THE RIVER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
(First part)
Memory verse (John 7: 38-39): " He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive "
The Holy Spirit has characterized all workings of God through man on earth since creation. All men who were used by God, like Moses and in his ministry we see the Holy Spirit’s dealings, when Moses brought 70 elders to God, He took of the Spirit upon Moses and distributed to the 70 men and they began to prophesy (Numb11: 16-30).
The Scriptures talk of Joshua as a man full of wisdom because Moses had laid his hand upon him (Deut34: 9). We read of the Judges, like Gideon, Samson, Jephthah etc upon whom the Holy Spirit came mightily and they did great things. We see kings who were anointed and the Spirit of God came upon them, like David, Saul, and Jehu etc. The Bible has record of the prophets who spoke not by themselves but by the Holy Spirit (2Pet1: 20). In fact Prophet Zechariah spoke to Zerubbabel that it is not by power or by might but by the Holy Spirit (Zech4: 6). We have the record of John the Baptist, the man who received the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. We read of our savior Jesus who was baptized by the Holy Spirit after being baptized in water in river Jordan (Luk4: 1,14-19). John the Baptist made this point clear that Jesus would baptize us who believe in with the Holy Spirit and fire (Mtt3: 11). Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he commanded his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were filled with the Holy Spirit and he promised them that when the Holy Spirit come upon them they would receive the power and they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the utmost parts of the earth (Acts1:8). On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus and from that day they began to turn their world upside down. They preached the gospel and multitudes were converted, churches were planted from city to city, the hands of the apostles performed miracles, signs and wonders, healings happened and demons were cast out. God works through man by the Holy Spirit.
Do you want to be used by God to touch your generation; then open up your heart wide and let him fill you with the Holy Spirit (Ps 81: 10).
Tomorrow’s subject: “ Are you thirsty and hungry? ”
