Today I move on to the third in a series of questions I have received via e-mail on baptism with the Holy Spirit. What do you think is the direct result of being baptized by the Spirit, i.e. what is the practical result in, say, the life of a pastor or missionary? If we look in Acts, we see that the disciples were transformed by the outpouring of the Spirit. They became more bold They were empowered to preach in... Read more
I have frequently quoted from the Doctor on sealing with the Spirit as I think he is very helpful in understanding the whole concept of Spirit baptism. He explains the functions of a seal, none of which can be adequately performed if the seal is something we don’t know we have! More from the Doctor on sealing with the Spirit can be found here: Assorted Thoughts on the Baptism With the Holy Spirit MLJ Monday – Sealed with the Spirit,... Read more
Jesse Phillips has kindly given me permission to share here an article he wrote on what he calls subsequence. This is the notion, as I prefer to describe it, that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is distinct to conversion. I prefer to describe this as distinct for the simple reason that the receiving of the Holy Sprit need not be delayed for months or years after conversion. This may sound like a minor point, but it is crucial to... Read more
On Thursday we began a series looking at several questions asked by an e-mail correspondent of mine. Today I will address his second question: Does baptism by the Holy Spirit have to be accompanied by tongues? Does it have to be by the laying on of hands? How do you know that you have been baptized in the Spirit? I will take these in reverse order. The last one is, in some ways, the easiest, although it is more difficult... Read more
In one of those God-incidences, just as I am exploring the Holy Spirit more deeply here on the blog, Newfrontiers USA have redesigned their website and made the audio of the Newfrontiers USA Church Leadership Conference available even before it has finished. There are also a number of older messages there which include a whole series on the Holy Spirit. This is a great site for you if you are intrigued and want to find out more about the Holy... Read more
-704966.jpg)
Last Friday I shared a quote from John Piper on the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In it he quoted an illustration that Martyn Lloyd-Jones used. Today, partly because I am working through a series of questions a reader has posed, I thought I would share another quote from Dr. Piper which might surprise some of my readers. “I would start by saying that in the book of Acts, everywhere the receiving of the Holy Spirit is described, it is... Read more
PRESS RELEASE 6 March 2008 One of the UK’s most senior Christian leaders, the Reverend Joel Edwards, will be leaving his post as General Director of the Evangelical Alliance UK after more than a decade of valued service. Mr. Edwards completed two five-year terms as General Director for the Alliance last year, but wanted to stay on until he had finished work on a new vision for evangelicalism, outlined in his new book An Agenda for Change. Due to depart... Read more
Today I’m launching a new feature which I’m going to call “Ask a Blogger.” One day most weeks I will be posting one or more questions I have been asked. These questions can literally be about anything. To submit a question e-mail me at [email protected]. I will then endeavor to answer the questioner, although my answers will often be quite short. Today, however this is not the case! In fact, this week’s “Ask a Blogger” will run for a few... Read more
This sermon was preached by me on the UK’s Mother’s Day, which was on March 2nd. The audio can be downloaded or played here. READ MORE Ten Things Jesus Did NOT Say Jesus’ Gospel of Social Justice An answer to the “Why does God allow Suffering?” question The sermon was based on a number of verses: Isaiah 66:13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 49:15-16 Good News Bible... Read more
I have now come to the end of publishing the top 30 posts of all time on my blog. I have compiled a list here, with links back to the original posts. I hope you enjoyed remembering these posts as much as I did! Interview with Mark Driscoll — April 2, 2006 Blogging, Discernment, and a Book by Tim Challies — October 26, 2007 The ESV—A Bible Translation for Everyone? — July 10, 2005 Sam Storms, John Piper, and John... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In