Herb Reavis attended Moody Bible Institute and often saw a plaque there that read, “Near this place Dwight L. Moody knelt and asked God for a school.”
“Moody wasn’t educated or ordained, but biographers said he ‘shook two continents for God,’” Reavis told participants at a Jan. 29 luncheon at the 2024 Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference. “He and Jonathan Edwards and R.A. Torrey knew ‘the secret:’ the power of God makes a difference through the Holy Spirit.
“Churches cannot trust in plans, programs, technology or facilities, but must seek the power of the Holy Spirit most of all.”
Reavis, pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, for 32 years, told the group that seeking the power of the Spirit begins with obedience in all respects, noting the baptism of Jesus.
“John was surprised, and said he needed Jesus to baptize Him,” Reavis said. “But Jesus declared it was necessary to fulfill all things and He wished to be obedient to the Father.
“We can’t be undisciplined or uncommitted and expect the blessings of God. The ‘finger of the Spirit’ touches our hearts and shows us areas of growth.”
Reavis recalled that he “came forward” in his church as a nine-year-old but didn’t have a genuine conversion experience.
“I believe nine-year-olds can be saved, but I didn’t truly repent and trust Christ at the time,” he acknowledged.
Unafraid
Reavis trusted Christ as a teenager and soon committed to preaching. He believed his childhood baptism was meaningless since he had not been genuinely converted, but struggled over whether to be baptized again. In a revival meeting where he served as speaker, he asked the host pastor to baptize him.
“It was unusual for the evangelist to respond to his own invitation, but this act of obedience helped me learn what it means to follow Christ,” Reavis recalled.
Christians must seek the anointing of the Holy Spirit and be unafraid of Him, Reavis asserted.
“Sometimes we Baptists hear about the ‘Holy Ghost’ and it scares us,” he said with a laugh, “but we don’t have to be afraid of the Holy Spirit. He is the instrument of God and we’re commanded to be filled with Him. We receive all of Him at conversion, but we must continue to seek Him daily.”
Reavis noted the dove is a beautiful bird, and the image of the Holy Spirit as a dove at the baptism of Jesus reminds believers that the Spirit’s job is to beautify both character and countenance.
“The Spirit paints the image of Christ across the canvas of our character,” Reavis said. “Angry, mad, bitter people with a chip on their shoulders don’t know this Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us a spirit of reasonableness.”
The Spirit also purifies believers by showing areas of needed repentance, Reavis said.
“The voice from Heaven gave approval to the obedient act of Jesus in the Jordan River,” he noted. “We must also seek the approval of the Father more than the approval of people.
“We have all of Jesus when we repent and trust Him, but the question is, does Jesus have all of us?”
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