Scarey! That's what it was when a retreat committee asked me to speak four times on the Holy Spirit. Who is this guy anyway — the third Person of the Trinity? I went away for a month to pray, read nine books from respected theologians, and meditate on every scripture on the Holy Spirit. With a bit of fear and trembling I prepared four messages on the subject of the Holy Spirit.
Ha! The Holy Ghost is not to be feared. He is to be embraced. It's true. He wants you more than you want Him and He'll hound you until He gets you.
What should you fear? Life without Him. Now that is scarey. Here's why:
1. If you are a believer in Christ, the Holy Ghost lives in you. He will never leave you (Eph 1:13). Trust me, you don't want Him to ever leave you. Because
2. He empowers you for service by giving you spiritual gifts (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor. 12:4). He leads your life (Eph 2:10). He reveals truth to you (John 14:15-17). He comforts you (John 16:7). He strengthens you (Eph 3:16). He convicts you of sin (Jn 16:8). He fills you with the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, and gentleness (Gal 5:22).
The Holy Ghost wants all of you. He wants to fill you with Himself. Scripture says be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). So how do we receive this power and filling?
1. Believe in the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord (Eph 1:13).
2. Confess your sin (1 Jn 1:9). The Holy Spirit cannot fill a dirty heart (1 Jn 1:7).
3. Renounce sin. You can't confess your sin and then keep doing it (Ps. 66:18).
4. Daily surrender yourself to Christ (Romans 12:1-2).
5. Obey God's commands (Acts 5:32).
6. Believe. If you confess, renounce sin, surrender, and obey, then you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
One day I stood at my kitchen window and I received the Holy Spirit. My marriage was a mess, my life was a mess. I cried out to God and all the anger and sadness and evil flew out of my heart and the Holy Spirit flew in. No more filled with fear, my heart filled with love for my Jesus and my husband. My life and my marriage have never been the same.
BOO! I hope the Holy Ghost gets you!
I wrote this as simply as I could. If you have any questions, please ask me privately or comment on this blog.
The Holy Spirit is the water that brings Splashes of Serenity to your life.
Enjoy your walk with Him!
Elaine,
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite "Halloween" message today!! Kudos, a powerful and important reminder. The Holy Spirit used a child to save me, thank goodness.
Holy
And
Loving
Lord
Of
World
Even
Eternity
Now and forever
Thank you for this great reminder of hope and eternity.
Lisa M Buske
http://lisambuske.com