The Holy Spirit
The Kivod
According to Hebrew thought the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in three ways - the Kivod, the Shekinah and the Ruach.
The Kivod is the radiance (or glory) of the Lord…
Daniel 10:5, 6
I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.
Matthew 17:2
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
Revelation 1:13-16
and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Before Jesus came to earth, while Jesus was on the earth and after Jesus rose from the earth His face and His garments shone like the sun because He was clothed in the glory of the Lord, He was clothed in the Kivod.
Before Adam and Eve sinned they were clothed in God’s radiance and they did not see their nakedness but after they sinned the Spirit, the Kivod, left them and they saw that they were naked…
Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai his face shone with the radiance of the Kivod…
Exodus 34:29
It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.
The Shekinah
The Shekinah is the indwelling presence of the Lord…
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
When the Lord created Adam and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, He breathed His Spirit, the Shekinah, into Adam and Adam became a living being. It is only through the indwelling of the Shekinah that you and I became living beings, we have no life of our own.
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
When you and I were born again of the Spirit the Shekinah came to dwell within us.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ephesians 4:30
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Paul says that we are temples of the Shekinah and it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us who seals us for all eternity as the Father’s children.
The Ruach
The Ruach is the power of the Lord…
Genesis 1:1, 2
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
In Genesis 1 when the Lord spoke the universe into existence it was the power of the Ruach moving over the surface of the waters that caused the universe to come into being.
It was also the power of the Ruach which allowed Moses to part the Red Sea, gave Samson his strength, allowed Elijah to raise the widow’s son from the dead, gave Solomon his wisdom and empowered the Old Testament prophets to declare the things which the Lord had revealed to them.
John 1:32
John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.”
Luke 6:19
And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.
Luke 8:46
But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.”
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and He had the Shekinah from birth, but it wasn’t until after the Ruach descended upon Him as a dove at His baptism that He received the power to perform His miracles.
John 20:21, 22
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to the disciples and when He breathed on them they received the Shekinah.
Acts 1:7, 8
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
However, it wasn’t until 50 days later, during the festival of Pentecost, that the disciples received the power of the Ruach.
The Kivod radiates outward, the Shekinah dwells within and the Ruach rests upon, comes upon or falls upon.
The Kivod and the Ruach may come and go but the Shekinah remains forever.
When you and I became believers and we were born again of the Spirit we received the Shekinah and became sealed as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father forever.
When we experience the love, joy and peace of the Father we clothe ourselves in the Kivod and radiate His love, joy and peace out to the world around us.
And there are times when the Ruach falls upon us and we receive a word of wisdom or the power to heal or the power to perform some other miracle.
So…
Do you radiate the love of the Father?
Does the Shekinah dwell within you?
Has the power of the Ruach fallen upon you?
Living Water
Throughout the Bible there are many symbols for the Holy Spirit and these symbols paint us a picture and help us to understand who the Holy Spirit is and what role He plays in our lives.
John 7:37-39
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Living water (or mayim chayim in Hebrew) is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Both water and the Holy Spirit represents rebirth and new life.
It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to salvation. And not only did He give us life when we first believed but today and every day the Holy Spirit continues to renew our spirits. He refreshes us, restores us and re-energizes us spiritually (if we allow Him to and do not quench Him).
In Jesus’ day before the people entered the Temple they would immerse themselves in immersion baths located outside the Temple gates. Imagine how the cool water would refresh them and awaken their senses preparing them to come into the presence of the Lord, ready to praise, honor and worship Him.
Just as water refreshes and revitalizes us physically the Holy Spirit refreshes and renews us spiritually…
Isaiah 12:2, 3
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.
Isaiah 44:3, 4
“For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.”
John 4:13, 14
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
As you and I learn to walk in the Spirit He will fill us with Himself and renew us with His life and out of our innermost being will indeed flow rivers of living water springing up to eternal life.
So…
Have you drawn water from the springs of salvation?
Do rivers of living water flow from your innermost being?
Oil
Water is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit as He brings us to salvation and renews our spirits each day.
Luke 10:33, 34
“But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.”
Oil is another symbol of the Holy Spirit. Oil was poured onto a wound or sore to protect it and help heal it.
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
Another translation of the word Helper is Comforter. As oil soothes and heals our physical wounds the Holy Spirit comforts us and helps to soothe and heal our emotional and spiritual wounds.
1 Samuel 16:13a
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.
A king or a priest was anointed with oil when they took on the duties and responsibilities of that office. In this case oil symbolizes power and authority.
Luke 24:49
“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The promise of My Father is a Hebrew expression for the Holy Spirit who clothes you and me with power from on high. The Holy Spirit gives us power and authority - power and authority over sin and Satan and power and authority to overcome the hardships, trials and tribulations of our everyday life. And sometimes the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural power to perform a miracle or to speak a word of prophecy (if we allow Him to and do not quench Him).
Leviticus 24:1, 2
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.”
In the Holy Place of the Tabernacle stood the Golden Lampstand which symbolized the light of the world and only the purest of oil was used to keep the lamp burning.
Matthew 5:14, 15
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
You and I are lights of the world and it is the pure and clear oil of the Holy Spirit who dwells and burns within us that causes us to shine.
So…
Has the Holy Spirit comforted you?
Have you been clothed with power from on high?
How brightly does the Holy Spirit shine within you?
Fire
Water and oil can give us insight and understanding into who the Holy Spirit is and the work that He performs in our lives.
Water symbolizes the renewing, restoring and revitalizing work of the Holy Spirit as He gives us new life, His life.
Oil symbolizes the comforting and healing work of the Holy Spirit and it also symbolizes the power and authority which He bestows upon us - power and authority to overcome the world. It is also the oil of the Holy Spirit burning within us which causes us to shine as lights in this dark world.
Matthew 3:11
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Fire is another symbol of the Holy Spirit. Fire represents the purifying and refining work of the Holy Spirit, something which is sometimes painful - like a burning fire.
Malachi 3:2, 3
“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.”
You and I are sons and daughters of Levi and the Spirit’s desire is to refine us as pure gold (if we allow Him to and do not quench Him).
John 16:7, 8
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;”
The Holy Spirit desires to conform us into the image of Jesus by convicting us of the sin and impurity in our lives - burning it away with His holy and righteous fire.
The Holy Spirit’s desire is to purify you and me - to make us clean and white so that He may present us to Jesus, our Bridegroom, as His pure and holy Bride.
Revelation 19:7, 8
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
As fire refines the gold, burning away the dross, the Holy Spirit refines you and me burning away the sin in our lives - the sin which separates us from our Bridegroom.
So…
Been in the fire lately?
How pure and holy are you?
Dove
Water, oil and fire symbolize the nature and work of the Holy Spirit.
Water represents His ability to bring forth new life within us. Oil represents His role as Comforter and how He causes us to shine as lights in the world. His oil also gives us power and authority which enables us to walk in righteousness before the Father. Fire represents the purifying and refining work of the Holy Spirit which He performs in our hearts and lives ridding us of sin and conforming us into the image of Jesus.
John 1:32, 33
John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’”
The dove is another symbol of the Holy Spirit. The dove represents peace and gentleness. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the peace which surpasses all understanding even in those difficult times which we may encounter in life.
It is also thought by some that the dove represents the feminine nature of God. And it is through the gentle cooing of a dove or the sound of a gentle blowing that the Holy Spirit speaks to you and me (if we allow Him to and do not quench Him)…
1 Kings 19:12, 13
After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
As we learn to walk in the Spirit we will begin to recognize the sound of the gentle blowing of the Holy Spirit’s voice.
According to Hebrew thought the dove’s vision is such that it can only look straight ahead focusing it’s attention on what is in front of it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit focuses only on Jesus, bearing witness of Him and guiding us to Him.
John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
As the dove is gentle and symbolizes peace so also the Holy Spirit speaks gently to us and gives us His peace. And as the dove can only look straight ahead so also the Holy Spirit looks straight ahead to Jesus and guides us to Him.
So…
Have you heard the gentle cooing of a dove?
Have you heard the sound of a gentle blowing?
Have you experienced the peace of the Holy Spirit?
Has the Holy Spirit guided you to Jesus?
Wind
The Holy Spirit speaks to you and me by the sound of a gentle blowing.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
The wind is yet another symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit is Ruach haKodesh which literally means the Holy Wind.
The wind speaks of the ability to change things. And when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being born of the Spirit, He said…
John 3:8
“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The wind cannot be seen, we can only see the effects of it - whether it be a leaf stirring on a tree or the ripples on a pond or the aftermath of a hurricane or tornado.
So it is with the Holy Spirit - we cannot see Him, we can only see the effect He has on the lives of those who believe and have learned to listen for the sound of a gentle blowing.
When you and I learn to walk in the Spirit our hearts and our lives will be changed - we will experience His life, we will experience His healing, we will experience His power, we will experience His holiness and purity, we will experience His peace. We will no longer do some of the things which we used to do and we will now do things which we never did before.
When you and I learn to walk in the Spirit our hearts and our lives will be transformed - some of us like a leaf stirring on a tree and others of us like a hurricane or tornado.
So…
Has the Holy Wind blown in your heart and life?
Roles of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
What does the Holy Spirit do?
Luke 12:11, 12
“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
John 16:13, 14
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
John 16:7-11
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
So what does the Holy Spirit do?
He teaches us all things.
He brings to our remembrance all that Jesus has said.
He testifies about Jesus.
He guides us into all the truth.
He discloses to us what is to come.
He glorifies Jesus.
He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.
Joel 2:28, 29
It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
So…
Has the Holy Spirit been poured out on you?
The Spirit Within Us
Matthew 7:28, 29
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Who was it that gave Jesus the authority and the words to speak?
John 12:49
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”
It was the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah dwelling within Him) which gave Jesus the authority and the words to speak.
Matthew 9:6-8
“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Who was it that gave Jesus the authority to forgive sins?
John 5:30
“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
It was the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah dwelling within Him) which gave Jesus the authority to forgive sins.
Mark 4:39
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
Who was it that allowed Jesus to calm the sea?
John 5:19
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
It was the Holy Spirit (the Ruach resting upon Him) which allowed Jesus to calm the sea.
John 11:43, 44
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Who was it that allowed Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead?
John 10:17, 18
“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
It was the Holy Spirit (the Ruach resting upon Him) which allowed Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus could do nothing on His own initiative. The things which Jesus said and the things which Jesus did were accomplished by the Holy Spirit - by the Shekinah which dwelled within Him and by the Ruach which rested upon Him.
Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus was led by the Spirit. He yielded His own will to the will of the Spirit who told Him what to do and what to say.
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
The same Spirit that dwells within Jesus also dwells within you and me. And we must learn to follow Jesus’ example.
John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Just as Jesus could do nothing on His own initiative we too must learn to do nothing on our own initiative. Just as Jesus was led by the Spirit you and I must learn how to be led by the Spirit. And just as Jesus yielded His will to the will of the Spirit you and I must learn to yield our will to the will of the Spirit who will tell us what to do and what to say.
John 14:12
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
Jesus said that you and I would be able to do even greater works than He but we will only be able to accomplish these works when we have learned to be led by the Spirit and yield our own will to the will of the Spirit.
Apart from Jesus we can do nothing.
So…
Have you learned to be led by the Spirit?
Have you yielded your will to the will of the Spirit?
Genesis 2:7
The Breath of Life
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
When the Lord created Adam and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, He breathed His Spirit, the Shekinah, into Adam and Adam became a living being.
John 20:21, 22
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
After Jesus’ resurrection He gathered His disciples and when He breathed on them they received the Shekinah and became living beings.
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
When you and I first believed and were born again of the Spirit the Father breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, the Shekinah, and for the first time in our lives we became living beings.
It is only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that you and I become living beings in the eyes of our Father. We have no life of our own.
So…
Has the breath of life been breathed into your nostrils?
Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you?
Are you a living being?
John 8:28, 29
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
The secret to living a fulfilled life pleasing to the Father is the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
You and I must learn to listen for the voice of the Spirit who will teach us all things, guide us into all the truth and disclose to us what is to come.
John 5:19
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 12:49
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”
You and I must learn to obey the voice of the Spirit. We must learn to do the things that He does and say the things that He says, just as Jesus did.
So…
Do you hear the voice of the Spirit?
Do you obey Him?
When the Lord created Adam and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, He breathed His Spirit, the Shekinah, into Adam and Adam became a living being.
John 20:21, 22
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
After Jesus’ resurrection He gathered His disciples and when He breathed on them they received the Shekinah and became living beings.
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
When you and I first believed and were born again of the Spirit the Father breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, the Shekinah, and for the first time in our lives we became living beings.
It is only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that you and I become living beings in the eyes of our Father. We have no life of our own.
So…
Has the breath of life been breathed into your nostrils?
Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you?
Are you a living being?
The Secret
John 8:28, 29
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
The secret to living a fulfilled life pleasing to the Father is the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
You and I must learn to listen for the voice of the Spirit who will teach us all things, guide us into all the truth and disclose to us what is to come.
John 5:19
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 12:49
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”
You and I must learn to obey the voice of the Spirit. We must learn to do the things that He does and say the things that He says, just as Jesus did.
So…
Do you hear the voice of the Spirit?
Do you obey Him?
One with the Spirit
Luke 12:11, 12
“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Luke 21:12-15
“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”
In the first passage it says that the Holy Spirit will teach us but in the second passage it says that Jesus will give us utterance and wisdom.
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
Jesus said that He would send us a Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will abide with us and be in us.
John 14:23
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
Jesus said that He and the Father will make Their abode with us.
John 17:20, 21
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Jesus said that we will be in Him and that we will all be one.
So what does all of this mean?
It means that Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit are One.
It means that Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit will be in us and we will be in Them.
It means that you and I are one with each other.
All because the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah) came to dwell within us when we first believed.
So…
Are you one with the Spirit?
Luke 2:52
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”
Jesus did not know everything there is to know instantaneously at birth. As Jesus grew up He increased in wisdom and was taught by the Father.
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah) you and I can also increase in wisdom and be taught by the Father. The Spirit can guide us and disclose to us what is to come.
But how does the Spirit guide us and disclose to us what is to come?
1 Kings 19:12
After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
The Spirit can teach us and guide us when we learn to quiet our flesh and listen for the sound of a gentile blowing - the voice of the Spirit.
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
So…
Have you heard the sound of a gentle blowing?
Have you been taught all things?
There is a difference between knowledge, wisdom and truth.
Knowledge is the memorization of facts and figures.
Wisdom is the understanding of how knowledge works and fits together.
Truth goes far beyond knowledge and wisdom. In truth there is power…
Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
When the Spirit of God spoke it was the truth in His words which let there be light. It was the truth in His words which brought the universe into existence. The power of truth can alter reality.
Mark 4:39
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
When Jesus spoke it was the truth in His words which calmed the sea. The power of truth can alter reality.
John 11:43, 44
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
When Jesus spoke it was the truth in His words which raised Lazarus from the dead. The power of truth can alter reality.
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Jesus often referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth and He was speaking of the power of the Spirit. It is the power of the Spirit, the power of His truth, which can alter our reality.
John 4:23, 24
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
You and I must learn to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Because when we can do this the Spirit will give us His truth, the Spirit will give us His power and the Spirit will alter our reality.
So…
Do you worship in spirit and truth?
Joel 2:28, 29
“It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Matthew 22:37
And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.”
Most people think that this last passage of Scripture spoken by Jesus is a commandment - that we are to willfully choose and commit ourselves to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. However, this is not a commandment but rather it is a prophecy.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I truly realize that the Lord is who He says He is.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I truly understand that the Father loves us unconditionally.
It is a prophecy of the day when these revelations will cause you and me to love Abba with all of our heart, soul and mind.
It is a prophecy of the day when the Law will be written on our hearts.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I will live in the Spirit.
So…
Do you love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind?
Do you live in the Spirit?
Taught by the Father
Luke 2:52
And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”
Jesus did not know everything there is to know instantaneously at birth. As Jesus grew up He increased in wisdom and was taught by the Father.
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah) you and I can also increase in wisdom and be taught by the Father. The Spirit can guide us and disclose to us what is to come.
But how does the Spirit guide us and disclose to us what is to come?
1 Kings 19:12
After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
The Spirit can teach us and guide us when we learn to quiet our flesh and listen for the sound of a gentile blowing - the voice of the Spirit.
John 14:26
“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 that I said to you.”
So…
Have you heard the sound of a gentle blowing?
Have you been taught all things?
The Power of Truth
There is a difference between knowledge, wisdom and truth.
Knowledge is the memorization of facts and figures.
Wisdom is the understanding of how knowledge works and fits together.
Truth goes far beyond knowledge and wisdom. In truth there is power…
Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
When the Spirit of God spoke it was the truth in His words which let there be light. It was the truth in His words which brought the universe into existence. The power of truth can alter reality.
Mark 4:39
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
When Jesus spoke it was the truth in His words which calmed the sea. The power of truth can alter reality.
John 11:43, 44
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
When Jesus spoke it was the truth in His words which raised Lazarus from the dead. The power of truth can alter reality.
John 14:16, 17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Jesus often referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth and He was speaking of the power of the Spirit. It is the power of the Spirit, the power of His truth, which can alter our reality.
John 4:23, 24
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
You and I must learn to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Because when we can do this the Spirit will give us His truth, the Spirit will give us His power and the Spirit will alter our reality.
So…
Do you worship in spirit and truth?
In the Spirit
Joel 2:28, 29
“It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Matthew 22:37
And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.”
Most people think that this last passage of Scripture spoken by Jesus is a commandment - that we are to willfully choose and commit ourselves to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. However, this is not a commandment but rather it is a prophecy.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I truly realize that the Lord is who He says He is.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I truly understand that the Father loves us unconditionally.
It is a prophecy of the day when these revelations will cause you and me to love Abba with all of our heart, soul and mind.
It is a prophecy of the day when the Law will be written on our hearts.
It is a prophecy of the day when you and I will live in the Spirit.
So…
Do you love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind?
Do you live in the Spirit?
