Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. —Ezekiel 18:31

Something happens when we grieve the Holy Spirit: not the loss of salvation, but presence of mind. I like to call it the presence of the mind of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is depicted in the New Testament as a dove (Matt. 3:16; John 1:32). The dove is a very shy bird and extremely sensitive. When the Spirit is grieved He backs away, as it were, like a dove that quietly and unobtrusively flies away. The result of this is that we are not able to flow in the Spirit as long as the Spirit is grieved and the Dove is not around.

Bitterness and unforgiveness are the main ways in which we grieve the Spirit. We know this is true because the very next thing Paul says (after commanding us not to grieve the Spirit) is, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32). Bitterness is not the only way we grieve the Spirit, and Paul continues to show what else grieves the Spirit: sexual immorality, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking (Eph. 5:3-4). But bitterness is the chief way we grieve the Spirit, and that is why He puts it at the top of the list of things we can do to grieve the Spirit.

This means that all of us are accountable to God to forgive and to make sure the Holy Spirit is ungrieved in our hearts and lives. And when the Holy Spirit in us is ungrieved—like the dove coming down and remaining (see John 1:32-33)—we will show the fruit of the Spirit, be able to witness for Jesus with power, and flow in the Spirit.

You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. —Luke 16:15

My old friend Pete Cantrell often says, “The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove.” I think this is one of the most profound statements I have ever heard. The person who needs to prove how right or how strong he or she is, is one who is not free. There is a struggle inside to make others think they are right and strong. The truth is, if we really are right and strong, we don’t have to say anything! Freedom is being experienced, therefore, when one is having nothing to prove. He or she does not need to justify themselves, make themselves look good. It is enough that God knows for people like that. (See John 5:44.)

When you are justified before God, you are free. Seeking to be justified or vindicated before people is a crippling, endless, and counterproductive enterprise; you are never at peace. No freedom. But when you know that God Himself declares you righteous, you are free and have no need to get your satisfaction from comparing yourselves with others.

The heart of the gospel is at stake here. What justifies us before God—our good works? Or is it our confession to God that we are sinners? Answer: we are justified when we do not try to prove ourselves before God but lean on His mercy. The way a person is converted is to ask God for mercy.

When we are trusting our works, there will always be a need to try to prove ourselves—by words. The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove. This freedom comes when we put all our “eggs into one basket,” namely, the death of Jesus on the cross. That brings freedom because this alone is what justifies us before God.

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ. —Ephesians 1:9

Are you seeking God? How hard are you trying? Are you requiring that He meets your expectation? You say, “If God turned up, believe me, I would recognize Him.” That is exactly the point I want to make: when we feel we know God so well, we are in danger of becoming too familiar with Him. The way we must love the glory of the Lord is not that we affirm Him because we see that which makes us feel comfortable, but that we know He is God and can manifest Himself in unusual ways.

Sometimes God puts us in a place where we can’t give the reason we affirm Him. He continues to work in this way, so there are times when we have to take a stand, where we know the truth, but we are not allowed to explain ourselves. Are you prepared to be committed to Jesus Christ to the extent that you just affirm Him, even though you know you are not allowed to explain yourself except to say, “Jesus is my Savior; I am unashamed of Him”?

When we see God working in an unexpected way, we may fail to recognize Him. Sometimes theologians describe the “otherness” of God. He is different. He may turn up in a strange way. God may come with silence or by hiding His face and seeming not to answer. Sometimes the way in which He turns up seems silly. But God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

Our reaction is, “How can God do this to me—if that’s really God?” Then explain this: Jesus, dying on a cross, how can that be God? Why does God seem so detached from the way with which we are comfortable? The answer is lest we feel too familiar with Him and become presumptuous. The proof we love God is that we recognize He may appear in a way that feels strange, and we are prepared to affirm Him no matter how much it hurts and no matter how strange it seems.

Recording artist and singer Beckah Shae says one of the most underutilized weapons Christians have is their voice. The Dove-award nominee isn’t referring to her soulful crooning; she’s talking about speaking out against injustice. Every day, she notes, children go hungry and young girls and boys are trafficked for sex—not because there aren’t enough people to change that, but because those who are aware of the problems aren’t vocal enough about them. 

“This is the most powerful thing for me—to be a voice. I have a powerful platform right now,” Shae says. She uses her voice in numerous ways, including to create contemporary Christian albums such as Destiny, her most recent. She is also a spokesperson for Kids Alive, which fights poverty, and for A21, which rescues girls from sex trafficking.

The songstress says she was both heartbroken and elated when she visited Kenya to see the work Kids Alive was doing during the drought that has created a hunger crisis in east Africa. She witnessed the ministry helping to rescue orphans who had been physically abused, then meeting the spiritual, physical, educational and emotional needs of the children who had nowhere else to turn.

“It’s more of a family-type setting. They make it like a family so it’s not like an orphanage,” she says. 

Shae and her husband, a music producer, sponsor a child with Kids Alive. She is committed to helping—and using her voice to tell about the injustice and the work being done in Kenya to change it.

“It’s not about everything we do,” Shae says, “it’s about [our lack of] doing anything.”

Beckah Shae’s favorite quote:

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
         —Martin Luther King Jr. 

On a crisp and sunny Saturday recently, hundreds of bikers from around the Carolinas descended upon the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., with gifts strapped to their motorcycles for the Fourth Annual Bikers with Boxes event. The group is an annual supporter of Operation Christmas Child, an outreach by Samaritan’s Purse that last year alone gave 8.2 million underprivileged children Christmas shoe boxes. 

“We’ve just really been thrilled that this has been an annual event and that the bikers have embraced it,” said Diane Wise of the Billy Graham Library. “Bikers are the most generous group of people.”

Applause welcomed each pack of riders arriving at the library parking lot, their loud engines barking and revving. Some cruised up with just a few friends; others rolled in by the dozens from their churches. But they all came with one goal: to give the love of Christ to children through hand-selected gifts that were crammed into the shoe boxes stowed on the backs of their Harleys and Kawasakis.

“It’s a really great cause,” said Bert Lilly, who rode from Rock Hill, S.C., with other bikers. “You want to put so much into it: toothpaste, toothbrush, balls, crayons, flashlights, batteries, soap. But you realize you only have so much space.”

It’s not unusual for churches to rent school auditoriums for worship services. The Bronx Household of Faith just wants the same rights other community groups have to assemble in public schools during off hours. But school officials who preside over the New York borough are allegedly discriminating against the group because it would use the facility for religious services, the church claims.

The New York City Department of Education consistently rejected Bronx Household’s request to meet at a school building for weekend services until a federal district court in 2002 issued an injunction prohibiting the department from keeping churches out. Now the U.S. Supreme Court may decide the matter. It’s a case that could have far-reaching ramifications for churches across the nation that wish to hold meetings in public schools.

“The government cannot target religious services for exclusion from public buildings when they are open to other similar types of meetings,” says Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence. 

“The U.S. Supreme Court has definitively ruled that the government cannot limit access to generally available public spaces merely because government officials disapprove of a form of expression. Equal access means equal access, and that includes religious services.”

Should government regulate Sunday morning sermons about political candidates? Most Protestant pastors don’t think so. A survey shows they want the freedom to preach what the Bible says about candidates’ positions.

 According to LifeWay Research, nearly nine out of 10 Protestant senior pastors believe government should not regulate sermons. 

“The survey confirmed what pastors of nearly every persuasion have told us for years: They don’t want the IRS or any other governmental agency to censor what they say from their pulpits,” said Alliance Defense Fund Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. 

The ADF co-conducted the survey and encourages pastors to live without fear of punishment or penalty by the government and decide for themselves what they will sermonize about. Pastors from more than 475 churches nationwide planned to preach sermons recently presenting biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates. 

According to Stanley, they were exercising their constitutionally protected right to free religious expression, despite a problematic Internal Revenue Service rule that activist groups often use to try to silence churches.

“I am so impressed with Charisma and how it has progressed with the times without losing sight of our mission as believers.”

-Sarah Matthews

A Virtual winner

Wow! The October issue was very powerful and informative. Awesome research on all the new digital and virtual technology for spreading the Good News of Jesus around the world. I also loved the 30-year-old picture of beloved founder and publisher Steve Strang.

Bob Weiner, Gainesville, Fla.

I’ve been carrying my October issue in my tote because it is chock-full of articles I intend to share with friends and family. Charisma is always a blessing. 

Lisa Letterii DeFelice, Marlboro, N.Y.

October was one of the best issues yet. The cover looks like Moses giving the Ten Commandments. Brilliant!

DaisyMay Rader, Minneapolis

The October issue was OK for me. We are in a small town with a small-town church, so none of this stuff really applies to us.

Colleen Cobb Audette, Sebastian, Fla.

Staying true to the mission

I’m a long-time reader and I am so impressed with Charisma and how it has progressed with the times without losing sight of our mission as believers. 

I also get Charisma News updates on my iPhone. I love getting kingdom news—and you certainly can’t get that in the mainstream media. Keep up the great work!

Sarah Matthews, Jacksonville, Fla.

Let’s ‘watch’ our Timing 

Regarding your article “Timing the Spirit” (September, Inform), I say, “Amen.” I suggest that pastors and teachers remove their watches in the pulpit. It is a pet peeve of mine, seeing them checking their time. 

I have said to them on occasion that they should not be concerned about how long the message goes; it is the Holy Spirit’s work, not theirs. I too wonder how many wonderful things have been missed because there was more concern for people-pleasing.

Thanks for all the great articles and information in your magazine. I look forward to Charisma every month. J. Lee Grady is right-on and almost every column of his gets a hearty “Amen!” from me, too. 

Pam Dolson, Lihue, Hawaii

Explaining the reality of angelic beings in everyday life

Angelic activity always increases at times of great spiritual breakthrough in the kingdom of God. Christmas was just such a moment in history. At the first advent of Christ, the earth exploded with angelic activity.

God sent angels to make announcements to all who took part in the birth of the Savior. Gabriel appeared to the priest Zacharias and told him: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13). Soon after, Elizabeth was pregnant with the Messiah’s forerunner, John the Baptist.

Gabriel was also sent to Mary, Jesus’ mother, to herald her as the woman chosen by God to birth His Son. Joseph was reassured of Mary’s virginal purity by an angel who appeared to him in a dream. An angel directed the shepherds to Bethlehem so they could find the stable where Jesus was. The same angel along with countless others serenaded above the shepherds’ field.

Angelic activity increases when God releases the supernatural into the natural. And angelic ministry increases when our faith responds to the Word of God. Just as the first Christmas was a season of miracles, so it is now. You and I can learn to move on “miracle ground” where God’s angels operate.

On ‘Miracle Ground’

Because Jesus reigns as King, the kingdom of God has come. Therefore, we live today in a time of kingdom breakthrough. These are the last days, and angelic activity is increasing, bringing with it miracles from God. The reason for this rise in supernatural operations is twofold.

First, as we move toward the end, human options begin to dwindle. Our ingenuity has created a world that is rushing toward ruin and chaos. As this time approaches, God releases more angelic intervention to miraculously protect His people and promote His kingdom.

Second, for the last century the church has been experiencing the renewal and restoration of the Pentecostal gifts. Beginning with the Azusa Street Revival in the early 1900s and continuing to this day, a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit has been sweeping across our world. Conversions to Christianity in developing countries are reaching record numbers. Even the Islamic world is being powerfully impacted by the supernatural. Angels are appearing there even where there is no missionary presence.

As charismatic ministry is increasingly embraced, old divisions are falling away, and kingdom unity is spreading worldwide. The last-days church must be kingdom-focused if we hope to see a release of the supernatural, which includes miraculous angelic assistance.

Kingdom Ministry

It is essential for us to know how to be in a prime position to receive and activate this supernatural (and often miraculous) influence of angels in our world. One of the main things we need to understand is how the kingdom of God works in relation to us and our earthly realm.

There are certain kingdom laws in the Word of God that angels abide by, and if we are to benefit from having angels as our allies, we too must abide by those laws. Here are a few points to help us understand God’s kingdom and make this connection between His laws and our angelic allies.

1. The kingdom of God dwells within us. If Jesus is Lord in our lives, then His kingdom has come through us (Luke 17:21). Yet we will only have full access to it and its resources when we are born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:5). This access to kingdom resources requires a willingness to change (repent) and a submissive, broken spirit (Matt. 3:2; 6:33.) With the kingdom of God present all around us through angelic miracles, with old walls between churches being broken down, and with miraculous conversions occurring in the Islamic countries, it’s clear that we are living in a time of kingdom breakthrough.

2. The kingdom of God is also yet to come. We do not yet see all the aspects and inner workings of God’s kingdom (Heb. 2:8-9). Its “fullness” is still to come because we are still waiting for Jesus to return. Jesus also confirms this in John 18:36 by saying the kingdom of God is “not of this world.”

3. The kingdom of God intensifies through the Holy Spirit. In the letters of the apostle Paul, he calls the baptism of the Holy Spirit a guarantee of the powers of the world to come in the here and now. Furthermore, the powers of the kingdom are released at our sealing and anointing (2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:14). I’m convinced that many Christians are children of the kingdom but are not sons. All who are saved are children, yet the rights of sonship—which include angels, miracles, and signs and wonders—belong to those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

4. The kingdom of God brings power and life into the world. Angels are a part of that realm we call the kingdom of heaven. When a church or a believer is willing to sell out to all God has, the angelic activity will increase exponentially. In a suffering, sad and dirty world we need this kingdom that is “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17) to be activated. Let’s look now at some of the ways angels impact our world with kingdom power.

Angels and Ministry

At Abba’s House (Central Baptist Church) in Chattanooga, Tenn., where I have served for 30 years, we have moved from traditional ministry to charismatic. This transition began in 1989 and continues today. Since 1993, there have been angel sightings, angelic singing, orbs of light and bursts of fire in our church. All of these manifestations occurred after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and as the church moved into the same spiritual realm. I believe that angelic ministry in today’s church is similar to what we see in the New Testament church.

The New Testament is filled with angelic activity that touches the church’s ministry on the earth. For example, when the church brings those who are lost to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ “there is joy in the presence of the angels” (Luke 15:10); angels exhibit a strong curiosity about believers’ spiritual lives (1 Pet. 1:12); and when the church gathers for worship, angels gather with us (Heb. 12:22).

In his book Truth About Angels, Terry Law of World Compassion ministry illustrates how angels are moved by our worship. He quotes the account of Sharon Abrams, who told of seeing two angels during a church service. The angels hovered over the congregation with their arms outstretched and appeared to be about 7 feet to 8 feet tall.

Abrams wrote: “Their faces were broad with high cheekbones and beautiful smiles. They looked like men except they did not have beards. There was an innocence to their faces, and the joy of their expressions was wonderful. They did not wear shoes, but wore long white gowns with gold braid. 

“I knew they were in the service because of our praise and worship … because Jesus was being lifted up and adored. I sensed there were many more beings present … but I was only able to see those two.”

Law also wrote of Marilyn Cappo of Louisville Covenant Church in Kentucky, who reported seeing two angels standing on her church’s front platform during several different services. She described them as “a little over 6 feet tall and dressed in white. They do not speak but raise their wings when songs are sung of direct praise to the Father. …

“I have seen them off and on over a period of months and have prayed often to understand their purpose and mission at our church. One morning one of them walked over behind the pastor and spread his wings as our pastor was making declarative statements about God to us. The angels appear to be waiting for us to do something and always watch intently.”

Perhaps it’s because moments like these would be so remarkable in the everyday of a believer that the Bible cautions us about our relationship with angels. Scripture warns us not to make them objects of our worship (Col. 2:18). 

Angels and Leadership

In addition to their role as ministering spirits in the church, angels accompany and protect those who serve in the fivefold ministry. Let’s look carefully at Hebrews 13:2, an often-quoted but misunderstood verse about angels. It reads: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

When this passage is read in context, it can be seen that it concerns church authority and order. If we continue to verse 7, we see we are called to “remember those who rule over [us], who have spoken the Word of God” to us. Note the full mandate in verse 17: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls. … Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

The point is quite clear: Angels accompany those who lead, speak the Word of God, teach faith and are watchful of our spiritual well-being; and these angels release profit or prosperity. When a believer refuses to submit to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers who are submitted to the Word and the Spirit of God, the angels that accompany them are insulted and will not release blessing to the believer. Those who mock and make fun of men and women of God are blocking the ministry of angels.

An interesting example of God’s care for His chosen leaders, demonstrated through the intervention of angels, can be seen in the life of John G. Paton, a pioneer missionary in the New Hebrides Islands in the mid-19th century. He tells a thrilling story of angelic protection.

Hostile tribesmen surrounded Paton’s missions headquarters one night, intent on burning out and killing Paton and his wife. The couple prayed all during the terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see that the attackers were gone. The Patons didn’t know why the men left, but they thanked God for delivering them.

A year later the chief of the tribe accepted Christ. Paton was curious to know what happened on that dangerous night and asked the chief what kept him and his men from burning the house and killing the couple.

The chief was surprised by the question and replied, “Who were all those men you had with you there?”

“There were no men there—just my wife and me,” the missionary answered.

The chief said they had seen hundreds of men on guard, circling the mission—big men in shining garments with swords drawn. The tribesmen were afraid to attack. Only then did Paton know God had sent angels to protect the couple. The chief agreed there was no other explanation.

As this story makes clear, when we welcome the ministries of godly men and women, we also entertain the angels assigned to them. Their accompanying angels battle the powers of the enemy in the local community and release God’s miracles. Only as we receive those whom God sets over us can we have the full ministry of the angelic hosts at their disposal.

Angels and Awakenings

Likewise, the hosts of heaven can move on behalf of our nations only if we respect the spiritual leaders God sends us. When this happens, angels will come with fire to cleanse and rekindle our spiritual lives, which will result in supernatural power and resources being released. Angels are “flames of fire,” according to Heb. 1:7, and Pentecostal fire includes angelic fire released to do its powerful work in the earth. (Even biblical tongues are called “tongues of angels,” as we see in 1 Cor. 13:1.)

As faith increases and the church operates in kingdom power, our angelic allies will help us take dominion in our communities and nations. Let us activate our angels by making the kingdom of God our priority. God will order the angels into our dimension as we move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Since 1979, Ron Phillips has been senior pastor of Central Baptist Church, now Abba’s House, near Chattanooga, Tenn. He hosts a daily online radio program, CenterPoint, and is the author of more than 20 books, including Our Invisible Allies (Charisma House).

Check out the hottest Christian Christmas albums this season. 

Wow Christmas Various

Looking for a delightful yuletide smorgasbord? Then check out Wow Christmas, featuring 32 of contemporary Christian music’s top artists putting their own spin on beloved holiday tunes. Ring in the festive season with Casting Crowns crooning “Joy to the World,” Point of Grace caroling “Little Drummer Boy” or Chris Tomlin singing worshipful ballad “Emmanuel.”

One Silent Night 
FFH 
The husband and wife duo known as FFH recently released One Silent Night, their first Christmas album. With a mix of classic and original Christmas tunes, you’ll be sure to do a little jingle-bell rockin’ while listening to these tracks. 

Christmas in Diverse City
Toby Mac 
Five-time Grammy winner TobyMac has already hit a good note with his first Christmas album, Christmas in Diverse City. Its single “Christmas Is Here,” featuring Leigh Nash, became a No. 1 radio hit. And with the addition of Jamie Grant and the Diverse City band, listeners are in for a sugarcoated treat with these diverse vocals and musical stylings.

Oh for Joy

 David Crowder Band  

Known for its creative worship style, the David Crowder Band doesn’t disappoint with Oh for Joy, a collaborative reinvention of Christmas hits such as “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “The First Noel” and “O Holy Night.”

The Heart of Christmas

Matthew West

For his seventh album, pop artist Matthew West didn’t pull any punches. His Christmas release, The Heart of Christmas, features some stellar work from heavy hitters Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Mandisa. With such an all-star cast joining West to celebrate the true reason for Christmas, it’s hard not to feel more than a little holiday cheer.

Born is the king

Hillsong 
The popular Aussie Pentecostal worship band released Born Is the King this winter while on a 13-city tour of the U.S. The eight-track holiday EP can be purchased as a digital-only release on Hillsong Music’s website.