Category: Holy Spirit (Page 1 of 2)

Being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues

Introduction

The question this article focusses on is: Is baptism with the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues?  A second question that necessarily accompanies the previous one is: what is the sense of speaking in tongues?  The answer to these two questions may highlight the wonder and power of baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The question is not about: does the believer, who does not have the experience of speaking in tongues, have the Holy Spirit? By the very nature of what a believer is, all believers (they have accepted Jesus after all) have the Holy Spirit in their lives. From biblical perspective, there cannot be a person who has accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour without the working of the Holy Spirit in his life. How else would Jesus be present and active in his life? If a believer could be without the Holy Spirit, then it could also be asked whether a born-again person is without the first person in the Trinity, the Father? Indeed, it concerns the question of the triune God’s presence in a believer’s life. After all, we read: “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). The assumption is that in everything it is God who works through his Spirit in a born-again person.

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Die vervulling met die Heilige Gees en spreek in tale

Inleiding

Die vraag waaroor hierdie artikel gaan, is:  gaan die doop in die Heilige Gees gepaard met die spreek in tale?  ’n Tweede vraag wat noodwending hiermee saamgaan, is:  wat is die sin van die spreek in tale?  Die antwoord op dié twee vrae mag die wonder en krag van die doop in die Heilige Gees na vore laat kom.

Die vraag gaan nie oor:  het die gelowige, wat nie die ervaring het om in tale te praat nie, wel die Heilige Gees? Uit die aard van wat ’n gelowige is, het alle gelowiges (hulle het immers vir Jesus aangeneem) die Heilige Gees in hulle lewens.  Vanuit die Bybelse waarheid kan daar nie ’n persoon wees wat Jesus as sy persoonlike saligmaker aangeneem het, sonder die werking van die Heilige Gees in sy lewe nie. Hoe anders sou Jesus teenwoordig en werksaam in sy lewe wees?  Indien ’n gelowige sonder die Heilige Gees sou wees, kan selfs gevra word of ’n weergebore persoon sonder die eerste persoon in die Drie-eenheid, die Vader, is?  Dit gaan inderdaad om die vraag oor die Drie-enige God se teenwoordigheid in ’n gelowige se lewe.  Ons lees immers: “… want dit is God wat julle gewillig en bekwaam maak om sy wil uit te voer” (Fil 2:13). Die aanname is dat God al die pad deur sy Gees in ’n weergebore persoon werksaam is.

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The Holy Spirit in a challenging world

Prof WJ Hattingh gave the following presentation at Auckland Park Theological Seminary during the one-day seminar on the Holy Spirit on the 18th of October 2016.  This was the second presentation of the day following “The baptism in the Holy Spirit in perspective”.

Summary

This presentation will unfold as follows:

  • We will first discuss the general working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.
  • Thereafter, we will discuss the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a second experience after the new birth; the fulfilment of the promise made in Joel 2.
  • Jesus was introduced as the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit. We will explore the meaning of the words used to describe the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
  • The magnificent meaning of the working of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life will be discussed from Paul’s two prayers in Ephesians.
  • We will look at an example of the working of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life in this challenging world – the fight in a broken world, so that God’s good purpose can be fulfilled (Rom. 8).
  • The imperative to “live by the Spirit”.  

My aim is to help you experience the working of the Holy Spirit in its fullness in this challenging world.

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What is the meaning of speaking in tongues?

A more comprehensive article (available here) looks at the question: Is baptism in the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues? And a second question that accompanies the first: ​​What is the meaning of speaking in tongues? The following is a brief conclusion of the article.

Die artikel is ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans.

Conclusion: Where does the “speaking in tongues” fit, or what is the meaning of speaking in tongues with regard to the baptism in the Holy Spirit:

Speaking in tongues ​​is not a sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit, it is, as has already been said, more than that. Speaking in tongues ​​is the spontaneous and accompanying response of the believer to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the physical expression of the “overflow”, of the “streams of living water”. A continuous flow of the presence of the Creator God in action in the believer during and after the experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the believer’s spontaneous surrender to and the concrete and observable working of the Spirit of God in his life. This experience and process is described in the Bible as talking to God about “mysteries”: the truth and experience of God’s indescribable omnipotence and intense close love, which is beyond human comprehension or understanding. A participation of the believer through and with the Spirit who takes him on a journey from slave to child of God, to coheir with Christ. Speaking in tongues is nothing less than a participation in the power and glory of the risen Christ on the throne.

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Gaan die doop in die Heilige Gees gepaard met die spreek in tale?

In ‘n langer artikel (hier beskikbaar) word gekyk na die vraag:  Gaan die doop in die Heilige Gees gepaard met die spreek in tale?  ’n Tweede vraag wat noodwendig is: Wat is die sin van die spreek in tale?

Hier volg ‘n kort opsomming van die artikel.

This article is also available in English.

Opsommend: Kom ons sê weer waar pas “tale praat”, of te wel wat is die sin van spreke in tale ten opsigte van die doping in die Heilige Gees:

Tale praat is nie ’n teken van die doop in die Heilige Gees nie, dit is soos reeds gesê, meer as dit. Tale praat is die spontane, begeleidende reaksie van die gelowige op die doping in die Heilige Gees. Dit is die fisiese uitdrukking van die “oorvloei”, die “oorloop”, die “strome van lewende water”. ‘n Voortdurende vloei van die teenwoordigheid van die Skepper God in aksie in die gelowige tydens en na die ervaring van die doop in die Heilige Gees.  Dit is die gelowige se spontane oorgawe aan, sy in die hand plaas van, en die konkrete en waarneembare werking van die Gees van God in sy lewe. Hierdie belewenis en proses word in die Bybel beskryf as praat met God oor sy “verborgenheid”: waarheid en belewenis van God se onbeskryflike almag en intense naby liefde, wat bo menslike begrip of verstand is. ’n Deelname van die gelowige deur en saam met die Gees wat hom op reis neem van slaaf tot kind van God, tot mede-erfgenaam saam met Christus. Spreek in tale is niks minder as ’n deelname aan die krag en heerlikheid van die opgestane Christus op die troon nie.

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Revival

Experiencing a revival has become a yearning in the hearts of ATS’ people. It started growing from deep within us and has become more and more urgent.  We are thinking about it and are listening to the whispering of the Holy Spirit to help us understand this yearning.  We wonder if revival should not be the dream or desire of the church of Jesus Christ?  Is it correct to think this way, or is it just wishful thinking or worse, a way to escape reality?

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Doping in die Heilige Gees

‘n Getuienis:

Ons gesin kom van ’n Gereformeerde agtergrond.  Een aand het ons kinders saam met my ma, ’n Pinksterbiduur by ’n Pinkstergemeente bygewoon.  Na die preek het die pastoor almal wat graag die doping in die Heilige Gees wou ontvang, vorentoe genooi.  Die geleentheid was vir ons vreemd en ons het daarom nie vorentoe gegaan nie.

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Essay on the Lord’s Prayer

Abstract: Our whole life is a prayer which consists of a praise to God, a hallelujah, an amen, an echo on the Lord’s Prayer. It embodies the kingdom of God advancing forcefully and us vigorously laying hold of God’s kingdom. It represents our calling. Paul’s statement on the ministry of the Spirit was spot on: But thanks to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” (2 Cor 2:14).  We should never settle for less, for Jesus’ death was too costly.

1. Introduction

The Gospels convey a lot of information about Jesus’ prayer life.  He prayed through the night, rose up early in the morning to pray, went alone to the mountain side to pray and went to lonely spots to pray.  The writer of Hebrews commented on Jesus’ prayer life as follows: “He offered prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, …”. (Heb 5:7).   He talked to his Father in the dark moments of his life on earth and made great decisions after long periods of prayer. 

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