Abounding Love Podcast with Former ”Tex” Watson

Spiritualities #1: This message focuses on helping believers recognize their true spiritual identity, authority and position in Christ as a necessary foundation before they can effectively operate in spiritual gifts. Drawing from Ephesians, I explain that believers are saved by grace through faith [Ephesians 2:8], redeemed through the blood of Jesus [Ephesians 1:7], and chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy concentrated and blameless [Ephesians 1:4]. Instead of living below their spiritual privileges -- which I compare to someone starving to death with a closet full of money or living on "Skid Row" despite owning a mansion in Beverly Hills -- believers must wake up to the reality that they have been translated out of darkness and blessed with every spiritual blessing [Ephesians 1:3]. They have been raised up to sit jointly in heavenly places with Christ [Ephesians 2:6]. Just as a policeman must know he is a policeman to exercise authority, believers must know their identity in Christ to wield spiritual authority and walk in victory over the enemy. 
With this identity established, believers are fully equipped to manifest the power of God's Kingdom and minister grace to a lost world. Every believer possesses a unique divine enablement, as shown in 1 Corinthians 7:7, which states that "every man hath his proper gift of God", and 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, which highlights that the Holy Spirit distributes these manifestations to everyone for the common profit. To operate effectively in these gifts, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise [Ephesians 1:13], a distinct experience that I illustrate using Acts 19:1-6, where the believers at Ephesus received the baptism of the Holy Spirit after initially believing. Armed with this seal, an eternal inheritance [Ephesians 1:11], and the "exceeding greatness" of God's power [Ephesians 1:19], believers are called to function as Jesus in the world. They act as the body of Christ to minister grace -- defined as God's willingness to use His power on our behalf to meet every need -- and to reconcile a lost world back to God. Join me as we delve into these Scriptures for your edification. Selah!
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118 How to Receive the Overflow
How to Receive the Overflow: This episode emphasizes that while salvation represents a believer being filled with the Holy Spirit -- comparable to a glass filled with water -- the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an additional immersion where the glass is dropped into a pitcher of water, completely submerged and overflowing. This baptism provides believers with the Spiritual power necessary to fulfill the Great Commission and actively minister to others. I note that the Holy Spirit was poured out 100% on the Day of Pentecost and remains fully available, therefore, believers do not need to tarry or beg God, but must simply reach out in faith to receive what has already been given. To help believers understand how to receive and minister this gift, I introduce a 5 step framework by the acronym "READY": Repent, Expect, Ask, Drink, and Yield. 
Each step of the "READY" formula is grounded in scripture to guide the believer's faith and actions. "Repent" [Acts 2:38-39] involves turning away from sin and repenting of false teaching that claim tongues and Spiritual gifts are not for today. "Expect" [Galatians 3:2, 13-14] teaches that the baptism is received by faith, using God's Word as the ultimate evidence of things not seen. "Ask" [Luke 11:9-13] reminds believers to confidently petition the Father for the Holy Spirit and immediately believe they have received it. "Drink" [John 7:37-39] requires the believer to relax, open their mouth wide, and drink in the Spirit so that rivers of living water can flow out. Finally, "Yield" [Romans 6:13, 19]  instructs believers to offer their physical bodies as instruments of righteousness. I strongly emphasize that the believer must actively make the vocal sounds and move their tongue -- as shown in Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6, and 1 Corinthians 14 -- while the Holy Spirit shapes the syllables and provides the utterance. Once received, believers should regularly practice praying in tongues to build up their faith, relying on the positive criteria of Philippians 4:8 to evaluate subsequent interpretations of tongues. Join me as we delve into this life changing experience for many believers throughout the centuries. Selah!
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The Holy Spirit #7: This message emphasizes that praying in the Spirit or the speaking in tongues, is a vital tool for the believer to be "Spiritually emerged" and empowered to act as Jesus in the world today [1 John 4:17]. Drawing on Biblical examples as Jesus, Mary, the Samaritans in Acts chapter 8, and the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10, I argue that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are essential for today. According to Mark 16:17, those who believe "shall speak with new tongues" as a physical evidence of being overwhelmed by God's power. This practice allows the logos Word of God to become personified within the Christian, transforming their actions into expressions of pure love and helping them take dominion over the world's forces.
I outline specific reasons for praying in the Spirit, primarily focusing on a Spiritual edification and supernatural communication where the human spirit speaks "mysteries" or divine secrets directly to God [1 Corinthians 14:2, 4]. I also present speaking in tongues as a means to tame the tongue, which James chapter 3 suggests allows a believer to control their entire soul and body, and eliminate selfishness by praying according to God's will rather than limited human understanding [Romans 8:26]. Furthermore, the message highlights how this example provides a "refreshing" and rest during times of distress [Isaiah 28:11-13] and builds up the believer on their "most holy faith" and help "keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude verses 20 & 21). Ultimately, while these gifts edify the individual and the church through interpretation, they must always be exercised in an orderly fashion and rooted in the love of God, as taught in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 & 14. Join me as we cover these Scriptures for your edification in the Spirit. Selah!
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The Holy Spirit #6: This message emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, specifically distinguishing between the initial experience of being born again and the subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit. Drawing from John 7:37-38, I explain that for those who "thirst" and believe, "rivers of living water" will flow from within them, representing the Holy Spirit's presence. I describe this baptism as being totally immersed or "overwhelmed" by the Holy Spirit, much like a glass of water being dropped into a full pitcher. The primary purpose of this immersion is to receive "dunamis" power, as promised in Acts 1:8, which provides believers with the ability, strength and authority to be witnesses and provide evidence of Christ's resurrection life to the world.
A central theme of the teaching is the renewing of the mind and the restoration of the "whole man" -- spirit, soul and body [1Thessalonians 5:23]. As the Holy Spirit takes control, a believer's mind is transformed to align with the "logos" or the Word of God, replacing the traditions of man and "stinky thinking" with divine love and boldness. I highlight that speaking in tongues is a consistent Biblical evidence of being filled with the Spirit, citing examples from the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1-4], the believers of Samaria [Acts 8:14-17], the Gentiles [Acts 10:44-48], and the disciples at Ephesus [Acts 19:1-6]. Ultimately, this messages encourages believers to seek a second work of grace beyond salvation to operate in Spiritual gifts, such as healing  and prophecy, while walking in unity and love. Join me as we delve into these Scriptures and more to experience God's presence in a more powerful way. Selah?
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The Holy Spirit #5: I emphasize that that believers are commissioned by Jesus to walk in the same authority and power as He did, being "sent" just as His Father sent Him [John 20:21]. Central to this mission is the recognition that Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil [1 John 3:8] and that believers, as "sons of God," are now empowered to carry out this same operation in the world. Just as Jesus was led and empowered by the Spirit to overcome Satan's wilderness temptations and return in "dunamis power," believers are expected to walk in victory over sin, sickness and trials [Luke 4:1-14]. I note that even Jesus didn't begin His ministry until He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at age thirty [Acts 10:38], underscoring that the Church must move beyond just preaching salvation to also minister healing and the baptism of the Holy Spirit [Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:18].
To access this power, believers must prioritize "receiving" the Holy Spirit baptism through faith while rejecting the traditions of men that make the Word of God of "none effect" (Mark 7:13; Colossians 2:8), keeping believers powerless. True worship must be in Spirit and Truth [John 4:23], allowing "rivers of living water" to flow freely from within the believer to the world [John 7:37-39]. The Holy Spirit acts as the Comforter, a Helper called alongside to testify of Jesus, to teach all things and guide the believer into all truth [John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13]. By abiding in Christ as branches in the Vine, believers are enabled to bear the "fruit of love" and perform "greater works" than those Jesus did during His earthly ministry [John 15:4-5; 14: 12], that is, reaching the world at large. Ultimately, the Spirit reveals the deep things of God [1 Corinthians 2:9-10] and empowers the believer to overcome the world because "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" [1 John 4:4]. Join me as I share these Scriptures and more for your edification. Selah!
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The Holy Spirit #4: In this episode, I emphasize that the Holy Spirit provides the "power from on high" necessary to witness and confirm the living presence of Jesus Christ to the world. Throughout history, God has utilized the power of the spoken Word as the primary vehicle for delivering His people from bondage, a pattern established when Aaron served as a mouthpiece for Moses in Exodus, chapters 3 and 4. The same Word of power was manifested in Jesus, who used spoken commands to destroy the works of the Devil, heal the sick and raise the dead. Today, believers are encouraged to recognize that the Word of God remains a "bondage releasing" Spiritual power; when spoken in faith, it  builds internal strength and acts as a creative force in their lives and others. This fulfillment began at Pentecost, according to the prophesy in Acts 2:17-21, where the Holy Spirit was poured out so that sons and daughters would prophesy and minister with divine ability.
To operate effectively in the power of the Holy Spirit, one must move beyond merely hearing the Word to actively "receiving" and "taking" it as a gift already provided by God. This message distinguishes between being "born of the Spirit" for Salvation -- which grants the legal authority to become sons of God as stated in John 1:12 -- and being "baptized in the Holy Spirit" for "dumamis" power, which means "dynamite" power in Greek. Using Jesus as the ultimate example, I note how He was born of the Spirit [Matthew 1:13], but did not begin His public ministry until He was baptized in the Holy Spirit when the power of heaven descended upon Him [Luke 3:21-22]. By following the Biblical pattern of repenting, being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost [Acts 2:38], we become Christlike, who carry a new nature and new covenant relationship with God, enabling us to transform the world through the love and anointing of the God. I pray you'll join me for an exciting time in God's Word. Selah!
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The Holy Spirit #3. This episode emphasizes the distinction between being born again, where the Spirit dwells within the believer like water in a glass, and being baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is described as being completely overwhelmed and surrounded by God's presence -- likened to that glass of water being submerged in a large pitcher.
This outpouring at Pentecost is presented as the fulfillment of a "new covenant" [Acts 2:1-4], marking the transition from the bondage of the Law to the freedom of grace and the adoption of believers as actual sons of God through redemption [Galatians 4:3-7]. I share how the same Spirit that moved at Creation and breathed Life into Adam is now available to believers to defeat the "seed of the serpent" and replace spiritual death with resurrected life [ 2 Corinthians 4:6].
Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is achieved entirely by faith, much like salvation and physical healing, plus I note that these gifts are often separated only because they are not taught as a single "package". I explain that the Spirit and the Word are inseparable; prophecies found in Joel 2:28 and Isaiah 55:11 demonstrate that God's spoken word is an " incorruptible seed" that must accomplish its purpose of delivering and healing mankind.
By receiving this "Spirit of faith" [2 Corinthians 4:13], believers are empowered to become "living epistles," with God's law of Love written upon their hearts rather than on tables of stone, as promised in Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26. Ultimately, this baptism provides the power to overcome "sense knowledge" -- relying on what one can see or feel -- and instead walk in Spiritual victory and authority of Jesus Christ. Join me as we delve into these Scriptures and more for your edification. Selah!
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Holy Spirit #2: This message emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is the source of power for the believer, providing the necessary ability to minister and represent the Kingdom of God from within. Drawing a contrast between the Old and New Testaments, I explain that while the Law brought condemnation and death, the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes believers free [Romans 8:2]. A critical distinction is made between being born again -- receiving resurrected life as the disciples did when Jesus breathed on them in John 20:22 -- and receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is the "power from on high" (Luke 24:49) described in Acts 2. This baptism is a gift received by faith [Galatians 3:14], enabling Christians to move beyond a passive experience to become active, fervent witnesses for the Gospel [Acts 1:8].
Furthermore, this message highlights that every believer is now the temple of the Holy Ghost, bought with the precious blood of Jesus and no longer belonging to themselves [1 Corinthians 6:19-20]. Just as God appeared to Moses in the burning bush to send him with a message of deliverance from Egypt [Exodus 3], believers today are sent to preach reconciliation and deliverance to a world held in spiritual darkness. Because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells within the believer [Romans 8:11], they have authority to overcome the devil and should walk in the Spirit of ". . .power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). By recognizing our identity as sons and daughters of God and ". . .joint heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), we can boldly exercise our authority over the works of the enemy [Revelation 12:11]. Join me as we delve into these Scriptures and more for your edification. Selah!
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