Welcome back to 'The Nathan Report'. Hope you all had a wonderful week. Today is a very special day, "The Feast of The Pentecost". We started off with powerful praise and worship. Here is the list of worship songs:
1) Welcome Holy Spirit - Anomynous
2) Revival Fire - Lindell Cooley
3) Revive us again - Traditional Hymn
4) Eagle's Wings - Hillsong United
5) Breathe - Vineyard Music
It was a powerful session. Really enjoyable sound for the soul. There were no announcements today. Before we went for the main sermon, pastor started off with a quote, "Work of Holy Spirit is very important in our life. Holy Spirit is the third person of the God Head. Holy Spirit is not "it", Holy Spirit is "He".
As you all know, we have a themed pattern of service at "The River of Life Assembly". Today's theme in contrast of this month's theme is "What Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit?"
Around 2000 years ago, 120 people were gathered together in the upper room – perhaps eating and praying together – God sent the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus had told them was going to happen as described in Acts 1:4-5, "4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
We have a reference from John 7:37-39
"37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
On the last day of the feast , the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fullness in Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water. The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit we do not expect, but for his more common and more valuable influences we may apply. These streams have flowed from our glorified Redeemer, down to this age, and to the remote corners of the earth. May we be anxious to make them known to others.
There were three major feasts as described in Deut 16:
- Passover (Pesach)
"Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God: for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you from out of Egypt by night." (Deuteronomy 16: 1)
Passover occurred on the fourteenth day, first month. This is the month of Abib (Nissan) which was the beginning of their sacred year. It celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt, the land of slavery. It also celebrates the deliverance of the world from sin when Jesus died during Passover.
- Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) (Shavuot or Shavu'ot)
"And you shall count to you from the morning after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even to the morning after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days; and you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD." (Leviticus 23: 15-16)
According to Jewish tradition Shavout, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost marks the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai on tables of stone. It began fifty days after the wave sheaf. It also marked the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church on the day of Pentecost to write the law on flesh (in our hearts). Pentecost is the fulfillment of the promise to give us the fruit of the Spirit.
- Tabernacles (Succos)
It occurred for seven days during the autumn harvest on the seventh month of the year (Tishri) starting on the fifteenth day. It celebrated the time when Israel lived with God. Each of the other two feasts ends with a promise of Tabernacles. The fourth cup of Passover, which is God's promise to take us, is a prayer for the "fruit of the vine" when we will be taken at the Second Coming harvest.
We have few cross references:
Luke 10:2, "And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
1 Corinthians 2:4-5, "4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."
2 Timothy 3:5, "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."
We wish for a New Testament's 1st century Church in 21st Century. If we notice human body temperature ,normally it is 98.6 degrees. If we move out to a colder place such as Russia, the temperature remains same. If we go out to places such as Sahara desert during summer season, still in drastic external heat, body temperature remains constant. That is because of the inner mechanism as designed by God. Similarly, Holy Spirit makes a difference in us.
We need more power than just willpower in our life. We need God’s power in our life. The “fruit of the Spirit” are the qualities that God puts in our life when the Holy Spirit lives through us. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Holy Spirit works within us to become gradually more and more like Him. Our character is the sum total of our habits. Our responsibility is to develop new habits to change and this can be done with the help of God.
We have few more references:
Isaiah 44:3, "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants."
Ezekiel 36:26-27, "26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
Joel 2:28-29, "28 And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
Acts 1:4-5, "4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”"
Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Ephesians 5:18, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
God sets the sober and holy assemblies of the faithful against the immoral banquets of the unfaithful, in which the praises of the only Lord must ring, whether it is it in prosperity or diversity. Every type of disorder, together with every manner of filthiness and shamefulness. The Holy Spirit, often compared to water; or the joy of the Spirit, in opposition to being filled with wine and that carnal mirth which is caused by it: Be not satisfied with a little of the Spirit, but seek for a greater measure, so as to be filled with the Spirit. Imagine, if we have a sponge and immerse it in water, it will soak water in it. We can say the water is in Sponge and sponge is in water. Likewise, be in Spirit and with Spirit of God in you.
In the Book of Acts, we observe needs arising in the church’s life after Pentecost. We also note how the Spirit’s timely exercise of the appropriate gifts met those needs. This is a vital part of the permanent effects of Pentecost. In these days of fierce spiritual conflict they must be among the church’s weapons.
Pentecost energized the church into a dynamic force. Christ’s followers did not merely react when the world acted. The opposite was true. After Pentecost the world knew the church was in town. Everyone was familiar with religion, but something new had burst on the scene. The sharp distinction between the church and its surroundings always stuck in the world’s face. They had a problem on their hands too big to handle.
Someone has said the early Christians preached like people who had just seen the risen Christ. A few of them had seen Him; the majority had not. Yet the Spirit had made Him just as real to them.
Today’s society needs to hear from Christians who live and speak as if they have just come from an audience with the risen Lord. The Spirit’s presence and power will make us a people who leave that kind of impression on the world.
Pentecost must become to all of us more than just a past experience to which we pay lip service. That experience must be an unbroken reality that intensifies rather than fades with the passing of time. Then our world will know the church is alive in this world.
Too many Christians see the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as an "option," but nowhere in Acts is it seen this way! Jesus asked ALL the disciples to "wait for the promise" -- and on the day of Pentecost they were ALL filled. At Cornelius' house they were ALL filled. (Acts 10) There is little doubt that the disciples were radically changed after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift, received by faith.
Pentecost is much more than just supernatural manifestations, it is the supernatural transformation of 120 men and women by God's Spirit and the resulting harvest of that power "TO BE" something they weren't before! God give us a baptism of the Holy Spirit that makes us "TO BE" witnesses for Him.
We have few more references:
Acts 19:1-6, "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
1 Corinthians 6:19, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."
Obviously, we cannot, in our own energy, accomplish great works. It is Christ Himself -- living within you in all of His resurrection power, walking around in your body, thinking with your mind, loving with your heart, speaking with your lips -- who will empower you with the Holy Spirit to do these great works. It is not your wisdom, your eloquence, your logic, your good personality, or your persuasiveness which brings people to our Savior. It is the Son of Man, who came to seek and to save the lost, who sent His Holy Spirit to fill and empower you.
Jesus said, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." First century Christians, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and filled with His love, turned the world upside down.
As the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they received a divine, supernatural power that changed them from fearful men to radiant witnesses for Christ. They were used of God to change the course of history. And this same omnipotent power, the power of the Holy Spirit, is available to you to enable you to live a holy and fruitful life for Jesus Christ.
Yet, tragically, multitudes of Christians do not even know who the Holy Spirit is. Or, if they do, they do not know how to appropriate His power. Consequently, they go through life without ever experiencing the abundant and fruitful life which Christ promised to all who trust Him.
The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters, the New Testament epistles, is that to us, it is primarily a performance; to them it was a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or, at best, a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life together. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them.
This same first century power -- the power of the risen, living, loving, indwelling Christ made known through the Holy Spirit -- is still available to you today.
We have few more references:
Acts 10:44-46, "44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."
Obviously, we cannot, in our own energy, accomplish great works. It is Christ Himself -- living within you in all of His resurrection power, walking around in your body, thinking with your mind, loving with your heart, speaking with your lips -- who will empower you with the Holy Spirit to do these great works. It is not your wisdom, your eloquence, your logic, your good personality, or your persuasiveness which brings people to our Savior. It is the Son of Man, who came to seek and to save the lost, who sent His Holy Spirit to fill and empower you.
Jesus said, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." First century Christians, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and filled with His love, turned the world upside down.
As the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they received a divine, supernatural power that changed them from fearful men to radiant witnesses for Christ. They were used of God to change the course of history. And this same omnipotent power, the power of the Holy Spirit, is available to you to enable you to live a holy and fruitful life for Jesus Christ.
Yet, tragically, multitudes of Christians do not even know who the Holy Spirit is. Or, if they do, they do not know how to appropriate His power. Consequently, they go through life without ever experiencing the abundant and fruitful life which Christ promised to all who trust Him.
The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters, the New Testament epistles, is that to us, it is primarily a performance; to them it was a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or, at best, a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life together. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them.
This same first century power -- the power of the risen, living, loving, indwelling Christ made known through the Holy Spirit -- is still available to you today.
We have few more references:
Acts 10:44-46, "44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."
Mark 16:17, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues."
1 Corinthians 14:18, "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you."
1 Corinthians 12:10, "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."
Pray and seek from God. Seek as a child because unless you become a child to receive a gift, it is difficult to receive. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing your faith.
The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and that He will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy and comfort. Thank God for this precious gift—the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives! Jesus promised He would come, that we need Him to illuminate and help us to understand Scripture, to make us more Christ-like through the sanctification process and that the Holy Spirit equips us for service.
Do you want to have the power to overcome temptation and persevere through adversity? This kind of victorious living is found only through total surrender and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Set your mind on the things of God, and trust the indwelling Spirit to guide, enable, and empower you to obey His voice. When we remain sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance, depend upon Him totally, and obey, we experience life at its very best.
We move to the closing, we finished with a very powerful prayer session. Spirit was moving. We encourage all our readers to pray with us and seek Holy Spirit.
"Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit."
We move to the meet and greet session. Hope you enjoyed our service. God Bless!
Here is one beautiful song for you all!
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