Introduction:
Last week, we looked at the seven steps needed to receive the Holy Spirit. Understanding these steps will help both the receivers and Spirit filled believers to pray with those seeking to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Today, we shall briefly go over the seven steps again, practicalise the steps if there are people who are yet to be filled with the Holy Spirit and/or pray in the Spirit for some minutes with some notes at the end.
Step 1: Understand that God has already given the Holy Spirit and that it is now up to the believer to receive God's free Gift. Acts 19:1-6, Acts 8:14-17

Step 2: Understand that anyone who is saved is ready to immediately receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:37-38

Step 3: Understand that once hand is laid on the person seeking to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost by a fellow believer (irrespective of position or title), s/he is to receive the Holy Spirit by faith. Heb. 11:1

Step 4: The person seeking to be baptized in the Holy Spirit must be clearly told what to expect as s/he receives the Holy Spirit e.g. S/he must cooperate with the Holy Spirit by having to speak out by her/himself as the Holy Spirit moves on her/his vocal organs putting words on her/his lips. Acts 2:4, Acts 10:46

Step 5: Need to help some people get over fear of getting something false or counterfeit Luke 11:11-13

Step 6: The candidate must be clearly told to open her/his mouth and be ready to use his own mouth and vocal chords, for the Holy Spirit will give the utterance, but s/he must yield and give voice to that utterance. S/he must also tell God in her/his heart; “I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by faith”. It is crucial to understand that the Holy Spirit gives the utterance while the receiver does the speaking. John 7:37-39.

Step 7: Avoid distractions! Only one person giving instructions on helping the seeker yield to the Holy Spirit while others pray in the Spirit (not in their own languages) so that s/he may be encouraged to follow suit so to speak.
Carnality: Carnal Christians (or Christians who are sense-ruled or dominated by the flesh) can be filled with the Holy Ghost. How do we know that? Because the Bible says the Corinthian Christians were carnal, and yet Paul prayed for them that they would come behind in no gift (1 Cor. 1:7). He was not endorsing carnality, to be sure. He was trying to get them to grow up in God and outgrow carnality. But as believers yield to Him, the Holy Ghost will help them grow out of carnality.
Baby Christianity: Baby Christians can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Carnal Christians and baby Christians — indeed, all believers — greatly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit because then they will receive power that will help them (Acts 1:8). Also, if they will walk in the light of God's Word and be led by the Holy Spirit, He will lead them into all truth and help them to outgrow some things in their lives which have perhaps hindered their Christian walk (John 16:13). Therefore, if a person is saved, he is ready to receive the Holy Ghost now. Always lead the believer who is seeking the Holy Ghost to see that truth.

Conclusion                                
Essential ingredients to reaching our goal (making it to heaven and fulfilling purpose on earth) are being led by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We must daily pray in the Spirit to keep ourselves in the love of God and be built up in our most holy faith Jude 1:20-21.

Contributor: Akin Akande
 

INTRODUCTION

Today's lesson has a twofold purpose: Number one purpose is to help those who have not yet received the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Number two is to help Spirit-filled believers pray with those who are seeking to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Remember the lesson on the misconception of having to "tarry" or wait before one can receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Any layperson (Believer in Jesus Christ) can take the following seven steps and help any Christian get filled with the Holy Ghost. The steps we will be looking at today have been taught at different believers meetings,  used by both Kenneth E Hagin and many believers in the world and are still being used and delivering results till today.

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.
• Above all else, the Believer needs to know that He needs not beg God for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This promise of the infilling of the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and has been here since then. All that is required is for the Believer to receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 19:1-6]. In this passage, Paul didn't tell the disciples to pray that God would give them the Holy Spirit, the Bible says in verse 6, ".....the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied".
Step 2 - Show
• Show the person who has come to receive the Holy Ghost that anyone who is saved is ready to immediately receive the Holy Spirit. [Acts 2:37-38]
• Once you are born again, there's nothing else required for you to do in order to qualify to receive the Holy Spirit. You don't have to make any restitution for past sins. Once your sins have been confessed and you have been forgiven, you are qualified.[1 John 1:9]
• Whatever the growth level, whether Carnal (sense-ruled or flesh dominated) or baby (early stage of Christian growth), any Christian (Believer) can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible says the Corinthian Christians were carnal, and yet Paul prayed for them that they will come behind in no gift [1 Cor.1:7]. Paul was not endorsing carnality, He was simply trying to get them to grow up in God and outgrow carnality.
Step 3 - Tell
• Tell people that when you lay hands on them, they are to receive the Holy Ghost. Anyone (please note) can lay hands on another in faith, for God honors faith. It's got nothing to do with position or title. Anyone (i.e a fellow Believer) can lay their hands on a person in faith as a point of contact.
• The Holy Spirit is received by faith, and faith is always "now" or present tense [Heb.11:1]
Step 4 - Still Tell
• Tell the candidate what to expect as he receives the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, he won't know what is happening when the Holy Spirit begins to move on him.
• Tell him/her to expect the Holy Spirit to move upon his vocal organs and put supernatural words on his/her lips as he/she yields to the Holy Spirit in coorperation. The candidate will have to speak out by himself/ herself.
• Remember, the person is the one who does the actual speaking, not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the utterance, but man does the actual speaking. ".....they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." [Acts 2:4]. Also read Acts 10:46; 19:6; 1 Cor.14:2,4,5,14-15,18,27-28.
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.
• Many have been told that they might get something that is false or counterfeit when receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit thereby letting fear or unbelief set in.
• Encourage such with the words of Jesus in Luke 11:11-13. If your child asked you as a parent for bread, would you give him a stone?
Step 6 - Open Your Mouth
• Tell the candidate to open his mouth and be ready to use his own mouth and vocal chords, for the Holy Spirit will give utterance, but he (the candidate) must yield and give voice to that utterance.
• At the same time, the believer should tell God in his heart, " I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by faith."
• When the Holy Spirit begins to move upon the believer, tell him to lift his voice and speak out whatever utterance is given to him by the Holy Spirit, regardless of what it sounds like.
• Tell the person to speak the words and language the Holy Spirit gives him, continuing to praise God and speak to God with those supernatural words until the language becomes more fluent.
• The person can have assurance and confidense that he has received the Holy Spirit when he can hear himself speak in tongues in a distinct language.
• John 7:37-39. Jesus said in this verse of scriptures that we are to come and drink of the Holy Spirit. In order words, Jesus is simply saying that receiving the Holy Spirit is like drinking water. Same principle is involved. No one drinks water with mouth shut. In the same way, a person must put action to his faith by simply giving voice to the unction of the Holy Spirit. This can't be done with the mouth closed. Remember, the Holy Spirit gives utterance; the person does the actual talking.
Step 7 - Avoid Distraction
• Keep the candidate from distraction. For instance, prevent the gathering of crowd around the candidate, giving instructions. This will confuse the person. Only have a few workers with specific instructions to help the person through encouraging them to yield to the Holy Spirit as some may be slow in yielding. [Give example of swimming]
• You can sometime simply speak in tongues yourself after praying with the candidate, and this will encourage the candidate to "follow you into the water", so to speak - into the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION -
You will discover that by following these seven steps (possibly today after this teaching if there is anyone who is not baptised in the Holy Spirit), you will help believers receive the Holy Spirit immediately without tarrying. As you assist believers in receiving the Holy Spirit, you will feel personally blessed and rewarded for your part in their receiving this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit.

*Teaching is culled from "The Holy Spirit and His Gifts" by Kenneth E Hagin.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

Introduction:
Over the last few weeks, we have established the dual working of the Spirit of God in the lives of God’s children: The Holy Spirit within (indwelling) in the new birth and the Holy Spirit upon (infilling) in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Since our focus this week is on the infilling, it will be crucial to reiterate the difference between the infilling and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The infilling refers to the Holy Spirit coming upon believers to endue them with power from on High (Luke 24:49 & Acts 1:8). Just as the Spirit within in the new birth is a definite experience, so there is also a genuine infilling of the Holy Spirit which believers can (and as a matter of truth must) receive in our present dispensation, which is also a definite experience. Also note that it is the same Holy Spirit, only that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is responsible for fruit bearing while the infilling of the Holy Spirit is primarily for service. In other words, being born again and having the Holy Spirit dwell within is the entrance into the ninefold fruit of the spirit while being filled with the Spirit is the doorway into the ninefold supernatural manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. In our lesson today, we shall consider biblical examples of people who experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Clarifying a misconception: Tarrying Is Not a Formula For Receiving the Holy Spirit
Right from the onset, let it be clear that tarrying before the Lord is not unscriptural. Certainly, tarrying before the Lord and waiting on the Lord in prayer, praise, and worship is important in the Christian race so believers must pray long and wait earnestly before God. However, ‘waiting and praying’, crying out and agonizing to receive the Holy Ghost, is unscriptural as it is not necessary. Let us look at the scriptures that suggested the above misconception and clarify it.
Luke 24:49 - And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but TARRY ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Acts 1:4,5 - And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but WAIT for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence.
- If tarrying is a formula, then “Jerusalem” must be included in the formula
- The disciples were only waiting for the day of Pentecost and not “getting ready” to be filled with the Holy Spirit otherwise the bible would have said, "When they were fully ready, the Holy Ghost came." But it doesn't say that
- Other examples in the new testament did not portray any sort of “tarrying and waiting”
Hence, teaching believers to tarry for the baptism of the Holy Spirit only produces doubt and confusion in those candidates who desire to receive this gift.
The key preparation/”waiting”/”tarrying” must be that of the heart!
Bible Examples of Receiving the Holy Ghost
The Samaritan Believers Acts 8: 5-8 , 12-15, 17-20
- Joy can be experienced pre or post infilling experience vs. 5-8
- Great revival in Samaria with hundreds of people saved, and scores healed. And all of these folks received the Holy Ghost: "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:17). Notice that all of these Samaritans received the Holy Ghost without waiting, praying, or agonizing — and they received without exception or disappointment.
Cornelius and His Household Acts 10: 34-46
Neither Cornelius nor his household was saved. They were Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes. A person can't be saved without hearing the gospel. Those of Cornelius' household didn't know that Jesus had died for the sins of mankind and was raised from the dead for our justification.
Therefore, Peter preached to them about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 10:34-43). They believed the gospel message (Rom. 10:9,10), and they were born again while Peter was preaching (Acts 11:14). Then they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before Peter even finished his message. Notice that while Peter was still speaking, Cornelius and his household were not only saved, but were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke with tongues — without waiting, agonizing, or struggling.
How did the Jewish believers know the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Gentiles? "For they heard them SPEAK WITH TONGUES, and magnify God..." (Acts 10:46).
Saul of Tarsus Acts 9:11-12, 17
Account of Saul (turned Paul) receiving the Holy Spirit and validated by what he said in 1 Cor. 14:18 "I thank my God, I SPEAK WITH TONGUES more than ye
No suggestion of the need for Saul to tarry or wait to be filled with the Holy Ghost; Saul was immediately filled with the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him. It is most probable that Saul didn't know a thing in the world about the Holy Ghost until Ananias came in and laid hands on him. But Ananias obeyed the Lord and Saul was immediately filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Ephesian Disciples Acts 19:1-6
These folks at Ephesus had not heard about being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues. But as soon as Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues. Every one of them was filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them the utterance — without waiting, agonizing, struggling, or tarrying.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have seen a number of examples of those who experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the Scripture. They had this encounter without “tarrying”/”waiting”. Infact, while Peter was still ministering, the receivers (Gentiles) received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. God does not have any “cut-and-dried” methods. In every single instance where a company of believers sought the Holy Spirit, everyone received right away. Not one went away disappointed because of failing to receive the Holy Spirit.
 

Contributor: Akin Akande

INTRODUCTION
We will (briefly) in a participatory form, be looking at the two fold work of God in the life of an individual believer. These two fold work is premise upon the dual working of the Spirit of God in the life of a beliver. The Holy Spirit within (indwelling) which takes place in the new birth is one of these two fold works of God. This has been extensively discussed in the last couple of teachings. The second being the Holy Spirit upon (infilling) will be extensively discussed in today's exposition.

1. The Promise of the Holy Spirit
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
[John 14:16-17]
Jesus, in this scripture promised the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit when He said, " I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter)...... He dwells with you and will be in you.". At this time, the Holy Ghost was not yet in the disciples, nor in any of His followers. However, this promise was under the new convenant. Also, this promise of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled in John 20:21,22 when the resurrected Saviour breathed on the disciples and said, ".......receive ye the Holy Ghost."

On a seperate and subsequent experience, Jesus promised His disciples and all believers, the enduement of power from on High.

"Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” [Luke 24:49]

"for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
[Acts 1:5,8]
Here in these passages, Jesus is referring to a different working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers -  this is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon believers in order to receive an enduement of power from on High.
2. The Holy Spirit Upon: The Gateway Into the Supernatural
The bible teaches two groups of nine in connection with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. There is the ninefold manifestation of the fruit of the born-again human spirit that is listed in Galatians 5:22,23. These fruit of the spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. However, we also find a second ninefold group in connection with the Holy Spirit in             1 Corinthians 12 which are the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit known as the gifts of the Spirit. The purpose of these gifts is so that believers can bless others. The gateway into these nine manifestation of the Holy Spirit is the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with tongues.
3. The Holy Spirit Upon: Being Filled With The Fullness of God
When a person is born again, he receives a measure of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit dwells in him. This indwelling is to help, comfort, guide and cause the believer to bear fruit in his/ her life. However, the believer can experience more of God as there is more of the Holy Spirit to receive! This is a deep pentecostal experience not to be despised but rather coveted. 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]. It takes a Spirit-filled believer to be ".....filled with all the fulness of God". We must bear in mind that Paul's epistles were written to churches. In other words, they were written to people who had not only received eternal life in the new-birth experience, but had also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
It is required for everyone (in the New Testament Church) not only to be born again, but also to be filled with the Holy Ghost and to speak with other tongues. In today's church, however, we have many who are born again but have not entered into their full inheritance of being filled with the Holy Ghost because of the lack of knowledge! There is a greater measure of the Holy Spirit for believers to receive in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Just as being born again and having the Holy Spirit dwell within is the entrance into the ninefold fruit of the spirit, so being filled with the Spirit is the doorway into the ninefold supernatural manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit. There is no other way to get into the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit than through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Holy Spirit Upon: 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]
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [Acts 1:8]
We can reliably and confidently conclude from the above scriptures that every Spirit-filled believer has in him, on account and ready for use, all the power that he will ever need to put him over in this life. Why? Because of the infilling presence of the Greater One - the Holy Spirit.
"Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world." [1 John 4:4 AMP]

CONCLUSION - Cooperating With The Holy Spirit, The Power Source
It is important to note as we conclude this teaching, that so many believers who have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit do not reach their full potential in learning to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who is the Source of all power.

We must focus on and be more conscious of the reality of what the Holy Spirit has come to do in us and through us on a continual basis through the baptism of the Holy Spirit than with receiving the Holy Spirit as an outward experience or with some feeling (which is temporary) of ecstasy from the natural standpoint. We should not just talk about the outward manifestation and miss the reality of the holy Spirit on the inside of us. We should be conscious of the Holy Spirit's indwelling Presence every waking moment.

*Teaching is culled from "The Holy Spirit and His Gifts" by Kenneth E Hagin.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we examined the subject of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in the new birth. Being born again is not just an experience; rather, it is receiving the indwelling Presence of God by His Spirit. The consciousness of this reality gives us the boldness to confront any issue in life with absolute assurance of victory.
We shall continue with this study today.
1) God For Us, God with Us, and God in Us;
The New Testament gives us three relations that God sustains toward man. First, God is for us. Second, God is with us. And third, God is in us.
To have God be for us guarantees our success: ". . . If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31). If God is on our side, we are sure to win in life. If God is for you, and you know that He is for you, you become utterly fearless in life. No matter how difficult the situation may be, no matter how dark the clouds that hang upon the horizon of your life may be, you are calmly assured that you must win in every circumstance because God is for you. There can be no defeat if the Lord is for us. And, thank God, He is for us. If God be for us, who can be against us?
You can also have the assurance that not only is God for you, but in every place in life and in every situation, God is with you. No matter what the circumstances may be, if you are a Christian, the Lord is with you. The knowledge of the Word of God along this line should certainly cause our hearts to leap for joy within us, and buoy our spirits up in faith and confidence.
Under the New Testament or New Covenant, the Bible says we have a better covenant established on better promises (Heb. 8:6). Under the covenant in the Old Testament, God was for Israel and with Israel, but He was not in Israel. However, in the New Testament, God is with us and for us, but we also have something better — God is in us. God is actually making His home in our bodies as His temple (1 Cor. 6:19).

2) Greater Is He That Is 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."
Who is the "he" that is in the world? That is Satan, the god of this world.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 “In whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
But He who is in you - the Holy Ghost —- is greater! The Greater One is in you if you are born again. God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit lives in the born-again believer. All that God could possibly be to you and do for you, the Holy Ghost through His indwelling Presence is to you and for you and in you. If we were really conscious of the Greater One in us, then we would have no fear of the devil. We would have no fear of "he that is in the world" because "He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world."
John said, ". . . greater is he that is IN YOU . . ." (1 John 4:4). Going back to John 14:16, we
hear Jesus say, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." Then in the last part of verse 17, Jesus said, ". . . he . . . shall be IN YOU." That is exactly what John was saying in First John 4:4 too: ". . . greater is he that is IN YOU, than he that is in the world."
It's one thing to try to do something mentally yourself; it's another thing to trust Him — the Greater One — who is in you. He is everything in us that the Scriptures say He is. He'll do everything in us the Word says He will do. And He will be everything in us the Word says He will be.

CONCLUSION
Smith Wigglesworth, a man of God who was used mightily of the Lord to preach faith and perform miracles of healings, said in his book, Ever Increasing Faith, "I am a thousand times bigger on the inside than I am on the outside." Someone asked Wigglesworth, "What is your secret to the great place of spirituality you have attained? His answer was, "All I ever did was to remember that greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world."

Kenneth E. Hagin’s book; The Spirit and His Gifts was used as a guide for this study

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

~~INTRODUCTION
In today’s study we will examine the subject of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in the new birth from our text.
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. 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.”
Focus will be on that last phrase of John 14:17:
". . . For He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Being born again is not just an experience; rather, it is receiving the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, a Divine Personality, who comes to make His home in us.
BELIEVERS ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Of all the mighty truths in connection with our redemption, the apex is the reality of our redemption is this: that after God Himself recreated us and made us new creatures in Christ and made us His own, and then He, in the Person of the Holy Ghost, makes our bodies His home! Let us consider a few verses of scriptures that spell this out.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (AMP) says:
“Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]?”
1 Corinthians 6:19 (AMP)
“Do you not know that your body is the temple — the very sanctuary — of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own?”
2 Corinthians 6:16 (AMP)
“What agreement (can there be between) a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the Living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
So we see here that God no longer dwells in the earth-made Holy of Holies but our bodies have become His temple.
WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?
This happened when at the cross Jesus said: “It is finished”. The bible says in (Matt. 27:51) that at that moment the curtain that partitioned off the Holy of Holies in the Temple was rent in two from top to bottom. Signifying that from then, God's Presence would no longer be kept shut up in the man-made Holy of Holies but instead, under the New Covenant, God would dwell in the believer (See Jer. 31:33,34;Heb. 8:6-3;10:1-17).
And so from that day God's Presence which had been kept in the Holy of Holies, moved out of that earth-made Holy of Holies and God has never dwelt in an earth-made Holy of Holies since.
THE CHALLENGE
Relatively few Christians are really conscious of God in them — dwelling in their hearts and bodies as His temple. If men and women were conscious of God in them as His temple, they wouldn't talk and act as they sometimes do. Some Christians constantly talk about their lack of power, and their lack of ability. But if they realized that God is in them, they would know that there is nothing impossible to them. The reason for this is because instead of believing what the Bible says, too many believers believe only what they feel.
THE SOLUTION
A realization of Jesus’ promise; in John 14:16 He said, ". . . that he [the Holy Spirit] may abide with you forever"
The Holy Spirit didn't come as a guest to stay for just a few days. He didn't come on a vacation to dwell inside of you for just a short time. He came to dwell in you to be at home in you forever. The Holy Spirit's home in this life is in your body — God's temple.
THE BENEFITS OF HIS SPIRIT
1 John 4:4 says, "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." who is the "He" that is in the world? That is Satan, the god of this world.
But He who is in you - the Holy Ghost is greater! The Greater One is in you if you are born again. God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit lives in the born-again believer. All that God could possibly be to you and do for you, the Holy Ghost through His indwelling presence is to you and for you and in you.
CONCLUSION
If we were really conscious of the Greater One in us, then we would have no fear of the devil. We would have no fear of "he that is in the world" because "He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world." Why? Because God did not give us a spirit of timidity; not a spirit of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear, but the spirit He gave us is that of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) – Rephrased.
Kenneth E. Hagin’s book; The Spirit and His Gifts was used as a guide for this study.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai
 

~~Introduction
This year, we are focusing on the HOLY SPIRIT.  This is a very interesting and important study for us. The first two studies clarified His identity and deity.We also understood His attributes and His works in the believer's life.
Last week, we started examining the difference between 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. We shall scripturally differentiate between these two wonderful experiences in this study.

1) Philip’s Encounter in Samaria; Acts 8:5-8,12
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and PREACHED CHRIST unto them.
6 And the people with ONE ACCORD GAVE HEED UNTO THOSE THINGS which Philip
spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed
with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city... .
12 But when they BELIEVED Philip preaching THE THINGS CONCERNING THE
KINGDOM OF GOD, and THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, they were baptized, both men
and women.

Jesus instructed us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Salvation comes through the
preaching of the gospel, the Word of God. MARK 16:15,16. Philip did just that in Samaria, and the people believed, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. He went further in verse 12 to baptize them in water, since it was established that they were born again by believing the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ.
            Then, in Vs 14-17, “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD [con-cerning salvation], they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS.)17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST.”
            Mighty miracles were constantly being manifested in Philip's ministry and many people were being saved. Yet notice that in Acts chapter 8, not one person received the Holy Spirit under Philip's ministry. Evidently, that was not a part of Philip's ministry, but getting folks saved and healed. However, the Bible says that when the apostles at Jerusalem heard about the wonderful things God had done through Philip's ministry in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to lay hands on the new Samaritan converts so that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
There is no record that anyone upon whom Peter and John laid their hands failed to receive the Holy Ghost because Peter and John had more of a ministry along this line. The Bible says, "Then laid they [Peter and John] their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:17).
          The spiritual encounters in Samaria clearly nullify the assumption that salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are one and the same thing.

2) Saul’s Encounter with Jesus;  ACTS 9:15-17
15 But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], Go thy way: for he I Saul] is a CHOSEN VESSEL UNTO ME, to bear MY NAME before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:        16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for MY NAME'S SAKE.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him
[ Saul] said, BROTHER SAUL, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way
as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The passage in Acts chapter 9 which records Saul's conversion and baptism in the Holy Spirit also shows us that receiving salvation and receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate experiences.
Saul had a supernatural encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus in Act 9:1-9.
Saul got converted on that spot.  Act 9:3-6;
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
There are three evidences of Saul’s conversion when he met with Jesus;

a) Acts 9:15,16; Jesus, speaking to Ananias in a vision, called Saul His chosen vessel.
“ But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], Go thy way: for he I Saul] is a CHOSEN
VESSEL UNTO ME, to bear MY NAME before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of
Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for MY NAME'S SAKE.

b) ACTS 9:17; Ananias greeted Saul by calling him "Brother Saul." Ananias recognised that Saul was already a Christian brother in the faith despite his past reputation.
“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him [ Saul] said, BROTHER SAUL, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mighest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

c) We also know that Saul was already saved when Ananias came to lay hands on him to
receive the Holy Spirit, because the Bible says in Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Saul called Jesus, "Lord" during his conversion on the Damascus Road.

It is clear then that 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. Acts 9:17.

Conclusion: Salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost are two separate experiences.  There are other examples in the Bible like the Gentiles of Cornelius' Household in Acts 10. The men of Cornelius' household were all Gentiles, and they were not saved until Peter came and preached the gospel to them and got baptised in the Holy Ghost immediately.
We also have scriptural accounts of those who were saved and then immediately following salvation, they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 19.
This study was extracted from Kenneth E. Hagin’s book; The Spirit and His Gifts

Contributor: Alex Alajiki.

~~Introduction:
What is Salvation?
Salvation is being saved from the just judgement of God that is inevitable upon the life of the sinner
When Adam was created, he was created from dust as only soul and body.  God in His desire to make man to be like Him then breathed His breath into Adam.  Man then was made up of Spirit, Soul and Body. Gen 1:26.  God being a Spirit breathed His person into man.  Therefore the spirit part of man was the likeness of God.
When man fell, the likeness of God in the Spirit of Man disappeared.    Man was left with his own fleshy spirit.  God being a just God was bound to condemn man during the righteous judgement.  However, it is not His plan that any should perish.  It is His desire that man should come back and be in the right standing with Him. God then had a plan to bring back His Spirit into man so that man would once again by like Him.
This provision was made available to us when Jesus Christ died on the cross.  When we became born again, the Spirit of God comes into us and made our spirit alive to be like Him.  Gods’ intention is for man to come back to the status that he ordained in the beginning. 
However, our adversary the devil was not happy about this reconciliation.  The devil’s plan which is to make sure that Gods’ plan does not succeed.  In his bid to foil the plan of God, began to make it impossible for the Holy Spirit to have a place in us.
The good old tricks of the enemy came into play.  He would concentrate on manipulating our soul which is represented by our emotions.  This part of us is controlled by our physical senses.  He then fortified himself within this part of us.
We can then say that we have an inner being and we also have an outer being.  Our inner being is the real us while our outer being is just a house that we live in.  Our inner being does not grow old but is renewed daily.  Our inner being is our spirit man.  It is during this renewal that our spirit man intermingles with the Holy Spirit and fortifies his spiritual senses.
As God is a Spirit, He can only influence our spirit man.  That is why Proverbs 20:27 tells us that “…the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord…”  Man can only be guided by the Spirit of God through the spirit of man.
How does God lead us? -Romans 8:14 – 16
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”
• Man being a spirit being need to become spirit-conscious. We can then look beyond the physical realm of sensing and adopt a spiritual realm of a sensing way of life.  Having the knowledge that Gods spirit leads us through our spirit will make us spiritually conscious and help us grow as a child of God.
• The experience we get when the Holy Spirit witness to our human spirit is different from when we are led by our spirit as our emotions becomes in charge.  We experience excitements when everything is going right and depression when things are not going our way.  However, when we are being led by the Holy Spirit we are consistent and stabilized during these variations.
• The part of us that refuses to give up is our spirit while the part that reacts to pressure is controlled by our emotions.
In conclusion
Remember that in Rom 8:16 “…..the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God…”
This means that during trying times the Holy Spirit strengthens our spirit and in acknowledgement, our spirit responds in agreement with the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.  He strengthens us to have the right thoughts, doctrines and make the right decisions.  As we get used to receiving this strength from the Holy Spirit, we will invariably mature into a person led by the Holy Spirit and not by our emotions.

Contributor: Clem Roberts
 

~~INTRODUCTION
In our last teaching on this topic, we looked and explore the personality of the Holy Spirit through affirmations of His attributes and His works in the believer's life. Today, we will continue on the personality of the Holy Spirit by considering His diety.

The doctrine of the deity of the Holy Spirit has an intimate logical relation to the doctrine of the personality of the Spirit. It is clear that the Holy Spirit is God, He is also a person. In like manner therefore, if His Person be accepted, we are driven inevitably to the conclusion that He is God by the work He performs.

1. IDENTIFICATION OF JEHOVAH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
According to scriptures, the term Jehovah is a title of deity (a Supernatural/ Supreme Being thought of as holy, divine or sacred). It is of great significance therefore that this title is given to the Holy Spirit.

"I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”  He said, “Go and tell these people:
‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!
Look continually, but don’t perceive!’"
[Isaiah 6:8-9]

"So they began to leave, unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah when he said,‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive."
[Acts 28:25-26]

A comparison of the above scriptures will reveal that the Jehovah of Isaiah is the Holy Spirit of Acts. Jehovah is used of all three Persons of the Trinity severally as well as of the Trinity corporately. Another instance of identification of Jehovah and the Holy Spirit is found in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrew 10:15-17 (our texts).

2. IDENTIFICATION OF GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
The term God as found in the translations of the Old and New testaments is frequently identified with the Holy Spirit. There are several instances in the bible which point to details of the confirming evidence.

The LORD’s spirit spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
 The God of Israel spoke, the protector of Israel spoke to me.
The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God,
[2 Samuel 23:2-3]

In this scripture, the Spirit of Jehovah and the God of Israel are identified. Both titles refer to the same entity. In like manner, the presence of the Holy Spirit is said to be the presence of God. The Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit is indwelt by God.
"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?"

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"
[1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19]

Matthew 12:31-32 further illustrates the identification of God and the Holy Spirit by the fact that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is declared unpardonable by Christ. Blasphemy (the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously [misuse/ violation of what is sacred] about God or sacred things) in its nature is an act against deity. If the Holy Spirit were not God, it would not be possible to commit this sin.
Another clear instance where the sin against the Holy Spirit is said to be a sin against God can be found in the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-4. An inescapable conclusion of the deity of the Holy Spirit is reached from these several identifications and illustrations.

3. ASSOCIATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH THE FATHER AND THE   SON ON EQUAL TERMS.
The Holy Spirit is frequently associated with the Father and the Son in equal terms in scripture, thus predicating His deity. Examples can be found in the baptisimal formula (Matthew 28:19) where the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are related on an equal basis. Worthy of note here is the use of the name in the singular. The significance of which points to the fact that the final name of God is, "Father, Son and Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit is essential to the Triune God.
Also, a comparison of Scriptures often reveals an association of the Persons of the Trinity in terms which infer equality of association. Inspiration of Scripture may be traced to God (Hebrews 1:1), the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) and the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11). The Holy Spirit is therefore accorded the same honor, position, and ministry as the other members of the Trinity. Another instance of this association is found in the apostolic benediction recorded in 2 Corinthians 13:14;
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
The Persons of the Trinity are displayed in all their equality, and accorded equal honor in this frequently quoted verse.
4. THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
An extensive argument for the deity of the Holy Spirit is found in His works. Three of His works may be brought forward as being distinctively in the realm of divine operation.
a)  The work of the Holy Spirit in creation (Gen.1:2) by its very nature could be  accomplished only by one who is God. 
b) His work in regeneration (John 3:6; Rom.8:11) likewise is clearly in the realm of a work of God.
c) The ministry of the Holy Spirit in effecting the sanctification of the believer (2Thess.2:13) is another illustration. Men may influence, but only God can  sanctify.

CONCLUSION
From the aforementioned therefore, we can conclusively state without any further summation of arguments that the case for the deity of the Holy Spirit is non-contestable. The apostolic benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14 amongst others, without any iota of doubt, establishes the deity and the equality of the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the son.
*Most part of this teaching is culled from "The Person of The Holy Spirit" by John F. Walvoord.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola

~~INTRODUCTION
The current trend of today's theological literature has been to emphasize the present work of the Holy Spirit without due consideration of His person. However, His work has no real foundation without digging deep into His Person. To this end therefore, we will begin our intense study on the Holy Spirit by considering His Personality. This will testify to the fact that the study of the Persons of the Trinity is foundational to all theological truth.

THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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. Without denial of the one Essence (nature) of the Godhead therefore, the personality of the Holy Spirit must be affirmed. We will consider the various affirmations of the personality of the Holy Spirit under different headings.

1. Personality of the Holy Spirit Affirmed By His Attributes.
The various qualities of the Person of the Holy Spirit demonstrates that personality is a necessity, the centre without which other qualities could not exist. The attributes of the Holy Spirit demand His personality. 1 Corinthians 12:11 states

"All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses [wills]."

It should be noted here that the Holy Spirit possesses the essential of mind or intelligence. The above scripture explicitly affirm that the Holy Spirit exercises a moral and sovereign will which is comparable to that of the other Persons of the Trinity. In connection with the sovereign bestowal of spiritual gifts on men, the Spirit is said to accomplish this "as He chooses" or "as He will". The essential of mind or intelligence is further confirmed by His works also. His works indicate intelligence, knowledge, and the normal functions of personality. Personality, which is an attribute of His Person, is demonstrated by the actions of the Person.

"Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man’s thoughts except the man’s own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."
[1 Corinthians 2:10-11 AMP]

The attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge) is evidence of the existence of mind and intelligence on a platform of deity.

Also, the Holy Spirit possesses life which is an essential of personality.

"For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." [Romans 2:2 NET]
On the human level, the possession of life is taken as proof of possession of personality, one without the other being impossible. As the Holy Spirit possesses life, personality is necessary. A mere influence (compelling force) as some believe the Holy Spirit to be or emanation, does not possess the attributes of life. Life on a moral platform is always associated with personality.
2. Personality of the Holy Spirit Affirmed By His Works.
Without any doubt, the most tangible and conclusive evidence for the personality of the Holy Spirit is found in His works. The very character of His works makes it impossible to interpret the Scriptures properly without assuming His personality. The following illustrations will be sufficient.
• His work in creation - Genesis 1:2
"Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water."
• His work in empowering - Zechariah 4:6
"Therefore he told me, “These signify the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD who rules over all.”"
• His Teaching Ministry -  John 16:13
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come."
• His Guidance - Romans 8:14
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God."
• His Comforting - Acts 9:31
"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied."
•  His work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgement - John 16:8
"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
• His Prayer - Romans 8:26
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings."
• His Restraint of Sin - Isaiah 59:19
"So [as the result of the Messiah’s intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives]."
• His Authoritative Commands - Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:7
"Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot."

"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate now for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

"And when they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them."

CONCLUSION
From these citations, it should be crystal clear that personality is absolutely necessary to explain these ministeries. A mere inference to the Holy Spirit as an influence or emanation does not and can not create, empower, teach, guide, pray or command as affirmed by the works of the Holy Spirit. It will become necessary to attack the inspiration of the scriptures themselves in order to disturb the overwhelming evidence contained therein on this subject.

"Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,
‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
    until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’"
[Matthew 22:43-44 NLT]

*Most part of this teaching is culled from "The Person of The Holy Spirit" by John F. Walvoord.

Contributor: Leye Olayiwola