Feel the Spirit

Posted by Dion Todd October 29th, 2023 2,892 Views 0 Comments

Feel the Spirit from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Jesus Christ began His ministry when He was thirty and continued for three and a half years. He knew He would be crucified, and He taught His disciples all He could to prepare them for it, but many things went over their heads. They didn't understand what was coming. They assumed that Jesus would become the next king of Israel, like David, and they would rule at His side. They were devastated when He was beaten, crucified, and entombed instead. 

Jesus loved His followers and promised that He wouldn't leave them alone when He was taken away. Their training would continue even after He ascended. Several times, Jesus mentioned a "Helper" that He would send who would abide with them "forever."

(John 14:15–18 NKJV)  "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another 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."

Do you realize how important that is today? Did you notice the wording? The world would neither see Him nor know Him, but the Lord's people would. The Helper would live with us and inside of us. He will teach us "all" things and give us insight that others don't have:

(John 14:25–26 NKJV)  "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, 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."

It is life-changing when you realize the Lord's Helper is right here with you today, wherever you are. He goes to work with you, and you can pray and get help. His followers wouldn't be here alone, for after Jesus Christ ascended, the Holy Spirit would descend and remain with His people forever, all the way into eternity. The Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2, and He has never left.

Through the dark ages of the church, much knowledge of the Holy Spirit was lost, but a lot of it has been restored over the last hundred years or so, and it is continuing to recover. I have hour-long teachings on the Dark Ages and the Restoration of the Church on my Pastor's Corner page if you want to know more. 

One issue today is that many denominations were formed hundreds of years ago when it was still dark, and they do not teach there is a Holy Spirit. They are like the disciples of Apollos in Ephesus. Apollos was a powerful preacher who passed through the region. Many people heard him, believed, and were baptized, but Apollos didn't know about the Holy Spirit yet, so his converts didn't either. 

(Acts 18:24–26 NKJV)  Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Anytime you see the "Baptism of John," it refers to water baptism. John the Baptist said that he baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit: 

(Luke 3:16 NKJV)  John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

So when the Apostle Paul came through Ephesus later, he educated the converts of Apollos and baptized them in the Holy Spirit. There was nothing wrong with these disciples. They were saved, but they lacked the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They didn't even know He existed:

(Acts 19:1–3 NKJV)  And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."

(Acts 19:4–7 NKJV)  Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.

So the day before these men met Paul, they thought they "got it all at the altar" when they gave their hearts to Jesus, but when the Apostle Paul came to town, they learned something new. For when Paul laid his hands on them, they began to speak in tongues and prophesy. 

My spiritual education was exactly like those men. I was saved, baptized in water, and taught that spiritual gifts like tongues, words of knowledge, and prophecy died with the last Apostle and were not relevant today. Then, a few years later, I learned about the Holy Spirit. Now, I speak in tongues and prophesy like those men. The Apostle Paul instructs us to desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy:

(1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV)  Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Jesus reassured His disciples that they would be better off when the Helper came than even when He was with them. For where Jesus could only be in one place, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once. He is like the air around us and in us. 

(John 16:5–7 NKJV)  "But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

(John 16:12–14 NKJV)  "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

"The Helper" is incredible and accurately named. He guides us and interacts with us throughout the day. When I am praying over a devotional, I often feel a whoosh of the Holy Spirit sweep across me, and a message downloads into my mind. I suddenly know what to write. Decades ago, when I had never seen a computer network before, He would reveal to me what was wrong with it. I have even seen Him flash the proper light on a network switch to draw my attention to a bad cable. 

The Helper will give you an edge if you allow Him. Yet, too often, we go through our days without even acknowledging He is there.  

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to see more of Your presence in my life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and stir up the spiritual gifts that have lain dormant. Teach me to use the gifts you have given me. Create a hunger within me for spiritual things. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!