First The Spirit

Have you ever asked yourself what changed when you were "born again?" You look in the mirror and see the same reflection - your body hasn't changed. You find yourself acting the same and yielding to those same old temptations - that didn't seem to change either. So you wonder, Has anything really changed? The correct answer to that question is foundational for receiving from God. If you lack this basic understanding, you'll forever ask yourself doubt-filled questions like: "How could God love somebody like me?" and "How can I possibly expect to receive anything from the Lord? I don't deserve it, I'm not good enough!" Spirit, Soul, and Body will help you eliminate those and other doubt-filled questions that destroy your faith. If you have trouble receiving from God, this is a must-read!

From a Biblical perspective of our human nature, we are "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Understanding each dimension of our being and how each is to relate to the others, according to God's created order, is a strategic key of the Kingdom of God. Come take hold of this key that will revolutionize and revitalize your spiritual journey! Our human spirit should abide in deep communion with God's Holy Spirit. Then our human spirit-infused and led by the Holy Spirit-should direct the mind, will, and emotions of our human soul, which should manifest in the health and well-being of our human bodies.All is well with my soul when all is well with my spirit. All is well with my body when all is well with my soul. But for all to be well, we must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to correctly align our spirit and soul and body: First the spirit. Then the soul. Then the body. As we'll discover, looking more deeply into these three dimensions of our being, when we're correctly aligned with the human spirit first, we will live out our daily journey with more spiritual health and growing maturity, fulfilled with more peace and joy, walking in the wisdom of God instead of the ways of the world.In right alignment, my human spirit which is receiving my sense of guidance and discernment by abiding in communion with God's Holy Spirit, directs my soul. My soul is my mind, will, and emotions. So my spirit should direct my mind and how I think, my will and the choices I make, my emotions and how I sense and feel and experience the world around me. Then then my soul should direct my body.In right alignment, my body manifests what's going on in my soul and my soul manifests what's going on in my spirit, and my spirit manifests my abiding relationship with God's Holy Spirit. First the spirit. Then then the soul. Then the body. This is what I call "Spiritual Alignment" or walking out my spiritual journey as a "Spiritual Christian." But the trouble is that much of the time we tend to live out our daily lives in a different order than God's created order. Instead of living in right alignment, we're living out of alignment. First the soul, instead of first the spirit. First the soul. Then the spirit. Then the body. This is what I call "Soulish Alignment" or walking out my spiritual journey as a "Soulish Christian." In that wrong order, when I'm out of proper alignment, I am more "soulish" than "spiritual" and all will not be well with my soul. In the "soulish" alignment, I'll be driven more by my own desires in the mind, will, and emotions of my soul rather than humbling myself to be led by God's Holy Spirit directing my human spirit. When I'm in a "soulish" alignment, my mind will insist on my own thoughts instead of yielding to God's thoughts. My human freewill will insist on my own will instead of yielding to God's will. And my emotions will insist on driving my actions by reacting from my soul instead of responding by the leading of my spirit being led by God's Holy Spirit." Whether my spirit is "on top" and in charge, directing my soul, or whether my soul is "on top" and in charge, suppressing my spirit, makes all the difference. And as we'll see, alignment is everything.The good news is that by the grace of God we can recognize it when we're being more "soulish" than "spiritual" and make a choice to humble our souls to come back into right alignment of spirit, soul, and body. By far, this has become one of the most revolutionary insights of my spiritual journey.And as I've shared these principles of this book through the years, I've heard so many testimonies of these simple insights becoming life-changing for men and women at all stages of their spiritual journey to Christ-like maturity. That's why I'm thrilled to share them with you!

The Holy Spirit is the Hidden Mover behind all personal life transformation and ministry fruitfulness. Since the original publication of Spirit Walk, author Steve Smith has gone home to meet the Lord face-to-face. However, before that glorious day, he penned an impassioned plea to believers in the last days of his life. That plea and piece of instruction is what comprises the new foreword in this special edition of Spirit Walk. Read and be both challenged and invited to a life lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Though we know the Bible says to walk in the Spirit, the majority of Christians are illiterate (and even nervous) about how to practically live in His power. The result is lives marred by continued brokenness and ministries plagued by fruitlessness. In contrast, believers from Acts understood the ancient path of the Spirit Walk. That extraordinary power was not just for them, but also for us. Gleaning insights from implementation in dozens of Acts-like movements around the world, Spirit Walk “lifts the hood and shows us the real secret behind apostolic, disciple multiplying movements” (Neil Cole, author of Organic Church). Whether you need a movement of God in your personal life or in your ministry, this book takes you through the timeless principles of the Bible. The Spirit Walk path has helped thousands of ordinary people shift from a fundamental reliance upon methods and self-helps to the essential reliance upon the Spirit who empowers both. Discover how to start on your lifelong journey of being filled again and again by the Holy Spirit as you abide in Christ.

William Law emphasizes “the truth of our dependence upon the continual leading of the Spirit, and the assurance that that leading can be enjoyed without interruption.” Although a generally modernized version of Andrew Murray’s 1896 edition, Dave Hunt weaves together appropriate thoughts from Law’s major works, enriching the book for today’s reader.

The Spirit in First Century Judaism mirrors the growing recognition that the role of the Spirit in Judaism and early Christianity warrants further scholarly inquiry and moreover lays a cornerstone in the foundation of pneumatological studies by scouring the writings of the likes of Plato and Plutarch, Daniel and the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as those of Philo of Alexandria and Flavius Josephus. Levison contextualizes the material both historically and literarily, taking seriously the influence of popular Greco-Roman thinking as well as Jewish exegetical traditions. Convincingly argued, cogently presented, and thoroughly documented, this volume, in the words of the Journal of Jewish Studies, “has profound ramifications for both Jewish and New Testament Studies.” This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). The Holy Spirit empowers us, guides us, and enables us to grow and endure in our relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Often the most misunderstood member of the Trinity, the person of the Spirit continues to attract attention today amidst church revivals and renewals. In this new edition of his classic Keep in Step with the Spirit, J. I. Packer seeks to help Christians reaffirm the biblical call to holiness and the Spirit s role in keeping our covenant with God. Packer guides us through the riches and depth of the Spirit s work, assesses versions of holiness and the charismatic life, and shows how Christ must always be at the centre of true Spirit-led ministry. A new chapter explores Christian assurance. With abiding relevance and significance, Keep in Step with the Spirit sets forth vital knowledge for healthy and joyous Christian living, through understanding and experience of God the Holy Spirit. Here is a book for every serious believer to read and re-read.

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.