New Horizons

June, 2001: The Holy Spirit

Contents The Spirit-Filled Christian by Larry Wilson The Return of the Holy Spirit by Geoffrey Thomas The Leading of the Spirit (Part 1) by B. B. Warfield Discerning the Work of the Spirit by Samuel T. Logan, Jr. The Door Opens in Québec by Bernard Westerveld, Jr.

The Spirit-Filled Christian

by Larry Wilson

"Be filled with the Spirit"

John MacArthur tells this story on pages 241-42 of Our Sufficiency in Christ: Read more

The Return of the Holy Spirit

by Geoffrey Thomas

The group was singing earnestly, the drums were pounding, the guitarists were strumming away, and the audience was tapping their feet—but the Spirit was not there. They sang songs for an hour, building up to a great crescendo and sitting down to an aura of well-being—but the Spirit was not there. The preacher gave his message, told his stories, made them laugh, and made them cry—but the Spirit was not there. He began his appeal and worked them over—some needed to come to the front to be saved, others to rededicate their lives, others for inner healing, others to talk to counselors about their problems. A crowd gathered. A man said to himself, "I want to be happy like these people," and he went forward—but the Spirit was not there. After the service was over, the people talked to one another about their activities and plans, and nobody realized that again the Spirit was not in their midst.

Down the road in another church, the congregation sang the hymns of Toplady and Watts and a metrical Psalm—but the Spirit was not there. The New International Version was read—but the Spirit was not there. The preacher prayed for the congregation and the community; he thanked God for the gospel—but the Spirit was not there. Afterwards the congregation quietly went home, as aware as the minister had been that things were not as they should be, nor as they could be in the church of the living God. Read more

The Leading of the Spirit (Part 1)

by B. B. Warfield

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14 RV).

These words constitute the classical passage in the New Testament on the great subject of the leading of the Holy Spirit. They stand, indeed, almost without strict parallel in the New Testament. Read more

Discerning the Work of the Spirit

by Samuel T. Logan, Jr.

What do you think about 'the Toronto Blessing'...or the Pensacola revival...or T. D. Jakes...or ____________ [fill in the blank with the latest 'revival' phenomenon near you]?"

"We know there is a problem with the OPC, because most of its churches are so small." "Well, we know there is a problem with many Korean churches, because they are so big!" Read more

The Door Opens in Québec

by Bernard Westerveld, Jr.

Welcome to Québec City, home of the Summit of the Americas—and home of the Reformed Church of St. Mark (l'Eglise réformée St-Marc)!

On March 31, I became the pastor-evangelist of this church. My work is a joint undertaking of the Committee on Foreign Missions of the OPC and the Reformed Church of Québec (l'Église réformée du Québec [ERQ]), in order that the gospel might be more widely proclaimed to the French-speaking Quebecers. Read more