Tag: God’s presence

From Frayed TENTS to Forever HOMES: The Glorious Truth That DEATH Is Not Our End

A Soul-Stirring Feast of Hope and Truth

Picture a weathered tent, its canvas patched with love, swaying under a starlit sky. The wind whispers through its tears, and inside, a faint glow flickers—a soul, a spark, a life. That’s you and me, dwelling in fragile shelters of flesh, tethered to a fallen earth. I was once in a tent so tattered, so dark, I wasn’t living at all—I was dead. Not a poet’s metaphor, but a raw, biblical truth: cut off from God, the Source of all life, drowning in chaos that tasted like a foretaste of hell. Yet, from that darkness, I stumbled into a truth so radiant it set my soul ablaze: in Christ, we don’t die. We were dead once, trapped in sin’s shadow, but now we’re alive forever. When our tents fray and fold, we don’t perish—we step into a forever home, wrapped in the arms of Love Himself. Come, feast on this life-altering truth that silences fear and fills your heart with unshakable hope.

The Empty Tent: A Life That Wasn’t

Close your eyes and imagine a barren field, a lone tent sagging under the weight of a storm. No fire warms its interior, no laughter echoes within—just cold, empty silence. That was my life before Christ. The Bible calls it “nekros” (νεκρός)—spiritual death, the condition of a soul severed from God, the very Giver of life (Ephesians 2:1). Through Adam’s fall, sin unleashed “thanatos”, (θάνατος) a shadow that cloaked the world in death’s grip. Simply put, the reign of death, a shadow stretching over all creation (Romans 5:12). I walked, I breathed, I chased dreams, but my tent was a husk, my soul adrift in a wasteland of despair. Have you felt it? That ache, that hollow whisper that life should be more? It’s not life—it’s the absence of the One who is Life.

This isn’t a new warning—it echoes from the dawn of time. In Genesis 2:17, God told Adam, “Dying you shall die” (“mot tamut” in Hebrew, translated as “thanatō apothaneisthe” in Greek), a stark promise that turning from God’s way leads to death. Paul picks up this ancient thread in Romans 8:13: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die (apothnēskete),” using the same Greek root, “apothnēskō”, to warn of a slow dying—a life disconnected from God’s Spirit, drifting toward corruption. It’s not just a future end; it’s a present condition, a tent crumbling under the weight of sin’s storm. Yet, even in this sobering truth, God’s mercy shines. He saw our empty tents, our hearts starved for meaning, and He didn’t turn away. Like a father tending a shivering child, He prepared a feast of life, ready to fill our tents with His presence. This is no dry doctrine—it’s a love song, calling us home.

Yet, even in that darkness, God’s love was weaving a story. He saw our empty tents, our hearts starved for meaning, and He didn’t turn away. Like a father tending a shivering child, He prepared a feast of life, ready to fill our tents with His presence. This is no dry doctrine—it’s a love song, calling us home.

The Fire Within: God’s Life Lights the Tent

Then came the moment that changed everything, like a sunrise bursting through a stormy night. Jesus, the Word who “tabernacled among us” (John 1:14), sent His Spirit to kindle a fire in my tattered tent. The Greek word “zōē” (ζωή) captures it—God’s vibrant, eternal life, pulsing through my soul. The Bible declares, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life” (1 John 5:12). I was dead once, lost in “nekros”, but Christ’s touch was a resurrection. I passed from death to life (John 5:24), my tent now glowing with the warmth of His Spirit.

Imagine a weary traveler, shivering in a leaky tent, suddenly finding a fire roaring inside, its light spilling through every seam. That’s what it’s like to be a tabernacle for God’s presence. Once, God dwelt in a tent among Israel (Exodus 25–40); now, His Spirit pitches His tent in us, making us alive, whole, cherished. This is the heart of the gospel: God doesn’t just mend our broken tents—He moves in, turning our frail shelters into sacred homes.

The Great Homecoming: Folding the Tent, Stepping into Glory

The world calls it dying, but Scripture paints a different picture. The Greek word “apothnēskō” (ἀποθνῄσκω) means “to die off,” but for believers, it’s not death—it’s a homecoming. Our bodies, these earthly tents (skēnos – σκῆνος), are temporary, woven from a fallen earth, prone to fray and fade (Romans 8:10). When they wear out, we don’t vanish. Paul says it best: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Jesus seals the promise: “He who believes in Me will never die” (John 11:26). We were dead once, but now we’re alive forever, and “apothnēskō” is just folding the tent to step into a forever home.

And what does this homecoming mean for those in Christ? The Apostle Paul captures it with breathtaking clarity in Philippians 1:21: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” In Greek, the word for “to die” here is “ἀποθανεῖν” (apothnēskō), a decisive act of departure, not just the heart stopping but a crossing over from one realm to another. It’s the moment the frayed tent of our body (skēnos) is folded, and we step into the fullness of Christ’s presence. Paul’s words—”τὸ ζῆν Χριστός καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος”—ring with stark beauty: to live is to bask in Christ’s life (zōē), and to depart is to gain something far greater, a radiant home where every tear is wiped away. Like a traveler leaving a windswept tent for a palace aglow with love, “apothnēskō” is not loss—it’s the ultimate gain, a banquet table set in glory.

Yet, Paul also offers a sobering reminder: our choices in this tent matter. In 1 Corinthians 11:30, he warns that some believers, by partaking unworthily in the Lord’s Supper, became “weak and sickly, and many sleep”—a gentle term for premature “apothnēskō”, a physical departure hastened by spiritual misalignment. Living out of step with God’s Spirit can fray our tent sooner, through sickness or calamity, echoing the warning of Romans 8:13. But even this is not the end for those in Christ. The Spirit within us, the same that raised Jesus from the dead, holds the promise of restoration (Romans 8:11). Our homecoming, whether now or later, is secure in Him.

But rest assured—our salvation in Christ is a fortress, unshaken by fleeting failures. Only a deliberate rejection, as grave as Judas’ betrayal, embracing a false spirit, or blaspheming the Holy Spirit, severs that bond (Matthew 12:31–32). Consider the Israelites in the desert: their stubborn refusal to trust God’s promise led to their destruction, not mere fleshly missteps, but a heart hardened against Him (Numbers 14:11, Hebrews 3:19; 6:4). Yet for believers, even when we stumble, God’s grace prevails. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:5, delivered a wayward believer’s body to affliction, not to condemn but to save their soul for the Lord’s day. Our choices may fray our tent sooner—through sickness or calamity, as Paul warned (1 Corinthians 11:30)—but the Spirit within, the same that raised Jesus from the dead, guards our eternal homecoming (Romans 8:11). For those who hold fast to Christ, no misstep steals the promise of glory. His love is a feast, sustaining us through every storm.

Picture a child outgrowing a beloved treehouse, its boards weathered and creaking. Would you mourn the treehouse when they move into a radiant mansion, filled with laughter and love? So why weep for a believer’s tent when it folds? If they’re in Christ, they’re not gone—they’re home, basking in the warmth of their Savior’s embrace. And here’s the feast of hope: if Christ returns, those of us still in these tents will be transformed in a heartbeat, our frail bodies made glorious like His (Philippians 3:21). The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, ready to quicken our mortal frames (Romans 8:11). It’s not an end—it’s a glorious beginning, a table set for eternity.

A Feast of Joy in the Face of Grief

Yes, parting with loved ones leaves a pang in our hearts. The absence of their familiar tent, their smile, their voice, feels like a storm tearing through our own. But here’s the truth that turns tears to joy: they’re not lost. If they’re in Christ, they’re more alive than ever, feasting at the Lord’s table, wrapped in His love. We don’t grieve like those “who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13), because our separation is temporary, a brief pause before the grand reunion. Imagine it: one day, we’ll join them in tents that never tear, in a home where every seat at the table is filled with joy.

This truth isn’t just for scholars or preachers—it’s a banquet for every hungry heart. It silences the lie that death is a cold, final curtain. It reminds us we were dead once, trapped in “thanatos’s shadow, but Christ’s love has made us alive. Every breath, every moment, is a taste of eternity, a foretaste of the feast awaiting us. And when our tents fray, we don’t fade—we step into the fullness of God’s presence.

A Call to Feast and Share the Light

So, let’s feast on this truth today. Live like your tent is ablaze with God’s fire, every moment a chance to love, to shine, to share. Don’t fear the wind that frays your canvas—it can’t snuff out the life Christ has kindled. Tell someone this good news: “We don’t die—we move to a forever home.” Let this truth be your daily bread, nourishing your soul, silencing fear, and filling you with joy. Like a warm meal shared with friends, this hope is meant to be passed around, lighting up every heart it touches.

The tragedy isn’t when the tent folds—it’s when it stands empty. In Jesus, it never will. Come, feast on the promise of life eternal, and let your soul sing with hope.

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Discerning the Priority between GOD’S PRESENCE and ANOINTING”

“The Search Within: Discerning the Priority between GOD’S PRESENCE and ANOINTING”

Seek the ANOINTING/BAPTISM of the Holy Ghost or His presence!

Recently, I finished reading Dr. David Feddes’ book “Seeking God’s Face,” and I think you would find it helpful as well. Instead of focusing on the Holy Ghost baptism and other experiences you might desire, I would counsel you to fix your eyes on Jesus Christ, who is the provenance of life or the wellspring. Give all of it to God in prayer as you set your mind on the word of God and Jesus Christ. What you lack, He will supply. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32/Matthew 7:11) And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22).

Things that we must be aware of:

  1. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us (1 John 5:14) – In Christ Jesus, has not the heavenly Father bestowed upon us all spiritual blessings? – Ephesians 1:3 – If so, we may approach God with confidence and ask for whatever He has given us or has shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (i.e. to satisfy the longing that God has placed in you). The desire and spiritual fervour that arise in us after accepting Christ is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit of God within us. Although you cannot expect to bear fruit immediately after birth, what we have received from God through His Spirit is in the shape of a seed that will eventually bear fruit. It is the effect of Christ living in us. For it is God which works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). However, not all those called are chosen or gets designated – Matthew 22:14. Why? Many of the called, who try to build themselves up in accordance with this world will fall short. According to his own labour, each person will be rewarded individually – 1 Corinthians 3:8.                                                                                                                    Many are found slothful – Proverbs 12:24,27/15:19/ 18:9/19:15,24/21:25/ 22:13/24:30/26:13-15/Ecclesiastes 10:18/Matthew 25:26/Romans 12:11/ Hebrews 6:12. When the world’s cares, deceitfulness of wealth, pleasures of this life, and other desires are allowed to take control, the incorruptible word received in the heart – 1Peter 1:23/Luke 8:11, gets choked/ strangled and thus become unproductive/ brings no fruit to perfection – Matthew 13:22/Mark 4:19/ Luke 8:13. When the sun was up (when afflictions, trials come for the word sake’s – Mark 4:17), it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away (Mark 4:6) – the devil comes, and taketh away the word out of their hearts (Luke 8:12). That is why the circumcision of the heart or sanctification of the Spirit is crucial in a Christian’s life – 1Thessalonians 4:3/Galatians 5:24/2 Corinthians 7:1/Romans 2:29. But they that are after the Spirit they mind the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5) – they labour for the spiritual meat (John 6:27) – they have set their affection on the things above, not on things on the earth – Colossians 3:2. They live to please God and not man. They choose to suffer affliction and bear the reproach of Christ than procuring a name for themselves in this world – Hebrews 11:24-27/Romans 8: 17/1Peter 4:13.
  2. And IF WE KNOW that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him (1 John 5:15).
  3. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that waver is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:6-8).
  4. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Example: Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4:20) – and we ought to walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham (Romans 4:12).

Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:4) – But do we really want to wait? It takes trials/trying of our faith/fiery trials to work (accomplish) patience – Romans 5:3/ James 1:3/1Peter 4:12 –  in other words, to develop patience, we must go through difficulties, tests of our faith, and fiery trials. In this body we do groan – 2 Corinthians 5:2 – for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1). Godly sorrow is vital, by which we partake of God’s holiness and the divine nature. If we endure chastening of the Lord, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:5-11/2 Corinthians 7:9,10/2 Peter 1:4). In your patience possess ye your souls – (Luke 21:19). Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience (Makrothumia – a courageous endurance that defies evil). Behold, we count them happy which endure (hupomone – The word ‘hupo’ at the beginning means under, and ‘meno’ means to stay or to remain – putting up with things or circumstances, remaining under, not trying to escape the trials). Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy – James 5:10,11.

Christianity void of any suffering is a sham.

When the moment comes for you to receive, He will fill your heart with faith. For without ‘faith’ we cannot access the spiritual realm as we intend. And faith, cannot be summoned up as many presume but it comes from God – Galatians 3:23/2 Peter 1:1/Romans 12:6. A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven (John 3:27). God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith – Romans 12:3 – the spirit of faith – 2 Corinthians 4:13.

Long for his abiding presence, and when you have him, you will lack no good thing. In His presence is fulness of joy – Psalms 16:11. We must labour according to the spirit until we come to that state of yearning for the Lord. But we must first work on ourselves by putting off the CORRUPT old man and consistently putting on the Lord (Ephesians 4:22/Romans 13:14) in order to achieve that condition of deep longing for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our flesh is a stronghold, which has a propensity to impede everything of the Spirit. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Galatians 5:17). That is why it is crucial to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts or mortify the deeds of the flesh – Galatians 5:24/Romans 8:13.

The Bible also teaches me to “Put on the Lord”. According to St. Chrysostom of Antioch, this expression was frequently used to denote someone who imitated another – 1Cor 11:1. To simply put, be ye followers of God (Eph 5:1). Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind (1 Peter 4:1).

The spirit of the Lord is the candle of the Lord – Pro 20:27 – and your belly is the area where your spirit-man dwells – John 7:38 – which after God is created – Eph 4:24. “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light – Luke 11:33. Examine whether this light of your spirit-man is shining or is obscured? If it seems sombre, that’s a sure sign of your spirit undergoing spiritual malnutrition (being neglected). We must feed him with the SINCERE (adolos – unadulterated – KJV) milk of the word of God that we may grow – 1Pet 2:2/Heb 5:13,14. Therefore see whether the light that is in you isn’t darkness – Luke 11:35. Let us work out/exert ourselves to keep this lamp burning – let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Cor 7:1).

Unfortunately, that is also where the sediments from the world that we have let to enter build, obstructing the deep reservoir’s fountain and allowing the spirits of the world to have a lawful place to live. Give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). We can only be freed from these dregs via the sanctification of the Spirit and the washing of the water by the word of God.

Despite our stance, we must believe and be conscious of the indwelling presence of His Spirit within us. Reckon that by the grace of God alone are we being saved–and not by our merits. For no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). The LORD God says I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1) – he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Believe it and do not ever become weary asking in prayer!

Reckon that, the precious Holy Ghost and we are partners. Aren’t we sealed with the holy Spirit of promise? Ephesians 1:13 That divine seal cannot be broken, can it? Can anything pierce that divine seal? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies (Rom 8:33).

When we try to do things on our own, it becomes a life of drudgery having no spirit, no vibrancy, toiling all night, without any result – Luke 5:5. Let’s be sincere and ask ourselves often, do we allow the Spirit to do His work in us? First off, we must believe that He dwells in us (Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his – Rom 8:9); but if you still think that you do not have the Spirit unless you have an overwhelming experience, then it would be impossible to experience anything at all. I do not blame you for your confusion; even I too was once in a confused state. Sadly the Christendom is not only become a domain where the Spirit of the Lord is but also a domain where the spirit of falsehood is, to deceive, to confuse, to disorient, to distort the truth of the word (2 Cor 11:13-15/Matt 13:25,26/24:11/1John 4:1). It has made millions of believers inept and in bondage.

There were times when I was asking God to anoint me. My pleading went on for years and one fine evening while I was strolling in my garden and praying, suddenly I heard an audible thundering sound that sent chills down my spine – the voice said, you don’t know what you are asking for. I knew what the Lord meant when he spoke. Since then I stopped asking the Lord to anoint me; but the Lord through His Spirit began to give me knowledge regarding it and instead of waiting to receive, he taught me how to extract it from my already blessed inner man in Christ.

He is a good father and will not deprive you of anything, but are you prepared to accept? Or do you prefer to maintain both your feet firmly planted in the Spirit and the world? You cannot serve two masters – either you will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other (Matthew 6:24). Is your life worth squandering? He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25). For the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:16). We must follow the manufactures manual only, which is the Bible and not man’s theology.

Because we carry a fallen self, it limits God, so to speak. We are to be blamed for the lack–and God is ever willing–but we limit Him. But there is coming an age where He will wipe all our tears away and you shall see Him face to face and this vile body in which we groan and struggle daily – he will transform it like unto his glorious body – Phil 3:21/Rom 8:18-23

In a sense, God is constrained by our fallen selves. While God is always willing, we are to fault for the deficiency because we put boundaries on Him. According to Phil 3:21 and Rom 8:18–23, there will come a day when He will wipe away all of our tears, and we shall not only see Him face to face but also shall be like Him; and this vile body in which we groan and struggle daily – he will transform it like unto his glorious body – 1 John 3:2.

That doesn’t mean God will withhold any deliverance and healing to take place in this life – but God has His own timing and season, and we must patiently endure unto the end for our Salvation. Allow Him to complete/fulfil further/do/finish/perfect (epiteleo) that good work which he hath begun in us (nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me) – Phil 1:6/Gal 2:20. Let us pass the time of our sojourning in fear, lest we tempt (provoke Christ) or murmur (harbour grumblings) in the heart against Christ, and fall away (depart from Him) like Israel did in the wilderness – Psalm 78:17,18/106:25/1Cor 10:9,10/1Pet 1:17/Isaiah 63:10. They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert (Psalm 78:17,18/106:14/Numbers 11:34/ 1Corinthians 10:5-11). They were dissatisfied with God’s daily provision. They were gluttonous. You know what they said? Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? (Psalm 78:17-19) I seriously doubt that many of us are similar to them in many ways. How many of us have displeased Him at various times, yet we have been spared by God’s grace? Let us therefore serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear – Hebrews 12:28.

Sometime back I remember telling my wife, I am going through a dry season and my being continually longs to be saturated with Christ and I can’t wait for him to come and take his bride away from this evil world. The Scripture comforts with the fact that he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit (1 Cor 6:17). For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? (1 Thess 2:19) When we set our minds on things above, everything of this world that pulls us down becomes less and less distracting.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16) If this is the case, why would you think that God is far from you and is not concerned about you? Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you – 1Pet 5:7. I strongly believe you will have your answers someday if you believe. Abraham staggered not through unbelief – Rom 4:20. Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men (mere mortals)(know that ye are born of God – Know ye, not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Corinthians 13:5), be strong (1 Cor 16:13)(but be ye strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man – Eph 3:16). Keep the faith – 2Tim 4:7 – when things seems lacklustre – it might be a test to prove us. Our faith will be tried – James 1:3/1Pet 1:6,7. The fact that we are conversing at all is itself proof of God’s love and grace for you. When it seems to your mind that you are walking alone, know that you are trying to find him with your natural mind. Our natural mind always want experiences to gratify it. It has a propensity to murmur, to disbelief, to quit on God – 1Cor 10 – for it is an agent of the devil until you bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ – 2Cor 10:5. But only with your spiritual eyes or by faith can you perceive Him. Do not try to analyze spiritual things with your mind and speculate. Our minds are comparable to the city of “Jerusalem” that the adversary has been fighting for, for centuries. He who has the control of the mind controls the whole being. If the devil can penetrate the mind, he will have the dominance; but if we let the word of Christ pervade our minds (gird up the loins of your mind – 1 Peter 1:13 – loins girt about with truth – Ephesians 6:14), we thus let the Holy Spirit have total sway. When we were without Christ we lived according to the lusts of our minds – but now we are redeemed and we’ve been instructed to renew the spirit of our minds – Eph 4:23/Rom 12:2 – and make it subject to the spirit-man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness – Eph 4:24.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man (mature in spirit/understanding), I put away childish things (1 Cor 13:11).

If I look back into my life, I can see how much of my prayer life has evolved – the language, the mindset, everything is different now than the time of my spiritual birth stages. The more you know God or rather gain knowledge of God and His Son, your words would wane and become few – replacing with groaning, which cannot be uttered – the Spirit takes over and intercedes for us – Rom 8:26. You begin to be led by the Spirit – worship, prayer and everything else He takes over and makes it more internal and personal. His yoke is easy and his burden light – Matt 11:30.

When spiritual things become chores and lacks vibrancy know that it is not done in the Spirit. Self-reliance is the effect of the fall of man and it eventually would lead to self-exaltation. Christian trying to lead a spiritual life by their natural man, which is not subject to the law of God – Rom 8:7 – is the reason for all their spiritual degeneracy. The Corinthian church where the grace of God was abundantly poured upon – 1Cor 1:7 – by living after the natural mind instead of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ – Rom 13:14/Eph 4:24 – and thus was counted among the carnally oriented – 1Cor 3:1-3. The Galatian church, which had begun in the Spirit end up trying to be perfected by the flesh – Gal 3:3, thus they were subject to fail of the grace of God or fall from grace – Gal 5:4/Heb 12:15.

The saints of God who were so powerfully used by God between 1700 and 1900 didn’t have the gift of tongues (I meant ‘glossolalia’ and not ‘xenolalia’). To name a few, D.L Moody (one of the greatest evangelist’s ever lived), C.H. Spurgeon (Prince of preachers), Nelson Darby, Martin Luther, The Wesley’s, William Booth, George Whitfield, etc… the modern-day Billy Graham – yet they were mightily used by God (so I am told). If speaking in tongues is inevitable and is the evidence of Christ indwelling – all this evidence proves us wrong. How were they effective in prayer without the gift of tongues and turned the world upside down? Please note that I am not trying to trivializing the virtue of speaking in tongues; as I also exercise this grace often. Rather, I want to establish a truth a here.

We must understand that: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost are what the kingdom of God is all about – Rom 14:17. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Eph 5:9) – the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law – Gal 5:22-23. Do not measure your worth and spiritual standing with what you don’t have. If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of God in you, period. At the same time, I believe tongues do play a major role but not the only evidence of being Spirit-filled. The Corinthian church was endowed with all the gifts of the Spirit, yet they were still carnally inclined. This is demonstrated in 1Cor 5:1/3:1-3, which shows that being filled with the Spirit results in a change of heart and holy living rather than the possession of gifts.

I never spoke in tongues until few years back* (I had to patiently endure 27 years to understand that every born again believer is equipped to speak in tongues; but not everyone gets to speak for diverse reasons – God is not the author of confusion, but we (the natural mindset) and the devils are. All new-borns have the ability to communicate, isn’t that right? Similar to human spirits, those born of God have the ability to communicate), *but I can tell you I was filled with the Spirit many times and God did many miracles through my hands. Even though I had the joy of the Spirit in an overwhelming manner, in my mind, I too was not content until the Lord reprimanded me. You see, I can kind of relate to you. Righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost should be our foundation – Rom 14: 17. Know that, it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil 2:13) – Jesus said, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things soever he does, these also does the Son likewise (John 5:19). Paul said, by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Cor 15:10). He said For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me (Rom 15:18). He said also, Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily (Col 1:29). Scripture goes on to say, God will make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ (Heb 13:21). Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it (Phil 1:6). The effectual working of God’s power makes us effectually working members of His body – Eph 3:7/4:16. Of course, there is a labour that we put in, but the grace of God alone enables us to perform it. Grace = Empowerment.

It is imperative that we grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – 2 Pet 3:18 – The grace of our, Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit – Philemon 1:25. And we co-labour with God – 1Cor 3:9 – our total yielding to His Spirit and conformation to the word of God is crucial for God to build us up unto the image of His only begotten Son. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life – Phil 2:15-16.

I can only say that I labour here because of His effectual working in me and that I am able to do only that which Christ hath wrought in me. I have nothing to glory in. I depend on his grace and I constantly ask for more understanding and grace to do things, even to accomplish the least of the things pertaining to this life.

Except ye be converted, and become as little children (humble ourselves), ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven – Matt 18:3,4.

We too must become dependent on the Father to work out all spiritual things in us. The New-Testament prayer is done persistently – Eph 6:18 – Pray without ceasing – 1 Thess 5:17  – and that can be achieved only through the Spirit. The more we grow in the Lord, the less of us we become and our selfish language and words cease to be. You could sense your spirit in anguish and groaning without words, sometimes only tears – but the tears carry an enormous amount of words only God can decipher. The people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.                                                                            And God heard their GROANING – Exodus 2:23,24.

There is no doubt that God responds to ze’akah. In the Book of Exodus [22], he even commands, “Do not make the orphan or the widow cry out, for if they cry out (ze’akah – tsa`aq), my anger will burn against you, and you shall be destroyed.” “The voice of thy brother’s blood cries (ze’akah – tsa`aq) unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). God’s heart is greatly moved when he hears ze’akah. God will not put up with oppression or suffering of the weak, the defenceless, or the poor, thus he arrives with great wrath.

If the ministration of death/condemnation, was glorious – and God did hear Israel’s cries, and cared for them – How much more will He hear us, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit and are predestined unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will and are accepted in the beloved – Rom 8:23/Eph 1:5,6 – and have the ministration of the spirit, which excels in glory – 2 Cor 3:7-11!!! God must act on your behalf when He hears your ze’akah, when you cry out to Him.

Prayer according to God’s will is a supernatural activity, which come about within a person (work of the saving grace – praying in the spirit – the Spirit prays in us – Romans 8:26/1Corinthionas 14:14,15/Ephesians 6:18/1 John 5:14).

We are familiar with Mark 5’s account of a man who was possessed by an evil spirit and lived among the graves yet who no man could tame. The Lord gave me insight into it, and I now understand why Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 4:35, “Let us pass over unto the other side,” in the middle of his teaching by the sea was because the man who was possessed by legions, even though his body was under siege, his inner man yearned for his liberation – he cried within him to meet this man of Galilee, whom he had heard about – and Jesus sensed it.

There is a void in every human being where only God has access to, where no demons can take over – that part of this man yearned for the Son of man, and when Jesus heard him cry (ze’akah), he instantly withdrew from the crowd to set him free. This man’s life demonstrates a distinct aspect of praying.

Some use good words as prayer (with noble intentions) but have discordant hearts and minds. Furthermore, if the prayer is not swathed in faith it produces no result.

The key to having effective prayer has many aspects: First off, we should keep in mind that, God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Now we know that God hears not sinners (sinner means an unbeliever): but if any man be a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears – John 9:31 – And your Father knows what things ye have need of, before ye ask him – Matthew 6:8 – And if we know that he hears us (this is crucial – our mind plays an important role), whatsoever we ask (without doubting – 1Tim 2:8), we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him – 1 John 5:15 – But without faith, it is impossible to please him (for whatsoever is not of faith is sin – Rom 14:23): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb 11:6). Psalms 34:15  says The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.

To walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, and to be fruitful in every good work, and to increase in the knowledge of God; to be Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, we need to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1:9-11).

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13) Even though we have received the Spirit of adoption – Rom 8:15 – the continual supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ – Phil 1:19 – is indispensable – be continually filled with the Spirit – Eph 5:18. Be filled with the Spirit – STOP seeking baptism and focus on being filled, but how? Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – Eph 5:19-20 – Laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls – James 1:21 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you (sow to the Spirit – Gal 6:8) richly in all wisdom (we must, therefore, labour (ergazomai) for this meat – John 6:27); teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord – Col 3:16. If we ignore these truths and try other methods to be filled, I can tell you it will be futile and will be very dispirited at the end. Follow only the word of God.

The gift of tongues does help our prayer life. He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies (oikodomeo – expands/builds) himself (1 Cor 14:4). For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries (1 Cor 14:2) – building up (epoikodomeo – build thereupon) yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20).

One could maintain a healthy relationship with God even without the gift of tongues. But this gift can elevate you to another level in the spirit.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let, not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord – James 1:6-7. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see – Heb 11 – this faith must come from God – we cannot fabricate it. We can ask the Lord to increase our faith – Luke 17:5/2Cor 10:15.

Let us not be weary in well-doing (when it seems that God’s not responding): for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Gal 6:9) – with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Phil 4:6) – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance (Eph 6:18) – Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: WAIT, I say, on the Lord (Psalm 27:14) – Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let (allow/permit) patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing – James 1:3-4.

Let’s also investigate the baffling issue at hand. Does the Bible truly instruct us to seek the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or the Anointing, or be baptized in the holy Spirit, which many ministers of God coerce the believers into? I believe the words “Baptism” and “Anointing” are subject to the time when a person gets inducted into the body of Christ. It is the work of God to initiate him or her into the kingdom of Christ. God seals a soul by His eternal Spirit by way of quickening – Ephesians 1:13. By way of spiritual birth/regeneration – John 3:6,8 – God secures a soul or get possession of him/her as His own. He thus snatches the soul from the power of the enemy of the souls, which is Satan. He thus delivers us from the power of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Colossians 1:13). For ye are bought with a price – 1 Corinthians 6:20. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world – 1 John 4:4.

Now he which established us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21,22).

This verse stipulates four things that would take place during the initiation process.

  1. He established us – our hearts established with grace – Hebrews 13:9.
  2. He anointed us – ye have an unction from the Holy One – 1 John 2:20 – the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you – 1 John 2:27.
  3. He sealed us – sealed with that holy Spirit of promise – Ephesians 1:13.
  4. He gave us of His holy Spirit ­- have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father – Romans 8:15 – because we are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father – Galatians 4:6 – your body IS the temple of the Holy Ghost – 1 Corinthians 6:19 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God – Romans 8:14. How can we be led if we don’t have the Spirit of God? But if we have the Spirit of God and that God has already established, anointed, washed, sanctified, justified, and sealed us by and with the Spirit of God – 1 Corinthians 6:11, what is the logic behind seeking after it?

I have wasted many years seeking that which isn’t required by God. One time, God rebuked me for my ignorance. I was not only seeking that which the word of God did not accede to but I had no clue whatsoever about what I was asking for? I had acquired this understanding that I need to be baptized in the Spirit to receive anything from the Lord or to become legally entitled in Christ. Is that a fact?

The word of God enjoins us thus:

  • Be filled with the Spirit – Ephesians 5:18
  • Be filled with the fruits of righteousness – Philippians 1:11
  • Be filled with all the fulness of God – Ephesians 3:19
  • As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby – 1 Peter 2:2
  • Grow in grace – 2 Peter 3:18
  • Grow in faith – 2 Thessalonians 1:3/2 Corinthians 10:15
  • Stand fast in the faith – 1 Corinthians 16:13
  • Continue in the faith grounded and settled – Colossians 1:23
  • Be rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith – Colossians 2:7
  • Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life – 1 Timothy 6:12
  • Hold fast the faithful word – Titus 1:9
  • Let us go on unto perfection – Hebrews 6:1
  • Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing – Colossians 1:10
  • Ye bear much fruit – John 15:8
  • Be ye holy – 1 Peter 1:16
  • Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect – Matthew 5:48
  • Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed – Romans 12:2, etc….

How could we achieve all these stature without having the holy Spirit reigning in us? I couldn’t trace one single verse from the Scriptures, otherwise.

Things to know about Anointing/Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

  • There is only One Anointed person (Jesus Christ, Christos meaning, Anointed, i.e., the Messiah) – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power – Acts 10:38.
  • The anointing proceeds down to the body from the head, who is Christ, the Anointed one.
  • You should never refer to yourself as the Anointed One because that is the same as saying you are the Messiah.
  • As there is both an Inner and an Outer call of God, there is also an inner unction and an outer unction. One is for personal spiritual development and the other for service.
  • There is a corporate ‘anointing’- the Church as a body of believers.
  • We receive an anointing to build ourselves up when we come to Christ – the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you – 1 John 2:27 – this anointing or grace given is to grow in the spirit and to conform to God’s nature and holiness.
  • Outer call – Anointing to minister (grace/empowerment of God – 1Corinthians 15:10).
  • Baptised into one body by the Spirit – initiation into the body of believers/Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:13.
  • There is made available a deeper stage in the Spirit that one can have access to, but only few would reach that high calling of God in Christ (many are called but few are chosen – Matthew 22:14 – who would become the pillars of the Church – men who were mightily used by God). An enduement of power – Luke 24:49 – ye shall receive power (dunamis), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you – Acts 1:8. At new-birth, the Holy Spirit of Christ comes to dwell in us, but this enduement is the Holy Ghost coming UPON and resting on a person. When I washed my steps with butter (the word of God), and the rock (Christ) poured me out rivers of oil (Job 29:6) – waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over (Ezekiel 47:5). The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him – Acts 5:32 – out of his belly shall flow RIVERS of living water (John 7:38).

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing (Psalm 34:10) –

no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).

For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness (Psalm 107:9)