s spiritual gifts as well (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I mean for TODAY! I mean ALL of them!!
I don’t believe the gifts passed away for some mysterious reason. I don’t believe when the last apostle took their final breath so did the last remaining spiritual gift (or the last person who had the apostles “lay their hands on them”). Nor do I believe the spiritual gifts passed away because the Bible showed up. I believe the historical, theological, and biblical evidence suggests otherwise (although many godly people – friends and family included – disagree with me on this – which I’m O.K. with).
I believe the gifts are for today and are meant for the purpose of empowering Christians for the mission of God as we live “in-between-the-times” of Christ’s death/burial/resurrection and his Second Coming.
In short, I’m not a cessationist (fancy theological word that implies the spiritual gifts have passed away).
That being said – the charismata of God just isn’t my test of fellowship. It isn’t on my list of “essentials.” I have my own views, my own experiences, and my own perspectives…but on this issue…I’m not letting it dictate who is IN the Kingdom of God and who is OUT.
So – if you are looking for a “spirit-filled” church that can bless, pursue, and affirm the spiritual gifts…we can do that (although we have a lot of room to grow).
But more often than not, when people say they are looking for a “Spirit-filled” church, what it seems they REALLY mean is they are looking for a Pentecostal Church with its accompanying worship experiences (as in a typical classic Pentecostal church). If you are looking for a classic Pentecostal worship experience, that we [Living Stones Church] aren’t. You wouldn’t come to our worship on Sunday morning and think… ” These are the craziest Pentecostals I’ve ever seen” (unless you automatically equate drums, guitars, keyboards, etc. with Pentecostal…come on now…you know who you are). You wouldn’t join us on Sunday morning and think, “Azusa Street Here we Come!” Hopefully, you wouldn’t walk in and think, “WAKE UP PEOPLE!!” as the Pepsi Max commerical suggests either.
So, if Pentecostal worship is what you are looking for…we aren’t that.
If you come to Living Stones Church and leave disappointed that it wasn’t ”Pentecostal” that’s O.K. But if you leave and say we aren’t “Spirit-filled” that implies something else (and honestly it’s a little offensive). I know you mean “I would like to have here, what I had in my Pentecostal church.” But in my experience and understanding (as feeble as that is) you can be “Spirit-filled” without being “Pentecostal” (in the sense of the classic Pentecostal denomination).
The spiritual gifts CAN very much be at work in your life even if it they don’t always manifest between 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. – somewhere close or on a stage (which seems like the least likely context when reading the New Testament) on Sunday morning.
I’ve lived on both sides of this issue. And as one who believes in and to some degree experiences the gifts of the Spirit…I’m telling you…I still have problems. And churches who move in the charismatic still have problems. Don’t they? Don’t they still experience painful splits? Don’t they have agonizing, relationship-ending conflicts? Don’t they at times drop the ball on doing what Jesus wants for us? Don’t “spirit-filled” Christians still fight with their spouses; have kids that move into rebellion; struggle with sin? Etc.
In my personal experience…I haven’t found the spiritual gifts (which I’m TOTALLY for) to be the great panacea of all that is wrong with life. But just because I’m not Pentecostal doesn’t mean I’m not ”Spirit-filled.” Nor do I believe that our church, just because it doesn’t have a Pentecostal worship experience doesn’t mean that it isn’t “Spirit-filled.”
And there it is…
…my first…”pick a fight” blog post of the year!!! 
I love it!!! There will be more to come!!
New Year’s Resolution #1286 – be more feisty!
God is just wildly crazy about you!!!
Sorry to disappoint you, Sam. But you will get no fight from me. I think we’re swimming in the same stream. If Pentecostalism is about style then count me out. Church for the sake of style sucks. The spirit of the church in Acts was unity (not uniformity) in the Holy Spirit. Now put up your dukes for someone else!
By: edgar cabello on January 3, 2008
at 8:54 pm
Really beautiful post on Holy Spirit I never read a article like this before I like this phrases in your article “I’m all for the fruit that He wants to manifest in my life (Galatians 5:22-26).
And I’m ”swinging on the vine” of God’s spiritual gifts as well (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).” T thank the author for remembering this golden words here.
By: Christ on January 4, 2008
at 7:58 am
Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I was baptized as a baby into the Catholic church and converted to Lutheranism after I was married and yet again after moving to another city joined a Pentacostal church.. in the neighborhood , not for any other reason other than we were invited and when we attended we fealt like God wanted us there. I have visited several different Baptist Churches.
…my point here is that I’ve been to alot of diffferent church services…
When I was young and attending a Catholic Church with my family and the Holy Spirit was working in my life I would begin to cry during certain songs..and sometimes during the message –
My parents were horified.. My dad would give me that look like if you don’t stop that.. .. I’ll… I’ll.. it embarrassed him….???????
I didn’t understand what was happening but knew that God was dealing with MY heart!
My heart… the God of the universe was dealing with Me.. like who am I that the God of the universe would be dealing with me.. how humbling and how incredibly wonderful it is to know that in your heart of hearts He’s not given up on you..
At my Lutheran church (while singing in the choir) now as an adult the Holy Spirit would reveal a truth to me.. at times during the worhsip portion of the service …sometimes during the sermon and “again” I’d begin to cry… I don’t mean blubbering kinda cry.. but tears that were uncontrollable would flow from an inner part of my being that I didn’t understand at times why they were there…
folks would ask me what was wrong..
nothing was wrong..in fact at times.. things were so wonderful and the truth revaled to me so deep that I was afraid to share for fear that the person I was speaking with would think I was nutz. Only clergymen were supposed to hear a Word from God.. at least that was my understanding at the time.
by the way they asked me to step down from the worhsip team because of this.. I was supposed to have better control over my emotions.. oh well… ????
again I didn’t really understand that this was the Holy Spirit at the time because I’d never had any teaching on the subject..but in my heart I knew it was God.
When I couldn’t stand at a Christian Rock concert because the Holy Spirit was so strong.. and I was literally knocked to the ground..
I didn’t understand this at all.. way way bizzarre to me..
the concert was at a pencostal church.. not that that would have mattered.. I think it would have happened in a parking lot..
My daughter and her friends were there and believe you me I didn’t want to do this.. but I had no choice..
fortunately they were experiencing their own manifestation and didn’t really notice what was happening with me…. Once again the Holy Spirit was dealing with Me… regardless the power of the Holy Spirit when it’s dealing with you.. it doesn’t matter who’s leading worhsip..or if you’re in a (so called) Spirit filled church.
and the manifestation may be entirely different that these.
I’ve also experienced indescriable joy at a Lutheran service with my Mother in law.. and nearly had to get up and leave because we had the giggles so bad..
She and I both had a near death experience (with the past couple months) and we were both closer to God that we’d ever been. It was the most wonderful experience that I still remember today as if it were yesterday.
….with that said.. the Pentacostal Church I attended I had many spirit filled experiences but it didn’t always happen either.. but that didn’t mean that it didn’t happen for someone else on that very same service.
With or without a worhsip team in front of you.. I believe in my “unthealogical” view that it is all about each individual’s relationship with God at that very moment..
If anyone of any denomination enters into a worship service at a building or closet and their heart just aint right before the Lord.. it doesn’t matter how “Spirit filled” a service is.. they’re not going to receive any kind of imparting.
My impression of a church as being spirit filled.. depends on how the congregation interacts with one another..
once again.. a so called spirit filled church that isn’t filled with love and humilty.. and open arms to accept whoever walks in that door seeking God.. well.. that’s not the Church in Acts at all.. doesn’t matter what denomination.
I know Living Stones is filled with many spirit filled disciples of Christ… that are doing their best to be Jesus with skin on to the folks around them. Spirit filled Individuals in and outside of the church..
Now that’s the Church of Acts!
What we see with the eyes of the Spirit… He puts all arguments to rest..and once you’ve tasted that you know in order to continue in that kind of experience .. it’s a daily, sometimes even minute by minute pursuit of Him and His presence.
And if you’re not experiencing that.. it’s because God is wanting you to seek Him first………… and all the rest will follow.
Be blessed..
By: katherine silk on January 4, 2008
at 11:13 am
Since I spent the last 10 years of my life in the most vocally ‘charismatic’ church in this whole region, you have no idea how relieving it is to hear my pastor say what you said here. Thanks so much. But if you want to fight… well, like I said, I’ve been around the charismatic stuff for many years. I can pretend to be a psycho and fight with you!
By: Lindsey on January 4, 2008
at 10:50 pm
Hey Sam (You am) You sound a LOT like me when I began my searching. Check out where my search led me.
http://www.cffm.org
If you’re keen, ask to speak to either Kevin Guigou or Wayne Clapp. They believe every b/a Christian CAN operate ALL of the 9 ‘manifestations of holy spirit.
I agree, go for a church of ’spirit-filled people’ rather than a ’spirit-filled church’ (let me know how you got on) Bless ya bro, Allan.
By: Allan Woodhouse on January 12, 2008
at 5:05 pm
Please pray that I will get custody of my son and the truth in court will be revealed.
In Jesus name,
Katie
By: Katie Bauers on September 8, 2008
at 7:47 pm
Wishing to partner with your ministry,show me how to reach you,
By: pastor samson orobi on November 22, 2009
at 9:21 am