Seeking the Knowledge of the Holy Spirit

 

 

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do signs that You do unless God is with Him."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God....Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you a master of Israel , and do not know these things?"                                     Excerpt from Jn. 3:1-10

 

It is inferred that because Nicodemus, whose name means "Victorious among his people", came to Jesus by night, he wanted to keep his association with Jesus hidden. He was of important stature among the Jews.

However, he was seeking something from Jesus. He knew that he was missing the knowledge and understanding of something so important, that he would risk his position to seek the answer from Jesus. Jesus, knowing what understanding Nicodemus sought, began to teach him about the truth of  rebirth in the Spirit. It is so important, that the kingdom of God cannot be entered without it. Nicodemus was completely ignorant of this truth, which amazed Jesus. It is one of the most awesome truths of scripture- the Holy Spirit dwelling within men to create them anew- and yet this learned man did not know it, and could not understand it. It was written of in the Prophets. It was written of in the Psalms, and in the Chronicles of the kings. Yet, Israel did not walk in this hope. 
Jesus would be equally amazed today knowing that a large portion of the people who consider themselves people of God, also do not understand, nor have they experienced, the infilling of the Holy Spirit sent from God.
The Apostle Paul wrote chapters of the New testament instructing the Church of the importance of the Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit. At one point, he wrote that he would not have those to whom he was writing "ignorant" regarding these things (1 Cor. 12:1). Yet, so many remain so.
However, this spiritual baptism in a believer's life is not just relegated to history. It is still the Promise of the Father to all who believe, even to whole households. It is the power of the Gospel, and it is the unity of the Body of Christ with Jesus and the Father. The disunity found in the Church today may be the direct result of the lack of understanding of the infilling of the Holy Spirit that Jesus instructed for Nicodemus, and for all of us:
"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."            1 Cor. 12:12-13
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."       Eph. 4:4-6



Those of us who are not ignorant of the baptism and spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, and have experiential knowledge of Him, need to resolve and re-dedicate ourselves to walking in the Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit in a believer, and the gifts given, are supposed to lead to a change in the believer's life from the carnal to the spiritual, from death to life, giving evidence of that baptism. The law is even fulfilled by those who will walk according to the Holy Spirit:
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."        Ezek. 36:27
"...that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."         Rom. 8:4
"I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."        Gal. 5:16, 25

We are adopted as sons of God by allowing ourselves not just to be filled by the Holy Spirit, but to be led by the Holy Spirit, and this spiritual baptism is to transform not only us, but all of creation:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God...For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." 
                                                                  Rom. 8:14, 19
It is one thing to accept the anointing, calling, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, but sons accept the rulership of the Holy Spirit over thoughts, emotions, decisions, choices, as we allow Him to lead us..
Perhaps if we, who have the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, become the living demonstration of this precious infilling, and are willing to walk with, and be led by, the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see many more receive Him as well.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

 

 

 

On three special occasions, Jesus made the promise of the Holy Spirit to His disciples.



On Passover, the evening of Jesus' arrest, after they had finished their meal, Jesus began to tell His disciples about the Holy Spirit. Even knowing His time had come, He wanted to give them the promise, the reassurance, and the comfort of the Spirit:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (One who pleads another's cause before a judge, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate, an intercessor, called to one's side, summoned, helper), that He may abide with you forever- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you....the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."         Jn. 14:16-27

After this last teaching, and other instructions and insights, Jesus then enters into intercessory prayer for the disciples (Jn. 17).



 

On the same day as His Resurrection, on the Feast of First Fruits, Jesus appeared before the disciples where they had been hiding in fear of the religious authorities. Jesus entered into their hiding place, and stood in the midst of them:

"So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.



And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained"                                                Jn. 20:21-23

 



 

Just before He ascended into heaven, in the sight of all the disciples, He gave His final instructions while He was still here on earth. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father which they had heard from Him:
"...for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized by the Holy Spirit not many days from now...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."                                        Acts 1:5-8

On these three very important, even earth-shaking occasions, Jesus made sure to instruct His disciples in receiving the Holy Spirit. This speaks to us of the importance of this to Him, and to us. It seems on these occasions, however, the minds of the disciples were on other things.
On the first occasion of Passover, the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, the disciples argued about "which of them should be considered the greatest" (Lk. 22:24). This was also the same night that Jesus washed their feet, and promised them the Holy Spirit.
On the second occasion, on the Day of Resurrection, Jesus breathed on them, and told them to "receive the Holy Spirit". Afterwards, however, life continued on as it normally would with Peter announcing "I am going fishing", and four other disciples agreeing to go with him (Jn. 21:2-3).
On the third occasion, the Day of Ascension, Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit. At this time, the disciples were more concerned with the question of when Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). It might have been on their minds as they continually asked this question of Him, because when Jesus would reign as the Messiah, they also would reign with Him, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt. 19:28, Lk. 22:29-30).
Although several hundred (I Cor. 15:6) saw Jesus after His resurrection, and at His ascension, only 120 actually waited in Jerusalem, as He had asked them to do. They indeed received the baptism of fire, the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father.
The Promise of the Father in giving the Holy Spirit through His Son, is a life-changing moment, not only to the believer, but also for all creation. The Promise doesn't depend upon how "great" we are, it only matters how great He is.






Praying at Pentecost

 

One of the great events in the history of God's dealings with men, occurred when God's Holy Spirit was poured out on the Feast of Pentecost upon those who were waiting in one place, in one accord, obedient to the instruction of Jesus:

"And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said. "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."               Acts 1:4-8
At the moment of outpouring, Peter told the marveling crowd at David's Tomb that this was the fulfillment of the prophetic promise made through the Prophet Joel:
"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."             Joel 2:28-29

In that moment of outpouring manifested in Acts, God was doing something new and supernatural in mankind. He was changing men into a new creation. This new creation would be the tabernacle of His own Spirit. His word, His will, His power and wisdom would dwell in and among men. His judgment and His salvation would reside together in the earth, so that "...whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."  (Joel 2:32)
This new creation was made possible by the work of redemption and salvation of God's Son, Jesus.
The timing of this event was on the Feast of Pentecost, the celebration of the early harvest, fifty days after Passover. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit would coincide with the great spiritual harvest of the latter rain, the latter days.



The moment of Pentecost means that no longer are the oracles of God limited to the inquiries of kings, priests, and prophets, but Jesus has made us kings and priests, carrying the oracles of Light, Urim, and Truth, Perfection, and Completion, Thummim, within each of us. No longer is the Breastplate of Judgment/Decision worn over Aaron's heart (Ex. 28:30), but is now worn in the heart of each believer. The Word lies living, quickened, within our hearts, instead of letters engraved on tablets of stone.
This is the harvest of Pentecost:
"...and the nations shall know that I AM the LORD," says the LORD God, "when I AM hallowed in you before their eyes...I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all idols. I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."        Ezek. 36:23-27
Pentecost is a witness to all of the nations that God is the LORD, even as foreigners heard the Gospel and the praises being spoken in all of their own languages by the disciples as the Spirit filled them (Acts 2:7-12). Yet, the harvest also begins right where we are, in our Jerusalem, our Judea, as we are witnesses to all what Jesus is, and has done for us.
This year Pentecost is an especially important event in the Body of Christ. The dwelling of the Spirit of God with men is needed like never before. The harvesting of souls has become urgent in these days. The witness of Jesus is needed to those who are perishing.
We believe that a special time of prayer and supplication is being prompted by the Holy Spirit for this time. Although the Feast of Pentecost was celebrated by the Church on May 15, the actual date of the Feast, counting from the Passover, is June 12. For the days leading up to June 12th, we have called for fifty minutes of prayer daily for the salvation of souls, for unity and maturity in the Church, for this nation, which is sadly and dangerously headed in the wrong direction.
Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, thousands were added to the Kingdom of God. This is the fruit, the harvest, of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that the harvest is not yet complete, and the urgent work must continue.
Pray with us this Pentecost.