Lesson 27 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     The Holy Spirit is the Only One Who can reveal the fullness of the Father to the family of God.  Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified) that, "It is the Spirit that 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."
     The Holy Spirit reveals the life of truth.  Without the Holy Spirit's bringing the revelation of truth, the Word becomes just another man-made religion, instead of a relationship with the Father.  Jesus brought the revelation of God being Father instead of only God and the people were upset with His teachings that man can have an intimate relationship with Deity.  
    In the old covenant people reached God by their sacrifice of bulls and goats, but Jesus changed that.  Thus, He said in John 14:6 (Amplified), "I Am the way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me."  The people could sacrifice animals and remain in covenant with God, but Jesus was about to change everything.  Animal sacrifices would no longer be accepted on behalf of the relationship.  Now, we have a covenant between not only God and man, but between the Father and His family.  The only way to be accepted into the family relationship and the relationship with the Father, is by the Blood sacrifice of Jesus Himself.
     Jesus spoke to the crowds about the Father on many occasions, but they couldn't understand what He was saying.  The "words" he spoke were Spirit and their carnal minds couldn't understand them.  There are many churches even today, that struggle understanding this truth.  We call Him "Father," but still act like we are not His family.  The term "Father" is one of endearment that even our carnal mind can grasp, but many can't receive it into their spirits.
    Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."  We have been like the Jews of Jesus' time, who failed to understand that this is a new covenant.  Those who accepted that Jesus is the Door to the Father" from John 10:9, entered into a completely different relationship that previously only Jesus and Adam had with God.
     It still requires the Holy Spirit can give us rest and comfort in the presence of the Father.  We find ourselves struggling to find a way to "please and enter by works" into a place of acceptance with Him.  We continue focusing on self instead of truth.  We're not trying to be accepted by Him, because we have already been accepted by Him.  We are no longer struggling to gain favor with Him, because we already have become "Highly favored" in Him by Jesus.
     We still think and operate like the old covenant people who tried to gain ways into His presence.  We sometimes act like we're dealing with a "DeadBeat Dad" who produced children and then refused to become responsible for them.  He is no longer merely "God" to the believer, but now this Almighty God is my daddy!  I don't have to cry or beg or work my way into getting something from Him.  He has given us "All things freely" by Jesus.  Everything that He has is already mine in Jesus.
     Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) says, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God. And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we must share in His suffering if we are to share His glory."
     So, The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit about this Family dynamic.  Only He can reveal this truth into our spirit.  Our mind can read the words and understand what we read in the Word, but only our spirit can accept this truth and life from those Words.  The "suffering" we will share in order to share the inheritance, is not sickness, disease and the things of the cross.  Jesus bore that for us, so we could inherit with Him.  Walking as family with Him in this world is inviting persecution and suffering from the world.
     There's no need for me to fight to become His son and I don't have to fight to become righteous or in right standing with Him, because He made me righteous when He gave me birth by being born again in Jesus.  By receiving Jesus, I received righteousness, son-ship, holiness, sanctification, redemption and family rights as His son, by faith.  I am no longer trying to reach God, but I'm resting in my place as family.
     Without the Holy Spirit bearing witness to this truth (even though it's already ours through Jesus), we will still act as outsider who are trying to obtain a place with Him.  Didn't He say in Psalm 23 that "He has prepared a table before us in the presence of our enemies?"  In order to partake of that table, we will suffer as He did.  After all, that table is in the presence of our enemies who wish to persecute us.
     No one can keep you from receiving your inheritance, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us.  It's not something you can earn, but something you "accept."  In this world, you will have tribulations, but we should "be of good cheer" because Jesus said He came to overcome the world.  The persecution and tribulation from the world is some of the "suffering" Jesus endured.
     It doesn't matter what the world says or thinks...it cannot stop you from entering into your place in God's family.  Even in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Father gave it all to him.  Even though it was already his, the Prodigal's brother never partook of the inheritance because he didn't think he could have it.  The Father told him that he could have had it at anytime and that it was already his.  Many of us are like that son was in the Father's house and are still acting and living like we're not family.
     Don't allow the world and the devil to bring you into a long drawn our siege to obtain fellowship with the father and be part of His family.  He always hears you when you speak.  Let the Holy Spirit bring the truth of the Word into your spirit.  Rest in this relationship with the Father and stop trying to achieve by works what Jesus has already obtained for you. 

Lesson 26 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     The purpose of Jesus' coming to earth was to break down the Law of sin and death that kept us separated from the Father.  Man was separated from God because of Adam's transgression and had no way of returning to Him.  There needed to be a sinless sacrifice that was stronger than death and sin.  The blood of bulls and goats could only cover man's sins and do so for only a short time.  Day after day and year after year, the sacrifice must be made in order to stave off the judgment and penalty of sin.
     John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the "Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world."  Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6 (Amplified) saying, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me."  No man could stand free in the presence of God without the sacrifice of Jesus.  He couldn't be a Just and Holy God without extracting the cost of sin in man's life.
     The old covenant provided temporary payment for sin, but didn't provide righteousness and justification for sin.  Romans 3:9-10 (Amplified) says, "Well then, are we (Jews) superior and better off than they (Gentiles)? No, not at all. We have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under sin (held down by and subject to its power and control). As it is written , none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one."
     The above scripture tells us that even the Jews (the covenant people), were still not in right standing or righteous before God.  None, but Jesus ever called Him Father.  Jesus came as the last sacrifice for mankind, there is none else and no need for another.  By His Own Blood sacrifice, God paid the price to make man in rightstanding (righteous) with Him.  It's not our righteousness, but His righteousness that we now stand.  The "Only way to the Father is by Jesus.  The old covenant people could come to God by the sacrifice of bulls and goats, but they couldn't come to Father.
     Jesus spoke about this very thing in John 14:7 (Amplified) saying, "If you had known Me (had learned to recognize Me), you would also have known My Father. From now on you known Him and seen Him."   Jesus has revealed the will and nature and the love of the Father.  We still someone to reveal Jesus to the masses of unsaved persons.  Until we know Jesus, we can never know the Father.
     Today, many Christians still only know Him as God.  We call Him Father, but have no intimate relationship with Him as Father.  We seemingly stumble over what His will if for us and His nature concerning us.  We mostly still identify with the God of the Old Testament rather than the New Testament Father.
     The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal all the grace, mercy, love, nature and compassion of the Father to all who will hear, as well as God's will to heal and deliver.  We will never know the Father until we know the Son.  We can never really know the Son until the Holy Spirit reveals Him to our spirit.
     Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit's coming and He made some comments that we should look deeper into.  Jesus knew above all people, the reason for the Holy Spirit's coming, saying in John 14:26 (Amplified), "But the Comforter (Counselor, 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 M 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."
     As the Holy Spirit reveals more and more about what was accomplished on the cross and resurrection, we will see more and more of the Father's heart through Jesus.  We've had so many false ideas and impressions of our Father that are distorted by men and not the Holy Spirit.
     When we refer to "God fearing people," we truly mean that they fear God.  No Father wants his children to be fearful of him.  We're not supposed to be afraid of God, we're speaking about having reverence or awe of God's presence.  Every Father wishes His children would respect him, but not fear him.
     Until Jesus brought God into focus as Father, we were outside that relationship with Him.  Now, the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus and we can see the Father though Jesus.  Only the Holy Spirit can do this work in men's hearts.  He is to be our Comforter and is the Only One Who can bring comfort to a believer's heart.  Without acknowledging Him, we abide in a place where we worry about our old life and how we're not in right standing with God.  We cannot seem to get comfortable in His presence and feel inferior as though it was only through pity that we became His children.  Without the Holy Spirit there is no comfort in our lives.
     I asked my congregation how many felt comfortable in the presence of the Father.  I had to ask a second time saying, "How many of you feel at home in the presence of the Father?  Then, I asked, "Do you feel like you don't truly belong in the presence of such a Holy and Awesome Being?"  I added, "If so, then let the Holy Spirit reveal what Jesus has done on your behalf."  Then you can feel like Paul did when he said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain."

Lesson 25 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     Without the revelation through the Holy Spirit, we adapt ourselves once more to the man-made dictates of religion.  The Holy Spirit is the Only One Who can bring the revelation of Jesus to the church or the world.  Paul writes to the Church of Galatia about their turning away from the Holy Spirit and returning to the man-made teachings of the old covenant.  Galatians 3:1-4 (Amplified) says, "Oh you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell on you, unto whom-right before your very eyes-Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you this one question; Did you receive the (Holy) Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing (the message of the Gospel) and believing (it)? Was it from observing a Law of rituals or from a message of faith? Verses 3-5 go on, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependance) on the flesh? Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all nothing (to no purpose) if it really is to no purpose and in vain? Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous (Holy) Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on (the grounds of your doing) what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard?"
     This discourse to the Galatians is still true for the Church today.  The Law has been reinstated in many of our churches throughout the world today.  We seem to have gone from grace to the Law once again.  We began in the Spirit and are now trying to reach our perfection through the flesh again.
     The Holy Spirit is the One to Whom the revelation of Jesus is given to the Church and the world.  He is the End of death and sin, to the Church and He is the Life and Strength of our new life in Him.  The revelation of Jesus Christ did not end at the cross, but began there.  Everything that Jesus is and everything Jesus did, is being revealed through the Holy Spirit.
     When Jesus was raised from the dead and justified through the Spirit, we were also raised and justified.  Our justification is not and cannot be by the works of the Law.  If it could have been, then Jesus was not necessary for us.  Only the Holy Spirit can tame the flesh.  Willpower can hold back the flesh to some degree, but not for long.  The moment willpower slips, we are back in the same mess we were in before.
     As the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus in a new light, He changes us from "glory to glory" as we see Him.  1John 4:17 (Amplified) says, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
     Only the Holy Spirit can bring this scripture to life in the believer's heart.  Our natural man is striving to become perfect, but the Holy Spirit is the One Who makes us perfect in the Love of Jesus Christ.  This isn't our love for Him, but our understanding (through the Holy Spirit) His love for us.
     Colossians 2:9-10 (Amplified) says, "For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form (giving complete expression of the divine nature). And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life (in Christ you are filled with the Godhead-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-and reach full spiritual stature). And He is the Head of all rule and authority (of every angelic principality and power)"
     Without the Holy Spirit to reveal this scripture to you, your natural man will find some way of explaining it away as not being for us in the here and now.  Only the Holy Spirit can reveal His glory to and in us. Natural man still sees the natural man and his weaknesses, while the Holy Spirit reveals the spiritual man and his ability through Jesus.  We continue striving to finish the work that Jesus has already completed.
     God doesn't view you through your weak flesh and willpower, but see you through Jesus and the Holy Ghost power.  This doesn't mean you will never have to struggle with temptation again, but it does mean that through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can overcome any obstacle that comes your way.

Lesson 24 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     When we think about preaching the Gospel, our first thought usually turns to the unsaved.  Truthfully, though, most of the Church have never really heard the Gospel.  We preach and share about the cross, along with the release and forgiveness of sin to the unsaved, but we also teach and preach the same message after we're saved.  Many never rise above this same message into the realm of what lies in wait for us after we're born again.  Sadly, we remain in the same state we were in the moment we are born again.
     The Gospel, or Good News, is an ongoing message that didn't stop when we were born again, but is one that continues until we reach our final destination in the Father's House.  It is good news to the unsaved when they learn they can be forgiven and saved and have a clean slate with God.  It's just as important to the saved that they now have right standing with God and can progress and grow in our relationship with Him.
     The message to the world (if they will listen to it), is that a new life awaits those who believe in the shed Blood of Jesus.  The message is equally as true for the Church, if they will believe in the shed Blood of Jesus.  Once someone is born again, the old man (the man of sin) is dead and buried.  The new man has a completely new future and family.  And, the things belonging to the new man were also paid for when the price of Jesus' blood gave him new life (through Christ).
     We act like we were purchased on a time-plan that requires monthly payments to complete.  The same Blood that took away the death and sin of the old man, instantly and simultaneously gave us life and right standing with the Father.  There was nothing left to do except to begin our new life in Him.
     For many, our new life meant falling back into the old tradition of the world's religious order.  They believe that the liberty we received was to be doled out to like an allowance, one quarter or dollar at a time.  The truth is that the entire estate was ours all at once.  The only thing we don't have in our life now is a glorified body.  This is the only thing that is lacking.
     Our problem is that we've only listened to men and not to the Teacher of the Church, the Holy Spirit.  He and He alone, can reveal to us the fullness of what has really happened when we were born again.  1Corinthians 2:8-10 (Amplified) says, "None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory. But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, (all that) God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him (who hold him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed)."  Verse  10 says, "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny)."
     Only the Holy Spirit can reveal all of the "hidden mysteries and divine counsels" of God.  He said that these things are "beyond man's scrutiny," but not beyond the Holy Spirit.  Without Him we remain in the same spiritual state we were in when we first believed.  We are still spiritual babies without the unveiling of the Holy Spirit.  It seems like every time the Holy Spirit beings new revelation to the Church, it brings a split in our own congregations.
     Many who receive the revelation and try sharing it with the Church are seen as sacrilegious, in one form or another.  This was the most difficult things Jesus had to deal with when speaking to His disciples in John 16:12-13 (Amplified).  The greatest Teacher Who ever lived said to His disciples, "I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now."  Then Jesus said in Verse 13 that "When the Holy Spirit and the new birth came, the Holy Spirit would make all things clear to us."
     If Jesus could only teach the natural man so much without the Holy Spirit, then why would we assume that we can teach spiritual things without Him?  When the Holy Spirit brings revelation to the Church, we must listen to Him to discern whether or not it's from God.  Many "revelations" being taught did not come from the Father.  Thus, John said in 1John 2:20 (Amplified), "But you have been anointed by (you hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from) the Holy One, and you know (the truth) or you know all things."
     The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth Who lives within you.  That gives you access to know all things.  It's not a problem with truth, but a problem with our receiving truth.  Many or all of us come into salvation with  preconceived ideas about God, heaven and eternity that affects the way we deal with these things.  Many simply enter into a particular church or denomination their parents followed.  And, because our parents were good people, we think that's the way to follow.
     When we hear something different than what's been historically taught in our church, we choose to rebuff it rather than receive it.  Only the indwelling Holy Spirit can make it real and exciting in our lives.
     Many things are being taught in our church today that are both right and wrong.  Some things are from God and some are not.  This is where 1John 2:20 must come into play in the heart of the believer.  Without the Holy Spirit, we aren't able to discern truth from error.  Some have decided to disregard any new revelations and remain static in their spiritual growth without grace and maturity.  Some though, have dared to step out by faith and learn more about the Father and His Kingdom.  It requires hearing from the Holy Spirit.
     The danger of staying static in your Christian walk is that you're not investing what you've been given.  The danger of going on from faith to faith is being deceived by a voice we don't recognize.  If we will study the Word by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then we can grow into mature men and women of God.  If we study the Word without the Holy Spirit, then we become like the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' time.   They believed they knew it all and didn't need any teaching or further learning.
     There is always more to learn in the believer's life.  The more we understand our Father, the easier it is to walk with Him.  The less we understand our Father, on the other hand, the more inadequate we feel in His presence and uncertain in our security. 
     
    
    

Lesson 23 The Work and Minsitry of the Holy Spirit

    Jesus said 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."
     This work and ministry is to represent and act on behalf of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit's ministry is to represent Jesus in the office Jesus now holds.  He is also to act on the behalf of Jesus as the Ever present One in our lives and born again spirits.  The Holy Spirit is to carry on the "finished" work of the cross.  He is to reveal the work of Jesus as Redeemer to every child of God.  The Holy Spirit allows us to read the Father's Word as the Redeemed and not the lost.
     John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ."
     All the things that Jesus is and brought are dispensed to us through the Holy Spirit.  The grace Jesus brought is ours through the Spirit of Grace, Who is the Holy Spirit.  The grace, truth, blessings, favor and gifts that are Jesus, are administrated to the Church through the Holy Spirit, Who is the Executor of the will.
     It's only by knowing and hearing the Holy Spirit in our lives that we can truly come to understand and receive all that Jesus has done on our behalf.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to be "real" in our lives, He will show us Jesus in all His Risen Splendor.  Even this grace is dispensed by the Holy Spirit.  The grace has been granted by the Father already, but without knowing the Holy Spirit, we cannot receive of it the way the Father intended.
     Even though grace has come, only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us the full power of this grace.  We must know grace in order to give grace.  The Holy Spirit will be the One Who gives the grace to administer grace to others.  We will continue trying to walk in Law and not grace when we don't know Him.  Only the Holy Spirit can reveal grace to us in a way where we can walk above the guilt and condemnation from our past.
     Many Christians don't read the Word from the position of the redeemed, but only from the position of the lost.  We can read about grace, truth, gifts and favor for the believer, but then live and walk like these things aren't real.  The Holy Spirit is to reveal truth to us and once we're born again, He is the most important thing in your life.  Jesus said in John 14:26 (Amplified) that, "The Holy Spirit would be sent in His place to represent and act on Jesus' behalf."  The only way to truly know Jesus, is by the Holy Spirit.
     Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) speaks about Jesus, saying, "He is the sole expression of the glory of God (the Light-Being, the Out-raying or radiance of the divine); and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His Mighty Word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt. He sat down at the right hand of Divine Majesty on High."
     Jesus reveals God to the Church as Father and Love.  Jesus is the Only way we can really know Father God.  The Holy Spirit is the One Who reveals Jesus.  Without the Holy Spirit, we don't know God as we should or as we are intended to know Him.
     We begin to know God as not only God, but as Father when the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus in His total grace.  The value of the Holy Spirit, in a Christian's life, is paramount to walking in His grace.  He is the One Who strengthens our faith in the finished work of the cross.  Many in today's Church have never allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus beyond the cross.  They see and know Jesus proceeding the cross and they believe in His resurrection, but they haven't allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal that we were resurrected with Him.  Romans 6:5 (Amplified) tells us, "For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be (one with Him in sharing) His resurrection (by a new life lived for God)."
     This is the Holy Spirit as Teacher in the Church today.  As we, through the Holy Spirit, begin seeing ourselves the way the Father sees us now through Jesus, it will set us free from the bondage of guilt and condemnation from the old, dead man who was crucified with Christ.  Then, we will actually live the new life that we, through His grace, have already received.
     These things belong to every born again believer.  But, without the revealing of this truth, we fail to appropriate it in our lives.  We still live as mere men like Paul discussed in 1Corinthians 3:1 (Amplified) which says, "However brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual (men), but as to non-spiritual (men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates) as to mere infants (in the new life) in Christ (unable to talk yet)."
     Paul spoke about the mysteries of God in and through Jesus, in 1Corinthians 2:10 (Amplified) saying, "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the Holy Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny)."
     The only way to know and understand these things is by the Holy Spirit according to 1Corinthians 2:13-14 (Amplified) which says, "And we are setting these truths forth in Words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the (Holy) Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."  Verse 14 says, "But the natural, no spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God."
     The Holy Spirit is everything Jesus said He would be in our lives.  We're the ones who have limited Him in His ministry and His work.  He is still revealing Jesus, even in His place with the Father.  He is revealed as our High Priest, our unity with Him in God, and much more than we know yet.
     
     

Lesson 22 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     Acts 1:8 (Amplified) says, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea, and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."
     The Holy Spirit is much more in our lives than we've ever allowed Him to be.  Most Christians know that He is there, but sadly, the Holy Spirit has no place in their lives.  Acts 2:16 (Amplified) says that, "(After the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Upper Room), Peter stood up and said, But (instead) this is (the beginning of) what was spoken through the Prophet Joel."
      Many believe that the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to start the Church, while others believe that He was sent for only the early Church age.  Some Christians even say, "Now that we have the Bible, there is no need for the Holy Spirit in the Church."  So many things have been said and taught about the Holy Spirit's place in ministry.  Some have even gone so far as declaring that "God no longer heals, delivers or performs supernatural things because they are no longer needed to make the Church function."  However, I read in Hebrews 13:8 (Amplified) that, "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is (always) the same, yesterday, today, (yes) and forever (to the ages)."
     If Jesus ministered and sent the Holy Spirit to do the same work He did, then everything the Holy Spirit ever did, He continues to do.  Jesus is always the same, but we have changed.  Without the Holy Spirit, we are powerless to do the ministry and without Him, we are just the same as we were.
     Paul said in Acts 20:22-23 (Amplified), "And now, you see, I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the (Holy) Spirit and obligated and compelled by the (convictions of my own) spirit, not knowing what will befall me there, Except that the Holy Spirit clearly and emphatically affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me."  The Holy Spirit was the One Who was showing Paul what he would have to face for his part in the Gospel.
     Paul was never in the dark concerning his part in the ministry because the Holy Spirit was leading him.  It seems like most of us have no idea what we're called to do or where we are to go, because we don't acknowledge the Holy Spirit's ministry.  Paul was forbidden, by the Holy Spirit, to go to a certain place in Acts 16:6-7 (Amplified) which says, "And Paul and Silas passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Word in (the province of) Asia. And when they came opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them."
     We get ourselves into trouble by not listening to the "Spirit of Jesus" or the Holy Spirit.  Most of us would have gone on into the territory of Phrgia and Galatia despite the warning.  Paul did eventually go into these places and build churches, but not at that time.  Only when the Holy Spirit had given them direction, could they be able to be effective.
     The Holy Spirit always leads us into ministry and never drives us into it.  It seems strange to us that the Holy Spirit would forbid us to go into a place and proclaim Jesus, but He did here.  What would have happened to Paul if he hadn't listened?  We will never know, but the Holy Spirit forbade him for a reason.  I wonder how many missionaries would never have died if they had listened to His voice.  The Holy Spirit is to be our Guide and as such, He knows the way in and the way out.  Without a guide, it could be easy to get lost in a strange place.
     Many Christians have left the place in the Body where the Holy Spirit had fit them to, only to find themselves in a place they weren't fitted to.  This has been harmful for some and others may have missed what God called them to do for lesser things.  This doesn't mean that they're not saved or that they don't belong to the Father, but like any other body, the parts need to be in the correct place in order to work properly.  If you've ever had a hip or shoulder out of joint, then you can imagine what this can do to the rest of the body.
     God is bringing the parts of His Body into the place they belong, in these last days.  It's going to cause some discomfort in the Body as things are being moved around, but it's going to be glorious when it's complete.  We move from church to church seeking where we should be, but He is the One who "fitly joins us together."  This is His work and His ministry in the earth today, for the Body. 
     Ephesians 4:16 (Amplified) says, "For because of Him the whole body (the Church, in all its various parts) closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part (with power adapted to its need) is working properly (in all its functions) grow to full maturity, building itself up in love."
     Through the Holy Spirit, the Father is now "joining" His Body together as He wills.  As this Body is joined properly, it will begin to stand erect in the fullness and the stature of Christ.  The whole world is near to seeing the glory of the Lord in a way they've never seen before.  The Body will stand strong as long as we allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us.
     We are the generation that will write the last chapter of the Church age for all the world to see.  Jesus will be exalted through his Body, in great power and signs.  We see the Church in its infancy in Acts, but now we stand as one mature Body.  We're no longer infants or children, but stand in the fullness and stature of the Lord.  It's been two thousand years of growth and maturity for the Church, but now is the time of the coming of the Lord!
    

Lesson 21 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     Today, I presided in a funeral for a precious lady of God.  Only the presence of the Holy Spirit can be the Comforter in the passing of a loved one.  Friends and extended family members alike gather around the family and do their very best to bring comfort to them.  After everyone leaves and returns to their own homes, the exhausted family is left to grieve alone.
     Without knowing the Comforter, many persons become locked in despair over the passing of their loved one.  Too many families are left to cope with this grief by themselves.  Even the Christian who has not acknowledged the Holy Spirit as his "ever present help in times of need," can seemingly be lost in grief.
     Many are left wondering why and how such a things can happen to someone who loved God.  Even the great Apostle Paul, who gave us the revelation we're learning from today, was perplexed by some things.  Thus, he wrote in 1Corinthians 13:12-13 (Amplified), "For now we are looking into a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection (of reality as in a riddle or enigma) but then (when perfection comes) we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly) but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood (by God)."  Verse 13 goes on, "And so faith, hope, and love abide; faith (conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us) These three; but the greatest of these is love."
     Even Paul, who was given the revelation from Jesus Himself, was left in wonderment about the things we know and live.  We do not always have the answers we would like to have and we must trust God in our love and our faith in Him.  Many questions are left to us unanswered presently, but Paul said that "we would fully understand."
     The Comforter is the One Who can hold things together and give us peace when there is none to be found.  Only He can reach into the very depths of your heart and spirit, giving you comfort and peace where you need it most.  Friends can and will do what they can to bring you comfort, but their attempts at comforting can only go so far.  The fact they are there, brings some kind of comfort, but not the deep comfort that can only come from the Holy Spirit.
     2Corinthians 5:4-5 (Amplified) tells us that our mortal body is the house our spirit resides in, saying, "For while we are still in this tent (house), we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighted down, depressed, oppressed) not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit) but rather, that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life (after the resurrection)."  Verse 5 says, "Now He Who has fashioned us (preparing and making us fit) for this very things is God, Who also has given us the (Holy) Spirit as a guarantee (of the fulfillment of His promise)."
     The Holy Spirit is at work in each of us, preparing us into the "fitness" of what God intended us to be from the very beginning.  The Holy Spirit is our guarantee that we will receive what God has promised us from His Word (and His Word will never return to Him void).  We will see and be with our loved ones again for eternity, in His house.
    

Lesson 20 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     2Corinthians 4:3-4 (Amplified) says, "But, even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden (only) to those who are perishing and obscured (only) to those who are spiritually dying, and veiled (only) to those who are lost."  Verse 4 goes on, "For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers minds (that they should not discern the truth) preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ (the Messiah) Who is the Image and Likeness of God."
          Most of us probably knew that the "god of this world" could "blind the eyes" of the unbeliever (the sinner), but how many of us knew he could blind the eyes of the Church?  If the true Light of Who Jesus is were to be "unveiled" in the eyes of the Church, then the world harvest would be overwhelming.  The above scripture said that "the light is veiled, covered up."  It is already there, we just need to allow the Holy Spirit to unveil it to us, that's what He came to do.  He didn't have to make it true, it already was true.  His job is to show us what has been veiled or covered until this time.  This work of the Holy Spirit is the Glory of the new covenant.  The "god of this world" (satan, the devil) has used man's idea of truth and made us believe that this is God.  Pride is what makes us think we already know this truth and is the very veil that still covers The Truth.
     Ephesians 3:10-12 (Amplified) tells us, "(The purpose is) that through the Church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all it's infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers, and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere. This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in (the person of) Christ Jesus our Lord."  Verse 12 says, "In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (and unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear)."
     This is what the "god of this world" is trying so diligently to keep "veiled" from the world and the Church.  In Ephesians 3:9 (Amplified), Paul, through the unveiling of this truth (given him by Jesus) said it was given, "Also to enlighten all men and make plain to them what is the plan (regarding the Gentiles and providing for the salvation of all men) of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in  (the mind of) God, Who created all things by Christ Jesus."
     Paul said this had been veiled or concealed through the ages in the mind of God until now.  The Holy Spirit has been sent here to unveil what has been until now concealed, to show forth the plan of God for His family to all men and even to the principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places.  Ephesians 6:11-12 (Amplified) tells us, "Put on God's whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies) that you may be able to successfully stand up against (all) the strategies and deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents) but against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere."
     The mystery that has been "veiled until now," has been unveiled even to where the wicked spirits have seen it already happen when Jesus was raised from the dead.  When Jesus was raised and the power of sin was broken, the Law was finished and the veil of God's plan was revealed even to the wicked spirits.  Satan has tried desperately over the years to cover up what God has made plain to the spirit realm. 
     Now, the Holy Spirit is uncovering, revealing and removing the "veil" from the hearts of the believer.  Once this veil is removed and the Church can see the whole plan of God, the darkness that has kept us"victims" will be gone and we will see that we are not victims, but victors in Christ Jesus.

Lesson 19 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     The Holy Spirit's job is to bring the family of God into maturity and into one accord.  As long as man is operating in the religious teachings we've all learned throughout the years (and not all of it is wrong), we will differ in our opinions and not come into the unity the Father desires for our lives.  Man's ideas about what the Word says and the Holy Spirit's teaching of the Word, are not always the same.  We get caught up in our own ideas even today, just like the Scribes and Pharisees did when Jesus walked among them in the flesh.
     God's idea and purpose for the main theme of the Holy Spirit's ministry was to teach men by their spirit and not by their flesh.  Men in the old covenant weren't and could not be taught by their spirit, because they weren't born again of the Spirit.  Jesus told Nicodemus that, "He must be born again of the spirit."  When man was spiritually dead, God dealt with them from the outside in and not from the inside out.  Their concept of God was one must simply follow the Law and avoid the penalty of sin.  Our concept is that sin is now dealt with by Jesus and we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  There is no more sacrifice needed or accepted by the Father for sin.  Jesus accomplished it all.
     Now, we come to the crux of the matter for the Church, which is how do we learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?  2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and is not profitable for instruction, for reproof, and conviction of sin, for correction of error, and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in) (holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action)."  Verse 17 says, "So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
     The phrase "God breathed" reminds me of Genesis 2:7 (Amplified) which says, "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or Spirit of life, and man became a living being."  God's breath is the Holy Spirit of Life.  When His Word is now "God breathed," it is Spirit and it is life.  Jesus said as much in John 6:63 (Amplified) where He said, "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."
     We have come up with many different truths about what the Word of God is really saying, because we haven't always been led by the Holy Spirit.  This has been one of the main ways satan uses to keep the Church from coming into the unity we are supposed to be operating in.  Remember that the "flesh profits nothing."  All of the things of the flesh we have learned over the years, are now being shaken and tested.
  It's up to the individual Christian to hear the Holy Spirit for himself.  We can have anointed preaching and still miss the truth of what is being said, unless we allow the Holy Spirit to illuminated it in our heart.  I cannot recall anyone who spoke the Word with more anointing, than Jesus.  There were those who heard what Jesus said, but "Their hearts (spirits) were hardened and they would not hear."
     Many man made doctrines have grown from the Church over the last two thousand years, some of which were Spirit and some were flesh.  This doesn't mean we're to be the "Lone Ranger" type Christian who believes we singularly have the truth.  If you believe that, then you're not being led by the Spirit either.  Each of us might have a portion of the truth to share with another believer.  This is how the truth will come.
     The devil will keep us fighting with one another over who has the truth.  Truthfully, none of us has the "whole" truth, but we have the Spirit of truth.  There are some things we've always held onto that we might need to let go of.  There are also some things we haven't wanted to believe that we must embrace, as the Holy Spirit reveals them to us.
  Most of what the Holy Spirit will teach us, are about Himself.  The Gifts of the Spirit have been dismissed by many believers.  The Holy Spirit must reveal Himself once again to the Church, in order to restore His position as our Teacher.  There are many man made doctrines today that deny His ministry and His power to operate in our lives.  Some have even ridiculed healing and speaking in tongues and even miracles and prophecies from God to the Church.
     It seems unthinkable that the Teacher of the Church has had to take a backseat to man made religions.  Mostly, we've clung to the old covenant rather than the new covenant.  John speaks from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1John 2:20 (Amplified) saying, "But you have been anointed by (You hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from) the Holy One, and you all know (the truth) or you know all things."
    If you are born again by the Spirit of Truth, then the Truth Giver is now in your spirit.  All the truth is now in you.  It's not something you must "get," but something you must allow to be brought out.  That's what revelation knowledge is, something that is already there, but must be revealed.  You can place a tarp over a statue so that no one can see the statue, but once you remove the tarp you can see the statue.  The statue wasn't just placed there, it was already there, but the tarp covered it. 
     Our man made religions and the blindness of the world has "pulled the wool over our eyes" like that tarp and prevented our seeing what has been there all along.  It the Spirit of Truth is in you, then all truth is already there.
 

Lesson 18 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     Romans 5:5 (Amplified) says, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us; for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given us."
     The much quoted scripture of John 3:16 (Amplified) says, "For God so love the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son."  It was God's love that sent Jesus to do the work of being our eternal sacrifice.  He was, and is, the love of God in action.  Once Jesus ascended back to the Father, that same love that sent Him, was sent to us in the form of the Holy Spirit.  He is the full manifestation of God's love for us.  He is not Someone or something that we can see like Jesus was, but He is the power of the love that sent Jesus to us and back to the throne.  This power is alive in the hearts of God's people and is present for all to partake of by faith in Jesus.
     God's power is in His love.  God has power but God is love and His power is released in His love.  Until we realize His love for us and in us, His power is diminished.  Our faith in Jesus is based on how much we believe in His love.  We struggle with condemnation, even after receiving Jesus as our Sacrifice Lamb.  Many Christians still believe that some calamity was brought upon them by God, because of something they did.  In a sense, we're still awaiting the punishment we feel we deserve.  All these beliefs happen because we don't allow God's love to manifest to its full potential within us, by the Holy Spirit.
     The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is based on how we understand the love He placed in us from the Father.  The Holy Spirit is capable of doing anything in us that He did in Jesus.  It's the same love, after all.  If this love gave up Jesus for us and this unconditional love is now poured out in us by the Holy Spirit, then why would it not be the same outward show of His power?
     Jesus knew and understood why He came.  He knew that only love could offer this kind of sacrifice.  Love didn't only set us free by Jesus' sacrifice, but now this love that Jesus was and had within Him, could be in and for us.  Through the outpouring of love on the Day of Pentecost, grace replaced Law, mercy set aside judgment, righteousness replaced lambs and bulls, and peace expelled fear.  Now that the Holy Spirit was poured out from heaven, He Who is love can live and reign in our own lives, like it did with Jesus.
     The Holy Spirit spoke through John, expressing the very essence of His presence and His ministry in our lives.  Thus, 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in Love (dread does not exist), but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment  and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into loves complete perfection)."
     In other words, the Christian who is still fearful, still awaiting judgment and still dreading facing the Father, is not acquainted with the Holy Spirit and is not mature in His salvation.  When the Holy Spirit was poured out into our hearts, Love was literally poured out in our lives.  The life of God is the love of God and the two things cannot be separated.  God is love. 
     The very work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring the very power that raised Jesus from the dead into the hearts of God's family.  The Holy Spirit's ministry is to take the love that our eyes had seen in the Man Jesus walking the shores of Galilee and place it in our hearts.  Through the Holy Spirit, we can know that the love that healed the sick, now lives in us.  There is no condemnation to the ones who actually know the Holy Spirit as He really is.
     Isn't the Holy Spirit God's Spirit and the Spirit of the Lord?  Isn't God Love?  Of course, we know He is.  Why then, can't we know this love by His presence in our lives and be at peace with God?  Didn't Jesus say that He was giving His peace to us?  Jesus' peace was with the Father and now, through the Holy Spirit, He intended for us to be at peace with the Father like He is.
     Until we realize that the Holy Spirit is actually the full manifestation of God's Love enveloping us and keeping us, we will continue walking in the bondage of fear and dread and fear of punishment.  When we do this, then we only show our Father and the world how spiritually immature and child like we are in our faith.

Lesson 17 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     I realize that we've spent a considerable amount of time here on speaking in tongues or praying in the Holy Spirit.  The reason is that this subject has become one of the most important role of the Holy Spirit in the Church today.  Through Him we have direct contact and intimate fellowship with the Father.
    We find the account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:5-8 (Amplified) and what the Lord Himself says about this incident is very interesting.  Thus, it says, ""And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built."  Verse 6 says, "And the Lord said, Behold, they are of one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible to them."  Verses 7-8 go on, "Come, let Us go down and there confound (mix up, confuse) their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from the place upon the face of the whole earth, and they gave up  building the city."
     It has always seemed strange to me how the Lord only changed their communication to stop the building of the city.  God Himself said that now they are of "one language" and of "one people" and "now nothing will be impossible for them to do."  So, in order to stop their building, God stopped their communication.
     When the Lord gave birth to the Church and was in the process of building a new city (the New Jerusalem), He restored communication and made us "one people" and "one language" again.  Acts 2:16-18 (Amplified) says, "But (instead) this is (the beginning of) what was spoken through the Prophet Joel. And it shall come to pas in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy (telling forth divine counsels) and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances) and your old men shall dream (divinely suggested) dreams. Yes, and on My men servants also and on My maid servants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit and they shall prophesy (telling forth the divine counsels and predicting future events pertaining especially to God's Kingdom."
     This one language and one people were meant to return the communication in which God Himself said would cause "Now nothing they have imagined will be impossible to them."  1Corinthians 14:2 (Amplified) says, "For one who speaks in an (unknown) tongue speaks not to men but to God. For no one understands or catches his meaning, because  in the Spirit (Holy Spirit) he utters secret truths and hidden things (not obvious to the understanding)."
     Through the Holy Spirit, we have now become one people (the Body of Christ) and we are all in one accord in the building of God's Kingdom.  And, we're all speaking in one language, which is the language of Spirit.  Now, nothing we have imagined is impossible to us.
     Satan has fought ferociously against the language of the Spirit because nothing is impossible to us with it.  He has built "doctrines of devils" concerning it and has tried to shut down the communication line between God and the Church.  We can only speak things we know if we depend only on our own language, but our wisdom is unlimited in the Holy Spirit;.  We can pray prayers that our spirit can only understand through the Holy Spirit.
     If you're praying only in your native,natural tongue, then satan's first attack is to tell you that your prayers aren't working.  If you are praying in tongues, then he can't bring doubt concerning what you've prayed because he doesn't know what you prayed.  When a man speaks in unknown tongues, "he speaks not unto men, but unto God and in the spirit he speaks mysteries" that even satan cannot fathom.
     This is a weapon that satan has no deference for other than to stop it altogether with his lies about it's origin.  I've been praying in Spirit to the Lord on many occasions and have seen things in my town, state and country change.  We mighty not be able to change our government by voting, but we can it by praying in the Spirit.  Paul didn't speak only about the breastplate and helmet when speaking about the whole Armor of God in Ephesians 6:18 (Amplified) which says, "Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit with all (manner of) prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people)."
     The weapon of praying in the Holy Spirit is the whole covering of the man of God and not only yourself, but the rest of the Body too because we are one Body.  Before taking this message as controversial, go to the Word of God first and see for yourself what it says.  If God woke you at two in the morning to pray for me, then what would you pray?  Would you pray, "O Lord, heal Brother Jim?"  I didn't need healing.  What would you pray?  Romans 8:26-27 (Amplified) says, "So too the Holy Spirit came to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings (too deep) for utterances. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the Mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is) because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
     You might not know what to pray or how to pray, but the Holy Spirit does and He will pray the "perfect will of God."  This is such a powerful weapon, that satan has fought hard to discourage it among God's people.  Once the Church returns to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we can pray in the Spirit about our country and God will change the hearts of people with and awakening once more to Him.  Don't allow satan to keep you from the amazing ability to speak directly to the Father in His Own language, which is the "Language of the Spirit."  God can move upon this kind of praying like no other.  Satan can't interfere with this kind of prayer because he can't even understand what is being said.  "You speak not to men, but unto God." 
    We've spent much of our prayer life speaking in our natural tongue, so that when we pray, satan hears what we're saying as well.  And, satan will immediately set about trying to overthrow what you've said.  But, when you pray in tongues, satan doesn't know what you're praying and thus, can't go against it.  Jesus gave a discourse on fatherhood and how fathers would do good to their own children in Luke 11:13 (Amplified) saying, "If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts (gifts that are to their advantage) to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him?"  We must be continually filled with the Spirit as we grow in Christ Jesus.
     Praying in the Spirit has nothing to do with hair, make-up, jewelry or clothing.  It has to do with Who and what you ask.  Ask Him to be filled with or be baptized in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. 

Lesson 16 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the Church is one that satan has fought forcefully and with ferocity for centuries.  The ministry of the Intercessor is one of the greatest works for the Kingdom of God and for the individual Christian in the Church.
     Satan has been very successful in quelling the level of faith in the finished work of Calvary and silencing the teaching about the Holy Spirit and His ministry over decades.  As the teaching and revealing of the Holy Spirit has declined, so has the power in the Church.
     Jesus told His disciples to,"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature" in Mark 16:15-20 (Amplified) saying in Verse 20, "Jesus said, that He went out with them confirming the Word by the attesting signs."  Jesus confirms the Word through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who is now in the world and in power.  No Word means no confirmation.
     Jesus didn't confirm the disciples, but He confirmed what they preached.  Since we , the Church, haven't been preaching the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there has been very little movement of His Own presence in power.
     The ministry of the Holy Spirit as our Intercessor has been nearly extinct in many churches.  Most Christians are aware of Romans 8:28, but have neglected the previous verse.  These two verses must be paired together or they lose their power.
     Paul hadn't been speaking about how "You never what God will do," but in Verse 25, he spoke about the hope given to the Church through Jesus.  Then in Verse 26 Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit in connection with that hope, saying, "So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weaknesses, For we do not know what prayer to offer, nor how to offer it worthily as we ought."  Paul speak her about the "manifestation" of "hope" in our lives.  Hope isn't always fulfilled because we don't know how to pray or what we need to bring it to pass.
     The remainder of Romans 8:26 (Amplified) says, "But, the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads on our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance."  Verse 27 goes on to tell us what these "deep utterances" are, saying, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is), because the Spirit intercedes and pleads (before God) on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
     The Holy Spirit is the Intercessor and the One Who "speaks in tongues with "groans and utterances.  He speaks the perfect will of God on our behalf.  Verse 28 says, "And we are assured and know that (God being a partner in their labor) all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those who love God and are called according to (His) design and purpose."
     We have used Verse 28 to justify "all things" to include such things as car accidents, cancer, child abuse and other things and as being the "all things are working together for our good."  This is not what He said!
     1Corinthians 14:2 (Amplified) tells us, "For one who speaks in and unknown tongue, speaks not to men but to God for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the Holy Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things not obvious to the understanding."
     The ministry of intercession is exactly what we found in Romans 8 which says, "When we don't know how to pray as we ought."  This too is the "mysteries and hidden things not obvious to our understanding."  This is why we're not speaking to men, but to God.  We can pray in the Holy Spirit and pray about things we don't understand or pray about matters we cannot articulate on our own.  We are trying to bring the "hope" into manifestation by faith in our lives or the lives of others.  Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for and the proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
     Through the Holy Spirit's interceding through us, we have the ability to pray the very heart and will of God and  to bring forth faith in things our natural mind cannot even comprehend.  Your natural mind can't conceive "healing" in your body by simply praying and believing God for it.  It's a "hope," but may not be faith.  The Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) can transmit this "hope" before God and build the faith in what we hope for.
     Jude 1:20-21 (Amplified) says, "But you beloved, build yourselves up (founded) on your most holy faith (make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher), Praying in the Holy Spirit. Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God, expect and wait patiently for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (which will bring you) unto life eternal."
     The "praying in the Holy Spirit" above, is the same "praying by the Holy Spirit" we read about in both Romans 8 and 1Corinthians 14.  This is your spirit, through and by the Holy Spirit, praying things that only the spirit can know and receive.  When we "Don't know how to pray as we should," we pray in the Holy Spirit.  I don't know about you, but I find myself in that place many times.
     Thank God for the Intercessor's praying through us with "groanings that cannot be uttered" in an articulate language.  You might ask, "Why can't we just pray in English?"  Because, you don't know how to pray in English as we ought.  Our prayers are limited to our own vocabulary, but His are unlimited.
     The ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of the most crucial ministries of God's entire purpose to the Church.  When the devil fights so hard against the speaking in tongues, I want to know why.  This applies to the message in Romans 8:14 (Amplified) which says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God!"
     Only "sons" (children of God's family) have the ability and privilege of being led by the Spirit of God.  The world can't be led by the Spirit of God until they are born of the Spirit of God.  When we pray in and through the Holy Spirit, we can learn how to pray before something happens instead of waiting for the devil to tear something up and praying to repair it.  This is being led by the Holy Spirit. 
     Both 1Corinthians 14:4 and Jude 1:20 teach about "speaking in tongues (unknown tongues)" and praying in the Holy Spirit.  Both speak about building up the one who is praying or speaking in tongues.  The purpose is for revelation of things we don't understand or "secret truths and hidden things."  The other purpose of speaking in tongues is the building up your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.  1Corinthians 14:4 (Amplified) says, "He who speaks in a (strange) unknown tongue, edifies and improves himself."  Jude 1:20 (Amplified) says, "Building up your most holy faith (like an edifice) praying in the Holy Spirit."  Romans 8:26 (Amplified) says, "When we don't know how to pray as we ought to, He (the Holy Spirit) will pray through us."  This presents the perfect prayer and reveals things that we don't know in our natural minds into our spirits to be revealed by God.
    

Lesson 15 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     Paul shares the revelation and the truth of the new covenant in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified) saying, "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standards) For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but (it came to me) through a (direct) revelation (given) by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
     This revelation, that we call the New Testament, is a direct revelation from Jesus to Paul and from Paul to us, by the Holy Spirit.  Without the Holy Spirit's revealing this great truth, we would once again begin to make it a "human standard" and a man's gospel.  Once man gets involved, without the Holy Spirit, it once again becomes the Law of works.
     Man is determined to make a place of works in order to be justified before a Holy God.  Man always centers in on the negative instead of the positive.  That's the human nature without the revelation of the Holy Spirit.  We have had man-made religions for thousands of years and in every one of them, man had to prove himself to his god in order to obtain blessing.  Many centered around human sacrifice to a demon spirit that demanded blood for restitution.  Others required the disfiguring or degrading of the worshipers as a form of holiness.
     Even some in Christianity who were without the Holy Spirit's teaching and giving revelation, would wear underclothing made from harsh materials that caused pain, while others beat themselves in order to pay for their uncleanliness.  Man has always had the need to worship and has always known that whatever god he worshiped, that god was greater and mightier than he.  The only question was how to appease and approach that god.
     When man grabbed onto the new covenant without the Holy Spirit, he did what he had always done and tried being his own savior.  Paul said in Galatians 1:11 that this revelation came directly from Jesus into his spirit and wasn't from man at all.
     A revelation is not something that is taught, but is something that is revealed.  The Holy Spirit can show you something or reveal something to you in an instant, but might take you years to properly articulate to someone else.  It wasn't taught to Paul, but was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.  We can only teach what we know, while the Holy Spirit can reveal mysteries that we have no knowledge of, into our spirits.  In Galatians 1:16-18 (Amplified) Paul says, "To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood (did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone)."  Verse 17 says, "Nor did I (even) go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia and afterward I came back to Damascus."
     This revelation was so strong and so direct in Paul's spirit that he dare not go to any man and seek advice on it.  He traveled to Arabia and preached what he heard and gathered a congregation of Gentiles before any of the other Apostles knew that salvation through Jesus included all men.  If Paul had sought counsel from the others, then they would surely have disagreed with him.
     When the Holy Spirit infuses Himself into your spirit with revelation, it's more real and alive than anything else you have ever known.  Galatians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "Now (note carefully what I am telling you, for it is the truth) I write this as though I were standing before the bar of God; I do not lie."  Verses 21-22 go on, "Then I went into the districts (countries, regions) of Syria and Cilicia. And so far I was still unknown by sight to the Churches of Christ in Judea (the country surrounding Jerusalem)."
     Here was a man who was so completely in the Spirit of revelation that he simply went forth in the power of it and created an entirely new kingdom fro God in the Gentile nations.  Paul didn't hesitate about his call or his message, but went to the world proclaiming it.  The majority of the persecution Paul suffered came from the religious people and their man-made theories about God.  At that time, even Peter was trying to tell the gentiles that they must be circumcised and abstain from certain meats and days to be saved.
     There were many arguments among the leadership of the early Church, which continue today.  Paul said in Galatians 2:21 (Amplified), "Therefore (I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and the unmerited grace of God that was given for the forgiveness of sin and the gift of righteousness. There is no other way."
     We try adding our own ideas and opinions to the Gospel in order to bring the people back into submission.  We use fear tactics, Law practices, threats of sickness and disease and in some cases, rejection if we ever fail.  These are all man-made religion and not God-made relationship.  Many have no peace in their Christian walk because they're preached under condemnation continuously.  We've been made more aware of the sin than the Sin Bearer.
     As I finish this teaching in the Holy Spirit, I want to reach (by revelation), into the ministry that Jesus spoke about when He introduced Him.  Jesus called Him, "Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Stand-by."  In John 14:26 (Amplified) Jesus called the Holy Spirit, "The Spirit of Truth."  In the King James Version of the same verse, "He is called the Guide (to lead and guide us into all the truth)."  In John 16:13 (Amplified) He is also called, "The Guide."
     If you've ever hunted or hiked in a vast, unfamiliar territory, then you know the value and importance of a skilled and knowledgeable guide.  If you go to Alaska or Montana hunting for the first time, then it's paramount that your most valuable equipment would be a guide.  That's true when you're going to any uncharted waters, unfamiliar territory or any unknown place.  Without having a guide to lead you there and back, you might not come back at all.
             Never forget that the Holy Spirit is the One Who will "Lead and guide you into all truth."  He will lead you into All Truth and not just some of it.  We know some of the truth, but He wishes to reveal the rest of the truth to us.  You can never know too much about Jesus.  When we neglect the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are limited to the natural mind and there is no revelation in it.

Lesson 14 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

When the Holy Spirit gave the revelation of the new covenant, through Jesus, neither the Jew nor Greek received it very well.  Even the Apostles didn't wish to believe what Paul said.  After the Lord gave Peter a vision about Cornelius and the clean versus unclean things, the revelation finally overrode the Law that Peter knew and he began seeing what the Holy Spirit was saying.
     Peter initially discounted what Paul was preaching.  Here was a man who walked with Jesus in the flesh and saw the miracles Jesus performed, but this was only head knowledge and not the knowledge the Holy Spirit gave to Peter, according to  2Peter 3:15-16 (Amplified) which says, "And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord (His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world) is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul's safety) even as our beloved brother Paul also to you according to the spiritual insight given him."  There are some things in the Epistles of Paul that are difficult to understand.  The unstable and ignorant people twist and misconstrue these scriptures to their own advantage, just like they distort and misinterpret the rest of the scriptures.
     After Peter received revelation from the Holy Spirit, he began referring to Paul's writings as scripture.  Only the Holy Spirit can take salvation to the Gentiles and reveal it to the Jews and have them receive it as Holy Scripture.
     John 14:26 (Amplified) says, "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."
     We don't know everything Jesus might have told His disciples, we only know what the Holy Spirit told them to record in the four Gospels.  Whatever teachings Jesus gave them, it is only the Holy Spirit Who could give it life and bring it to remembrance.  And, until the Holy Spirit gives revelation of the scriptures, they remain only head knowledge to the believer.
     We, the Church, are believers or we would not be the Church.  So, it's not a matter of "are we believers," but are we willing to believe what the Holy Spirit is presenting to us?  Once we allow the Teacher to reveal the truth of scripture, everything will change and it will become easier to understand and better truths for our Christian walk.  When we no longer are afraid of God or feel unworthy of His answering our prayers, then the harvest will come into the barn in record time.
     You will never see you like God sees you, apart from the Holy Spirit's revealing the truth of your salvation.  We must remember Jesus' Words about the Holy Spirit in John 16:14 (Amplified) which says, "He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
     Jesus is honored and glorified in the world when the Church receives and declares what and Who He is and what He has, to the world.  Sometimes, I feel as though the Holy Spirit is revealing so much to us, that we cannot soak it all up.  I've discovered with growth in my Christian walk, that the things the Holy Spirit showed me in my infancy seem so childish now.  He didn't take the revelation He gave me away, but He expounded on it so that I feel like the scriptures have opened to me with a new revelation.
     Then, I came to realize that it wasn't a new revelation, but more revelation than I had before.  Paul speaks about going to the Third Heaven in 2Corinthians 12:2 (Amplified).  Paul said he knew a man [Saul,before God changed his name to Paul] who was taken to heaven fourteen years ago and given this revelation.  He said he didn't know if he was taken in the flesh or in the spirit.
     Paul spoke about this also in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified) saying, "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made know by me, is not man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard) For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but (it cam to me) through a a(direct) revelation (given) by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."  In Galatians 2:1 (Amplified) Paul said, "Then after (an interval) of fourteen years, I again went up to Jerusalem, this time I went with Barnabas, taking Titus along with (me) also.  These are two separate events and not to be confused.
     This gospel is a direct revelation given by Jesus Himself.  It is not man's gospel and cannot be received in man's understanding.  It must be given by revelation of the Holy Spirit. 
    

Lesson 13 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit is revealing the new creation to the Church.  We seem to hold onto the "dead man," instead of identifying with the new man.  It's the Holy Spirit's job to reveal Jesus in all His glory to the Church (the Body of Christ) so that the Head (Jesus) has full control over the body.  Imagine the natural body suffers a stroke and the Head is still telling the body what it needs and wants, but the body isn't responding to the given communication.  If the communication lines are severed or out of order, then the commands of the head don't reach the limbs.  There is nothing wrong with the transmitter, only the receiver.
     John 16:13-15 (Amplified) says, "But when He, the Spirit of truth (the truth giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the truth (the whole, full truth) For He will not speak His Own message (on His Own authority) but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him), and He will announce and declare to you  the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)."  Verse 14 says, "He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."  Verse 15 says, "Everything that the Father has is Mine; That is what I meant when I said that He (the Spirit) will take the things that are Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
     Everything the Father has is His (Jesus') and the Holy Spirit is to transmit the wisdom and knowledge of what the Father has, to the Church.  We've learned so very little about what really occurred at Calvary throughout the years, that the Holy Spirit is exceedingly busy bringing revelation to the Church.  We've mostly only allowed Him to transmit the fact of going to heaven when we leave this life.
      There is so much that must be learned in these last days.  Jesus said in John 16:14 (Amplified), "He (the Holy Spirit) will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
       The revealing of what Jesus has, will be shown through the Holy Spirit and will glory and honor the Lord Jesus Christ.  The new revelation is not given to "puff up" the Church, but is to glorify Jesus by it.
     We've lost so much over the years by walking in what we think about Jesus, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Him.  It's good that we haven't lost the truths that we have, but we need to allow the Holy Spirit to transmit the depth of this truth to us.
     I'm not sure we will ever understand the fullness of what Jesus did, but we can understand much, much more than we currently do.  Thank God for the revelation we have now concerning Calvary, but also Thank God for the further revelation we can have.  Paul declared in 2Corinthians 12:1 (Amplified) that, "He will go on to visions and revelation of the Lord."
     Even with the revelation Paul received about the new birth, the righteousness, the grace, the son-ship, the rapture and the other things he received from the Holy Spirit's revelation, he still expected to "go onto more vision and to more revelation about Jesus."
     Only the Holy Spirit can bring the true revelation that Paul wrote to the Church about.  We can read the Words that he wrote and agree that the Bible is true, but still not have the true revelation in our Christian walk and lives.  Only the Holy Spirit can transmit this truth into our spirit.  We can have a "head knowledge" of what the Word says and still not have it "revealed to our spirit."
     Most of the world's population (at least in America) have heard about Jesus.  We have church buildings on every corner.  We have a head knowledge about Jesus, but the revelation of Him hasn't become truth in the heart or spirit of many.  Again, there is nothing wrong with the transmitter, it's the receiver that isn't working.
     Only the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth), the truth giving Spirit, can reveal Jesus to us.  The revelation of the new birth and the Church that Paul received wasn't given to everyone simultaneously, only to him.  When the Holy Spirit took him to the "Third Heaven," the Lord Himself transmitted directly into his spirit these truths and revelation.
     2Corinthians 12:1-4 (Amplified) says, "True there is nothing to be gained by it (boasting), but (as I am obliged) to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-was caught up to the third heaven."  Verses 3-5 go on, "And I know that this man-whether in the body or away from the body I do not know, God knows. Was caught up into paradise and he heard utterances beyond the power of man to put into words, which man is not permitted to utter. Of this same (man's experiences) I will boast, but of myself (personally) I will not boast, except as regards my infirmities (weaknesses)."
     Paul speaks in these few verses, about his experiences after the road to Damascus.  He was blinded by the glorious light of the appearing of Jesus and then he was healed of that blindness by Ananias in  Acts 9:10-20.  Let's read Acts9:8-9 (Amplified) which says, "Then Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing, so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. And he was unable to see for three days, and neither ate nor drank (anything)."
      It was during this time of blindness that Paul was fasting and taken to the Third Heaven and given the revelation we are still preaching today.  He wasn't sure if he was actually taken bodily and said that only God knew that.  He was given (by Jesus or God Himself) this revelation of the cross and resurrection and the full truth of what happened then.
     We still struggle over what Paul wrote in the Epistles, but he said that what he heard was "beyond the power of man to put into words that which man is not permitted to utter."  They crucified Jesus  for the blasphemy of saying "God was His Father."  What do you think they would say at Paul's revelation?
     The Holy Spirit continues to bring light and revelation to the Epistles Paul wrote.  And, men continue to not believe it and are angry when some declare to be "righteous before God" even today.  We can say we believe what is written is the Word of God, then act like it isn't real to us.  This is failing to allow the Holy Spirit to transmit what Jesus did for us, to us.  It glorifies Him and honors Him when we believe.  Only the Holy Spirit can transmit this truth to us without our boasting in our own self-righteousness.
     The entire plan of redemption is only revealed by the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  His ministry as the One True Teacher of the Church, is where we're heading in these last days.  Before the return of Jesus, we still have those even in the Church who don't recognize where we are in God's plan.
     
    

Lesson 11 The Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

     In John 14:26 (Amplified) Jesus says, "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."
     One of the names Jesus calls the Holy Spirit is Counselor.  We must always remember that the Father, Jesus (the Word) and the Holy Spirit are all One and the same Almighty God and are part of the Triune character of God, but still God.  When Jesus ascended to the Father after His resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and bring the Church into the full knowledge of what His sacrifice brought to mankind.
     Jesus Himself is seated at the right hand of the Father on High, according to Ephesians 1:19-21(Amplified) which says, "And (so that you can know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength. Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His (Own) right hand in the heavenly (places) Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is name (above every title that can be conferred) not only in this age and in this world, but also into the age and the world which are to come."
     We see how Jesus is still seated in the heavenlies with the Father.  The work that is being done on earth today, is by the Name of Jesus as our authority and the presence of the Holy Spirit Who performs the manifestation of God's will by His Word.
     The Counselor is the mind of Christ being made manifest in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  We see the promise of His coming into the world as Counselor in Isaiah 9:8 (Amplified) which says, "For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty god, Everlasting Father (of eternity) Prince of Peace."
     I cannot help but wonder, how many of us ever call upon Him as Counselor.  We go to marriage counselors, medical counselors and even Christian counselors, but how often do we actually seek the Holy Spirit as our own Counselor?  Maybe it's because we don't hear His voice or aren't familiar enough with His presence to accept what we hear in our spirit, as the Holy Spirit.  We, as the Church, haven't familiarized ourselves with Him to where we accept what we hear as the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
     It's imperative that in these last days, we learn to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit.  After all, He is God in our midst.  Isaiah 40:13-14 (Amplified) says, "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?"
     Isaiah 1:18 (Amplified) says, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool."  As we "reason" with Him and take counsel from Him, we find that are sins are like crimson and scarlet.  What happens to crimson sin when it is mixed or blotted out by crimson blood?  It is no longer visible.  His counsel will always remind us of this and remove the guilt of our past. 
     There is no problem we cannot approach the throne of grace and receive counsel for and grace to deal with.  Isaiah 58:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My way higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
     The Holy Spirit is our Counselor Who gives us counsel from on high.  The Father said that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  The Counselor can counsel us on a much higher realm than any other counsel we can ever hope to receive here on earth, because "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways."  There is no other way for us to be elevated into this realm of counsel, other than the Holy Spirit.
     So often, we do what we think is right or what we think God is telling us, only to mess things up.  It's true that God can and does, unravel the messes we make, but if we will only learn to listen to the Counselor, then we won't keep repeating serial mistakes.
     John 10:3-4 (Amplified) says, "The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to His voice and heed it; and he culls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out."  Verse 4 goes on, "When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice."  John 10:27 (Amplified) says, "The sheep that are My Own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me."
     The Father fully intended for His children to know and recognize His voice.  He would speak to us through the same Holy Spirit Who communicated with Jesus during His earth ministry.  Jesus says in John 5:30 (Amplified), "I am able to do nothing from Myself (independently, of My Own accord, but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders) Even as I hear, I judge (I decide as I am bidden to decide, As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision) and My judgment is right (just, righteous) because I do not seek or consult My Own will (I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My Own aim, My Own purpose) but only to the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me."
     I believe this is where we miss it sometimes.  The Counselor (the Holy Spirit) will always tell us what is God's will for our lives or the lives of someone else.  Many times, His counsel isn't something we wish to hear or do.  We might hear the voice of the Counselor, but still not heed it.
     When I was on the radio broadcast of W.W.J.S., many people knew my voice without ever seeing or knowing my face.  The more they listened to the broadcast, the more they became so familiar with my voice that when they heard me in public venues, they would stop and ask, "Are you Cowboy Jim on the radio?"  Then they would tell me, "I knew as soon as I heard your voice, that it was you."
     This is the place we need to be with our Counselor.  We need to become so familiar with His voice, that we know Him anywhere.  His counsel is always right and always meant to elevate us into the realm of the Father. There have been many times in my ministry, where people ask me, "Oh, God speaks to you, does He?"  Our answer to that question should always be a resounding, "Yes."  There is nothing wrong with the Transmitter, only the receiver.
     Psalm 1:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walk and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly (following their advice, their plans, and purposes) nor stands (submissive and inactive) in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down (to relax and rest) where the scornful (and the mockers) gather. But his delight and desire are in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponder and studies) by day and by night."
     The Holy Spirit's ministry is the most blessed time we will ever enjoy.  The Father has made this counsel available to all who will accept it and believe it.  Learn to hear and identify His voice and counsel for your life.  You are a unique being and His counsel for you is solely for you.