Holy spirit-understanding Holy spirit

Holy spirit-understanding Holy spirit

Posted on May 30, 2010 Updated on May 30, 2010

PASTOR ENOCH ADEBOYE

Memorise: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38)

Read: Matthew 3:1-13

When John commenced his ministry, he preached repentance from sin and dead works. Many located him in the wilderness and confessed their sins and submitted to water baptism.

As they queued to be baptized in River Jordan, vipers also came. Then the Lord joined the queue but John protested saying as the Saviour, He was sinless and therefore did not need to be baptized. Jesus insisted He must be baptized.

Why was it essential for Jesus to be baptized? Jesus submitted Himself to water baptism so that Heaven might open unto Him. Why did He need open Heavens? When you are working hard without results, it is a proof that your Heaven is closed. Until Heaven opens over one’s attempt, every effort of man is fruitless.

The Lord wanted to ensure that Heaven was open over Him before He commenced His ministry. Acts 2:37-38 spells out two conditions – repentance and baptism. Since He had nothing to repent of, He went ahead to do the second – which is baptism.

Another reason the Lord needed open Heaven during His earthly days was so that the Holy Spirit could overshadow Him as His mother was overshadowed. Throughout His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit was on the Lord Jesus Christ. He needed open Heavens so that His partner – the Holy Spirit could stay with Him. No wonder He did all He did by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38).

If you take a cursory look at the ministry of Jesus, you will notice that even though He never had posters, banners and the publicity gadgets we have today, the crowd kept following Him (Matt 4:23-25). You can prepare the best of sermons, delivered with the greatest oratory ability, if the Holy Ghost is out of the equation, nothing will come out of it. Do you know that to get people to come for a vigil in an air conditioned church promising tea or food may be in vain?

Once the Holy Spirit becomes an active – not dormant partner in your ministry, things will begin to happen. Have you made the Holy Spirit your Senior partner? To what extent do you cultivate His friendship, seek His guidance and praise and worship Him? Do you listen to Him? Do you allow Him freedom to do as He wants in your ministry? As long as you box Him in one tight corner of your life, He cannot do what He would want to do.

Your possibilities and potentials remain bottled up until you give them to the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, you can be a man of the Spirit.

Holy Spirit, overshadow me like you overshadowed Mary and Jesus Christ.