Holy Spirit
“Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:38-39, NKJV
Some know Him as the third Person of the Godhead, for He is. Others may know Him better as the Comforter, for He is that too. In fact, Jesus said that once He had ascended into heaven, He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He did.
In some circles, He is known as Ruach HaKodesh, as so in the Hebrew language. (“Ruach” – Spirit, “Ha”- the, “Kodesh” – Holy.)
In the New American Standard version of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is spoken of 1,127 times. That may be surprising to many. Some think He quit His work on this planet after the first century. How sad is that? Especially if it was true.
We first read of Him in Genesis 1:2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water.” (Complete Jewish Bible)
Then a few verses later we read this in Gen 1:26-28, “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (NKJV) The Trinity in action, in the very beginning. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
King David knew of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Psalm 51:10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (NKJV)
Yeshua (Jesus) promised this in John 14:25-26, “I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (Complete Jewish Bible)
Throughout the Gospels, in the Acts of the Apostles (Messengers) and the Epistles, written primarily by Jews, the Holy Spirit continued to interact with mankind. He never would leave nor forsake.
Paul, formerly known as Saul, a Jew, both before and after he became a believer, was among the first to persecute the new believers in Yeshua. He was fully committed to doing so, and did quite extensively until he literally saw the light. Later he wrote this in his writings, speaking of the Holy Spirit’s continuing action in his life, and that of Timothy’s, his disciple, many years after Pentecost (Shavuot in Hebrew).
In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, Paul wrote to his spiritual son, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” (NKJV)
The dwelling of God’s Spirit continued throughout their lives.
Even Jude, in his short book, wrote in verses 20-21, “But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!” (THE MESSAGE)
Praying in the Holy Spirit was, and still is, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Some have long dismissed this to their own hurt, and thus lack spiritual power in their Christian walk today.
When Ruach HaKodesh fulfilled the promise of Yeshua (Jesus), in coming after Jesus’ ascension 50 days later on Pentecost (“Pente” - 50 in Greek) on the Lord’s Feast of Shavuot, He indeed empowered the previously fearful, carefully hidden away in the Upper Room. Those same 120 disciples (come with me to Israel and I will show you that location) were the ones who then changed the world through the mighty outworking of the Spirit in them.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real thing. It is a much-needed experience in the life of the Church, the One New Man, to encounter the lies and deceit of the enemy we battle, and which the world glorifies. While satan the deceiver advances his agenda, it will be those walking, moving, and believing in the Almighty God, through the power of the Holy Spirit in them, who will be the ones putting up the fight to bring about the deliverance of souls, humans, for the Savior Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
By grace, I received the Holy Spirit’s baptism in my high school senior year, in 1973, even as a Roman Catholic. Since then, 46 years ago as of this writing, I have been praying in tongues, receiving prophetic words, seeing actual miracles of supernatural healing in “real” time, and knowing all the gifts of the Holy Spirit exist today. Because He does live and move daily in lives around the world, we are thus able to show what the world needs to know about and experience too.
If you walk with the Spirit of the Living God of Israel, Who energizes daily (for we all need Him), then great!
If not, then what are you waiting for? Ask. Seek. Knock. He will come. To you.
Now think on this and see what good things the Lord has in store for you and those around you.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
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Now Think On This #449 - in the year of our Lord 08.19.19 – “Holy Spirit” – Monday, 7:10 pm
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