Written by Ralph Tippin
“THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON! He is not enthusiasm. He is not courage. He is not energy. He is not the personification of all good qualities, like Jack Frost is the personification of cold weather. Actually, the Holy Spirit is not the personification of anything… He has individuality. He is one Being and not another. He has will and intelligence. He has hearing. He has knowledge and sympathy and ability to love and see and think. He can hear, speak, desire, grieve, and rejoice. He is a person.”
A. W. Tozer
I (Ralph) might add, the Holy Spirit is so big He fills the universe, but if you ask Him for the right reason, He will live in you. I like what one evangelist said: “I’m wall-to-wall Holy Ghost!”
The Spring Charge Retreat
Our home on Mapledene Drive in Ancaster, Ontario, was filled with young people for days following the “Spring Charge” retreat at our Baptist Church. There was rejoicing, tears, praying, laughter, repentance, and singing for hours on end. We didn’t know how or why God had chosen that particular event to “fall in power” on all who were there, but He most certainly did! It was a sovereign move of His Holy Spirit, and to this day, it is still bearing results.
Our family was literally invaded with spiritually hungry people – eager to share the love of God and simply to bask in His presence. My wife, Barb, who had stayed home to look after our boys during that momentous last service, didn’t know what to make of it. I didn’t know how to explain it. Our sons, Michael and Bryan, were too young to comprehend the situation, but loved the attention they received from ecstatic teenagers.
The truth is, we could not stop talking about the Lord Jesus and what He had done – what He was – what He is doing – in our lives. We were witnessing to His power but were yet unable to understand what had happened; that would come later.
Getting Alone With God
I can remember slipping down to our basement during all the excitement to get alone with God. I knelt beside a studio couch and opened up my heart to Him. I said, “Whatever You have for me and whatever You want me to do, I’m ready Lord. I love You and I want what You want.” That was it. No bolt of lightning, no voice from Heaven – just a sweet warmth swept through my whole being and I was immersed in a peace that passed my understanding.
When I arose from prayer, I knew that things would never be the same again. I was a new man – alive in the Spirit – changed in personality. Where I had been introverted, I became totally extroverted – bold to speak – and, as you’ll see, a somewhat dangerous weapon. For weeks following, folks didn’t know what had happened to me. They had great difficulty getting to know the new Ralph. I had changed so much and as yet, didn’t know how to explain it. The most affected was Barb. She had a new husband and that caused months of confusion and even depression. More about that later. Aren’t you glad it eventually worked out? Aren’t you glad you know the Barb of today? Isn’t God good? Why not tell Him so right now! Hallelujah!
While all this was going on, my Mom was in hospital in Toronto. She suffered greatly from chronic rheumatoid arthritis and was receiving treatment which would hopefully give relief from the terrible pain. One afternoon, while Barb manned the fort with the boys and with a horde of “on-fire” teenagers, I got into our car to travel to visit Mom. As plain now as then, I can hear myself saying to God, “What now, Father?
Speaking In Tongues With Laughter, Song and Praise to God
I turned the key in the ignition. Out of my mouth flew words I did not know – and then laughter and song and praise unto our God. This continued all the way to Toronto. One puzzled fellow, in the passenger seat of a transport truck, looked down at me, and from his expression, I knew he thought I had lost my mind. This did not bother me. For the time being, I was in another realm, lost in wonder, love and praise.
When I got to Toronto, I told my Mom all that had been happening. She was delighted as she had been praying that the Lord would bring us closer to Himself and use us more deeply in His kingdom. My parents had come up in “the silent generation.” They did not speak openly about their faith very much. They lived it and you just knew that they were godly folk. As St. Francis once said, “Preach the Word always, and if necessary, use words.” My Mom and Dad put feet to that.
The “Dunamis” (DOO-nam-is) of God
Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
That word, “POWER”, in the Greek language, is dunamis. It literally means force, miraculous power, ability, strength, and wonderful work. From dunamis, we get the English word “dynamite.” In the New Testament, it occurs 120 times.
Among other parts of its definition, it means:
A. Inherent power which a person exerts and puts forth;
B. power for performing miracles;
C. moral power and excellence of soul
It is necessary to have this dunamis in order to boldly proclaim God’s good news. Admittedly, there are many Christians who have this dunamis working through their lives who don’t know what it’s called. They have it and through obedience, they bring glory to the Lord, and all who know them recognize Jesus by their good works.
Let me close with Acts 4:31-33: “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believe were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. And with great power (Dunamis) the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.”
“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”
Corrie ten Boom
God bless you today!!
Love,
Barb and Ralph 🙂
