Understanding the Holy Spirit

Holy spirit is the spirit of God which will be A Major part of your upcoming Christian life. In this article I’ll be talking about this spirit of God, how it works (it mostly speaks) and what it does and how it helps.  

Jesus died on the cross and after the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb guarded by the Roman soldiers. Early on the Sunday morning, three days after the crucifixion, some of Jesus’ female followers went to anoint his body with spices. However, the tomb was empty. Two men in gleaming white clothes appeared and told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. The women informed Jesus’ disciples that the tomb was empty. The Gospel of Luke states that 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples that they must stay in Jerusalem and that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a triune God manifested as God- the Father, God- the Son, and God- the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was the beginning of God’s gifting of the Holy Spirit to everyone who has come to believe in salvation through Jesus. It is the same Spirit who helps us to live the new life in Christ that we are born into as we believe. It is the Holy Spirit living within us who leads us along the path of doing what is good and right in the world. The same Holy Spirit guides us in times of trouble and comforts us. 

As a new believer, while attending church you will see that pastors keep exaggerating about God appearing in people’s life’s, God talking to people, God healing people and we being ignorant and naive assume it to be Jesus himself ascending from heavens, but it’s not Jesus, it is the Holy spirit. Jesus has risen to heaven and has not come back. He will only come back at “The Judgement Day.” This is believed to be the end of times. 

Church and pastors don't address God as the Holy spirt, they use the name Jesus more often. Jesus and Holy spirit are two completely different personalities. 

We must pray in the name of Jesus (not in the name Holy spirit) because this name has power that you and I will be needing for all the rest of our life's. This name has the power to stop any kind of evil power prevailing against you. This name has the power to heal you from sickness. This is the name that is going to protect our children. This name is our HOPE.  

God keeps constantly speaking to us in various ways, but it is easy to become confused and overwhelmed. The only way to honestly tell apart God’s voice (Holy spirit voice) is to understand and recognize the signs God. 

Holy spirit can speak to us in several ways, through his word “The Bible”, our thoughts, an inner voice, dreams, angels, and even directly. Holy spirit guided and lead prayers are "THE MOST ANSWERED PRAYERS".

However, while Holy spirit speaks, other voices also speak. This could be our thoughts, the voices of others, or the enemy’s voice, 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light”. Satan is cunning, and he may take on any form to mislead us. It can be challenging to distinguish between the devil’s voice from the voice of Holy spirit, and presuming the wrong one could lead us to devastating consequences. It can lead to costly errors that can alter the course of our life's.  

Both the Holy Spirit and evil spirits can be understood as subtle voices that speak to individuals, their nature, intentions, and effects are fundamentally different. The Holy Spirit is a force for goodness, truth, and love, seeking to draw individuals closer to God and empower them for righteous living. Evil spirits, on the other hand, seek to lead individuals astray, exploiting weaknesses and vulnerabilities to sow discord and confusion. Discerning between these voices requires spiritual discernment grounded in prayer, reflection, and discernment within the context of a faith community. 

If your someone very new to Christianity and are worried how you're going to manage it. Don’t worry, I'll tell you a way to get out of this anxiety. When you wake up in the morning, seek God first. Kneel and pray. Ask God what you want from him, ask God to show you what he want's from you. Ask God to guide you. And in the end of your prayer, don’t forget to confess out loud, “In The Name of Jesus I command every evil to stay away from me for all this day and all this night, and I cancel every demonic activity being plotted against me. I cover myself with the blood of Jesus”. That's it you are good to go. Leave all the rest to fate, no one has a perfect life, don't worry about what's going to happen tomorrow. If something bad happens, you will learn something out of it and you will fall only to raise again stronger, if something good happens your the luckiest in the world, enjoy it my friend. There are millions who have lived and died a life of curse, never even knowing what life is, what happiness is. At least we have a chance to change the course of our life's.  

Growth in Christianity is like being akin to a seed planted in mud, it is both profound and illuminating. Just as a seed requires nourishment, water, and sunlight to germinate and flourish, so too does our faith require nurturing and cultivation to thrive and mature. 

In the initial stages of our journey, we may indeed feel like a seed buried in the darkness of the soil, surrounded by the messiness and challenges of life. We may encounter doubts, fears, and uncertainties, grappling with questions of meaning, purpose, and identity. Yet, it is precisely in this soil of struggle and vulnerability that our faith can take root and begin to grow. 

As we receive the nourishment of God's Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers, our faith begins to sprout and reach toward the light of God's love and grace. We learn to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem bleak or overwhelming. Like a sapling pushing its way through the mud, we persevere in faith, trusting that God is at work in and through our lives, even in the midst of adversity. 

As our faith grows, we encounter challenges and obstacles that threaten to hinder our growth. We may face opposition, temptation, and adversity that test the strength of our faith. Yet, just as a sapling learns to bend and sway in the wind, we learn to navigate life's storms with resilience and perseverance, drawing strength from the roots of our faith that run deep beneath the surface. 

In the process of growth, we discover the importance of cultivating spiritual disciplines and practices that nourish and sustain our faith. We learn to prioritize time spent in prayer, meditation, and reflection, deepening our intimacy with God and discerning His will for our lives. We engage in acts of service and compassion, extending God's love and grace to others and bearing witness to the transformative power of the gospel. 

As we continue to grow in faith, we discover that our roots have grown deep and strong, anchoring us firmly in the soil of God's love and truth. We become resilient and steadfast, able to withstand the challenges and trials of life with courage and faithfulness. And like a mature tree that bears fruit in due season, our lives become a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace, bearing witness to the beauty and abundance of life lived in relationship with God. 

In conclusion, the journey of growth in Christianity is indeed like a seed planted in mud, emerging from darkness to light, and growing into a tree of faith that bears fruit for the glory of God.

May we embrace the process of growth with humility and gratitude, trusting in God's faithfulness to nurture and sustain us in every step of the way. Amen. 

WHAT IS HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTING?

It is the power of God releasing on our bodies and the sanctification of our souls through it. You experience strange but good changes happening in you after this anointing. You restrain yourself from watching TV, from anything that is abusive like drug addictions, sexual perplexities. You move away from people talking abusive words, you automatically move away from wrong people because now you can feel their negative energy unlike before. There is a joy in your heart always. You are more focused than before, more disciplined, all the drowsiness leaves you. These are a few new changes that I experienced after receiving God’s anointing while I was in worship in a youth service.

HOW I RECEIVED IT?

I was singing to God during worship and suddenly I could not stand on my feet so I fell on my knees and the power of God took over me, I started crying out loud and just spilled out everything that was in my heart and once everything inside my heart was flushed out, my eyes opened and I was like what was that. I felt like I was taken into captivity for a few seconds and there was some kind of power that was hovering me. Once I opened my eyes there was no more crying and I clearly felt a giant spirit passing by me.

To some others it’s like you get captivated and you can’t move, God’s power releases over your body. Some hear God’s voice, some don’t. Some receive the Holy spirit- talking in tongues, some don’t. Some people see visions, they see how God wants to use them or where God wants to take them for his service. Some people fall to the ground and it looks like there are electrocuted, this is one of the many forms of manifestation of the Holy Spirit anointing. Everybody has a different experience so there is no need to panic here.

Many churches use oil for anointing which also works as a source of manifestation of God’s power. The oil does not do the work here, it is the faithful anticipation of the believer that makes it possible for God’s power to get released from it. I have seen people healed out of sickness by this anointed oil.

James 5:15 says, "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven".

DO NOT GREIVE GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT

In Ephesian's 4:30 it is written, "do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption".

The Holy Spirit is a person in spirit form. It has feelings, it has a mind, it has emotions. You can't force him or fight him. Holy Spirit can be grieved if you fall into sin again after receiving his anointing. It can also be grieved if you are not following Godly life. If you are not observing God in your life, if you forget about him and get going with your routine previous life it will grieve him. God's Holy Spirit has a thirst for God's kingdom to increase and it is grieved when you are not bothered about it. When you are not participating in God's service and just want to have self-benefits from him, then you are grieving him. I always say having a two-way relationship is very important.

Don't go to places that upset the Holy Spirit. Don't talk things that upset him. Stop mingling with friends who can pull you easily into sin again. Friends can put you in a situation where there is no scope of escaping sin so be careful, avoid going on vacations with your non-Christian friends. If you already did, don't panic. He is not going to forsake you. It is a promise made by God, written in Hebrews 13:5, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It might get a little difficult for you this time to get in line with the anointing again but it's not that you have lost God forever.