The Holy Ghost

	On the day of Pentecost, we see the promised arrival of the Third Person of the Godhead - the Person of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). I believe that there is only One God, who manifests Himself through three Persons. There is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Ghost. All are equal and all work in unity and harmony with each other. The Doxology of the Church says, "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye, heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
	In the Old Testament, we mainly see God at work as He deals with the nation of Israel. In the Gospels we mainly see Jesus who came to introduce God as Father, and to seek and save them that were lost in sin. In the Book of Acts, we mainly see the workings of the Holy Spirit as He enters into His ministry of providing an enablement to carry the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ into all the world. Then in the Epistles, we are shown how all Three - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- work together in unity, harmony, power, wisdom, and might in the redemption of mankind. All Three have a part in our salvation. The Father draws (John 6:44), Jesus saves (Mat. 1:21), and the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces of the need of salvation (John 16:8). There is much ignorance concerning the Holy Spirit and His ministry. Many say He's a mere influence, He's just God's supermotive force, and refer to Him as Something or It. The Holy Spirit is much, much more than that. He is not something, but Somebody. He is not It, but a Person. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as He (John 14:26), Him (John 16:7), and Himself (John 16:13).
	If the Church of the Living God is to be all that God has for us to be in these last days, we must give the Holy Spirit His rightful place and not rob Him of who He is. Without the Holy Spirit, there will be no power in our programs, and no victory in our shout. There will only be defeat, failings, fallings, frustrations, and burnout. God has given us another Comforter to help us overcome all that the devil sends our way (John 14:16). He has given us the precious Gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Notice, the Holy Spirit did not come to be worshipped, and praised. He came to lead, guide, convict, reveal, and most of all enable us to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "He shall glorify ME" (John 16:14). When the Holy Spirit is given His rightful place, look at the results, "And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33). The Book of Acts is saturated with the presence, the presidency, and the power of the Holy Spirit moving, working, and acting. Many Bibles call the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles. A better title is The Acts of the Holy Ghost Through the Apostles. If you notice, there is not an AMEN at the end of chapter twenty-eight. This signifies that the Holy Spirit is still acting in the land today.
	Let's look at a few of the many manifestations of the Holy Spirit that affect believers in this age.
	♦ Gift ♦
	"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
	Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary's Cross, the Holy Ghost can be a present, personal possession. When Jesus ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (Eph. 4:8). The most precious and important of all gifts is the Gift of the Holy Ghost (John 15:26). Jesus called Him another Comforter, meaning One like Himself (John 14:16). We must never forget that the Holy Spirit is a Gift. In the Word of God, a sorcerer named Simon was impressed by the Holy Spirit's power to produce signs, wonders, and miracles. Simon inquired of Peter how this Holy Spirit could be purchased. Peter rebuked Simon by saying, *"thy money perish with thee, because thou has thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with money"* (Acts 8:20). The Holy Spirit cannot be bought or earned. He is a Gift to be received by obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ (Acts 5:32). Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him" (Luke 11:13).
	♦ Baptism ♦
	"...But wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:4,5
	The Word of God teaches us that there are many types of baptisms. There are baptisms of water (Matt. 3:11), fire (Matt. 3:11), and of sufferings even unto death (Luke 12:50; Matt. 20:22,23). There is also a SPIRIT baptism (Acts 11:16). This baptism occurs when one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. Without this baptism, an unsaved person is incapable of truly confessing Jesus as Lord. "...And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost" (I Cor. 12:3). Holy Spirit baptism places us into the body of Christ. "For by one Spirit are we ALL baptized into one body..." (I Cor. 12:13). Without this Spirit baptism, you are not a child of God. "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9).
	♦ Indwelling ♦
	"Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." John 14:17
	In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was seen moving in, out, and upon certain lives. The Spirit of God moved upon certain individuals at certain times granting knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and insight concerning the preparation of all the intricate details of the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 31:1-11). Samson could shake himself and the Spirit of God would come upon him and enable him to do great things (Judges 14:6,19). After Jehosophat's prayer, the Spirit of God spoke through the prophet and gave comfort, encouragement, and strategic plans for battle (2 Chron. 20:14). David knew the joy, power, and blessedness of having the Holy Spirit in his life. When he sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, God pointed it out. In bitter tears, one of David's petitions was, "Lord, don't take Thy Holy Spirit from me." In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit dwelt with them, but was not a permanent guest. In our text, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit not only dwelling with believers, but actually coming into a believers life and taking up residence. The Holy Spirit's residence in one's life would be permanent proof of salvation. In this new order of things that has been established by God, without the Holy Spirit in your life you're not in God's royal family. The Bible says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9). "Lord Jesus, thanks for living in me through Thy Holy Spirit."
	♦ Seal ♦
	"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13
	A seal denotes that a thing is genuine, authentic, confirmed, approved, and established. In our text, the Seal is applied to people. The seal of the Holy Spirit is a stamp or mark of ownership. It shows we have been approved by God. This Seal is permanent. *"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption"* (Eph. 4:30). The day of redemption is that day when every one of God's children are set free from every bondage of corruption and are in the very presence of God (Rom. 8:18-21). The song says, "Cares all past, home at last, forever to rejoice!" When you accept Jesus as Savior, in the spirit world, you are sealed permanently. What God starts in you, He is going to finish (I Pet. 1:5). If God has to spiritually spank you over and over again, He's able to finish what He starts in you and bring you safely home to Heaven (Heb. 12:6). God doesn't seal us then turn around and lose us. The testimony of Jesus concerning His true believers shall always be, "None one of them is lost" (John 17:12). I rejoice in my great salvation, because I know that I am permanently sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. This Seal daily produces feelings within in my heart that assure me that I've been approved by God and I belong to Him. Nothing and nobody (not even myself) can break His seal and separate me from His love (Rom. 8:33-39). *"Lord Jesus, thank You for the permanent Seal of the Holy Spirit!"*
	♦ Earnest ♦
	"Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 5:5
	Earnest is a pledge given to ratify a contract; a first payment; that which confirms the bargain, and which is regarded as a pledge that all the price will be paid. The Holy Spirit is a pledge of future glory. God through His Spirit assures us that all the blessings of the covenant of redemption shall one day be given (I Cor. 2:9). As the Holy Spirit floods our hearts in this life with love, joy, peace, and all other great virtues, one day all of these magnificent blessings will be expanded to complete perfection for us to enjoy them in their fullness throughout all the eternal ages. In the ages of ages to come, we shall be with Him (John 14:2,3), and we shall be like Him (I John 3:2). "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4). The earnest of the Spirit is a guarantee that this shall one day be a reality.
	♦ Filling ♦
	"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18
	In Scripture, I see only one baptism for believers, but many fillings. The early disciples were filled once and then filled again (Acts 2:4; Acts 4:31). What does that mean? Did they lose their salvation? No!! No!! No!! The Bible teaches that an individual can have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, yet not be filled with Him. The filling depends on our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. There are certain things that grieve, vex, and quench the Spirit of God. You cannot be living in open sin (adultery, fornication, hatred, drunkenness, etc.) or have unconfessed sin in your life, and be filled with the Holy Ghost at the same time. When the Holy Spirit is grieved, He grieves you. He will deal with you until you get your life right. That's what David shows us when he prayed to God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation" (Psm. 51:10,12). "But be ye filled with the Spirit" is a command to every child of God. The Spirit fills us through prayer and obedience to the Word of God. One proof of salvation is that, "The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our (human) spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:16). This same Holy Spirit (after our salvation) continues to bear witness to the things that the Lord will have for us to do concerning all matters of life. His leading is much clearer and more evident when we are filled and controlled by Him. There are many voices that speak to our human spirit. Therefore, we must always REMEMBER - The Spirit of God will never lead and direct us contrary to the Word of God. If it does not line up with the Word of God, it's not the Holy Spirit's leading!!! The filling of the Holy Spirit makes individuals conscious of their own inability and makes them very sensitive to any type of sin. Through the power of the Holy Spirit's fullness, an individual is changed out of self and into someone else, symbolic to being drunk (Eph. 5:18). This fullness of the Spirit gives spiritual boldness to do, say, and attempt things that wouldn't even be considered under normal, sober circumstances. This fullness of the Spirit produces joy (in the midst of difficult times) by producing peace and confidence in the Lord that passeth all understanding. This blast of spiritual power causes rivers of living water to flow from our lives in songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, as we make all kinds of melody in praise, worship, and adoration to the Lord (Eph. 5:19,20). I thank God for the joy of the Spirit-filled life. His fullness is not a luxury for just a few. But it can be and should be a permanent, habitual, and abiding possession for every believer. It doesn't matter if you are only a week or a century old in the faith, you can claim all there is of the Spirit of God. Our vessels- the cup of our lives, should stay filled and running over with His fullness (2 Cor. 4:7). Holy Spirit fullness makes a tremendous difference in us, and also on relationships that we are involved in. It enriches our marriages, our relationship with our children, our relatives, our co-workers, and everyone that we come in contact with. David knew all about this filling. He said, "my cup runneth over." When the power of God is in control of our lives, He makes us "more than conquerors." Hallelujah to the fullness of the Holy Ghost. What a miracle to experience daily.
	♦ Anointing ♦
	"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." Acts 10:38
	Jesus, the Anointed One was anointed by the Spirit. Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Acts 4:18,19). The Anointing is the power of the Spirit upon one's life, enabling them with a special ability to use the Word of God with power to accomplish great things in the Name of the Lord. In God's service, how tragic if we are not anointed for the task at hand. Many have the degrees behind their name. Many have received enough votes to occupy the office. But still the question remains, "Are you anointed by the Holy Spirit?" Training and education cannot take the place of the Anointing. The Anointing is what makes the difference in Christian service. Spiritual, lasting results come from and through the Holy Spirit's power. "It's not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit saith the Lord." After the wilderness experience, *"Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit"* (Luke 4:14). The Anointing of the Spirit is available to every child of God. But Anointing for special ministry must be sought and claimed. The Anointing is needed for every fresh act of service. The Psalmist said, "I shall be anointed with fresh oil" (Psm. 92:10). Many great men and women have waited in the presence of God until they had been anointed by the power of the Spirit. Then they went out in the demonstration and power of the Spirit to accomplish things that they never could have accomplished through the energy of the flesh. Whatever your call, stay before God until you are anointed. To drive back the forces of Satan, God's power must be upon your life. Wrestle in prayer and wait before God until you have been endued with power from on high. Satan does not want you to get to this high place in God, because it does too much damage to his kingdom. Yes, the devil hates it when one's life is completely dominated by the Spirit of God. It's the Anointing upon our lives that makes us like Jesus in word, thought, and deed so that we might show Him (in power) to a lost world. Lord, anoint us! Endue us with power from on high so that we might make noticeable, lasting, eternal differences in the things that You have called us to do." AMEN
	It's our prayer that this message on a few of the manifestations of His Spirit may bless and encourage you in the things of God. Grace, mercy, and peace to you!
	God bless you as you "Walk in the Spirit!"

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Manifestations of Holy Ghost