The Holy Spirit
#theholyspiritseries
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Devi Susanto, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry Core Team, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
Today marks the final sermon Pastor James will bring before his paternity leave. June begins a new series on the Holy Spirit and Pastor James began it with his sermon entitled, "The Holy Spirit.”
The Spirit of God
Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the Spirit of God.
Third person of the Trinity. Thought of as nearly an “optional” person
He is a PERSON: He has emotions, He speaks to us, He abides with us
He is the power of God, the creative force that is behind every word and action of God
When is the first time we hear of the Holy Spirit?
Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
The Spirit of God was what created everything in Creation
Psalms 104:30 NKJV “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.”
John 14:26 AMP “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.”
In Jesus’ name - in the full authority of Jesus Christ, as sent and commissioned by God the Father
These are in relation to us - to you and me
He comforts you, advocates for you, intercedes for you, counsels you, strengthens you, stands by you
The way Jesus describes the Holy Spirit shows us the relationship we are meant to have with Him.
He wants to have a relationship with you. He knows everything about you.
Pastor James can describe in great detail the attributes, names, or characteristics of the Holy Spirit, but like meeting a new baby or child, you do not really know that individual until you meet him/her face-to-face and spend time on a day-to-day basis.
Just like the Holy Spirit, you just have to meet Him.
You just have to walk with Him, day by day.
Open Heaven
Mark 1:10 NKJV “And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.”
Mark 1:10 AMP: “And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him.”
Matthew 3:16 NKJV “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”
Torn open—Schizo: to rend, to break open, to split or sever
The same word was used at the end of each gospel to describe the tearing of the veil in the temple upon Jesus’ death
The heavens were opened as the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, giving a prophetic picture of how He would be released upon each of us
The same Spirit RAISED CHRIST, BEARS WITNESS, and IS POURED OUT UPON US
Saul was changed into another person as he prophesied
Samson ripped apart a lion, strength of God came upon him
Same Spirit of wisdom in Daniel, 10X wisdom in three kings’ courts
The power that raised Jesus from the dead
The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples in the Upper Room
Joel 2 - The outpouring of the Holy Spirit prophesied, STILL accessible in this day and age.
We are living in the days of Pentecost!
The heavens have been opened and the Holy Spirit is being poured out.
Holiness
We cannot separate the person of the Holy Spirit from the defining attribute of His character - His holiness.
Leviticus 19:1-2 NKJV “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’”
Ephesians 4:30 AMPC “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).”
When angry, do not sin. Do not steal. Use no corrupt word or foul language.
Put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking, all malice.
Our sin grieves the Holy Spirit.
Pride Month
The whole month of June has been nationally dedicated as Pride Month. It is a celebration of sin and a wanton disregard for the ways of God that once governed this nation and guided our society. The following passages are so prescriptively accurate:
Romans 1:24-32 AMP “24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin], 25 because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature], 27 and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, 29 until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors], 30 slanderers, haters of God, [insolent, arrogant, boastful,] inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity].
32 Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and TOLERATE others who practice them.”
The Holy Spirit takes issue with this. If it is in the word of God, it is on God’s heart. This is not being said out of any form of hatred, but we need to recognize what sin is. For us to move into righteousness, we need to identify what unrighteousness is. It is one thing to sin but it is another thing to enthusiastically approve by tolerating it.
We have sat by while our nation has slid into depravity and sexual degradation that is being enthusiastically approved in the name of tolerance.
Pastor James was not picking on the sin of homosexuality, saying that it is worse than any other sin, but it is a sin.
People having sex outside of marriage
People drowning in a life of alcoholism or drug abuse
People bound in lust and pornography
But it has taken a unique form in which sin has gone from being TOLERATED to being ENTHUSIASTICALLY APPROVED and is now exclusively CELEBRATED.
In preparation for this sermon, Pastor James hesitated and thought of people turning off the livestream, or walks out the door, is unfollowed on Instagram, or if the sermon gets flagged on YouTube, or what if “Cancel Culture” comes after him? Pastor James stated: “I would consider it an honor to be canceled for the sake of the gospel. Canceled for Jesus.”
What does this have to do with the Holy Spirit?
1 John 5:6b “It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is TRUTH.”
It is time that we speak the truth.
It has been long enough that the church has stayed silent while the culture around us has continually, habitually, and systematically grieved the Holy Spirit.
Some say, Christians who might be struggling with the sin of homosexuality might be dealing with some form inner conflict or self-hatred and for that reason, we should not say anything. Or, that as long as they do not act on it, it is an inner, suppressed desire, and that makes it OKAY. They say, just, “Let me be me. Let me be proud of me.” To those who think that, this is what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 7:
Romans 7:14-20, 24-25 NIV “14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who does it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Romans 8:1-2 NKJV “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free (set me free) from the law of sin and death.”
That part of the sinful nature has to be put to death, to come into obedience to the death of Jesus Christ, and to be raised up and be set free in the Holy Spirit. Pastor James will be the first to tell you that he is no better than any man or woman struggling with the sin of homosexuality. His sin is no greater and no less than ours. But Jesus has set you free from all sin, death, and unrighteousness!
Pride is the opposite of humility. James 4:6 states, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Too many people have strayed from the knowledge of the Holy Spirit but He leads us to truth and He IS the Truth.
Prayer Points:
Pray to develop and build a strong relationship with Holy Spirit on a daily basis
Pray to have a Spirit of holiness
Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us, give us guidance, direction, clarity, and wisdom into His truth
Pray for the Lord to reveal His word, nature, character, and the heart of who He is
Pray the Holy Spirit to move strongly personally and corporately
Pray for open hearts and minds to receive the move of God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Pray that His word will not depart from our hearts, mouths, and minds and that we will meditate on God’s word day and night
Pray for boldness to come to us to speak the truth of God
Pray to never be ashamed of following Jesus
Pray to know Scriptures to affirm the Truth
Pray to not sit idly by as America is becoming morally bankrupt in the name of tolerance
Rise up in fervent prayer so repentance and the Third Awakening is poured out
Pray to raise up His remnant
Pray for the advancement and building progress of our Building Project
To secure the prophecies that have been spoken as your people gather with one heart in prayer
For no delays, obstacles, or interruptions
For supernatural favor
For signs and wonders and miracles to take place