Azariah And Jahaziel And The Holy Spirit Series

Opening Video Illustration: God’s not dead - trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXbXu5jHrzY (use HD) trailer

Introduction to today’s message from video: Is the Holy Spirit dead – is God dead – not involved or out of reach for the average Christian today? No He is not – He is alive and desiring to blow into our lives – we just have to open up our souls and feel Him.

Fan illustration: Turn on ceiling fans and pick up powerful fan and hold up to blow on the congregation! How many here can feel the breeze or the wind from our fans – next question – can you see the wind? Answer – No – does that make the wind not real?

Many think God and the Holy Spirit are not real because they are not physically seen. But I beg to differ with them. The Holy Spirit is compared to the wind in Scripture, even called breath, but even though we cannot see the wind – we can feel it, we can see what it moves, we can even see it destroy as in the case of a tornado. How many have felt that the wind is real? How many have experienced God and the Holy Spirit?

But some scientists who believe in the wind do not believe in God or the Holy Spirit. Just because you don’t physically see something does not make it real – like the wind we can feel it, we can even hear the wind. My premise today is "As goes the wind so goes the Holy Spirit and God."

We cannot see God physically at the moment but we can feel Him – they are real – we can feel and see the things God is touching – we can hear His voice – we can hear the testimonies – we can see Him moving things in our life. Would you agree?

So today I want to reiterate God is not Dead and neither is the Holy Spirit!

We have been exploring soul care and the role of the Holy Spirit in the OT to see how the Holy Spirit work. We started with Moses – then Saul - then David – note all three men acknowledged that God was alive and involved in the affairs of the people of Israel. They spoke of God being actively involved in leading His people through the exodus, through battles and through their leadership. Then as time passes by we find Israel and her Kings going through the ups and downs with God and leading the Kingdom. Some follow God, others deny God and follow idols, and some even declare that God is dead. To them He is not alive or active in the life of empires, families, kingdoms or even in the life of an individual. Today we find the same kind of debate raging on campuses, universities all across our nation, we see the debate on TV and talk shows. We see the debate on News networks and between many people today. The battle is over the question “Does God exist?”

We find that even in the church there are those who declare that the Holy Spirit is dead – not needed or active in the life of the church today. Not willing to lead and guide and do supernatural miracles through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So is the Holy Spirit dead – Is He alive or not – Is He real or myth? Once again I have desired to show you through Scripture that He is alive and active – we just have to open up our spiritual eyes and ears and see and hear Him!

Today we will enter into exploring two Old Testament encounters between a nation, a king, a person and the Holy Spirit. We must ask the same question many wrestle with today – Is God alive? – Is He active in the life and or death of a nation, of leaders, of ordinary people and in times of crisis?

We also have to wonder - Why do kings (leaders) take over a nation who once believed in God and then walk away from Him? We may even ask - "Why do leaders take over a nation which declared the majesty and intervention of God and then throw him our as needless and even dangerous?" One word crosses my mind deception and disconnectedness.

I have been praying that through this series on the Holy Spirit and soul care that these messages would challenge you to see the important role of the Holy Spirit in your life. I pray you have realized, youyou've had a revelation from the Lord on the necessity of being filled and re-filled with His precious Holy Spirit.

It is His Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus which leads us to truth, empowers us to be witnesses for the Kingdom of Heaven. Its His Holy Spirit that breaks the disease of deception to God. I pray that as John Wesley prayed that you would receive this second blessing from Heaven. I pray that you today would feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and experience God today in a new and refreshing way!