My people will live in safety and in peace in their dwelling places, they will be secure in their homes, in undisturbed places of rest - (Isaiah 32:18)

May the Lord bless you and protect you, may the Lord smile on you be gracious to you, May the Lord Show his favour and give you his peace -

(Numbers 6:24-26)

PRAYER INTENTIONS

1. We pray for stability, peace and growth for all the various levels of relationships we are engaged in. Relationships in the Family, at the work place, in our churches, in our communities.

2. We pray for all MARRIAGES , we ask for MARITAL GRACES and BLESSINGS. We pray for all MARRIAGES in DIFFICULT times for the HOLY SPIRIT to INTERVENE.

3. We PRAY for all who are DATING/COURTING, for the HOLY SPIRIT to guide them.

4. For those looking for MARRIAGE PARTNERS that the Holy Spirit will help them locate their PARTNERS.

5. For COUPLES looking for FRUIT of the WOMB, that the HOLY SPIRIT will INTERVENE in their case.

6. For PROTECTION, GUIDANCE, WISDOM for our CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN.

7. For " difficult " husbands/wives/kids, that the Holy Spirit will touch and melt their hearts.

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT🔥?-

Why is it so important that Jesus had to need him? What is it about the Holy Spirit that one cannot resist his influence? David and Samuel are two figures in the Old Testament who communicated intimacy with the Holy Spirit. So David will say “Cast me not away from your presence- take not your Spirit from me ”.

In Genesis 1:1-3 and 26- God is manifested as more than one person- Hebrew the original language in which the Old testament was written is a rich language and one word could mean several things- in Hebrew the word Elohim is plural and the word Eloha is singular- and Elohim is the word that was used for God- the usage of Elohim already means we are talking about more than one personality.

So in the beginnings, the spirit of God is already hovering over the waters in the dark night of the earth . We need to be clear about three basic truths concerning the Holy Spirit, all of which are emphasised by the apostle John in his letter. Notice in 1 John 4:4 and compare the pronouns referring to the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the disciples in John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15. Now see from these verses what the Holy Spirit does. He teaches, reminds, testifies, bears witness, convicts, and guides. He speaks, hears, shows and glorifies Christ . Only a person can do these things. In 1 John 2:20 and 27 we read that He is our teacher ; in 1 John 5:6-8 he is the Spirit who testifies and in 1 John 5:10 (KJV) that He is the “ witness ” within.

⏺️He is a DIVINE PERSON. That is, He is God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from God the Father and God the Son- look up 1 John 2:20; “ He is called the Spirit of God ”, 1 John 4:2. See also Acts 5:3-4, where the Holy Spirit is also said to be God. He is one with the Father and the Son in the Trinity. Several times in this epistle we read of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - look up 1 John 1:2,3; 2:1. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son in the unity of the Godhead.

⏺️The Holy Spirit is INTELLIGENCE: He knows the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). The mind of the Spirit as Romans 8:27 will put it.

⏺️ The Holy Spirit has EMOTIONS: so we can grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

⏺️The Holy Spirit has a WILL : the Spirit gives us spiritual gifts “ as He wills ” (1 Corinthians 12:11). This three things makes him a personality-because for one to be described as a person he or she must have EMOTIONS, a WILL and an INTELLECT-

⏺️The Holy Spirit also TEACHES (John 14:26). Jesus also told his friends that there was much more to tell them but they were not mature enough to receive this further truth. The Holy Spirit would lead them into the full comprehension of all He would give them. He would continue to develop the principles they had already learned. He would teach them about coming events. He would unfold the truth as they grew in spiritual capacity. He would be a guide into the unknown future.

⏺️The Holy Spirit also INTERCEDES (Romans 8:26). He performs MIRACLES (Acts 8:39). The Holy Spirit also LEADS (Romans 8:14). He is a COUNSELLOR: parakletos, “ a person summoned to one’s aid.” It may refer to an advisor, a legal advocate, a mediator or intercessor. The Spirit’s function is to represent God to the believer as Jesus did when He was here on earth in a human body -Read John 16:5-15.

⏺️The Holy Spirit also CONVICTS us of our sins.

⏺️HE gives SPIRITUAL GIFTS: A GOD-GIVEN ABILITY FOR SERVICE. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. He decides who gets what gift. He is sovereign. Each one gets something that equips them to build up others in the body. 1 Corinthians 12:27-30. No one has all the gifts.

⏺️The Holy Spirit also FILLS- EPHESIANS 5:18)- “ Keep on being filled .” Keep on being controlled by the Spirit. The filling of the Spirit is vital if we are going to experience genuine Christian living (Acts 2:4, 4:31).

It must be noted that the Holy Spirit is GOD’S GIFT to every one of His children. John was writing to all believers, all born again ones, all who were in the family of God, and not just to a select few. See the force of the words “ you have ” in 1 John 2:20. You cannot be a child of God and not have the Holy Spirit - look up Romans 8:9, and compare John 14:16; Acts 2:37-39. So, if you are a child of God, He has given you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells every one of God’s children. He is not only with us - He is in us.

⏺️The power of the Holy Spirit CHANGES LIVES. The power of the Holy Spirit changes lives. It does not matter how many spiritual experiences one may have, whoever does not testify of Christs Does not show evidence of being filled by the Spirit.

We experience salvation freely; there is no reason to relate to God differently in our experience with the Holy Spirit. It is also a grace-based experience. In the same way that we receive Christ without doubting whether He will enter our lives or not, we should receive the Holy Spirit by faith and believe that He will respond to our requests without delay.

Jesus skillfully expresses the essence of this experience: “ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? ” (Lk 11:13)

In Acts 1:8, Jesus points out what the disciples are to know, they would “ receive power. ” However, this depended on the Holy Spirit’s coming to them. Perhaps they did not know this PERSON of the Trinity very well, but the idea of receiving power must have caught all of their attention. For over three years, these men had been witnesses of the continual manifestation of God’s power through Jesus, and now the doors were being opened for them to access this power that they had so admired.

In order to receive the power of God, one does not need a religious formula, but rather a RELATIONSHIP with the person of the Holy Spirit. When a farmer grows crops, his desire is to receive its fruit, but his relationship is with the plant. It is the plant that the farmer sows, waters, and takes care of, even though he is waiting for the fruit. He knows that, without the plant, there will be no fruit. The disciples also desired the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but for that to happen, it was necessary for them to relate to Him as a PERSON.

Before seeing the DIVINE MANIFESTATION , the believer will learn to love, serve, adore, and respect the Spirit, wait in Him and form a relationship with Him. Without a life full of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to build the body of Christ.

A gospel with no emphasis on the Holy Spirit is FLAT. In certain moments, when there was a special manifestation of God, the New Testament emphatically states that the partakers were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was the experience of many: John the Baptist was full of the Spirit in his mother’s womb (Lk 1:15); Elizabeth, when Mary greeted her (Lk 1:41); and Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, when he prophesied (Lk 1:67). Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was led by the same Spirit into the desert (Lk 4:1).

The disciples were filled with the Spirit in the upper room, and Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, stood up to preach on the day of Pentecost (Ac 2:14). The young Stephen, full of the Spirit, saw the glory of God when he was stoned (Ac 7:55-56); and Paul, inspired by the Spirit, rebuked a sorcerer (Ac 13:9-11).

There is no doubt that in the church a life filled with the Holy Spirit should be the norm. The filling of the Holy Spirit was even a requirement for serving in the church. Without a life full of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to build the body of Christ, and we end up limiting God’s work in our LIVES. The Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. Jesus put a lot of emphasis on the Holy Spirit. He was the subject of intense prayer: “ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you ” (Jn 14:16-17).

The Lord mentions two points: the Holy Spirit was already real and He was about to come. At that time, the Spirit dwelled with the disciples, but they lacked having Him in them. If the Spirit of God was so important to the life of Jesus, how much more so for the lives of the believers!

The Holy Spirit is an important figure throughout the Bible. In Genesis 1:2, we find Him moving about the surface of the waters, and in Revelation 22:17, He and the bride cry with one voice. From beginning to end, the Holy Spirit has always been active: In the beginning, creating, and at the end of the story, tending to us. He comforts us, helps us, guides us, reminds us, teaches us, comes along side us, counsels us, and intercedes and advocates for us. There is no area of life in which the believer does not need the help of the Holy Spirit.

What makes you think you can survive without the Holy Spirit? JESUS that you love so much, was guided every stage of the way by the Holy Spirit. Mary that you love so much, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit - so what makes you think you can ignore the Holy Spirit and survive.

Back to Jesus- the Holy Spirit was present during Jesus’ life on earth. The Holy Spirit was present during each stage of Christ’s life. When the angel appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, he declared: “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God ” (Lk 1:35). Later on, at the baptism of Jesus, which marked the beginning of His public ministry, the Holy Spirit was present and, on this occasion, could be seen in material form. “ When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him ” (Mt 3:16). During His ministry, Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit… see errh if you grasp what am telling you, your life will never be the same again.

How do you develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit? Simple kraa. The same way you deal with some you like or love, deal with the Holy Spirit like that, talk to him, invite him, only problem is that he is invisible but as you constantly engage him, he will start manifesting for you to see and feel his presence. You see the way you behave when you meet someone you like; phone calls, text messages, visitations, etc, the Holy Spirit is a person, treat him like one and he will come and make your heart his home.

TO BE CONTINUED

Shalom and God bless you

#monkreflections

#firemustfall

#HolySpiritconference

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