Let’s look at the different ways the Holy Spirit will guide us to all truth. The Person of the Holy Spirit receives and declares…
JN.16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. The Holy Spirit guides by SPEAKING to us the Truth. Our Lord had many things to say but they were not able to “bear” them. However, our Lord would share these hidden truths later through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Father tells the Son what He desires and what He wants to reveal, the Son tells the Spirit, and the Spirit tells us. This should cause our hearts to leap with joy and have incredible confidence knowing that the full Godhead is actively engaged in our lives daily. (See Jn.14:17; Rom.8:14; Ps.23:1-2; 48:14; 73:24; Is.30:21; 42:16; 48:17). For more information on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, click on the link and get my book "THE FOUR POSITIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"
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The main reason why our Lord must return to the Father was so that the Holy Spirit would come to be with us and within us. John spoke a lot about the Person of the Holy Spirit and His role in the world and in the life of the believer. There are many roles or works of the Person of the Holy Spirit within the Word of God, but I want to point out a few from the Book of John.
For more information on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, click on the link and get my book "THE FOUR POSITIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" I am somewhat shocked about how the Person of the Holy Spirit is treated and neglected in some circles. In some traditional or conservative churches He is neglected and ignored like He doesn't exist. There seems to be a fear if someone talks to much about the Person and ministry of the Holy Spirit they might be branded or mistaken as Pentecostal or Charismatic. One particular group does not have a market on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
However there are those who treat the Person of the Holy Spirit like He is a force they can exercise in, or a toy they can play with at their convenience. They fail to remember that He is God, has always been God, and will always be God, and should be approached as so. The Person of the Holy Spirt was promised by our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, He is a MUCH MORE gift from our heavenly Father to come beside us, within us, upon us, and fill us. The gift of the Person of the Holy Spirit is a MUCH MORE promise. Luke 11:9-13 ESV And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (10) For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (11) What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; (12) or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? (13) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! John 6:63 ESV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The Words of our Lord Jesus Christ are Spirit and Life. This Book called the Bible breathes. This is a Book were every promise is ours. We don’t need more polished sermons. We need men who know God and know the Person of the Holy Spirit. We need to be more than just the letter of the law, we need the Spirit. This is so vital to the principles of prayer. John 4:23-24 ESV But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (24) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." God created us like Him. Let me say that again. God created us like Him. Back to John 4:24. We are a spirit being, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Our soulish man consists of three areas. It is the mind or thoughts, the emotions or feelings, and the will or choices. Once saved, your spirit is alive unto God. Your spirit is your inner-most man, your soul is your inner man, and the body is your outer man. Let’s look at some Scriptures concerning the spirit, soul, and body of man. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV (23) Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 20:27 ESV The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. Job 32:8 ESV But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. When we desire more power. what is it that we want, how do we get it, and why do we want it?
If we think we need more power to live the Christian life we have missed it. If we think we need more power to perform miracles, signs and wonders, again we have missed it. It we think we need more power to witness for Christ, that is true. It talks Christ in me to live a Christian life. I can't do it. Any attempt would be a form of religion. It takes Christ in me to preform miracles, signs and wonders. It is not a matter of more power, but faith in our Lord to work His Word in and through us. But He said that we would receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon us. This is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Our Lord told us Himself what the evidence of that Holy Spirit baptism would be. He told His disciples and followers to go to Jerusalem and wait until they were clothed with power. Luke 24:49 ESV And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The baptism with the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. Acts 1:4-5 ESV And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Again our Lord said that power would be the end result when they received the promise of the Father, which is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Then He told them why they would receive the power. First came the what, which is power. Second came the when, after the Holy Spirit came upon them which is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Third came the why, they would take the power and be bold witnesses in the area of their influence and then spread out to everywhere they went. Acts 1:8 ESV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Paul understood why he needed the power to preach. 1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 ESV (4) and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 4:20 ESV For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ESV (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. (9) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Many people are trying through human striving to do a job that can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. In our own power all that can be achieved is a form of religion that may reach church acceptance and respectability. The results many times produce a sense of personal security and contentment. In all of the efforts of mankind we cannot change the gnawing realization that the church suffers from spiritual powerlessness. May believers are asking, “Where is the abundant life that Jesus promised?” “Where is the radiant joy filled life Paul spoke about?”, and “When do we start doing the things that Jesus did and greater things?” It is evident that the joy and thankfulness of the believer at the point of conversion still lingers years later but there is a gnawing in his heart for more. The songs that have echoed the walls and halls of large Churches across the nations have addressed the cry for “More Lord.” Anyone reading the Book of Acts can see by comparison with the present church that the early Christians had something in their lives which gave them manifestations of power that we do not see in our churches today. Anyone reading the books of first and second Corinthians will see that Paul did not try to come with great words and fancy speeches, but in the power of God. Oh Lord stir up faith in Your body today to trust You to do what You long to do! Let the church arise and let You be glorified in her. DO YOU WANT TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?
In earlier posts we said that... 1. We must be THIRSTY for the things of God. 2. We must BELIEVE THE PROMISES of God. 3. We must be SURE of our SALVATION. 4. We need to ask ourselves "Who is going to be EXALTED"? FIFTH: 5. We must BELIEVE the REPORT of God over man. (John 12:38 ESV) so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (John 12:39 ESV) Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, (John 12:40 ESV) "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." There are a lot of "faith killers" out there and saddly many are in the church. Over the years I have been told over and over by family, friends and others within the body of Christ what I can and can't do. The most ridiculous is in the area of the work of the Holy Spirit. When I was a member of a certain denomination I was told that I could not lift my hands, dance in the Spirit, speak in tongues, or lay hands on people for healing. Of course all of these are in the Bible for Christians to have the liberty to exercise. I was told that those things of the Holy Spirit were for the Church "down the road", of course speaking about the Pentecostal church. I remember thinking how I had wished that I had a recorder taping the conversation so that I could play it back and let the person hear how dumb they sounded. It is a theology that says, God does certain things from His Word here in this church and He does certain things from His Word over there in that church, but the two cannot mix. If we want to be filled in the Holy Spirit, we need to be BELIEVING BELIEVERS concerning the things of God and not let our hearts be hardened towards the supernatural acts of God. Hebrews 3:7-8 ESV Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, (8) do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, No matter the cost, purpose in your heart that you choose God and His Word over friends and family and the traditions of men. It is a choice we all need to make because we all need to be tested in not having idols placed over God and His Word. Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive all that He gives? We said in earlier studies that
1. WE MUST BE THIRSTY, 2. WE MUST BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD, 3. WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR SALVATION. 4. We need to answer the question "WHO IS GOING TO BE EXALTED"? We need to remember that the Person of the Holy Spirit is not a toy that we can play with. He is God. We cannot play spiritual and emotional games with the Person of Holy Spirit so that we get liver-shivers and goose bumps lest we find ourselves falling away from the faith. A walk with God and a walk in the Spirit is a serious thing. You can't fall away from something you never had. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (2) through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, It is a normal part of New Testament life for a believer to examine himself and test himself to ensure that he is still in the faith. I have shook all over under the power of the Spirit. I have fallen to the ground like a dead man under the power of the Holy Spirit because I was unable to stand. I have cried and laughed under the power of the Holy Spirit. However, a consistent daily walk in the Holy Spirit does not consist of these things alone. The reason I say this is because I have seen Christians run from one Holy Spirit service to another getting their emotional, mental, and physical fix. We need to always remember that the number one work of the Person of the Holy Spirit is to lead us consistently to the Lord Jesus Christ and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. If we get any glory or seem to have a "more holy" attitude, then we need to examine ourselves. John 15:26 ESV "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. John 16:13-14 ESV When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (14) He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 1 John 4:2 ESV By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! We need to be careful when we are around signs, wonders, and healings that we remember it is not about us and it is not about the sings and wonders. We need to know and understand the work of God among us. We can be close to the things of God and the presence of God yet our heart can become hardened from God Himself. Mark 6:51-52 ESV And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, (52) for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive all that He gives? We said that...
WE MUST BE THIRSTY, WE MUST BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD, WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR SALVATION, and answer the question WHO IS GOING TO BE EXALTED. The Holy Spirit does not exalt Himeself. The number one ministry and work of the Holy Spirit is to take us to the Lord Jesus Christ. The number one ministry and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is to take us to the Father. The Person of the Holy Spirit always points us to our Lord Jesus Christ and to truth. The Holy Spirit's job is to bring glory to the Son. The Son's job is to bring glory to the Father. Yes, it is a joy experiencing the gifts, the power, the anointing, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but these things are not the main reason that He was sent to be with us. There are many who exalt the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit and miss His main ministry and work in pointing us to the Son. John 16:8-11 ESV And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; (10) concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; (11) concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:13-14 ESV When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (14) He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. TO BE FILLED...
1. WE MUST BE THIRSTY, 2. WE MUST BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD, 3. WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR SALVATION, 4. DECIDE WHO IS GOING TO BE EXALTED. I want to say something else about being thirsty for the things of God and having our thirst quenched. If I thirst for the filling of the Holy Spirit I will be filled. Once I first drink of the Holy Spirit, (having the Holy Spirit dwelling in me as a result of the NEW BIRTH), nothing will ever quench my thirst outside of His presence. I have meet people who claim to have known the Lord and now claim to be atheists or part of a cultic religion. They claimed that Jesus was not enough truth and that now they have real truth. I either have to believe them or believe God's Word that once we are truly saved we will never thirst again. I choose God's Word. Once we are saved there is a spiritual well deep wihin us that will spring forth, gush out, when we learn to walk in a Spirit-filled life style. John 4:13-14 ESV Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Ephesians 5:18 ESV And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive all that He gives? We said that first WE MUST BE THIRSTY for the things of God. Secondly, after being thirsty, WE MUST BELIEVE THE PROMISES OF GOD and His Word. Third we said that WE MUST BE SURE OF OUR SALVATION. This may seem strange but there are people who are addicted to church and Holy Ghost meetings who have never been born again. The fourth thing is to settle this question in our hearts. "WHO IS GOING TO BE EXALTED"? God the Father wants us to be filled in the Spirit more than we want to be filled in the Spirit. But the manifested presence of God our Father is not for our benifit so that we can have "goose-bumps", "liver-shivers", and "do-dads" running up and down our spine. The Lord God of the universe desires to be exalted and given honor from our lives. It is not a "feel-good" session. It is a demonstration of the power of God in and through His children for His glory. Being filled with the Person of the Holy Spirit is not for manifesting our spirituality and piety but manifesting the glory of His presence through our weakness with fear and trembling. 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 ESV (2) For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (3) And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, (4) and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. |
AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSIM USA. Archives
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