June 12, 2011

Holy Spirit Truth

Revelations 2:17

Revelations

  Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

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Thoughts.....

This statement from Revelations is recorded 7 different times throughout chapters 2 and 3.  Although it refers directly to revelations messages given to John from Jesus, it cannot exclude anything given before, as all scripture supports itself.  Saying so, I've opened with this due to the importance of what needs to be understood:  Holy Spirit is alive and well and active and we need to receive all he has to give us.

There are many churches today who believe Holy Spirit is not for us currently and was only for the Apostles.  Were this so, in chapter 2 verse 17, God would not have said to Joel, "In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people."  In verse 18, "In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike."  Previously in chapter 2 it says 'the believers were meeting together in one place', and, in chapter 1, it states 'about 120 believers were present' to include Mary the mother of Jesus, and several other women, and brothers of Jesus.  It seems to be clear when the term 'believers' is used that it refers to others besides, or including the Apostles, but not Apostles alone.

In chapter 2 we learn that everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Many may say 'that was then, this is now'.  Well folks, since we are here now, 'then' was apparently not the ONLY 'last days' that God was speaking about.  And if you take that theory, then chapter 2 verse 21 cannot apply to us now, "And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  SOooooooo, since we know we CAN call upon the Lord and be saved [now, in this lifetime], everything else has to hold true today as well.  God IS the same....was yesterday, is today, will be tomorrow.  

In Acts 2:33 Peter said, "And the Father, as he had promised, gave him (Jesus) the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.'  Peter went on to say in 2:38, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - all who have been called by the Lord our God.  Verse 41:  Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church - about three thousand (3000!) in all.  Not just the Apostles.  And note that when in verse 7 the people were in wonder, they exclaimed many languages were being spoken...more than there were Apostles present.  My point being that Holy Spirit was not just for the Apostles.

In Acts 5:22, after an angel of the Lord came at night, and opened the gates of the jail and brought them (Peter and the Apostles) out, he told them to "Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!"  So they immediately went out and began preaching the message that 'there is salvation in no one else', but Jesus, per Acts 4:12.  Peter and the Apostles later said, "We are witnesses of these things (Jesus' crucifiction) and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."   

In Acts 8:14-17 it reads, 'When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there.  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.'  A reference pertaining to the baptizm of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 11:16, Peter said the following:  "Well, I began telling them (he references telling the Jewish believers about his experience with the Gentile believers) the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.  Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized wit the Holy Spirit.  And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?"  It goes on to say in verse 18, 'When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God.  They said, "God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life."  It seems here that receiving Jesus and Holy Spirit are synonymous for salvation....forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

In Acts 19:1-7 we learn the following from Paul:  'While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers.  Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them.  "No," they replied, "we don't know what you mean.  We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."  "Then what baptism did you experience?  he asked.  And they replied, "The baptism of John."  Paul said, "John's baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God.  John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later."  As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.  There were about twelve men in all.' 

In John 1:19-23, John the Baptist testifies that he is not the Messiah.  He states "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness.  'Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord's coming!'"  Then he was asked, "If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?"  John tells them, "I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not know, who will soon begin his ministry.  I am not even worthy to be his slave."  'This incident took place at Bethany, a village east of the Jordan River, where John was baptising.' 

'The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look!  There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.'  I didn't know he was the one, but I have been baptising with water in order to point him out to Israel."  [Note: For those who believe Holy Spirit was only for then, you may also need to believe that salvation was only for then.  But in reality, salvation is for everyone everywhere for all time....so is Holy Spirit.] 

'Then John said, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.  I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon  someone, he is the one you are looking for.  He is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.'  I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Son of God."

Jesus was talking to and teaching Nicodemus in John 1:3-8.  He told him "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."  Nicodemus was confounded....asking how he could be born again.  'Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.  So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.  Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."

Mark told us also that John the Baptist said, "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It is VERY clear to me that Holy Spirit must be received.  Matthew 3:6 reads 'And when they confessed their sins, he (John) baptised them in the Jordan River.'  In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist tells us, 'I baptise with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God.  But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am - so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.  He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.' 

So there is more than 1 baptism....one for forgiveness of sins (water) and one to enter the Kingdom of God (Holy Spirit).  There is also the 'baptism of fire' mentioned here.  It goes on to say in verse 12 'He is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork.  Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."  And just so you know, there is also the baptism of suffering as mentioned in Mark 10:38-39.  But we are not talking about all the baptisms today.  We need to focus on and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  And yes, there is only one baptism for the forgiveness of sins....before you go in that direction.

To be baptised with water, we traditionally go to another person to perform it.   However, if you are in the middle of the ocean, you can certainly jump in or sprinkle some water over you.   One woman in a communist country, a wife of a communist diplomat, took a shower and asked God to make that her baptism.  You see there are different ways to baptise than the traditional in a church. 

To be baptised with the Holy Spirit, you merely have to ask Jesus.....and obey God.  Some would say you must have hands laid upon you.  That didn't happen in Acts when the multitude were overcome with Holy Spirit.  Nor again later.  But hands can be laid upon to receive as shown in other scriptures and mentioned above.  It is the intent of the heart and to whom you present your request...that allows you to receive.  Ask Jesus for THE Holy Spirit.

It would be my hope that you would consider asking Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior.  It would be my hope that you would be baptised by water and with the Holy Spirit.  It's God's, Jesus', and Holy Spirit's hope, too.  It would also be the hope of all of us that you will obey them.  Ask Jesus and Holy Spirit into your life and receive them today...right now! 

"The Spirit and bride say, "Come."  Let each one who hears them say, "Come."  Let the thristy ones come - anyone who wants to.  Let them come and drink of the water of life without charge."  Revelations 22:17  

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Let Us Pray