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The Holy Spirit 2: Ignorance in The Church

  • The Holy Spirit 2: Ignorance in the Church

    The Holy Spirit 2: Ignorance in The Church from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

      This is part 2 of our series on the Holy Spirit 

    The Lord told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:7–10:

    “the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
    To root out and
    to pull down,
    To destroy and
    to throw down,
    To build and to plant.”
    (Jeremiah 1:7–10 NKJV)

    Before the Holy Spirit plants new seed in kingdom of God, He roots out, pulls down, destroys, and throws down the old misconceptions, and traditions. Then He builds and plants on good ground. That is what this message is all about.

    Isaiah said: “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.” (Isaiah 28:9–12 NKJV)

    After the bad is rooted out, the Holy Spirit then builds line upon line, precept upon precept.

    This will be a controversial message that many will reject, but I am going to tell you the truth as I understand it and then you can choose to do with it as you please.

    James said: (James 3:1 NKJV) “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

    Paul said: (Acts 20:26–27 NKJV) “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

    That is what my goal is, to enlighten you, to help you understand this for yourself, and make your own decision.

    Read this text and comprehend it. It is key to this message:

    (Acts 19:1–7 NKJV) “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.”

    The definition of ignorance:

    Ignorance: ig·no·rance
    ˈiɡnərəns/ noun
    lack of knowledge or information.
    "he acted in ignorance of basic procedures"

    Synonyms: incomprehension of, unawareness of, unconsciousness of, unfamiliarity with, inexperience with, lack of knowledge about, lack of information about; informal cluelessness about,  lack of knowledge, lack of education, unenlightenment, illiteracy; lack of intelligence, stupidity, foolishness, idiocy” As in: ”a statement that shows a complete ignorance of the regulations”.

    The disciples that Paul spoke to were “Ignorant” concerning the Holy Spirit. They did not even know there was a Holy Spirit. When Paul asked how they were baptized, they said unto “John’s baptism” meaning water.

    Luke wrote: (Luke 3:16 NKJV) “John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

    When Paul explained the Holy Spirit to them, they wanted to be baptized in the Holy Spirit as well. He laid hands on them and prayed, and they received the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues. These disciples meant well, they were good people, but they were ignorant concerning the Holy Spirit. They thought they had everything, but yet, something was lacking and they did not even know it.

    When I first got saved and started attending church, I went to a Baptist church that was just up the road from my house. It was convenient and at the time, I did not know there was a difference in churches. Well, there are.

    I was baptized in the Waccamaw river, saved and sanctified on a Sunday. The church would faithfully wet you, set you, and then forget you. As I listened to the sermons, they taught me that I got everything when I was baptized in that river. There was nothing left to do but to wait on Jesus to return and get us. The rapture should happen any day now, so there was no need to make any long term plans here. I noticed that though they preached this, they continued to build bigger houses, and plan for bigger churches like they didn’t really believe it.

    At the time, I was on fire for the Lord and read the Bible from cover to cover. Soon I had questions, and the church had answers. Looking back, I am sure that I was a great annoyance to them because I did not passively submit like the other sheep. Eventually the “deacons” began avoiding me.

    When I asked them about the “Gifts of the Spirit”, they explained that the miracle gifts died off with the last apostle and that is why we didn’t see them today. Also now that we had our very own printed Bible, that we did not need the gifts anymore like the Apostles did. We have His word! They believed that the Bible had replaced the need for the Holy Spirit in our lives.

    When I asked them about “Tongues”, they explained that was given only for building the first church and that we didn’t need it anymore. Some would even tell me that speaking in the tongues was from the devil, which is a very dangerous thing to do. When Jesus was casting out demons, the scribes attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to beelzebub, and Jesus told them:

    “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:28–30 NKJV).

    This was because they called the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit. Be very cautious about labeling people, gifts, and movements that you don’t understand as evil. Let God be their judge.

    When I asked about hearing Jesus speak to us like in John 10:27, they explained that we had the Bible now. That is the only way that He spoke anymore, through His word. They never mentioned the Holy Spirit at all.

    The church had an excuse to write off every single gift and move of God. In reality, they had just learned to have church without Him. They had limited God to their own experience level and wrote Him out of His own book.

    All this time I had a hunger inside, and I knew there was more than waiting on Jesus to come back. I was sincerely trying to do my best and I prayed every day to be ready for the soon to come rapture. Then one day He spoke to me, it was an “impression”, and He let me know that if the rapture did happen that week, that I wouldn’t be going for I was going to stay here and teach His people. Hearing that for myself started to give me a different outlook. From that day on, when my brothers would get excited about the “rapture of the church” I would tell them that I wouldn’t be going. I was going to stay behind and teach. This blew them away, but I knew through and through that it was the truth. Thirty years later, I am still here teaching. Turns out that it was a good thing that I prepared myself for it.

    I had a crazy friend that attended a Charismatic church about 40 miles away and he would stop by and try to get me to go with him some evenings. Charismatic means “gifted” and they believe in the gifts of the spirit. Now I am not condoning any denomination, Refreshing Hope is non-denominational. I was fiercely loyal to my church and attended every time the doors were open. It was considered “taboo” to attend another church then, like cheating.

    Then one time his church was having a week long event and I reluctantly agreed to go with him. The pastor was preaching and suddenly stopped, turned to me and said “God has a calling on your life into the ministry. You are going to be a prophet and teacher.” At the time, I didn’t know why he said to me or if he was just calling attention to himself, but I put it on the back burner.

    I had been studying end time events, Revelation, Daniel, Matthew 24. Jesus was supposed to return soon and I wanted to be ready. I had charts, graphs, and timelines all over my walls. My friend came by another time and invited me to go with him, he said they had a special guest coming in from Texas. Me and another friend agreed to go him.

    This man from Texas carried an anointing that was amazing and that I had never seen before. He called my friends and I up in front of the church and prophesied over us. Though none of us had ever saw him before and two of us were just visiting the church, he told us detailed things about our lives. My other friend that came with us had been in three bad automobile accidents. He told him “I have saved your life three times so that you could be here today” and then went on to tell him many other things about his life.

    He looked at me and it was as if his eyes could see straight through you and there was this intense heat coming off of him. Fortunately the service was recorded, so I got the tape and I was able to go over it again later. It was around five minutes long but there were several parts of it that only God and me knew about. He spoke in rhymes and told me:

    You’re one that desires to know the end from the beginning. Son, don’t be so concerned about the retirement plan. It is even now a time for re-firement, for that is where I stand. And don’t be so concerned about the end of the Book, go back to the beginning, take another look. And oh son you don’t need all the things to fit, just allow your purpose and Mine to knit. And yea son, responsibility, seemingly more than what you can bear. Thats coming down the pike. Im telling you today “This load with you I will share.”

    This became a turning point for me and I could no longer pretend that prophecy was not real. I had to face the fact that I was “ignorant” about the Holy Spirit, the baptism, and the gifts. Though I thought that I had all of the answers, they were all wrong answers. The Bible was right and I had been lied to by good people that just limited God to their own experience level, making up stories to cover the things they didn’t understand. They built their doctrine to support their experience.

    I began visiting the church more often and was soon baptized in the Holy Spirit myself and I received the gift of speaking tongues. Soon after I went on a thirty day road trip with the pastor, preaching forty times in thirty days in different churches from South Carolina up to Wisconsin.

    Every night we were in a church somewhere state after state. We would have an anointing service, he would prophesy to them, touch them, and they would crumple to floor. I was the catcher and stacked them all in a neat line. Often, at the end of the service the pastor and I would be the only two standing in the building. It was an amazing time on the road. We visited about 14 states that trip.

    Once we were having breakfast at a diner in one of those states and the waitress who we had never seen before that day came by to bring us coffee. The pastor stopped eating and looked up, took her by the hand and told her: “Your brother is in the hospital and the doctors and saying that he is not going to make it. The Lord says for you to not to worry for he is going to be fine.” The waitress just broke down into tears and told us all about her brother who was in the hospital with congestive heart failure.

    I saw this time after time, where he would prophesy to complete strangers and they would break down in tears, be healed, and crumple to the floor when the Holy Spirit came on them. Houses, restaurants, churches, parking lots, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, anywhere and anytime. It was like traveling with Paul in the book of Acts.

    A wise man once said:
    “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

    That sums it up for me, and there was no going back. The things that I had read about in the book of Acts were real and still happened today to those that wanted it. Jesus is alive and well and the Holy Spirit wants to move through us here on the earth, today. I had tried to be a faithful servant, but I had been completely ignorant of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  After that I began to press in, to dig deeper, and to know the Holy Spirit for myself. He began to speak through me just as He did with my pastor. Now the pastor has passed on, and I am here teaching.

    (Matthew 14:26–29 NKJV) “And when the disciples saw Him (Jesus) walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”

    Peter left the other disciples in the boat, got out, and walked on the water with Jesus. Peter and Jesus walked on the water together. Those that didn’t see it would say that this was impossible, but you will never convince Peter. There is no going back after you have experienced the truth.


    I could give you so much scripture on this that you would want me to stop talking but suffice it to say that there can be no counterfeit unless there is a genuine article. The Holy Spirit is real and wants to be a part of your life today. I will cover more in the next message.


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19 comments
  • 0
Dion Todd
Dion Todd This is the message from the live meeting on 09.04.2016 here at Refreshing Hope.
September 5, 2016
  • 2
Joseph Adams, Jr.
Joseph Adams, Jr.

What a powerful message, thanks Pastor Dion. I stand in full agreement with your message and I have never held those old wives tales about the Holy Spirit not being relevant today. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we all need The Comforter.

September 6, 2016
  • 1
Dion Todd
Dion Todd

Thank you Joseph.

September 6, 2016
  • 2
Kim Smith
Kim Smith

I attended a charismatic church for many years and saw and experienced many gifts and signs.  Now I go to the church and denomination my husband likes and although I love everyone there, including the pastor, I know they are missing so much and it is sad.  I get frustrated but am trying to keep peace with my husband.   I'm so glad I found your site and can hear powerful, full gospel, messages like this one.  

September 6, 2016
  • 1
Dion Todd
Dion Todd

Thank you Kim, there is no going backwards after you have met the Holy Spirit. The mind cannot shirink back to its orginal size. May the Lord give you favor and grace in Jesus name.

September 7, 2016
  • 1
Deng Tembreza
Deng Tembreza

GOD THE FATHER  GOD THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD IN ONE.  Thank you for enlightining me through your sermon.  I love listening and reading your sermons and reflections Pastor.  I look forward everyweek for all of your sermons.  GOD BLESS THE RHM FAMILY AND GOD LOVES ALL SO MUCH.

September 7, 2016
  • 3
Yvonne Salas
Yvonne Salasedited: September 9, 2016

I was drawn to watch this message. Can you give me an example of blapheming against the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit and I know God wants me to listen to him and follow. How do I do that? I try but I feel I end up going/doing my own way. I feel terribly confused. I sometimes cry because I feel I'm failing God. Please help me to understand. I love God and want to do only His will and live His purpose for me or visa versa. I feel lost I guess. Pray for me please. Thank you!

September 9, 2016
  • 2
Yvonne Salas
Yvonne Salas

Ok, maybe I should just trust the Holy Spirit to do his work in me. Yeah, that's it. Thank you

September 12, 2016
  • 1
Dion Todd
Dion Toddedited: September 13, 2016

Hi Yvonne, we can often get too caught up in pleasing God, and miss being with Him like Martha did. Believe me, if you are sitting there in tears because you feel that you have failed God, you haven't. Slow down, relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy walking with God today. 

 

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: When Jesus was casting out evil spirits, the scribes accused Him of doing this by beelzebub, a demonic prince. Basically they called the work of the Holy Spirit, the work of satan. Now don't be concerned because you could not do it by accident. They knew exactly what they were doing but they wanted to save face in front of the people. 

 

You really should continue on with the Holy Spirit series. Many of your questions will be answered. I hope this helps! Be blessed.

 

September 13, 2016
  • 1
Yvonne Salas
Yvonne Salas

Thank you pastor. This helps much. C

September 25, 2016
  • 1
Cheryl Hepler
Cheryl Hepler

Blessings to you Yvonne!  I read your question and pastor's answer.  You are loved.  Remember reading on Jacob sleeping on a rock and dreaming of angels going up and down  stairway to Heaven.  He woke and said ...the Lord's presence is here!  I am reminded to say that now...no matter what the day is like or the hour is like...The Lord's presence is there with you as with me.  Have a great day!!    I know this tape was in September.  I try to watch every so often one and hope to catch up.

December 14, 2016
  • 1
Yvonne Salas
Yvonne Salas

Thank you Cheryl for.responding to the post. I feel the Holy Spirit with.me all day everyday. My mind is consumed with God and Jesus. But i admit i still struggle with many things. I need to learn more to trust God. 

Thank you again,

Yvonne

December 17, 2016
  • 1
Cheryl Hepler
Cheryl Hepler

What a wonder trip, what a wonderful gift, an d Praise God fot the wonderful man of God who took you on a ride of your life to experience the Holy Spirit and His works in others as in your on life!!  

I had this experience differently and as falling in love with Jesus was is as the joy to see all I saw and too experience in my life....never for get it!  Catching and stacking as you put it I experienced being caught.  I brought my Mother either me one night to this service where a little nun was talking up front.  She called God PaPa.  One story after another.  At end as she reached up to to lay hand upon someone down they went.  She looked at me and said ...you are not sure are you?  I stared at her and she said, Come here.  Before she even touched my head as she raised her hand I went down.  I was weeping on & on. I tried to get up & someone near me said lay still He is not done with you yet.  Eventually when I opened my eyes and looked to my left there was my Zmother on the floor weeping.  I jumped up and said..what did you do to my Mom?  I then realized everything yet was crying watching my Mom.  I had wanted my Mom to come to this service with me often.  That night we were running late.  My girlfriend, my Mom & I needed three seats.  The place was packed.  The usher said oh I know right where there is three seats and we followed straight to the front of church where a bench built for only three people was sitting empty.  WOW!  This is incredible, Lord!  Reserve seats.  Yet for a special night I have not forgotten!  This church I speak of is where today I go with my husband.  It is different yet growing constantly.  It was near two thousand then & is over 4,000 now. Even though I see this it is where my heart aches.  Why Pastor Dion?  God knows.  Much mission work across the seas & here in this area goes on.  It birthed another church about half hour from here also.    The evangelist who comes here often holds evening services about the Holy Spirit preaching on gifts of the Holy Spirit and speaks on being baptized in the Holy Spirit.  

December 14, 2016
  • 1
Cheryl Hepler
Cheryl Hepler

Again I go and Charlie likes it too.  Yet difficult ....my heart has some yearning for more fellowship.  Physically I have trouble hooking up also.  This teaching stirs me to all I remember and just to put it in God's hands as I have been over & over.  I pray for our neighborhood & people we meet here that we get close to that are close to death.  One neighbor who chugs up our hill barely making it in an old pick up truck.  No heat with no hot water.  We asked him to dinner one time and he came in a suit.  To see him in it we were so blessed that he felt special. He deals with some mental illness but we love him and know he is special to God as to us.  All I know ...is pray for Larry every time that truck struggles up the hill.  I am home more so I speak here to neighbors and pray for them.  They know.  Charlie walks dogs a lot and speaks to them here and further as I use too.  We pray together for them.  Our very recent blessing was a neighbor coming to the door last nite to give a Christmas card to.  I said, Wow this is neat.  When Charlie and I moved here we decided to make out Christmas cards to the neighbor's and deliver on Christmas Eve.  This man is a house we have been praying about as the three others near him.  They are hellos but yet distant.  So this is a blessing!  Maybe the church is to go & worship the Lord and here at home continue to pray for people around here & to know them so to pray individually some day as others.  Again I put my heart in God's hands.  The Holy Spirit is real!!

December 14, 2016
  • 1
Lorraine Molyneaux
Lorraine Molyneaux

Glory be to God, I can't seem to get enough of your teaching.  Everything that you are sharing the Lord has shared with me over many years and this is the first time that I hear another Preaching precisely what the Lord has said.  

There is such a need for truth in the Body of Christ and the internet can reach beyond denomination.  Thanks be to God for His call on your life and your obedience.

February 18, 2018
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Barbara Lowell
Barbara Lowell

This is a powerful message, Pastor! I was raised in the Catholic Religion and even worked for "The Church" at one time. I was overjoyed when I first started working there because I thought that I was "working for God". However, I was enlightened otherwise. It is run like any other Big Business Conglomerate. I was raised to believe that the "Church" was "its people that it "served". Sadly that wasn't always the case. It hurt me to my core because I love God, and Jesus, and The Holy Spirit who dwells inside me. I was devastated and still am. I have not formally stopped being a "Catholic" but I have stopped going to Church. It has changed so much from what I was raised in as a child. I don't recognize the prayers that are recited because "Rome" has seen fit to change them into "today's language". That is blasphemy to me. How can God's Word be changed by men who wear a collar and a robe? They are not God! I have also had emotional experiences from hurtful people hiding behind their "robes" and "habits" for a good part of my life. These experiences greatly hurt and saddened me. I love God dearly, but I do not love this "Church" anymore. I don't feel "God" there anymore. In my earliest memories of going to "Church" with my Mom, I could "feel God's presence" immediately as soon as I walked in the door, holding my Mom's hand.  I loved going to Church so much. I couldn't wait to go to Catholic School, which I loved. But, that "Church" is gone for me now. I find no Love, peace or enlightenment there. Will I "pine" for "my Church" forever? I don't know. However, I do find "peace", enlightenment", and "love" in every Refreshing Hope Ministries, Daily Word of Hope Devotional that I receive every day. I'll be talking to God at night telling Him what's on my mind, sometimes it's just in the back of my mind, not really thinking it, not even telling Him about it, and BINGO, the very next day the Devotional seems to be handwritten for me! Every Devotional makes my "loss" less each day. I even share my Devotionals with my friends and on Facebook as well. Everyone Loves them, as do I. Thank you so much, Pastor Dion, for what you are doing for me! God bless you, Now and Always!

August 15, 2018
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Dion Todd
Dion Todd

Thank you for reading Barbara and taking a moment to encourage us. God is so good, loves us so much, and our salvation is through Jesus, not the men in robes. They can never cut us off from His Holy Spirit or His love, though many of them have tried over the centuries :)

August 15, 2018
  • 1
Barbara Lowell
Barbara Lowell

Thank you, Pastor Dion. I am so happy that God's Holy Spirit dwells inside me. I have a very severe hearing loss, but I can hear His voice and see His beloved face. People wonder where is God. I always tell them that "God dwells inside thee". We are literally "God's House" because He is always present inside of us. I was Baptized receiving God The Father. Receiving Communion, I receive God The Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us. Confirmed, I received The Holy Spirit who never leaves me. "Where does God dwell" He dwells inside thee". His Love is always with us! How wonderful is that!

August 16, 2018
  • 1
Scott Riegelmann
Scott Riegelmann

Amazing teaching pastor Dion I was so incouraged by the truth and I will never be the same because of that truth and because of Gods AWESOME love for his children Thanks again I look forward to learning more I'm hungry for the truth!! God Bless RHM!

June 7, 2021