1 Co 2:
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Sometime back there was a commercial that asked, “Where’s the beef?” I think the Church needs to ask “Where’s the power?” Maybe the reason we don’t see the glory of God moving in our midst is because we have many words, some very enticing, but not the power as demonstrated by the Holy Spirit.
We have thousands of highly educated and some ignorant opinions being taught in the many sects that call themselves Christians. Much of which is man’s wisdom hence the variety versus one truth as taught by one Book and one Spirit sent by one God to one Body.
Some deny the power saying it doesn’t exist and others deny His full power by saying He can only do some things, but not others as God has made the Holy Spirit PRN instead of FT and He is no longer certified to do certain skills. Others believe in the full power, but only want it for their gratification or to exalt their ministry not God’s. Some abuse the power like the Corinthians.
Fortunately, there are some who not only believe in the full power of the Spirit, but welcome it wanting nothing but the glory of God, Jesus to be exalted, souls saved and edified that only the power of God can touch.
The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus, not Himself. He came to guide us into ALL truth, not leaving some truths to be hidden or grayed. He came to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is here to be a comforter for the saved, but not in the way Grandma’s quilted comforter did. He gives the Church boldness to evangelize and power to walk in holiness in an unholy world. He gives life to the letter of the law so that the Word preached brings life not killing the hearer with a Pharisee or Sadducee spirit.
Yes, we do exalt man’s wisdom, even theological wisdom. We are more interested in what degrees a man has rather than the degree of control the Spirit has over the man so we call erudite men that may or may not have God’s wisdom. They laud the thoughts of men when God would give them profound thoughts. We do not need a spirited man to fill a position. We need a man filled by the Spirit in position for God to use him.
Many people have shaky faith because it based on the wisdom of man, not God. All they have are creeds or someone’s assurance that they are saved, not the inner witness of the Spirit. Hence they are tossed to and fro carried about by every wind of doctrine and cunning deceits of men. Thus they bounce from church to church not knowing what to seek in a church or pastor looking for the right words to fill their needs when the answer is within the Word and within them if the Spirit lives in them. The Holy Spirit, not their own. Introspection of one’s own spirit will either bring egotism and arrogance or deep despair.
It is time to seek the Lord for Holy Spirit preaching where the Spirit demonstrates His power to exalt Jesus and confirm that the words being spoken are from God, not man’s wisdom. Are there fakes and abusers? Yes, but that does not keep a man from buying his wife a diamond just because zirconium exists. Seek truth, trust God, learn to rightly interpret the Word in context and you need not worry about bad Kool-Aid in South America or here.
Think about it. What did the Church need in the first century to convince the unbelieving and silence the naysayers that we do not need today? What gifts does the Body not need to make it strong and healthy? After all, doctors have been wrong about the appendix and tonsils so be not surprised if some theological doctors have been sincere but sincerely wrong about extracting gifts and power from the Body.
Make your faith strong! Seek the Lord and all He might choose to give you. Seek people who believe God never changes, Jesus is the same, today and forever and the Holy Spirit is still the same!
Maranatha!!
