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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
in Personal and Group Encounter
Dave Argue
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
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To contact the author:
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Blog: daveargue.blogspot.com. Entries twice weekly.
Email: dwargue@gmail.com.
Mail: 3989 Pronghorn Meadows Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Special thanks to BGMC for funding this publication.
Produced by Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, USA,
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a ministry of Assemblies of God U.S. Missions.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica,
Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scriptures marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scriptures marked THE MESSAGE are taken from Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield MO 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Prologue5
6
About this book
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A Prayer
9
Chapter 2 BEGINNINGS—all of me joined up with God
15
Chapter 3 POWER—enabled by God for the journey
21
Chapter 4 FRUIT—when the essence of our lives says, “Jesus”
27
Chapter 5 HAPPENINGS—when His grace and our faith work together
31
Chapter 6 LISTENINGS—how some have listened well: stories and lessons
37
Chapter 7 TOGETHER—Part A: opening up to the presence of God
43
Chapter 8 TOGETHER—Part B: responding: God’s supply: Spirit life
51
Chapter 9 ELOQUENCE—the magnificence of tongues
55
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Chapter 1 ADVANTAGE—is it really better that Jesus left?
Chapter 10 TWO WORDS FOR LEADERS—fundamental dimensions of group leadership
61
Chapter 11 LIVING JESUS—journeying through life on “full”
69
Appendix
Acts and Doctrine
75
Baptism76
Healing: Basic Steps of Ministry
77
Interpretation of Tongues and Prophecy (a Study in Contrasts)
80
Jesus Christ
83
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
86
Question: Tongues as part of corporate worship
88
Spirit Life—A Journaling Form
89
Start Up Pattern
91
Together Diagram
92
Tongues: The purpose of it according to 1 Corinthians 12-14
93
Truth 101
95
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Leading in the Presence of God
Worship98
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Bibliography100
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
Prologue:
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Special recognition to
*Dennis Gaylor
the long-standing leader of Chi Alpha, and one who for thirty years never forgot that this project needed to happen
*Christ’s Place Church, Lincoln
where so many of the dynamics described here have been lived in a vigorous but balanced manner
*The Argue family
Watson, Zelma, Robert, and many more people of the Spirit (Yes, we are all related.)
And most of all
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*Jackie
Spirit-life partner and best friend—wife and mother extraordinaire
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*Jesus
Who showed up so strongly all through the writing of this book
and Whose life and words inspire me every day
May absorbing what is here be transforming.
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
A Prayer
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart:
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Wean it from earth, thro’ all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame:
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The baptism of the heav’n-descended Dove—
My heart an altar
And Thy love the flame.
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Amen.
George Croly
1780-1860
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
About this book:
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1. It is written for a quick read with stories, charts, lists, and resources, and sentences that hopefully
provoke thought within rather than yawns without.
2. It is written to especially be helpful to collegians. (My roots are Chi Alpha. It is always in my heart.)
So no dry chapters meeting a page quota. Enough of that, right?
3. It is written as an introduction–reliable, but preliminary. Suggested resources and appendices allow
for further work if desired.
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4. It is written with suggested “For further growth” ideas so you can take this to another level personally or as a group, and leaders can facilitate it with greater ease.
5. Eleven chapters. It could be spread across a season of personal spiritual focus or eleven weeks of
group focus with open-hearted prayer always as a part. Includes Spirit Life—a journaling form so you
can watch what God is doing.
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6. I keep praying that what is within these pages will truly be an instrument God can use. I have seen
the usefulness of the concepts within becoming a means of God pouring forth fresh wind and fire in
these times.
Dave Argue
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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
notes
Chapter 1
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Advantage
Is it really better that Jesus left?
Ever put yourself in their place? The first disciples’ place, that is. They are coming to the end of having
unbroken time with Jesus.
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Months have elapsed and they have been with Him continually. They have hiked hundreds of miles
together, fished, fed the hungry, seen the miraculous happen with frequency, foraged for places to stay
overnight, prayed (and fell asleep trying to pray), and learned daily more and more about what it means
to be a person with God and for God in the world.
He’s been their friend and coach, their vision-caster and ministry director. He is their instructor and
corrector. His presence has given them purpose beyond anything they had ever imagined possible. He
has a future mapped out for them all. He continually speaks faith and wisdom into their lives. He has
become the essence of their lives.
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Jesus!
And now He starts talking about it being nearly time for Him to leave them.
Leave? He is not ill. Is He unhappy with them?
They don’t feel at all ready to carry on. In fact, lately it feels like things are going backwards.
He says it must all happen—and soon. He will not see them again until they join Him in heaven.
It must have hit them with immense force.
And then it begins to go off the charts:
Jesus arrested,
put on public trial;
Spirit Life in Personal and Group Encounter
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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
notes
the whole city in an uproar;
all of them running into the night.
Terrified.
And then Jesus is beaten and, after being shamed publicly, He is sent to the worst death yet known to
history—crucifixion. Everyone has risen up against them.
Black Friday and Saturday. Agony. Tears. Hearts beating wildly. Faithless under pressure. Hiding. Listening in pulsing stillness. ”Is that the sound that means I am next?”
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Then the reports about people seeing Him alive and totally well. And He appears over and over doing
such real stuff. He spends the next forty days with them in detailed review of what He has taught them
about God and life and forever. Everything about the kingdom of God, reviewed for them to better
grasp the Kingdom, the presence and activity of God expressed among people. (See Acts 1:1–3.)
Greater power was visible in Him in those days. Radiance. Confidence. Purpose. He’s the best ever.
But the unsettling truth remains. He is still leaving. “I am going away. . . . In a little while you will see me
no more” (John 16:7,16).
And this: “It is for your good that I am going away” (16:7) “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage
that I go away” (16:7, ESV)
Really? Jesus gone—and we are supposed to be in better shape?
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Can’t be. Or can it?
And how about you and I on this journey together? He’s still away and we’re still here. Is it really an
advantage to us? Let’s peer into the narrative where Jesus said this and ask, “How does this really add
up?”
What is this “advantage” all about?
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FOR personal growth:
1. Read chapters 14 through 17 of the Gospel of John, keeping this question in focus:
Why could it turn into an advantage to have Jesus gone?
2. After you have explored John 14 through 17, grab a coffee with friends on the same
journey and compare your discoveries.
Here are the most significant things I found when I did this search in John 14 through 17.
Advantage
Any advantage hinges on the fact Jesus, by a foreordained plan of God the Father:
1. leaves the planet and returns to heaven and
2. sends the Holy Spirit of God to the earth to complete the mission He has launched.
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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
It’s a two-step strategy. The departure of Jesus and His sending of the Spirit is the plan of God to draw
people to himself.
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The plan of God is perfect and totally effective. We are living in the second phase of the plan. It is the
Spirit life phase.
This is what “advantage” is all about. We not only get to enter into relationship with God (see Chapter
2), but we also get to live the adventure of participating in His plan to make sure that everyone has an
opportunity to be in God’s family.
Here are some of the most strategic advantages that are ours, the great plusses that can come to us
through having the Holy Spirit with us rather than the actual physical presence of Jesus.
Advantage #1
PERMANENCE
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The Spirit, once He came, is with us permanently. He never leaves, never will.
His means of assisting us in Kingdom life is different than Jesus’ way. His coming ushers in Spirit life.
Having come into the world, He will stay. The permanence of the Spirit and the life He brings is a first
great advantage. (See John 14:16.)
And the Spirit has no physical limitations. He is never in some other location or away on some other
business. (Jesus, some felt, had that disadvantage. See John 11:21.) The Spirit continuously is available to partner with us, especially as we pointedly invite Him to do so. For us, this can mean great
confidence and assurance.
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He is present with us—always.
Advantage #2
PERMEATION
The Spirit, in that He is spirit, is able to permeate our beings entirely. That is the way He operates.
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Of course, if we develop habits of the heart that put up resistances to Him, this advantage will be
greatly lessened in our lives. He is God, but in the mystery of it all, He can be resisted and grieved. And
our hearts can be hardened, calloused, and made indifferent to His work in us.
This way of permeation is a new and more complete way of relationship with God. Jesus, in His humanity, lived within the limitations of locale/space/time. While He was “fully God,” He was still “fully man.”
(See Appendix—Truth 101, Nicene Creed, page 95) The Spirit does not have those creation limitations.
He can be everywhere He is pleased to be, and all at once. Jesus said He had been “with” us, but that
the Spirit would be “in” us (John 14:17). He permeates our beings as we surrender to Him.
It’s true. The Spirit has come to do an inside job.
It is a great advantage.
Spirit Life in Personal and Group Encounter
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© 2011 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
notes
Advantage #3
TRUTH
It is all about truth. And that is a particular way the Spirit offers another advantage to us.
Jesus said, the Spirit “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. . . .
He will guide you into all truth” (John 14:26; 16:13).
In Jesus’ ministry, limitations existed in the communication of truth. These limitations were because of
His audience and also because of timing, ability to receive, location, and energy (Mark 4:33,34; John
16:12).
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The Spirit’s coming releases a whole further dimension of truth disclosure and comprehension into the
world. Indeed, the ministry of the apostles, the writing of the New Testament, and the transmission of
the gospel all point to truth and the work of the Spirit. And then there is the whole realm of personal
truth disclosed by the Spirit to us for our growth in Christ.
This doesn’t mean that the Spirit will inform us of everything about everything. But it does mean that
He is committed to inform us of the critical things we need to know at any point and help us understand what we need to do. He continually is standing by to assist us in the area of truth. (More of this,
especially the how, will follow. See chapters 5 and 6.)
Advantage #4
CONVICTION
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John 16:8 states¸ “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment.” In other words, in the specific and most important enterprises of our lives:
our own salvation,
our ongoing relationship with God now and in eternity,
and our relationships with those we are given opportunity to communicate with.
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In these areas, the Spirit is right there in the role of bringing conviction to bear in our hearts. Too often
we slip into other roles: defender of all truth, convincer of all resisters, or setter of all boundaries for
everyone. What freedom it gives to us (and what naturalness it thus allows), when we discover that
the Spirit is partnering with us and assuming the roles we feel awkward about. Those are the roles that
actually dampen the joy that should be ours when we share Jesus with others.
Advantage #5
GREATER THINGS
This is huge. It is that Jesus, having ascended into heaven from whence He intercedes for us, acts on
our behalf, dispatches angelic hosts, and much more. He said that with the partnership of the Spirit in
our lives, the whole Kingdom enterprise will move to a new level of strength and effectiveness.
I believe in this He did not mean a display of greater wonders, as if we would “up” the past. Indeed,
didn’t Jesus do it all? He is and always will be without parallel in His life and ministry. He stands alone.
He is the greatest One, part of the Triune God.
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