by William J. Stewart We continue to look at the claim made by some that God speaks directly to them. Today, we want to consider some texts about the Holy Spirit, and the emphasis on the written word in the Bible. John 14:26—But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My…
Category: Holy Spirit
God Talks To Me (2 of 3)
by William J. Stewart Does God speak to folks directly, by visions or in dreams today? Many in the religious world will answer yes, citing personal experiences as evidence. As we noted last week, such claims cannot be authenticated, and the messages attributed to God by people are often contradictory. There are several New Testament…
God Talks To Me (1 of 3)
by William J. Stewart Occasionally I’ve studied with folks who claim God speaks to them. Typically their claim to divine revelation is made when something comes up in a Bible discussion they disagree with. The claim is essentially, “God said this to me, so I don’t have to obey that.” Does God speak directly to…
Does The Holy Spirit Jump In & Out Of The Christian?
by William J. Stewart The Scriptures talk about the Holy Spirit dwelling in the child of God (Romans 8:9, 11; etc.). The apostle John identifies that as part of the confidence we can have in the Lord (1 John 3:24). However, what if we commit sin? What if we have done wrong, but not yet repented?…
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire
William J. Stewart | Is That Really What It Means? In Acts 2:2-4, we read about the apostles receiving the Holy Spirit. Luke writes: …suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one…
The Promise of the Spirit
William J. Stewart | Is That Really What It Means? As we have stressed, it is important when we read the Bible to set things into their context. Here are a few guidelines to help us set a verse in context: Read at least 7 verses before and after, to give a 15 verse span….
Decently And In Order
William J. Stewart In all things, we want our service before the Lord to be according to His will, not rooted in church tradition, popular culture or personal preference. This is true both in our personal lives as we endeavour to have the light of Christ shine through us and in our assembling together for…
Holy Spirit : “Active Force” or Person of the Godhead?
by William J. Stewart Is the Holy Spirit a “who” or a “what”? There are some in the religious world who contend that the Spirit is nothing more than God’s “active force”, a source of energy which the Lord uses. Let us notice from the Bible that the Spirit of God is indeed a person of…
Do People Speak in Tongues Today?
William J. Stewart There are a great number of people who believe that the gift of tongues still exists today. If we were to enter into some religious assemblies, they will engage in an activity which they refer to as “tongues.” Do tongues, as those which were in the first century church still exist today, or…