Crossroads At the Day of Bapticost

by Jesse Steele

spirit is often a reference to an angelic being, such as a demon or angel, or God’s Holy Spirit, whereas, in relation to a human, it characterizes the emotional energy in and around our physical bodies. The soul refers to the affectionate-religious-eternal aspect of a human.

  Carl: Um. Lord. Do I have the gift of interpreting tongues or did he actually understand all of the stuff he just said?

  Jesus: I inspired him.

  Alexander: I’m allowed to use big words, I just don’t like to do it all the time… like some people.

  Carl: So, I know that the Bible makes reference to demons as “unclean spirits,” that makes sense. And I know that the word “soul” only refers to something about our “eternal nature” as humans. But when does Scripture ever teach that a human “spirit” refers to emotions?

  Jesus: I never taught it. I assumed it.

  Carl: Why would You “assume” something in Your Word?

  Jesus: Because the people of that day already had this figured out.

  Alexander: Yeah, we in the West are often afraid of our emotions, so we don’t like to talk about “spiritual” things as much as the Bible and other cultures do… that’s why we often get them confused.

  Carl: He’s starting to sound more intelligent.

  Jesus: That’s because he’s talking about “spiritual” things.

  Carl: We have been talking about “spiritual” things for the last few days.

  Jesus: No, we have been talking about “religious” things. “Spirit” is a reference to emotions and the invisible realm of angels, demons, and my Holy Spirit.

  Carl: Why is Alex so comfortable talking about all this?

  Alexander: I wasn’t always.

  Jesus: In the beginning he’d change his mind about every other day. But he never stopped digging deeper into the issue.

  Alexander: I don’t like it when people just say, “That’s spooky-sounding ‘silly’ stuff,” and then run away form the discussion. I want to know Jesus more. Pat answers about “spirit” stuff won’t help my heart grow closer to Him.

  Carl: So, Alex knows about this stuff?

  Jesus: He’s still figuring out a lot, that’s why he would like your academic passion and diligence to help him. He’s not afraid and you’re not academically lazy. Why do you think I made the two of you friends?

  Carl: I still want a Scriptural example of how the word “spirit” can refer to human emotions.

  Alexander: “… not a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and sound-mind.” Those all describe emotions. Just do a concordance search on “spirit” and you’ll find other things that basically describe human emotions… either that or references to God’s Spirit or else “unclean spirits.”

  Carl: He really knows the Word on this.

  Jesus: And the Word knows both of you.

  Carl: Snap! That’s why we lay hands on each other for Drenching of His Holy Spirit!

  Jesus: Go on…

  Carl: Because our spirit is an emotional-type of thing in our bodies.

  Alexander: It’s why Jesus felt “energy” go out of Him when the lady touched Him and was healed.

  Carl: Now that makes me wonder what Drenching in Your Holy Spirit is really all about.

  Alexander: Confidence.

  Jesus: That’s part of it. But Alexander, don’t get too carried away in answering these types of questions. You’ve read a lot of Bible on this, but you need to invite Carl to be part of your discovery about my Word before you get too opinionated.

  Carl: I’m all for that.

  Alexander: But he doesn’t live it every day, in and out, like I do.

  Jesus: Not yet.

  Alexander: What’s he waiting for?

  Jesus: He’s waiting for you to be yourself. You are a doer and he’s an intellectual. It’s enough for you to live and do, but Carl has a lot of detailed questions. Let him ask those and don’t accuse him of making everything too complicated.

  Carl: Then we will finally discover some of the deeper things Jesus has for us.

  Alexander: If it means more of the Lord, I’m all for it!

  Carl: Me too!

  Jesus: Us Three!

  Carl: Was that a reference to the Trinity?

  Alexander: No, there are three of us here!

  Carl: Let Him speak!

  Jesus: Together.

  Carl: Huh?

  Jesus: The Drenching that comes from my Holy Spirit is something that my people do together. It’s like water baptism or my Supper.

  Carl: That’s why it’s through laying on of hands!

  Jesus: Kind of.

  Carl: But what about that time in Acts 2 when they didn’t lay hands on each other and it still happened?

  Jesus: My people were together.

  Alexander: But I pray to You in private all the time with that crazy-fun prayer language thing.

  Jesus: Drenching in my Spirit typically happens when Christians are together, but you always keep it with you for our friendship.

  Carl: What does it do though?

  Jesus: Alexander was on to something.

  Alexander: Confidence?

  Jesus: That’s a big part of it.

  Carl: What does confidence have to do with “spiritual” things?

  Alexander: Confidence is an emotion.

  Carl: Okay. That kind of makes sense.

  Jesus: I heal people’s bodies and their emotions.

  Alexander: Lack of confidence is an emotional weakness. Because of our brokenness in sin, we often think we are emotionally “unstable” or “broken,” but more often than not, it’s just a problem of our emotions being “smaller” or “weaker” than our situations in life.

  Carl: Okay, someone cuts me off on the highway… I can’t prevent them from doing it… the situation is “bigger” than I am… so…

  Alexander: You get angry and blame your anger on that other guy.

  Jesus: When I drench your spirit in my Spirit, my own Spirit increases in your life and your spirit is healed and strengthened. That’s why Alexander says that Drenching in my Spirit can lead to your confidence.

  Carl: So, Drenching in Your Holy Spirit is kind of like a “healing?”

  Jesus: That too, but it’s more of a “drenching” that gives you not just “more” love, but “Intense” love.

  Alexander: [arms out, slightly raised, looking up] Drench me! More, Lord. More! Selah!

  Carl: So, are You saying that he doesn’t need a psycho therapist?

  Alexander: You will always need a psychotherapist!

  Jesus: If a counselor is helping you, great. You always need each other—it’s called “fellowship,” and no one is prefect just because my Spirit Drenches you. But it’s hard to heal a cadaver.

  Alexander: There’s so much preaching in the flesh these days.

  Carl: Ummm, bring it in guys, I’m not tracking.

  Jesus: Many preachers try to say things that make people feel “surprise-guilt” and they think it is “conviction” of my Sprit when it isn’t. Others try to make people feel “surprise-non-guilt” and think it is “comfort” of my Sprit. Truth told, I follow every one of those people home and it doesn’t last. They have to hear those kinds of “surprises” again to get back to their emotional state they had when they were listening to the sermon. They are still unstable. And in those congregational groups, so-called “godly preaching” is often reduced to an exercise of coming up with ever more clever “emotion-surprise-shocking” statements. Brokenness and weakness need healing and strengthening… not just jabbing and tickling.

  Carl: What’s the solution?

  Alexander: Now he’s talkin’. No more of this detail stuff. I’m all about bottom lines and getting to the point.

  Carl: That’s great, but don’t interrupt, then.

  Jesus: That which is borne of the flesh is flesh. That which is borne of my Spirit is spirit. And the same is true of anyone borne of my Spirit.

  Carl: Are You saying I don’t have Your Holy Spirit until Alex la
id hands on me to pray for Drenching of Your Holy Spirit?

  Jesus: No. When you accepted me into your heart, it was my Spirit that took up residence in your heart—all those things relating to emotions. My Spirit came in like “pilot flame” brought by your salvation and it had to be there before Alexander laying hands on you could result in “Drenching” in my same Spirit.

  Carl: So I have always been Your Spirit’s temple since I believed in Your work on the Cross?

  Jesus: You bet. With my drenching, either done through Alexander’s hands or doing it myself like I did in Acts 2, now you are a temple, not just of my Sprit, but of other things… like a “temple” of emotional healing, physical healing… Through Alex, I let the Lion out of His cage in your life.

  Alexander: Like ripping the Temple curtain open!

  Jesus: You might see it that way, but don’t get too technical with that stuff. I wouldn’t base any theology off of an illustration. The temple curtain was torn because my Sacrifice gave you access to my Father—it wasn’t meant merely to serve as an illustration.

  Carl: So, I still need to talk with Christian friends and maybe see a counselor after Drenching of Your Holy Spirit?

  Alexander: You may always need a counselor.

  Jesus: My Holy Spirit brings you Life. He’s a Wonderful Counselor, but you still need knowledgeable people in your life. I created you as a race of fellowship, not a breed of hermits.

  Carl: So, that “super Christian” attainment that I always used to think about as a kid… that actually just involved Drenching of Your Spirit?

  Jesus: You need all of me to have all of me. You still won’t be perfect until the next Life, but you don’t need to be—if you have all of me.

  Carl: And You aren’t saying I wasn’t Your temple as a Christian before that?

  Jesus: I never spoke one word to that effect.

  Alexander: I’m beginning to understand