The Holy Spirit

Being led by the Holy Spirit

Being Led by the Holy Spirit

What inspired me to start this series was a short conversation that I had with Joe and Betty Chee, they shared with me about a book they were reading at the time by Max Lucado, Help is Here, God spoke to me, through this book thank, you Joe and Betty. I recommend the book.

When God led the people through Moses out of Egypt, He didn’t abandon them He was present in their midst.

He guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and by night with a pillar of fire

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Nehemiah clarified to us that it was the Holy Spirit who guided the people out of Egypt through the desert, and took care of them.

For 400 years the people of Israel were enslaved, just as God told Abraham, they were living in the small country of Egypt, they never crossed the borders, they were not soldiers or a nation trained to survive in the wilderness, if God was not with them, they would perish and quickly.

Neh 9:19 "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.

Neh 9:20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.

The Holy Spirit Not only provided for them, but also protected them.

Just like The Holy Spirit was with Israel , today He is with us, the difference is that He now dwells in you, the same power and presence, is in you, the enemy sees it and keeps away from you, Heaven sees it, is our unbelief and compromise with sin, what diminishes His power in our lives.

So how can we be led by the Holly Spirit?

Let me suggest 3 important items.

1 Listen to Him

The first thing we need to do, is to decide in our hearts who we are going to listen too.

To be led by the Spirit we need to make a clear choice in our hearts of whom we will listen too.

Is something we need to decide prior to a challenging situation. When the time comes to choose, we know which direction we are going.

We don’t decide to disagree with our friends’ opinions, in the middle of a gathering, especially when we are trying to fit in, and please our friends.

Most of the time we will remain silent or even agree with what they are saying or doing.

The choice is made way before you are in this situation, when we re being selective about, what friends shall we have? Who should we hang out with? Because our friends will influence our lives. If you are not influencing them, they are influencing you.

Social media is always challenging us to go in a new direction, the problem is, nothing is new, fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism, idolatry are all very old sins, all condemned by God by the way, He calls them abomination. To introduce them as new and tolerating them as a loving thing to do is deception.

If a friend or someone in my family comes to me and tell me about this terrible illness they are going through, even if they don’t believe is bad, I will pray for their healing and deliverance, I’m not going to tell them good for you! You deserved it, you fought hard for it, or as long as you are happy, they need to be free.

We need to decide who we will listen to before we are put to the test. The voices of the world, or the voice of the Spirit of God ?

Yes the Spirit of God wants to guide us just like He did the people in the desert, but is a must, that we listen to him.

Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

The Holly Spirit will show us what direction to go, gently, sometimes in a whisper, not forceful, is up to us to follow Him.

We need to learn how to be sensitive to His presence and His voice, more we welcome Him easy it is to notice.

“You cannot soar with the eagles as long as you hang out with the turkeys.” — Joel Osteen

2 Don’t grieve the spirit, don’t put the fire out

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The word grieve in English is the word Lupe^o in Greek what means

Be in heaviness, grief, sorrow.

How do we do that to the Holy Spirit, by holding on to bitterness, wrath and anger and clamor and slander, holding on to malice in our hearts.

Not being kind to one another, tender hearted, by not forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave us.

It doesn’t matter how great of a Christian you are, or how long you have been attending church, the day you open the door of your heart to bitterness, anger and unforgiveness, you push the Holy Spirit away from you.

I remember a dear pastor friend of my, who began to hate his wife, both of them had issues to work on, but he decided that he could not continue, things got very stressful, they both had done school with me before, he came to pray with me every week, but now that he had closed his heart, he didn’t want to pray either, it was very sad to see him loose his family, church and ministry and become a bitter man.

The Holy Spirit will show us what we need to do and help us but we need to ask and listen to him.

3 We need to be baptized by fire.

Jesus was introduced by John his cousin as the one coming to baptize them with fire.

Mat 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Everything that is good about fire can be listed as a blessing of the Holy Spirit

Fire is a purifying force.

If you want to sterilize a needle to remove a thorn, fire is one of the ways you can do it.

Kills germs and bacteria.

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate purifier, He comes to remove the defilement from the vessel.

Are we ready to serve as a temple of the holy Spirit?

We need the cleansing, sanctifying work of heaven to prepare us. So the Spirit comes to purify, to beautify, to cleanse and adorn us.

Mal 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.

Mal 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,

The fire of the Spirit produces ultimate good.

The American Forest Foundation lists benefits of forest fires

They

Release seeds or otherwise encourage growth to certain tree species, like lodgepole pines.

Clear dead trees, leaves, and competing vegetation from the forest floor so new plants can grow.

Break down and return nutrients to the soil.

Remove weak or disease-ridden trees, leaving more space and nutrients for stronger trees.

Keep tree stands thin and open, letting more sunlight in so trees stay healthier and improve wild life habitat.

A fire managed and contained, results in ultimate good for the vegetation.

When Jesus baptizes us with the fire of the Spirit, it is so we can bear better and more abundant fruit for Him.

Ask Jesus to baptize you with fire, so you can be free from your addictions, your bitterness and the power of sin that is holding you back, let him fill you with His purifying fire, so we can be ready to serve Him.

we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus, we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, and ask Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke itand said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks thiscup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Heb 9:14 dead works, acts, sins

E mau aku ka loko maika’i o ka Haku, Iesu Kristo; me ke aloha a ke Akua, a me ka launa pu ‘ana mai o ka Uhane Hemolele ia ‘olua, a me makou apau. Amene.