Friends,
Thank you so very much for your continued encouragement and prayers. It means so much to us to have wonderful people walking alongside us and supporting the ministry work God asks us to invest in. Continue reading
Holy Spirit
Summing Up 2017 :: A Year of Preparation::
january Following Jesus into our new adventure of serving Jesus in Thailand, Matt and Amy both quit our jobs and settled into a temporary living situation with Amy’s parents.
The Ministry of the Spirit
Amy and I were recently invited to equip a small group at Thailand House Of Prayer (THOP) for three weeks on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, specifically the prophetic ministry. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. It has reminded me of the centrality of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church and has reignited a passion and expectation in my heart to see it increase.
The Lord tells us in the last days He will pour out His Spirit, causing sons and daughters to prophecy.
“In the last days… I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)
and
“As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.” (Is 59:21)
The last days started with life and ministry of Jesus and continue until His glorious return when He will establish the fullness of His kingdom on earth. The Bible also teaches the New Covenant would be characterized by the glorious life-giving ministry of the Spirit of God (Is 59:21, 2 Cor 3:6-8). As New Covenant believers living in the last days we should expect the activity of the Holy Spirit in every saint’s life causing the church to be strengthened (1 Cor 12-14) and many to be saved (Mk 16:15-18). Since I first became a Christian the ministry of the Holy Spirit has been crucial. I have been empowered, encouraged, and healed by the Holy Spirit as well as seen many others have the same experiences.
I am so thankful for those faithful leaders throughout history, past and present, that have pursued this ministry all over the world. I ask that you would pray with us for a greater measure of the outpouring and ministry of the Holy Spirit in Thailand and southeast Asia. Pray that many would be brought into the kingdom and that the church would be strengthened and grow in maturity in this life-giving ministry.
Confidence in the Will of God
We have been in Thailand almost 2 months! I’d be lying if I said that adjusting to a new culture is easy, but we know the Lord has led us here and He continues to confirm that are in the will of God. Reminding ourselves of this gives us great confidence and encouragement when challenging times or questions of why are we here come. It also helps us to stay focused on what He has called us to. I want to share with you four practical ways in which we have discovered the will of God for our own lives and principles of how the Holy Spirit loves to direct and lead people into the will of God.
The number one way the Holy Spirit leads me into the will of God is through His word. As we were preparing to come to Thailand, the Lord spoke to me through a few passages of scripture (Matthew 24:14, Psalm 2:8, and Ephesians 5:15-19) that tell of His promise of receiving an inheritance from the nations and our calling to partner with Him in the power of the Holy Spirit to present that inheritance to Him. These verses confirmed for me that stepping into missions was the will of God for us. At various times while reading or studying Holy Spirit will emphasize a scripture, making it stand out or come alive to me and I know God is speaking. Holy Spirit loves to open the scripture to us as His perfect will is revealed in the scriptures. If we are doing something contrary to what the word of God teaches we should repent right away, ask for forgiveness, press delete, and move forward in confidence in His mercy. Continue reading
Baldwins Go Global 