The Holy Spirit responds to God's Word and brings to pass that which God has spoken. We find in our lives today, less of the power of the Holy Spirit than in days gone by. It is not, as some would say, that these things (healings, miracles, and His Presence) were only for the early Church. I cannot recall any time when the Church or the world has needed the ministry of the Holy Spirit more than now.
We have been conditioned throughout the years, to expect very little from God in our earthly lives and wait until we get to heaven. We've been taught that everything we read in the Word is only "for the Spirit." We've lost sight of the fact that everything we see or have, came from the Spirit. Going to heaven is a wonderful things to look forward to, but Jesus said in John 14:18 (Amplified) that, "I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless) I will come (back) to you."
Jesus was giving His disciples a discourse on His upcoming ministry and continued on about "not leaving us as orphans" in John 14:26 (Amplified), "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Stand-by) the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name (in My place, to represent Me, and act on My behalf) He will teach you all things, and He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."
The Holy Spirit has been commissioned to be the earthly Representative of Jesus on the earth today. Jesus has finished His earthly mission and has returned to the glory in the throne room of His Father. The work that Jesus did as the Sacrifice on this earth has been completed. Now, the Holy Spirit is to take the results of what Jesus has done and reveal and bring to pass, that which the Sacrifice has done on our behalf.
We've limited the extent of what Jesus' Sacrifice accomplished to "it's for when we get to heaven," but the Holy Spirit has revealed much more than that for those who will believe and listen to Him. The Holy Spirit was sent from the Father at Pentecost to bring everything the Sacrifice of Jesus was about, including the forgiveness of sin, the blessing of Abraham, the "Sonship rights," the authority of the believer, the indwelling presence of God, the heavenly language (tongues) to pray beyond our own carnal minds, restoring healing and God's power back to His family, to be the "Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Standy-by and many other things in our lives. The Holy Spirit would restore the "supernatural" Presence of God like God had intended from the beginning. Through the Holy Spirit, we can now hear, walk, live and have all the same fellowship with our Father, that Jesus Himself enjoyed while He was here and even before that.
Now, we are able to actually walk with God like Adam did from the start. We are to be led by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives and to enjoy the earth that the Father prepared for us. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal these things to the child of God. Tradition has limited the very power of our new birth for until we get to heaven, but Jesus said we were to be equipped here to "set the other captives free."
Without the Holy Spirit working in our lives, we simply become just another religion, with no power to prove our words. Jesus said in John 14:11-12 (Amplified), "Believe Me that I Am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the (very) works themselves (if you cannot trust Me, at least these works that I do in My Father's Name convince you)." Verse 12 says, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to My Father."
Without the Holy Spirit working in us, we can do nothing of ourselves. Just as Jesus said, "It is the Father (Holy Spirit) in Me Who does the work." The very same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus during His earthly walk, is the very same Holy Spirit that has been given to us. We try preaching the Word like Jesus did, but we never do the works that He did. If Jesus Himself needed the Holy Spirit to "Do the work of the Father" so some would believe in Him by His works, then what makes us think they would believe us without the demonstration of His presence?
The Father equipped Jesus with the "proof" of His presence in Him and the same Holy Spirit is sent to equip us for the same purpose. The early Church only had the promise Jesus gave before He ascended. They believed what Jesus said and they witnessed what He did. With the Holy Spirit working through them, they turned the world upside down. People heard their words concerning the Risen Savior and they saw the demonstration of Jesus', life even after His death. We, however, are expecting people to believe without the demonstration of His resurrection.
The Holy Spirit is the power behind everything we preach and do. Without Him, nothing works. John 6:63 (Amplified) says, "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver) the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it) The Words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." When Jesus spoke healing, the Spirit brought healing. When Jesus spoke blessing, the Holy Spirit multiplied the loaves and fishes. When Jesus spoke to the dead, the Spirit brought life because, "The Words (truths) He spoke to them, are Spirit and Life." Without the Spirit, Jesus' Words were just words because "the flesh conveys no benefit whatever."
We, the Church of the Lord Jesus. has tried building more on the flesh more than on the Spirit, many times. We gather a group of people and spend one-hundred years telling them how to conduct their lives. The Presence of the Holy Spirit will change our lives instantly, if we would allow Him to do so. He will give Life to God's Word and it will bring Life to the believer. It's not just behaving or restraining the flesh of the old man, but it's an actual death of the old man and a new birth of a new creation that He brings. It's no longer a fight to do what's right, but an anointing to set us free from the bondage. By willpower, the flesh can temporarily control our impulses, but we are still not free. We still have a life long fight just to do what's right. The Holy Spirit will impart right living into our spirit and the fight is over.
We haven't allowed the Holy Spirit to do what He was sent here to do. When we read in God's Word, Who and what the Holy Spirit is for today's world, then everything about the believer will become a living witness to the power of our resurrected Lord. We won't just tell people about Jesus, but we will show them God's power and the Love that sent the Holy Spirit to them.
We've entered into the time of Jesus' coming and the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit will be amplified in the life of those who will believe, to the demonstration of God's power like never before. Through Jesus, you have been "qualified" to walk in this power of the Living God, before the world.
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