The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

"If I do not go," Jesus told his apostles, "the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go away, then I will send him to you" (John 16:7).

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for the gift my Father promised, the gift of which I told you. John baptized with water, but in a few days' time you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5).

Acts 2:1-4 (New International Version)
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.


Acts 8:12-17 (New International Version)
12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.


Acts 19:1-6 (New International Version)
Paul in Ephesus
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.
4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Isaiah 11:2-3 (New International Version)
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4.but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he . slay the wicked.

1 Corinthians 12:8-13 (New American Standard Bible)
8For to one is given the word of (A)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of (B)knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9to another (C)faith by the same Spirit, and to another (D)gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10and to another the effecting of (E)miracles, and to another (F)prophecy, and to another the (G)distinguishing of spirits, to another various (H)kinds of tongues, and to another the (I)interpretation of tongues.
11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, (J)distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12For even (K)as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, (L)so also is Christ.
13For (M)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether (N)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to (O)drink of one Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (New American Standard Bible)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Matt. 12: 31-32
31 ¶ Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven aunto men: but the bblasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall cannot be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

There are some who believe that the Holy Spirit was limited to those who were in the upper room on that fateful day of Pentecost. There are some who believe that the Holy Spirit was only available to those in the early church.

Nothing in my bible teaches eith3er of these things.

I was writing a sentence today about the Holy Spirit which spoke of the belief of many that only those professing to be Pentecostal could receive, or even sought, the Gift of the Holy Spirit. I had never thought before today about why they were called Pentecostal in the first place, then Euricka!!!.

The Holy Spirit is a gift promised by Jesus Himself…..a gift Our Lord called The Comforter. This was a gift that was received in Samaria Acts 8:12-17 , and in Ephesus, Acts 19:1-6, both of these after the day of Pentecost.

When I look at the gifts of the spirit as written in 1 Corinthians 12:8-13 and the fruit of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22-23 I am so glad that this is not a gift that is withheld from me.

I am just an infant in the fullness of the Holy Spirit but I delight in the growing peace that surpasses all understanding which is available to me. I delight in the growing understanding of the Scripture and my love of The Word that is available to me. I delight in the unsurpassable joy that is available to me every day.

I thank God on a daily basis for the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

May God Forever be a Blessing in Your Life!!!