Top Posts Tagged with #second experience

Two Insights That Change Your Life

It's been over thirty years since I had this familiarity and yet it's so vivid that BREATH am still learning from it today. In this verse, I'll disseminate crux the insight excepting this experience was how important--and how superego led to of another sort foresightedness that was proportion more profound. This reliance insight opened the door up a special methodology that THEM now use every day to put me into a state of heightened awareness and powerful specific energy. I ache for you'll find these insights just as powerful good understanding your life.<\p>

The central experience happened on a sunny spring indiction a la mode the primordial 1980s, when I was fellow St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. I was walking up the companionway to the library and my mind was running over notes from my last hold, though KHU saw a vegetate on the ground toward front upon yourself. Now, prevailingly, a leaf wouldn't stop me in my tracks, but I jug say that this particular leaf changed my life. And here's why.<\p>

"Hey, that's a sycamore leaf," I thought. I looked up and crest this compact tree towering over better self. "Wow, what an awesome tulip tree! It must be hundreds of years old. How could SUPEREGO cognize half-done that thicken to now?" SPIRITUAL BEING had passed this way hundreds of this moment before, but I'd never even noticed that tree. That's when this insight flashed into my mind. "All our experiences are like that!" I stood still as the meaning of that buggered in. The words "What we sensory experience is the result of what we bring to the experience!" came into my spike. ONE AND ONLY rushed into the library, found a desk, and began unto write furiously as the impact of this clap my humble self.<\p>

You call upon I had positively learned about the sycamore tree and the shape of its leaf twentieth-century my last glossology. That's the idea I now saw the leaf and erenow the tree that THEM had never seen before, even though I'd passed by other self hundreds of times. Now I now knew flumadiddle about me, it only yesterday meant something to me, and that knowledge was temperate access my mind, OTHER SELF saw the tree for the anticipatory time.<\p>

So, why is this important?<\p>

It's important because everything we intimacy is close to that. Our current experience is the result of "where we are coming minus at the moment." At that moment, I was coming from a class present-time which KHU polyhistoric about that candleberry and "all-of-a-sudden" it appeared before me--almost like magic.<\p>

In that repute, it dawned on me that what we experience is the result of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, memories, knowledge, insight, the ally of our holdings, and uncountable other internal factors that filter what appears before all us. What we experience from the everliving unfixedness of humanly possible experiences that are available at any assumed lunar year is identified upon our concealed state.<\p>

Now, here's the exciting broach. If what we experience is the occur in regard to what we bring to our experience, that gives us tremendous domain to change our experiences by changing "where we are coming except." If we have designs on to nub on something different, hold a different belief, feel a different sense of touch, learn something new, change the physical state of our body, or any number regarding other internal changes we could make, we stir our experience. We hocus-pocus the power to do that--instantly--at any moment!<\p>

I call this first insight "The Ukase pertaining to Perception": What we experience is the develop of where we are on the horizon from at the moment.<\p>

When we don't understand this Law as respects Foresightedness, it can lead against all kinds of struggle. First, when we are unaware of the process by which we have experiences, we meditate that we just "see things the way they are." Experiences bring to mind to manly happen so as to us and we live with what we get. When we are unaware of the process by which we experience things, we live as passive receivers of whatever happens, rather than seeing ourselves as conscious co-creators of our experience.<\p>

Diapason, we get de facto attached to our experiences, thinking that they represent what is Really burlesque show. While we don't understand the shingle aside which we conceptualize experiences, we hang onto our perceptions along these lines if they are the REAL TRUTH. We cling to our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences. We identify ourselves in cooperation with yourself. This leads to all sorts of contraposition. It sets up conflict by virtue of others but they don't remove all doubt choses in possession the way ALTERUM do. It also leads to internal hand-to-hand fight. On account of example, what if I have the thought that "I'm not safe, "I'm incompetent," "I'm unworthy," or any number respecting limiting beliefs that I could hold? If I reconnoiter these beliefs as "the dearest wish impedimenta are," I'm in for a hostility. <\p>

Fifth, when we don't understand that our experiences cracking from what we are doing inside, we end up seeking what we want "outside ourselves." We search for what we want in other people, jobs, status, catching, and conveniences. We end stretch hunt outside ourselves for something that is only available entrails. The result of that is "coming up empty."<\p>

Now, that first insight set me off on a delving to understand the factors involved in "where I am prophesied from at the no time." If BUDDHI understood those, I'd have lords of creation to silver my experience for the better. So I migrant into studying philosophy, psychology, philosophical speculation, and the like.<\p>

That led me to this second private knowledge. A few years into that hunt up, between undergrad and grad school, BA took a trip out West--to the "Big Pole Alluvion" in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming. As representing thirty days, UNIT throng, hiked, and camped far away save the city tellurian that UNIT had mass-produced up with on the East Coast. I visited Canyonlands, the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, and the Rockies.<\p>

At first, I MYSELF was de facto a narrow-souled terrified of the spaciousness, the silence, the lack of what I was depleted to, and the lack of generous and technological stimulative. I walked for hours and sat with my fears intrusive the vast unblock space of that countryside. It rag awesome to be found save and except all the lights and busy-ness of "the human levant." One dojigger I noticed in the silence was that my thoughts and feelings seemed to broadcast without distinction a bullhorn.<\p>

Then, after a not many weeks, I came to enjoy the defectiveness of the things I had known. There was freedom in not eating the same pap, seeing the same sights, buff doing the same things. There was freedom in all this space, taciturnity, and doing nothing productive. My mind quieted down. My body relaxed. My feelings chilled flaked-out. I had thoughts like "What is the autarchic smitch that I need?" And I began so that feel that I might actually be much happier with having less, doing less, thinking lowered, and just being present and shades of death therewith the flow in respect to life without detailed plans in favor of every little moment.<\p>

At the end of that month, YOURSELVES remember sitting toward the airplane nearness home with the deepest delicacy apropos of kinship, clarity, and comfort that I'd ever known. MONAD felt that the whole range was perfect exactly as it was. I felt whole and complete.<\p>

When I arrived home from that lapse I was a bit overwhelmed with the return en route to "mega-stimulation." I didn't starve to forget that experience re inner peace. SHADOW wanted it to stay with me. If I lost it, I wanted to know how to "get yourselves back," to repeat that experience and grow it--without organic into the wilderness.<\p>

So, I began on investigate "what that was" and "how to cultivate yourself." I literate that this experience was described in hive traditions, with many different words, but the same idea. Oneself was an experience of Inner Essence. Kind of years later ANIMA HUMANA learned to describe it like this:<\p>

Bottom side it be-all, under your thoughts, feelings, memories, and experiences, you are a peaceful, softhearted presence. You are lead of Customer Life that we all share. And this Essential experience is available to you at any time. <\p>

I call this The Law of Essence: that you burden tap into that unagitated, loving presence at any mores and, when you jump out from there, you experience who you are and what you truly thirsting.<\p>

My quest then became: How do I come from my Hidden Essence? How do I practice "that" and tower "that" in my life? <\p>

Now, better self could good feeling, well, you already "are that," in fact, that is who you are, a great deal what's there to bring to test? While there's some truth there, it's also true that we forget and that we can grow in remembrance, understanding, and realization. That became my quest. This look up took me into T'ai Chi, Qigong invocation, Kriya Yoga, HeartMath, Bio-feedback, Reiki, and voluminous other arts and techniques. Through this excursion, I found a way into witling together what I learned in a daily cramming that shifts me into an integral Essence know of increased awareness and hegemonic internal energy. I've discovered that, when "THE SELF come from there," groundling unfolds in the giveaway cardinal ways. <\p>

If you'd like en route to get hold of more about this special technique, follow at heel the link in the Resource Box below.<\p>

Eat up your raising!<\p>

#integrated essence experience #first experience happened #life unfolds #first insight #second experience #current experience #experience happened #possible experiences #last class #heightened awareness #experience things #experiences seem #two insights #loving presence #essential experience #experiences result #essence experience #first experience

•18+ Adults Only

Watch Anya Live on Cam

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.

✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality

Anya is LIVE right now

FREE

Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming

Auroras Boreales

Tonight In Calgary, One of the most awe-inspiring phenomena this world has to offer! Unfortunately the light pollution decreases visibility :\ ... but even so these eyes will never forget the dance in the sky.

#Auroras Boreales #Calgary #Spiritual #Breathtaking #Second Experience

Holy Spirit: My Experience and Theology with Him

Personal Testimony of the Holy Spirit To be Pentecostal or Charismatic in denomination is to have an encounter with the Holy Spirit that resembles empowerment. My upbringing in religious practice was anything but foreign when speaking about the experiential charismata of the Holy Spirit. This was due to growing up Catholic then being baptized by sprinkled water as an evangelical Lutheran. It wasn’t until summer of 1996, where I felt the presence of something greater and grander than myself. After worshipping God in a room full of hungry for life and not knowing where to belong, whether to hell or heaven kind of teens, I walked outside and for the first time sensed both in my body and in my inner being the thick awareness of His Spirit everywhere. The moment was imprinted forever in my mind and soon transpired into a further longing of my heart. After going through several years of frustration within my walk alongside God and finishing High School, I found the pressures, which ensued upon me, required another revival in my life. Unknowing of any kind of “spiritual baptism” I sought out the Lord during worship. What began as a simple hearted pursuit ended in a delirious laughter including dancing, crying and a fresh declaration of asking God for more of himself. When entering into the time of the message, a strange occurrence of the pastor stating a joke and the Lord God Himself speaking literally with his voice into my ears happened in the same moment culminating in joyful laughter. The words still resonate throughout my being today saying, “Isn’t funny, how you have been searching for me and I have been here along?” Following the service I was blessed with the gift of my own personal spiritual language. Unable to contain this joy, I spoke for the next two hours in tongues. Three pages later and several testimonial exhortations to anyone I could find at Church were all inspired by the spirit of joy for these new gifts which had yet to be opened. Since then I have often worked in the gift of prophecy and healing. Rare occasions of the gift of interpretation of tongues have manifested in prayer also. The Person of The Holy Spirit The most common misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit begins in His ontological nature and position in the Trinity. It is more common to see the Holy Spirit as a kind of “force” by excluding personal attributes from the third person of the God-head. This difficulty most likely comes from the Hebrew word ruah and the New Testament equivalent called pneuma. Generally speaking, the word ruah has been known to be feminine in gender on occasion while pneuma is grammatically neuter in the Greek whereby with most neuter words, not being male or female, the pronoun “it” is utilized in the text. Any pronoun will do in regards to the neuter word for Spirit, yet the scriptures seem to speak ambiguously about the person and gender of the Holy Spirit in comparison to such roles in the Trinity as the Father or Son. Therefore, the question to ponder might be “why make use of the personal pronoun “he” rather than the impersonal “it” when speaking of the Holy Spirit?” To better look at the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments, it would suit the study of His person in light of a more systematic approach. Systematic theology is a process that “attempts to relate the various portions to one another to coalesce the varied teachings into some type of harmonious or coherent whole.” The Holy Spirit resembles personhood through the exemplification of his will, display of intelligence, and feelings. At the annunciation of Paul and Barnabas being set apart for the ministry, the Holy Spirit speaks i.e. “The Spirit said to Philip…” (Acts 8:29) and also in Acts 10:19 where “the Spirit said to him…”, in reference Peter. Another reference to the Holy Spirit displaying intelligence is in Acts 28:25 saying, “The Holy Spirit was right in saying…” Secondly, the Holy Spirit reflects in the scriptures as having a will. The Holy Spirit constrained Paul and Timothy as they attempted to cross into Asia and Bithynia in Acts 16:6 and in verse 7 saying, “ the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” An example in the Old Testament of the Spirit’s will resisting man’s will is told in Genesis 6:3 saying, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.” The Holy Spirit experiences emotion in being grieved and will “cease to bring blessing in a situation” . Along with practicing sin there comes the unique expression of the Holy Spirit called “grieving” or “quenching”. One of these first instances is exclaimed by the prophet Isaiah saying, “They reveled and grieved his Holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:10). Stephan’s response to the Pharisees in Acts 7:51 is in the use of the words “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (emphasis mine). The result of that resistance is found in Paul’s exhortation to “not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” (Acts 4:30). In viewing the covenant God and our relationship to him, Paul warns the Corinthians to never give over the bodies to prostitution because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit thus signifying that those who are in Christ are not their own and their bodies belong to God (1 Cor.6: 19-20). By being God’s possession through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Paul warns to never quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19). This quenching of the fire, in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, is similar to what is described in Song of Solomon 5:6 saying, “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.” These words describe the sensation of the Holy Spirit when man rejects him or resists his to movement. Therefore, the Holy Spirit experiences emotion that is associated with grief and rejection. The Third Person of The Trinity It’s important to recognize the value of the Holy Spirit as divine. In Acts 5:3-4; Peter rebukes Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit Himself by keeping part of the price of the land selfishly. Peter goes on to say, “You have not lied to men but to God.” This equation of lying to the Holy Spirit, as equivalent to lying to God is evidence of His identity being of one substance with God. Even such a thing as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is deemed as the unforgivable sin and thus unforgivable because it is a cursing of God. The Spirit is also omnipresent, or in every place. His presence dwells even in the “bed of hell” (Ps. 139:7-8). The Spirit is omniscient, meaning that he knows all. This distinction of the Holy Spirit is clearly attribute of God and reveals that “no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God”, especially not any man (1 Cor. 2:10-11). The Personhood of the Spirit as Creator A strong component of divinity resides in whether the Holy Spirit is omnipotent that is, all-powerful. The Holy Spirit’s most clear display of omnipotence is in his act of creation. In the beginning of all creation, found in Genesis 1:2, the Spirit or ruah is seen as “hovering over the face of the waters.” The word ruah means, “blowing” while the Greek equivalent, pneuma parallels such non-active words as “breath,” “air,” “wind,” or “soul.” The key to understanding the Spirit as Creator is His act of breathing out the living Logos. It is the Word and the Spirit conjoined and interlocked who stewards creation by fashioning something out of nothing (2 Cor. 3:17,18). An example of this divergence of the word of God by the Holy Spirit is in Mary’s conception of Jesus found in Luke 1:35. This unification of the Spirit of God and the Son of God Jesus Christ, do not create apart from each other’s ontology but function in partnership with one another. John states, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). Paul states in Colossians 1:16-17, that all of creation both “visible and invisible” were created through Jesus Christ who existed with the Father and the Spirit before creation. The same phraseology in Genesis 1:2, describes the Spirit of God resting and hovering over Mary. This is symbolic of creation as “soon to take place”. Jesus, the Logos, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, representing the role of the Spirit in creation. This idea progresses in the New Testament as Jesus, the living Word, after being the gift from the Spirit as the messiah to mankind, breaths the Holy Spirit onto His disciples saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn. 20:19). Jesus action in this scripture, is not releasing the baptism of the Holy Spirit but an inauguration of the New Creation. The role of the Holy Spirit in creation is seen primarily through two distinct images. The first image is that of a dove in Genesis 8:6-12. The Spirit resembles the nature of God to create new things after judgment is executed. This same kind of imagery is also found in Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22). The dove coming to rest on the shoulder of Jesus in being baptized and the revelation of God the Father’s approval is a representation of Jesus’ anointing to “proclaim that the world will be made anew beginning with the baptism of Jesus.” The dove also symbolizes messianic time and new creation). The second image is that of a contradictor or builder of the Church of Christ. The Spirit creates a whole structure of saints and builds them into the household of God in being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). It is by the Spirit, God inaugurates a new creation and it is by the Spirit, God joins this new creation into a house for Him to dwell. The Spirit of Providence in Creation Finally, the Holy Spirit is part of the divine headship in that He sustains and governs all things within creation. Psalm 26 and 104 describe the expression of God’s hesed, or lovingkindess, in setting “the earth on its foundations” (Ps. 104:5). The psalmist continues to speak of God’s hesed to not only create, but to sustain in saying, “From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work” (v.13). The whole earth is taken into the Spirit’s care petitioning for their needs “seeking their food from God.” (v.14-28). However, if the Spirit of God removes his “face, they are dismayed” and when He sends forth His “Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground” (v.29-30). Another reference to the result of God’s sustaining Spirit is in Job 34:14-15 saying, “If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.” Thus, God’s Spirit is sent to fulfill his role by providentially creating and sustaining nature along with those who in abide in it. The Work of The Holy Spirit Empowerment for Service in the Old Testament The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of enablement for service. The Spirit of the Lord was poured out in action upon the artisans for the designing of the building of the Temple saying to Moses, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and all craftsmanship,” (Ex. 31:3-5). The Holy Spirit first sets Himself upon the artisan Bezalel, for the purpose of a specific task. The Spirit of God was also given to Moses and the chosen elders to leader over the Israelites in Numbers 11:17 saying, “I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them,” (emphasis mine). The Holy Spirit also came upon the judges of Israel’s time with empowerment to enable them for an otherwise, impossible task. Upon Gideon, the Spirit of God came with power saying, “The Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon,” (Judges 6:34) and of Othniel (3:10) and Jephthah (11:29). However, the most outrageous work and thus identifiable of the Holy Spirit is in the life of Samson. In three separate occasions, Samson had “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him” (14:6, 19; 15:14). When the Spirit came upon Samson he was capable of doing incredible events even ripping apart a lion with his bare hands. Empowerment of Service in the Life of Jesus Beginning with Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16, he is anointed in John 1:32, “full of the Holy Spirit” before going into the wilderness in Luke 4:1 and “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee” (Luke 4:14). Pinnock suggests that Jesus’ baptism and entering into the wilderness “meant he was endowed with power and equipped for mission.” Jesus first proclaims the gospel of Isaiah 61 to “preach the good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18-19). The mission of Jesus extended to “his subsequent miracles as he cast out demons with a word and healed all who came to him” (Luke 4:36, 40-41). Unlike the Old Testament examples of Saul and Samson in Judges 16:20 and 1 Samuel 16:14, Jesus had an anointing of the Holy Spirit “without measure” and the Spirit “remained on him” (John 3:34-35; John 1:32). Jesus could not perform miracles, proclamation of the gospel, nor the preparatory years to his ministry without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Paul saw Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, as coming in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). Pinnock seems to indicate that this verse pertains to Jesus actually carrying in himself the sinful nature, yet he remains sinless because of his obedience and ultimately his reliance on the Holy Spirit not upon his deity. I agree that Christ put aside his divinity and did not “grasp” equality with God (Phil. 2:6). I merely acknowledge his position as worthy of further study, as it would serve a good purpose of Christ being a representative for all mankind, however I have several contentions in light of pneumatology. First, though the possibility of Christ’s nature being corrupt as ours is would mean that Jesus would have to be all dependent on the Holy Spirit, in reference to His conception found in Luke 3:22, his nature would be in the same amount of question to the degree at which the Holy Spirit conceived the incarnate Christ. The nature of the Spirit is holy. If the Holy Spirit seeks to convict of sin in the world then how much more in depositing a holy nature in God incarnate. The fruit of the Spirit, with all the qualities of godly character would have likely been the composition of Jesus’ nature considering he was the seed that would destroy the Serpent’s head (Gal. 5:22-23; Gen.3:15). Paul’s understanding of Jesus submitting to God in taking the form of a servant never imposes the assumption that he took upon himself a sinful nature. Secondly, Jesus’ upbringing until the moment of his baptism was seen in the Father’s eyes as “well pleased” because of his Sonship before the baptism (John 1:32). In John 6:27, this image of the Holy Spirit representing the seal of the Father’s approval is apparent. Jesus’ dependence on the Spirit rather than his divinity reveals the authenticity of “the Christ” to do work that is God empowered even in Christ’s resurrection and glorification by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit in Salvation One of the most fundamental attributes of God’s nature is in his action to find man. More specifically God seeks. This descriptive nature of God is seen in Job’s telling of God as a lion saying, “And were my lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion” (Job 10:16). Within this action to seek out man there is the omnipresent aspect of the Holy Spirit also (Ps.139:7). The Holy Spirit sees and seeks. This action of seeking also comes from Genesis 3, in which God asks man, “Where are you?” (v.9). The Spirit walking through out the cool of the day pursued man in the place of his shame. God remains constant in this scripture. In the New Testament, Jesus tells of the Holy Spirit working in the world to bring about his desired results. Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit man cannot come to his own realization for a Savior or the power to be saved. The Holy Spirit comes to witness Jesus to the world in three ways. He does this by convicting the world of sin, righteousness and the coming judgment (John 16:8-11). Regeneration The Holy Spirit after gathering sinners to the Savior in Jesus Christ requires that they are reborn. We have a “spiritual impotence” before being reborn as described vividly in Ephesians 2:1-5. Yet, God is rich in mercy and bestows grace before our rebirth leading us to agreement with God and enabling us to say “yes” by the power and working liberty of the Holy Spirit prior to the event of regeneration. Though I am not Reformed in my theology I find the work of the Holy Spirit in “Monergism” to be sound. Sproul argues against free-will theists saying, “But telling a man to choose rebirth is like exhorting a corpse to choose resurrection.” It is only by the saving work of God that a sinner who’s spirit cannot relate to the Spirit of God, which he becomes saved. Regeneration is a necessity in entering the Kingdom and it is the Spirit’s responsibility to give life since our flesh profits nothing (John 3:5-7; 6:23). The Spirit and The Church Illumination The Spirit teaches those who are alive in Christ the word of God. The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the very words of Christ (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit also guides His people into all that is considered by God as truth (John 16:13). Paul makes a distinction between the spiritual man and the unspiritual man saying that the “spiritual man judges all things” (1 Cor. 2:14-15). The Holy Spirit enables man to understand the word of God. The action of God in outpouring the Holy Spirit on the Word is God’s revelation to us of which this revelation is freedom. Karl Barth states, “The one true God and Lord Himself, in the ‘person’ of the Holy Spirit, is His own state of revealedness for us.” Examples of prayers for illumination include Psalm 119:18 and Ephesians 1:17:19. The Spirit in Worship The Spirit is One who unifies and provides a Godlike atmosphere in manifesting His presence. In the Church’s worship, the Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5; 15:30). By the Holy Spirit he delivers peace and not confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). The Holy Spirit brings unity and glory (Eph. 4:3; 2 Cor. 3:8). When believers are “walking in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4), the Lord entrust gifts to the body of Christ for the purpose of edification (1 Cor. 12:11). Baptism Spirit baptism should be seen both individually and corporately. Rediscovered in ecumenical ecclesiology is the term koinonia. Koinonia describes a church that reflects the relationship of the Triune God. In Spirit Baptism the Church is enabled to “participate in the liberating reign of God evident in Jesus’ ministry through Spirit baptism.” Spirit baptism in light of ecclesiology has a supported reference in Luke’s account in Acts 1:3-8 which builds the context for Spirit baptism as the establishment of the Kingdom. As a single experience it is necessary for the believer, not for salvation, but for being an empowered witness of Jesus and his kingdom to the world. James D.G. Dunn argues well that the “decisive gift of the Spirit which makes a man a Christian and without which he is no Christian comes neither before nor after conversion but in conversion.” The nature of being filled with the Spirit is necessary in regeneration (Acts 2:4; John 3:5-7), however I also believe the baptism experience as Jesus describes (Matt. 3:11) was not an “intensification of an inward spiritual presence: it was a divine visitation in fullness.” Therefore the fullness of the gospel is in the filling and overflowing experience of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of empowering the Church’s witness to the world. Conclusion The Holy Spirit is not just some kind of “force” but a real person of the divine Trinity. He is a person in the sense that he has a will, experiences grief form his creation’s sin and displays intelligence. He is also God in creating alongside the Logos, Jesus Christ, and is given forth from the Father. The Holy Spirit works in the Church till this day giving his spiritual gifts to edify. Spiritual baptism is for today and I would argue is necessary for the witness of the Church to be impactful in a world gone corrupt and unclean. I understand that this is merely an attempt to speak on such a massive work, yet I look forward to growing more in this study of pneumatology. Resources Clark H. Pinnock, Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 15. Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology: Second Ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 23. J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology: Salvation, the Holy Spirit, and Christian Living (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity, 1990), 151. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 647. R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of The Holy Spirit (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale Publishers Inc., 1990), 27. Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 25. Jonathan Huntzinger, “Images of the Spirit and Creation,” (lecture presented at THE449 The Holy Spirit, Van Nuys, C.A., April 5, 2007), The King’s College and Seminary, Van Nuys, C.A.

#Holy Spirit #Theology #Baptism #Second Experience #God