Ignite 3/24 - Revival: Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit 

Jesus is revival because when Jesus came; his life, death and resurrection, we see that the demons left, people were healed, hearts were made alive!

Lyle began with talking about God's business being revival and adding people to His family.
Hebrews 2:4 - "While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will."
Joel 2:28-29 - "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit."
God says that He will pour out his Spirit. In Acts 2, Peter references, but this is not the end, it was the beginning - the Holy Spirit poured out in the upper room.
John 14:12 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
John 17:18 "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world."
Scripture tells us that God has given us his Holy Spirit.

As Lyle continued, he explained what a human being is made up of - Spirit, soul, and body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, Now may the god of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have a spirit so that we can identify with God. We have a soul that is our mind, will, and emotions (our personality), then we have a body. We can easily be caught up in or dominated by our soul, instead of our spirit. We want to be connected in spirit with God.

Jesus told the disciples that it was better that he went away because he would then send the Helper.

When our spirit is dominating, we are in line with what the Lord calls us to. In Acts 8, we see Philip leave the revival that was breaking out because the Lord said to and he went to the chariot and baptized the man.

Lyle shared a story about a friend who rarely cried before he was baptized in the Spirit, but once he was baptized in the Spirit, he cries much more often because the Spirit has reign over his emotions. The Lord tenderized his heart.

John the Baptist was called the greatest prophet. His greatest prophecy and message was found in Luke 3:16 - "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The word baptism (greek: baptizo) means to immerse, submerge, totally saturate.

Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit. In John 20:20, it says that Jesus breathed on His disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit.

Lyle shared that he believed that the disciples received the indwelling Holy Spirit, just like when he prayed the prayer asking Jesus to be his Lord and Savior, he received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But then there is also baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8, Jesus says that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. This means the same thing as baptism. Often in different denominations, the word "baptized" in reference to the Holy Spirit can be poorly received. We see many synonyms throughout Acts: "filled, poured out, received, baptized, full of, the Spirit came upon, the Spirit fell upon".

There were 4 things that the early apostles were about when it comes to salvation.
1. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. Repentance of sin and turn to God
3. Water baptism
4. Spirit baptism

Jesus is our model - he was circumcised and dedicated in the temple. 
Many people have been baptized as a baby - we don't remember it, but it was symbolizing our dedication to the church. 

Jesus was the only many who didn't sin, but he still went to the river to be baptized by John. When he comes up from the water, the Spirit descends on Him like a dove. The Spirit "lighted" Him. This all happened before he did ministry. Then Luke 4 tells us that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and then was led into the wilderness. In Acts 1:5 Jesus says that John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 

There was a testimony shared about being baptized in the Spirit, then there was a time for people to receive prayer. To listen to the full service, click here. 

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Ignite 3/17 - Revival: Prayer

Revival: Prayer (Greg Schut)

Before any revival, there are people that labor in prayer for it. As we are talking about revival and wanting it to come, we have to first be praying for it. 

Isaiah 30:19 "He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. as soon as he hears it, he answers you." The Lord doesn't need us, but he loves partnership with us. He invites us in to partner with Him in what He is doing. He's the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. When we cry out to Him, He answers. That is one of His promises. 

At Ignite, we sang the song Yes and Amen. The lyrics say "all Your promises are yes and amen". 

Psalm 22:3 says that He is enthroned on the praises of His people. That is a promise! Scripture is filled with His promises. One of them being that He answers our cry! 

Prayer isn't just a checklist of things you need to ask God for. It is dialogue with our Father. It's relationship - communing with Him. He is jealous for us and for our attention, He wants to commune with us. Greg explained that it's just like when he is gone for a few days from his family. A phone call or skype isn't enough, he has a longing to be in their presence and to commune with them. There is a similar longing with the Lord! 

When we pray, we often forget to slow down and simply be with God. We need to listen and take time being in His presence. 

He has called us to be watchmen, to cry out to Him day and night. Isaiah 62:6 says, "On your walks, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth." He wants us to continually cry out to Him. 

James 5: 16-18 says, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with  nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain o n the earth. then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit." Elijah was a man - just like us - and look at the testimony of his prayers! 

Greg them moved into a time of prayer with a few volunteers reading from Joel 2, prefaced by a dream that Greg had many years ago. He was at a place where there was karaoke. Greg was in the way back of the room as the next person went up to sing. Before the man began to sing, he said into the microphone "Joel 2" and Greg just began to cheer and jump and yell, feeling as if electricity was shooting through him. Everyone in the room turned around to look at him strangely. This happened three times. When Greg woke up, he knew it was from the Lord. He had never read the book of Joel, so as he began to read, the Lord spoke to him. Joel 2:12, "'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments;" The Lord wants us to rend our hearts, to come to Him and pour everything out. 

Later in verses 28-29 it says, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour our my Spirit." This is what is to come. He WILL. This is another promise from the Lord. 

For practical tips about prayer leading, Greg shared that it's not something that is practiced and polished, it's simply us praying scripture back to the Lord. Saying that we agree with the Word and that it would be so in our hearts. 

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Ignite (3/10) - Revival: Study of Scripture (Wayne Vermeer)

Revival: Study of Scripture

Wayne started out by sharing about the urgency of the last days before Jesus returns. This is why we need to study scripture and to know Jesus, so that we can stand firm and share what the Word says. 

Scriptures about the importance of the Word:

- Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. 

- 2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by god, ,and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. 

- 2 Peter 1:20 - 21 - No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

- Hebrew 4:12 - For the Word for God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword.

How do I know the Bible is true? "The Bible tells me so" - God's Word is amazing. There are 66 books written by 40 men over the span of 1,500 years with miraculous collusion. The prophecy fulfillment is astonishing - 54 prophecies about Jesus all came true. Taking only 8 of these 54 are all affirmed by history has the odds of 1 in 10^17. How big is that? Texas 5 half dollars deep. Now consider prophecies from both major and minor prophets. Take the prophecies of just Daniel - amazing, incredible odds. Another reason I know that the Bible is true is because I know the author! 

How to study scripture:

- Read your Bible to develop relationship with God rather than knowledge about God. Knowledge will come with the relationship. 

- Read slowly and carefully

- Pay attention to conditionals - converses + contrapositives.

- Understand the difference between "and" + "or". 

- Notice things like adverbs, adjectives, and words like "therefore" + "for".

- Stay away from proof texts - often theologians support their pet teachings with distorting the truth

- Watch the context, avoid pulling scripture out of context.

- Use al pertinent passages to arrive at truth.

- Make your own lists of verses on various topics like baptism as you cover all of scripture.

- Be aware of false premises and false assumptions in developing a teaching or doctrine. 

- Read entire books in one sitting if possible.

- Journal or write as you study scripture.

- Read out loud to involve another sense and deeper comprehension.

- Read various translations (your phone is a great resource for finding other translations!).

- Pray scripture back to God, have conversation with Him concerning scripture.

- Listen to the Spirit as you study different topics. 

To listen to the full teaching, click here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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