𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐠𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧?
(The Answer Will Surprise You)
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴.

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"It takes a hen to make an egg. It takes an egg to make a hen."

You've heard it a thousand times. Maybe you've laughed it off as a silly philosophical joke. Maybe you've debated it with friends late at night. Maybe you've never really stopped to think about it at all.

But here's the truth: this question is not a joke. It is a doorway.

If you answer it honestly, you will find yourself staring at one of the most profound questions a human being can ask: Where did everything come from?
And once you see the answer, you can never unsee it.

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Most people avoid this question because they think it has no answer. They assume it's a paradox—a circular trap with no escape. So they move on. They scroll past. They stay comfortable.

But what if the answer was sitting in plain sight all along? What if the most ancient book in human history gave us the answer thousands of years before scientists ever weighed in?

You don't want to be the one who missed this.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
Before we look at any theory, let's go to the source that claims to be the very Word of the Creator Himself. The Bible opens with these words:

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝟏:𝟐𝟎–𝟐𝟐 (𝐊𝐉𝐕):
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥: 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘉𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩."

Notice the order: God created the fowl (the chicken is a fowl) first. He created them as fully formed, mature birds. Then He commanded them to "𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺"-which means they would lay eggs.

So the chicken came first. The egg came second.
But wait—does that really answer the question? What about the egg that hatched the first chicken?

Doesn't that egg have to come first?
Here's where the distinction matters: The Bible says God created the chicken directly—not through an evolutionary process. He didn't start with an egg. He started with a fully grown, egg-laying bird. Therefore, the very first chicken was created without being hatched from an egg. The egg only came later as a means of reproduction.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
You might be thinking, That's just a religious answer. Science says something different.

But let's be honest: every worldview has to account for the first chicken. Either it came from a previous non-chicken (which is evolution), or it was created directly by God. There is no third option.

If the chicken came first by creation, then the question points to a Creator. If the egg came first by evolution, then the question points to blind chance.

The Bible is crystal clear: In the beginning, God created. That means the chicken (and every other "kind") was made fully formed, mature, and ready to reproduce.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝟏:𝟐𝟒–𝟐𝟓 (𝐊𝐉𝐕):
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥: 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥: 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥."

God made the animals as adults, then told them to multiply. The egg is the result of multiplication, not the source of the first individual.

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Thought-Provoking Questions for You
If the chicken came first, who put it there?
If the egg came first, how did the first egg get the genetic information to produce a chicken?
Which view gives you more certainty about the purpose of life?
Could it be that this simple riddle is actually a test—a test of whether you will accept the clear answer of Scripture or remain in confusion?

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭
You didn't read this post to settle a joke. You read it because deep down you know that origins matter. If there is a Creator, then your life has meaning, purpose, and accountability.

The chicken came first because God made it first. That's not a fable—it's the testimony of the One who was there.

𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏:𝟑 (𝐊𝐉𝐕):
"𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘮; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦."

The egg-or-chicken question is a distraction if it keeps you from the real issue: Did God create, or did He not?
Choose wisely. The answer changes everything.

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𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤.

Daily devotion for July 8th
The Secret Of Glory
When he was gone, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

John 13:31-32
Notice the stress on glory in these verses. This is the secret principle by which we achieve glory, which is something we all long for. We all want people to think highly of us. This is what Jesus is talking about. The secret of attaining glory is to give yourself up, to lose yourself. He is looking ahead to the cross. The cross became a certainty the minute Judas left the room, and Jesus says, Now [in view of the cross] is the Son of man glorified . . .

Notice three manifestations of glory stated in this sentence. First, Jesus is glorified in the cross, and in the cross Jesus' inner character becomes visible. John says, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (1:14). All that grace and truth becomes visible in the cross.

Second, God was glorified in Jesus. The cross also reveals the Father. The strange idea has arisen among Christians that Jesus is the innocent sufferer, placating the wrath of an angry God who is ready to smite humanity. But that is not the biblical view. The Bible says, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). There you see the mercy, love, and grace of the Father.

Third, God will glorify Him again, and will do it immediately. Here Jesus is thinking of His resurrection. Our Lord is declaring a great principle here. How do you achieve glory? How do you achieve the fulfillment you quite properly are wanting? The answer is by dying. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (Matthew 16:25). And very close behind death is resurrection. Peter puts it precisely in his first epistle: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (1 Peter 5:6).

We struggle with this. We fight for the top place. We are filled with suspicion and guile toward one another. So how can you lose your life? What is the power that can make you willing to throw it all away? That is why Jesus adds, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34). That is the power that makes sacrifice possible. The key is in the phrase as I have loved you. That is the secret. Our love must originate from His love for us. We are to draw upon His loving acceptance of us in order to reach out in loving acceptance to others near us, whether they are lovely or not.

Lord, I see the seeming paradox--that glory is found in sacrificial love. Let me abide in Your love so that I am able to surrender my will to You and love others with the love you have given me.

Here are the verses from Proverbs 2:5-6 followed by a breakdown of what they mean and why they matter.

July 2, 2026 Thursday

Proverbs 2:5-6 (KJV)
⁵Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.


Insight;
If you look at the verses right before these (verses 1-4), they tell you to cry out for discernment, lift up your voice for understanding, and search for wisdom like hidden treasure. Verses 5 and 6 are the payoff. They show us two huge truths about how wisdom actually works:

It’s a conditional promise: Notice the word "Then" at the start of verse 5. True spiritual understanding and a real relationship with God don't just happen by accident. They are the result of actively choosing to seek them out.

The Source is personal: Verse 6 shifts the focus from our seeking to God’s giving. True wisdom isn't just about being smart or memorizing facts; it is a gift that comes "out of his mouth." In ancient times, words coming from a king's mouth meant an official, authoritative decree. Here, it means wisdom is deeply personal—it comes directly from God's own character and truth.

Divine Paradox;
It is a partnership: we position our hearts to receive it, and God is faithful to pour it out.

INCREASE YOUR POWER

Isaiah 40:29 says, “[The Lord] gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”

God gives His strength to those who recognize their need for Him. The Lord does not promise strength to the self-sufficient, the proud, or those who think they can handle everything on their own. Instead, He promises power to the weak and increased strength to those who admit they have none.

The Christian life, especially spiritual growth, is a paradox. To become strong, we must first admit our weakness. This may seem strange because the world teaches us to hide our weaknesses and display our strengths. People often pretend they have everything under control, even when they are struggling inside.

Jesus showed us a different way. He was Almighty God, yet He came into the world as a helpless infant. He was the Ruler of the universe, yet He allowed sinful men to arrest Him and crucify Him. He taught His followers that true greatness comes through humility and service.

In Matthew 20:26, Jesus said that whoever wants to become great must become a servant.
Why is admitting our weaknesses the doorway to experiencing God's strength? Because as long as we depend on ourselves, we leave little room for God to work. When we acknowledge our limitations, we begin to trust His wisdom, power, and guidance. Our weakness becomes the place where God's strength is revealed.

Many people are only honest with God during a crisis. After trying everything else and failing, they finally pray and say, “Lord, I need Your help.” God answers, strengthens them, and carries them through. But once the crisis passes, they return to trusting themselves.

Real spiritual growth happens when we depend on God every day, not just during emergencies. Every morning we should pray, “Lord, I need Your wisdom and strength today. Help me in every situation I face.”

What are some areas of weakness in your life today? Perhaps you struggle with fear, impatience, anger, worry, temptation, or discouragement. Maybe you feel weak in your faith, relationships, health, or finances. Instead of hiding these weaknesses, bring them to God.
Remember this truth: God uses people who are weak enough to lean on Him. He never promised a trouble-free life, but He promised to carry our burdens when we bring them to Him in prayer.

Do not be ashamed of your weakness. Bring it before God. He will replace your weakness with His strength, your fear with His peace, and your limitations with His power.

Prayer: Lord, help me depend on Your strength daily and not on myself alone.

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The Supreme Court of Heaven
The scene in a modern courtroom is one of cold, unyielding precision. A defendant stands before the bench, the weight of the state aligned against him. Realizing the evidence is absolute and the penalty is severe, the accused raises his voice in a desperate, final motion: “I believe this law has been done away with. It is obsolete, out of touch, and I no longer recognize its authority.”

The judge does not argue. He does not debate societal evolution or personal philosophies. He simply demands to see the legislative act, the formal repeal, or the higher court ruling that struck the statute from the books. When none is produced, the gavel falls. In human jurisprudence, a law remains the law forever until it is formally amended or repealed by the sovereign authority that enacted it. Personal opinion, cultural shifts, and the passage of time cannot neutralize a written decree.

When this foundational legal logic is brought into the theater of biblical theology, the case for the endurance of God’s moral law becomes an airtight, inescapable reality. The universe operates under a single, absolute Legislative Authority, and the scriptures contain no record of a constitutional amendment to His eternal decrees.

The permanence of this divine legal framework rests securely upon the immutable character of the Lawgiver Himself. Human governments constantly amend their statutes because human societies make mistakes, overlook variables, or succumb to shifting political winds. But the Sovereign of heaven is subject to no such limitations. As it is written in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Because the Lawgiver is changeless, the moral law that reflects His character carries that same eternal permanence. To argue that the moral standard has been abolished is to argue that the divine Character has undergone a mutation.

Christ Himself anticipated this very courtroom debate during the Sermon on the Mount, using the strictest legal terminology available to bar the door against any claims of a statutory repeal. He declared in Matthew 5:17-18, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” A “jot” and a “tittle”—the smallest letter and the tiniest stroke of the pen in the Hebrew text—are the ancient scriptural equivalents of a comma or the cross on a “t” in a modern legal document. By Christ’s own executive declaration, not even the smallest punctuation mark of the law can be modified or set aside while the physical canopy of heaven and earth remains overhead.

Furthermore, the very mechanism of the final Judgment requires a fixed, unamended statute to possess any legal validity. You cannot try a man in a court of law unless there is a specific, pre-existing statute defining his crime. Scripture establishes this exact baseline for the cosmos in 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” If the law had been amended out of existence, the legal definition of sin would instantly vanish with it. Where there is no law, there is no transgression, and without transgression, the final Judgment itself would have no statutory basis.

Despite the clarity of this heavenly jurisprudence, those who advocate for a relaxed standard frequently enter motions to dismiss the law, claiming that a massive legislative overhaul occurred at the cross.

The first motion often brought by the defense relies on a misinterpretation of Colossians 2:14, which speaks of Christ “Blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” The argument is made that the law itself was physically destroyed and nailed to the tree.

Yet, in ancient Roman law, when a criminal was executed, a titulus—a written statement detailing their specific crimes and the legal debt they owed to the state—was nailed above their head. This record of debt is the true identity of the “handwriting of ordinances.” The holy, just, and good law of God was never “against us”; what was contrary to us was the death penalty we accumulated by breaking it. Christ did not nail the Ten Commandments to the cross; He nailed the record of our charges to the cross, fully satisfying our legal debt. Tearing up a speeding ticket does not abolish the speed limit; it simply proves that the fine has been paid in full by a substitute.

A second motion is frequently entered using Romans 10:4, which states, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” The claim is made that the word “end” implies termination, meaning the law’s jurisdiction over humanity has ceased.

In strict legal and philosophical language, however, the word “end” rarely denotes cessation; rather, it signifies the ultimate target, purpose, or destination—much like saying the “end” of medical school is to produce a physician. The law was never designed to manufacture righteousness in a convicted sinner; its legal function has always been to act as a diagnostic tool to expose crime and drive the guilty to the only court that can grant clemency. As the apostle Paul clarifies in Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Christ is the destination to which the law is continually directing us. Once an individual arrives at their destination, they do not discard the map or violate the traffic laws that guided them safely there.

The final, most sophisticated legal challenge relies on Hebrews 7:12, which notes, “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” This is put forward as proof of a total statutory replacement.

In any sound system of jurisprudence, an amendment must be strictly confined to its specific subject matter; a change in one section of a legal code does not repeal the entire constitution. The context of Hebrews is explicitly analyzing the ceremonial, ritual, and sacrificial ordinances governing the Levitical priesthood and temple services. These ritual codes were prophetic shadows, and when the Antitype—Christ, our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek—arrived, those shadows were naturally superseded by the reality of His perfect sacrifice. The moral law, written by the very finger of God on stone, contains no ritual shadows. The amendment to the priestly code altered how sins are mediated, but it did not alter the moral statute defining what constitutes a sin.

Ultimately, the argument that the moral law has been done away with runs headlong into a fatal legal paradox. If there is no law, there is no transgression; if there is no transgression, there is no sin; and if there is no sin, there is absolutely no need for a Savior, because Christ came specifically to save His people from their sins. By attempting to abolish the law, the defendant accidentally invalidates grace. The beauty of the divine courtroom is that grace does not tear up the statute to save the guilty; it establishes the law by demonstrating that its penalty was so terrifyingly absolute that nothing less than the death of the Lawgiver Himself could satisfy its demands. The eternal statute stands unamended, the standard remains perfect, and the courtroom of heaven is in session.

- Avoiding Temptation

#LifeOfChrist

“‘“And do not lead us into temptation”’” (Matthew 6:13).

By itself, the word rendered “temptation” here has a neutral connotation, unlike the English that usually indicates an inducement to sin. But in this context, with its parallel to the term “evil” at the end of the verse, Jesus likely used the word to mean an enticement to sin. Yet elsewhere Scripture tells us that God does not tempt believers to evil, while at the same time we should be thankful for various trials (James 1:2–3, 13). So why did Jesus give us this expression as a pattern for prayer?

The answer to this paradox is not as difficult as it may seem. Jesus is concerned that we truly desire to avoid the danger and trouble sin creates. Saints should so despise sin and want to escape it at all costs that they pray in advance to avoid sin rather than waiting to defeat it when tempted.

Further, we know trials can promote our spiritual growth, yet we do not want to be in a place where we experience an increased possibility of sin. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we should pray,
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).
The prospect of taking sin upon Himself repulsed our Savior, but He was willing to do so to fulfill His Father’s will and secure the salvation of sinners. Whatever testing we might have to endure is nothing by comparison.

Ask Yourself

In addition to asking God not to “lead us into temptation,” we must be aware of instances in which we walk headlong into it ourselves. Ask God for the spiritual strength to avoid those very familiar forms of sin that we too often approach without fear. Aren’t you ready to start gaining victory over them?

A Little light Reading.
HOLY SPIRIT, The Need.

Doug bachelor.

An Amazing Fact: Every day approximately
44,000 lightning storms occur throughout the
world, with lightning striking the earth 6,000
times a minute. The average lightning stroke is six
miles long and travels about 30,000 times faster
than a bullet. The temperature of lightning can
reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than
the surface of the sun! In addition, lightning has
enough power to lift an ocean liner six feet in
the air.
A “Positive Giant” is a lightning strike that
hits the ground up to 20 miles away from the ac-
tual thunderstorm. Because it seems to strike from
a clear sky, it is known as a “bolt from the blue.”
These flashes strike between the storm’s top “anvil”
and the earth, carrying several times the energy of
a normal bolt.
It is also a myth that lightning never strikes
twice in the same place. For example, the top of the
Empire State Building averages over 20 hits per
year. In like manner, the Bible predicts the Holy
Spirit will come upon the church again in the last
days with the same light and power as the days
of Pentecost. Holy Spirit The Need 3
Introduction
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
S hortly after becoming a Christian, some
of my believing friends would ask, “Have
you received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit?” I wasn’t quite sure how to answer.
At the time, I always envisioned the Acts 2
experience where the dead were raised, the sick
were healed, and Christians walked around
with ethereal glowing tongues of fire hover-
ing above their heads. So I never felt worthy
to say, “I’m baptized in the Holy Spirit.” As
far as I knew, I wasn’t able to raise the dead or
heal the sick. So the best answer I could give
was, “I have the Spirit, but I’m not sure I have
‘the baptism.’ ”
I don’t think we can afford to be confused
on this matter, because the church is prophet-
ically overdue to receive a major, history-alter-
ing baptism of the Spirit. I want to be filled
with that Spirit when He comes, and I want
you to be filled too. Even more important, our
churches need to be baptized with the Spirit.
Frankly, this generation hasn’t experienced
what a church can do when it is full with
God’s Spirit, the way the apostles were filled on 4 Holy Spirit The Need
Pentecost. It’s going to happen again, and soon,
and we need to be ready for it.
So what exactly is the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, and how do we know if we have it? And
if we don’t have it, how can we get it? I’d like to
explore the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a little
more depth in the hope that you’ll be inspired
to seek this wonderful blessing from the Lord.
Chapter One
Degrees of the Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit simply
means having the fullness of the Spirit.
Before experiencing that fullness, you
must already have some of that Spirit residing
in you. In other words, you have to have some
vital relationship with Jesus to expect to be filled
with the Spirit. It wasn’t pagans or gentiles who
received the baptism at Pentecost. And it wasn’t
the Jews who fought against Christ. Rather it
was those who had been walking side by side
with Jesus for three-and-a-half years. They were
ready for it.
Just as you can have varying intensities
of relationships with people, you can have a
relationship with the Holy Spirit in varying Holy Spirit The Need 5
degrees. Did Jesus have the Holy Spirit before
He began His ministry? Of course He did, but
the Holy Spirit came down to Him in a special
measure at His baptism. Still, “God gives not
the Spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34).
This means that Jesus had a limitless supply of
the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, did the apostles have the Holy
Spirit before Pentecost? Yes, because Jesus sent
them out to preach. Would He have done
that if they didn’t have the Spirit? However,
they received a special fullness of the Holy
Spirit in Acts 2, often called the baptism of
the Holy Spirit, at the time of Pentecost. John
the Baptist prophesied this in Matthew 3:11:
“I indeed baptize you with water … but there
is One coming after me who is mightier than
I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
with fire.”
Chapter Two
A Repeatable Blessing
The Holy Spirit not only comes in
different degrees, but His baptism
can come more than one time. For 6 Holy Spirit The Need
instance, in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit is poured
out on the disciples, and then again in Acts 4
and 5. We’re told that it was so powerful that
the places in which they spoke the Word shook
at the foundations.
In the parable of the 10 virgins, half of
them were not prepared for the great wedding
feast. What distinguished those who were ready
from those who were not ready? The amount of
oil in their vessels. Every virgin had oil, which
represents the Holy Spirit. But some had more
than others, and those others simply didn’t have
enough. It’s not enough to have the Holy Spirit
in your life. Instead, you must have enough of
the Holy Spirit in your life. Some Christians
are satisfied to have a thin relationship with the
Lord, but the Lord longs for us to be filled with
the Spirit.
Indeed, as we approach the end of time
on this planet, the filling of the Holy Spirit is
our most desperate need. Right now, the vast
majority of the membership in our churches
are groping spiritually in the dark because they
don’t have an adequate presence of God, the
Holy Spirit. Think about how many problems
we bring on ourselves because we don’t have Holy Spirit The Need 7
enough Spirit. Those five virgins ended up in
the dark and outside the feast because they sim-
ply ran out of oil.
Chapter Three
Evidence of the Holy Spirit
I
n 1 Thessalonians 4:4, Paul enjoins, “That
every one of you might know how to pos-
sess his vessel in sanctification and honor.”
Our bodies are temples to be filled with God’s
Spirit. Out on the ocean, sailboats can be blown
around by the winds. They go whichever way
the wind goes.
But an iceberg is sort of a paradox in that
it might be heading south while the wind is
blowing 50 miles an hour north. That’s possible
because 90 percent of the mass of an iceberg
is not seen and the current it’s in is not seen
either. It’s going a different direction.
Likewise, something deeper for the
Christian is controlling them when they have
the Holy Spirit. If we are being controlled by
whichever way the wind blows, our carnal na-
ture is prevailing, that’s not the Holy Spirit
leading your life. When you are rooted in God
and led by His Spirit, you don’t go whichever 8 Holy Spirit The Need
way the wind blows. In fact, you’re being led
against the wind, but you’re going with the cur-
rent of God’s Spirit.
Chapter Four
The Latter Rain
According to the Bible, Jesus is the sower
of the seed. In the Hebrew agricultural
economy, they depended on a regular
climate and seasons to water the crop. When
the time was right they would sow the seed, and
in the fall they would get what they called the
former rain, which would sprout the seed and
enable it to grow through the winter months.
Then in the springtime they would receive the
latter rain. This would fatten and ripen the
crop, and it would be harvested shortly after.
The apostles in Acts 2 were experiencing the
former rain, the time when God launched the
New Testament church. He poured out His Spirit
and thousands were baptized. The seeds that
Jesus had been sowing through His life sprouted
and began to grow almost uncontrollably.
We have yet to see the latter rain, which is
the special outpouring of the Spirit that prepares
the last-day church for the great harvest when Holy Spirit The Need 9
Jesus comes again. In Revelation, Christ is pic-
tured not only with a sword in His mouth, but
with a sickle in His hand. This shows that He is
coming to harvest the believers of the world. So
we need this second outpouring to prepare the
world. In the same way that the former rain fell
on those who already knew about Christ and
had a relationship with Him, so the latter rain
is going to fall on God’s people.
Chapter Five
Seeding the Cloud
Now that we know what it is and how
much we need it, how do we prepare
our bodies, hearts, and minds to re-
ceive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and not be
left out? How are we going to be ready for the
latter rain?
For one, we need to “seed the clouds.” It is
said that a technology exists today that enables
humans to make clouds rain. Pilots fly a plane
through an existing cloud over lands experienc-
ing drought. While in the cloud, they emit a
gas laden with sodium particles into the atmo-
sphere. Moisture droplets in the cloud attach
to these sodium particles and form a raindrop. 10 Holy Spirit The Need
Once it gets started, it ignites a chain reaction
throughout the cloud to form a downpour.
Jesus has given us the promise of the Holy
Spirit and the latter rain, but we must seed
the cloud to make it rain. We must ask for it
through fasting and prayer because God’s Spirit
won’t force himself on anybody. But looking
through the lens of the latter rain, Zechariah
10:1 speaks volumes: “Ask ye of the Lord rain
in the time of the latter rain.” It is the time of
the latter rain; we’re due, so God is telling us we
need to be asking now.
Chapter Six
Seeking the Spirit Earnestly
I
f our most desperate need is the Spirit,
then how deeply, earnestly, and sincerely
should we seek after it? Christ taught,
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness.” When Solomon said “that I
might have wisdom,” he was asking for the
Spirit, whose gifts include wisdom. When
Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s
spirit, what was he really asking for? It wasn’t
as though Elijah had a special brand name of
the Spirit. No, Elisha was asking for the Holy Holy Spirit The Need 11
Spirit, seeking even a double portion with all of
his heart.
The writer Ellen White explained, “A reviv-
al of true godliness among us is the greatest and
most urgent of our needs. To seek this should
be our first work. There must be earnest effort
to obtain the blessing of the Lord” (Selected
Messages, Vol. 1, p. 121). It takes an effort to
seek after God, not because He isn’t willing to
bestow His blessing upon us, but because we
are unprepared to receive it. So when we pray
for the Holy Spirit, we’re really asking God to
prepare our vessels to receive Him.
White adds, “Our Heavenly Father is more
willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him than our earthly parents to give good gifts
to their children, but it is our work by confes-
sion, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer
to fulfill the conditions upon which God has
promised to grant us his blessing. A revival need
be expected only in answer to prayer.” Would you
like a revival? You can only expect it in answer to
earnest seeking, fasting, and prayer. Historically
every revival can be traced to somebody or a group
praying. When Pentecost took place, the disciples
were praying together in the upper room. 12 Holy Spirit The Need
Chapter Seven
Be Willing, Be Humble
There is more we can do to be filled with
the Holy Spirit. We should prepare our
vessels, our minds, and bodies for the
glorious honor. We also need to have a will-
ingness to obey God in all things. Peter says,
“And we are His witnesses to these things, and
so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given
to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). This isn’t
to say that we have to be perfect. “I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27). You can’t teach some-
one that they’ll receive the Spirit only if they’re
perfect, because it’s God Spirit that teaches you
to obey Him. However, you must be willing to
surrender your will to His.
I imagine that when the disciples received
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they were on their
knees in the upper room confessing their faults
and praying for one another. By doing that, they
made room in their hearts and humbled them-
selves, and God filled them with the Spirit.
Jesus also said, “If you love Me, keep My
commandments.” This is a very well-known
verse, but I want you to read a few more lines in: Holy Spirit The Need 13
“I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He might abide with you
forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15). We
must be willing to obey Jesus to receive the
Spirit. It can’t be put any clearer.
We must also humble ourselves. People
who boast that they have the Spirit while
they’re walking in high-handed disobedience to
God are liars. “He who says, ‘I know him’ and
keepeth not his commandments is a liar and
the truth is not in him.” It’s a dangerous thing
to be found a hypocrite. It was embarrassing to
the church when, many years ago, a number of
televangelists got into moral trouble with vari-
ous vices. It was made very public, circulating
in all the newspapers and on television.
Every one of them spoke in tongues dur-
ing their programs as evidence that they had the
Holy Spirit, and then the media pulled back the
veil and we all found out that they had disobe-
dient lives. It made me wonder, Was that really
the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a very pow-
erful person, and God cannot trust that power
to those who will abuse it because of pride.
Samson certainly had the Holy Spirit, but he
ultimately abused that power and paid a price. 14 Holy Spirit The Need
Chapter Eight
Empty Yourself
Apart of humbling ourselves for the bap-
tism of the Spirit means emptying our-
selves of self. We are never further from
God than when we feel self-sufficient. Jesus
said to the church of Laodicea, “You think
you’re rich and increased with goods. You have
no room in your hearts for me.” God cannot
fill those who are already full. Recognizing this
need goes a long way to prepare our hearts.
When Elijah prayed down the rain, the
people humbled themselves when the fire came
down and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. They
didn’t just kneel on a knee or even two knees.
They fell on their faces before God. They cried
out, “The Lord, he is God!” It is the most ab-
ject form of humbling yourself, like when
David fell on his face to seek forgiveness for
his sin.
If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up.
If we empty ourselves, He’ll fill us up. When
we acknowledge our emptiness, humbling our-
selves low, the Lord will send in the rain. If
you remember, the disciples were full of them-
selves during the Last Supper, arguing who was Holy Spirit The Need 15
greater than another. They didn’t get the Spirit
that day, even though they really needed it.
Jesus prepared His vessel. He emptied Himself
of His royalty and washed His inferiors’ feet.
Instead, the Spirit only came to them in
the upper room when they recognized their
need, put aside their pride, and emptied their
vessels. Their hearts were prepared for the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
Once you are empty, you’re going to be
hungry. One of the most important ways to
prepare your vessel is a need to hunger and
thirst for God. “O God, You are my God; early
I will seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh
longs for You in a dry and a thirsty land where
there is no water” (Psalms 63:1). Do you know
that you’re thirsty? You ought to know that
you are parched dry. If you do recognize your
need, He’ll satisfy it in ways you can’t imagine.
Isaiah adds, “For I will pour water on him who
is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground” (44:3).
We need to empty ourselves and know that
we’re hungry and that we thirst for the Spirit
of God. “He has filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich He has sent away empty”
(Luke 1:53). 16 Holy Spirit The Need
Chapter Nine
Found in the Word
The filling of the Spirit often happens
in concert with the proclamation of
the Word. If you want to be filled with
the Spirit, you need to connect with the Bible.
“While Peter was speaking these words, the
Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the
word” (Acts 10:44). The Holy Spirit will come
in answer to prayer, and He’ll also come when
you hear or study the Word.
It could potentially happen here right now,
as you read these Bible verses. As our hearts are
stirred by God’s Word, they’re also being pre-
pared. The Bible is a cultivator, a holy tiller that
breaks up the fallow ground and prepares us to
receive the seed. It can happen in public set-
tings, like in Acts 10, or it can happen privately
in study and prayer.
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit come
upon you while you were studying on your own?
You hear or read a passage of Scripture and, all
of a sudden, the presence of God becomes so
real to you. Jesus says, “The words that I speak
to you they are spirit, and they are life” (John
6:63). Christians miss a lot of opportunities Holy Spirit The Need 17
to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit be-
cause we’re so often not reading about Him.
Someone said, “If you have the Spirit
without the Word, you’ll blow up. If you have
the Word without the Spirit, you’ll dry up. If
you have both the Word and the Spirit, you’ll
grow up.” The Word of God in connection
with the Spirit nurtures us. We need the two of
them together.
Chapter Ten
Gather Together and Forgive
This is probably going to sound like a
commercial for church, but the fact is,
a practical prerequisite for the filling of
the Spirit is getting together in God’s name in
God’s house. Hebrews 10 says that we shouldn’t
forsake the gathering of ourselves, “all the more
as we see the day approaching.”
Again in Acts 2, it says that the disciples
were all in one accord and “in one place.” God
waited to fill them not when they were out at
the market or in their separate homes, sepa-
rated from one another. He waited until they
were collected in one place, honoring and wor-
shiping Him. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that 18 Holy Spirit The Need
God cannot pour His Spirit on you as an indi-
vidual wherever you happen to be, because that
has been documented in the Bible.
But if I read my Bible right, the latter rain
experience is going to come down much like
the former rain, in a time and place where
God’s people are assembling together to hum-
ble ourselves, and praying and putting aside
our differences. They may be small groups; they
may be big groups. In Acts 2 it was 120 people,
but they were all together. “And when they had
prayed, the place where they were assembled
together was shaken; and they were filled with
the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of
God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
We also find examples in the Old Testament.
In Numbers 11:24, God was getting ready to
baptize the leaders of Israel with the Spirit. “So
Moses … gathered the seventy men of the el-
ders of the people and placed them around the
tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the
cloud, and he spoke unto him, and the Lord
took of the Spirit that was upon him, and
placed the same upon the seventy elders.” God
said, “Gather the people together” to the tab-
ernacle, and He took the Holy Spirit that He Holy Spirit The Need 19
had given Moses and gave it to the people as a
corporate body.
It bears mentioning that two individuals,
Eldad and Medad, didn’t feel worthy to come
with the 70 elders. They stayed in the camp,
thinking that Moses’ spirit was too good for
them. But the Holy Spirit fell on them too.
So it can happen to individuals that might be
separated, but they also were humble; in fact, I
believe their humility is the reason why Moses
documented them individually.
But don’t miss the point: We need to not
forsake the assembling of ourselves because
that is one way God will baptize us with His
Spirit. Besides, wouldn’t it be a tragedy to have
the latter rain experience fall upon your church
on the day that you stayed home? Wouldn’t you
feel awful? I’d feel terrible if I missed it! Trust
me, you want to be there, so take every oppor-
tunity to go to church and fellowship with your
Christian family.
While we’re together, we need to forgive
one another if we’re ever going to expect the
filling of the Spirit. We often have unsightly
blisters in our vessels that render us unfit to re-
ceive the Holy Spirit. When we harbor, cherish, 20 Holy Spirit The Need
and feed the anger and resentment that we have
for other people, we grieve the Holy Spirit. As
Jesus forgave us, so we ought to forgive one an-
other. It’s important to have an attitude and the
mind of Christ. When Acts 2 says that the dis-
ciples were in one accord, it means they might
have been divided before. They had put aside
their differences, forgave one another, and be-
came one.
Chapter Eleven
Expect the Promise
J
esus promised, “If I go to the Father, the
Comforter will come.” In the days of Elijah,
a terrible famine raged for three-and-a-half
years. People were dying from starvation, and
they were in desperate need of rain—another
symbol of God’s Spirit. Elijah prayed for rain
just like the apostles prayed for the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit. And he prayed earnestly on
his knees until it came.
But he did more than that. In faith, he ex-
pected the rain to come. He sent his servant
out and asked, “Do you see anything yet?”
When they didn’t see anything, Elijah prayed
again, and he kept on praying seven times until Holy Spirit The Need 21
they finally saw the cloud coming. It was just
a little cloud in the beginning, but that little
cloud was all he needed to be sure.
According to Luke 11:13, if we ask earnest-
ly and sincerely, we should expect to receive the
gift: “If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more
will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask.”
One of the last things Jesus said was,
“Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). For
John, the great commission is to “Receive the
Holy Spirit,” for that will lead to preaching of
the gospel in a way you can’t imagine. Christ
breathed on those who were there with Him,
and He wants to breathe on you. The Lord
wants you to have the Holy Spirit. Jesus died to
purchase you that great gift, so the promise to
receive the baptism is sure.
Chapter Twelve
The Good Storm
When we pray for the Spirit, we’re re-
ally asking for a storm. And God
is going to send a storm, so you
need to be sure you really want it. When Elijah 22 Holy Spirit The Need
prayed for rain, the storm grew so big that he
got drenched. “Now it happened in the mean-
time the sky became black with clouds and
the wind, and there was a heavy rain” (1 Kings
18:45). Elijah got caught in a storm and could
barely see his way.
When God sends His Spirit, you might
get caught in the storm. That could be a good
thing; it just depends on what your plans are.
If you’ve just planted some seeds and it rains,
that’s good news. If you’re planning a wedding,
it’s not so good. If you’re praying for the Holy
Spirit to be poured out, you better be prepared
for your plans to change.
What else happened when the disciples re-
ceived the outpouring of the Spirit? They were
praying in the upper room when the Spirit
came to them in the form of tongues of fire. A
fire burns; it’s a hot, purging element. The bap-
tism of the Spirit does not come like a gentle
wind, but as a loud noise and a fierce fire.
Being filled with the Spirit can also be
expensive in terms of the world. After the
Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples,
the Bible reports, “Now all who believed
were together they had all things in common, Holy Spirit The Need 23
they sold their possessions and goods, and di-
vided them among all, as anyone had need.
No man said that ought that he had was his
own.” The disciples had to leave many things
behind when the Spirit fell on them, some
giving up all they had. Peter, James, and
John—no record that they ever went fish-
ing again. Andrew, Matthew—they didn’t go
back to the tax-collecting booth. Paul lost a
promising career in the Sanhedrin. It was ex-
pensive for all of them to be filled with the
Holy Spirit. Of course, to them it was a worth-
while sacrifice, but you need to be prepared for
some struggle.
Chapter Thirteen
God’s Purging Spirit
When the Holy Spirit is poured out,
there is very little toleration for
even the “smallest” sin in a life and
in a church. As soon as someone began to teach
inappropriate theology in the newly estab-
lished, Spirit-filled church, he or she was called
on it. When Simon said, “Let me pay for the
Holy Spirit,” the apostles came down on him.
They asked, “Do you think the Holy Spirit can 24 Holy Spirit The Need
be bought as though it’s a commodity? It’s the
person of God! God forbid!”
When the church was Spirit-filled, Ananias
and Sapphira told a little half-truth about their
offering and they dropped dead. They were ac-
tive members of the church, but that’s what
happens when the Spirit of God is present.
Accountability soars. Frankly, we’d be having
a lot more funerals if God showed that kind of
accountability right now—for people robbing
Him, being dishonest, and the little things we
often wink at now in the church. One of the
signs that our church isn’t yet Spirit-filled is
that we tolerate so much sin in our ranks.
Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit, he will con-
vict you of sin.” Your sensitivity regarding sin
is heightened when you receive the baptism
(some might call you a fanatic for that). You’ll
recognize your complete unworthiness before
God, and that can be a difficult, humbling ex-
perience. However, your love will be intensified
too, but you won’t wink at sin as though it’s
not something offensive to God. So make sure
that you know what you’re asking for. Are you
prepared to have the Lord do a purging work
in your life? Holy Spirit The Need 25
Chapter Fourteen
The Devil’s Fury
But more than that, being filled with
the Holy Spirit will attract the anger
of the devil. When the disciples began
to preach, they were immediately mocked. As
soon as the Holy Spirit came upon them, so
did the ridicule. Acts 2:13 records, “Others
mocking said, ‘They’re full of new wine.’” Of
course, you don’t have to roll around on the
ground to be mocked. You don’t have to babble
in tongues to be mocked. You live a holy life, a
Spirit-filled life, and you’ll be mocked.
They were also imprisoned and persecuted
when they received the Holy Spirit. By Acts 3,
just one chapter later, they’re already in jail. Are
you ready to pray for the Holy Spirit and go to
jail for it? In Acts 4, angry men “laid hands on
them, and they put them in custody.” In Acts 8,
“At that time a great persecution arose against
the church.”
Just when the church is filled with God’s
Spirit, persecution comes. That should be ex-
pected. Most of us have easy sailing because we
are no threat to the devil. Wouldn’t you rather
have the smooth sailing that comes from the 26 Holy Spirit The Need
approbation of the world? Jesus said, “Woe
unto you when all men speak well of you for so
they did of the false prophets.” If you’re Spirit-
filled, you are going to rile up the resistance of
the enemy.
For the disciples, that meant a death sen-
tence. They were killed after the outpouring
of the Spirit. Steven was stoned to death, and
James was killed by King Herod in Acts 12.
Indeed, it became a life-and-death issue. Of
the 12 apostles, only one died of old age. But
to them it was worth it to be one with God and
be filled His Spirit.
Chapter Fifteen
Make Your Stand
Would you pray for the baptism of
the Holy Spirit knowing that it is
going to bring a storm in your life?
That fact is, you only have two choices. If you’re
going to pray for God’s Spirit, be prepared like
Elijah to get caught in the storm. I want the
baptism of the Holy Spirit, because what else
are my options? “He that doesn’t have the Spirit
of God is none of His.” It’s either filled with
the Holy Spirit or separated from Christ and Holy Spirit The Need 27
flowing with the world to oblivion. You choose
which one is better in terms of eternity.
“And it will come to pass afterward in
the last days that I will pour out My Spirit”
(Joel 2:28). God doesn’t sprinkle, He pours.
And what happens when He does that? Just
keep reading: “and your sons and your daugh-
ters will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, your young men will see visions.
Also on My menservants and on My maid-
servants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days. And I will show wonders in the heavens
and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars
of smoke.”
The part about the Spirit is certainly beau-
tiful, and it’s amazing that sons and daughters
will prophesy, but don’t miss that the blood
and the fire and the smoke all come in concert.
“The sun will be turned to darkness, the moon
into blood before the coming of the great and
terrible day of the Lord.”
The great and terrible day of the Lord is
not far off. Would you choose to prophesy for
God, or be consumed by the tempest to come?
We urgently need to have the Spirit poured
upon us. “And I’ll show wonders … and it will 28 Holy Spirit The Need
come to pass that whoever calls upon the name
of the Lord will be saved.” The filling of the
Holy Spirit is there for the asking, but we need
to ask.
Chapter Sixteen
What About Your Church?
Achurch without the filling of the Holy
Spirit is a church with a form of reli-
gion but no power. Some churches are
like a bus that has run out of gas. With all the
events they have to get to, the passengers don’t
want to stop. So a number of them will get out
to push. Sure, the bus will move, but it won’t
go far. People get tired of pushing. Churches
are likewise being pushed by members rather
than fueled by the Spirit. The bus needs gas;
the church needs the Holy Spirit. Churches are
designed not to run on people power, but with
God’s power.
Too many churches have people pushing,
because we all have our precious programs.
Those programs are making progress, but to
what effect? It’s like going to a convention
where they have new ideas to get members in-
volved and devise new ways to raise money for Holy Spirit The Need 29
church needs. It’s good stuff. But the church
doesn’t really need all that. What it needs is
men and women filled with the Spirit. The
baptism of fire is the most desperate need of
the church.
John Taylor said, “I’ve never heard of a
committee being adjourned because those
present were waiting for the arrival of the Holy
Spirit.” I’ve never seen a project abandoned
for lack of the Holy Spirit. We will abandon
a project for lack of funds, but when have
you ever seen a church program dismissed be-
cause of the lack of Spirit? We’ll always wait
to start a project until we have enough funds,
but we’ll move forward even if the Holy Spirit
is lacking. We’ll go forward Spiritless because,
“Well, we’ve made the plans. We need to move
ahead.” But how much better off we’d be if we
could have the baptism of the Holy Spirit in all
our projects?
A church that is filled with the Spirit is an
unstoppable bus that will plow through road-
blocks. Even if it has a flat or a little oil leak, it
can still do its mission. With the baptism of the
Holy Spirit, we’d get a lot further in spreading
the gospel than where we get with media. The 30 Holy Spirit The Need
disciples did much more without media than
we’re doing with television.
What did they have that we’re lacking? The
fullness of the Spirit. They turned the Roman
Empire upside down, uneducated fishermen
without college degrees. But they did have the
baptism of the Spirit. What separated the wise
from the foolish virgins? Some had full vessels,
some were only partially full.
Today rescue workers have infrared detec-
tion equipment to use when they’re searching
the countryside for someone who is missing.
A living person puts off a heat signature that
helps them locate the lost child or a missing
hiker. But for the equipment to work, the per-
son being sought after must be alive. Once their
bodies grow cold, nothing is detected.
Jesus said that when He comes, iniquity
will abound and the love of many will grow
cold (Matthew 24:12). If we hope for our Savior
to rescue us from above when He returns, we
must have the love of the Holy Spirit glowing
in our hearts or His procession of angels will
simply fly by. Holy Spirit The Need 31
Chapter Seventeen
A Prayer
No matter what happens, no matter
the backlash, choosing God and His
Spirit will give you and your church
peace because you know you have chosen the
right side. If you don’t know how to ask right
now, I want to share with you this prayer for
you and your church.
Father in heaven, we know that the
baptism of your Spirit is our most
desperate need. So we’re praying for
what Solomon asked for and for what
Elisha asked for. We’re praying that you
will show us what it was like when the
disciples received your outpouring in the
upper room. Our church needs this more
than anything, Lord. So please come
into our hearts now. We believe this is
something you want to give us even more
than we want to ask, so fill us with your
Spirit that we might walk with Jesus,
that we might love and forgive others,
that we might have the power to be a
great witness. 32 Holy Spirit The Need
Everything in the Christian life is strength-
ened and made possible by having God in us.
If you really want the baptism of the Holy
Spirit in your life, you can expect it because the
Lord wants to give it to you. God will fill you
with His presence and will work great wonder through you.

Distant Echoes or Devout Communion?
The modern landscape is saturated with religious noise. We live in an era where men can fill libraries with theological treatises, dominate digital airwaves with heated debates, and seamlessly weave the name of the Almighty into casual conversation, yet remain entirely silent in the ears of the Creator. It is a subtle and dangerous delusion to mistake an interest in the things of God for an intimacy with God Himself. The former requires only an intellect; the latter demands an altar. We find ourselves trapped in a generation of commentators, comfortable with analyzing the text but terrified of encountering the Author. This is the tragic paradox of the modern believer: we have mastered the art of talking about Him, while entirely forgetting how to talk to Him.

There is a profound, unbridgeable chasm between academic discussion and authentic devotion. To speak of God is a horizontal exercise; it looks around at the culture, compares opinions, and dissects doctrine with the cold detachment of a coroner. But to speak to God is a vertical surrender. It is the raw, unvarnished cry of a soul that recognizes its own undone condition in the presence of absolute holiness. The Scripture provides a sobering diagnosis of this very condition, warning of those “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). When our religious discourse serves merely as a substitute for private prayer, our theology becomes an idol—a beautifully constructed monument to a God we refuse to personally encounter.

The ultimate metric of a man’s faith is not found in the eloquence of his public arguments, but in the hidden consistency of his secret prayer life. It is easy to perform for an audience of peers, but it is in the quiet closet where the true condition of the heart is laid bare. If our knowledge of the Almighty does not drive us to our knees in trembling adoration, then that knowledge is not a blessing; it is an indictment. The cross of Calvary was not endured so that we could merely speculate about the divine from a distance; it was suffered to tear the veil and open a living way into the Holy of Holies. Let us therefore cease from the vanity of mere religious talk and seek the substance of true communion, remembering the weight of the promise: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).
#TalktoGod #TalkaboutGod #thelordsreturn #relationship

Missing the mark? But what does that mean?
The concept of sin is frequently discussed in modern religious circles, yet its true definition has been hollowed out by a prevailing theology of lawlessness. Well-meaning teachers and online commentators often parrot the linguistic truth that the biblical concept of sin means “to miss the mark.” They use this definition to emphasize human frailty and the necessity of grace. However, a profound logical and theological deception occurs when these same voices turn around and claim that the Law of God no longer applies to the believer....
Continue this article at:
https://thelordsreturn.com/missing-the-mark-the-lawless-paradox-of-modern-grace/

Paul vs. James and the Great Faith Debate

The apparent discord between the Apostle to the Gentiles and the brother of our Lord has served as a stumbling block for many who peer into the sacred pages of the New Testament. Critics and the wavering alike point to the writings of Paul and James, suggesting a theological schism that threatens the unity of the faith. They pit Paul’s declaration, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28), against James’s firm reminder, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). Yet, for the seeker of truth, this is no contradiction, but a profound harmony—a divine paradox that defines the walk of the believer.

To understand this balance, one must recognize that Paul and James were addressing different errors. Paul was contending with the “Judaizers,” those who sought to earn their standing before a holy God through the merit of legalistic observation. He rightly championed the truth that no amount of human effort can bridge the chasm created by sin. Salvation is the gift of God, purchased by the blood of Christ and received by faith. James, however, was addressing “Antinomianism”—the dangerous notion that one can claim Christ while living in open rebellion or indifferent fruitlessness. He was not teaching a works-based salvation, but rather identifying the evidence of a living faith. As the scriptures testify, “I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

The debate often spills over into the necessity of the Law, specifically the keeping of the Sabbath. There are those who suggest that because we are under grace, the Moral Law of God has been rendered obsolete. However, we must ask with Paul, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). The Law serves as a schoolmaster and a mirror, reflecting the character of the Creator. While it can never save a man, it remains the standard of righteousness for those who have been saved by grace.

The Sabbath, instituted at the dawn of creation, stands as a perpetual sign of God’s sovereignty and our rest in Him. It is not a burden to be borne for the sake of earning favor, but a gift to be cherished by those who love the Lord. The transition from the Law as a means of justification to the Law as a guide for sanctification is the key to this “great debate.” True faith is never idle; it is a transformative power that naturally leads the believer to walk in obedience. When Paul speaks of faith, he speaks of the root; when James speaks of works, he speaks of the fruit. One cannot exist without the other in the economy of God.

We see this illustrated in the life of Abraham, whom both apostles cite as their primary example. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness—that is the root. Yet, that same faith led him to offer up Isaac upon the altar—that is the fruit. The faith that justifies is a faith that obeys. There is no clash in the heavens, only a perfect union of grace and truth. We are called to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, yet never use that liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Instead, let us honor the Law through the power of the Spirit, for “blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14).