Do you "Know" Holy Spirit?
No, that's not a typo. He is called "Holy Spirit", and He is not a "thing", but a person, and one of the Trinity.
Jesus told His disciples before He left that He had to go! Otherwise, the "Comfortor" could not come. He told them that this "Holy Spirit" of GOD would be their teacher, their instructor, their encouragement, their comfort, and most of all their inspiritation. This same "Holy Spirit" provides you with POWER! Yes, with POWER!
In Acts, when He first, arrived there was such an uproar that the whole place was transformed! People all over the place were speaking in tongues, and getting baptized in the Holy Ghost, and some were even functioning in the spiritual gifts like "diverse tongues"! They were speaking in the language of those hearing them, and yet that was not a language that they ever learned or trained to speak!
The Bible tells us that when Holy Spirit showed up on the scene there was a great and mighty wind, and that tongues like flames of "fire" showed up over the heads of those who were born-again! Amazing! I mean ... this - is - AWESOME!!
Can you imagine the day? A sudden onrush of spiritual strength and power, like you've never known before? And you are suddenly "cleansed" from the inside out? Peter got so excited that he couldn't wait to talk to the crowd about it! He grabbed the first high point from which to speak and began to shout out to the crowd, "Men and Brethren, 'THIS IS THAT THING' that Jesus was talking about! He told us that this would come! You know ... " <egging them on to remember> "You know, that thing that the prophet Joel was talking about, when he says, 'I will pour out of my Spirit, and ...' and he went on to preach about the prophecy that the prophet Joel spoke, concerning the outpouring of GOD's "Holy Spirit" upon the world!
Folks this is the very same "Spirit of GOD" that was right there, with GOD, when He created the Earth! We read in Genesis chapter 1 that the "Spirit of GOD hovered over the deep" as He traversed across the then water-covered Earth, in preparation of what they were about to do! (create the Earth)
I have seen this same Spirit melt the heart of a hard, ice-cold man who seemed like he'd just as soon cut out your heart right there where you stand! And yet, when the Holy Spirit hits the man, his entire countenance changes! Tears begin to flow, the hardness is instantly gone, and suddenly, the man is "born-again", from the inside out! He - is - a - brand - new - man! TOTALLY and COMPLETELY different!!
My youngest son John, when he got saved at the Williamson County Cowboy Church, I remember him saying as we were leaving that evening, "I - am - a - new - John!" He even "felt" different!! And we saw the difference taking place thereafter, too!
It's a funny thing when you meet someone who spends time with the Holy Spirit ... they are just, different! If they are the speaker at an event, everybody just loved their messages! If they are an individual, your life is never the same after spending time with them. And the most powerful of these is the "Intercessor"! Man, if you get a chance to meet a real Intercessor, you are in for a treat! (I'll touch on this next week)
Isn't it time you got to know the Holy Spirit better? You know, we think of GOD as the Father, and Jesus as the Son, and I always just put the Holy Spirit in the role of "Mom". Oh, he's much more than just that, but think about it ... the Holy Spirit is sensitive, and yet powerful. He is tender, caring, loving, and "knows" you better than you know yourself! He's just like a Mom!
Anyway, you - need - to -get - to - know the Holy Spirit! Talk to Him. Visit with Him. Pray with Him. Your life will never be the same again! As Fred Zimmerman would say, "I guarantee it!"
Make me proud!
-pastor rich-