HOLY SPIRIT AND ANOINTING: PRESENCE AND POWER OF THE SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is not just an inanimate force, power and wind which has no personality. He is not it but “He’. He is a wholesome person as the Father and Son. He is co-equal, co-eternal with the Father and Son (Acts 5 5:3,4,9). This is the age of the Holy Spirit. He is the one in charge now, since He came down fully on the day of Pentecost. He is the Lord of the Harvest. He is to search out brides for Christ. He is the vicar of the church of Jesus Christ.

Without the Holy Spirit, there can be no church growth. Growth, expansion and increase is not possible without the great Holy Spirit of God (Acts 1:8). Growing churches are Holy Spirit churches Biblical growth cannot come without His presence and power. One of the fundamental reason for the spectacular growth of churches and mighty conversions today is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God (Acts 2:17, 18). Pentecostal churches are the fastest growing churches today because they welcome the special presence of the Holy Spirit.

A. The Place Of The Holy Spirit In The Church

1. The Holy Spirit was the source of the life, death, resurrection and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 1:35: Matthew 4:1, 3:16; John 1:33-34; Luke 4:18; Heb. 9:14; Rom. 8:11.
   1. The Holy Spirit was the secret of the success of the Apostles Acts 2:-4; Rev. 1:10; Rom. 8:25; Acts 13:1-4; Acts 19:1-6,
   1. The first century church grew mightily because she gave pre-eminent position to the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:39; 5:32, 33; Acts 20:28. 4. Neglecting the Holy Spirit is signing the death warrant of the church.
   1. Dryness, Lukewarmness, sin, formality and unspirituality of the work will be the order of the day without the Holy Spirit.
   1. Lack of guidance and woeful failure will be our portion if we think we can go on without the Holy Spirit.
   1. It is His presence that will make the difference in the church today.

When we fail to really welcome fellowship and seek the presence and power of the Spirit in our lives and churches, death and decay will be the order of the day.

B. Presence Of The Holy Spirit: Luke 5:17; Ps. 16:11; Acts 3:18; Matthew 18:20

It is His special presence that will make the difference. Exo. 33:14-15. Angelic presence, casual presence will not do. It is His revealed and manifested presence that will bring growth, supernatural demonstration, miracles and wonders to the church.

One of the devastating diseases of churches is the low presence of the Holy Spirit. It is called Hypopneumia abnormal low presence of the Spirit in the church which will result in powerless services, demonic activities, nominalism, and high degree of ungodliness, retardation and stagnation. These and many more will be the order of the day in the church when the presence of the Spirit is too low.

C. Why The Presence Of The Spirit Is Low

The sin of the Old Testament is the rejection of Jehovah God; the sin of New Testament is the rejection of the Son of God and the sin of the church age is the rejection of the Holy Spirit of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit will be abnormally low in a church as a result of these reasons:-

1. Rejecting His leading
   1. The feeling that you can do it without Him.
   1. Corporate sins and disobedience
   1. Teaching the doctrine of cessation.
   1. Taking Him just as an experience – Eph. 4:30.
   1. Grieving, quenching and vexing him Isa. 63:10.
   1. Failure to totally depend on Him – Acts 15:28.
   1. Failure to fervently pray and seek Him – Eph. 6:18.
   1. Not fellowship with him – II Cor. 13:14.
   1. Backsliding in heart and secret sins Acts 5:3,4,9.

As long as any of these are happening in our churches and personal lives, the mighty presence of the Spirit will be withdrawn and only his token presence will be around. Then many evils will happen, flesh and carnality will take over.

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D. A Glowing Church Of The Holy Spirit

For the church to truly glow, the Holy Spirit must be mightily present. A glowing church is where godliness, vitality, permeating air of freedom. revelation, illumination, victory over sin, Satan and sicknesses plus souls being genuinely saved, transformed and edified in the church. For our church to be a growing and glowing church in the power of the Holy Spirit, you must do the following consistently:-

1. Renounce, rebuke and discipline sin and evil.
   1. Build a strong prayer relationship with the Lord
   1. Your church must become the house of prayer-Acts 4:23-31.
   1. Welcome his presence in every service Acts 13:1-4.
   1. Preach and emphasize His infilling and Baptism again and again Acts 19:1-6.
   1. Constantly seek His refilling – Acts 5:17,2
   1. Holy Spirit special services
   1. Desire, encourage and give room to His gifts-Rom. 1:11
   1. Emphasize obedience to Him
   1. Pray in the Spirit – Jude 20.

If He doesn’t work, nothing will work. If He doesn’t move, nothing will move.