Category Archives: Holy Spirit

The Positive confession

Skilled Workman Posted on by

One of the more common heresies running around the church today is that we must always speak positively, that negative confessions are, by definition bad. The truth of the matter is quite different. II Timothy 3:16 {NKJV} “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” God tells us the purpose in the next verse [let’s use New Living this time]: “God uses it to prepare and … Continue reading →

Pulling punches?

Skilled Workman Posted on by

Guilty as charged! Maybe it’s just me, but I rarely find a place where I can really say what I feel. A lot of it is my shyness and timidity on social situations. I can hear the laughing and the “yea, right!”s—but I ask you, “How many of you have seen me in a social situation?” Surely you can see my motivation to teach and write. However, as a writer and teacher, I really need to be … Continue reading →

The baptism of the Holy Spirit: empowerment

Skilled Workman Posted on by

Receiving the empowerment of the Lord As we remember the first Pentecost of the church, it is important that we make sure we have experienced our personal pentecost. How is this baptism different? John the Baptist separated it out before Jesus began his ministry. In John 1:29-34, John clearly says what we have experienced as reality. “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin … Continue reading →

Giving the Holy Spirit control

Skilled Workman Posted on by

Possession has a really bad ring to it, doesn’t it? However, that is simply due to the fact that we almost always preface possession with demon. This is a bad thing. However, the Holy Spirit is God himself and a gentleman at the very least. This is a spirit you should covet. This is a spirit you want to possess you, to fill you to overflowing. Maintaining spiritual security The manner of living this way mimics what we … Continue reading →

Is the rapture really going to happen?

Skilled Workman Posted on by

  Where does this teaching come from? As you can see to the right, the whole concept is rather recent. There is pre-, post-, and mid-tribulation rapture theories. In fact, there are countless theories. They are all theories Scripture is clear in not stating anything definite. The popular view that all true believers will be caught up into the clouds to be with the Lord is strongly stated in I Thessalonians 4: 13-18. However, this passage states … Continue reading →

Eternal life is to know God

Skilled Workman Posted on by

Eternal life is to know God and this definition was prayed by Jesus in his last priestly prayer of John 17. For those who have heard me teach Scripture, you understand how important I believe John 17:3 is: And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3 New International Version (NIV) Eternal life is to know God The focus of this verse is the verb: … Continue reading →

This too is vanity and striving after wind…

Skilled Workman Posted on by

One of the things that happens as you mature is dealing with all that you have seen, heard, and done. As I have told many people, I have learned more since I was fifty than in the fifty years prior. My entire writing career started when I was fifty, for example. Lately, we have been dealing a lot with Ecclesiastes—all is vanity. More and more, nothing seems to matter except our relationship with Jesus. Increasingly, the things … Continue reading →

I’ve added a new site: Bergsland Books

Skilled Workman Posted on by

As I get ramped up to submit my new novel to publishers (and enter it in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award), it has become increasingly obvious that I need a separate site for my fiction. So I resurrected my old domain bergsland.org and converted it to Bergsland Books. http://bergsland.org and who knew it would be transformed to The Skilled Workman?  Life is full of surprises. It’s up and running with some simple stuff for Black Sail: a Christian covert … Continue reading →

Everyone does what is right in their own eyes…

Skilled Workman Posted on by

Judges 17:6 (English Standard Version) In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Isn’t this the state of us today? A lack of leadership, plus a rugged individualism. In the world it is indeed hopeless. Our so-called leaders are corrupt and they follow the sheep and/or the flesh—lost in the futility of their minds. So, how do we get beyond this? I must admit I’ve gotten to the … Continue reading →