Sword of the Spirit

The Full Blessing of Pentecost - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How little it is enjoyed (Excerpts - continued 4) "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 COR. ii. 4, 5. Think how little there is of steadfastness and growth in faith. There is nothing of which ministers, and especially those who labour for the salvation of souls, have to complain more than that there are so many who for a time are full of zeal and then fall away. We see, not only among the young or in times of awakening, but even among many that have for years maintained a good confession, that whenever they enter into another circle of influence, and are put to the proof by prosperity or any special form of temptation, they forthwith cease to persevere. Whence does this unhappy result arise? From nothing but the fact that the preachin

The Full Blessing of Pentecost - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How little it is enjoyed (Excerpts - continued 3) "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 COR. ii. 4, 5. Think, too, how little there is of separation from the world. When the Lord Jesus promised the Comforter, He said: "Whom the world cannot receive." The spirit of this world, which is devotion to the visible, is in irreconcilable antagonism with the Spirit of Jesus in heaven, where God and His will are everything. The world has rejected the Lord Jesus; and, to whatever extent it may now usurp the Christian name, the world at heart is still the same untamable foe. It was for this reason that Jesus said of His disciples, and as indicating one of their chief distinctive marks: "They are not of the world, even as I am not of

The Full Blessing of Pentecost - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How little it is enjoyed (Excerpts - continued 2) "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 COR. ii. 4, 5. Think, for example, what little power over sin there is amongst the children of God. The Spirit of Pentecost is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is holiness. When He came down upon the disciples, what a transformation was effected in them. Their carnal thoughts were changed into spiritual insight, their pride into humility, their selfishness into love, their fear of man into courage and fidelity. Sin was cast out by the inflowing of the life of Jesus and of heaven. The life which the Lord has prepared for His people is a life of victory. It is not indeed victory to such an extent as that there shall be no temptation to evil; nor yet

The Full Blessing of Pentecost - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How little it is enjoyed (Excerpts - continued 1) "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 COR. ii. 4, 5. Everywhere among the children of God we hear complaints of weakness and sin. Amongst those who do not so complain, there is reason to fear that their silence is to be ascribed to the prevalence of ignorance or self-satisfaction. It is of the utmost importance that we should concentrate our thoughts upon this fact, until we come under the full conviction that the condition of the Church is marked by impotence, and that nothing can restore her but the return to a life in the full enjoyment of the blessing of Pentecost. The more deeply we feel our deficiency, the more speedily shall we desire and obtain restoration. It will help to awaken

The Full Blessing of Pentecost  - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How little it is enjoyed (Excerpts) "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 COR. ii. 4, 5.  Paul speaks here of two kinds of preaching and two kinds of faith.  According to the spirit of the preacher will be the faith of the congregation.  When the preaching of the Cross is given only in the words of human wisdom,  then the faith of the hearers will be in the wisdom of men.  When the preaching is in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,  the faith of the Christian people will also be in the power of God, at once firm and strong.  Preaching in the demonstration of the Spirit will bring the double blessing of power in the word and power in the faith of those that receive that word.  If we desire to know the measure of the working of t

A word of Wisdom: A Practice to Receive Faith for Healing Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 KJV The faith for the Salvation of the soul is the same faith for the Salvation of the body, which is divine healing. Now, just as in the salvation of the soul whereby you are saved the moment living faith is received which is imparted to you by God the Holy Spirit,  You are divinely healed of the afflictions and oppressions of the body the very instant you received the living faith imparted by God. Therefore, receive faith for the healing of the body just as you would receive faith for Salvation and appropriate it for divine healing. Since faith comes to us by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, We obey and follow similarly the way Salvation is being appropriated. Hear and Listen to the Word of God: 1) Call upon the Name of LORD Jesus       - Praise Jesus out loud, unceasingly      - Call upon Jesus to heal you        "LORD Jesus, heal me"  For

The Full Blessing of Pentecost - The One Thing Needful By Andrew Murray How it was bestowed from Heaven (Excerpts - continued 4) "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth;" JOHN xiv. 15, 16. Every tree continues always to grow from the root out of which it first sprang. The day of Pentecost was the planting of the Christian Church, and the Holy Spirit became the power of its life. Let us turn back to that experience. There is our power still. We learn from the disciples what is really necessary. Attachment to Jesus, the abandonment of everything in the world for Him, despair of self and of all help from man, holding on to the word of promise, and then waiting on God, "the living God" - this is the sure way of living in the joy and the power of the Holy Spirit.

A word of Wisdom: The Key to Receive Healing Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Matthew 8:17 KJV ... and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 KJV ... by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 KJV Many of us who are honest born-again believers have experienced,  either of ourselves or have observed in others, who are afflicted or oppressed in sicknesses and diseases, Whom has been repeatedly asking for prayers for healing and has indeed been prayed for numerous of times, But their sufferings did not seemed to be lifted by the LORD. We have prayed and prayed, struggled and struggled hard to believe the promises of God the Healer in His Word but to no avail.  But we know that God's Word is True. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever more. So, what seems to be the problem? Now, the reason is this: We can believe a promise, and at the same time not have the faith to appropriate it.  We have formed the habit of trying to appropriate by belie