Quote of Note #73: Word AND Spirit

"The secret of effective Christian living is know the power of the Spirit through the Word.  The secret of effective Christian service is using the Word in the power of the Spirit.  Some believers magnify the Spirit but neglect the Word.  This will not do because fanaticism and groundless enthusiasm are the result.  Others seek … Continue reading Quote of Note #73: Word AND Spirit

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Quote of Note #60 — The Foolishness of God

"He [the Spirit of God] will certainly help us to 'communicate' the truth of God to other people, but he becomes our enemy the moment we attempt to modify the wisdom of God to fit the 'cleverness' of the twentieth century.  The stern words of Paul have a peculiar aptness to the modern situation when … Continue reading Quote of Note #60 — The Foolishness of God

Quote of Note #58–Vibrancy of Spiritual Life in the Church

"Look at the New Testament Christian, look at the New Testament church, and you see it vibrant with a spiritual life, and, of course, it is always life that tends to lead to excesses.  There is no problem of discipline in a graveyard; there is no problem very much in a formal church." Martyn Lloyd-Jones, … Continue reading Quote of Note #58–Vibrancy of Spiritual Life in the Church

Quote of Note #57–Need and Blessing

"Being baptized with the Holy Spirit begins with recognizing our need and earnestly desiring whatever our heavenly Father is pleased to give." Brad Long, Paul Stokes, and Cindy Strickler.  Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit: Seven Principles of Dynamic Cooperation.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009, page 67.

Quote of Note #56–Receiving the Power

"John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel that the thing that is going to differentiate the new era from the old, even including John the Baptist, is this baptism with the Spirit.  Here is the first principle.  It is possible to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ without having received the baptism … Continue reading Quote of Note #56–Receiving the Power

Quote of Note #47: Being Part of What God Is Doing

"'The first thing to do in responding to God's presence and Word,' [Basil Pennington] repeatedly told me, 'is to notice what God is doing and to keep out of God's way.  The second is to align ourselves with and participate in God's transformational actions in the world.'  God is active and present in the world.  … Continue reading Quote of Note #47: Being Part of What God Is Doing

Pastor Note #82: Learning to Hear God’s Voice

From Digital Camera to Bird Songs When I got my first digital camera, photography opened up for me in a new and exciting way.  In the old days of film photography, every time you took a picture, it cost you half a dollar for the film and the processing.  That could run into money pretty … Continue reading Pastor Note #82: Learning to Hear God’s Voice

Quote of Note #43: Being Re-Made by the Spirit of God

"The Spirit which Jesus promised would lead his followers 'into all truth' is very actively at work wherever he is allowed.  Some of his work is painful in the extreme.  There has often to be the breaking-up of old ways of thinking, the expansion of responsibility, and the checking of priorities.  Anyone who opens his … Continue reading Quote of Note #43: Being Re-Made by the Spirit of God

Quote of Note #39: The Guilt of Sin, the Power of Sin, and the Presence of Sin

"When cleansing is mentioned in the Bible in connection with the blood, it is always cleansing from guilt.  Cleansing from the power of sin and the presence of sin is by the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the living, in-dwelling Christ.  Christ on the cross saves from the guilt of sin; Christ on … Continue reading Quote of Note #39: The Guilt of Sin, the Power of Sin, and the Presence of Sin

Quote of Note #38: Power to Set Us Free

"God has provided a way of escape by the Holy Spirit's power.  When we give up the hopeless struggle of trying to overcome 'the law of sin and death' [Romans 7] with our own strength and in utter helplessness surrender to the Holy Spirit to do everything for us -- when we walk in his … Continue reading Quote of Note #38: Power to Set Us Free