HOLY SPIRIT, 19.02.2018

Radioprogram, Holy Spirit, 19.02.2018

Announcer 1: Today we Christians start having problems when we lose harmony between man and God. As God is the One Who created man, only He knows where man can feel peace and freedom, where they will rejoice and be confident, and in which circumstances they can lose their peace and wisdom…
When God created mankind He has not left them in idleness; He gave them commandments, rules, work, and feelings, through which man can find harmony with God and have peace, joy, rest, praise and worship, patience, and desire to fellowship with God in prayer.

Mankind has a Great Commission to fulfill on the earth, which is to pass the knowledge of God to the future generations. Yes, our Lord loves when we fellowship with Him or with His Word, and then pass the love we received and the fruit of that love to others.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Go around the world and preach the Gospel, tell the nations about it…” This is where happiness is, dear Christians. To preach the Gospel to the poor, the sick, the bound, the mourning, the imprisoned, the wicked, and the fatherless.

Dear listeners, during our programs, you always hear exhortation to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles… and you know why? Because we will not always have this opportunity.

We cannot do it by ourselves. We need the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Without Him, it will be difficult to live this life. We look for partners, faithful people, those who encourage, understand and love us, but unfortunately, we forget the Friend Who has been given us by our Creator, - His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Divine Person, the Almighty…

He is the Wisest Counselor and Teacher, the Perfect Comforter, the One Who frees us from our fears.

He will remove any beliefs that are not grounded in His Word. You will discover that the Holy Spirit does not “belong” to a denomination or a movement—and that He cannot be confined to a generation or an age. He has been sent to reveal Jesus and empower the entire Body of Christ. He has made our hearts His home, and He has promised to make good out of our lives. All we have to do is give Him control.

A better friend and companion cannot be found. The Holy Spirit will faithfully accompany you through all of life’s struggles and joys. He has promised to never leave or forsake you because you are His passion and delight. Get ready to discover the One who is the definition of awesome!

Ephesians 2, verse 18 says, “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

John 14 verse 26 in the Amplified Bible reads, “But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.”

Let us remember how much the leaders and members of the early Church looked to, interacted with, depended on, and spoke of the Holy Spirit. He was a vital part of their lives and involved in everything they did. He was preeminent in their ministry outreaches, team gatherings, and strategy meetings, and He was always involved in their activities. Here’s a sampling of the statements that stand out, and despite everything, reveal the vastness of the authority of the Holy Spirit:

• “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3)

• “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9)

• “We are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 5:32)

• “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

• “The Spirit told me to go with them.” (Acts 11:12)

• “One of them…showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine…” (Acts 11:28)

• “Being sent out by the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 13:4)

• “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us...” (Acts 15:28)

• “They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” (Acts 16:6)

• “They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” (Acts 16:7)

• “Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified…” (Acts 18:5)

• “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2)

• “Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia.” (Acts 19:21 NLT)

• “The Holy Spirit tells me in city after city…” (Acts 20:23 NLT)

• “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” (Acts 20:28)

Words like these jump off the pages of the Book of Acts repeatedly. What became painfully clear is the reality that we are not seeing this same pattern in the Church today. What was common among the believers in Acts seems rare now. I am not just addressing this lack in the lives of others, but first and foremost the lack in my own life. As I read, I realized I had drawn back from enjoying, seeking out, and depending on the leadership, camaraderie, interaction, and powerful influence of the Spirit of God. While reading these verses, I wonder how can we not be drawn to, desire or obey the Person like the Holy Spirit… even if we cannot see Him with our eyes.

Allow me to make some upfront statements that will become clearer the

more we delve into this important discussion:

First, let us agree that there is virtually no Christian life without the Holy Spirit.

• Without the Holy Spirit, Christianity is dry, monotonous, and mundane.

• Without the Holy Spirit, our labor is draining and wearisome.

• Without the Holy Spirit, there is no fellowship with God.

Remove the Holy Spirit from a church and one of two things will happen:

• It will morph into a social club.

• It will become a religious institution.

The truth is…

• There is no revelation without the Holy Spirit. In fact, without the Spirit Scripture becomes lethal; for we are told in 2 Corinthians 3 verse 6, “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

• There is no vision without the Holy Spirit.

• There is no joy without Him.

• There is no peace without Him.

• There is no freedom without the Holy Spirit.

Second Corinthians 3 verse 17 says, “The Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Look at the words “wherever the Spirit of the Lord is.” Let’s think this through. God’s Spirit is omnipresent—He’s everywhere at all times. King David states in Psalm 139, verse 7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?.” The answer is emphatically, nowhere. David continues to write in verses 8 through 10, “If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there waiting!.” It’s crystal clear, He is everywhere at all times.

So the next question we must ask is, “Is there freedom everywhere?” Look again at Paul’s words: “Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” We have proven with the Word of God that He is everywhere; so again, is there freedom everywhere? The answer to this is, absolutely no. There isn’t freedom in brothels, bars, prisons, and hospitals. I’ve been to neighborhoods, schools, homes, and even churches where there is no freedom. So what is Scripture declaring here? I suggest that this would be a more accurate translation:

“Wherever the Spirit is Lord, that’s where there is freedom.”

The word Lord here is defined as “supreme in authority.” The Holy Spirit is not permitted to be in authority in most bars, prisons, hospitals, or homes, and even in many churches. Where He is welcomed as supreme in authority, as the Lord that is where you will find freedom and justice for all.

The Holy Spirit is a Person. Volumes and volumes could be written about Him. Days, months, even years could be spent speaking of Him.

There is an error that many make: they have attempted to understand the work and power of the Holy Spirit without first coming to know Him as a Person.

It is crucial that we establish in our hearts and minds whether we believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person—One who is infinitely holy, infinitely wise, and infinitely mighty, yet wonderfully tender, sensitive, and compassionate. Do we believe He is One who is worthy to receive our reverence, affection, faith, love, devotion, and complete surrender? Or do we instead believe that the Holy Spirit is simply an influence proceeding from God—some sort of divine mystical power?

Someone who sees God’s Spirit as an influence or supreme power will constantly say, “I want more of the Spirit.” On the contrary, someone who sees Him as a wonderful Person will say, “How can I give more of myself to Him?”

Do we think of Him the way we refer to “the spirit of generosity” or “the spirit of competition”? This latter view is shallow, crude, and even cultic. If we believe this way, we are easily susceptible to spiritual haughtiness or pride, which would lead us to strut about as if we belong to some higher order of Christianity.

However, if we see Him as infinite in majesty, glory, splendor, wisdom, knowledge, and holiness, and if we believe that He, as a Person, has an accord with the Father and Son to take possession of our lives and make good out of them, then we will fall on our faces in holy awe.

Many perceive the Spirit of God as a mere influence, rather than as a Person.

Unfortunately, so many of us miss out on the fullness of the Spirit’s presence because we refuse to honor Him as a Person. The Spirit of God will not manifest where He’s not honored.

I want to note that in calling the Holy Spirit a “Person,” I am not calling Him human. What I am simply saying is that He possesses attributes of what we would consider to be personality. The Holy Spirit is Deity, not a human being. But we must remember, humans were created in God’s image. So He’s not like us; rather, we are like Him.

As a Church, we’ve chosen to view Him as a “holy entity” rather than as One who is most holy. His desire is to be our closest friend, yet we have limited His involvement in our lives. The sad truth is we have inadvertently rejected the most fulfilling relationship available to us. Let’s take a look at some scriptures that will perfectly illustrate the personality of the Holy Spirit:

Let’s take a look at some scriptures that will perfectly illustrate the personality of the Holy Spirit:

• He has a mind (as written in Romans 8:27).

• He has a will (as written in 1 Corinthians 12:11).

• He has emotions, such as love and joy (as written in Romans 15:30 and Galatians 5:22).

• He comforts (as written in Acts 9:31).

• He speaks (as written in Hebrews 3:7); in fact, He speaks clearly (as written in 1 Timothy 4:1).

• He teaches (as written in 1 Corinthians 2:13).

• He can be made to feel sorrow (as written in Ephesians 4:30).

• He can be insulted (as written in Hebrews 10:29).

• He can be resisted (as written in Acts 7:51).

• He can be lied to (as written in Acts 5:1-11).

If these attributes are so apparent in Scripture, then we must ask, why is the Holy Spirit so misunderstood?