WHEN RIGHT ANSWERS AREN’T ENOUGH

Several Scriptures came to mind the next morning.

When the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples for their exuberant praise, Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). I doubt if it was the worship style that upset the Pharisees as much as the disciples’ heartfelt freedom of expression. Anything that could not be controlled or contained was an apparent threat to the teachers of the law.

But the key passage that interprets this dream is 1 Corinthians 2:14-16:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.

There is a healthy place for correcting doctrinal error and scriptural violation. There is a time when we need to carefully examine what we believe and why. But if we want to rightly discern spiritual things, we must have a firsthand encounter and relationship with Holy Spirit. Just like Paul on the Damascus Road, we may know all the theological arguments and believe we are defending the ways of God, but actually be spiritually blind, unable to see The Truth standing right in front of us.

The Body of Christ has been walking through a season of exposures these last few years, especially concerning spiritual malpractice regarding prophecy and the ministry of Holy Spirit. And though painful, there has been a need for theological examination and doctrinal correction. But criticism does not bring about truth and correction is never a destination.

I believe this season of examination must shift to a time of hungering for a fresh baptism of Holy Spirit. The only way we can truly judge, discern, and know the fullness of Truth is through the eyes of the Spirit and not through the eyes of men.

I feel the cry of the Father’s heart to stir up some hunger for a fresh fire of the Spirit that will burn up the disillusionment and disappointment of the past and make way for something new. We cannot give in to the fear of men or the voices of doubt concerning the ministry of Holy Spirit. We cannot settle for a man-made version based on either a fear of failure or a need to control the outcome.

After His resurrection, Jesus didn’t simply tell His disciples to remember everything He had taught them and go preach it. He told them to wait until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). They knew His teachings. They had witnessed His miracles. They had heard His parables firsthand. They had even seen the risen Christ. But Jesus knew that without the infilling of Holy Spirit and the fire of God on their lives, their mission would fail.

This is what we need to contend for in this season. I know many are feeling the discouragement of past seasons and a weariness from all the public conflicts and confrontations. The enemy has, unfortunately, inserted himself into many conversations and caused some to believe that the ministry of Holy Spirit is not safe. A false narrative has spread that has fueled speculation, mistrust, and hesitation concerning anything supernatural.  

But heaven’s appeal is to reject these lies and stir up a hunger for even MORE of His Spirit, not less! Jesus declared that if we do not give Him praise, testify to His greatness, and pursue Him with our whole hearts—creation itself will begin to rise up. Certainly, we need sound doctrine, but we also need some holy fire. We need scriptural integrity, but we also need the power of God to back it up.

I want to be anchored in biblical truth, but I also want to know the power of His resurrection. I cannot be satisfied with any speech or message that rests in “plausible words of wisdom” but are void of the Spirit’s power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). I want the full package.

Holy Spirit wants to reveal even more of Himself in the coming days and He’s looking for those who are willing to contend for a corporate baptism of His Spirit and a fire that will cause a holy disruption to human reasoning and religious debate.

If this resonates with you, let Him stir up a hunger in your heart to encounter the presence and power of His Spirit. He’s poured out His Spirit in myriads of ways in times past and has no intention of backing down. He’s looking for those who are willing to stop watching from the sidelines and dare to believe that He can do it again.