The Holy Spirit

 Speaker: M.Noorhoff

All for one, one for all

 

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"  And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

 John 14:16,17

 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.

Sadly enough this statement is true for many in the church too.

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

 The Holy Spirit is one of the most controversial aspects in Christianity but its understanding is one of the most critical. No ministry can be successful without the Holy Spirit. No church can grow without the Holy Spirit. No Christian can be truly faithful nor can they walk in a straight path nor can they be find joy complete without the Holy Spirit. After all we are called to be born of the SPIRIT

 John3: 1-8  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

 But in many churches and with many Christian talk of the power the action the person of the Holy Spirit is a taboo subject.

 E Stanley Jones once said gWhy is it when you speak to the modern church about Pentecost that cold shivers go up and down the spines of gcultured peopleh

 Even today in the morning service, I canft believe I didnft pick it up, gThank you Holy Spirith, we saw this same fear. Deuteronomy 5:4-6

The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.  (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

In this day as well many stay back because they are afraid They still fear the fire (The Holy Spirit) Today I am going up the mountain. Over the next while I will climb the mountain of God. I want you God wants you to come with me. Will we climb together or is the fear keeping you back still?

How true that statement by E. Stanly Jones is but to actually see the working and the power of the Spirit would shock many in the church today but it shouldnft we should be living every day every week with the Pentecost in our lives

How important is the Holy Spirit. Your salvation depends on it.

gEvery time we say gI believe in the Holy Spirith We mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.

  For the next 4 or more English Services we are going to examine the Holy Spirit, an equal member of the trinity as Jesus and as God so too the Spirit. For many thoughA we put the Holy Spirit in a lower position. Raising God and Jesus up but in our hearts and minds keeping the Holy Spirit lower perhaps it is our fear of the power (I donft think so) or perhaps it is our lack of faith our doubt, the area that the bible so clearly marks and speaks on but we just can not believe because we are too educated. You are educated by the world, by the great liar Satan who would like nothing better than to have you doubt and thus break up the team, the power and keep him safe from its Almighty rebuking power. All three equal parts of the triune God, all combined in unity, come together as one. All for one and one for all. Is this not one of our core beliefs? But how often do we leave out the Spirit?

 I am feeling drawn compelled by this same spirit to speak to you on his behalf to introduce him to you to help you form a relationship to be a matchmaker so that you may come to Holy Union with the Spirit, God and Jesus. But I need your help, I need your prayer. I need your faith. I need you to join with me in prayer over the next 8 or more weeks so that the presence of the Holy Spirit may be with us in this church, in our lives and that he is accompanied by the power. and as these combine with our faith as the power touches our faith, our lives will be changed. Without you help, your prayers your faith this can not happen. I want you to be open to what the Holy Spirit can do. I want the faith of a mustard seed, a faith that can move mountains. I want your hearts, your soul and your mind filled with the Holy Spirit. I want this church to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I want these next 8 weeks to be our Pentecost weeks. I want you to fully combine to unify the 3 The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit in yourself, the temple of God. May the curtain tear may your earthly foundations shake. As you fill yourself, this church, this city with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, sin and past life will have no choice but to be driven out. Be refreshed, renewed and transformed by the Spirit able to test and approve Godfs perfect and pleasing Will.

How does this work?

 Letfs take a bottle a vessel. This tea bottle will do

Now I want to remove the old, the air. What should I do?  Pump it out? Suck it out?

I could but that would distort the vessel.

Any suggestions?

Yes I could fill it with water to the point of overflowing thereby forcing out all the air, the emptiness.

 In the same way we are called vessels that are to be filled with the Glory of God, the Holy Spirit. As we are filled the emptiness the sin is removed and as we overflow in the spirit it is passed on to others.

So often we are trying to push the sin from our lives. We ourselves try to resist the sin but we all know that this does not work. We have all failed. What the Holy Spirit promises is that if we are filled sin can not enter into us. The sin in our lives today will begin to dilute and eventually be washed away. I tell you my friends donft focus on the sin but focus on the Holy Spirit focus on your faith in Jesus as Savior Focus on the All Powerful God we serve.

 Friends, brothers, sisters, I want us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the glory of God today. Remove the caps of resistance and let yourself be filled and call upon this every day for the next 8 weeks or better yet the rest of your earthly life. For this is your daily bread.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

 Now for todayfs teaching

 Let us repeat together

 Breathe on me, breathe of God

 Fill me with life anew

 That I may love what thou dost love

And do what thou wouldst do

 Here I am Holy Spirit

 Come walk with me

 Help me hear what the Lord is saying 

 Holy Spirit you are welcome here

 Let us have a moment of silence to wait upon the Spirit.

 Alleluia (Sing)

 The trinity unified, the three become one the glory of God descends upon Jesus making him the Christ.

As Ifve said before Christmas last year in the service A Gift for God, that Christmas was not considered an important event, there was no specific birth date given for Jesus. In fact two of the Gospels ignore it completely both Mark and John. It was important to mark his lineage, birth place and to clearly satisfy the prophesies of the birth of He who was to be the Messiah, the Christ. This is how it is shown in both Matthew and Luke, not so much that it was important but that it would reveal through prophesy that Jesus was the Messiah. Today many Churches and Christians put Christmas above Easter, the birth over the saving Crucifixion. This is not right we should celebrate the Christ not the carpenter. But today, we look at the birth of the Christ and not only Jesus of Nazareth. It was not until the Baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan and the Baptism by the Holy Spirit that the power was released and Jesus Ministry truly began. And this is where the gospels of Mark and John begin. It is from this point the healing power was released. This is the true starting point as The Son of God is fully born in the spirit. Unified with God and the Spirit, the Trinity becoming one. In the same way Christians should leave behind the birth date of the flesh and celebrate the birth date of their new life in Christ.

 Katherine Khulman a woman overflowing with the anointing of the Holy Spirit put it this way:

 I see in my mind the three persons of the Trinity sitting down at a great conference table before the formation of the earth took place. God, the Holy Father, gave the others the news that even though He would create men to have fellowship with Him, that man would sin – and break that fellowship. The only way fellowship could be restored would be for someone to pay the price for that sin. For if another did not pay it, then man himself would have to continue to Pay the price in unhappiness, disease, death, and eventual hell. After the Holy Father finished sharing, His Son Jesus spoke up and said,

"I'll go. I'll take the form of a man and go down to earth to pay that price. I'll be willing to die on a cross so that man can be restored to perfect fellowship with us." Then Jesus turned to the Holy Spirit and said, ''But I cannot go unless You go with me-for You are the one with the power." The Holy Spirit responded and said, ''You go ahead. And when the time is right, I shall join You on earth." So Jesus came to earth, born in a manger, and grew to manhood. But even though He was the very Son of God, He was powerless. Then came that magnificent moment at the River Jordan when Jesus, coming up out of the baptismal waters, looked up and saw the Holy Spirit descending upon Him in the form of a dove. It must have been one of the greatest thrills Jesus received as He walked in the flesh on this earth. And I can almost hear the Holy Spirit whisper in His ear,

''I'm here now. We're running right on schedule. Now things will really happen." And they did happen. Filled with the Spirit, He was suddenly empowered to heal the sick, cause the blind to see, even raise the dead. It was the time for miracles. For three years they continued, and then, at the end, the Bible says He "gave up the ghost,'' and the Spirit returned to the Holy Father. After Jesus was in the grave for three days, that mighty third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, returned. Jesus came out of the grave in a glorified body. He performed no more miracles during the short time He was here, but He gave His followers a great promise-the greatest promise of all, the Bible.

He said that same Holy Spirit who had lived in Him would return to live in all those who opened their lives to His power. The same things that He Jesus, had done, His followers would do also. In fact, even greater things would be done because now the Holy Spirit would not be limited to one body but would be free to enter all those everywhere who would receive Him. The last words (Jesus) Said before He went away were, "And ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you." God the Father had given Him the gift. Now He was passing it on to the church. Every church should be experiencing the miracles of Pentecost. Every church should be seeing the healings of the Book of Acts. The gift is for all of us.

 Scripture reveals three anointings of the Holy Spirit. Knowledge of them will help bring your potential as a Christian into focus.

Benny Hinn described it in this way

 The Leper's Anointing

 First is the leper's anointing, Leviticus 14 teaches that the leper remained outside the camp and that the priest was to go out to him and apply the blood of the sacrifice, bring him into the camp, apply the blood again, and then apply oil, making "atonement for him before the Lord."

 Every born-again believer has experienced the leper's anointing, which deals with salvation. Leprosy in this case is a type of disease, incurable in the natural world, but curable by God. Sin is the same, man can do nothing to remove it and its effects.

 In the ceremonial cleansing of the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrificial animals was applied. h the New Testament, we find that the only cure for sin, then and today, is the blood of Jesus Christ. The animal sacrifices of Leviticus merely looked forward to the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God. They were a shadow; Jesus was the substance.

 In John 1:.29, John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and declares, ''Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" To those who came to know Him, Jesus was that Lamb of God. Jesus was the only Sacrifice that would atone for the

sin of the world.

 In the ceremonial cleansing of Leviticus, the blood was applied, then the oil. The application of the sacrificial blood is symbolic of the blood of Christ, while the application of the oil is symbolic of the touch and influence of the Holy Spirit upon a

life.

 Just as the blood of Jesus Christ flows out to all who call upon His name, so the leper's anointing crosses all national and denominational barriers. For when anyone experiences the grace of Jesus Christ, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts him of sin and assures him of God's forgiveness.  Thus it is that at salvation you experience the first anointing - the leper's anointing - which reveals the power of the blood through the oil of anointing that pours over you.

The Priestly Anointing

 As a believer, cleansed through the precious blood of Christ, born again and sealed by the Spirit, you can and should move to the second anointing: the priestly anointing. A significant number of believers have no knowledge of this level of the Holy Spirit's activity in their lives, and they certainly have no idea how to receive it.

 Acts 8: 15-17

When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

  I must emphasize the importance of this step since every member of the Body of Christ should have a ministry. And this is the anointing for ministry unto the Lord, including leading souls to Him, but not service of Him in battles against the devil and disease, but ministry to Him as priests. For we are all priests of God, although not necessarily ordained to stand behind a pulpit or to conduct evangelistic and healing services.

 If we, therefore, are ministers to God, we must have the power of the Spirit to do so. And that means we are to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is the priestly anointing of the Holy Spirit upon us. Without it, we will accomplish little.

  When the genuine priestly anointing has been experienced, there win be unity and harmony. Remember Psalm l33: ''Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. There is no such thing as a private priestly anointing; it comes in oneness, in unity, as the church functions as one body.

 On the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts, 120 people were together-in one accord-in the Upper Room, and the Holy Spirit came upon them with fire and power. They went out from that room and ministered to the Lord, bearing witness to the crowds gathered there. Three thousand were Saved! What an anointing! God was clearly present.

 This priestly anointing is not a one-time anointing, which the leper's anointing is. Under the old covenant, the priests were anointed with oil every day. The same  must be true with you under the new covenant. You need a daily anointing.

 The priestly anointing brings the presence, the communion, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Revelation knowledge comes, for in the leper's anointing we are introduced to God in an extraordinary and wonderful way and we see our total need for Jesus Christ. But we really don't understand much more.

 It is so sad that many Christians stay at the leper's anointing level, by choice. They don't seek more. They simply don't surrender. Their ears are dull; they don't hear God's voice.

We see this clearly by the lack of witnessing Christians

Bill Bright of Campus Crusade said that only 2% of Christians actively witness their faith. With the priestly anointing witnessing will come.

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

 Many feel that the Holy Spirit is all about speaking in tongues, healing , prophecying and yes they all do come with the Holy spirit but the first fruit of the Holy Spirit will be witness. We will glorify God we will want to speak of the salvation because this Glory now lives within us and its bursting to get out

John 15:26,27

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Galations 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

And the Bible tells us clearly that Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice.'' If you are truly one of His sheep and have received the priestly anointing, you will know His presence and hear the gentle voice of God regularly. It is not a one-time experience though; it must be renewed daily.

God sometimes will reveal incredible truths to you; at other times, He will just let you sense how much He loves you. Perhaps He win correct or instruct you on a matter; perhaps He will cause a particular Passage Of Scripture to stand out while you are reading His Word.

 Even though you may seldom or never hear an audible voice, He has many avenues through which to speak to you. God's regular communication does not depend on how loudly He speaks but upon how well you listen. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Matthew 11:15 says. You must take time each day to be quiet before the Lord so His still, small voice can be heard. As you read the Bible, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and listen, you win experience that daily refreshing that keeps your

heart ablaze with love for the Master.

 The leper's anointing (salvation) is a one-time experience and cannot be lost unless you willfully walk away from it. God will never let you go unless you let Him go. This requires a decision that you would rather perish than be saved.

 The priestly anointing (the presence), on the other hand, can be lost, for if sin comes into your heart it lifts. That is why it must be renewed daily; it will bring you into the presence of God-so near, so real that the tears will course down your cheeks.

 

The Kingly Anointing

 Once you have experienced the leper's anointing and gone on to the priestly anointing, do not stop there. They are important and wonderful, but more is possible. Nothing can compare with the kingly anointing, the most powerful of them all. This lifts a person to a place of high authority in God, giving him authority over devils, the power to rout demons with one word. Only this will give you the power to send the enemies of God flying as the apostle Paul did.

 The kingly anointing is the most difficult to receive. Whereas the leper's anointing comes by accepting Jesus and the priestly anointing comes by fellowship with Jesus, the kingly anointing comes by completely obeying Jesus and receiving his trust.

Act5:32

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

 It is when you hear the rhema word of the Lord spoken just for that moment-which says, "Thus saith the Lord"-that you receive the kingly anointing. You see, there is the logos, or written Word; the Bible. But that does not give you the anointing,

although the logos is terribly, terribly important, being settled in heaven and forever true. At this stage you will be in constant communication with God hearing His directions in your life at every moment.

 Now the Kingly Anointing is a powerful one and there are many who are so anointed but the majority of Christians should be in the priestly anointing and that is where I am asking you to come. To let Jesus consume your heart to let the Holy Spirit fill you up so that you may have constant fellowship with the Lord and that he may use you to show signs and witness throughout the world to bring the unsaved into the Loving family of God.

 So to sum up we need to bring the triune God together. In God, through Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Donft leave any one of these out. To do so is to risk your salvation and to lose out on all God has to offer you. When these come together in you, you will feel the difference you will see the difference just as Galations says and so will others and you will have a desire like never before to spread the message of the Good News of Jesus

 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.

 Let me ask again

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

 

Now I know this is different but I want to pray for each of you to welcome the Holy Spirit into your hearts, I want you all to join me in prayer because we need agreement. I will lay my hand on you to ask God to anoint you with the Holy Spirit. Just as it was done in Acts