A Better Deal : Bishop Tony Samuels
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. - John 16:7 (AMP)
The Holy Spirit coming is Heaven invading earth; and for those who call on the Name of the Lord, it’s Heaven invading their lives. Acts 2:1-2 says, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Today, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, which is the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It represents the day the water broke, and the Church of Jesus Christ was born. 120 people who believed what Jesus said were the first recipients to receive the promise in the Upper Room. We are not waiting for the Holy Spirit; He is here, and ready to assist us. He is ready to move on our behalf.
In the Old Testament, they celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. This was a celebration that occurred fifty days after the Passover celebration; it was a celebration of the harvest that God had given, and they honored the Lord with the first fruits of the harvest. The Holy Spirit coming is God giving us the first fruits of our salvation. Look at what Ephesians 1:13-16 says about this: Now we have been stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. He is given to us like an engagement ring, as the first installment of what’s coming! He is our hope-promise of a future inheritance which seals us until we have all of redemption’s promises and experience complete freedom—all for the supreme glory and honor of God! Wow, wow and wow! The Holy Spirit is like God’s engagement ring to us. He seals us; it’s like a ring you can’t get off your finger! If you ever doubt His love for you, just feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit. That’s your ring; that’s your proof that He loves you and is coming back for His Bride.
The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the Helper, the Comforter, and the Intercessor. In Genesis, it says that the Spirit hovered over the face of the earth, and that the earth was without form and void; darkness covered the deep. That’s good news…a bad-looking situation cannot cancel out or diminish the Presence of God. Even in the midst of that darkness, the Bible says that God began to speak, and the Spirit of God began to manifest what God said. The Spirit began to create Heaven on the earth. You see, the Spirit of God is always ready to work, but we can’t work against Him; we have to give Him something to work with. We have to give Him our prayers, our words; we give Him our worship; we give Him our intercession, and He will begin to create Heaven on earth in our lives.
The Holy Spirit also does a work in us…the work of sanctification, which means to set apart. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says, God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through the sanctifying work of the Spirit [that sets you apart for God’s purpose] and by your faith in the truth [of God’s word that leads you to spiritual maturity]. Without allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work of sanctification in our lives, we will never be able to walk in the purpose of God for lives. Remember, we have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Your degree of sanctification will be determined by your degree of surrender. Your surrender is displayed by your reaction to Gods truth. Do you fight against it, or do you surrender to it?
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us, and we can receive the Holy Spirit in greater measure by simply asking. Look at Luke 11:13: If imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him. God want us to walk in the fullness of His Spirit; He wants us to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. He wants us to walk in power and authority. He wants it for us, and for all those that come into contact with us. So today, we ask the Lord to baptize us afresh in the Holy Spirit, so we can be mighty witnesses for Jesus. I pray you realize that God has given us a better deal.
Be Blessed!
