Session 7: Some Practical Steps

The following is an interview and teaching of Dr. Mark Virkler found on his website.

"4 keys to Hearing God's Voice"

You can go to Mark Virkler's website at the address below for additional teaching material.

http://www.cwgministries.org/Four-Keys-to-Hearing-Gods-Voice.htm

Before we start let's look at the following 8 minute interview with Dr. Mark Virkler

"4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice"; Dr. Mark Virkler

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator beginning here and now, and lasting throughout eternity. Jesus declared, “This is eternal life – that they may know God” (Jn. 17:2). Unfortunately, many in the Church miss the great blessing of fellowship with our Lord because we have lost the ability to recognize His voice within us. Though we have the promise that “My sheep hear My voice,” too many believers are starved for that intimate relationship that alone can satisfy the desire of their hearts.

I was one of those sheep who was deaf to his Shepherd until the Lord revealed four very simple keys (found in Habakkuk 2:1, 2) that unlocked the treasure of His voice.

Key #1 – God’s voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.

Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him (Hab. 2:2). Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12 ). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and God does speak that way at times. However, I have found that usually, God's voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.

For example, haven't you been driving down the road and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person? Didn’t you believe it was God telling you to pray? What did God's voice sound like? Was it an audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?

Experience indicates that we perceive spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions and visions, and Scripture confirms this in many ways. For example, one definition ofpaga, a Hebrew word for intercession, is "a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting." When God lays people on our hearts, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” intersecting our minds.

Therefore, when you want to hear from God, tune to chance-encounter or spontaneous thoughts.

Key #2 – Become still so you can sense God’s flow of thoughts and emotions within.

Habakkuk said, "I will stand on my guard post..." (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that to hear God's quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

Loving God through a quiet worship song is one very effective way to become still. (Note II Kings3:15 .) After I worship and become silent within, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, putting on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

To receive the pure word of God, it is very important that my heart be properly focused as I become still because my focus is the source of the intuitive flow. If I fix my eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus. But if I fix my gaze upon some desire of my heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire. To have a pure flow I must become still and carefully fix my eyes upon Jesus. Again, quietly worshiping the King, and receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplishes this.

Fix your gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence and sharing with Him what is on your heart. Spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow from the throne of God to you, and you will actually be conversing with the King of Kings!

Key #3 – As you pray, fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

Habakkuk said, "I will keep watch to see," and God said, "Record the vision" (Hab. 2:1,2). Habakkuk was actually looking for vision as he prayed. He opened the eyes of his heart, and looked into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.

God has always spoken through dreams and visions, and He specifically said that they would come to those upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:1-4, 17).

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, I have come to believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart to see in the spirit the vision and movement of Almighty God. There is an active spirit world all around us, full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent Father, and His omnipresent Son, Jesus. The only reasons for me not to see this reality are unbelief or lack of knowledge.

In order to see, we must look. Daniel saw a vision in his mind and said, "I was looking...I kept looking...I kept looking" (Dan. 7:2,9,13). As I pray, I look for Jesus, and I watch as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see, in the same way they receive spontaneous thoughts. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23 ). It is as simple as that. You can see Christ present with you because Christ is present with you. In fact, the vision may come so easily that you will be tempted to reject it, thinking that it is just you. But if you persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of living out of constant contact with God, declaring that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only what He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (Jn. 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Is it possible for you to live out of divine initiative as Jesus did? Yes! Fix your eyes upon Jesus. The veil has been torn, giving access into the immediate presence of God, and He calls you to draw near (Lk. 23:45; Heb. l0: 19-22). “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened….”

Key #4 – Journaling, the writing out of your prayers and God’s answers, brings great freedom in hearing God’s voice.

God told Habakkuk to record the vision (Hab. 2:2). This was not an isolated command. The Scriptures record many examples of individual’s prayers and God’s replies (e.g. the Psalms, many of the prophets, Revelation).

I call the process "two-way journaling," and I have found it to be a fabulous catalyst for clearly discerning God's inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journal I am able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing it is God. I know that what I believe I have received from God must be tested. However, testing involves doubt and doubt blocks divine communication, so I do not want to test while I am trying to receive. With journaling, I can receive in faith, knowing that when the flow has ended I can test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lines up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you journal. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Relax. When we cease our labors and enter His rest, God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10 ). Sit back comfortably, take out your pen and paper, smile, and turn your attention toward the Lord in praise and worship, seeking His face. After you write your question to Him, become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus You will suddenly have a very good thought. Don't doubt it; simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: Knowing God through the Bible is a vital foundation to hearing His voice in your heart, so you must have a solid commitment to knowing and obeying the Scriptures. It is also very important for your growth and safety that you be related to solid, spiritual counselors All major directional moves that come through journaling should be confirmed by your counselors before you act upon them.

http://www.cwgministries.org/Four-Keys-to-Hearing-Gods-Voice.htm

Session 6: Creating an Environment Where we can Hear God Speak

When God created man, He did so with the intent that there would be fellowship between man and Himself and the man. Jesus is our example of what that relationship was like and an example of what our relationship with God can and should be…

1 Corinthians 15:45-48

⁴⁵So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.

Like Adam was before his falling out with God, now Jesus is our example of a man who lives in communication with his heavenly Father. He did only what he was guided to do out of what He first heard and saw His Father doing. He calls us back by His example to a restoration of the relationship and communication Adam once had with God.

John 5:19-20

¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

John 5:30

³⁰By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Jesus would from time to time deliberately create an environment where he would be able to hear clearly from his Heavenly Father. He would isolate himself from the distractions, ministry activity, friends, time constraints (sleep) etc. in order to tune into the Voice of God.

Mark 1:35

[ Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place ] Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 5:16

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Matthew 14:13

[ Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand ] When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.

Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (the ‘Meeting Place’) and Jesus challenges us to find that place where we are undistracted by the interruptions of life, a ‘room’ where we can meet with our Heavenly Father.

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

This requires a deliberate disciplined effort to create an environment where we can tune into the Voice of God. Quiet yourself, focus on Jesus rather then on circumstances and predetermined agenda, and simply worship and listen. Focus on relationship, intimacy, loving God with all your heart, soul, body, and mind.

What should we look for when expecting to hear God’s Voice?

John 6:63

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

1 Corinthians 2:13

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by theSpirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

John 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,streams of living water will flow from within him." ³⁹By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Glorified = Jesus death and resurrection; John 12:27-28

Remember, God will be heard by those whose hearts are uncalloused, who have ‘ears to hear and eyes to see’…

Matthew 13:14-19

¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

¹⁵For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.'¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Acts 2:17-18

¹⁷" 'In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

Examples of those who heard God speaking and the environment it happened in…

Eating from the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil’ (left brain) or eating from the ‘tree of Life’ (right brain) (there is nothing scriptural that statement that I know of, but it is an idea that I want to consider more. Also, one side may reflect the carnal nature while the other side may reflect the spiritual nature. Not that one is of more or less value then the other, it may just represent an area that we will do battle at. other analogies; Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, Kings (deal with politics, statistics, finances, business relationships etc.) and Priests (deal with the spiritual things, moving in the 'Spirit', etc.). Both are of great value and vitally necessary in God's Kingdom; Left brainers balancing out the right brainers and visa-versa.

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

Adam and Eve, in the garden, in the cool of the evening; Genesis 3:8

Noah was righteous, blameless, and he walked with God; Genesis 6:9---

Abraham was credited as being righteous because he believed whatever God promised: Galatians 3:6-9

Joseph heard God through dreams; Genesis 37:5-10

Pharaoh also hears a message from God in a dream

Moses hears God’s Voice at the ‘burning bush’ and then continues to hear God speaking in many places and times throughout his life. God makes it clear that if your heart is hard, you will not be able to ‘hear God’s voice and obey it’. Pharaoh heard the message of God as Moses presented it but he didn’t receive it as God’s message – because his heart was hard. Moses later sets up a Tent of Meeting just for the purpose of isolating himself so that he can tune into Gods voice.

Samuel as a child was sleeping next to the Alter of God when he heard God speak. He didn’t even recognize the Voice at first.

Jesus said, we must change and become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…

Matthew 18:2-4

He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

David also gets his ‘spiritual ears’ as a young man while watching over his fathers sheep. It was in that environment that he worshiped God and began to understand who he was as God’s child. He entered into an anointing that empowered his to deal with various oppositions (lion and bear)… before he was anointed to be king.

Perhaps one of the best examples of a person hearing God’s voice and recording what he was told by God is found in the Book of Revelations…

Revelation 1:10-12

¹⁰On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: "Write on a scroll what you see...

This speaks of a specific time and environment in which John both heard and saw what God was communicating. He is then commanded to write out what God said.

Jeremiah 30

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.

Can anyone hear God’s Voice?

There are many ‘voices’ waiting to be heard! There is only One voice that we are interested in hearing. That is God’s voice.

Adam and Eve ‘gave ear’ to another voice and it got us all into trouble!

Jesus ‘heard the voice of God’ which was soon followed by the ‘voice of Satan, who was quoting scriptures’

Jeremiah 23:23-32

²³ "Am I only a God nearby,"

declares the LORD,

"and not a God far away?

²⁴ Can anyone hide in secret places

so that I cannot see him?"

declares the LORD.

"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"

declares the LORD.

²⁵ "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' ²⁶ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? ²⁷ They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. ²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

³⁰ "Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. ³¹ Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' ³² Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.

Matthew 7:15-23

¹⁵"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew (1097) you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Strong's Number: 1097 γινώσκω ginōskō

1. to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
1. to become known
2. to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
1. to understand
2. to know
3. Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4. to become acquainted with, to know

This is the heart of hearing God’s voice and not some other voice… knowing Jesus and Jesus knowing you; intimacy. The desire to hear God’s voice should drive us into deeper relationship with Him, pressing more and more into a life of intimacy with our Creator. That is where His voice will be heard.

Session 5: Hearing God's Voice and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Moses Tabernacle (The 'Tent of Meeting' ...face to face with God)

Exodus 33: 7 – 11

Moses and the ‘Tent of Meeting’; a place or retreat where Moses and Joshua went to hear Gods voice.

Exodus 33:11

"The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent."

Exodus 40

Setting up the ‘Tabernacle’ (place of Meeting; see verse 5 and throughout the chapter)

Exodus 40: 33

“Moses finished the work; the construction of the Tabernacle (Place of Meeting)

Exodus 40:14

Then the Glory (of God’s Presence) came into the Meeting Place

Solomons Temple (Temple 1)

2 Chronicles 5:1

…the temple of the Lord was finished

2 Chronicles 5:13-14

…the glory of the Lord (God’s presence) filled the temple (Tent of Meeting)

2 Chronicles 6:19

…a man-made temple is insufficient for God’s presence!

2 Chronicles 7:1 – 2

…When Solomon finished praying fire came down and the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple…

2 Kings 25:8-17

…the destruction of Solomon’s Temple

Construction of Solomon’s Temple began about 966 BC during the forth year of King Solomon’s reign. It took 7 years and 6 months to complete. It lasted for 380 years until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC.

Zerubbabel’s Temple (Temple 2)

About 70 years after the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the Jewish deportation an entirely new Temple was built on Mount Moriah, by a decree of the Persian king. The new Temple was dedicated on March 12, 515 BC, some very old people who could remember Solomon's Temple regarded it a poor thing in comparison with the splendor of the original Temple. Yet their prophet Haggai predicted far greater glory for it in days to come (Haggai 2:3-9)

Construction of the Second Temple; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 – the books of Ezra and Nehemiah

Who was Zerubbabel?; Ezra 3:2,8; 5:2, Nehemiah 12:1, Haggai 1:1,12,14

Zerubbabel led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia. Zerubbabel also laid the foundation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem the next year.

Construction began in 537 BC and was completed 12 years later in 515 BC. It was built according to the original plans of Solomon’s Temple but was not as magnificent.

Haggai 2:3-9

"'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the LORD; 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the LORD of hosts. 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'

"For thus says the LORD of hosts:' Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts. 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts.'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."

Herod’s Temple (rebuild as a political gesture, a beautiful building with no One inside)

Around 20 BC, Herod the Great renovated Zerubbabel’s Temple which had fallen into ruins. This then became known as Herod's Temple. It is the Temple that Jesus would have seen.

The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple in 70 CE under Titus, ending the Great Jewish Revolt that had begun four years earlier.

Attempt to rebuild the Jewish Temple

In 363, not long before Julian (the Apostate) left Antioch to launch his campaign against Persia, in keeping with his effort to foster religions other than Christianity, he ordered the Temple rebuilt. A personal friend of his, Ammianus Marcellinus, wrote this about the effort:

Julian thought to rebuild at an extravagant expense the proud Temple once at Jerusalem, and committed this task to Alypius of Antioch. Alypius set vigorously to work, and was seconded by the governor of the province; when fearful balls of fire, breaking out near the foundations, continued their attacks, till the workmen, after repeated scorchings, could approach no more: and he gave up the attempt.

The ‘Branch’s Temple (Temple 3)

Zechariah 6:12-15

Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' 14 The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD.

15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God."

For other reference to “The Branch” also see: Zech. 3:8, Jer. 23:5-6, Is. 4:2-6

Luke 2:49

(Jesus first recorded words were about the ‘temple’, searching for God’s Presence and his own identity)

"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

Matthew 26:59-63

(Jesus declaration about the destruction of Herod’s Temple and three day construction of a new temple is what finalized his death sentence)

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "

⁶²Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" ⁶³But Jesus remained silent.

John 19:30 (Jesus last words)

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What was ‘finished?

We know that Jesus had other work yet to be done. Primarily to ascend to heaven so that he could send the Holy Spirit, as stated by God when He spoke to John the Baptist (John 1:6) about Jesus at the onset of his mission…

John 32-34

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.³³I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Jesus did not baptize anyone in the Holy Spirit during his ministry on earth. Thus we can concluded very clearly that though He had stated on the cross during his final moments, “It is finished” – it wasn’t finished.

What was finished was the construction of the Third Temple, the Temple of the human heart by the perfect sacrifice for appeasement of sin. A room cleansed and made holy by faith, a Temple worthy of the Presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

This is the new and perfect “Tent of Meeting” the place where we can speak to and hear from God. The question is, is this temple (your body) filled with the Holy Spirit as was Solomon’s Temple or is it just a big beautiful building with no God inside as was Herod’s Temple?

Jesus made if very clear that his mission was not finished until he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to “baptize” (that is the term used by God and ought to be good enough for us to use today as well) or fill the hearts of those he had purchased at great price.

The following are verses to consider…

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

John 14:15-17

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:25-26

²⁵"All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:5-16

The Work of the Holy Spirit

⁵"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'⁶Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. ⁷But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;¹⁰in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

¹²"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.¹³But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. ¹⁵All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

¹⁶"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

Acts 1:4-8

⁴On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

⁶So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

⁷He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Up until this time the disciples were certainly believers that Jesus was the Son of God, but they still could not understand what his message about the Kingdom was about. They were still processing His Words through traditional thinking, that Jesus would set up a physical throne and reign out of Jerusalem like king David had done.

Acts 2:1-13

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.

⁵Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" ¹²Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

¹³Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Note: Being “filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)”, receiving “the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38),wait for “the gift my Father promised (Acts 1:4)”, and “the promise (Acts 2:39) is for you… are all terms meaning the same term used by both God and Jesus of being “Baptized with the Holy Spirit(John 1:6, 32-34 and Acts 1:5)”

Why is it that many Christian believers do not know if they have been ‘Baptized in the Holy Spirit’ or not. When asked if they have been baptized in water’ there is no hesitation to answering that question.

Water baptism is dramatic. One minute you are dry and well groomed, the next minute you are soaking wet and a mess! There is not question about it! You have been baptized in water!

Wouldn’t being ‘baptized in the Holy Spirit’ certainly would be just as dramatic, if not more dramatic then being baptized in water? Most people can point to an exact time when they were water baptized.

This leads to the most difficult question; Can a person be a believer and yet not be ‘baptized, filled, have received the gift’ of the Holy Spirit?

The following verses may help give you the insight you need to the answer.

Acts 2:39

³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Acts 6:3

³Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.

Acts 8:14-17

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 8:18-23

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money ¹⁹and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

²⁰Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. ²²Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

Luke 11:11-13

¹¹"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹²Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Acts 9:17

¹⁷Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 10:44-48

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.⁴⁵The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirithad been poured out even on the Gentiles.⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." ⁴⁸So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Acts 11:15-17

¹⁵"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' ¹⁷So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

Acts 19:1-7

Paul in Ephesus

¹While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples²and 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.⁷There were about twelve men in all.

Hebrews 6:1-2

¹Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,²instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

(Note: baptisms – not singular but plural)

Galatians 3:14

¹⁴He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Have you asked God to Baptize you with the Holy Spirit?

Have you received the ‘Promise of the Spirit’ by faith?

Do you not know that your body is a temple (a ‘Tent of Meeting’)

of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you,

whom you have received from God?

You are not your own;

you were bought at a price.

1 Corinthians 6:19