- “Why can’t you preach on Feb 8th?” @ 1:06 pm
- “It sounds good to me. Thanks." 1:09
- “Great. I’ll put you down for Feb 8th.” 1:10
- "Ya! Ty." 1:11
Then I realized what date it was and also the time of my last post. I was ministering for the first time in many years on Feb. 8th. Even though called, the Lord didn't allow me to publicly speak again until now. I wanted to but no one asked and it was for a reason. Last year the Lord showed me that I was in a small room and that the door was in front of me and I would be going through it. Well, I acting it out, but it wasn't until Feb. 8th when I was let go from my one job all of a sudden without any explanation. I was shocked, but at the same time I felt that it was of the Lord because it happened on Feb. 8th and I walked out of the room and onto the road or hallway. The door closed behind me. The Lord then told me that there was another door only much bigger and the room was humongous that I was going into. Again I acted it out and went through the door, but nothing happened. Lesson, He will show you when to walk through the doors. There is a timing involved even in transitioning. OK, so I get another job and am working, then get my knee operated on. Then, go back to the same job with the same person. Waiting! On Jan. 19th, when I had that texted conversation with Bo at 1:11 and I was ministering again on Feb. 8th, I realized that the big door just opened and I felt by the Holy Spirit to get up and walk through the Big Door and it closed behind me!!! I transitioned that day!!! 8 – New Beginnings along with 111 – Genesis a new thing! Glory to God!!! I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit that day!
When I began to wait on the Lord and ask Him what He wanted me to teach on, I clearly heard, “An Encounter with the Holy Ghost.” I wrote it down. Close to a week later, when asking again what exactly do you want me to teach about the Holy Spirit, the Lord said, “I want them to know Him as a person, not just as something floating somewhere out there. He is a person. That way they can relate to Him.
The meaning of the word “encounter” is, “an unexpected or casual meeting with someone or something.”
When I was first saved in 1971, they asked me if I had the Holy Spirit. I said yes, because I wasn’t sure what to say and I didn’t know anything about the Holy Spirit. Then they asked me, do you speak in tongues? Well, of course I said no because I didn’t know what tongues where or even heard the term. So they had me sit in the “hot seat,” gathered around me and began to pray for me to receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” That day, I had a glorious encounter with the person of the Holy Spirit. I began to speak in tongues and become drunk. They laid me on the floor and I laid there speaking in tongues for what seemed to be an hour to two. When I got up I was so drunk and overwhelmed with His presence. I was on Fire!!!
Christian tv back in the early 70’s consisted of some local and national programs on Sunday mornings, such as Full Gospel Business Men with Demos Shekarian , Oral and Richard Roberts, and Kathryn Kulhman. Well, thank God I watched them because it exposed me to the person of the Holy Spirit. That exposure has greatly influenced my life and continues to do so. Being raised around St. Louis area gave me the opportunity to see Kathryn Kulhman several times, because she came there a lot. I saw how she knew the Holy Spirit personally and how she reverenced His presence. She knew at what point His presence would manifest in the room. She would be talking and then all of a sudden, she’d get quiet and then say, “Shhhh, there He is. He’s here.” Then she would tell the people to not move around but to listen.” I was so impressed, because she reverenced His Holy presence. We have to know that He is a person in order to have a relationship with Him.
Two Scriptures came to mind:
First Ephesians 4:30 – "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom were sealed for that day of redemption."
In my footnote for this verse it reads: 4:30 grieve. By sin, such as “unwholesome talk” (v.29) and the sins mentioned in v.31. The verb also demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is a person, not just an influence, for only a person can be grieved.
In v.29 it continues to read "…but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." And then in v. 31 it says, “…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
So our actions and our words will grieve the Holy Spirit. He is a person.
Secondly, 1Thess. 5:19 – "Do not quench the Spirit." Quench simply means to extinguish or put out, such as a fire by drowning it in water.
Why do you think that most true revivals ended? Most of the time, the Fire of the Holy Ghost was quenched. Why do you think Kathryn Kuhlman wanted the people to be still and not go to moving around, so that the Holy Spirit would not be quenched or His Presence. I remember hearing a story about Kenneth Hagin. He was invited to preach at a Full Gospel Businessmen’s convention one time. They were in the middle of the worship and the presence of the Holy Spirit was very strong. All of a sudden, one of the men on the platform got up and began to take up an offering. Afterwards, they introduced Bro. Hagin to come minister. He looked around at them, and declared, “You guys wouldn’t know the Holy Spirit if He came in here with a red hat on!” He was telling them that they quenched or put out the fire by not recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit and what He wanted to do. They quenched His presence by stopping Him and taking up an offering at the wrong time.
And of course many churches now have their own agendas. Many have become “seeker friendly,” which means that they care more about not offending the people instead of the Holy Spirit. I’ve been in Pentecostal churches where they used to flow freely in the gifts of the Holy Ghost, but now they flow freely in “programs.” And they wonder why there isn’t a true revival. Revival to them means having an evangelist come in and do a few meetings and get all emotionally pumped up. True revival begins on the knees, repenting of our ways, and letting God have His way in our lives individually and as a church body.
Jesus spoke about the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit to the earth in John 14:16-17, 25.
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever- the 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.” V.25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, 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.”
The Father sent Holy Spirit to earth after Jesus ascended. He came to convict the sinner of his sins, to be our advocate or our defense attorney against the accusations of the enemy, our teacher who reveals the ways of our Father to us, Comforter, Spirit of truth who brings to light those hidden things, anoints us with His special abilities or anointing, baptizes us with a powerful endowment of Himself and gives us a prayer language, and so much more.
How can we walk as an effective powerful Christian if we don’t know or have a close relationship with the third person of the Godhead? He’s the One that is sent to be with us here on the earth. We must come to know not only who He is but we must come to know Him personally. How can we come to have this kind of relationship with the Holy Spirit? Firstly, by learning about what the Word says about Him. Then by doing what the Word says about Him. Get saved, get filled and speak in tongues. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Become aware of His presence and invite Him to come into the place that you’re at. Look for Him. Talk with Him. Rely upon Him. Trust Him. Listen to Him. He has a voice, just like Jesus and the Father do. Begin to ask Him to talk to you. Listen. When you lose something in the house and you ask, Holy Spirit where should I look and you hear, “Look under the couch.” Well guess what, the Holy Spirit just talked to you! How do we have a close relationship with anyone? We get to know them and spend time with them.
The Holy Spirit will come in different ways or manifestations. In Matthew 3:16 it says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water, At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighted on Him." So He came as a dove upon our Lord.
The Holy Spirit comes as fire and wind. Acts 2:2-4: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and come to rest on each of them.”
He manifests as water. Jesus says in John 7:38: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."
How many of you want to have a special encounter with the Holy Ghost? All we have to do is truly desire Him and ask. Be open and receptive before Him. Also, we have to learn to wait on Him and listen to what He is saying.
I hope this message has helped and blessed you. If so, please, don’t be shy, leave me a comment.
Blessings,
Janet
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Come upon all those who desire to know you in a more intimate and personal way. That they may recognize and reverence Your presence. In the name of Jesus.
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