Author: Adam

Blessing Versus Anointing

The blessing of the Lord is often misunderstood as the anointing. The Spirit of the Lord moves upon us and we feel great joy. The power of God comes into our lives and produces deliverance. We are set free from some bondage or fear! The believer is released from some burden or torment. The heart rejoices!! We are filled with gratitude and suddenly, we break forth in praise, adulation, and worship.

The feeling is ecstatic!!! The release that is felt is indescribable. On occasions such as this, many lift their hands in thanksgiving to God. Others clap their hands in praise and worship to the Lord. It is not uncommon to see people dance, sing, weep, shout, and express great exuberance because of the blessing of God. However, there is a difference between blessing and the anointing of the Spirit of God!

After pastoring for more than fifty years, I have watched people come to church who would respond to ministry because they were seeking a blessing. If a singer could come that would stir their emotions, or if a preacher was a gifted communicator and could inspire and stir with their ministry, people were blessed. I have watched over the years as people have sought the Lord and followed ministry because they were interested in the blessing!

If someone could bless them, if someone could stir their emotion, if someone could inspire them, they would return home lifted in their spirit and anxious to return for another blessing. I have heard thousands of people seek the Lord for His blessing. The prayer that has been heard at our altars over the years has been “Oh Lord, bless me and my house!”

Thank God for His blessing! It is wonderful when the Lord stirs our emotion. It is exciting to be blessed of the Lord. The wise man said in Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the Lord maketh rich.” In Proverbs 28:20, the Scripture tells us that “A faithful man shall abound with blessing.” The prophet Malachi warned the children of Israel that God would curse their blessing; but He promised God’s people if they would be faithful with their tithe and their offerings that He would pour out a blessing that they could not contain (Malachi 3:10).

The Lord wants His people to be blessed! He wants to bless us physically and He wants to bless us financially. He wants to bless our families and our homes. He wants to bless His people in the market place. He wants to bless our children. The Lord delights to bless His people and certainly His blessings abound. The Lord can turn a curse into blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5).

God’s blessing should produce worship. The blessings call us to break forth with singing and with laughter. The blessing of the Lord will cause the children of God to offer praise. There is a little chorus that is often sung in our churches: “I am blessed, I am blessed, Every day of my life I am blessed.”

This is the testimony of God’s people. The Lord pours His blessings upon us and we thank God for them. (Hebrews 6:14, 1 Peter 3:9, Ephesians 1:3).

The Holy Spirit brings great blessing into our lives. As I reflect back over years of ministry, I can count hundreds of times when the blessing of the Lord rested upon me. HE blessed me when I was not filled with the Spirit. He blessed me when I was disobedient and unfaithful. He blessed me when I was not committed to service. The Holy Spirit is loving, patient, and desires to bless God’s people. He is the Blesser!

Too often many that have been the recipients of such blessing have done very little in faithful service to the Lord. One of the disconcerting things that I have noticed in my ministry is that, often, people who have been blessed with great talent and financial ability have not been faithful, dependable, committed, or loyal to the work of the ministry. Money can be given, but faithfulness to the church can be lacking.

I have also observed that all too often, those who cna respond so quickly with their emotions cannot be depended upon to carry a load. When you ask them to serve, they have excuses to offer and will hedge against a commitment. If some are not blessed, if they can’t be lifted to a “spiritual high,” if difficulities come to the “body” and a battle ensues in spiritual matters, those who depend upon blessing search for another source. I have watched, ain dismay, people who came and shouted when we shouted, sang when we sang, rejoiced when we rejoiced, but forsook the “Body” when reverses came and the church would face hard times.

Those who live for blessing only are usually shallow and fade as the flowers. The Holy Spirit is the Blesser. He delights in blessing all of us.

Regeneration produces life.

The Infilling produces fruit and character.

The Anointing provides ability for us to serve and to minister; and

The blessing generates praise, worship, and a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving.

These are the works of the Holy Spirit!

[This is a series of blogs which records the book “Is the Holy Spirit Real?” by Dr. Paul E. Paino.]

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me” (Luke 4:18). Regeneration by the Holy Spirit produces Life! The infilling of the Holy Spirit produces Christian Character! The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is always for service!

It is possible that the anointing of God’s Spirit may be upon a person who does not have Christian character or the fruit of the spirit. This was the case with Samson. The Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would do exploits. Even when his life was inconsistent with Godly principles, the anointing continued to rest upon him for a long period of time.

Some have confused the “blessing of the Lord” or “the inspiration of the Spirit” with the “anointing of the Spirit.” Unless we are committed to service, there is no anointing upon us. When Jesus stood in the synagogue and read the Scripture concerning the anointing, He immediately began His public ministry (Luke 4:18-19).

Jesus was born of the Spirit, and as He entered into His earthly ministry, the anointing of God’s Spirit rested heavily upon Him.

As a young man raised in the parsonage of a Pentecostal preacher, I would on occasions see ministries that God was using where their lives did not measure up to Godly standards and principles. This often troubled me because I felt that an anointing upon a ministry was always a guarantee that the ministry was conducting itself in righteousness and Godliness.

It was a revelation to me to learn that the anointing often rests upon vessels who are immature, inconsistent, and even unholy. Sooner or later, God deals with these defects; but, in the process, his power and Anointing will continue to rest upon that person.

In Exodus 30, we are given a divine order of things. in verses 11-16, provision is made for God’s people in redemption. Then, in verses 17-21, the Lord spoke to Moses and instructed him to make “a layer of bronze.” This was so the redeemed people of God could know the cleansing power of God. (Hebrews 10:22, 1 John 1:9).

God continues to speak to Moses in Exodus 30:22-23 concerning the holy anointing oil. After redemption and after cleansing, anointing was available. God said in verse 30, “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.”

The anointing oil was placed upon the priest in order for him to minister in the priest’s offic. The anointing oil was never to be placed on a stranger. The only things that were to be anointed were those vessels, instruments, and persons that would serve the Lord in ministry. The anointing was for service!

INSPIRATION VERSUS ANOINTING

There is a difference between inspiration and anointing. Inspiration is an emotional experience! It is a stimulus to our thoughts and our actions. It is a stimulus to our thoughts and our actions. It prompts an emotional response. Ministries can be inspired by the reaction of the crowd or by the size of the crowd. They can become excited and emotional over the content of their message.

Inspiration can be produced when a speaker is gifted in stirring and moving an audience. The beat or the rhythm of music can inspire. The intonation and the content of a sermon can produce inspiration. The mood and the reaction of the people can be an inspiring experience. However, all of theis can be present without the anointing of the Spirit of God.

It is easy to experience “inspiration” in the secular world. The comedian experiences it. The actor on the stage knows well what it means to be inspired. The athlete on the playing field can perform with exciting inspiration and can accomplish a great deal under the power and strength of it.

The Holy Spirit is the only one that can anoint. This anointing rests upon a person when the commitment to service is made.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a glorious spiritual experience. Being filled with the Spirit is an ongoing relationship. A Spirit-filled Christian has joy. A Spirit-filled Christian possesses peace. A Spirit-filled Christian expresses the love of God in his relationship with others. The fruit of the Spirit is produced as the Person of the Holy Spirit fills and controls the life of a believer. There is one spiritual baptism! There are many infillings! [Bishop Paino would always say, “There are many infillings because there are many leaks.”]

The Apostle Paul addressed this difference when he wrote the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, verse 1. He stated that, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or tinkling cymbal.” He clearly states that it is possible for one of the spirituals to function in the life of a believer and yet, that believer not have the fruit of the Spirit in their life. A spiritual experience without Christian character produces damaging results. All too often, individuals who have been wonderfully baptized in the Holy Spirit become so enthralled with the experience that they do not seek the Lord that they would be filled with the Spirit on a day-to-day basis.

A Spirit-filled believer will be filled with psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs. He will sing and make melody in his heart to the Lord. A Spirit-filled Christian will give thanks unto God in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will be filled with gratitude. A Spirit-filled Christian will possess an attitude of submission. They will submit one to another. The husband will submit to the Lord. The wife will submit to the husband. A Spirit-filled Christian will be Christlike. (Ephesians 5:18-21).

The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Jesus Christ in our lives. A Spirit-filled Christian will have victory over carnality (1 Corinthians 3:1). The person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will speak the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).

The light and life of Christ will shine forth through a Spirit-filled Christian. Spirit-filled Christians will have a good testimony and will be candidates to be used in the service of the Lord. The apostles instructed the church to look for seven men of honest report full of the Holy Spirit that we may appoint them to be deacons. The deacons in the early church were men filled with the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder that the power of God rested upon the believers.

Deacon Stephen was giving his testimony before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. As he spoke, those who heard him “were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” The Scripture goes on to say, “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heavaen, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).

He cried out to the Lord that the Lord would forgive those who were stoning him. Saul of Tarsus was a witness to the stoning of Stephen and was so affected by the fact that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit that God used it to touch the heart of the persecutor of the church. Paul saw Jesus Christ in the life of Stephen, the deacon.

The greatest need in the “full-gospel” church is that we would move past spiritual experience into an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord. This would remove all pride. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell in our hearts. He wants us to be filled with His presence and His power. He was sent to glorify Jesus in and thorugh us. We have received the “life of the Spirit” that we may produce the “fruit of the Spirit” and be witnesses of Jesus Christ in our world.

The Holy Spirit’s work in regeneration is to produce life in the believer. The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer is to fill each of us so that the character of Christ can be produced in us and the fruit of the Spirit can be manifested through us.

INFILLING PRODUCES CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. Being raised in a Pentecostal church, I have observed hundreds and hundreds of people who have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. All to often, there was great rejoicing over this experience but very little evidence of spiritual growth and maturity. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Too many have felt that the “experience” [of the baptism in the Holy Spirit] was an end in itself. Some who have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit no longer have joy. Peace has been taken from them. Fear and frustration control them. Anxiety, resentment, and criticism drive them. A relationship with the holy Spirit was not developed.

Christians are temples. We are vessels!! The Holy Spirit wants to fill and control every area our lives. He wants to control our thought life and direct our steps into righteousness and holiness. The Holy Spirit wants the life of Christ to shine forth through every believer. He wants us to have His joy, His peace, his love, His patience, and His and His meekness. It is so easy for us to let other things fill our lives.

When we are filled with the Spirit, there is no place for the flesh. When we walk after the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Spirit-baptized believers need to be very sensitive and careful about placing so much emphasis on the experience if we have not permitted the Person of the Holy Spirit to fill our lives. The world needs Spirit-filled believers! Pauls command still rings clear: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.” The Holy Spirit is present to save us and to fill us (Ephesians 5)!

[This is continuing a blog series titled “Is the Holy Spirit Real?” It is entries of the book by the same title authored by the late Dr. Paul E. Paino.]

The Holy Spirit was given to fill every believer. In Ephesians 5:18-21, we read the following words, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” [emphasis mine]. On the day of Pentecost, believers will filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

The early church sought the Lord when Peter and John were thrust into prison, and it is recorded that those who were assembled together were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). To the proportion that a believer is filled with the Spirit, he portrays the character and nature of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said that the “fruit of the Spirit” (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance) will be manifested in the life of a Christian to the degree that a Christian is filled with the Spirit of God. Christian character is produced by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul made a contrast between the “works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit.” We are admonished to walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:22-26). A Christian will not walk after the flesh if he is filled with the Spirit (Galatians 5:17-18).

It is possible for a Christian to be filled with the Spirit when he has not ever received the experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is the reason that there are committed and spiritual Christians with beautiful Christian character who have never spoken with tongues and have never received their spiritual baptism. This is also the reason that there are those who have received a spiritual baptism and still rejoice in the blessing, glory, power, and emotion of the experience but do not demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.

A Christian can be baptized in the Spirit and not be filled with the Spirit; and, a Christian can be filled with the Spirit and never experience the Baptism in the Spirit.

[The word “baptism” often is almost always associated with water these days. But that’s not Biblical. The word “baptism” means “to fully submerse.” Imagine a bucket of water, and then thrusting a dry sponge to the bottom of the bucket. Which part of the sponge remains dry? NONE OF IT! The sponge was fully submersed into the water; the sponge was baptized. But you can be “fully submersed” in more things than just water. Let’s see what Dr. Paino wrote in his book.]

We read that there are several baptisms mentioned in the Scripture. However, there are three that are critically important in our relationship with the Lord:

1) The baptism into the “Body of Christ.” There is the work and ministry of the holy Spirit to baptize us into the Jesus Christ. The “Body of Christ” has many members but there is only one body. It is the Holy Spirit that makes believers members of this wonderful body. It is the Holy Spirit that places every believer into the “Body of Christ.”

2) The baptism in water. The Great Commission given by our Lord was that the gospel should be preached and that believers must be “baptized in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

The early church followed the instruction and laid down the pattern. Water baptism is not an option! It is a command! (Acts 2:21).

Water baptism is an expression of faith. It is an act of obedience. It is a witness of a work of grace that is done in the heart of a believer; and it is identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are buried with Christ and are raised to walk in the newness of life. Baptism in water is a deeply spiritual and moving experience for the believer.

3) The baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus sopke concerning this baptism. John was called upon to baptize Jesus in the waters of the Jordan but it is Jesus who baptizes believers into the HOly Spirit. This wonderful baptism is a glorious experience that is provided for everyone who has received the Holy Spirit into the hearts and know that they are a new creature in Christ (Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:1-4).

See also Acts 8:13-19, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-7. The entire 8th chapter of Romans is an exposition of the Holy Spirit in REGENERATION. The BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRITis not mentioned in this chapter. The be REGENERATED is to receive life. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in the work of being “born again” is to assure every believer of this life. REGENERATION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIFE!

The Holy Spirit has come to do no less than seven things:

1. The Holy Spirit is the power that raised Jesus from the dead and assures us that, we, too will be resurrected and that our mortal bodies will be raised from the dead.

2. The Holy Spirit gives power to mortify or to put to death the deeds of the body. Death works in the flesh but God’s Spirit gives life to the inner man. We must therefore live after the Spirit (Galatians 5:25, Romans 8:2).

3. The Holy Spirit guides the Christian. We have a Leader. The Lord has promised to direct our steps. He is the Master and must be Lord in all areas of our lives. The Holy Spirit is always with us and wants to take control of every step we take. (John 16:13).

4. The Holy Spirit sets us free from the bondage of fear. Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom and deliverance and health and strength. He sets us free. We are not bound (Romans 8:15).

Fear brings torment into our lives. Faith is produced by holiness and fear is produced by deception. If we do not permit the Holy Spirit to reign in our life, we will struggle with fear. Some have a fear of death. Others fear the future. We can be tormented by financial fears, physical fears, or fear concerning our future.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dispel fear. We can be set free from “bondage again to fear” (Romans 8:15). If you are fearful now, if you are being tormented and brought under bondage because of this binding spirit, the Holy Spirit will deliver you. He was sent to set us free.

5. The Spirit of God has brought us into an intimate relationship with God. God is our Father. Jesus Christ is our elder brother. We are an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:16-17).

The Holy Spirit places us in such an intimate relationship with God that we know Him as our Father. We have a blood relationship. We belong to the family of God. The Holy Spirit has made us “partakers of divine nature.” We are “the children of God.” The Holy Spirit has provided an intimacy and a new relationship. We are reborn. We have been made anew. We have received the “Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

6. The Holy Spirit Gives the human spirit a witness, a testimony, and an assurance. We know we have passed from death into life. There are no doubts concerning our relationship with God. The holy Spirit gives a powerful witness that Jesus Christ is our Saviour, that the Holy Spirit indwells us, and God is our heavenly Father. (Romans 8:16, 1 John 4:2, 1 John 5:13,20).

7. The Holy Spirit is a praying spirit. He helps our weaknesses. “The Holy Spirit himself maketh intercession” for us. When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God. “He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” There is a new dimension to prayer. (Romans 8:26-27).

The Holy Spirit has been sent to us by the Father so that every believer can be REGENERATED (“born again,” made anew) and receive eternal life. (1 John 5:14-15).

there is a danger in some full-gospel, Pentecostal, and charismatic circles to bring confusion into the “Body of Christ” by inferring that people have not received the Holy Spirit until they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

There are others who teach that a person is not REGENERATED or SAVED until they have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. These people are often guilty of saying, “You have not received the Holy Spirit until you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and have experienced speaking in ‘an unknown tongue.'”.

It is extremely important that all of us recognize that every believer who has asked Jesus Christ to be their Saviour, that has confessed and repented of their sin, and has followed the Lord into the waters of baptism has received the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and He has come to indwell our hearts. A believer may not know anything about the experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. They may not understand “speaking with other tongues,” and they may even resist the experience; and still have the Holy spirit indwelling them (1 Corinthians 12:12-14).

[“Is The Holy Spirit Real?” by Dr. Paul E. Paino].

No person can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit! (1 Cor. 12:3). It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and convinces of sin (John 16:8).

Without the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, no person can come to Christ. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul wrote an entire chapter on the subject of REGENERATION. To regenerate means to be spiritually reborn. It means to be renewed or restored. The dictionary states: “to form or bring into existence again; re-establish on a new basis.” To be regenerated is to be formed again or to be made anew. Such words as “born again,” “to be saved,” “to receive Christ,” “to become a Christian,” and “to receive Christ as Saviour” are all terms that we use to describe regeneration.

The Apostle Paul wrote the entire 8th chapter of Romans to explain the doctrinal truth of regeneration. The purpose of regeneration is to provide life (eternal life) to the believer. When the believer invites Jesus Christ into his heart, the Holy Spirit comes as the “Spirit of Life.” (Romans 8:2).

The Scripture states that we have life when the Holy Spirit comes as the Spirit of Christ to dwell in us (Romans 8:10). It is the Holy Spirit who assures us of resurrection from the dead (Romans 8:11).

Every person who has confessed his sin and has publicly acknowledged Jesus Christ as Saviour and has asked for forgiveness has received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enters into us as the “Spirit of Christ.” He is also the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9 and Romans 8:14).

EVERY BELIEVER HAS RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT!! It is impossible to be a Christian without the abiding presence of God’s Spirit in our lives.

It is the Holy Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. This inner witness is the “blessed assurance” that we have been born again. Believers are made anew. We are REGENERATED! Christians have eternal life. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers so that each one can be led and directed by Him. (Romans 8:14). Jesus stated that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:17).

The believer is not left alone. Jesus has sent the blessed Holy Spirit so that we would not be left comfortless. He comes to bear witness that we are, indeed, a child of God (John 14:16, 18).

The Apostle Paul makes it very, very clear that it is impossible to be a Christian without the Holsy Spirit indwelling us. We are the temples of God. As we read through this wonderful eighth chapter of Romans, we discover the Holy Spirit is called [many things]:

The Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)
The Spirit (Romans 8:4, 5, 9, 26, 27)
The Spirit of God (Romans 8:9, 14)
The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)
The Spirit Himself (Romans 8:16, 26).

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have His life — eternal life. When we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, He gives us a spiritual mind and a spiritual understanding. (Romans 8:5-7).

In 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, we learn that the natural man cannot receive the things of God. We have received the Spirit of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:13).

The carnal mind does not grasp spiritual truth. Our natural minds are at enmity against God and cannot be subject to the law of God. A Christian understands spiritual truths. The Word of God becomes meat and food. The Scriptures are alive. Preaching the Word produces life and power. The Word of God produces and strengthens faith. Without the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit, none of this is possible.

[“Is The Holy Spirit Real?” By the late Dr. Paul E. Paino. Copyright 1992 Paul E. Paino Ministries. Used by Permission].

I have noticed a lack of understanding when it comes to the function of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That’s why I’ve started a new blog series titled, “Is the Holy Spirit Real?” The upcoming blogs will not be my own words, but will be direct quotation from the book, “Is the Holy Spirit Real?” by the late Dr. Paul E. Paino. (Copyright 1992 Paul E. Paino Ministries). I will occasionally insert my own comments for discussion or clarification, but when I do, it will be in [brackets]. I will also make slight modifications to make it more appropriate for online viewing (for example, I will utilize links in scripture references).

I am thrilled to have obtained permission to share this book with you on my blog. Dr. Paino provides the most clear, simple, and concise teaching on pneumatology that I have ever seen. I will start with a portion of the introduction:

While attending Bible school in the early 1940’s, I began asking serious questions concerning the work, the ministry, and the personality of the Holy Spirit. Here are some questions with which I constantly wrestled:

1. Do all believers in Jesus Christ receive the Holy Spirit?
2. Does the Baptism in the Holy Spirit produce Christian character?
3. Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit primarily for the purpose of receiving power?
4. Is there a difference between being baptized in the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit?
5. Does the experience of the Baptism give us power to witness or does receiving the Holy Spirit give us this power?
6. What is the purpose of “tongues”?
7. Can the “gifts of the Spirit” or “spirituals” operate in a person who has not received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
8. Are all of the “spirituals” of “gifts of the Spirit” to operate in the local church today?
9. Are these “spirituals” resident int he believer, and can these “gifts” function at the will or bidding of the believer?

These are a few of the questions that I want to address in the following pages [blogs]. As a result of searching the Scriptures concerning these matters, the Lord gave me clear understanding concerning the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Yes . . . the HOLY SPIRIT is REAL!