Padlocked Doors

Padlocked Doors

I received Jesus in 1980 in a wonderful Charismatic church. We had our issues, but the Holy Spirit was welcomed and prominently honored as not only relevant, but necessary. We honored His gifts and we honored the Word of God. I'm so thankful I was born-again into such a family of believers. It has imprinted within me that the two – the Word and the Spirit – can and must go together.

Many boast of their adherence to the Word of God. They display their doctrinal statements with such eloquence on the websites: salvation, the Trinity, baptism, eschatology… but where are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Where do they mention Him and His present ministry? Nowhere. So how biblical are they really?

Do churches not realize that without the Holy Spirit we aren’t even saved? We cannot even understand the Bible without Him revealing the things of Jesus to us. In this age He is everything to us. Why is He so shunned, so ignored? Yes, Jesus died and rose to purchase our salvation, however without the regeneration of the Holy Spirit we are not and cannot be born-again. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit Who takes the things of Jesus and reveals them to us.

The revelatory gifts are messy, like an ox in a stable. There is always a ton of manure that needs to be shoveled, because we, even at our best, still mess up. But what did Paul do in Corinth with so many piles? He didn’t stop the gifts; he didn't say they needed time to mature first; no, rather he used the opportunity to give us the best teaching anywhere in the Bible on the ministry of spiritual gifts in the church. 

Seriously, church is boring without the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is unbiblical. 1 Corinthians 14:26 says that when we come together certain things are supposed to be present, gifts of the Spirit are included. Furthermore, we are supposed to burn with passion (12:31, 14:1, and 14:39) for spiritual gifts, especially to prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 states that unbelievers will encounter the reality of God through the prophetic gifts when people prophesy in church. 

How can someone who has revelatory gifts of the Spirit be faithful with their gifts if there isn’t a culture within the church for the gifts to flow? Week after week, service after service they must stifle what God is speaking to them and wants to speak through them. Week after week, service after service they die inside just a little.

Is the Holy Spirit being locked out of your church? 

Are there padlocks on your doors?

Does He embarrass you? Is that it?

I have heard many reasons for not having the ministry of spiritual gifts within the church service. None of them work. None of them are convincing. If you, as a leader, do not allow spiritual gifts to operate in the church you shepherd, you are wrong. You are disobeying God. Your boasting of adherence to the Word of God is vapor. Take the padlocks off the doors and let the Holy Spirit work through His gifts. Focus on cleaning up the messes instead of keeping Him out.

My books: Soaring in the Prophetic and Confronting the Wind can be purchased on Amazon. 

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