Bridging Heaven and Earth: Ministering in The Power of The Holy Spirit
Apr 26, 2024
Acorn Christian Healing Foundation
Can the divine truly intersect with our lives? We're back from our break, energized and curious, to discuss a profound inquiry: the indispensability of the Holy Spirit's gifts in our era. Wes and Lisa navigate through the complexities of a world where knowledge and innovation soar, yet the human soul still yearns for eternal answers to suffering, mortality, and grief. Our latest episode is a deep dive into how the Holy Spirit acts as a bridge between Heaven and earth, offering hope and healing that defies human capability.
We reflect on the power and relevance of ministering with the Holy Spirit's influence. Whether you joined us pre-event at the Acorn Christian Healing Academy or are just catching up, this discussion—also available on YouTube—promises to deliver thoughtful insights into the spiritual dynamics of Christian healing. We are immensely grateful to our listeners for their continued support and participation. Stay connected for our next thought-provoking session, and until then, we bid you a heartfelt farewell.
Can the divine truly intersect with our lives? We're back from our break, energized and curious, to discuss a profound inquiry: the indispensability of the Holy Spirit's gifts in our era. Wes and Lisa navigate through the complexities of a world where knowledge and innovation soar, yet the human soul still yearns for eternal answers to suffering, mortality, and grief. Our latest episode is a deep dive into how the Holy Spirit acts as a bridge between Heaven and earth, offering hope and healing that defies human capability.
We reflect on the power and relevance of ministering with the Holy Spirit's influence. Whether you joined us pre-event at the Acorn Christian Healing Academy or are just catching up, this discussion—also available on YouTube—promises to deliver thoughtful insights into the spiritual dynamics of Christian healing. We are immensely grateful to our listeners for their continued support and participation. Stay connected for our next thought-provoking session, and until then, we bid you a heartfelt farewell.
we're back in action, ready for another coffee pods.
Speaker 1:
Lovely to be with you again, wes yep, glad to be back, here we go I was thinking we, we took a short break, but actually I don't know if any of you listening will realize, because there's so many episodes of coffee pods, but to be able to be sort of, uh, in line with the most recent ones is quite difficult. But we have taken a short break just for a month, and then we're back now with some really good questions. I would say I'd like to pick your brains a little bit, wes. If I may, I'd also like to invite those of you who are listening to share your thoughts with us. You can contact us by social media, email, whatever you want to do, whatsapp. We'd love to know what you think of this topic. Um, but this question is a biggie. Are the gifts of the holy spirit really necessary today?
Speaker 2:
wow, yes, okay, um, yeah, the. The answer is yes, um, the question that you wanted to ask me is why do I think that really? Yeah, um, it's really funny, isn't it? We think that in bible days, you know, and first century, second century, the century before christ, you know, in the civilizations like china and and stuff you know, but they didn't really know anything.
Speaker 2:
You know, persia didn't know anything. They didn't know anything about art or music or science or stuff like that, and and so we look at ourselves now and go, yeah, yeah, but we're really smarty pants and we know everything, and actually that's just not true, because the cultures that were around at the time may not have had electricity, but they had insight into things that we don't necessarily get. So, for instance, it says of Solomon that he had insight into, um, you know, biology and chemistry and construction and and lots and lots of things which actually, when you go back and look at it, you think wow. I mean, for instance, take the egyptians they built the pyramids without a mechanical digger okay, so you have to say they're not stupid.
Speaker 2:
Yeah so when you then come back to the question of the holy spirit, you know we sort of say yeah, but do we need him because we're so smart and we're so gifted and we've got everything else? And the answer is we are facing exactly the same needs and the same challenges that humanity has always faced, irrespective of the level of technology or of science or anything. We're still facing incurable diseases, we're still facing death. We're still facing incurable diseases. We're still facing death. We're still facing mortality rate. We're still facing things that we haven't got the foggiest idea why. And we're still facing the impact of spiritual realities on people that there is no medical treatment for. So you can't, you can't operate on somebody and take sadness away. You know, you can maybe drug it up, but it's a different thing. So what does the Holy Spirit come? Well, the other issues, of course, for me is that the Holy Spirit is not just enabling us to be really clever Christians. The Holy Spirit is the means by which the life of heaven touches life on earth.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
And we need that now as much as Paul did in Corinth or in Thessalonica or any of the other places in Rome. We need that now in our culture.
Speaker 1:
That's a really helpful comment and it makes me think a little bit further, because we, as disciples clearly we you and I and Acorn we do believe that the Holy Spirit is very necessary and we have seen the Holy Spirit do what we would say are miraculous healings. In this ministry, um, there will be people who aren't of a same faith as ours or or of a christian faith. Maybe they might say well, we don't have all the answers with technology, you know um, science hasn't cured everything, and that's okay. So I guess the point that I'm trying to um dig a little deeper than maybe is why in this world is it so important for us you know, we believe this why is it important that the holy spirit releases, gift and is, and it and is present?
Speaker 2:
and for me it comes down to the, the lord's prayer, or the disciples prayer, as perhaps you should call it, the prayer that jesus taught his disciples your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Speaker 2:
And actually the holy spirit is the means by which, through us and in us, the will of god gets done on earth as it is in heaven, whether it's healing between nations and we've. You know, we're currently looking at um israel and palestine, we're looking at the ukraine and russia, we're looking at the Ukraine and Russia. We're looking at a whole range of other things whether it's peace on an international scale, or whether actually it's healing in a marriage or in a family or in a body of a disease or a mind that's distressed and at peace. There are some things, lisa, that only the life of heaven can do, and even doctors and medics and philosophers and politicians will admit there are some things they cannot achieve or do. It's because it's about the life of God. It's about the impact of heavenly life touching earthly life.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's. I love that. I really do love that, and I think we need to hear that more, even within Christian environments, don't we? I really do love that and I think we need to hear that more, even within Christian environments, don't we? But speaking on that, then, on some Christians as well, and some disciples, there is a belief that the gift of the Holy Spirit stopped a long time ago. What's your understanding about that?
Speaker 2:
Do you do you think that's got any truth, or I know how they got it, it, where they got it from um, and can I just say, in all the things that I've said, I'm not dissing medical science or the nhs yeah, yeah absolutely. We love them, we believe them, pray for them and god works in miracle and medicine in both of them. Absolutely. But there are some things which only god can do. I say to people you can't get from people what you can only get from god yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:
And so one of the interesting things is that some people said that we didn't need the gifts of the holy spirit. They ceased at the end of the apostolic age, so when, you know, the 12 apostles and and their immediate and mates died. The church had been established at pentecost and it had become established through, you know, three centuries in con, through constantine, the church had become, you know, the official religion, which actually wasn't really great for us, for christians. We became the people of power, when we were supposed to be the powerless people. But that's another story. And then they said because of that and because Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, he's writing about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 10, he says this he puts in a comment he says when the perfect has come, we won't need all these other gifts.
Speaker 2:
And so one group of christians said that the thing that is perfect is the bible, it's the word of god that's perfect. Your words are perfect. And therefore, once the canon of scripture had been established um, you know various dates, but certainly by 350 ad once the canon of scripture had been begun to be established, then we didn't need all this other stuff because we had the bible right, and I want to say but actually, many people read the bible and it doesn't do anything for them because actually it's not about intellectual, human, um, insight, it is about the life of god. And so actually I would just say to you, please don't read the bible unless you're going to read it with the holy spirit shining light on the page. Yeah, so that you can understand it and it lives for you. Yeah, I mean, I remember at school doing shakespeare and for uh, my as, and not getting a word of it. Mind you, if Shakespeare could, could have stood next to me and said where's you see that phrase?
Speaker 2:
now, that means it's like oh, I get it yeah, how do you spirit to to be with us as we handle the word of God? Yes, which is perfect, because another school of church and, uh, theology would say, actually the perfect is when christ comes and in the second coming we won't. Let's face it. In heavens we're not going to need tongues because we'll understand everything. We only prophecy because we'll know everything you know. And no, there won't be anybody who's sick, so we won't need miracles and healing. And and there's another take on it, I think, if I really put my finger on it, I think sometimes people say that because they're afraid, because the holy spirit won't be controlled he comes he comes to take over.
Speaker 2:
So I think the church has become very good. Please forgive me if I've offended you now, but it seems to me the church has become very good at controlling the word, the Bible, and what it says and what you think it says, whereas when the Holy Spirit comes and heals somebody in front of your eyes, it's very clearly come to take over um, that's good stuff, um.
Speaker 1:
So then I'm just trying to think how I link my next question nicely into that um, because I'm reminded that we were told that we would have a helper. Um, now, that then makes me think that God is going to have us alongside this help.
Speaker 2:
You know brilliant, otherwise I think it would just be.
Speaker 1:
There is going to be a power or there is going to be. You know, the helper makes me realize my involvement. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yes, no, absolutely. Well, listen, when you go to, when you go to the garage to fill your car with petrol, ok, you don't actually just park your car next to the petrol pump and expect petrol to come out of the pump and get into your car without you being involved yeah okay, yeah, you'd like the power, but actually there has to be a connection.
Speaker 2:
You have to pick up the pump, you have to stick it in the hole and you have to squeeze the thing and then you have to pay for it. Okay, the life is there for the car, but unless there's a means of connecting that life to your car, you're not going to get anywhere. So, similarly, the Holy Spirit is present and the need is present with us, and so God uses us to connect the life of the spirit into the needs of the person, through our prayers, through the laying on of hands, through our faith, through our command in in the name of jesus. Otherwise, you know it is. It's just like it take your car, the garage and expecting the petrol just to flow in to it by itself yeah the, the.
Speaker 2:
Of course, the other thing and probably we talk about this in in the academy as well is that the gifts of the spirit are tools to do the job. You need faith. It's a tool to get the job done. You need the word of knowledge. It's a tool to understand what's going on. You need the gift of miracles it's a tool to transfer the life of God into a need or a person. So they're not badges or toys. Yeah, they're actually very necessary tools and we still need to see sick people healed and sad people in comforted and encouraged and lifted up. We still need to see people receiving revelation, the light of god. We still need to see people coming to a personal knowledge with jesus. And we need the tools that the spirit always has used and actually, at least, we've always used them throughout all of church history. There's only one period of church history where somewhere the gifts of the spirit weren't being used yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's always present, always active. So for someone or anyone who might be listening, thinking that can't be me, um, you know God would use me, or you know I haven't been ordained, or you know all these things that come into our mind, what would be an encouragement that you would offer?
Speaker 2:
very good, yeah, I'm encouraged that you think people are listening. That's great, um, do you know I? I just say to them this take a look at the 12 disciples. Take a look mary and martha. Take a look at dorcas. Take a look at timothy, take a look at paul. Take a look at all of them. Um, none of them had qualifications that were the other people deemed necessary to be a disciple of Jesus.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
And they moved in the power of God. God is not looking for able people, he's looking for available people and actually, because the life is his, the instructions are his, the directions are his, all he's looking for is people who are available to say God, you're with me here. This person needs you. I'll be the connection that you want to give, and that's what I do, that's what we all do, that's what our teams do and I say to people everybody's ordained.
Speaker 2:
It's just that some people have to wear their shirts the wrong way around that's really good, thank you.
Speaker 1:
Well, let's wrap it up here, because if you're listening to this prior to the acorn christian healing academy, we are looking at ministering in the power of the holy spirit, so there'll be so much more uh to get involved in and some discussions. If you're listening to this after uh, the academy, which is the 4th of may, you can catch it on youtube and to see what we were chatting about. But next time, where's? We got another big question around, okay, um, so we'll leave it here for now. So thank you guys for listening and where's? Thank you, thank you bye.