John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
When the builders of a proposed bridge across the Niagara Falls began construction many years ago, the first matter at hand was how to span the river w/ the suspension cables. Launching a simple kite, the builders were able to get a thin string across. Using the string, they drew a rope across, which was followed by a larger rope, then a small cable, and finally a cable heavy enough to use as support in building the bridge. When it was completed, the huge structure, that could support a train, showed no signs of having once been launched by a simple kite!
When I was a child kids would gather by the end of the day on a nearby field to launch their kites. You can only use them if there is wind. Without wind the kite would be pulled but fall. This is just an illustration for what I want to tell you, that without the Holy Spirit blowing in our lives the Church cannot go up.
A fellow who had been reared in the city bought a farm and several milk cows. In the feed store one day he complained his best cow had gone dry. "Aren't you feeding her right?" asked the store owner. "I'm feeding her what you've been selling me," said the man. "Are you milking her every day?" "Just about. If I need six or eight ounces of milk for breakfast, I go out and get it - I just let her save it up." The feed store owner had to explain it doesn't work that way. With cow's milk, like God's presence, you take all that's there, or you eventually have nothing.
Today we will learn how can we be filled with the Holy Spirit. Maybe some of you are feeling dry but God wants to fill you up this morning. However there is a secret to remain filled with God's presence...every single day you have to empty yourself before the Lord and also give everything you received from Him to others around you, otherwise you will dry just like the cow in my story.
1. AS GOD'S CHILDREN WE NEED TO ASK GOD TO BLOW OVER US
• Blow over my house
• Blow over my family
• Blow over my mind
• Blow over my emotions
• Blow over my relationships
• Blow over my nation
• Blow over the rulers of my country
• Blow over my church
I desire to be hit by a "storm of the Holy Spirit"
Jesus was telling Nicodemus that the wind blows where he wants to and by teaching him this principle we was explaining him that we cannot understand why sometimes we have a revival or seasons of stillness. We can Study the Holy Spirit in books and reed the Bible wish is The Book that was inspired by the Holy Spirit but we cannot tell the wind where to blow, this is beyond our powers and abilities.
2. THE WIND BLOWS WHEREVER IT WANTS (NLT)
Nothing and no one can stop the action of the Holy Spirit. No government can decree the wind not to blow. No religious leader can create doctrines to avoid the wind of the Spirit to blow in the Church because the wind is free as the Holy Spirit is free to blow wherever he chooses to do so. There is freedom in the Holy Spirit! We can not dictate the way he is going to do anything.
As we read the book of "Acts of the Apostles" we clearly understand how God changes unknown people in God's Ambassadors here on Earth. The Holy Spirit transforms tragedies in to blessings. As Paul the apostle was traveling to Rome his boat shipwrecked and because of that a whole island was saved and touched by the Gospel of Christ!
3. YOU CAN HEAR THE WIND BUT CAN'T TELL WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHERE IT IS GOING
Nobody knows where the wind is coming from. You can watch the News and we see people trying to understand and explain where the storm is coming from and where it's going to hit next but this is not an exact science. Notice that Jesus is not talking about predicting the weather but he is using a very simple illustration to explain an old and experienced theologian that God cannot be controlled or clearly understood by man.
If you think you know where you coming from and where you're going I am here to tell you that you are an ignorant that doesn't know anything. I am sorry to shock you and I don't want to offend you but let me tell you to open up your heart to every possibility.
You cannot predict when the Holy Spirit is going to manifest the presence of the living God in your life, in a circumstance of your life or even in a Church. Some might say that if we pray long enough the wind of the Spirit will blow but I am here to tell you that this is not necessarily true since I have been in places where people pray for hours and God doesn't show up.
In the days of Jesus people questioned, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" They knew that Jesus was called "The Nazarene", a city famous for bad things including high winds. The answer to the question is simple, yes something good can come up of a bad situation, a bad person, or even a bad City like Nazareth. Be pen to all the possibilities.
I have noticed that very frequently God will use people that religious people never thought about. The Holy Spirit anoints and blows in vessels that we don't approve or understand. God's anointing cannot be received by simple teaching. There is a price to pay and sometimes we think that a message about the Holy Spirit will bring the presence of God but let me tell you that the anointing has a high price.
If you want to be saved this isn't cost you anything – God paid the price!
If you want the anointing of the Holy Spirit the price is high – It will cost you everything!
One of the most intriguing and ironic things in the Old Testament is that there is an institution called "the house of the prophets" (or the School of Prophets). As we read the Bible we see that none of the Books of the Old Testament where written by anyone from that School of disciples of the Prophets.
• Was Elisha in that School? No, he was in a field with bulls and cows
• Where was Amos when God called him? Same thing as Elisha doing some agriculture working in a field.
• What about Osea? He was in a bakery making bread (and bagels).
• Where was Isaiah? He was a schoolteacher in Jerusalem.
• Jeremiah and Ezekiel where in the middle of the people
We should say to the Lord, "Holy Spirit I really don't know where are you coming from nor where you are going so make me sensitive to your presence so I will never become an obstacle on your way"
You can hide from the wind behind a wall but one day or another the wind can catch you. The Holy Spirit talks to us today and has words from the Lord for different areas of our life.
God speaks to us regarding
• Our family
• Our relationships
• Our business
• Our studies
• Our doubts
• Our heart
• Our ways...
4. YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHERE IT IS GOING BUT YOU CAN LISTEN TO HIS VOICE
The most important thing about our spiritual life is to be able to listen clearly to the Voice of God. You cannot see the wind but you can listen to the wind blowing whenever it finds an obstacle. Without an obstacle the wind is silent. Whenever you find an obstacle in your life God will blow in such a way that you can find Him.
5. HOW CAN I RECEIVE THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MY LIFE?
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus didn't say, "You will speak in tongues". I know of many people that speak in tongues but there is no power of God in their lives.
Acts 1:8 talks about two things that you receive after Holy Ghost comes upon you
1. Power
2. A desire to witness about God
The Holy Spirit is the one who will teach you and guide you to tell others about who Jesus really is.
Acts 2 1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1
It says that they where all with one accord. The Holy Spirit cannot manifest if we have division. If a Christian is constantly criticizing others, the Church, the Pastor instead of sit down and talk about his or her issues the Holy Spirit cannot bring His Power.
Acts 2:2
The Bible says "suddenly". This means that in one moment he wasn't there and one second after He is present. The mighty wind of the Spirit that Jesus talked about manifested not as wind but "a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind"
Acts 2:3,4
They where filled with the Holy Spirit. We call this event "the Baptism in the Hoy Spirit" Whenever the Spirit is present...
• The waters divide so you can cross in dry ground
• God places a way in the desolate land and rivers in the desert
• God prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies
• You will find an Oasis in the middle of the desert
• You can look the devil in his eye and rebuke him in the name of Jesus
Acts 2:5,6
As soon as people around them saw what happened they start to criticize and saying that this was not the work of God. When the Holy Spirit is present in your life and in your ministry all those that are religious and didn't receive will attack you with their words.
Saul persecuted David because he was jealous of the anointing.
Paul was beaten and persecuted because of the anointing.
Jesus was persecuted and killed by the religious people because they couldn't accept or understand the anointing.
