Holy Spirit

1
Holy Spirit

• Workshop for
• The young

2
His functions

• Teaches
• Guides
• Comforts
• Cleanses
• Convicts
• Pleads
• Protects

3
THE BONFIRE

• On the fourteenth day of the first month of each
  year the Hindus observe it as a day of Bonfire
  and purging. In front of each house one could
  find heaps of ashes of Bonfire of old things and
  wares. The bigger the heap, the affluent is the
  family who could dispose off a lot of things as
  discard. Such things are considerd as rubbish
  not worth giving even to the poor.
• The exciting part is that they have to buy many
  new things as replacement
• So it is a festival of rejecting and replenishing
  
• Paul rightly said old things have passed away
  all have become new.

4
Passover

• Strangely the Jewish people also have on the
  fifteenth day of the first month, a festival
  called the feast of unleavened bread. In all
  their living area, not a drop of leaven should be
  found. They break all the mud pots and bury the
  metallic vessels in the ground for three days to
  make sure that leaven does not find its way
  somewhere somehow.
• It is a purging process and all leaven is to be
  burnt off. This festival is to commemorate the
  night when three million Israelite slaves walked
  out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
  Passover from slavery to freedom. Thereafter they
  started worshipping Jehovah instead of serving
  Pharaoh..

5
Forest fire

• Almost during the last quarter of every year
  there would be great forest fires occur somewhere
  in Southern Australia or in California . Ignited
  by the brambles and bushes of thorns it spreads
  faster to tall, trees until and all area is set
  ablaze. Recently we had it in Greece Italy Turkey
  Indonesia and many parts of the world. Foresters
  say that it is
• Natural
• Periodic
• Purging
• Reviving
• Purging because all the bushes and the bramble
  and unwanted should go away. After the clouds of
  smoke gone up in the sky whole thing becomes hot
  and the wild animals cry for water. Then comes
  showers of rain with thunders . It is a period of
  revival

6
The garden

• In the garden God created man in his own image
  and set him as the ruler over all things.
• After the days work, God would visit him and then
  restore him and renew him with strength and
  assignments for the next day.
• He wanted the man to enjoy, keep guard and be in
  authority but accountable
• But some thing went wrong when man messed up with
  Gods programmers and set of rules. The net
  result was that he lost the authority and the
  rights, and the work that should be delightful
  became a curse and unproductive and a burden
• See why? Later
  

7
The summary of 4 scenes

• Something in common with what we are going to see
  here after
• A natural process
• Periodical
• Purging
• Reviving
• In all these fire was the purifying agent which
  eradicates something once and forever
• Receiving the Holy Spirit is most natural and
  why do people thing it as extra ordinary and that
  they cant receive it?

8
The upper room

• There were a hundred and twenty people waiting
  without knowing what is going to happen but
  waiting in prayer because Jesus told them so.
• Tongues of flames rested on their heads and they
  spoke in tongues.
• Before that there was a gust of wind that blew
  the windows and shutters.
• Why tongues of fire and not something else?
• And they all spoke in tongues which the outsiders
  could understand it as praises to God.
• The 120 of them received all of them with no
  exception
• And they did nothing on their part
• Just received. It is Gods gift as Peter said
  later. Why do people now complain they dont
  receive?

9
Messed up Programme

• Jesus told them in Acts15 wait in Jerusalem
• They asked when will you give us the kingdom 16
• Again Jesus said, Wait and you will get power
  from above
• Did it answer their question? No. Possibly they
  did not understand. They asked for a kingdom and
  Jesus promised power. But they dare not ask again
  but preferred to obey
• They wanted power on earth earthly power. But
  Jesus gave them authority both of heaven and
  earth
• Was it true? Look at history

10
Records from History after Pentecost

• Disciples who were shut up for fear of the Jews
  came out
• A.D 33 Peter spoke to a crowd of three thousand
  and then to a crowd of 5000
• AD 33 Peter made a lame man to walk
• AD 33 Peter was locked up miraculously released
  by angel
• AD 35 Paul was seen by Jesus and baptized
• AD 35 Philip goes to Samaria doing signs and
  wonders
• AD43 Peter goes to Joppa and baptizes the heathen
• AD 53 Paul did great miracles in Syria and Turkey
• AD 53 Paul did great miracles in Ephesus that
  Diana worship was uprooted and magicians burnt
  their books and the very shadow of Paul could
  help sick to be healed
• AD 53 Paul thrown in prison but converted the
  jailor and his whole family got baptized Did
  Pentecost stop and without power?

11
What type of power

• Before Pentecost the disciple were shut up in the
  house for
• Fear of the Jews.
• Doubt if they continue ministry or should go
  back to fishing
• Worry as to what will happen to their future or
  safety
• These are the three things that bother the young
  generation
• Did Pentecost offer a solution?
• What could have messed up the whole programme?
  God had in mind a design for them They did not
  want to wait and went back to fishing a couple
  of weeks after resurrection. Jesus met Peter
  and his colleagues at that time on the shores of
  Galilee.
• Did it change their life pattern?
• Did they worry about their future or families
  after pentecost?
• Did they bow down before their enemies?

12
Message for the young

• Fifty years ago just after world war II there was
  famine all over the world. People stood in long
  queues for rations of rice kerosene or sugar
• There were no gadgets like washing machines,
  microwave no not even gas cookers
• People had to light fire wood stoves or ovens All
  these took long time
• People went to work early and came back home late
  in the evening. Yet they had more time with
  family and fun at the dining table and above all
  there were family prayers and time for bed time
  stories and bible reading
• Church attendance was great and church was a
  happy place of meeting
• The best part was there were no television no not
  even radios or computers
• No super markets to buy food stuff. Yet people
  still remember them as great days.

13
Should life style be better or worse

• It is a simple straight forward question With all
  modern gadgets should life style be easier or
  not.? If not why? In olden days-
• Dad did not carry home work from office
• Dad did not get a heavy pay packet
• Dad did not get holiday benefits
• Dad did not have perks. Dad did not have a car
  or a bike but went to office by cycle or walking
• There were not many buses or commuters
• Yet life was simple and a lot happier
• Do people now carry home their laptops and the
  home works and take late into night to finish
  work and so even the students
• Does mum find difficult to cope up and ask for
  food from joints
• We have 24 hour super markets yet stock things at
  home and in the Fridges We serve frozen food
  heated by microwave
• We hardly have a happy family meal except in
  restaurants

14
Could life be better?

• Do we draw some parallels between the garden
  scene and ours
• When and where did things go wrong?
• Since when the happy evening of restoration was
  lost
• And God became a distant far and confined to
  Sunday worship?
• Do we think we can handle our matters and God is
  not needed
• Then why we talk of blessings
• Do we head for a Godless situation
• Why does work turn unproductive inspite of long
  hours of toiling?

15
What can holy spirit offer?

• Joy we miss
• Rest we need
• fears that are unreal to fade
• Health and happiness we miss
• Worry about future and instability to vanish
• Doubt if God is still with us to melt

16
His functions

• Teaches
• Guides
• Comforts
• Cleanses
• Convicts
• Pleads
• Protects

17
Why people dont receive?

• People who fear
• Who criticize
• Who feel He will control
• They dont need
• They dont know what He does
• They dont deserve
• Who want to show off
• Who dont want to obey

18
How do we know we receive

• The manifestation of the fruits
• The desire for word
• The hatred for old life
• The fear to go back into sin
• The joy and peace world cannot give
• The desire to serve God
• The benefit of prayer life
• The confidence we are protected or taken care of

19
How did people receive?

• When peter preached and warned them and pleaded
  they were baptized and when they laid hands they
  recd.
• In Samaria when Philip preached and Peter came
  and laid hands on them
• Paul when Ananias prayed and baptized and laid
  hand recd with healing
• In Joppa at hose of Cornelius when they preached
  they received and then they were baptized
• In Iconium when the saw the persecutions and joy
  and received the word with faith they recd,
• In Philipi the jailor heard their singing at
  midnight an dafter the earth quake ran inside was
  baptized and recd
• In Ephesus they were baptized unto John and the
  were baptized again and recd with tongues

20
Why gift are needed?

• For personal edification
• For easy access to God
• For over coming fear worry and doubt
• For the benefit of church
• To confirm the word
• To show others the presence of a living God
• To know and fight the battles of enemy
• To grow continuously

21
What He expects

• Giver expects something from us also
• Thankfulness
• Unworthiness
• Humility
• Brokenness
• Obedience
• Patience
• Love
• Faith/ trust in Him

22
What are fruits?

• The proof of a tree or vegetation in good health
  is the fruit or out come or yield- good or bad
• To propagate
• To fulfill the plan/ expectations of the gardener
• To benefit the other order of creation
• Not for self benefit
• To be attractive and generous
• Unmindful of abuse

23
Nine gifts- three types

• Revelation- visions prophecy, interpretation and
  discernment
• Utterance Tongues, word of wisdom, word of
  knowledge
• Power faith, miracles, healing

24
Revelation

• Prophecy-Agabus for famine
• Revelation John the Baptist about Jesus,Simeon
  at temple, Samuel about Saul, Jonah for Nineveh,
  Paul of Corinth
• Visions Paul of Jesus, Joseph of future, Daniel
  of end times, Pharaoh for famine, Darius for
  destruction,
• Interpretation of tongues- Daniel

25
Utterance-speak

• What is the difference- authority and without
  meaning or knowledge
• In the old days the word mutterance was used.
  Whisper or murmur
• Tongues unknown language- not different- strange
  things- glorifying God
• Word of wisdom- timely without thinking for
  edification admonishing and correction-
  encourage
• Word of knowledge- scriptural based for teaching
  and growing

26
Faith- a gift?

• Faith to receive healing miracles help from God
• Why people dont receive- because they do not
  understand the meaning of gift.
• They do not understand the trouble is with them
  or there is too much trouble with them.
• They think God is not willing to give or
  something is not ready in them to receive or God
  gives only to some people
• They should see more miracle or read of it until
  their faith builds up for themselves.

27
Receiving and giving

• People want eminence but do not want to
  contribute or do anything
• Why people dont contribute because they have
  nothing to or
• They do not know what they have or
• They are not thankful what they have or
• They do not know to whom they serve
• In the wilderness they bountifully gave because
  they saw the shekinah before which every thing
  became insignificant and as dust

28
They are the same every where

• If they are unproductive or dissatisfied in the
  church they will be
• In their homes
• In their offices
• In their societies
• In their family
• In their town
• In their country
• And where God takes them to live or work

29
Art of giving

• Finding out what is the best for others
• Trying to give it away for God
• Understanding that you got it freely
• Believing it will be more useful there
• Hoping that you will receive bountifully
• Having the joy that it serves the Master to whom
  you owe everything in life.
• Feeling happy that He accepts even silly things
  from us.

30
The art of giving

• The more I have received make me feel God is
  trusting me more and more
• The more I give God is happy that I still hold
  the Giver as more important
• The freely I give I am lays ready for eternity.
• The more I give my dependence on things are
  tending to zero
• The more I give my love is liberated

31
Why people dont receive?

• People who fear
• Who criticize
• Who feel He will control
• They dont need
• They dont know what He does
• They dont deserve
• Who want to show off
• Who dont want to obey

32
How do we know we receive

• The manifestation of the fruits
• The desire for word
• The hatred for old life
• The fear to go back into sin
• The joy and peace world cannot give
• The desire to serve God
• The benefit of prayer life
• The confidence we are protected or taken care of

33
How did people receive?

• When peter preached and warned them and pleaded
  they were baptized and when they laid hands they
  recd.
• In Samaria when Philip preached and Peter came
  and laid hands on them
• Paul when Ananias prayed and baptized and laid
  hand recd with healing
• In Joppa at hose of Cornelius when they preached
  they received and then they were baptized
• In Iconium when the saw the persecutions and joy
  and received the word with faith they recd,
• In Philipi the jailor heard their singing at
  midnight an dafter the earth quake ran inside was
  baptized and recd
• In Ephesus they were baptized unto John and the
  were baptized again and recd with tongues

34
Why gift are needed?

• For personal edification
• For easy access to God
• For over coming fear worry and doubt
• For the benefit of church
• To confirm the word
• To show others the presence of a living God
• To know and fight the battles of enemy
• To grow continuously

35
What He expects

• Giver expects something from us also
• Thankfulness
• Unworthiness
• Humility
• Brokenness
• Obedience
• Patience
• Love
• Faith/ trust in Him

36
What are fruits?

• The proof of a tree or vegetation in good health
  is the fruit or out come or yield- good or bad
• To propagate
• To fulfill the plan/ expectations of the gardener
• To benefit the other order of creation
• Not for self benefit
• To be attractive and generous
• Unmindful of abuse

37
Nine gifts- three types

• Revelation- visions prophecy, interpretation and
  discernment
• Utterance Tongues, word of wisdom, word of
  knowledge
• Power faith, miracles, healing

38
Revelation

• Prophecy-Agabus for famine
• Revelation John the Baptist about Jesus,Simeon
  at temple, Samuel about Saul, Jonah for Nineveh,
  Paul of Corinth
• Visions Paul of Jesus, Joseph of future, Daniel
  of end times, Pharaoh for famine, Darius for
  destruction,
• Interpretation of tongues- Daniel

39
Utterance-speak

• What is the difference- authority and without
  meaning or knowledge
• In the old days the word mutterance was used.
  Whisper or murmur
• Tongues unknown language- not different- strange
  things- glorifying God
• Word of wisdom- timely without thinking for
  edification admonishing and correction-
  encourage
• Word of knowledge- scriptural based for teaching
  and growing

40
Faith- a gift?

• Faith to receive healing miracles help from God
• Why people dont receive- because they do not
  understand the meaning of gift.
• They do not understand the trouble is with them
  or there is too much trouble with them.
• They think God is not willing to give or
  something is not ready in them to receive or God
  gives only to some people
• They should see more miracle or read of it until
  their faith builds up for themselves.

41
Receiving and giving

• People want eminence but do not want to
  contribute or do anything
• Why people dont contribute because they have
  nothing to or
• They do not know what they have or
• They are not thankful what they have or
• They do not know to whom they serve
• In the wilderness they bountifully gave because
  they saw the shekinah before which every thing
  became insignificant and as dust

42
They are the same every where

• If they are unproductive or dissatisfied in the
  church they will be
• In their homes
• In their offices
• In their societies
• In their family
• In their town
• In their country
• And where God takes them to live or work

43
Art of giving

• Finding out what is the best for others
• Trying to give it away for God
• Understanding that you got it freely
• Believing it will be more useful there
• Hoping that you will receive bountifully
• Having the joy that it serves the Master to whom
  you owe everything in life.
• Feeling happy that He accepts even silly things
  from us.

44
The art of giving

• The more I have received make me feel God is
  trusting me more and more
• The more I give God is happy that I still hold
  the Giver as more important
• The freely I give I am lays ready for eternity.
• The more I give my dependence on things are
  tending to zero
• The more I give my love is liberated