🔥 THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 4) 🔥

Mike Balloun teaches today. 10/14/23

🔥 THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 4) (past, present, and in the future) 🔥

VERSES: Romans 11; Matthew 25:14; John 14-16; Jeremiah 31:31-33

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THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PART 4 (past, present, and in the future)

The present Work of the Holy Spirit in the Nation of the One New Man after redemption may be determined by the Written declared desire of Jesus Christ to be accomplished in His redeemed servants while He is in Heaven. Matthew and Luke give Christ’s typical/parabolical examples… “For the kingdom of heavens is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods… After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.” [Matthew 25:14] “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, an to return. And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. …And it came to pass, that when he returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” (Luke 19:12,15) In each case, the redeemed are charged with faithfulness and fruitfulness for what they were given (given both at the time of redemption and after redemption), which include: the divine Nature, the agape of God, faith and hope, and any talents or gifts. It is important to note that they are assured they will be judged.

Though a man may indeed be His redeemed servant, and have ‘gifts’, if he does not yet do the will of the Father in keeping Christ’s Commands/works, he will be rejected at the Judgement Seat of Christ from the heavenly Kingdom Inheritance. This is seen clearly from the entire Chapter of Matthew 7, especially Verses 22-23… “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (intimately): depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Chapters 5-7 of Matthew are all about accountability to keeping Jesus’ commands. Throughout the Chapters, Jesus stated, “… you have heard Moses say… but I say…”. Accountabilty to Christ’s commands is also seen in what God said to Christ’s disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration, in that when Jesus was with both Moses and Elijah, God said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” Jesus’ commands are even more demanding than those of Moses, but correspondingly, we have a greater empowerment by the ‘helper’/Holy Spirit to walk in them.

This accountability to love as Jesus commanded is additionally seen in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3… “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (agape love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” We are charged to exercise the agape love that was shed abroad in our hearts, and anything else we do, such as having faith to move mountains, casting devils out, etc, profits us nothing in regards to inheritance, if not done in that love.

In Revelation Chapters 2 & 3, Christ charges the redeemed in the ‘Church’ to overcome and keep His works in patience, tribulation, and suffering, holding fast their faith, even unto martyrdom, resisting the lies of satan, hearing and heeding what the Holy Spirit saith and reaping the rewards. Do not be overcome and have to suffer the consequences at His Return. God has given gifts to the redeemed and we yield to the Holy Spirit to fulfill His will/Christ’s will in us. It’s one thing to know the fruits of the Spirit and another to exercise them and bear fruit.

In John 14-16, Jesus is instructing His disciples to bear much fruit so that the Father would be glorified. He speaks of the “nobleman”/Jesus going to Heaven and promises to come again and charges His followers with keeping His Commands; a good many given in Matthew Chapters 5-7. He charges them to remain vitally connected to Him in order to be fruitful, purged/pruned, and more fruitful… “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned… my disciples… if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love……Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit… I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

The present Work of the Holy Spirit beyond redemption is to assist the redeemed in being not overcome of evil but overcoming evil with good, in the transforming of the redeemed in character like unto Christ’s, to attain unto the First Resurrection out from among the dead in Hades, in worthiness for inheritance in His Coming Kingdom. (Romans 12:2, 21, Revelation 20:4-6) To this end, that of inheritance in the heavenly Kingdom of Christ… all the gifts of the Holy Spirit work. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are in vain if they don’t bring forth the fruit of Christ’s Character in His redeemed servants.

The greatest evidence or sign of the Holy Spirit’s Work in the redeemed servant of Christ is the expression of selfless agape. This is the Work of the Holy Spirit in this Age. To accomplish this maturing work within the redeemed servant of Jesus is what the Holy Spirit’s present work is. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bring glory to Christ through the bringing of many worthy first-born sons unto the Father out of the family of redeemed. (Hebrews 2:10)

Just as fruit has to ripen, Christlikeness needs to be developed in us. Our heeding the Holy Spirit as He brings us into the Revelation of the Kingdom promises in the Word and yielding our souls to Christlikeness in character is evidence of the Baptism of the power of the Holy Spirit. A true witness of Christ is not the merely redeemed, but a servant who knows and does the will of his Master in selfless love.

Charity/agape suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come (from one point of view, inspired Paul is alluding to the coming discontinuance of the signs, wonders, and miracles that were intended for the offering of the Kingdom unto a repentant Nation of Israel; and the coming advancement in spirituality as a result of the Holy Spirit’s move to establish deeper faith, hope, and love in the heart of the redeemed Nation of the One New Man in believing without necessarily seeing the supernatural. And then from another point of view, he alludes to the complete doing away altogether with any supernatural means for spiritual maturity, in that the promise of the First Resurrection in glory into His heavenly Kingdom will have brought those found worthy into the maturing spiritual perfection, and that being nothing short of union with Christ. Until then, the ‘spirit’ of man is encased within the darkened world and soul, however, when it returns at the promised First Resurrection, it will be given its fullest glorious expression in eternal faith, hope, and love), …then that which is in part shall be done away. 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, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” [1st Corinthians 13:4-13]

A Brief History…
Here is the crux of the matter in understanding the Work of the Holy Spirit for the Christian today: First, there is the revelation in Scripture to its proclaimed Truth; that being that the Atonement Gospel of Christ purchased the Father’s Salvation Plan, which went beyond redemption unto the salvation of the soul of Man. It was/is a plan to bring the redeemed soul into glory and royalty to rule with Christ from the heavenly part of this Realm in His Millennial Kingdom. But the Christian Church (like the Jewish Church before) was leavened by religious tares and doctrines of demons that deceived the ‘Nation’ into unbelief. In that they believed that their redeemed state and forgiveness of sin by blood satisfied the Call of God on their lives… but their unbelief that a further work is needed tragically relegates them to that part of God’s Salvation Plan that has to do with redemption from the judgement of eternal death only. That greater part of the Salvation Plan of God, for which Christ propitiated, has been leavened out of the Church; that of the ‘the heavenly Kingdom Calling’. It is that part of the Gospel of Christ which the Church finally completely abandoned in the 4th Century by uniting itself with religious Paganism. The third and final measure of leaven (Matthew 13:33) is so leavening that ‘the heavenly Kingdom Calling of God’ has been unanimously refused and now is incomprehensible by all corporate Christendom. It has been impossible for them to see it for 1700 years, having been fully corrupted. Spiritually speaking, in a very real sense, it has been a vast Christian diaspora/dispersion from their homeland… disconnected from the true Vine. Out of the roughly 2 billion Christians in the world today, not many are having sanctification worked out in them. Having believed Traditionalism’s lie that says that the one-time event of redemption by Blood was enough, they believe that there is no need for the process of sanctification, or to overcome any besetting sins. Religion tells you to sign a membership card and then leads you to lethargically follow down the wide road which leads to destruction. Narrow is the path to fruitfulness, and thus the reward of Union with Christ as His Bride.

The forsaking of Truth regarding the understanding of the Kingdom of heavens is what the Lord foresaw and predicted in the 13th Chapter of Matthew, Verses 31-33. The abandoning of the High Calling in Christ’s Kingdom by God’s redeemed was the target on which satan set his sights since Man’s creation. First his sights were on Adam’s Calling to take dominion and rule, and then on Israel’s Calling out of Egypt to take dominion and rule in the Earth as God’s representative, and later with the Messiah to Call again God’s Jewish People to be His Ruling Government in the Earth. This was then followed now by the New Testament Kingdom Calling to co-rule with Jesus when He Returns to take dominion in this Realm; both its unseen heavenly part and earthly part. This is why the Kingdom message has been and is still being attacked today.

With the appearance of God’s promised Messiah to Israel, Satan’s concern (as the ruler of this Realm) was greatly heightened, that God would establish His people in the Earth to govern in the power of the Holy Spirit. That concern was greatly alleviated with the presumed success of conspiring with God’s people to Crucify their Messiah. But his concern was greatly heightened again by Christ’s Triumph in Hades and Resurrection out from among the dead and His re-offer to a repentant Israel the right to Rule with Him now over Earth and the heaven of this Earth.

But Israel’s Leadership’s darkness in unbelief had set in too deep and satan was able to withstand the offer of repentance and re-offer in Calling for 30 years after that historical Day of Pentecost. Had the Nation repented, that could have led to the Nation’s restoration in the prophesied outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit unto attaining the High Calling of being God’s Theocratic Government in this Realm.
After God finally closed the door on re-offering that High Calling to the Nation of Israel, He turned to establish a New redeemed spiritual ‘Nation’, brought directly out of the kingdom of satan, who then being redeemed, would gladly receive the High Calling of glory and yield themselves to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to overcome the flesh, World, and the devil. A ‘Nation’ that in loving obedient service, would do selfless ‘works’ in hope of being found worthy at the Judgement Seat of Christ for the First Resurrection glory out from among the dead in Hades, to rule with Him in this Realm at His Return, and to displace satan and the fallen spirits who now rule over the Earth from its heaven.

The Work of the Holy Spirit today has to be understood in the Scriptural historical master plan of God, which is divided into at least 3 parts…
Before Christ, and at the time of Christ… in that the Holy Spirit’s power and working was said to be power abiding with them/the Jew. (John 14:17… “for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”)

2) And then after the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ordination of Christ… it is Written that the Holy Spirit was to do a work within the Jew. And that in order to establish the promised New Covenant with God’s firstborn sons, and they would then become God’s promised Kingly/Priestly Government in the Earth. (Jeremiah 31:31-33… “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” See also Hebrews 8:7-13, which quotes these words from Jeremiah. (Note that had the Jews as a Nation, accepted Christ, both those passages would have been fulfilled. But since they didn’t, they are yet future.)

3) When Israel was ‘cut off’… and the ‘branch’ of the Nation of the One New Man was ‘grafted’ in (Romans 11), this new Work of the Holy Spirit grafting in another branch to be fruitful, was not to be understood from the prophetic Word of the Old Covenant Scriptures of Israel, who were to remain within the Tree and then be proselytize the Gentiles into their branch as their fruitfulness, but this ‘grafting’ in of a new branch was according to the ‘Mystery’ of God’s manifold Wisdom. (Ephesians 3:9-11)

That Mystery was a new Work, outside the Jewish lineage, focused within the soul, to develop a more Christlike worthiness in character, in order to be adopted first-born sons from a stand-alone New Nation; that of the One New Man… (Ephesians 1:3-5) …an adoption with the offer of an inheritance in the greater part of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ at His Return; the heavenly ruling part. (Daniel 4:26b “…the heavens do rule.”) The Mystery was that the stubborn Nation of Israel was/is rejected from that portion of His Coming Kingdom. (Matthew 21:43, Hebrews 3:1) In that the Work of the Holy Spirit in the One New Man took on an additional step of sanctification from that of the Nation of Israel in that the second born must be found more worthy than the natural first-born. Signs, wonders, and miracles were set aside, fruits came to the forefront, believing without seeing and obedient selfless sufferings for Christ’s sake became the template for the Working of the Holy Spirit on the ‘soul’ unto the fullest of salvation afforded in the Atonement Work of Christ. It was no longer a work of election, but of selection according to worthiness of character worked out in the redeemed in the power of the Holy Spirit unto the inheritance of ruling with Christ in His yet-to-come Millennial Kingdom.

When you take this greater salvation ‘Message’ away, what you are left with is the satanically-designed Catholic Church’s disqualifying religious paganism, and the equally demonically-inspired disqualifying Protestant Gospel of the Grace only Message. Leaving the merely redeemed servant not only presumptuously short of the High Calling and its promises (Philippians 3)… but open to threats and judgements from the Judgement Seat of Christ.

4) which actually just finishes point 2 above is… The Work of the Holy Spirit will pick up again with the Jews and the Nation of Israel with supernatural signs, wonders, and miracles in the Earth just as He left off in the last Chapter of the Book of Acts, to fulfill that which He began in Acts 2, which now answers to the prophecy of Joel 2:23b-32. That which also answers to the many Old Covenant promises yet to be fulfilled in the future restoration “grafting” back into the Earthly Millennial inheritance of that Nation at the Return of Christ Jesus to this Realm to then set up His Kingdom.

So it is that Christendom in general, on the one hand, has rejected the Second Great Work of holiness (which is through works of personal righteousness) in not having received the fullness of God’s Son’s Atonement Plan for “so great salvation”. (Hebrews 2;3;31a) That so great a salvation (salvation of the soul) specifically being the Work of the Holy Spirit’s power manifesting holiness/wholeness whenever it can. The Holy Spirit is limited only to cooperation within the redeemed yielded soul, who is renewed in mind to the instructive Words of the Son of God, leading on in spiritual maturity unto the soul’s complete salvation. (1st Peter 1:9… “Receiving the end (goal) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”) But Christendom rather chooses traditional leavened teaching which declares that when the One New man is redeemed, he receives the Holy Spirit Who then abides within him, and by imputation resting on Christ’s Atonement, receives all God’s promises unconditionally. Some even say that the supernatural workings of the Book of Acts have passed away… or they are greatly minimalized.

On the other hand, another part of Christendom wrongly tries to misappropriate the Pentecost ‘gifts’ of the Holy Spirit as a continuing means to promote the message of ‘Grace Only’ in Christendom. Their perspective is that God intended the Church of the One New Man to use those ‘gifts’ of signs, miracles, and wonders to proof up the Word of His ‘Grace Only’ message. Those gifts are perceived to be a legitimate part of the Church past and present, to lead it, instruct it, exhort it, rebuke it, comfort it, deliver it, heal it physically… in that they think that since that was the Work of the Holy Spirit in the first century in the ‘Church’, so it should be and is now in the Church.

Typically, this present 2000-year-old Age can be seen hidden in the Old Testament, as Abraham (who is typical of the Father) sends Eliezer back unto his family; which is typical of the sending of the Holy Spirit to search out and qualify and instruct a worthy Bride out of the redeemed of God for his son Isaac (typical of Jesus), who after the servant had completed his work, delivered the Bride to the son who came out “in the field to meet” them and to bring “…her into his mother’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her…” (Genesis 24:65-67) This is typical of being “…caught up to meet the Lord in the air: and shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 19:7-8)

The Holy Spirit inspires Men to preach the Gospel of Redemption to Lost souls and broods over mankind in order to bring the gift of the Divine Nature with eternal life into the receptive heart of the unregenerate and bring children into the Body of Christ… where He then takes up the greater Work of sanctifying the redeemed in worthiness in order to be a co-ruler with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom. After this Work of the Holy Spirit is complete, He will fulfill Old Testament prophecy and will anoint the Jew who will then take the Word of reconciliation out to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 36)

While most Christians resist the doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit coming after redemption for the additional Work upon the ‘soul’, for one reason or another, they also often point out Scriptures that warn those who do believe in the doctrine; of the dangers of ‘deception’ by evil spirits. And because of the blindness from their leavened doctrines, they see no error or deception in their own standing. It is a stance that finds them resisting the enduing power that they so desperately need to fulfill the command of Jesus to the redeemed to overcome the flesh in the soul, the influences of the World, and satan. They are themselves under the religious spell of the enemy, who would keep them bound to the ineffectiveness of mere regeneration without power in stopping their flesh from dominating in their souls unto a worthiness to rule in their stead. In that in being confronted with their sin after regeneration by the Word and their conscience, they then are instructed in ‘Grace Only’ doctrines; and fed the soothing lie that Christ bore their sin; past, present, and future. Thus, there is to be no fear of death nor fear of rejection at His Judgement Seat (if they are even aware that there is such a thing), since they are assured that they will go to Heaven when they die.

One misinterpretation about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was written a good while ago by a prominent teacher of the Word… who, like most Christians, had completely leavened theological thinking about Kingdom inheritance…

‘The type (of the gift of the Holy Spirit) that foreshadows Pentecost is extraordinarily instructive. At the moment of the completion of the Temple, when all was ready for the habitation of God, the Shekinah Glory descended and rested on the Mercy Seat (2nd Chronicles 7:1); a miraculous entrance of the Godhead, which to all appearances was meant to be permanent, and which remained for several centuries, until idolatry in the Temple compelled its withdrawal. (Ezekiel 8:10) (So far, the type being set forth holds up) Exactly so, the moment the Church, the Spiritual Temple (here confusing error is being set forth in this TYPE… as it is not the ‘Church’ of the One New Man but the Nation of Israel that should still be in view at Pentecost), opened in the upper room, the Holy Ghost descended with miraculous flames on the heads of men and women who immediately spoke in tongues and prophesied; and for one or two centuries (the Holy Spirit did not descend on a new spiritual “branch” but on the Jews of the Nation of Israel in accordance with the prophecy of Joel as Peter declares. The teacher who wrote this, being in leavened blindness to this Scriptural Truth, passes over the relevance of the Book of Acts and those 30 years of the Holy Spirit’s Work in the re-offer of the Kingdom inheritance to the Nation of Israel until the end of that offer terminating with the Book of Acts -in 28:28) these ‘gifts’, the proofs of the Holy Spirit’s miraculous presence, continued until, with gross corruption within the Church, they disappeared. This teacher takes the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a means of proofs to further the ‘Church’ of the One New Man, but correctly discerned, they are the prophesied signs and miracles that Peter connects to Israel’s promised Kingdom and Messiah. Signs and miracles that continued for 30 years in proof to Israel that Jesus was the Messiah until the Nation was finally rejected for continued unbelief.

The teacher, without understanding, confused two separate Callings, one following the other. Wrongly taking the experience of the day of Pentecost as that intended for ‘the spiritual Church’ and passing over the Holy Spirit’s Work in the Kingdom re-offer to Israel, he wrongly proclaims through the type that the implication is… 1) the purpose of Pentecost in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts following was to promote the ‘spiritual Church’ in their evangelistic advance to spread the Gospel of Jesus to the World. These ‘proofs’ he says, of the Holy Spirit’s miraculous presence ‘being withdrawn from the ‘Church’ was because of ‘gross corruption’ after one or two centuries. The type above is misapplied in that the Holy Spirit’s Work starting on the Day of Pentecost was exclusively concentrated upon Israel for the Nation’s restoration unto Kingdom inheritance to rule in the Earth in answer to the prophecies in Joel’s Chapter 2, Daniel Chapter 9, Ezekiel Chapter 36, etc… The unprecedented maturing Work of the Holy Spirit was not ceasing on the ‘Church’ or Nation of the One New Man, but was just then to begin in answer to Israel’s apostacy. It was in Acts 28:28 in 62 AD when the Holy Spirit proclaimed His Kingdom Work on the Nation of Israel to have preeminence over the other Nations and rule in the Earth as God’s appointed theocratic government would no longer continue, and would be deferred to the Last Days.

The tare-ish teaching, combining and defining the two different works of the Holy Spirit as one work, cleverly distorts the Kingdom Message of the two groups and the two parts; heavenly and earthly, involved in that Kingdom Message. The Holy Spirit’s Work having to do with the Nation of Israel’s inheritance of the Kingdom ceased along with the signs, wonders, and miracles related to Israel’s Pentecost, with their Kingdom purposes intent to show Israel Jesus was their Messiah/King. Their final rejection was followed by the Judgements of 70 AD and 135 AD. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and gifts and indwelling power has never ceased, but they were/are administrated differently according to the designed purpose of the Higher heavenly Kingdom Calling on the Nation of the One New Man.

The Holy Spirit’s Work shifted to the greater work only when it was officially formed as the New Nation of the One New Man after the rejection of Israel. The Work of the Holy Spirit dramatically changed from emphasis on the Nation of Israel’s repentance and receiving Christ as the Messiah/King and ruling in the Earthly Kingdom… with emphasis now on an inward work to bring forth a more worthy Nation to co-rule from the heaven of this Realm. A heavenly worthiness that could only be attained by selfless service for Christ in the practical overcoming walk of this life. Laying down one’s life in loving service to man, as opposed to ascending to take one’s God-given right as the seed of Abraham to rule over man. It is appointed that those who have been capacitated to be the least among us are to be the greatest and co-rule with Christ, in the heaven of this Realm. We then are not to rule in this life, but follow the Apostles in selfless capacitating service to Christ and Mankind. (1st Corinthians Chapter 4 ) Note that our focus is not on ‘ruling and reigning’ with Christ in the First Resurrection and beyond, but rather, on being in SPIRITUAL UNION with Him, joining together as one, as a bride with her husband, and thus in Union with God. (John 17:23) So that oneness unity is our prize, as seen in Genesis 15:1 which says that God is our “exceeding great reward.”

The Holy spirit’s Baptismal Work in the gift of power is a spiritual Work from the inside out, with entire focus on the empowering unto maturing of the love/agape of God that He shed abroad in the heart of the redeemed, incorporating them into the New Nation Body of Christ. It is the more excellent way to manifest the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit when laid beside those 9 articulated ‘gifts’ of 1st Corinthians 12. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit that follows regeneration into the Nation of the One New Man is in power and spiritual gifts in order to bear spiritual fruit from the instructed soul worthy of the heavenly calling. A calling with more worthy Christlike character to be developed through faith without seeing supernatural signs while being under test and trial in practical life that is in view. (2nd Corinthians 3:18)

A worthiness only obtained through the Work of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with power from on high drawn upon in answer to the redeemed and renewed mind to the Kingdom inheritance commands of Christ, with yielded will, power for “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” A personal spiritual battle against the flesh, satan, and the World. This is the necessity of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Second Work of the Holy Spirit; the empowering influence upon the soul, our drawing by vigilant prayer and watchfulness unto His Word, God’s mercy and grace/divine influence upon our soul under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, kept in the power of God, unto overcoming the sin nature within, to the glory of Christ.

This Work was once on a national level in that the Nation of the One New Man’s leadership was wholly consecrated to follow Christ. They were lovingly obedient and led by example the individual members in consecrated loving obedience (as David typified in the Old and Paul and John fulfilled in the New). But just like the leadership of the Nation of Israel in 62 AD was rejected, so the Nation of the One New Man’s leadership, which over a period of time began to yield to religious leaven that was being sown by satan’s tares, and they eventually refused the High Calling and left the path of spiritual maturity to follow the road of least resistance. To be free of about 250 years of persecution from the trial and testing fires of sanctification, the Nation of the One New Man/the Body of Christ in the Earth, joined herself with Babylonian paganism early in the 4th Century and the fervent, loving, selfless suffering, empowered by the Holy Spirit unto Christlikeness in worthiness of the High Calling, became lukewarm. And that relatively small Nation was finally spewed from Christ’s mouth as ‘Christianized Paganism’ sprang forth in the Earth, and it has unnaturally become the largest Religion in the World.

Lost to the ‘Romanized Church’ early in the 4th Century and thereafter until today was empowerment in Christian leadership by the Holy Spirit. Indwelling spiritual power anointing to overcome the flesh, inspiration to preach and write in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the discerning of spirits. Thereby the hedges came down, the wolves entered and devoured the inheritance of the High Calling of the sheep. In that, rather than the Nation of the One New Man fulfilling its calling through bearing the Gospel Message of redemption (first, of the gift of Grace in Christ to individuals lost in the World AND then secondly faithfully carrying Scripture’s highly esteemed reward of the ‘Gospel of Glory’ to the redeemed in the ‘Church’), instead, the leavening enemy tares, as predicted in Scripture by Christ and His Apostles, had sowed leavening messages in Christendom that had eliminated the Truths of the heavenly Kingdom inheritance to the overcomers upon His Return. That overcoming indwelling power being the true purpose of God in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit after redemption in the Nation of the One New Man. And thereby completely corrupting the Church doctrinally, although to God’s Praise and Eternal Glory, His Gospel Gift of eternal life remains in the Church. Yet the Church corporate will never recover to where she was in the 1st Century or even to where she was early in the 4th Century.

The Holy Spirit’s Work has become a Work of calling certain spiritually unsatisfied seekers out of the redeemed leavened Church. These few seekers are those who would open their hearts to His power to become lovingly obedient to Christ and thereby overcome the flesh, World, and devil in practical life in answer to and testimony of Christ’s Higher Calling beyond merely being born again.

The Babylonian hierarchy inspired by satan took over and led the so-called ‘Christian Church’ into mixed paganism for a thousand years, in what is called the ‘dark ages’, until some knowledgeable men versed in Scripture awakened in a glimmer of Gospel light. They were determined, even to the laying down of their lives, to free the ‘Church’ from its oppressors in the 14th and 15th Centuries.
And although that light brought forth the hand for healing surgery, the knife did not cut near deep enough, and from the one stump of Babylonianism now sprang another tributary without Scripture’s Kingdom inheritance Truth and the necessity of the further Work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul.

In the 1800’s, great spiritual awareness arose in some Christians who again chose to break away from the religious restraints of denominationalism, who came forth first in England, Scotland, and Wales in harmonious thinking in the reading of the Word and united desire to follow Christ in Truth only discovered beyond traditional boundaries. Their liberating teachings began to go Worldwide. And of course, the enemy took note, and by counter movements of deception; he offered Higher Criticism of the text in the Bible (“Hath God really said?”), by putting forth ideas of Evolution, Tractarianism, Modern Thought, denominationalism, formalism, and just plain worldliness in order to paralyze the awakening to eternal things.

As a consequence of satan’s counter attacks in the 1800’s and early 1900’s, ‘Preachers’ today mostly just talk about modern religious themes; prosperity, health, being born-again, personal grooming, a Christian’s rights, Christmas, imputation, being raptured, tolerance and unqualified acceptance, hyper sensationalism, politics, denominations, and social reforms. But know little and therefore speak little about the Biblical more weighty eternal matters of the Atonement of Jesus Christ as it relates to the heavenly Kingdom inheritance, or the necessity of testing and trials of our faith in suffering. Or what will really happen to Christians when the King of kings comes to punish His enemies and claim His inheritance. Or the necessity of the dual work of the Holy Spirit in the redeemed, or sanctification unto the salvation of the soul of the redeemed, or the Scriptural meaning of the First Resurrection. Or for what will all Christians answer to at the Judgement Seat of Christ, resulting in reward or punishment and great loss, or the Truth of that one place that all men go when they die. Or the meaning of the Second Resurrection and the Second Death… all vital subjects of the Apostles, brought back to the forefront of Christian Theology and Eschatology by those 18th Century beacons of light. Their selfless Holy Spirit hard-earned doctrines of Truth came forth in His gifts of inspired speaking and writing. Those Truths generally and steadily were forsaken and denied and even ridiculed over the last 100 plus years, unto today. It will be noted by the observant that the timeframe of these well-documented spiritual awakening teachings in our Christian history coincides with the Industrial Revolution and drive for self-improvement, in technological advances, in commercial ambition and accumulation of wealth. All advancing worldly and materialistic mindedness ensnaring sincere seekers and pushing back eternal mindedness.

If it was asked of the traditional Church, ‘What is the Work of the Holy Spirit today?’, it would be generally said: He abides within every believer, He is the Spirit of Truth, He is our helper, our teacher, our comforter to guide into all the truth, to bear witness of Christ…and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me. (John 14,15&16)
But, what Truth? What witness of Christ? What things to come? What glory to Christ? All has been religiously paganized.

Thus, there is the great need of the Baptism and empowering of the Holy Spirit. Particularly in a spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of God. This certainly is not an endorsement of Pentecostalism. Far be it, but an endorsement and awakening call for the Christian to recognize the Work of the Holy Spirit in the High Calling of the First Resurrection into Christ’s heavenly Kingdom, unto Union with Him in a glorious spiritual body and soul. (1st Corinthians 15) This is the additional precursor vital work beyond redemption that the redeemed must recognize, seek, and press forward and run the race for, to gain the prize. This is the Work of the Holy Spirit in which He is engaged within certain desiring individuals in spite of the hinderances from the leavened and presumptuous Laodicean ‘Church ‘of today.

It is not the deception of being deceived by spirits into a counterfeit Baptism of the Holy Spirit that is at the root of Christendom’s apathy, but the perceived… “I have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked..” This most assuredly is the spiritual condition of the ‘Church’. There is great lack of perception and understanding of Scripture in the additional necessity of power from on high, for the heavenly Kingdom inheritance. There is, instead, a false sense of Churchy security, which is at the root of a regenerated Christian’s rejected lukewarmness. They are unwittingly, leavened and overcome rather than overcoming.

There is a loud voice against the ‘deception’ of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit. There actually is a great contingent being deceived and receiving demons of deception instead of the power of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, it should be observed that Scripture contends that in the Last Days the ‘Church’ will be generally darkened in the deceit of demons’ false doctrines. And being confident in their condition, they believe that they are blessedly above a misconception and free from demon deception, and believe that they are then qualified, or better said- appointed- to judge on demon deception. On a common sense level, if I were a demon, I would rather face the deceived religiously-minded merely regenerated Christian with a false sense of security in a theology void of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, than a Christian who sincerely bewails his sinful self in pursuit of the necessity of Christ’s character according to the commands of Christ who cries out “…who will deliver me from this body of death?”

We have shown that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in power has moved on from the Nation of Israel to the Nation of the One New Man, for reasons set forth. From one literal Nation unworthy to another spiritual Nation called to worthiness. The empowerment from the Holy Spirit in either case is answer to the need within a saved man, and is the necessity to bring about that worthiness and will not be withdrawn until God has His people to rule with Christ, sanctified in His power. For when the power of the Holy Spirit departs, the power of the Anti-Christ enters the End-Time Scene.

It was the promise of the Father through the Atonement of Christ extended for the great purpose of sanctifying of the soul of man unto salvation through his spirit and active will. That Gift of God, given to Man in answer to His Son’s Atonement, has lost none of its intent to bring a people capacitated to holiness to rule with Christ in His Coming Kingdom. None of Christ’s Atonement efficacy behind the Work of the Holy Spirit has been lost due to Israel’s refusal, and to another Nation of people He has turned the Work of the Holy Spirit.

Would not the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the ‘Church’ be more likely to occur if our Theology and eschatology was more in harmony with the Truth of the Kingdom inheritance? The Holy Spirit’s gifts break forth in Words of encouragement in overcoming. Words for further conviction, in the understanding of the exceedingly sinfulness of sin, for the hope of glory attained by holy living… ect. Rather than the leavened error and the presumptuousness of our state and standing before God. Does not the pretense of the manifestation of the gifts bring a false sense of credibility to our undiscerned religious doctrinal darkness… making us even darker and less likely to see the Truth? Does not our lack of the gift of prophecy, the gift of a word of knowledge, of wisdom, speak to our great error in theological and eschatological understanding of God’s Coming Kingdom? Would a true supernatural word from the Spirit of God be recognizable in the Church today, where the Kingdom principles are refuted and rejected and scoffed at? Who would heed an inspired Word?

IN CONCLUSION:
Additionally, the Holy Spirit had imparted a gift of tongues, distinguished from that gift that was manifest on the Day of Pentecost; ‘an unknown tongue’ that had also manifest in the Gentile congregations as the gift of a ‘tongue and interpretation’. (1st Corinthians 14:5b-13,16,19,21,24-33,39)

Paul referred to this gift as the prayer tongue in which he prayed more than them all put together. This prayer tongue may stand on its own. It answers not to Acts Chapter 2, but 1st Corinthians 14:2,4,5a,6-18,23,39, Romans 8:22-27, Jude 20, and Acts 8:17-20; 9:17; 10:46; 19:6. This is the spiritual gift of prayer in ‘new’ tongues (as opposed to known languages) in the power from on high/pneuma hagion. (Mark 16:17)

The Church of today (and centuries past) has failed to see the difference in the Holy Spirit’s Work in a past dispensation (and now deferred future); that dispensation having to do with Israel and their Messiah’s Kingdom which included a perfecting Work in Israel on their hearts, a New Covenant, portended by signs, miracles, and wonders in the bringing forth of the Messiah and Kingdom of Israel in the Earth. This being rejected by Israel, they were cut off from the heavenly portion of Christ’s Coming Kingdom in this Realm, as the Nation of the One New Man was brought into clear focus. This is where the confusion comes in. The Holy Spirit is not doing the same work, for it is a different Calling. That Calling on Israel at Pentecost with signs, miracles, and wonders, in order that Israel would repent and receive Christ and be established as the preeminent Nation to rule in the Earth, has ceased. But this is not to say that the Baptism of Holy Spirit and indwelling power and His gifts have ceased. And the difference in application may be discerned by understanding the depth of the Work required in the greater Calling into a future heavenly spiritual Union with Christ.