A Ghost Story

Well it's late October when the kids dress up for Halloween and people decorate their homes with Jack-o-lanterns, black cats and ghosts. I already did a story on costumes this month so here is a ghost story of sorts. It is called
The Holy What? Or Who Is The Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) and What Does He Do?

Most Christianity today offers us life after death. In a world where people are dying of obesity and others are dying of starvation, a world where people are captive to the limitations of poverty while others are slaves to the possessions they are maintaining, most of today’s Christianity is offering people a life after death but most people are looking for a life before death. Jesus did not just come to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. He wasn’t just about getting us up to heaven after we die but about bringing a taste of God’s kingdom to earth. Jesus was a revolutionary and the revolution He started did not conform to the ways of the world. His revolution is where the poor are blessed not the wealthy who seem blessed. His revolution is where the last are first. His revolution brings comfort to the disturbed and it disturbs the comfortable. Jesus spoke of an abundant life not a life of abundance. Not a life with a lot of money or things but a life with a lot of. . . . life. So why don’t we see a big difference in most Christians? It is simple the reason is their lack of a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Of the three parts of God the most misunderstood and neglected is the Holy Spirit. Like the mention and discussion of Jesus divides and causes conflict between the world and the church, the mention and discussion of the Holy Spirit causes division in the church.
So what is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and The Holy spirit is a person not an action, or event or a thing. He has a mind, Romans 8:28. He has a will, 1 Corinthians 12:11. He has emotions, Romans 15:30. He speaks, Hebrews 7. He teaches, 1 Corinthians 2:5. He can be grieved, Ephesians 4:30. He can be insulted, Hebrews 10:29. He can have communion (share closeness) with you, 2 Corinthians 13:14. He can be like us, the “Us” and “Our” refers to the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit God said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Genesis 1:26
He has been there since the beginning. The spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the water. Genesis 1:2,
What is the Holy Spirit’s Purpose? His purpose is to glorify God and spread the kingdom of God. He does this by helping us witness to others. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. . . . .and you shall be a witness to Me. Acts 1:8. The Holy Spirit does this through us by telling others what God has done. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with other tongues. . . . about. . . .the wonderful works of God. Acts 2:4 and 2:11. Jesus said in John 16:14, “He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify Me.”
Where and with whom is the Holy Spirit? He is most evident in the hearts of followers of Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16. All believers can receive Him. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, 1 Corinthians 12:13.
What does the Holy Spirit do? He will guide us. “guide you in all truth”, John 16:13. He will tell the future. “tell you of things to come”. John 16:13. He will convict us. “convict the world of sin”, John 16:8. He will help us pray as we should. “for we d not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us.” “He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26, 27. He lets believers know we are God’s children. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16. He teaches us. The Holy Spirit. . . . will teach you all things, and bring you to remembrance all things that I have said to you.” John 14:16. If we are led by the Spirit, He changes us. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” Galatians 5:22, 23. He gives us spiritual gifts or powers to do God’s will. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith. . . to another gifts of healings . . . to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of Spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works in all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills, 1 Corinthians 12.
So you may be a believer in Christ but be wondering or asking "How come I don't have evidence of this change or this power of the Holy Spirit in my life?" The evidence of the Holy Spirit will depend on your relationship with the Holy Spirit. First of all the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power comes if you are in God’s will and not distracted by things of the world. Anyone who loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him, John 14:23.
Those who love according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit, Romans 5:5. As for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. You must let the Spirit lead.
So You say I am keeping God’s word, I am living according to the Spirit, I feel I am in God’s will for my life. I see a change in me (fruit of the spirit) but I don’t see gifts or powers like the apostles had of healing, prophecy, words of knowledge, speaking in tongues. Jesus said that we would do greater things than Him when the Holy Spirit comes. So have we? Well I will address that and the three differnet types of relationship to the Holy Spirit in part two of the Holy Ghost, so stay tuned.