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Poverty of Spirit

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John 20:21-23 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! [Just] as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you.22 And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. (AMPC)

A good-looking society woman was invited to an expensive fund-raising dinner in New York City. She was seated next to a wealthy lawyer. During the meal, they had a chance to get to know each other and were having a good time. When the meal was finished, the lawyer leaned over and asked the woman if she would go to bed with him for $10,000. The woman blushed but said that she would. The man then asked her if she would go to bed with him for $10. The woman was shocked and said, “What kind of a woman do you think I am?” The man responded, “My dear, we have already established that. Now we are merely deciding on the price.”

In John 20:22 is a brief, but profound statement: Receive the Holy Spirit! For the first time in the history of mankind, the Spirit of the Lord had not simply come upon a person to empower them for a task. This time the Holy Spirit actually came inside of the person’s spirit, building a home for the Godhead. What many Bible scholars have failed to explain to my satisfaction are the passages that accompany this encounter. Consider the following: Luke 24:49 And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high. (AMPC)

Acts 1:4-5,8 And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.5 For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.…. But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. (AMPC)

Since the Disciples of Jesus had already received the Spirit following the Resurrection of Jesus – before His Ascension into Heaven – why, did Jesus command them to wait for the Baptism? Numerous explanations have been offered to explain these two ideas, but none completely resolve the problem. Some have suggested that it was a new dispensation, or era, in the salvation of God among men, and that it is no longer necessary. Others have countered that this simply was an alternative account in the eyewitness necessary. But both explanations discount the fact that not only did a change take place in the Disciples and those attending the Upper Room Prayer Meeting, but this dramatic shift has continued to occur throughout the history of the Church. Ultimately it is a demonstration of one of Jesus’ beatitudes. Matthew 5:3 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! (AMPC)

Those who have experienced this encounter since the days of Pentecost have had one thing in common with those early followers of Jesus: they were aware of their poverty in the Holy Spirit. They were willing to pay whatever price it took to fill the emptiness in their souls with the Power of the Holy Spirit. That statement alone shines light on probably the biggest problem the Body of Christ has been facing in Western Christendom. We are disconnected from the Third Person of the Trinity. What makes matters worse is that we justify this disconnection through the doctrines of men. Leading to smugness, and ignorance in our carnality. I suspect that the number one issue troubling those who attempt to read the Bible is that they cannot relate to much of what it gives testimony too. Rather than confronting our poverty in the things of the Holy Spirit we ignore them. Rather than seeking Him for a solution we turn to our carnal nature to provide us with solace. Yet we fail to see that seeking to live by the carnal nature is hatred towards God. Why does God consider that hatred? Because we fail to live from the Resurrection Life that Jesus secured for all born-again believers. That Resurrection Life is only lived by and through the Holy Spirit. Carnal Christianity exposes how hard our hearts have become, and how naked we truly are before the crucified Jesus. Our ignorance, apathy, and indifference mock His crucifixion all over again. We have crucified Him again and again, as we ignore the poverty of our spirits. As Jesus rebuked the Laodiceans when He said: I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! 17 For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:15-17 AMPC)

In the opening illustration the rich lawyer quickly discovered how much it would cost for the woman to surrender her virtue. The same is true of your poverty in the things of the Spirit. What’s your price? What would it take to cause you to sell out to the Holy Spirit? We already know who we are. We are sinners who have been saved by faith in Christ. None of us is immune to sinful behavior. Question is, Are you aware of what a pauper you are in regards to the Holy Spirit? What price are you willing to pay to secure what is deficit in your spiritual life? The 120 of Pentecost were willing to climb some stairs, pray, and wait. The Laodiceans were contented to leave Jesus out of their worship service, and continue on in lukewarm service to the God of Consuming Fire. Which do you identify with?

Encouraging Words

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I trust everyone is doing well and adjusting to all the stay at home policies being encouraged by our government. As we are in lockdown (that’s how it feels) many of us are finding new ways of reaching out through a new tool called Zoom. Through it we’ve been able to gather together for prayer, and through internet streaming we are able to maintain a semblance of connection. Just recently I got off the internet doing a conference call through Zoom that enabled 5-6 people to join another 8 of us who were meeting to pray at the church. Since March 1 prayers have been released from 6:30-8:30 asking God to release a wedding of the Spirit and Word in our church, community, nation and the world. We have been calling on Heaven to invade our earth through Spirit sent revival and awakening. Lastly we have been beseeching God to release a sovereign move of His Spirit throughout the globe. Several passages of Scripture have come to the surface repeatedly:

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 If I shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you.3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

James 4:7-10 So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection andheartfelt shame [for your sins].10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

Hosea 10:12-13 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.13 You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men.

Hebrews 12:27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Recently Kristy received a word from the Lord that all the idols of America are being shaken, and that’s what we are seeing. As believers, those who truly cling to Jesus, we are finding out if we built our lives on idols of sand, or the Rock that can’t be moved.

Recently I received an email from a Christian organization out of Israel, Mike Evans, and I thought that I would share it with you:

Dear Robert,
God has given me a word that has shaken me to my knees. As I was working on this revelation that God put in my heart, I picked up an old Bible, and a handwritten note fell out. It was from a meeting I had with Dr. David Wilkerson at the Embassy Suites near the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on a Tuesday in 1986 when we were having breakfast. The letter he wrote was addressed to Rev. Richard Dortch, who ran PTL under Jim Bakker. It said, “Within 12 months from the date of this letter, the judgment of God will fall on PTL. You are fornicating with brick and stone. Flee now and repent. Bats will fly through the empty building.” It was exactly 12 months to the day that the Charlotte Observer broke the PTL scandal story. In that meeting in 1986, Dr. Wilkerson said something else to me: “I see a plague coming on the world, and the bars and churches and government will shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless Believers into radical prayer and into their Bibles, and repentance will be the cry from the man of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world.”
Plan to join us in watching this amazing and prophetic message tomorrow at 6:00 PM (CST) on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1094173014269685/
Your ambassador to Jerusalem,
Michael David Evans
Make an online donation here: https://giving.jerusalemprayerteam.org
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer. —Isaiah 26:20-21

We are seeing the manifestation of this word as I write this. Over 70,000 believers are praying, fasting, and seeking God for a global awakening and revival. Please join them, and us, as we seek God – not simply for an end of this virus, but for the very Face of Jesus to manifest, calling people to repentance, and brokenness.

We love you and miss all of you. It will be a great day when we all can gather together and sing His praises. Remember again to check in on those who are shut in, the elderly, and those alone. Know that you are in our prayers as I trust that we are in yours. It’s time for all God’s people to awake and prepare. Heed the call to show up for the Last Day’s dress rehearsal, and turn to see Jesus.