RECOGNISING THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I want to highlight the Person & Work of the Holy Spirit in this blog, and the important responsibility Believers have to learn to constantly responding to Him.
Right back inn Genesis 1:2 NKJV we read And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Right from the first chapter in the Bible we see the Holy Spirit being involved in creation. We also read that He would come upon certain people in the Old Testament, like Prophets, Priests & Kings, we read (for example) that when Samuel anointed David to be King that from that time the Holy Spirit came upon David.
We see the Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit broadening when we come to the New Testament, that under the New Covenant all Believers experience the Holy Spirit coming upon them and indwelling them. In Matthew 3:11 NKJV we read John the Baptist’s words, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. We then read Jesus prophesying of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the Believer in John 38-39 NKJV He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart (belly) will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Then just as Jesus was going to ascend to heaven we read in Acts 1:5 NKJV for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” And again in Acts 1:8 NKJV Jesus says But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Then only 10 days later as the 120 Believers waited upon God we read in Acts 2:4 NKJV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Holy Spirit had fallen upon the 120, and the Church was born. What a glorious day that was, the Book of Acts is then the story of the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The Holy Spirit I believe made many of the teachings of Jesus personal and real to the Apostles, and they through Christ’s teachings and the power of the Holy Spirit began to fulfil Christ’s command to “Build the Church. Paul needed to remind the Ephesian church that is was not just a one off thing, but that New Covenant Believers needed to be CONTINUALLY filled with the Spirit. “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be (continually) filled with the Spirit”, the MESSAGE Bible says Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. This verse so relates to the words of Jesus in John 38-39 AS WE CONTINUE TO DRINK, OUT OF OUR BEINGS WILL FLOW A RIVER OF LIVING WATER.
To the degree we drink and keep filled with the Spirit (Eph.5:18) there will flow through us a river of the Holy Spirit, so we can WITNESS (Acts 1:8) so we can live HOLY lives (2 Peter 1:3). What a responsibility we have CONSTANTY be very THIRSTY, and let the Holy Spirit CONTUALLY FILL THE HOUSE) and flow through us.
We see a prophetic glimpse of this in Numbers 21:17 KJV Then Israel sang this song, SPRING UP O WELL;
As we learn to live the REPENTANCE AND SPIRIT FILLED LIFE we are saying to the Holy Spirit , “spring up and overflow through me, to a lost and dry and thirsty world”, I want to be the INSTRUMENT, the VESSELL, the CHANNEL, to a lost and dying world.
Because of poor teaching many Christians think that to be a Charismatic is to feel good and belong to the “tongues club”. it is so much more, in conclusion can I remind you of John the Baptist’s words that Jesus wants to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and FIRE, do we thank God for the FIRE as much as we do the WINE??? Let Paul’s prayer in 1 Thess. 5:23 NKJV be our experience “And the very God of peace (by the Holy Spirit & the Word) sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” May we co-operate with the Holy Spirit and let the FIRE sanctify us. AMEN
