The Holy Ghost Is Received by Faith!

"This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:2). Saints, this message should ignite your faith, and by faith you should lay hold of God's great promises! "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

Have you asked God for this gift? Are you seeking the Holy Ghost? Are you continually knocking? "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).

Simply ask and you will receive! Seek your heavenly Father for the baptism of the Holy Ghost and he will give it to you!

We face a mad devil on the loose in our world today. He is unleashing all the power at his command, and legions of evil powers are digging in for the final conflict with heaven. But Satan cannot stand up to a righteous, Holy Ghost-filled child of God who walks in faith and obedience. Show me a truly Holy Ghost-possessed believer and I'll show you one who puts the legions of hell to chase.

God, send the Holy Ghost! Fall upon us! Baptize us mightily. And send us forth against satanic strongholds with an uncompromising faith that he will prevail in our day!

The apostle Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). He also said, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (5:25).

As Christians, we have heard this phrase throughout our lives: "Walk in the Spirit." Many believers tell me they walk in the Spirit--yet they cannot tell me what that truly means. Now, let me ask you: Do you walk and live in the Spirit? And what does that mean to you?

I believe "walking in the Spirit" can be defined in one sentence: Walking in the Spirit is simply allowing the Holy Spirit to do in us what God sent him to do.

I believe you cannot allow him to do that work until you understand why God sent the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Ghost has been sent down to us from the Father to accomplish one (and only one) eternal purpose. And unless we understand his mission and work in us, we will make one of two mistakes: One, we will settle for a small portion of his work--such as a few of the spiritual gifts--mistakenly thinking this is all of him and missing the grand work of his eternal purpose in our lives. Or, two, we will quench the Spirit within us and ignore him completely, believing he's mysterious and that his presence is something we must take by faith and never understand.

The Holy Spirit has come to dwell in you and me to seal, sanctify, empower and prepare us--he has been sent into our world to prepare a bride for marriage to Christ!

An Old Testament type of this relationship between believers and the Holy Spirit is found in Genesis 24. Abraham sent his eldest servant Eliezer to find a bride for his son Isaac. Eliezer's name means "mighty, divine helper"--a type of the Holy Spirit. And just as surely as this mighty helper came back with Rebekah to present her as a bride to Isaac, likewise the Holy Spirit will not fail to bring back a bride for our Lord Jesus Christ.

God chose Rebekah as a bride for Isaac--and the Lord led Eliezer right to her. The servant's entire mission and purpose was focused on one thing: to bring Rebekah to Isaac--to get her to leave all she had, and to be enamored of Isaac and espoused to him. Rebekah's parents said to Eliezer, "The thing proceedeth from the Lord...take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife" (Genesis 24:50-51).

And, so it is with you and me! God chose us to be his bride. Our salvation--our being chosen for Christ--was done by the Lord. He sent the Holy Spirit to lead us to Jesus--and if we trust him, the Spirit will bring us safely home as Christ's eternal bride!