GETTING TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pastor Bill Marks, Christian Fellowship, Potchefstroom, (018) 293 1608 or 079 311 6515 It was early one Sunday morning, a week before I would leave for the Mighty Men's Conference in Greytown, that a friend of our son-in-law dropped by. As they were about to leave, I was led by the Holy Spirit to ask the friend if I could pray for him and he said "yes". I asked the Lord that he would experience a "new beginning" in his life. He phoned me a few days later and asked me whether I was going to attend the Mighty Men's Conference, for he was invited by two friends to go with them. The Conference was an awesome experience, as we were touched by the Presence of the Holy Spirit when 60 000 men were praising and worshipping the Lord. In front of me in the tent sat big, strong men, and as I looked at them they were beginning to weep, because the Lord was touching and changing their lives. Suddenly, amongst all the thousands of men that were there, I heard a man call out to me and as I looked around, there my son-in-law's friend came running towards me. I was so overwhelmed to see him - the friend I prayed for! Later he brought us some rusks and while talking with him, I asked, "How do you feel?" He said, "I feel so full." It was because he had accepted Jesus as his Saviour and felt the abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit! John 14:17: "Ye know Him for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you." The Holy Spirit is alive and active! He is able to revive, refresh and stimulate us to grow. He enables us to have a thriving spiritual life when we open our hearts and minds to His will. The other day, I needed someone to make and install a cupboard for our stove in the kitchen and while purchasing some things in a hardware store, the owner suggested that I contact a specific person who would be able to assist me. I contacted him and he was willing to help us out. On the Saturday morning after he finished the cupboard plus doing extras for us, I was led to ask him, "Can I pray for you?" In my prayer I asked the Lord to open up big doors for him and afterwards he said that he experienced the Presence of the Lord flowing through him. I believe as it says in Revelation 3:7 "What He opens, no one shuts; and what He shuts, no one can open." We must always pray and be sensitive to the leading and quickening of the Holy Spirit. Philip was a man who was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:26: "Now an angel of the lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza'." Verse 27: "So he got up and went." Philip followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit without knowing what the outcome would be. On his way he met a man who was in charge of the royal treasury of Ethiopia. Verse 28: "He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of Isaiah the prophet." Verse 29: "The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to the chariot and stay near it'." Verse 30: "Philip ran..." He was quick to respond to the Holy Spirit. Verse 35: Philip had a wonderful opportunity and began to preach Jesus to him. The man believed and was baptized!