Holy Smoke,
Unholy Fire
by
Dr. Robert C. McKibben
Energion Publications
P. O. Box 843
Gonzalez, FL 32560
(850) 968-1001
0Hhttp://www.energionpubs.com
Unless otherwise marked, scriptures are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the English Standard Version Bible. Copyright © Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers, 2001. Used by Permission.
Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version, Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
Copyright © 2005
Robert C. McKibben
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher, except for brief quotations in books and critical reviews.
ISBN: 1-893729-39-7 (Paperback)
ISBN10: 1-63199-350-X (Kindle) ISBN13: 978-1-63199-350-3 (Kindle)
Cover Design by Baxter’s Elite, HTUwww.baxterselite.comUTH.
Illustrations by Cheri Schofield and Jason Neufeld
Author Photograph by Warren Thompson, Jr.
Energion Publications
P. O. Box 841
Gonzalez, FL 32560
1Hhttp://www.energionpubs.com
Dedication
Dedicated to my wife,
Joquita,
and our children,
who’ve journeyed with me
through twenty-five years
of
Spirit-led Ministry.
Acknowledgments
Let me offer my sincere gratitude to:
Wayne Odom and Marcia Nowlin for your weary bloodshot eyes. Thank you for your hours of proof reading the early version.
Melodie Blakemore for all your glorious red ink! Thank you for your careful editing and tweaking.
Henry Neufeld for years of friendship and scholarship. Thanks for having the guts to publish this book.
Mac and Beckie Fulcher, Mike and JoAnn Roberts, John and Trena Webb for your gracious listening. Thanks for being gifted sounding boards.
Joquita, my wife, Latrissa, Sharie, Alleia, Kayla, and Blake, my children, for putting up with dear ol’ Dad. Next to the Holy Spirit and God’s amazing grace, you are the most special gifts in my life.
And to all you readers: I have been praying for the day you pick up this book. May your reading be a blessing and may you enjoy a fresh encounter with the Living Holy Spirit. What a genuine honor it is for me that you would read these pages. It would be an even greater honor if you were inspired to pass your book on to another. May God continue to bless you and keep you.
Introduction
At first glance when picking up this book, the thought might cross your mind, “the last thing the church needs is another volume on the Holy Spirit.” Because there is so much written and preached about the Holy Spirit it would seem that having yet another text would be rather mundane and redundant at best, and adding more confusion at worst. But it is precisely all the confusion about the Holy Spirit that has prompted me to undertake this effort. Many of the churches I attended prior to going into the ministry, and every church that I’ve served as pastor have had significant “life threatening” experiences over the lack of understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
“Life threatening” may seem like an unusual phrase to describe experiences involving the Holy Spirit, but a genuine lack of understanding has generated so much tension and strife within local congregations that the life of their fellowships is threatened!
What you will find on the pages that follow is a guide from the heart of a pastor for all congregations that are struggling to come to grips with God’s special Gift. No true believer of Jesus Christ would want to grieve the Holy Spirit or quench the Spirit’s ministry within his or her congregation. But at the same time disciples of Jesus cannot just stand by and see their fellowship torn apart by misunderstanding, mistrust, and perhaps even misrepresentation of Biblical truths. This volume, hopefully, will offer some Biblical understanding concerning the Holy Spirit of God and some Biblical remedies for resolving tensions and restoring fellowship.
Throughout my writing I use personal examples of experiences I’ve had with sisters and brothers within the church. It’s precisely because of my love for them, my love for the Church, and my genuine concern over the things that threaten the spiritual vitality of both, that I’m determined to undertake this venture.
I’ll make the wild claim right now. If you are reading these words, you either are in a congregation or know of a congregation that has suffered division, even an outright split! I contend that every division within a local congregation is directly or indirectly related to a lack of understanding of the Holy Spirit. Oh, the hot topic may be what color the new carpet in the sanctuary is going to be, but the bottom line is misunderstanding the Holy Spirit’s role in leading the church and God’s people.
I once served a congregation that named itself Christ United Methodist Church, a popular moniker in my denomination. Though you will be hearing about them in this book, along with my other congregations, I use their name here only to make a point. Is it Christ – United Methodist Church or is it Christ United – Methodist Church? The Apostle Paul was forced to ask the same question of his “beloved” brothers and sisters in Corinth. In the opening words of what we know as his first letter he painfully asks, “Is Christ divided?” (I Corinthians 1:13)
This will not be primarily a theological study designed to analyze and criticize, but out of necessity there will be some theological struggles to wrestle with. It is also not going to be a negative diatribe filled with warning against all the errors floating around within the ranks of Christian disciples, but again, there may be times when your present understandings are challenged. It is not designed to be a debate over the various understandings of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but if it causes you to personally ponder your beliefs and the foundations of your faith, then I will have accomplished what every pastor-teacher hopes to achieve.
I start with the premise that the Holy Spirit of God was sent to be experienced more than studied, so my goal is that we will move beyond mere religion of the head and include affections of the heart. Secondly, I hope to provide for God’s people an understanding of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit that keeps “Christ United” and gives us a