Heavenly Father, give me the grace to write this blog entry this morning. I’m sleepy and mindless. Please be my memory, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen
Last night I dreamed and dreamed. I awoke several times in the midst of memories. Yesterday in church one of my closest girlfriends/sisters received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She’d hoped and prayed for this overflowing, indwelling of the Holy Spirit for years and had been so very disappointed each time she was prayed for and didn’t receive. Yesterday the first thing she said to me after was how amazing He was when you get out of your own way (in so many words). Yep, she was so right! And my memory recalled that time in my life, now 23 years ago, and I realized how I’ve slighted God in my past writings. I’ve been such a witness to the power of the Holy Spirit, even giving such recall of His work in my life without sharing one of the most important things…the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Why should we want this? In God’s Word we are told to be filled with the Holy Spirit: *Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”
I believe that I heard the best explanation from a brother at my church a few years back that sounded just right. It’s like instead of just having the Holy Spirit, you have the Holy Spirit on steroids! This is where an amazing, overflowing amount of God’s power comes from. This is where God’s amazing peace; His peace that passes understanding. This is how God showed me about the hole inside that people (including me) ran around trying to fill up with booze, drugs, and all kinds of things. We were all trying to find that comfort and that absolute peaceful companionship that only the Holy Spirit will bring.
*Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
*Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
*John 14:15-18 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
*John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
I wrestled in my sleep and this morning with the right way to share this with you all due to the fact that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not accepted in all of the denominations of faith. But, the denominations are people made not God made. Just because one doesn’t believe, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. I know people mostly disbelieve out of fear. But fear is not of God. I’ve shared with you before:
*2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” When I rededicated my life to the Lord in 1988 I knew the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is what I longed for. Even though I’d been raised in a Baptist church until 1968 and then on to an Episcopalian church throughout my school years, I remembered my mother praying in tongues since I was a small child. My folks had Bible studies in our home during the 1960’s. They were involved in the healing ministry (Order of St. Luke) during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during these years. I heard of the miraculous healings done at Kathryn Kuhlman crusades (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Kathryn%20kuhlman). I’d had a healing myself, of my kidneys in 1968. If you’d like to learn more of my background there is a short version in my book which can be purchased at:
or there is also more by looking into this blog’s archives.
I truly believed that a good Christian was to desire the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts of God. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Corinthians+14&version=NKJV
I could write more and more on the subject but that would make this blog entry into more of a book chapter. I would suggest that you pray and read what God shows you. Most importantly, I consumed the shorter but jam packed with info, books by Kenneth E. Hagin: http://www.rhema.org/store/authors/kenneth-e-hagin.html?author=9
Please forgive my memory if I forget to mention something (be sure to contact me at the e-mail address below if you have questions). I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the top bunk in the prison cell that I was in, January of 1989. At the time it didn’t seem like the most appropriate place but it was the only place that I had at the time and I wanted more of God. I remember lying there, praying (which is just talking to God) and telling Him how I desired more of Him. How I’d heard of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how I wanted all of the gifts that He was willing to give me. How, by definition these gifts were freely given. How I knew that this was what I was supposed to do. Along with how much I loved Him and walking daily with Him. I went on and on for some time, I’m sure. During this time, all of a sudden I felt a wonderful, warm, non-painful, power as if it was a bolt of electricity shooting from my head to my feet that felt like it nearly raised me from my bunk. I whispered in a tongue unknown to me due to my roommate being on the bottom bunk.
I went on to praying this way as I believe God was leading. I remember having doubts that I was honestly praying in tongues but I read more and have been reassured to this day of the truth in all of this. My walk with the Lord grew more and more and has been expressed in many of my writings in this blog. His peace has been multiplied to the point of many nearly drunken (in the Holy Spirit) writing sessions. This is where I learned of who I lacked during my drunken/doped up days. There is no negativity as in those old, bad acid trips or when I’d go fully overboard with the booze and drugs. And, I can attest to the fact that God shared in His word that He would never leave me nor forsake me.
*Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
I can honestly admit that I have not felt lonely even one day since that day, 23 years ago.
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