The Invitation/ Prepared/ Holy Spirit as Personal Guide

Believing In The Holy Ghost

Jn 16:7-12 May 1, 1997

It had been on my heart to write something about Pentecost and I had been hoping for a revelation from the Lord with something a little different about this most important day in Christendom. Then, one morning in April, as I was beginning to awake, the Lord spoke to me one lone word in that “still small voice” similar to the way he had spoken to his prophet Elijah as recorded in 1 Kings 19:12. The word he gave me was: trilogy.

The obvious Biblical trilogy and the one that came immediately to mind is about the three most important events of Jesus’ life on earth: His birth, His death, and His resurrection. Without this and His ascension to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand, the day of Pentecost could never have come. But the Lord went on to show me another trilogy of sorts, a trilogy of Christian celebrations. They are Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Unfortunately, Pentecost has always been the most forgotten of these three special days, mainly because it has to do with the Holy Ghost and that its ultimate reality required that Jesus go to the Father so the ‘Comforter’ could be the Minister to the Church. Though it is often disregarded by Christians it is equally as important as Christmas and Easter in God’s overall plan for the Church because it completed the work the Father had sent Jesus to do here on earth. Because of Pentecost, the Third Person of the Trinity was able to come into the world and begin His work of judgment and comfort.

Much of the Church completely ignores this day or only gives it a nod. Even those who have declared they are Pentecostals, having received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, all but ignore this glorious day when the Spirit of God freely fell on repentant, true believers. Others, who choose to label themselves “Charismatic”, shying away from using the word Pentecostal or Holy Ghost, also let the day of Pentecost slide by without appreciation for the wonders that this day has ushered in. By treating their experience and life in the Spirit as if it were for circus delight rather than growth of the fruits of the Spirit, Charismatics water down the true meaning of Pentecost. Often their experience is even a counterfeit of the true Pentecostal experience of being filled with the Holy Ghost and ends with little devotion and regard for yielding to the third person of the Trinity.

But Jesus Himself told us how important it was that the era of Pentecost should come to believers. Jesus said to those closest to Him: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” John 16:7 But why was it expedient for us that the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, should come? As Jesus said of Him: “And when He is come, He will reprove the WORLD of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more; Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” John 16:8-12 The reason Jesus said; “It is expedient that I go away”; was two-fold. On this earth, as the “son of man” as well as the Son of God, Jesus was confined to the place where His body of flesh was located. He could only preach, teach, minister to and convince those in His physical presence. But when the Holy Ghost was given God could be with every believer, everywhere, all the time, in a strong, personal way, teaching, guiding, comforting and edifying them. Because the spirit is invisible and introspective His presence must be believed for and accepted by faith.

Second, since Jesus would no longer be physically present, believers would need to believe and trust that they too would have the Spirit to constantly remind them of true righteousness that would live only by the abiding will of God, Jesus, manifested by the power of the Holy Ghost from within and without. Jesus had told his disciples, “When the Spirit is come He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment.”

The Spirit Held by No Bounds
God remained in heaven on His throne as the Director of His “Plan of The Ages” in this dispensation. He sent His Son to earth to die for the sins of man. In order to make his death for us legitimate, He had to be born of woman yet remain the Son of God. His flesh was man, His Spirit God. But when Jesus returned to His Father, redeemed and glorified, He sent the Holy Ghost, called the Spirit of truth in John 14:17; the comforter, who will teach you all things John 14:26 – the comforter and spirit of truth who will testify of me, John 15:26. He has no bounds, He is free to touch, persuade and convict hearts all over this earth in every instant of time.

Proverbs 15:3 instructs us; “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Again, in Zechariah 3:9 & 4:10 we are given the same message; “…upon one stone shall be seven eyes:”… These are the omnipotent eyes of the Spirit of God. And once again we get a similar reference to God’s eyes, or the probing of the Holy Ghost, in 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him …” In the midst of this trilogy of the life of the Savior and the trilogy of the days of Christian celebration is the working of the trio of the unified Trinity of the Godhead.

The work of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost involves their total cooperation and unity in all the work they do to bring about God’s wonderful “Plan of the Ages”. Much of it has been to make an avenue for the Holy Ghost to come into the world en masse. It began even in the Old Testament when only a few special servants were personally visited by God the Father.

It was a rare happening and usually had to do with special instructions, testing, or warnings issued. Most of these visits were one on one. A few examples are: Adam and Eve, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and, of course, the rest of the judges and prophets.

What a Trinity. Each having a different role to play, but always in complete agreement! How completely perfect God’s omnipotent works have been, in giving the whole world a chance to become His tried, tested and saved sons and daughters. His personal work in the Old Testament was only the beginning of His preparation for a family made in His own image. It was “Act I” of His pageant for all our sakes. Old Testament saints were used to set the stage for “Act II”.

Power of Holy Ghost Manifested in the book of Acts
By all the groundwork done for us in the Old Testament the time finally came for another phase of God the Father’s wonderful family plan. Jews and Gentiles alike, all who were willing, to accept Jesus would be made a part of His eternal household of faith. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection/ascension, was the second act of God’s play or program. Let us go back to that original Scripture the Lord brought to my mind. Jesus is preparing those closest to Him. He must return to the Father and it was expedient (be good, be better for, be profitable for) for the Church that He go away. Then He explains that if He does not go away the “Comforter” (The Holy Ghost) will not come. But, He continues, if He does depart He will send the Holy Ghost to them. They did not understand at the time but they certainly did once they experienced the power and presence of the Holy Ghost after the initial pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2 and the entire book of Acts thereafter is the story of the power of the Holy Ghost in the early apostles’ lives.) Always two witnesses in heaven:

The Church Age is the Holy Ghost’s Turn on Earth
There is another reason why Jesus had to return to heaven in order for the Holy Ghost to come. It is god’s will that two ‘Persons’ of the Trinity be in heaven at all times, each one taking His turn at ministering to a lost World. The Father was the first to visit a “few good men” during the centuries of the Old Testament, while Jesus and the Holy Ghost were in heaven. Then Jesus walked among more men, including individuals, small groups and large crowds during His thirty-three year stay here on earth. Meanwhile, the Father and the Holy Ghost were together at home in heaven, to support Jesus during His time of suffering, shame and victory. Then Jesus had to return to be with the Father in heaven while the Holy Ghost took His turn and came to earth to do His work. His part in that “Perfect Plan of the Father” is to cover the whole earth with His power and gifts while drawing hungry hearts into the true family of God. This period will continue until the Age of Grace is completed when the Spirit will be partially withdrawn 2 Thess 2:7 during the period of judgment known as the Tribulation. At this time the Gospel will be preached from heaven. I believe the Holy Ghost will still search out hungry hearts until Jesus returns with His saints in that final great heavenly cavalry charge at Armageddon. The Father and the Son’s ministries were filled with actual appearance, so the Holy Ghost has manifested Himself here and there with the tongues of fire and by His gifts to the Church, but for the most part He requires that the Church believe and trust in His power in the unseen realm of the Spirit. We must believe if he is to have power toward us.

In summation, the word the Lord tells a story of a trilogy within a trilogy. Those have reaped the wonderful fruits of the Pentecostal gift and life can and should remember Jesus’ mission here and that it is what made the day of Pentecost possible. That day of Pentecost is only ten days apart from Christ’s ascension and I can respect it with the same awe, reverence, gratefulness and joy as I do Christmas and Easter. We can seek the Lord on how to keep this period of time each year, if we are so inclined. But the larger more actual trilogy is the way of the workings of the Trinity. Each one has taken His turn in His time here on earth, each of the three persons of the Trinity fulfilling His own special calling here on earth to seek out, draw, convict, persuade, instruct, even woo individuals into what will be God’s eternal family. The Father appropriately began this plan by choosing those He felt would set a good foundation, including the only nation He calls His own, the Jewish nation – and others before that also – men like Enoch and Noah. It was the Father who wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone for Moses to deliver to the people, just an expression of the character and love of His Only Son, Jesus Christ. Then the Father turned over this ministry of personal contact with mankind to Jesus, who came, died and rose again so that all our sins might be forgiven, if we are willing to repent and receive our “new life” and be born-again of the Spirit. Then Jesus, when His part was fulfilled, returned to the Father for our good, that the Comforter might come. The Spirit then, knowing no bounds, could give all of mankind a chance to accept God’s Plan of the Ages, and become a part of his Eternal Family.

Those of you who have had the blessed experience, started that first Pentecost, praise God for it. If you haven’t received this perfect gift from God, seek Him for it, with all your heart. It gives us the power and helps us to occupy until He comes. You May want to check out: Spiritual Advantage of Praying in Tongues.