Welcome
The purpose of this book is to help you learn how to have a relationship with God such as you’ve never before known was possible. You will learn how to develop such a close relationship with Him that His presence becomes tangible. You will find He is not far off in Heaven somewhere; and He is more than just walking beside you; He is actually living within you. And this “living within” is more than just a theological concept; it is a tangible and perceptible presence that is real and life changing.
We refer to this experience of God living within us as “the Baptism of the Holy Spirit”. You will find this expression used in the Bible, as well as in the writing of many church forefathers. The Holy Spirit guides us into a relationship with our Lord that grows closer and closer until we reach our full potential as sons and daughters of God.
If you will commit to reading this entire book and will put into practice all you learn, you will find your relationship with God coming alive. You’ll find that He is with you every moment of the day. You’ll find a happiness and peace at a new and never-before-imagined level.
Present Truth for These Times
Those of us who have had the pleasure and good fortune to study in a “Tap Into God’s Power” (TIGPS) seminar have felt that it has brought us an understanding of the Holy Spirit such as we’ve never before had. We have felt privileged and thankful that God has blessed us in such a way. However, over the course of time it has become apparent that this isn’t just a local phenomenon for the uplifting of one or two congregations. It is not limited just to those of our church and our denomination. As seminar attendees have made travels to various places around the country and around the world we have received back very interesting reports. Many people tell us of visiting friends and family members in other states, and there finding church study groups discovering the same truths we’re learning here. Other people tell us of going on trips to Canada and there finding groups studying about the Holy Spirit. Yet other people tell of trips to South America and hearing people discussing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. And still others report the same experience while on trips to Europe. There are groups learning about the Holy Spirit worldwide!
God is revealing to people all around the world the importance at this time of understanding the meaning and purpose of the experience we’ve come to know as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We believe this message is the “present truth” for these times. We are indeed privileged that God has chosen to bless the TIGPS ministry and the congregations it serves with this great honor. We are seeing remarkable answers to prayer in our midst. We are hearing innumerable reports of miraculous healings. We are finding people coming closer to God than they ever thought possible. These events are being acknowledged by church leaders at all levels. We should begin expecting that very soon supernatural miracles will begin taking place in our midst.
Once Christians wake up to their true spiritual condition, acknowledge their ignorance and lack of faith, and set out to truly commit everything to God — life, effort, and fortune — then they will find the relationship with God that they’ve been longing to have. Once this happens, divine power will once again be poured out upon God’s people, and the disciples of Christ in this age will become like the Disciples of Christ from 2000 years ago. What does this mean? In short, when we stop being lazy about our spirituality, we will start seeing God working among us in the same manner that He did in Biblical times.
Do we want this? YES!! Do we want it enough to stop being lazy about our spirituality? YES!! Do we truly believe and even expect that God will once again do the miraculous signs that He has done in the past? Then let’s act like it and prepare for it. Learn what God wants you to do, then do it with all your heart.
Objections
Some who hear this message listen with interest for awhile. But once they find themselves challenged to take their spirituality to the next level, they then walk away, typically declaring they “don’t want any new light.” It’s not that they think the teaching is erroneous somehow. They recognize the message as “light” from God. Yet they don’t want it. They give it up not because they can find any Biblical error in the message, but because they are happy where they are and they can’t be bothered to give the additional effort that is needed. It’s unfortunate; they are too comfortable with their current spiritual level to want to make any further commitment. Please keep in mind that Jesus gave His ALL for us; and He asks us to do the same for Him.
We are sometimes cautioned with the statement, “Beware of excitement and over emotionalism”. But this message is so subjective that it is very difficult to know what is meant and what is not. Emotions and excitement run along a continuum with one extreme being to jump up and down screaming, and the other extreme being a complete lack of passion. Where along the continuum do you draw a line and say, “Beyond this is too much.”? Each person you ask will put the line at a different place.
So then you need to start asking further questions. Does God want us to act “dead” while worshiping Him? No. Does He want us to act like lunatics? No. So then the answer is somewhere in between the two extremes. What is acceptable? Looking at the Bible, we find that God tells us that He will give us great joy, and fill us with love, and we will sing from the happiness we feel. (ref. Ps 16:11, “In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” Ps 122:6, “They shall prosper that love Thee.” Ps 30:4, “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His.”) So it is obvious that at least some measured degree of emotion is acceptable.
On the other hand we are counseled to beware of fanaticism. So we should take care to not go too far. Again, since each individual places the line at a different point, each must take responsibility for their own choice, and remain open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
You may recall, if you are familiar with Scripture, that Jesus experienced quite a bit of resistance to His message. What He taught challenged the thinking of the religious leaders of His day. Thus He faced much opposition.
Lk 11:53-54, “And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things: laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.”
Mt 12:22-32, “…(24) But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.’ And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; … and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?’ … (31) ‘Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.’”
Jesus’ message today can prompt a similar reaction among those who are closed to learning anything new from God. They feel they already know all there is to know, and already have all that God wants to give them. How unfortunate for them that they have chosen such a position.
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