Speaking on the Holy Spirit I can give testimony that I have personally and intimately heard from Him. I could not use the words, on “occasion” or “often.” This would be a lie as I hear from Him daily. He is not One who lingers about. He is actively at work in this world and actively working in and through the believers in Christ as Lord. The hardest working Person in all of Creation. He knows no bounds. He cannot be hindered by barriers and walls and the hidden sins that lurk about like cancer within us. He penetrates all things, severing that which is not of God so that what is of God can flourish and make itself known to all those who are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the human will, but of God. The Holy Spirit is so wonderfully wonderful. He is always present. He listens intently. He speaks clearly. He’s tender and gracious and also graceful! He speaks truth, reveals truth and teaches truth. His very presence convicts sinners as He is holy. He makes the judgement of sin a reality to all believers and all sinners who are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached and taught. He not only does this, but I suppose this man could go so far as to say, that He teaches us and shows us a more better way of living. He shows us how to live as righteous people; people made right before the sight of God through His holiness.
The Holy Spirit, is quite the trustworthy and faithful Friend. He is close to the brokenhearted and those who mourn He comforts. He causes us to rejoice with those who rejoice. When we are in a bind we can trust His leading. When we are low we can trust He will pick us up! He moves in ways that baffles us. He speaks of things that inspire us. He shows us the deep things of God’s heart and He is so very powerful that He can literally take us to places we would never imagine, and I’m not talking about a mere geographical place, but places no man has wondered and no man knows the way to. The Holy Spirit can take us into heaven, into hell and more wonderfully into the very heart of God so we can quite visually, audibly and with all other working senses, experience the chambers of God’s heart and all the inner workings that astound the mind at work in it! The Holy Spirit is not a mythical creature. He is not wishful thinking or the musings of a madman. If He were, I wouldn’t bother with Him nor writing of Him as I have for so many years now. He is real. He is true. He is alive, well and thriving. He is always with me. When I lay my head down He is there. When I rise up He is there. Wherever I may go, behold, He is there! He is the most wonderful Person I know, and this is in no way taking away from my Lord Jesus or my heavenly Father, for if it be the Father or the Son in whom I speak and write of, or it be the Holy Spirit, there are all God. This is quite the amazing thing and quite the confusion to many, but let me extinguish the fire of doubt at work in you and all around you that seeks to consume you and devour you so you are no more. There is One True God, however, He has made Himself known fantastically in Three Persons! To which we can know personally and intimately, through their very unique characters and personalities. Whether we are in need like orphans, a loving Parent, or like children, discipline, we have our Father in which is in heaven. If we need Someone to be an example to us like a Big Brother who shows us how to conduct ourselves, we have Jesus Christ the Lord. If we are in need of One to inspire us, correct us and keep us out of trouble, we have the Holy Spirit. They are never in conflict as they are always in harmony and all they do is in perfect order.
A Father to raise us. A Son; a First Born Son to die for us. A Holy Spirit to seal us up as the people of God! The Holy Spirit performs that very integral role, and if ever there was an integral role, it would be to teach us and remind us of the words of Jesus, for the words of Jesus are the truth of God and God’s truth sets us free. Yes, the Holy Spirit in which is God; the true God who is worthy of our praise, makes Himself known and He has made Himself known to me everyday since July 3, 2009. If not for our generous Father in heaven who always keeps His Word and gives good gifts, we would not have the Holy Spirit. He is my God in whom I trust and always rejoice in. Life with Him is necessary. Life without Him is absolute misery. Oh how I pray, that we would all ask our good and wonderful father in heaven, in the name of Jesus, to give us the Holy Spirit if we have indeed not received Him yet. Remember this: no one and I repeat, no one could ever truly say and believe and live out daily that Jesus is not a cursing and that He is the Lord of heaven and earth by which we are saved, if not by the Holy Spirit. Amen. With that introduction to the Holy Spirit who is God and my dispelling of rumors that falsify who God; the One True God is, I now invite you Into My HEART...
So by whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves].”
(Philippians 2:1-14 AMP emphasis added)
Beloved as I read this, this morning (being some time in April of 2015) I was made aware by the Spirit and reminded that Paul was not merely a man who endeavored to preach the Gospel of Christ in his own strength because he saw that it would be to his own personal gain. He was shown how much he would suffer [strive for, struggle and have to endure ] for the sake of Christ’ name (Acts 9:15-16) and furthermore, I was shown and reminded that Paul was and is and always shall be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21; Acts 26:12-18; Romans 11:13; 2 Timothy 1:11).
As a man he may have not comprehended that his work, his toil in the Gospel for the Gospel sake would far reach past his life stretching into two millennium after, as the Lord does not give us more than we can handle and surely that would have been distressing to the apostle, yet I’m certain that he Paul knew that with God all things were possible and the Lord could do whatever [anything that is for the benefit of mankind that they may come to see that He is good and it’s the Lord in whom we should rejoice in] as He wills. The Spirit said to me, “‘this same Paul’ was not only the apostle to the Gentiles in his day but the Gentiles for the remainder of this age. This is why all that I made known to him and through him, even to this day, the Gentiles are drawn to it, as their apostle speaks into them, to encourage, to stir up, to spur on, to challenge, and bring about a faith in Christ that is mature lacking nothing.”
To hear from the Holy Spirit in which brings the very Word of the Lord to us, that is, those to whom the Gospel Himself has opened up our ears that were once spiritually closed, is to rejoice and rejoice and rejoice! Halleluyah.
I awake at 2:30am on most days and not for the reason to prepare for work for I would only need a mere 30 minutes or so for that, but that I may know this Jesus, Whom drew near to me and called out to me when I was in the very darkest darkness of my sin heading for a certain doom and destruction.
He Jesus, alone drew near to me and called out to me in my sin. He alone said these things to me on July 3, 2009: “I come to you with a Gift. A gift no one can take away. When you lay your head down and rise again, your eyes will be opened and you will now see. Your ears will be opened and you will now hear. Everything will be different” and on the very next day, for the very first time, out of my mouth, being a newborn baby in Christ, I acknowledged Him, the One who drew near to me and called out to me in my great and unrelenting distress from sin, as “Lord.” How wonderful is He?! My Savior; my Lord and my God in whom I trust. Halleluyah and Amen.
And I tell you this as I came to know later and not then [that is, prior to or on that day or the day after or a week after but months later] “that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:3 NKJV).
The very “Gift” bestowed upon me was the very riches immeasurable of Christ Himself, the “Hope of glory,” in the Person of the Holy Spirit, halleluyah!
From that day forward, the One who would teach me of God would not be mere men as they have failed miserably, but God Himself, as it is written, “And all your [spiritual] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children. [John 6:45.]” (Isaiah 54:13 AMP). To which Jesus Himself wanted to remind and also make clearly known to His audience, “It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me–[Isaiah 54:13.]” (John 6:45 AMP).
And again, we read although in the immediate it is referring to Israel, nevertheless, in Christ all manner of Spiritual Gift is imparted to the believer [that is, true believer in Christ as Lord and not a mere guise to seem religious in the face of others as many do till this very day!] And so we read concerning this Holy Spirit who is truly grace upon grace to us from the very bosom of God with all affection and promise: “And it will nevermore be necessary for each one to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying, Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. [Jeremiah 31:31-34.]” (Hebrews 8:11-12 AMP).
Now I believe the above as well as the below is synonymous of the workings of the Holy Spirit to the glory and will of God in all who shall come to know Christ as Lord, whether Jew or Gentile, whether through the Gospel of Christ or the revelation of Christ as it shall be to all Hebrews (see Acts 9:18; Acts 26:14), and to that we further take in, “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:28-32 NKJV).
Beloved, my conversion and continued conversion as it were to Christ the Lord, that is, my very change of course from being eternally separated from God Himself towards everlasting fire and darkness, to everlasting life in His eternal and glorious light, was nothing short of miraculous. I can only surmise that if not for the grace of God and His enduring mercies, I would not know this Jesus in Whom I write about, speak about, dream about, receive visions about, have been healed by, giving adoption into the family of God by and shall be with forevermore, if it were not for the love of God that is not for the Jew alone, but halleluyah, for the entire world in which He created who believes in the name of His Son Jesus. Amen!
So, I invite you, and more accurately, implore you in the sight of God and by the power of His name and through the words He divinely inspires me to write, that He alone, may use these words; this testimony to His glory and praise to speak into your hearts, to open your eyes and bring that spiritual hearing to your ears, that you may know that Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father who loves without finding fault and His grace is without limit and His tenderness to those who weep from their sin and great need of Salvation is ever ready to be given to all who call on the name of God who is none other than Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Oh that the Lord who has loved me and gave me His Spirit, will do with you as He has done with me—make it personal, intimate and powerful between you and Him. Amen.
As always…YOU ARE LOVED.
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