Category: The Holy Spirit

Luke 11:13 (NKJV) 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

The power of the Holy Spirit is ours for the asking. God gives without prejudice.

And to be clear, this is about more than just seeing miracles and mighty moves of God in mass numbers.

This has personal implications that are far greater than most of us realize.

The impact of the Holy Spirit on our daily lives and our relationship with God cannot be stressed enough.

On a personal level, submitting to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit will cause us to grow spiritually in ways that we might never imagine.

He empowers us to break free of things that may have had a hold on us for months, years, or even decades.

Strongholds, addictions, fears, weak faith, a lack of understanding about certain things, etc., can all be removed permanently from our lives when we submit to the Holy Spirit.

Physical illnesses, diseases, and conditions of impairment can be healed instantly.

He teaches us to have mercy and compassion toward others. He teaches us how to pray.

And the list goes on.

I can personally testify to how rapidly I grew spiritually when I allowed the Holy Spirit to get ahold of me. It was mind blowing.

So, how does this happen?

We get serious with God, we sincerely repent if we have previously failed to do so. And we ask Him to fall upon us, filling us and empowering us to walk obediently.

We set Him free to move in our lives, not just in our actions, but also in our words.

We allow Him to speak through us, whether in our native language, which we and others can easily understand, or in tongues, the heavenly dialog which allows us to “speak mysteries in the spirit” which men do not understand.

1 Corinthians 14:2 (NKJV) 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

Overall, the Holy Spirit should not be ignored or pushed off because we don’t understand Him or His application in our lives.

Doing so will cost us in more ways than we realize. And it will cost others who may benefit from us allowing Him to move and work in us.

Do not wait. Submit to Him. Seek Him. Invite Him to fall on you, and let Him fill you.

Every one of us needs Him to be prevalent in our lives, so that we may put an end to mediocre living, learning to live and move by His power every day.

We hope this series has been uplifting and informative, bringing you new understanding on this vital topic.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Acts 3:12 (NKJV) 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

As Peter and John were headed to the temple for prayer, they encountered a man who was lame from birth, and could not walk.

The man routinely laid on the streets and begged.

As Peter and John approached him, he asked them for money.

Peter spoke to the man with authority and told the man to look at him.

As the man made eye contact with them, Peter told him that they had no money to give to him. Instead, Peter spoke and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk”.

And as Peter took him by the hand and lifted him up, the man was healed and began to walk and leap for joy, praising God as he proceeded to the temple with them!

Why do we not see these types of acts today?

Largely because our faith has been tainted; watered down to the point of mostly being impotent.

The cares of the world have crept in, causing us to replace our time with God with work, busyness and other things that carry no importance in the kingdom of God.

False teachings have permeated the church, telling us that these miracles were only for the early church to build their faith and help bring people in as new believers.

Part of that same false doctrine tells us that these signs were only for the 12 original Apostles. But we can see from scripture that this is not true.

As believers, we have mostly failed to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit by the choices we make. And our lives reflect this in the lack of signs, wonders, and miracles.

But it does not have to be this way!

Every new day that arrives is an opportunity for us to change this; to do something about it. To bring the power and might of the Holy Spirit back into our lives again.

How do we do that?

We will discuss that tomorrow as we wrap up this series.

We hope you will join us!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

As the effects of what took place began to be realized, there came a great spiritual awakening among both Jews and Gentiles.

Peter spoke to the crowds who had gathered, and his words were tremendously received, as three thousand were added to the church (body of Christ) that day.

It also became clear that the Holy Spirit was not just for the Jews who believed, but also for the uncircumcised (Gentiles), as we see later in Acts 10:44-46, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles, and they spoke in tongues and magnified God.

One other point that needs to be made is the fact that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not just for the Apostles, as some might say.

He was poured out onto many who were not Apostles, as is confirmed in several places in the word of God, including Acts 10:47.

Acts 10:47 (NKJV) 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

The people who experienced this outpouring of the Holy Spirit were everyday people who were not Apostles, nor were they previously disciples. This shows us that there is no prejudice about who can receive the Spirit.

As these events played out, it become obvious that the Holy Spirit was becoming a major part of what God was doing as part of His new covenant with believers.

It was also clear that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was empowering all who received Him, as the hearts of thousands upon thousands of people were changed and many miracles were taking place.

It is important for us to understand that what happened in the early church was not intended to stop.

The Holy Spirit is just as alive today as He was then. And His ability to breathe fire into the lives of believers is still valid.

Why, then, do we see such a lack of Holy Spirit-inspired activity today? Why are we not experiencing an abundance of miracles such as what we witnessed in the book of Acts?

That’s a good question to dig into tomorrow. Please be sure to join us then.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

As Jesus met with the disciples and other believers after His resurrection, He clearly directed them to go to Jerusalem and wait there.

What were they to wait for?

The promise of the Father which you have heard from me; the Holy Spirit with whom you shall be baptized “not many days from now”.

Jesus had mentioned this promise to His disciples previously in other verses as well.

It is important to note that Jesus didn’t spend His time after being raised from the dead rehashing many of the things He had taught to make sure they understood them.

Instead, He showed Himself to them to prove He was alive. And as He prepared to leave to be with the Father, He commanded them to go and wait for the promise He had previously spoken about.

His followers obeyed Him. And several days later the Holy Spirit fell upon them, changing the course of humanity forever.

The 120 people who were there together were never the same after that day.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Suffice it to say that this was likely something none of them expected.

It was not that they doubted what Jesus told them would happen.

But the way the Holy Spirit fell upon them was something they could not possibly have been prepared for.

Fall upon them He did, though. And the impact of this event spilled over into the surrounding area.

More to come on Monday…

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Luke 24:49 (NKJV) 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Power.

Let’s discuss this important word in a little more depth than it would appear to warrant.

As we left off yesterday, we had just begun to talk about the fact that the Holy Spirit empowers us.

Today, we will dig in and uncover what that means.

In the Bible there were four different words used for power.

Dunamis: energy, power, might, great force, great ability.

Exousia: delegated authority.

Ischuros: great strength, (especially physical).

Kraits: dominion authority.

Dunamis is the word used for power in the verse above (Luke 24:49).

When Jesus made the promise of being endued with power (dunamis) from on high, He was referring to the greatest of the 4 different power words.

Dunamis is used 117 times in the New Testament. It is distinctly different than the other three power words.

Dunamis is an indwelling, inherent force. As it flows out of a person, it gives them the ability to do supernatural things that are otherwise impossible. Miracles flow out of dunamis power.

It could be described as divine power that overcomes all resistance. Nothing can withstand it.

A related word would be dynamite.

Jesus gave us a walking, real-life illustration of dunamis power in action.

The (dunamis) power in Jesus resulted in irrefutable, incredibly dramatic transformations in anyone He encountered who allowed Him to touch their lives.

This should be the norm for the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led believer.

This is the power that the Holy Spirit brings to the lives of every believer who receives Him.

By now, we should be seeing much more clearly why we need to better understand who the Holy Spirit is and why we desperately need Him to be active in our lives.

More about this tomorrow!

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV) 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

As Jesus prepared the disciples for His departure, He began to teach them about what would transpire.

While He did not give them specific details as to how it would all play out, He assured them that that God would equip them by giving them the Holy Spirit; their Helper.

We need to take a closer look at what Jesus meant when He referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper.

The most obvious reason for calling Him such was that He would in fact help them, in more ways than they could even comprehend at that moment.

Just as importantly, He would bring them comfort.

The Greek word used for Helper in John 14:26, which we quoted at the opening of yesterday’s devotional, was Parakletos.

Parakletos literally means comforter. So, not only is the Holy Spirit our Helper, but He is also our Comforter.

He empowers, He reminds, He guides, He comforts.

This is no small matter.

As believers, it is vital that we understand the Holy Spirit’s importance in our lives.

He was not just sent to empower and help the original disciples, nor just the twelve apostles. He was sent for all believers, to help us, comfort us, empower us, and guide us.

That means you and me. He was sent for every true believer.

As believers, it is utterly impossible for us to live fruitful lives without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Anything less is merely human intellect (head knowledge), trying to walk out what the Bible teaches based on our own finite understanding and feeble human strength, which falls far short of what God desires for us.

We have been commissioned to live lives of power and significance. Doing so based on our own capabilities is impossible. It cannot be done.

But with the Holy Spirit, we can do everything that God has called us to do. And we can do it to the fullest.

Why?

Because the Holy Spirit empowers us. He gives us the power needed to glorify God in ways that human flesh cannot do.

Tomorrow let’s talk about that power.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

John 14:26 (NKJV) 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Now that we have firmly established (in yesterday’s devotional) the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Old Testament, let’s move ahead and dig into His presence and His work in the New Testament.

One of the first undeniable appearances of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament was at the baptism of Jesus.

Luke 3:22 (NKJV) 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

This verse is also a perfect example of the Trinity, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present.

Looking back to the verse at the beginning of this devotional, we see that Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”.

This was critical for them.

It not only assured them that He (the Holy Spirit) would empower them for the difficult journey ahead, but that He would also give them everything they needed to write the various epistles that God had placed within them to write.

Those epistles would be collected and canonized into the New Testament that you and I rely so heavily on today. The revelation and understanding that can be gleaned from them is nothing short of miraculous.

They are truly God-breathed.

Jesus told the disciples of great feats that they and other believers would accomplish after His ascension to heaven. These were all made possible solely by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here is what he said:

Mark 16:17 (NKJV) 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

He was clearly preparing them for a work that would be unlike anything they had ever seen or ever believed could be accomplished through them.

And it would all be carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Helper whom Jesus had promised would come.

This is starting to get interesting!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Genesis 1:2 (NKJV) 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Welcome back. Let’s forge ahead and learn more about the Holy Spirit!

While the word, “hovering”, usually implies something holding a fixed position in mid-air, without any horizontal or vertical movement, the connotation in the verse immediately above is that He was sweeping or moving rather than staying stationary.

Some might describe the Holy Spirit as like the “executive arm” of the Trinity. The Father speaks and the Holy Spirit is the Agent by Whom things happen to fulfill what the Father has spoken.

So, during the creation process, the Holy Spirit was busy, to say the least.

Think of the Holy Spirit as the conduit through which creation took place!

Jesus (the Son) was also present and active in the creation process, as noted in several scriptures throughout the Bible. This creates a beautiful picture of the Trinity working in perfect unity.

John 1:1-3 (NKJV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

That scripture alone proves the presence of Jesus at the beginning, playing an equal role in the creation of all that we see, because Jesus is referred to as “the Word” in several places in the word of God.

Again, we see the unity of the Trinity in full operation.

In the Old Testament, there are three instances of the phrase, “Holy Spirit”.

The prophet Joel specifically mentioned God’s Spirit in a well-known Old Testament prophecy.

Joel 2:28 (NKJV) 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.

In the book of Numbers (11:17), God spoke with Moses and told him that He would “take of the Spirit that is upon you” and “put the same upon” the seventy elders who were chosen to help Moses lead the people of Israel.

And look at what happened when the Holy Spirit was placed upon those seventy elders. They prophesied!

Numbers 11:25 (NKJV) 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

We are beginning to see a common thread when it comes to the presence of the Holy Spirit; good and powerful things happen.

We will continue with more tomorrow. See you then.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!