They fail to realize that what happened at Pentecost was only one of the gifts of the Spirit. But what I want you to know is this: beyond salvation, beyond being baptized in water, beyond the infilling of the Spirit, the "third Person of the Trinity" is waiting for you to meet Him personally. He yearns for a lifelong relationship. And that is what you are about to discover.
All of a sudden you reach out to shake my hand. You see whatI look like, the color of my hair and eyes, what kind ofclothes I wear. Perhaps we go out for a meal, and you learnwhether I like coffee or tea.You learn volumes about people when you meet themin person. ( End of the Struggle ) When the Holy Spirit and I met, that is what began to happen. I began to discover things about His personality that changed me as a Christian. Salvation transformed meas a person.
But the Spirit had a tremendous effect on my Christian walk. As I began to know the Holy Spirit, I became sensitive to Him and learned what grieves Him and what pleases Him. What He likes, what He doesn't like. What gets Him angry and what makes Him happy. I came to understand that the Bible itself was written by the Holy Spirit. He used men from all walks of life, but every one of them was led by the Spirit. For so long I struggled to understand the Bible.
Then came the day that I looked up and said, "Wonderful Holy Spirit. Would you please tell me what you mean by this?"And He spoke. He revealed the Word to me. The Lord used a Kathryn Kuhlman meeting to prepare me for what was about to happen. But never once did Miss Kuhlman sit with me and tell me about the Holy Spirit. Everything I learned was from Him. And that's why it's fresh, why it's new, and why it's mine. When I returned home from that meeting in Pittsburgh, I fell to my knees. I was honest and transparent when I said, "Precious Holy Spirit, I want to know you." I will never forget how nervous I was. But from that day I have grown to know him like a brother. Truly, He is a member of the family.
It is called the Rapture. We will be caught up with Him to meet the Lord in the air. Who is this Holy Spirit? I thought at one time He was like a vapor, something floating around that I could neverreally know. I learned that He is not only real, but that He has a personality. ( What's on the Inside? ) What makes me a person? Is it my physical body? I think not. I'm sure you have been to a funeral and have see na body lying in a casket. Are you looking at a person? No! You are looking at a dead body.
You must realize that what makes a person is not the body. Instead, the person is what comes out of the body. Emotions. Will. Intellect. Feelings. These are just a few of the characteristics that make you a person and give you apersonality. People who watch me preach are not looking at Benny Hinn. They are only seeing my body. I am inside my physical body. It is the person inside who is important. The Holy Spirit is a person. And just like you, He canfeel, perceive, and respond.
He gets hurt. He has the ability to love and the ability to hate. He speaks, and He has His own will. But exactly who is He? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father and the Spirit of God the Son. He is the power of the God head the power of the Trinity. What is his job? The task of the Spirit is to bring into being the commandment of the Father and the performance of the Son. To understand the job of the Holy Spirit we need to understand the work of the Father and the Son. God the Father is the one who gives the command. He has always been the one who says, "Let there be." From the beginning, it has been God who gives the orders.
On the other hand, it is God the Son who performs the commands of the Father. When God the Father said, "Let there be light," God the Son came and performed it. Then, God the Holy Spirit brought the light. Let me illustrate it this way. If I asked you, "Please turn on the light," three forces would be involved. First, I would be the one who gave the command. Second, you would be the one who walks to the switch and flips it. In other words, you are the performer of the command. But finally, who brings on the light? It is not me, and it is not you. It is the power the electricity—that produces light. The Holy Spirit is the power of God. He is the power of the Father and of the Son. He is the one who brings into action the performance of the Son.
Yet He is a person. Hehas emotions which are expressed in a way unique among the Trinity. I've been asked, "Benny, aren't you forgetting the importance of Christ in all of this?" Never! How could I forget the one who loved and died for me? But some peopleare so focused on the Son that they forget the Father the one who loved them and sent His Son. I cannot forget the Father nor the Son. But I cannot be in touch with the Father and the Son without the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 2:18).
I am here to help you in your prayers to the Father. And I am here to help you pray to the Son."Immediately, my entire approach to prayer changed. It was as if I had been handed a golden key that unlocked the gates of heaven. From that moment on, I had a personal friend who helped me speak to the Father in Jesus' name. He literally guided me to my knees and made it easy to communicate with the Father. What a fellowship! That is what the Holy Spirit longs for your fellowship! Let me explain.
There are no requests or petitions in fellowship as there are in prayer. If I asked, "Would you please bring me some food?" That's a request. But fellowship is much more personal. "How are you today? Let's have breakfast together!" That's fellowship. Remember, there are no selfish requests in fellowship just friendship, love, and communion. That's how it was with me. I began to wait for the Holy Spirit before I prayed. I would say "Precious Holy Spirit, would you now come and help me to pray?"The Bible says, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.
For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:26-27).When we don't know what to say He comes to our aid.
And here is the next principle I learned. The Holy Spirit is the only teacher of the Bible. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:12-13).
That's the way it is with the Holy Spirit. He stays close to those who love Him.How was it possible that the great evangelist Charles Finney could preach the gospel and people would be "slain under the power," confessing their sins? What was the power that fell when John Wesley stood on the tomb stones and opened his mouth to preach? It was the person of the Holy Spirit that accompanied their ministry. In New York City, Kathryn Kuhlman had just finished preaching at a Full Gospel Business Men's convention.
She was taken through the kitchen to an elevator to avoid the crowd. The cooks had no idea a meeting was going on and had never heard of Miss Kuhlman. In their white hats and aprons, the cooks didn't even know she was walking by,and the next thing you know they were flat on the floor.Why? Kathryn didn't pray for them; she just walked. What happened? When she left the meeting it seemed as though the power of His presence attended her. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the power of the Lord.
That power became most evident to me when I began praying in my room all alone. Day after day, hour after hour, I lifted my hands and said, "Precious Holy Spirit, would You come now and just talk to me?" Where else could I turn? My family was against me. My friends werefew. Only Him. Only the Holy Spirit. There were times when He came in like a wind. Like afresh breeze on a summer day. The joy of the Lord would fill me until I could contain no more.
As we talked I would say, "Holy Spirit, I love You and I long for Your fellowship." And I found out it was mutual. He longed for my fellowship, too. Supper Can Wait! Once, in England, I was staying in the home of aChristian family. My room was at the very top of the house.One evening I was lost in the Spirit, having the greatest time in the world talking to Him.
The woman of the house called up, "Benny, supper is ready."But I was bubbling over and didn't want to leave. She called again, "Supper is ready." And as I was about to leave, I felt someone take my hand and say, "Five more minutes. Just five more minutes." The Holy Spirit longed for my fellowship.You ask, "What did you talk about?" I asked Him questions. For example, one day I asked, "How can you be distinct from the Father and the Son?" And instantly He showed meStephen being stoned and He said to me, "Stephen saw theFather and the Son and I was in him." Three distinct individuals.
The Holy Spirit was the one who gave Stephen the power to endure the suffering. Jesus was the one waiting for his coming. And the Father was the one who sat on the throne. You can read about it in Acts 7:54-56.And the Holy Spirit showed me more. He was the one who gave Moses the power to be the deliverer of the children of Israel. He was the power in the life of Joshua. He was the force behind the wind that divided the Red Sea.
He was the mighty power that smashed the walls of Jericho. He was the energy behind David's rock when Goliath fell.The Holy Spirit. He was the force in the life of Samuel, in Elijah and in Christ the Lord. Jesus was a total man, yet the Scripture is clear that He would not move without the Holy Spirit. He would not preach without the Holy Spirit. He would not lay his hands on the sick without the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me," He said, as He began His ministry, "because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel. . . " (Luke 4:18).What happened when Jesus returned to the Father? Suddenly the disciples were in such fellowship with the Spirit that their entire vocabulary changed.
They began to say that "the Holy Spirit and us" were witnesses of His resurrection. He became a part of every action of their life. They were in total fellowship working together for the Son.What was it in the life of the Apostle Paul that gave him the power to endure? And what was it in the life of Peter that even his shadow would heal the sick? It was the touch of the Spirit. David Wilkerson speaks about going to see a woman of God named Mother Basilea Schlink. He said that the moment he entered the room he could feel the presence ofthe Lord. Why? Because she loved the Holy Spirit. And those who love Him know His presence.
Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them'" (Acts10:19-20).Peter recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. And that was the beginning of the gospel being preached to the gentiles. How was the Ethiopian eunuch converted? "The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot'" (Acts8:29). Philip recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't God the Father that spoke to him nor God the Son.
It was God the Holy Spirit. He is a person with a will, and that moment He was doing the work of the Father. I believe the greatest sin against the Holy Spirit is grieving him,which amounts to denying His power and presence. Nowhere in Scripture can you find the words "Grieve not God the Father" or "Grieve not God the Son." But throughout the Bible you find "Grieve not the Spirit."God said to the children of Israel in the wilderness,"You have vexed my Spirit." He didn't say, "You have grieved me." God the Son looked at the Pharisees and said, anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it willbe forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against theHoly Spirit, it will not be forgiven" (Luke 12:10).The person of the Holy Spirit is distinct in the Godhead.
He is tender. He is sensitive. But because Jesus gave Him to you and to me, He is not going to leave us. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He doesn't enter your room until you invite Him. He doesn't sit down until you ask Him. And He doesn't speak to you until you speak to Him. How long will He wait? Until you speak to Him. It could be months even years. He will just wait and wait and wait. My friend, you will never know His power; you will never know His presence until you go and sit beside Him and say, "Wonderful Holy Spirit, tell me all aboutJesus. ( "I Could Hardly Hold the Phone;) After finishing a radio talk show in Florida, the woman who interviewed me said, "Benny, I've been a Christian fora long time, but something is missing in my life.""What are you hungry for?" I asked.
She said, "I need the reality of God in my life."I asked her if she knew God the Holy Spirit. "I know Jesus," she said."The Holy Spirit is a person," I told her. "How would I feel if you were sitting here ignoring me? When we meet, Iexpect you to talk with me. And that's the way it is with the Holy Spirit.""I've never thought of it that way," she said. "When you are alone tonight, talk to Him," I said. "It's as simple as that." I knew she would find the reality she was seeking. "What about Jesus?" she asked. I told her, "Just sit there and wait for Him; He is the one who glorifies Jesus. No, you are not forgetting Jesus.
After all, it was Christ that gave you the Holy Spirit. Just do what Jesus said."The next day I received a phone call from the most excited talk show host you could imagine. "Do you know what happened to me last night?" she asked, talking so fast I had to slow her down. "Benny, the Holy Spirit spoke to me."What she said made me tingle all over. I could hardly hold the phone. She began to cry as she told me the Holy Spirit said to her, "I have searched the world over and there is no one like Jesus." And she told me of the words she heard: "Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus."Immediately I was reminded of the words, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come'" (Rev. 22:17).
Here is one of the most important lessons I have learned. A person who knows the presence of the Holy Spirit will always glorify and magnify Jesus. When you really know the Spirit, you will glorify Jesus Christ the Son of God because the Holy Spirit within you will glorify God the Son. It's automatic. Only Jesus is glorified in a life that's filled with the Spirit. Every action of your life reflects what you fill your life with. If you fill your life with newspapers, you will speak news. If you watch soap operas, you will speak soap operas.
But if you are filled with the Spirit and you absorb Your self in His presence, you will seek Jesus and glorify noo ne but Jesus. If God the Father and God the Son demonstrated theirlove for the Holy Spirit, how can we do less?God loved Him so much that He chastised the children of Israel for their disobedience: "But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; /So He turned Himself against them as an enemy" (Isa. 63:10). God would not allow asacrifice nor even the prayers of Moses to supply forgiveness for sinning against the Holy Spirit.
If you don't understand the works of the Spirit, don't talk about them; it is better to keep quiet. In my own services I pray that everything I do will be in His perfect will. The Holy Spirit is the one who called me, and He is the one who controls my meetings. In other words, He's the boss of the service.You need to ask Him to take charge of your life too. Why? Because He's the one that was sent to be with you and in you forever. You can know Him and have fellowship with Him. And the more you commune with Him, the greater Jesus becomes. And the lovelier Christ becomes. Because everything He talks about is Jesus.
Christ said, "When the Helper comes, whom I shall send toyou from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).So if I want to know about Jesus, I must go to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said it. And He knew what He was talking about. In the Old Testament, Moses could go to the Father. In the New Testament, the disciples could talk to the Son. But when you and I have a need, where should we turn? To the Holy Spirit. He is a person, and He is waiting right now for you to welcome Him into your life. By seeking His presence you will discover the secret of the great men and women of God. David said, "Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11).
He knew too well what happened when the Spirit left Saul.Paul told us to walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit. Peter and Philip spoke to Him. And so did Christ. It's Time to Begin; You ask, "How do I begin?" It's really very simple. You might start by saying, "Holy Spirit, help me pray now."That's exactly what He wants you to do. The Bible says He prays for you "with groanings that cannot be uttered." And when you begin you will feel your burden being lifted.You'll have a prayer partner who will lead you straight to the throne of God. The Holy Spirit is such a lovely person.
He wants to be your dearest friend, and He is waiting to bring you closer to Jesus. Christ said, "If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you" (John16:7). Then He said the Holy Spirit "will guide you into all truth" and will "glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14). And not only that—He'll prepare you for the coming of the Lord so that when the Rapture takes place, you'll be ready. The Holy Spirit is waiting. He wants you to begin a new relationship person to person.
DRAWN INTO FELLOWSHIP
If you had dialed my telephone number two years agoand we got acquainted by phone and if we had continuedour conversations but had never met, what would you reallyknow about me?You say, "I'd know the sound of your voice as it comesthrough the phone." And that would be just about it.
Youwouldn't recognize me if you saw me on the street.But then the day comes when we meet face to face. All of a sudden you reach out to shake my hand. You see whatI look like, the color of my hair and eyes, what kind ofclothes I wear. Perhaps we go out for a meal, and you learnwhether I like coffee or tea.You learn volumes about people when you meet themin person. ( End of the Struggle ) When the Holy Spirit and I met, that is what began to happen. I began to discover things about His personality that changed me as a Christian. Salvation transformed meas a person.
But the Spirit had a tremendous effect on my Christian walk. As I began to know the Holy Spirit, I became sensitive to Him and learned what grieves Him and what pleases Him. What He likes, what He doesn't like. What gets Him angry and what makes Him happy. I came to understand that the Bible itself was written by the Holy Spirit. He used men from all walks of life, but every one of them was led by the Spirit. For so long I struggled to understand the Bible.
Then came the day that I looked up and said, "Wonderful Holy Spirit. Would you please tell me what you mean by this?"And He spoke. He revealed the Word to me. The Lord used a Kathryn Kuhlman meeting to prepare me for what was about to happen. But never once did Miss Kuhlman sit with me and tell me about the Holy Spirit. Everything I learned was from Him. And that's why it's fresh, why it's new, and why it's mine. When I returned home from that meeting in Pittsburgh, I fell to my knees. I was honest and transparent when I said, "Precious Holy Spirit, I want to know you." I will never forget how nervous I was. But from that day I have grown to know him like a brother. Truly, He is a member of the family.
( WHO HE IS )
You ask, "Who is the Holy Spirit?" I want you to know He is the most beautiful, most precious, loveliest person onthe earth. God the Son is not on the earth. They are both in heaven this very second. Who is on earth? God the Holy Spirit. For God the Father came to do His work through the Son who was resurrected. When God the Son departed, God the Holy Spirit came, and He is still here doing His work. Think about it.
When God the Son left, he would not even take John and Peter with Him. He said, "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come' . . . " (John 13:33).But when God the Holy Spirit leaves, which many believe is going to happen very soon, He's going to take the redeemed of the Lord with Him.It is called the Rapture. We will be caught up with Him to meet the Lord in the air. Who is this Holy Spirit? I thought at one time He was like a vapor, something floating around that I could neverreally know. I learned that He is not only real, but that He has a personality. ( What's on the Inside? ) What makes me a person? Is it my physical body? I think not. I'm sure you have been to a funeral and have see na body lying in a casket. Are you looking at a person? No! You are looking at a dead body.
You must realize that what makes a person is not the body. Instead, the person is what comes out of the body. Emotions. Will. Intellect. Feelings. These are just a few of the characteristics that make you a person and give you apersonality. People who watch me preach are not looking at Benny Hinn. They are only seeing my body. I am inside my physical body. It is the person inside who is important. The Holy Spirit is a person. And just like you, He canfeel, perceive, and respond.
He gets hurt. He has the ability to love and the ability to hate. He speaks, and He has His own will. But exactly who is He? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father and the Spirit of God the Son. He is the power of the God head the power of the Trinity. What is his job? The task of the Spirit is to bring into being the commandment of the Father and the performance of the Son. To understand the job of the Holy Spirit we need to understand the work of the Father and the Son. God the Father is the one who gives the command. He has always been the one who says, "Let there be." From the beginning, it has been God who gives the orders.
On the other hand, it is God the Son who performs the commands of the Father. When God the Father said, "Let there be light," God the Son came and performed it. Then, God the Holy Spirit brought the light. Let me illustrate it this way. If I asked you, "Please turn on the light," three forces would be involved. First, I would be the one who gave the command. Second, you would be the one who walks to the switch and flips it. In other words, you are the performer of the command. But finally, who brings on the light? It is not me, and it is not you. It is the power the electricity—that produces light. The Holy Spirit is the power of God. He is the power of the Father and of the Son. He is the one who brings into action the performance of the Son.
Yet He is a person. Hehas emotions which are expressed in a way unique among the Trinity. I've been asked, "Benny, aren't you forgetting the importance of Christ in all of this?" Never! How could I forget the one who loved and died for me? But some peopleare so focused on the Son that they forget the Father the one who loved them and sent His Son. I cannot forget the Father nor the Son. But I cannot be in touch with the Father and the Son without the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 2:18).
( FELLOWSHIP )
During one of my first encounters with the Holy Spirit I had an experience that moved me to tears. Just as simply asI am talking to you, I asked Him, "What am I supposed todo with You? Would you please tell me what You 're like? "Honestly, I was like a little child trying to learn. And I felt that He would not be angry with my honest questions.
( The Fellowship Meeting )
Here's the answer the Holy Spirit gave: "I am the one who fellowships with you." And like the snap of a finger, that verse flashed before me: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14).
I thought, "That's it! The Holy Spirit is the one who communes, who fellowships with me." Then I asked, "How can I fellowship with You, but not with the Son?" And He responded, "That is exactly as it should be.I am here to help you in your prayers to the Father. And I am here to help you pray to the Son."Immediately, my entire approach to prayer changed. It was as if I had been handed a golden key that unlocked the gates of heaven. From that moment on, I had a personal friend who helped me speak to the Father in Jesus' name. He literally guided me to my knees and made it easy to communicate with the Father. What a fellowship! That is what the Holy Spirit longs for your fellowship! Let me explain.
There are no requests or petitions in fellowship as there are in prayer. If I asked, "Would you please bring me some food?" That's a request. But fellowship is much more personal. "How are you today? Let's have breakfast together!" That's fellowship. Remember, there are no selfish requests in fellowship just friendship, love, and communion. That's how it was with me. I began to wait for the Holy Spirit before I prayed. I would say "Precious Holy Spirit, would you now come and help me to pray?"The Bible says, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.
For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:26-27).When we don't know what to say He comes to our aid.
And here is the next principle I learned. The Holy Spirit is the only teacher of the Bible. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. 2:12-13).
( ACCOMPANIED BY THE SPIRIT)
From my first encounter with the Holy Spirit, I began to know that He was the great teacher the one who wouldlead me "into all truth." That is why I asked Him, "Would you please tell me what this Scripture means?"But I still wanted to know, "Who are You? And why are You so different?" I would say, "I'd like to know what You are like.
( Gentle yet Powerful )
Here is what I saw. What He revealed to me was a mighty person and a childlike person at the same time. He said to me, "When you hurt a child he will stay away from you; when you love a child, he will be very close to you."And that is how I began to approach Him. I felt that He was gentle, and yet He is mighty and powerful.
Like a child, however, He wants to stay ever so close to those who love Him . Have you ever seen a little boy or a little girl tugging at Mother's skirt or Father's trousers? Wherever the parents go, the kids hang on and follow them. It's a sure sign that the kids are loved and cared for. That's the way it is with the Holy Spirit. He stays close to those who love Him.How was it possible that the great evangelist Charles Finney could preach the gospel and people would be "slain under the power," confessing their sins? What was the power that fell when John Wesley stood on the tomb stones and opened his mouth to preach? It was the person of the Holy Spirit that accompanied their ministry. In New York City, Kathryn Kuhlman had just finished preaching at a Full Gospel Business Men's convention.
She was taken through the kitchen to an elevator to avoid the crowd. The cooks had no idea a meeting was going on and had never heard of Miss Kuhlman. In their white hats and aprons, the cooks didn't even know she was walking by,and the next thing you know they were flat on the floor.Why? Kathryn didn't pray for them; she just walked. What happened? When she left the meeting it seemed as though the power of His presence attended her. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the power of the Lord.
That power became most evident to me when I began praying in my room all alone. Day after day, hour after hour, I lifted my hands and said, "Precious Holy Spirit, would You come now and just talk to me?" Where else could I turn? My family was against me. My friends werefew. Only Him. Only the Holy Spirit. There were times when He came in like a wind. Like afresh breeze on a summer day. The joy of the Lord would fill me until I could contain no more.
As we talked I would say, "Holy Spirit, I love You and I long for Your fellowship." And I found out it was mutual. He longed for my fellowship, too. Supper Can Wait! Once, in England, I was staying in the home of aChristian family. My room was at the very top of the house.One evening I was lost in the Spirit, having the greatest time in the world talking to Him.
The woman of the house called up, "Benny, supper is ready."But I was bubbling over and didn't want to leave. She called again, "Supper is ready." And as I was about to leave, I felt someone take my hand and say, "Five more minutes. Just five more minutes." The Holy Spirit longed for my fellowship.You ask, "What did you talk about?" I asked Him questions. For example, one day I asked, "How can you be distinct from the Father and the Son?" And instantly He showed meStephen being stoned and He said to me, "Stephen saw theFather and the Son and I was in him." Three distinct individuals.
The Holy Spirit was the one who gave Stephen the power to endure the suffering. Jesus was the one waiting for his coming. And the Father was the one who sat on the throne. You can read about it in Acts 7:54-56.And the Holy Spirit showed me more. He was the one who gave Moses the power to be the deliverer of the children of Israel. He was the power in the life of Joshua. He was the force behind the wind that divided the Red Sea.
He was the mighty power that smashed the walls of Jericho. He was the energy behind David's rock when Goliath fell.The Holy Spirit. He was the force in the life of Samuel, in Elijah and in Christ the Lord. Jesus was a total man, yet the Scripture is clear that He would not move without the Holy Spirit. He would not preach without the Holy Spirit. He would not lay his hands on the sick without the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me," He said, as He began His ministry, "because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel. . . " (Luke 4:18).What happened when Jesus returned to the Father? Suddenly the disciples were in such fellowship with the Spirit that their entire vocabulary changed.
They began to say that "the Holy Spirit and us" were witnesses of His resurrection. He became a part of every action of their life. They were in total fellowship working together for the Son.What was it in the life of the Apostle Paul that gave him the power to endure? And what was it in the life of Peter that even his shadow would heal the sick? It was the touch of the Spirit. David Wilkerson speaks about going to see a woman of God named Mother Basilea Schlink. He said that the moment he entered the room he could feel the presence ofthe Lord. Why? Because she loved the Holy Spirit. And those who love Him know His presence.
( Do You Recognize That Voice? )
When Jesus was on the earth and the disciples had a problem, to whom did they turn? They went to the Son and asked, "What should we do?" And He instructed them. But when Christ returned to the Father, they were not left alone.Jesus said to them, "The Holy Spirit will guide you. He will comfort you. He will counsel you and will remind you of things I have told you.
He will tell you about me."Peter and John were now saying, "Wonderful Holy Spirit." Paul spoke of His "fellowship."After Peter had his vision on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner's home in Joppa, "the Spirit said to him . . . 'three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them'" (Acts10:19-20).Peter recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. And that was the beginning of the gospel being preached to the gentiles. How was the Ethiopian eunuch converted? "The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot'" (Acts8:29). Philip recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't God the Father that spoke to him nor God the Son.
It was God the Holy Spirit. He is a person with a will, and that moment He was doing the work of the Father. I believe the greatest sin against the Holy Spirit is grieving him,which amounts to denying His power and presence. Nowhere in Scripture can you find the words "Grieve not God the Father" or "Grieve not God the Son." But throughout the Bible you find "Grieve not the Spirit."God said to the children of Israel in the wilderness,"You have vexed my Spirit." He didn't say, "You have grieved me." God the Son looked at the Pharisees and said, anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it willbe forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against theHoly Spirit, it will not be forgiven" (Luke 12:10).The person of the Holy Spirit is distinct in the Godhead.
He is tender. He is sensitive. But because Jesus gave Him to you and to me, He is not going to leave us. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He doesn't enter your room until you invite Him. He doesn't sit down until you ask Him. And He doesn't speak to you until you speak to Him. How long will He wait? Until you speak to Him. It could be months even years. He will just wait and wait and wait. My friend, you will never know His power; you will never know His presence until you go and sit beside Him and say, "Wonderful Holy Spirit, tell me all aboutJesus. ( "I Could Hardly Hold the Phone;) After finishing a radio talk show in Florida, the woman who interviewed me said, "Benny, I've been a Christian fora long time, but something is missing in my life.""What are you hungry for?" I asked.
She said, "I need the reality of God in my life."I asked her if she knew God the Holy Spirit. "I know Jesus," she said."The Holy Spirit is a person," I told her. "How would I feel if you were sitting here ignoring me? When we meet, Iexpect you to talk with me. And that's the way it is with the Holy Spirit.""I've never thought of it that way," she said. "When you are alone tonight, talk to Him," I said. "It's as simple as that." I knew she would find the reality she was seeking. "What about Jesus?" she asked. I told her, "Just sit there and wait for Him; He is the one who glorifies Jesus. No, you are not forgetting Jesus.
After all, it was Christ that gave you the Holy Spirit. Just do what Jesus said."The next day I received a phone call from the most excited talk show host you could imagine. "Do you know what happened to me last night?" she asked, talking so fast I had to slow her down. "Benny, the Holy Spirit spoke to me."What she said made me tingle all over. I could hardly hold the phone. She began to cry as she told me the Holy Spirit said to her, "I have searched the world over and there is no one like Jesus." And she told me of the words she heard: "Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus."Immediately I was reminded of the words, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come'" (Rev. 22:17).
Here is one of the most important lessons I have learned. A person who knows the presence of the Holy Spirit will always glorify and magnify Jesus. When you really know the Spirit, you will glorify Jesus Christ the Son of God because the Holy Spirit within you will glorify God the Son. It's automatic. Only Jesus is glorified in a life that's filled with the Spirit. Every action of your life reflects what you fill your life with. If you fill your life with newspapers, you will speak news. If you watch soap operas, you will speak soap operas.
But if you are filled with the Spirit and you absorb Your self in His presence, you will seek Jesus and glorify noo ne but Jesus. If God the Father and God the Son demonstrated theirlove for the Holy Spirit, how can we do less?God loved Him so much that He chastised the children of Israel for their disobedience: "But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; /So He turned Himself against them as an enemy" (Isa. 63:10). God would not allow asacrifice nor even the prayers of Moses to supply forgiveness for sinning against the Holy Spirit.
( The High Cost of Lying)
The experience of Ananias and Sapphira makes clear what will happen to people who disregard the Spirit. The couple sold a piece of property and only gave a small portion of what belonged to God. Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" (Acts5:3).
Ananias died instantly. A few hours later his wife rushed up and Peter asked, "Tell me, is this the price youand Ananias got for the land?""Yes," she said, "that is the price." Peter said to her,"' How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.' Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last" (Acts 5:7-10).Sin against the Spirit is dangerous. If you don't understand the works of the Spirit, don't talk about them; it is better to keep quiet. In my own services I pray that everything I do will be in His perfect will. The Holy Spirit is the one who called me, and He is the one who controls my meetings. In other words, He's the boss of the service.You need to ask Him to take charge of your life too. Why? Because He's the one that was sent to be with you and in you forever. You can know Him and have fellowship with Him. And the more you commune with Him, the greater Jesus becomes. And the lovelier Christ becomes. Because everything He talks about is Jesus.
Christ said, "When the Helper comes, whom I shall send toyou from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).So if I want to know about Jesus, I must go to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said it. And He knew what He was talking about. In the Old Testament, Moses could go to the Father. In the New Testament, the disciples could talk to the Son. But when you and I have a need, where should we turn? To the Holy Spirit. He is a person, and He is waiting right now for you to welcome Him into your life. By seeking His presence you will discover the secret of the great men and women of God. David said, "Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11).
He knew too well what happened when the Spirit left Saul.Paul told us to walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit. Peter and Philip spoke to Him. And so did Christ. It's Time to Begin; You ask, "How do I begin?" It's really very simple. You might start by saying, "Holy Spirit, help me pray now."That's exactly what He wants you to do. The Bible says He prays for you "with groanings that cannot be uttered." And when you begin you will feel your burden being lifted.You'll have a prayer partner who will lead you straight to the throne of God. The Holy Spirit is such a lovely person.
He wants to be your dearest friend, and He is waiting to bring you closer to Jesus. Christ said, "If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you" (John16:7). Then He said the Holy Spirit "will guide you into all truth" and will "glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14). And not only that—He'll prepare you for the coming of the Lord so that when the Rapture takes place, you'll be ready. The Holy Spirit is waiting. He wants you to begin a new relationship person to person.
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