“The god of this world [the devil] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4, KJV). According to this verse, the devil’s goal is to keep those who are lost from seeing the light of the gospel. Because he blinds their minds, they can’t perceive the things that are so obvious to the rest of us.
Only the Holy Spirit can penetrate this demonic stronghold. It is utterly important that we create an environment in local churches conducive to the presence of the Holy Spirit. When He is in our midst, His presence liberates, breaking the bondages that hold men captive.
We see a good example of the liberating presence of the Holy Spirit during the days of young David. When an evil spirit from the Lord troubled King Saul, young David took a harp, and played with his hand. “So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Sam. 16:23).
Similarly, the Holy Spirit wants to work through us as we minister songs and preach the Word. If our ministries are to be effective, they must be accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I know that when we gather in the name of the Lord, He promises to be among us (Matthew 18:20). But here I am talking about realizing a more active presence of the Holy Spirit.
Increasing the Presence of the Holy Spirit
How can churches today experience more of the Holy Spirit? To realize that end, they must create an environment conducive to a greater measure of His presence.
First and foremost, preachers must preach and teach the Word of God and not the doctrines of men. The Word of God is not old-fashioned. It has not played out. Before Jesus returned to heaven, He commanded His disciples to preach the gospel. As they did, from heaven, the Lord worked with them confirming the Word through works of the Holy Spirit.
Two, those who serve as preachers, youth leaders, Sunday school teachers and music ministers must prepare their vessels for ministry. By that I mean they need to pray and spend relevant time reading the Word of God on a daily basis. God is holy. He works more effectively through those who sanctify their vessel to be used of Him.
Thirdly, doing the worship experience, liberty must exist for the people to open their mouth and praise the Lord. In some local churches, this is not allowed. But remember that God inhabits praises (Psalm 22:3). He is worthy to be praised. He commands everything that has breath to praise Him. As we praise Him, it will usher in a greater presence of the Holy Spirit.
Our real battle today is not physical but spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy has blinded the minds of the unbeliever. Many people today are bound by oppressive powers of darkness. There is but one anwer to the problem. Like David was in the life of Saul, the local church must become a vehicle for ushering in a greater measure of the liberating presence of the Holy Spirit.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.