I want to tell you about the Person I love the most in the entire world: the Holy Spirit!
I received the Holy Spirit of God at a young age because I believed Jesus and His Word:
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 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. ( John 14: 15-17 Bible online NIV)
There are many good churches but the most wonderful churches, organisations and people are in my opinion the ones that operate in the gifts of the Spirit:
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. ( 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NIV)
If we as human beings want to live together peacefully and happy we need to love each other and the Holy Spirit helps us to love, because God is love:
God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5b NIV)
This love makes the Spirit of God the most desirable and beautiful Being there is.
There is another side to the Spirit for those who continually reject the voice of God and want to make their own rules:
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John (the Baptist) might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. (Luke 3: 15-18 NIV)
9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Luke 3:9 NIV)
I was baptised with the Holy Spirit in 1986 and a few years later I had many experiences of God filling me with fire, often I felt a heat in my body that was very real and that was burning so hot that my skin became red.
God loves to save and heal people but there are also reports about the Holy Spirit killing persons who are rebellious. This happened here in the early church :
Ananias and Sapphira
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. (Acts 5:1-10 NIV)
In the end of times the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 will kill the enemies of Jesus in a likewise manner. Please escape the wrath of Christ by accepting Him, for He alone is God, He has all power.
I end this little Bible study with one of the poems that I have written about the Holy Spirit:
The Sweetest Being
The starry sky shines brightly in the night
She crowns the sun-filled day that was inclined
To bring good times of pleasure and delight
The stars are shimmering in blackishness refined.
The crown of stars resembles the Most Sweet
It's lights are like His many gifts of grace
The splendid Spirit splashes on the earth
In Him the gifts of Scriptures one can read.
The Ghost of God, all-soaring being Present
Is loving, powerful, and gently to all speaks
Nine gifts He brings after the seven weeks
With seven powers His nine fruits He seeks.
