The Holy Spirit

So many misunderstandings, misrepresentations... Nothing to fear...

The Holy Spirit is the third PERSON of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not a force or a thing. He is not an it. He is a person.

Do you know Him? Do you have a relationship with Him? You can!

The person of the Holy Spirit always points us to Jesus to bring glory to Jesus. Jesus always points us to the Father to bring glory to the Father.

With. In. Upon.

With you:
God is with you from conception until death. He says, "Before I formed you, I knew you." "I knit you together in your mother's womb" "I am with you always, to the very end..."

Jn. 14:16-17 Jesus says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

In you: (Salvation)
When you become a believer, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you.

Upon you: (Baptism)
This is the best part! This is also the part most people miss out on! Don't miss this!

Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." The phrase comes on you is the same Greek word used when the angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." How crazy is that?! The same phrase used to describe the conception of Jesus in Mary is the same phase used to describe the power we receive when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. You could say that the Holy Spirit also births something in us. That something is Jesus! That phrase come upon means

1) to come, to arrive
a) of time, come on, be at hand
2) to come upon, overtake one
a) of sleep
b) of disease
c) of calamities
d) of the Holy Spirit, descending and operating in one

To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is what will set you apart!

Baptism simply means to be immersed in.

When we are baptized with water, we are to be immersed in water. Water baptism doesn't save you. It is an outward expression of an inward commitment. It is an act of obedience symbolizing repentance.

To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. Now being filled with the Spirit is a daily, even moment by moment occurrence, however, there must be an initial filling. Just like being baptized in water doesn't happen automatically, neither does being baptized in the Holy Spirit. You have to want it. You have to ask for it. You have to purpose in your heart to be baptized! Just like salvation, it doesn't happen automatically. You have to choose Christ. You have to say yes to Him. Salvation happens once, but daily we are being saved. Every day I must give my heart to Him. So too with the Holy Spirit, every day I must be filled anew!

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience after salvation. It can be at the same time as salvation, but not usually. It can be at the same time as water baptism, sometimes, but not always.

Acts 19:1-7 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

Water baptism = Repentance! / Baptism in the Holy Spirit = Power!

The Holy Spirit is promised if you repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Remember, repent means to "change the way you think!" The Holy Spirit can be received without water baptism. (Acts 10:44-47) The Holy Spirit can be received by simply hearing, but often by laying on of hands.

Mat 3:11 "…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Fire?? What? Why fire? I'm not sure why fire. But here's what I think: #1 On the day of Pentecost there were what seemed to be "tongues of fire" that came to rest on each person before they began to speak in new languages. #2 Water washes. Fire burns! The instrument used to baptize for repentance is water, symbolizing the washing away of sin, filth, old man, etc.. The instrument used to baptize in the Holy Spirit for power is fire. Fire burns! Burn away anything that is not of God! Burn away the dross! Refine us! 'Set yourself on fire for God and let the world come watch you burn!' (John Wesley)

Facts about the Holy Spirit from the Bible: The Holy Spirit = Counselor, Comforter, He Speaks to Us to Teach All Things, To Remind us of what Jesus said, Strengthen & Encourage (Acts 9:31), He gives us Power to do the will of the Father. He wants to fellowship with us. He gives us Gifts. (Heb 2:4) The Holy Spirit is a mark, a seal upon us. (Eph 1:13) He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit can speak through us, (Acts 1:16) so can the devil. (Mat 16:23) The Holy Spirit is a person. The Bible says He can be lied to, resisted, quenched, grieved, and pleased.
Jesus did amazing things in His three years of ministry. None of the things He did was simply because He was God, or the Son of God. He was 100% man, just like you or I (only without sin). The reason Jesus was able to do ALL of the things He did is because of and through the power of the Holy Spirit! Yes, He was God, but He was not operating as God. He humbled himself and became a man. He set aside His Glory as God to become a man. Other than being born without sin, He was in every way, just like you or I. There was nothing special about His appearance. He was a man filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, in perfect fellowship with the Father. So often we think, oh yeah, sure, Jesus did that because...well...He's Jesus...or He's God...No! Don't limit yourself by thinking that way! You and I have the same access to the Father that Jesus had because of the cross! We have the same access to power that Jesus had through the power of the Holy Spirit! This is why Jesus said, "You will do the same things I have done, and even greater!"

Today, it's all about the Holy Spirit!

I think there should be 3 time periods, not just two. I think we should have B.C., A.D., & A.C.! Let me explain:

B.C. - Before Christ came God would often speak to people audibly or He would send angels or messengers to speak to His people.

A.D. (Anni Domini - Meaning, "in the Year of our Lord") - When Jesus walked the earth, He was a representation of God in the flesh. God spoke through Jesus and used Him to demonstrate the Father's heart. Jesus said, "Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."

A.C. (After Christ) Now/Today - God connects with us, reveals Himself to us, and speaks to us through the Holy Spirit!

What is the purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

To feel good? To get spiritual goose bumps? To be weird and act drunk and crazy? NO! The purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit is for power; Power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth, power to accomplish all signs and wonders and good works God has prepared in advance for us to do! Without this power, we as Christians and the Church will remain powerless and Heaven will only be something we get when we die. With this power, Heaven will invade our lives and this earth! His Kingdom will be manifested in us and through us!

The person of the Holy Spirit always points us to Jesus to bring glory to Jesus. Jesus always points us to the Father to bring glory to the Father.

The Holy Spirit is a gift freely given. This gift cannot be earned or deserved. It can only be freely received. However, it's hard to be filled up with something when you are already full of something else! Sometimes we must first empty ourselves of self before we can be filled with Him! Be it pride, lust, jealousy, envy, strife, hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness, self, rage, anger, the list goes on…

Are you hungry for Him or are you full of something else?

God, cause me to hunger for more of You. Holy Spirit I want to be full of You. God, let love be my highest goal. Let me earnestly seek and desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. Change my heart. Change my mind. Change the way I think. Renew my mind. Transform me. I want to be filled with power from on high to be a witness for You, and to do whatever you ask of me.