The Holy Spirit is a person. I mean a real person. In the same way the Father is a real person and Jesus too. They have distinct characteristics that help us understand God in His completeness. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, He is our Helper, He is our power and might. Jesus is our authority; the Holy Spirit is our power.
Because the Holy Spirit is glorifying Jesus, teaching us Jesus, and magnifying Jesus, we can think it’s all Jesus. But it’s not. It’s the Holy Spirit. And, even Jesus said, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, and try to do anything, until you are endued with power from on high. You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you”.
Holy Spirit can be spoken against, resisted, ignored, departed from, quenched, and grieved. These six postures of the heart will result in a blockage in our heart to receive all the God has for us.
1) Speaking Against the Holy Spirit – The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out the devil by Beelzebub (the devil) and Jesus warned them that their speaking against the Holy Spirit was unpardonable. Now before you ask yourself, “Have I committed this sin?” Consider this, when we call something we don’t understand the devil, we shut the door to our experiencing the freedom that very well may be the Holy Spirit’s work. The Holy Spirit is our liberator.
2) Resisting the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees refused Stephen’s preaching in Acts 7 and rushed upon him, stopping their ears and gnashing their teeth. The Holy Spirit was invading their space and bringing His
liberty. He was challenging their control, they resisted Him and could not enter in, or worse allow Him to enter in to their world of religion. The Holy Spirit invades our stuff.
3) Being Ignorant of the Holy Spirit. Paul asked the believers at Ephesus, in Acts 19, if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed? They replied that they didn’t even know there was a Holy Spirit. Ignorance can keep us at a lower level of receiving. When they understood, they were baptized, in the name of Jesus. And when Paul, laid his hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit and spoke with tongues and prophesied. They got an upgrade! The Holy Spirit speaks.
4) Departing from the Holy Spirit. Paul had to ask the Galatians, “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:3. It’s far easier to resource our flesh (natural abilities), in order to mature in the Christian faith, than we realize. Why? Because the law is predictable and controllable but the Spirit is like the wind. He is moving and requires our yielding to Him. The Holy Spirit can only finish what He begins.
5) Quenching the Holy Spirit. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians, in Chapter 5, to live a life of joy, prayer and thanksgiving, but not without the Holy Spirit. In all the charges of Christian living in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit will always be present in the exhortation. Why? Because He is the power to live the life. He is the One who is joy, is praying with us, and giving thanks. To quench, is to extinguish, like the five virgins whose “light went out.” The Holy Spirit is our oil for our lamps.
6) Grieving the Holy Spirit. Paul implored the Ephesians, in Chapter 4, not to grieve or make the Holy Spirit sad. He is sealed to us and will remain with us in our carnal state. When we speak evil of one another, or carry intense emotions and anger toward each other, we grieve Him. We must forgive one another as God has forgiven us in Christ. The Holy Spirit is in the midst of our emotions and words.
This may sound like a lot of things to remember. But it really isn’t. Simple invite the Holy Spirit always into all situations, receiving and welcoming His liberty. He may make you feel uncomfortable when He initiates freedom; and it may even feel threatening. You may feel it was easier before you knew the Holy Spirit and feel more in control when you can use your own gifting. But, if He becomes a dim light, saddened by our hard hearts, we all lose.
For two years, I have been inviting the Holy Spirit in His fullness to come and be Himself. He is a bit intimidating, but He is kind and free. He may work in my life out of the order I want, and mess things up as He
does, but He always makes it good. He is intentional, and joyful. He is all about Jesus, and He is on a mission to reveal Jesus in fullness in us. Invite the Holy Spirit a new, ask forgiveness for any of these blockages, and receive the Holy Spirit of God.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday March 2, 7 pm: I will be sharing “Receiving the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit’s visitation to me recently, has been in the midst of my chaos (often highlighting for me my chaos). He has a method to His madness though, and continuing with Him is vital to all union with God. How do we give the Holy Spirit continued access? How do we receive Him? What about tongues? Holy Spirit movement, like the wind, is coming to blow upon our dead bones.
Sunday March 6, 9 am: Steve and Shirley Quon will be sharing “Following the Holy Spirit’s Opportunities into Fullness”. There is always more we can enjoy of God, and do with God. Learning the ways of God, and discerning the seasons, we are in opened doors of possibilities.
Sunday, 10:20 am:Nations Prayer – We receive rain from heaven! Our prayer of humility has become a prayer of agreement of receiving rain! Join us as we see the weather change. We will see the nations change too.
Sunday, 11 am: I will be sharing “The Holy Spirit in His Fullness”. What would church look like if the Holy Spirit kept coming and coming. Can we receive more than we currently have of Him? What would more of the Holy Spirit look like in our lives? The Holy Spirit has an agenda; and He is going to accomplish His assignment in us. The more of Him the better, even if He may take some matters then into His own hands.
