Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we were able, by God's grace, to study the relationship and difference between the spirit and the soul. We also considered the importance of the need to know the difference between our spirit and our soul. It's interesting to know that when God made man, He made him a" living soul", i.e. the ability to take decisions and make choices was given to man right from creation. We learnt that the soul, which is the seat of our mind, will and emotions is where these decisions and choices are taken. This week, we shall be continuing in the study of the soul and our body.

1. The Saving of the Soul
"So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls." [James 1:21 AMP]

• We have been able to establish, in the past teachings, that at the new birth experience, it is the spirit of man that is born again. This is the part of man that receives eternal life, which is the nature of God.
• It is the spirit of man (not the soul) that becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.
• The soul is not the innermost being at all. The saving of the soul is a process. Yes, it is a PROCESS.
• The Epistle of James was not written to sinners. James wrote this letter to the Church. Many verses in this book of James attest to this. Take James 5:14 for example;
"Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name."
This is talking about anyone sick among the Church calling on the Church Elders.
• In our text today (James 1:18-21), James started by attesting to the truth that we have been begotten or born again by the word of truth and yet encourages us (Spirit-filled people) to receive the engrafted Word, "....which is able to save your souls."
• Though the innermost man (the real man - the spirit) receives eternal life, his intellect and emotions - which is seated in the soul- still needs to be renewed by the Word.

"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]."         
[Romans 12:2AMP]
He restores my soul; [Psalm 23:3a]

Both Hebrew word translated restore in the old testament, and the Greek word translated renew in the New testament mean the same thing. To dictionary definition of the word Renew means to restore to a former state; make new or as if new again.
There is no place in the bible where it was mentioned that God restores our spirit. Our spirits become brand-new creatures in Christ Jesus. Our souls however, must be renewed or restored.
•  James 1:21; Romans 12:2 tells us how to restore Man's soul - through the Word of God. It is the word of God that saves our soul, that renews our minds and restores our souls.
• Renewing our minds with the Word of God makes us think in line with what God's word says. We are able to prove and ascertain the permissive and the perfect will of God - because His Word is His Will.
• Certified Doctors, Engineers, Architects, Accountants e.t.c. are just normal people who have gone through the process of mind renewal in their respective fields through consitent and diligent routine of immersing themselves in their books for years. It is a PROCESS.
2. Presenting the Body
"I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship". [Romans 12:1 AMP]

• At the new birth, Just like the soul, we still have the same body we had before we became a new creature. We must learn (as part of the process) to let the new man (on the inside) dominate. By doing this, we are able to control the flesh and do something with our bodies.
• We must learn to Crucify (subdue as in passion, sin; to put to death by nailing) the flesh. God does not do this for us, it is what we have to learn to do ourselves.

Paul said (Romans 12:1) ......" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,"

Who presents the Body? You. Who is you?  The man on the inside who is born again and has become a new creature!
Paul is not just a leader, he is a leader by example. We see how he subdued his body in 1 Corinthians 9:27;
"But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospeland things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]."

What did Paul bring his body subject to? To the inward man! Instead of letting the body dominate the inward man, Paul saw to it that the inward man dominated the outward man.
As anointed as Paul was, a spiritual giant who wrote half the new testament, yet his body wanted to do things that were wrong, otherwise, why would he have had to bring it under?

• Lesson for us here is that just because our body wants to do wrong does not  negate the truth that we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. But we will have to contend with the body, the flesh (mindset), as long as we are in the world.
• God has however, given us the means, the ability, and the authority through the Word of God to deal with the devil and the flesh. If Paul, the apostle of faith can do it, we can even do much more by the Spirit of the living God.
• You (and I) are the one who must do it! Paul never said God would do it for you. He said, "You be not conformed"....."You be transformed by renewing your mind."..."You present your body". You get your mind renewed with the Word of God. You, You, You and You!!!!

CONCLUSION -
The life and nature of God is inside your spirit. Let that man on the inside be the dominant one. Listen to him (the spirit). It is the spirit of man that is the candle of the Lord and it is through your spirit that God will guide you. He will, if YOU let Him.

*Teaching is culled from "How You Can Be Led By The Spirit of God" by Kenneth E Hagin.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In last week’s study, we considered the spirit of man. That man is an eternal spirit and that the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. When we are led, it is by our spirits not our minds (which reside in our souls). There are some who don't believe there is a difference between the spirit and the soul; but the spirit and the soul are not the same.

In today’s study we will consider by looking at the scriptures

1. The relationship between the spirit and the soul
2. The differences between the spirit and the soul
3. Why it is important to know the difference
 

THE RELATIONSHIP

First we will look at the inferred relationship based on two scriptures:

1Thess 5:23 says,

“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete…”

This scripture implies that humans are made of a spirit a soul and a body. It has been said that we are spirit beings, we live in bodies and we possess souls.

•The real person inside of us is our spirit.
•Our soul consists of our mind, will and emotions; (our understanding and our natural human mentality).
•Our bodies are what we live in (earth suit) while we are here on earth.
Also Genesis 2:7 says:

“And the LORD God formed man (body) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul."

THE DIFFERENCE

Paul, by the Spirit of God, said that the spirit and soul can be divided by the Word of God in Heb. 4:12a.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. . .”

So it follows that if you can divide them, they cannot be the same – they are separate (different) but the Bible tells us that only the Word of God can divide the spirit and the soul.

1. With our spirits we contact the spiritual realm
2. With our souls we contact the intellectual realm.
See also 1 CORINTHIANS 14:14

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

The Amplified translation reads, "For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive...."

Notice what Paul said.

"My spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." He did not say, "When I pray in an unknown tongue my soul prays." He said in effect, "I am not praying out of my soul when I pray in tongues; I am praying out of my spirit, my heart, my innermost being."

3. When we pray in tongues it’s our spirit that prays
4. Our souls (minds) have nothing to do with words we say when we speak in tongues
Jesus said in John 7:37-39

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But He spake of the Holy Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"

As a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "out of the belly shall flow rivers of living water." Another translation reads, "out of the innermost being will flow rivers of living water."

5. Our spirits are made right with God, and raised to new life the moment we accept Jesus. See 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) 
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

6. Our souls are transformed by the renewing of our minds and by the washing of the Word, see Romans 12:2,
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR SPIRIT AND OUR SOUL?

Let’s consider Prov. 20:27 “The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one's inmost being.” (NIV)

1. We can only contact God (who is Spirit) by our spirits and not our souls.
2. It is by the spirit of man that God provides guidance
CONCLUSION

God guides us mostly by interacting with our spirits. It is our spirits He uses as a lamp to shed light on our paths. So we need to emphasize on what is more important: keeping our spirits alive and active. When we pray in the spirit, we energize and make our spirits active

Jude 1:20 says: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit”

Having said that, we also need to pay special attention to our souls (our minds) because the soul is a portal to the spirit; and the decisions we make with our souls determine what happens to our spirits. Phil.4:8 says:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION
What an awesome year it has been so far. Thank God for another anticipated awesome experience in His presence. We kicked off this year's bible study discussing in details, the great Shepherd. His word promises in Isaiah 58: 11a "The Lord will guide you continually". That's awesome, isn't it? Assured of the Great Shepherd's guidance all through the year and beyond. Today, we shall take our study further by looking at how the Lord has designed us to be guided. Do you know that both our body and spirit are very relevant and of great value to our God given assignment here on earth? This and many more will be covered in our topic, Man - An Eternal Spirit.

1. The Lamp of the Lord.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."[Romans 8:14]

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,"[Romans 8:16]

"The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts."[Proverbs 20:27]

We will examine these three (3) scriptures collectively and make some spiritual deductions accordingly.

The NASB version of Proverbs 20:27 reads that "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord....". This means God will enlighten (shed light upon; instruct; impart knowledge to) us. In order words, He will guide us. However, because we live in a sensual world, we are quick to seek guidance by other means, especially our physical senses. This, as you would agree with me, mostly get us into trouble. Nowhere does the Bible say God will guide us through our physical senses or mental senses. God will guide us through our spirits. In order to have a full grasp of this truth, we require a good understanding of our nature as spirit beings.
2. Man: An Eternal Spirit.
"God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness,.... So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them."[Genesis 1:26,27]
We have to understand that man is a spirit being, that he has a soul, and that he lives in the body [1 Thess. 5:23].
"God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worshipHim in spirit and in truth (reality)." [John 4:24]
If man is made in God's image, after His likeness, it therefore follow that man must of necessity be a spirit. That is why when the physical body of man is dead and in the grave, the spirit lives on. That part of man is eternal as Spirits can never die. That why saints don't die. They sleep. Stephen (one of the disciples) was recorded in Acts 7:60 as " And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death]"Paul was talking in Phillipians 1:23,24, :
"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."
Who is going to depart? Paul was not talking about his body. His body was not going to depart. He was talking about the inward man, the spirit man, who lives inside the body. Some false cults teach that when a man dies, he does so like a dog. This is absolutely false. Man is more than a body, he is a spirit! He has a soul and abides in a body! Some also believe in reincarnation. This is unscriptural and unbiblical. Stay and believe on what the word of God teaches. Paul preached the same truths and taught the same facts to all the churches.
"but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." [2 Cor.4:16]
There is an inward man, and there is an inward man. The outward man is not the real you. This is only the house in which you live. The inward man is the real you and never grows older (i.e. corrupted). It is renewed day by day. This is the spirit man. It is this inward man that gets born again (See the account of Nicodemus in John 3: 1-6), the reason why the Bible encourages us to renew our minds. Man's spirit receives eternal life - the very life of God, and the nature of God. It is man's spirit that is made a new creature in Christ.
What Is Our spirit?
Keep in mind our text in Romans 8:14. Verse 16 gives insight into how the Spirit of God leads us - Through bearing witness with our spirit. In other words, the Spirit of God bears witness with the spirit of man.  Paul calls man's spirit "the inward man." while Peter calls man's spirit "the hidden man of the heart" [1 Peter 3:4]
In many places when the Bible speaks of the heart, it is speaking of the spirit, which is the real man. In the New Testament, wherever the word heart is used, substitute the word spirit and you will get a clearer picture of what the Bible is talking about.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." [2 Corinthians 5:17]
This is talking about the inward man and not the outward man. You do not get a new body or any bodily change after the new birth. God does not do anything with the outward man, you have to find out what God wants you to do with the outward man from the Bible and then do it. God makes the man on the inside a new man in Christ, a new creature - a new creation.
3. Be Spirit- Conscious
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Thess.5:23]
Paul begins with the inside, the innermost part of man, the heart of being, which is his spirit, and comes outside. Most people misquote this verse by reversing the order, why? Because, most of the time, they are body-conscious than spirit-conscious. i.e. the natural mean more to them than spiritual things. We can be sometimes more mental-conscious too because we live in the mental realm.
If we are going to be led by the Spirit of God, we must become more spirit-conscious or we'll miss out on the whole thing. Remember, God's Spirit leads us through our spirits.
Why Body?
As an aside, let's consider the importance of the body. Why did Jesus had to show Thomas His Body in John 20:26-27? Why did He ask him to touch him? What will you do if you hear a movement in you house without seeing anybody?
You see, our body is what makes us authentic dwellers here on the earth. That is why God puts us here, to have dominion. That is why He desires for us to pray so we can invoke mysterious changes here on earth. God is a Spirit and since He does not have a Body, He has entrusted the Power to make changes to us as authentic dwellers (thanks to our Body). You will make great progress with your prayer life if you walk in the consciousness of this.

CONCLUSION -
Realise and walk in the consciousness of the truth that you are a spirit being and that you became a new creature created by God in Christ Jesus. This will help you grow spiritually.

*Teaching is culled from "How You Can Be Led By The Spirit of God" by Kenneth E Hagin.

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

Introduction:
This Psalm was written by David about 3,000 years ago and it is still one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. Amazon, in Nov. 2014, released the most highlighted passages in their most popular books downloaded onto Kindle, their electronic book reader. It included the most highlighted passage in the Bible which turned out to be Psalm 23.
This Psalm is part two of what we could call a Messianic trilogy. Psalm’s 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd.
a) The Past in Ps.22; He is the good Shepherd that laid down His life for His sheeps. Jhn.10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
b) The Present in Ps.23; He presentely cares and provides for the His people. Hebrews 13:20-21  “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him…”
c) The Future in Ps.24; He is the Chief Shepherd that will care for His people eternally. 1 Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away”. Rev.7:17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water."

Ps. 23 can be divided into three parts;
1) The great Shepherd; our provider (vs.1-3)
2) The great Shepherd; our protector (vs.4-5)
3) The great Shepherd; Our preserver (vs.6)
1) The Great Shepherd; Our Provider:- Ps.23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
The Lord – The source of David’s comfort, confidence and strength is The Lord. This name is “Yahweh’, the sovereign, almighty, delivering God. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said ‘Before Abraham was born, I AM!’(Jhn.8:58). We can’t call Him Lord until we come under His authority by giving up our own self-directed foolish ways. The Lord Jesus strongly rebuked those who held such a notion, saying, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

Is – David was referring to a present relationship. Not was, like He helped us in the past. Not will be, like we look forward to something He will do… but IS – present tense. David had extreme confidence in who God IS right now! Do you?

My – This is personal. The terms ‘I, my, me, he, his, you’ etc are used about 30 times in just 6 verses. His care is not just for the entire flock, but He is interested in personal relationship with individual Sheep. The Psalm is only valid for those who truly have Jesus as their own Shepherd. It’s not for goats. Ps.91:2 “I will say of the Lord, He is my….”

Shepherd – This imagery of the shepherd and sheep spans the entire Bible but is most prominent in the New Testament where Jesus speaks about His relationship with His people, His sheep. How would you describe sheep? What are their characteristics? They are dumb, dirty, defenceless and dependant. They are the most stupid animal on the face of the earth. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. If there is a ditch, they will fall in and need to be rescued. If there is a wire fence, they’ll get caught in it. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. They can’t run all that fast, don’t have the greatest eye sight apparently and, being basically defenceless, are timid and fearful. And let’s not forget they are prone to wander. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”( Isa.53:6).
That’s the animal God choose which best represents you and I! They are in need of a good shepherd who will provide, protect, and guide his sheep. We need to remind ourselves of this all the time. God is the one who looks after our lives. That is why we need the saviour and the comforter in our lives. John 10:1, 11-115.

I shall not want – David was not saying ‘the LORD is my Shepherd, I get everything I want’! Nor was he saying that all our selfish "wants" and cravings will be satisfied if the Lord is our Shepherd. He was talking about genuine needs, not greed’!  Obviously it means that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not lack that which He knows we need. This verse doesn’t mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it... God loves you too much to just make things always easy! That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. Everything will be ok. He is in control. Ps.34:10 “The young lion.”
Luk. 12:22-32 “ And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[b] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[c] kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters – Let us take note of the phrases He makes me and He leads me. Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing us to a place of rest. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. He makes me... He leads me.
It is the responsibility of the great Shepherd to lead us to green pastures and still waters, but it is our responsibility to follow, eat and drink. Whenever He makes us to lie down, we must learn to lie down even if we feel like moving. We can never suffer burn out, break down and depression if we constantly follow Him.

The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. [1] Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear. [2] Because of the social behaviour within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. [3] If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. [4] Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger." How does these relate to us?

He restores my soul – He renews and refreshes my spirit. Literally, He brings it back. Our restoration comes when we follow Him to green pastures, still waters and take our rest by casting all our cares upon Him. Ps. 55:22 “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he shall sustain you: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake - The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or ‘right’ paths. They will lead us to places of rest and provision. Obviously,
this doesn’t mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. As you survey your life, what path has God led and guided you through? Was it where you thought you would go? Rom.8:29. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

Introduction
It is a fundamental revelation in the Christian circle that the Holy Spirit is a person, just in the same sense that God the Father is a Person and God the Son is a Person

His Personality
Personality of the Holy Spirit Affirmed By His Attributes.

*He possesses the essential of mind or intelligence. 1 Corinthians 12:11
*He possesses life which is an essential of personality. Romans 8:2
On the human level, the possession of life is taken as proof of possession of personality, one without the other is impossible.

Personality of the Holy Spirit Affirmed By His Works.
*His work in creation -Genesis 1:2
*His work in empowering -Zechariah 4:6
*His Teaching Ministry -John 16:13
*His Guidance -Romans 8:14
*His Comforting -Acts 9:31
*His work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgement -John 16:8
*His Prayer -Romans 8:26
*His Restraint of Sin -Isaiah 59:19
*His Authoritative Commands -Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:7

He is God
*Seen by comparison (Isaiah 6:8-9 and Acts 28:25-26) also see Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrew 10:15-17
*The term God as found in the translations of the Old and New Testaments is frequently identified with the Holy Spirit. 2 Samuel 23:2-3, 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19 & Matthew 12:31-32

His deity is found in His works
*The work of the Holy Spirit in creation (Gen.1:2) by its very nature could be accomplished only by one who is God.
*His work in regeneration (John 3:6; Rom.8:11) likewise is clearly in the realm of a work of God.
*The ministry of the Holy Spirit in effecting the sanctification of the believer (2Thess.2:13)

Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
There are schools of thoughts (within Christendom) that erroneously believe that at salvation, we are already filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit. But there’s a difference
 *Philip’s Encounter in Samaria; Acts 8:5-8, 12 & 14-17
 *Saul’s Encounter with Jesus ACTS 9:15-17
Clearly here even though Saul had received Jesus as his Lord, he was not yet baptized in the Holy Spirit until Ananias came and laid hands on him to receive the Holy Spirit; showing us that receiving salvation and receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate experiences.

The Holy Spirit Within: His Indwelling Presence
*At salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us –this is referred to as His Indwelling Presence
*John 14:17: " Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
*1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD."

The Holy Spirit Upon: His Infilling Power
1. The Promise of the Holy Spirit: "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper. . . [John 14:16-17]
2. The Gateway into the Supernatural: The bible teaches of the nine-fold manifestation of the fruit of the born-again human spirit that is listed in Galatians 5:22, 23.
3. God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit upon us through the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that believers might enter into all the fullness of God [Ephesians 3:19, 20].
4. Power To Put Us Over In Life: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," [Eph.3:20]

Seven Steps to Receiving the Holy Ghost
Step 1 –Help: Help the Believer see that God has already given the Holy Spirit and it is His/ Her responsibility to receive God's free gift.
Step 2 –Show: Show the person that anyone who is saved is ready to immediately receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 2:37-38]
Step 3 –Tell: Tell them that when you lay hands on them, they are to receive the Holy Ghost.
Step 4 -Still Tell: Tell them what to expect as he receives the Holy Spirit.
Step 5 -Get over Fears: May be necessary to help some people get over their fears before they can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Step 6 -Open Your Mouth: Tell the candidate to open his mouth and be ready to use his own mouth and vocal chords
Step 7 -Avoid Distraction: Keep the candidate from distraction.

The Importance of Speaking in Tongues
*Speaking In Unknown Tongues
(a) Needed For Devotion & Prayers: (1 Cor.14:2, 4).
(b) Needed For Fulfilment of Scriptures: (Eph. 5:8, Rom 8:14, Gal. 5:16, 25, John 4:23
(c) Needed For Spiritual Edification & Spiritual Refreshing(1 Cor. 14:4).
(d) Needed To Best Give God Thanks:  1 Cor. 14:16-17
(e) Needed To Exercise, Activate and Stimulate our Faith: (Jude 1:20)
(f) Needed For Spiritual Warfare:  Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
*Speaking With Diverse Kinds of Tongues
(a) Needed For Ministration: (1 Cor. 14:22a AMP):
(b) Needed by God when He Chooses To Use It for His Glory: Acts 2: 11 (KJV)
(c) Needed For Supernaturally Magnifying God: Acts 10:46

Understanding the Gifts of the Spirit
GIFTS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND OPERATIONS (1 COR. 12:4-6)
*There are different spiritual gifts, but all of them stem from the one and only Holy Spirit.
*We may administer (serve with) these gifts differently, but we serve the same Lord.
*There are different types of operations (procedures), but it is the same God who does the work in all of us

THE NINE GIFTS CATEGORIZED
1. Revelation Gifts: Spiritual Gifts That Reveal Something:
The Word of Wisdom: Enables one to express the Holy Spirit's revelation/knowledge/answers to either an individual or to a group of people, church, etc.
The Word Of Knowledge: Supernatural insight or understanding of circumstances, situations, problems, or a body of facts by revelation
The Discerning Of Spirits: The ability to quickly perceive whether such things as people, events, or beliefs are from God or Satan

2. Power Gifts: Spiritual Gifts That Do Something
The Gift Of Faith: The special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God's promises, power, and presence so they can take heroic stands for the future of God's work in the church.
The Working Of Miracles: The ability given by the Holy Spirit to perform miracles
The Gifts Of Healings: The ability given by the Holy Spirit to perform miracles of healing

3. Utterance or Inspirational Gifts: Spiritual Gifts That Say Something
Prophecy: A supernatural ability to declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people.
Divers Kinds Of Tongues: A supernatural utterance in an unknown Tongue (language).
Interpretation Of Tongues: A supernatural showing forth of that which has been said in an unknown Tongue (language).