ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (01/21/91)
Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2.21. How is this possible? Because God has fulfilled that other prophecy of Joel, that "I will pour forth my spirit upon all flesh." Because the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon all mankind, the merest cry from the sinner to God is enough. Np preacher of the gospel is of much use unless he believes this. The Holy Spirit's proximity to the sinner is vital to our preaching. God in the heavens is to far beyond man's reach. but "Say not in thy heart, who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down:... The word is nigh thee." I always believe the Holy Spirit is upon a man when I preach Christ to him, just as He was upon the waters at creation. He is waiting to bring Christ into his life. His ministry is like the daylight. Open the window-shutters even a little, and it floods in and illuminates the whole interior. Let there be but a cry from the heart to God, and in that instant the Spirit enters and begins His transforming work of conviction, repentence and faith--the miracle of new birth. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole body, soul, and spirit be preserved blameless unto the coming or our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thes. 5:23. What! know ye not tht your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Cor. 6.19. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in reality. John 4:24. Man is composed of three parts, body (bios), soul (Psyche), and spirit (Pneuma). The body is the flesh, become flesh from Adam's fall. The soul consists of the mind, emotions, and will. The spirit consists of the conscience, intuition, and fellowship. Most Christians try and worship God from their souls. But this is not where God resides. Through transformation God is slowly moving from our spirit to our soul. But to worship God you must be in your spirit. As brother John says in Revelation, "I was in spirit on the Lord's day." To receive fellowship and vision from God we must be in our spirit. Now you ask, how do I get into my spirit, I have spent my entire life in my mind? "I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me oh God: incline thine hear unto to me, and hear my speech." Psalms 17:6. The easiset way to get into your spirit is to just call on the name of the Lord. Oh Lord Jesus. Oh Lord Jesus. Verbally, as the verse indicates. With calling the blood is automatically applied and you are transferred from your mind to your spirit. The early Christians were all ones that called on the name of the Lord in this verbal manner. "Then Anani'as answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil that he has done to the saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call on thy name." Acts 9:13-14. The Lord is trying to recover the normal Christian Church life in these days. May you become one "that calls on the name of the Lord, at every time and in every place." (reference forgotten). ----- Robert W. Johnson Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet) robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET) The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer and furthermore has nothing to do with my employment.