Has anyone ever been healed by your shadow passing over them? As you pass do people fall to their knees crying out to God? Do people standing in line at the checkout tap you on the shoulder and ask to be led to Christ, or break into tears and say "What is it with you people?" These things haven't happened to me, or anyone I know, but I've read of them over and over. It comes from what some call the residual glory of the Holy Spirit. People who walk with the Holy Spirit at a high level seem to carry an aura, or cloud of His presence with them all the time and such things result. The residual Presence can also inhabit buildings. I've read of sinners walking across thresholds and falling on their faces, writhing in fear of a holy God.

The Holy Spirit is the least well-known member of the God Head. He is the one who is physically here on earth with us at this time. God is seated on the throne, and Jesus sits at His side interceding for us, but on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent to us, and it's Him we'll be interacting with day to day.

So do you? Interact day to day with Him I mean? I'm finding that with many things in the Christian life, there are levels. Just as people pray at different levels, from "Now I lay me down to sleep" to the prayer life of the heroes of the faith, so people walk with the Holy Spirit at different levels. Where people make their mistake, is in thinking that their current level is all there is. Kind of arrogant, but people do that. Even worse, they may know there is more, but they're happy where they're at. It may be laziness, fear, deception, or unholy contentment, but they cease growing on purpose.

Each of us is made of the same flesh and blood as John Wesley, Charles Finney, Peter, John, Paul, and St. Augustine. The difference is the price they paid vs the price we pay. But the Holy Spirit wants to walk with us at the same level as He did with them. He wants to take us through modern day versions of the processes they went through.

-- Anonymous, February 24, 2002

Answers

There are many people in our pews who are "not growing" because yes, they are still at the milk stage in their Christian walk. Those who should be teaching have need to be taught. There are also those who have a zeal but not according to knowledge.

So, as we travel through this wilderness of apathy, let us seek a daily filling of the Holy Spirit so that we are empowered to equip our people to experience the full measure of God's anointing power.

While we walk by faith and not by sight, we're praying to be filled, taught, and led daily by the Holy Spirit.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002