Author: Dr. Rudy Rodriguez

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Building The Foundation

How to Build on the Foundation

Once we have laid in our own lives the foundation of a personal encounter with Jesus, how can we continue to build upon this foundation?

The answer to this question is found in the well-known parable about the wise man and the foolish man, each of whom built a house.

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its fall (Matt. 7:24-27).

Notice that the difference between these men did not lie in the tests to which their houses were subjected. Each man’s house had to endure the storm – the wind, the rain, the floods. Christian’sity has never offered anyone a storm-free passage to heaven. On the contrary, we are warned that “we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Any road signposted “To Heaven” which bypasses tribulation is a deception. It will not lead to the promised destination.

What, then, was the real difference between the two men and their houses? The wise man built upon a foundation of rock, the foolish man upon a foundation of sand. The wise man built in such a way that his house survived the storm unmoved and secure; the foolish man built in such a way that his house could not weather the storm.

The Bible – Foundation of Faith

Just what are we to understand by this metaphor of building upon a rock? What does it mean for each of us as Christian’ss?  Jesus, Himself makes this very clear.

Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matt. 7:24).

Thus, building on the rock means hearing and doing the words of Jesus.

Once the foundation – the fact that Jesus the Rock – has been laid in our lives, we build on that foundation by hearing and doing the Word of God; diligently studying and applying in our lives the teaching of God’s Word. This is why Paul told the elders of the church at Ephesus:

And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up (Acts 20:32).

It is God’s Word, and God’s Word alone – as we hear it and do it, as we study it and apply it – that can build up within us a strong, secure edifice of faith, laid upon the foundation of Jesus Himself.

This brings us to a subject of supreme importance in the Christian’s faith: the relationship between Jesus and the Bible, and, hence, the relationship of each Christian’s to the Bible.

Throughout its pages, the Bible declares itself to be the “Word of God.” On the other hand, in several passages the same title – “the Word” or “the Word of God” – is given to Jesus Jesus Himself.

For example:

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14).

He [Jesus] was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (Rev. 19:13).

This identity of the name reveals the identity of nature. The Bible is the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word of God. Each alike is a divine, authoritative, perfect revelation of God. Each agrees perfectly with the other. The Bible perfectly reveals Jesus; Jesus perfectly fulfills the Bible. The Bible is the written Word of God; Jesus is the personal Word of God. Before His incarnation, Jesus was the eternal Word with the Father. In His incarnation, Jesus is the Word made flesh. The same Holy Spirit that reveals God through His written Word also reveals God in the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth.

Proof of Discipleship

If Jesus is in this sense perfectly one with the Bible, then it follows that the relationship of the believer to the Bible must be the same as his relationship to Jesus. To this fact, the Scriptures bear testimony in many places.

Let us turn first to John 14. In this chapter, Jesus warns His disciples that He is about to be taken from them in the bodily presence and that thereafter there must be a new kind of relationship between Him and them. The disciples are unable and unwilling to accept this impending change. In particular, they are unable to understand how, if Jesus is about to go away from them, they will still be able to see Him or have communion with Him. Jesus tells them:

A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me (John 14:19).

The final phase of that verse might also be rendered, “but you will continue to see Me.” Because of this statement, Judas (not Iscariot, but the other Judas) asks:

Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world? (John 14:22).

In other words: “Lord, if You are going away, and if the world will see You no more, how can You still manifest Yourself to us, Your disciples, but not to those who are not Your disciples? What kind of communication will You maintain with us, which will not be open to the world?”

Jesus answers:

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:23).

The key to understanding this answer is found in the phrase “he will keep My word.” The distinguishing mark between a true disciple and a person of the world is that a true disciple keeps Jesus’s word.

Revealed in Jesus’s answer are four facts of vital importance for every person who sincerely desires to be a Christian’s. For the sake of clarity, let me first repeat the answer of Jesus:

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him (John 14:23).

Here, then, are the four vital facts:

    1. Keeping God’s Word is the supreme feature that distinguishes the disciple of Jesus from the rest of the world.
    1. Keeping God’s Word is the supreme test of the disciple’s love for God and the supreme cause of God’s favor toward the disciple.
    1. Jesus manifests Himself to the disciple through God’s Word, as it is kept and obeyed.
    1. The Father and the Son come into the life of the disciple and establish their enduring home with him through God’s Word.

The Test of Love

Side by side with this answer of Jesus’s, let me set the words of the apostle John.

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this, we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:4-5).

We see from these two passages that it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of God’s Word in the believer’s life.

To summarize, the keeping of God’s Word distinguishes you as a disciple of Jesus. It is the test of your love for God. It is the cause of God’s special favor toward you. It is the medium through which Jesus manifests Himself to you, and through which God the Father and the Son come into your life and make their home with you.

Let me put it to you in this way.

Your attitude toward God’s Word is your attitude toward God Himself. You do not love God more than You love His Word. You do not obey God more than you obey His Word. You do not honor God more than you honor His Word. You do not have more room in your heart and life for God than you have for His Word.

Do you want to know how much God means to you? Just ask yourself, How much does God’s Word mean to me? The answer to the second question is the answer also to the first. God means as much to you as His Word means to you – just that much, and no more.

 Means of Revelation

There is today a general and ever-increasing awareness among the Christian’s church that we have entered into the season of time foretold in Acts 2:17.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

I am humbly grateful to God that in recent years I have been privileged to experience and observe firsthand outpourings of the Spirit in five different seasons of the Move of God. – in which every detail of this prophecy has been enacted and repeated many times over. As a consequence, I believe firmly in the scriptural manifestation in these days of all nine gifts of the Holy Spirit; I believe that God speaks to His believing people through prophecies, visions, dreams, and other forms of supernatural revelation.

Nevertheless, I hold most firmly that the Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative means by which God speaks to His people, reveals Himself to His people, guides, and directs His people. I hold that all other forms of revelation must be carefully proved by reference to the Scriptures and accepted only insofar as they accord with the doctrines, precepts, practices, and examples outlined in the Scriptures. We are told:

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good (1 Thess. 5:19-21).

It is wrong, therefore, to quench any genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It is wrong to despise any prophecy given through the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, it is vitally necessary to test any manifestation of the Spirit, or any prophecy, by reference to the standard of the Scriptures and thereafter to hold fast – to accept, to retain – only those manifestations or prophecies which are in full accord with this divine standard. Again, in Isaiah we are warned:

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Is. 8:20).

Thus the Scripture – the Word of God – is the supreme standard by which all else must be judged and tested. No doctrine, no practice, no prophecy, no revelation is to be accepted if it is not in full accord with the Word of God. No person, no group, no organization, no church has authority to change, override, or depart from the Word of God. In whatever respect or whatever degree any person, group, organization or church departs from the Word of God, in that respect and in that degree they are in darkness.

There is no light in them.

We are living in a time when it is increasingly necessary to emphasize the supremacy of the Scripture over every other source of revelation or doctrine. We have already made reference to the great worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days and to the various supernatural manifestations which will accompany this outpouring.

However, the Scripture also warns us that, side by side with this increased activity and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, there will be a parallel increase in the activity of demonic forces, which always seek to oppose God’s people and God’s purposes in the earth.

Speaking about this same period of time, Jesus Himself warns us:

Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Jesus!” or “There!” do not believe it.

For false Jesus’ and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand (Matt. 24:23-25).

In the same way, the apostle Paul warns us:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth (1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Paul here warns us that in these days there will be a great increase in the propagation of false doctrines and cults and that the unseen cause behind this will be the activity of deceiving spirits and demons. As examples, he mentions religious doctrines and practices which impose unnatural and unscriptural forms of asceticism in regard to diet and to the normal marriage relationship. Paul indicates that the safeguard against being deceived by these forms of religious error is to believe and know the truth – that is, the truth of God’s Word.

By this divine standard of truth, we are enabled to detect and to reject all forms of satanic error and deception. But for the people who profess religion, without sound faith and knowledge of what the Scripture teaches, these are indeed perilous days.

We need to lay hold upon one great guiding principle which is established in the Scripture. It is this: God’s Word and God’s Spirit should always work together in perfect unity and harmony. We should never divorce the Word from the Spirit or the Spirit from the Word. It is not God’s plan that the Word should ever work apart from the Spirit or the Spirit apart from the Word.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. 33:6).

The word here translated “breath” is the normal Hebrew word for “spirit.” However, the use of the word “breath” suggests a beautiful picture of the working of God’s Spirit. As God’s Word goes out of His mouth, so His Spirit – which is His breath – goes with it.

On our human level, each time we open our mouths to speak a word, our breath necessarily goes out together with the word. So it is also with God. As God’s Word goes forth, His breath – that is, His Spirit – goes with it. In this way, God’s Word and God’s Spirit are always together, perfectly united in one single divine operation.

We see this fact illustrated, as the psalmist reminds us, in the account of creation. In Genesis we read:

            The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2).

In the next verse Gen. 1:3 we read:

            Then God said, “Let there be light.”

That is, God’s Word went forth; God pronounced the word light. And as the Word and the Spirit of God were thus united, creation took place, a light came into being, and God’s purpose was fulfilled.

What was true of that great act of creation is true also of the life of each individual. God’s Word and God’s Spirit united in our lives contain all the creative authority and power of God Himself. Through them, God will supply every need and will work out His perfect will and plan for us. But if we divorce these two from one another – seeking the Spirit without the Word, or studying the Word apart from the Spirit – we go astray and miss God’s plan.

To seek the manifestations of the Spirit apart from the Word will always end in foolishness, fanaticism, and error. To profess the Word without the quickening of the Spirit results only in dead, powerless orthodoxy and religious formalism.

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The Helper

Jesus’ Favorite Name for the Holy Spirit

Have you ever wondered what was  Jesus’ favorite name for the Holy Spirit?

I thought of the Third Person of the Trinity as the Holy Spirit because of His title. But is a title the same thing as a name? The title “Father” for the First Person of the Trinity designates a name (see John 17:1). This was Jesus’ favorite name for God.

The Second Person of the Trinity is Jesus: “You shall call His name Jesus” (Matt. 1:21). Yet, Jesus’ favorite name for Himself was “Son of Man,” a title He used more than any other.

The name or title “Spirit” is used approximately 500 times in Scripture in reference to the Third Person, and the combined term “Holy Spirit” is used approximately 100 times. The expression “Holy Ghost,” used 91 times in the King James Version, should be translated as Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ favorite name for the Holy Spirit was probably “Helper.” Of all the things the Holy Spirit does, He helps us obtain the personal salvation that was accomplished for us on the Cross. In the King James Version, the name “Helper” is translated “Comforter.” Jesus promised, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). The Greek word “helper” is parakletos, and May be translated “helper, comforter, advocate or one called alongside.” This term is related to the compound verb with the prefix para meaning “alongside” and the verbal base kaleo meaning “to call.”

Although the name “Helper” for the Holy Spirit occurs only four times, I think it is Jesus’ favorite name because it best identifies what the Holy Spirit does. Each time this name is used in Scripture, it is used by Jesus (see cf. John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). Jesus repeated the name “Helper” during the Upper Room Discourse, perhaps the most intimate of all the recorded sermons of Jesus. I think it is Jesus’ favorite name for the Holy Spirit because it relates to salvation.

WHY WE DON’T RECOGNIZE HIS NAMES

I have friends who are similar to a lot of people who think of the Holy Spirit as an influence, an attitude or a corporate opinion. Some of the titles in the King James Version have contributed to misinformation about the Holy Spirit’s name. The name “Holy Ghost” makes people think of Him as a Halloween spook, and the name “Comforter” makes people think of Him as a quilt on a bed, or someone who comes and comforts people at a funeral.

Perhaps people do not recognize the names of the Holy Spirit because of certain implications in Scripture. First, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come but He also emphasized a major thrust of His ministry would be glorifying Christ (see John 16:14). Because the Holy Spirit talks more of Jesus than Himself, many Christians have concluded they should not glorify the Holy Spirit. They do not speak to Him and do not know Him. But as the Third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit should receive glory just as much as the Father and the Son.

Another reason people do not recognize the Holy Spirit’s name is because of His task. The Father initiates the process of salvation, and the Son carries it out on Calvary. But the Holy Spirit works in the heart of the believer to effect that which the Son has done. This work of the Spirit can be compared to the construction of a large building. The owners of the building who initiate its construction are remembered as well as the engineer and the architects. But most people do not remember the workers who do the actual work. In a similar way, most people do not give attention to the Holy Spirit, who actually applies salvation in our hearts.

Another reason the Holy Spirit is not recognized is because He did not come in the flesh. No one doubts that Jesus was a person or that He had a corporeal body on earth. The most obvious physical manifestation we see of the Holy Spirit is when He descended as a dove upon Jesus at His baptism (see Mark 1:10), and as tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:3).

In the Old Testament, however, the Holy Spirit is identified with the pillar of cloud and fire through which the Lord guided the Israelites at the Exodus and in the wilderness wanderings (see Exod. 13:21; 19:16-19; Isa. 63:11-14; Heb. 12:29).

Also, Paul identifies the Spirit of the Lord as the source of the glory and radiance seen on Moses’ face after he had entered the Lord’s presence in the cloud covering Sinai (see Exod. 19:9; Deut. 31:15; Ps. 99:6,7; 2 Cor. 3:17,18). Ezekiel shows the Spirit of God manifesting Himself in glory, radiance and fire (see Ezek. 1:27-2:2).

As you read this teaching, ask for “Holy Spirit eyes” so you can see Him in Scripture. You will find more than 100 references to the names, titles and descriptions of the Holy Spirit in appendix 1. One person said to me, “Wow! I didn’t know He had that many names.” Perhaps that is because we are not accustomed to looking for them. Many Christians have “Holy Spirit blindness.” They are blinded to the Holy Spirit because of the nature of His task, or because of some bias that grows out of their experience.

Let us STOP here before we continue and repeat this prayer.

Lord, give me eyes to see the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Scriptures. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

WHY A FAVORITE NAME?

Most of us like the name that best describes us. Certain women like to be called “Mom” because they see their main task as raising children. There was a certain salesman who was transferred from Chicago to Atlanta, and because he considered himself a good salesman, he decided to sell his house without the aid of a real estate company. He advertised and got a few people to come and walk through his house. The salesman gave a strong sales pitch to each prospect. But his hard-sell tactics produced no sales. After six frustrating months and the loss of time and money, he finally listed his house with a real estate agent.

What the salesman did not realize was that an agent counsels customers before showing them a home. The agent qualified customers so that he showed the salesman’s home only to those who had the financial ability to purchase it. Also, the agent found customers who had a desire for a home similar to the salesman’s home.

Once he had shown the home, the agent could continue to point out the advantages and answer questions.

The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation is similar to that of the real estate agent. The Holy Spirit works conviction in the hearts of the unconverted long before they come to a gospel service. He witnesses to the person the positive reasons for salvation and warns against procrastination. The Holy Spirit is the Helper (paraclete) who gets a decision and seals the contract. Although this analogy cannot be pushed to every aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation, it is illustrative of the process.

THE HELPER IN OUR CONVERSION

Before returning to the Father, Jesus promised that He would send “another Comforter,” using the Greek word allos for “other,” which means “another of the same kind.” Jesus could have used the word heteros for “other,” meaning another of a different kind. But Jesus used the word allos, which means the Holy Spirit is another Helper just as Jesus is our Helper.

Pre-conversion Ministries

First, He reproves sin (see John 16:7-10), which means He is like a prosecuting attorney who helps the state prove a case of wrongdoing.

Second, the Holy Spirit is the restrainer (see 2 Thess. 2:7), which means He is like the crossing guard that protects children on their way to elementary school. He helps by holding back harm and danger.

Conversion Ministries

In His conversion ministry, the Holy spirit regenerates (see Titus 3:5), which means He is like an interior decorator who renews an old room, making it new. Then the Holy Spirit indwells us (see 1 Cor. 6:19), which means He is like an apartment manager, one who comes to live in the complex to protect it, making sure all of the equipment is functioning. Finally, the Holy Spirit is our seal (see Eph. 4:30), which means He is like the notary public. He helps to guarantee the accuracy of the signature, and if necessary will testify in court.

Post-conversion Names

In His post conversion ministry, the Holy Spirit fills the person (see Eph. 5:18). He is like an administrative assistant who comes in to help get the job done. Next, He is the sanctifier (see 2 Cor. 3:18), serving as a search committee chairman who helps the group select a leader, set the leader apart and put that person in a place of prominence. The Holy Spirit is the illuminator (see 1 Cor. 2:12), like the teacher who helps believers to understand and apply the Word of God to their lives. Then the Holy Spirit helps believers to pray (see Rom. 8:26,27), which is like a lawyer who helps people by presenting their cases before a magistrate.

HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS

 The Helper/Prosecuting Attorney

            The Holy Spirit is sent to help people become Christians. Before they can become saved, however, they must realize they are lost. The Holy Spirit helps unsaved people by revealing their sin to them. In this role, the Holy Spirit could be called the convector, or reprover. Like a prosecuting attorney, He convicts people of their sin, enabling them to seek salvation.

As the helper or the prosecuting attorney, the Holy Spirit helps to convict us of sin in three ways.

First, He helps people see their sin. Jesus said the Hotly Spirit will help convict people “of sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:9). Before salvation, people have difficulty believing in God. Jesus said, “He who believes in Him [the Son] is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (john 3:18). Therefore, the Holy Spirit helps people accept salvation by pointing out unbelief and bringing them to Christ.

Second, the Holy Spirit helps prosecute people concerning righteousness. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would convict “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more” (John 16:10). Hence, the Holy Spirit helps people see themselves in relationship to Jesus Christ. People do not measure up to Jesus Christ, who is God’s righteous standard, so the Holy Spirit helps them see their shortcomings.

Third, the Holy Spirit helps people come to Christ by convicting them “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11). This judgment does not refer to the coming judgment of all believers at the Great White Throne, but to the judgment of Satan and sin at the cross of Christ (see John 12:31).

The Helper/Crossing Guard

As bad as things are in the world, they are not as terrible as they might be if the Holy Spirit were not present in the world to restrict the persuasive influence of sin. In the role of restrainer of sin, the Holy Spirit is like a crossing guard who restrains children from running into the path of traffic. He helps the children by protecting them from harm. As the Restrainer or Crossing Guard, “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way [at the return of Christ]” (2 Thess. 2:7).

The Helper/Interior Decorator

The Holy Spirit helps us with our new life when we are saved. The Greek word translated “regeneration” is used only once in the Bible in the context of salvation, and it relates to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according  to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Regeneration is the theological word for being “born again.” Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (john 3:5). This regeneration of the Holy Spirit gives us new life, makes us part of God’s family, and gives us eternal life. This is not just life unending; it is a new quality of life (i.e., God’s life). The Holy Spirit is like an interior decorator who takes a shabby old house and renovates it, making it like new.

The Helper/Apartment Manager

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is like the manager of an apartment building. He lives in the building to tend to problems, to make sure the building is not damaged and to help people enjoy the apartment complex.

One of God’s purposes from the very beginning was to live with His creatures. He walked with Adam in the garden, lived in the Tabernacle among the children of Israel in the wilderness and came to dwell in Solomon’s temple. Likewise, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in Christians to help them live the Christian life. “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 Cor. 6:19). The Holy Spirit uses our body as a temple. This indwelling is the basis on which He helps us in every other area of our lives.

When we realize that the Holy Spirit indwells us as our Helper, we should first yield our bodies to God (see Rom. 12:1). Second, we must assist Him by properly caring for our physical bodies, keeping them pure and clean. Third, we should glorify God in our bodies by doing those things that please Him.

The Helper/Notary Public

The Holy Spirit seals us with Himself to guarantee our salvation. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is more than One who seals us; He is our seal. “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph. 1:13,14).

Our lives consist of many seals. When a man and woman agree to marry, the man usually gives the woman an engagement ring, which is the seal of his commitment to her. Paul used a first-century custom to tell how the Holy Spirit is our seal. In the ancient world, a person would seal a letter with candle wax, then place his signet ring into the melted wax as the seal. When the recipient got the letter, the unbroken seal in the hardened wax guaranteed that the content was genuine.

In like manner, the Holy Spirit is our Notary Public in that He guarantees God’s “signature.” He seals the salvation God has given to us against the day when we fully experience it in heaven. It is important that we “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

The Helper/Administrative Assistant

The Holy Spirit comes every time we ask Him to fill us for service, just as an administrative assistant is available to perform a job until it is completed. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and, when we will allow Him, He will help us in our Christian lives and service. The Bible calls this the filling of the Holy Spirit (at other places in this teaching it is called the anointing). Paul encourages, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). This imperative is in the present tense, which means God commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit for effective service.

Many people think that the filling of the Spirit is like taking an empty glass to the sink and filling it up. In one sense, we already have the Holy Spirit in our lives because of His indwelling in the experience of conversion. When the Holy Spirit fills us, He fills us with His grace and power. This means He fills us with His ability to accomplish much for God. Jesus promised His disciples the power to witness (see Acts 1:8), and on the day of Pentecost they were filled with the Spirit (see Acts 2:4). On another occasion, Peter needed filling (see Acts 4:8). And later, in a prayer meeting, the building shook when the people were filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 4:31). These verses indicate you can be filled many times.

The Helper/Search Committee

The Holy Spirit is our sanctifier, which means He helps us become holy. Actually, the word “sanctify” means to set apart. A twofold action occurs when the Holy Spirit sanctifies. First, He sets us apart from sin. In this action, He works in our hearts to motivate us to repent of and turn from sin. In the second action, the Holy Spirit sets us apart to God. We are motivated to seek God and His righteousness.

The Helper/Search Committee actually does the work of searching us out, just as a pulpit search committee seeks the proper person for the position. Then the Helper/Search Committee recommends the person and prepares the way for the candidate to get the position. The Holy Spirit or the Helper/Search Committee works internally in our lives to make us holy, and externally in heaven to secure our position/standing before God. In heaven we are declared righteous (justified), standing perfect before God.

 The Helper/Teacher

The Holy Spirit illuminates the believer to see spiritual truth. In this role, He is the teacher of spiritual truth. “The god of this age has blinded, [those] who do not believe” (2 Cor. 4:4). This means the unsaved person cannot understand spiritual truth. But when a person is converted, the Holy Spirit becomes the Helper to teach or illuminate so the person can understand spiritual truth.

The job of teaching or illuminating the believer has several names in the New Testament. At one place it is called “the anointing.” “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you” (1 John 2:27). This does not mean the believer should not have human teachers, but that the Holy Spirit is the Teacher who causes the believer to understand, whether or not a human teacher is involved in the learning process. The apostle Paul noted, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God … because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). In contrast, “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12).

Returning to the illustration of the Helper/Teacher, John the apostle puts these two together: “But the Helper, the Holy spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Let’s look at each  aspect in greater detail.

The Helper/Lawyer

The Holy Spirit is our Attorney who presents our case before the judge (The Father). A lawyer is usually hired by a defendant because,

(1) the lawyer knows the law;

(2) the lawyer knows the legal system; and

(3) the lawyer has the ability to argue (logically present) the matter before the judge.

The Holy Spirit also is the Intercessor who prays for the believer and with the believer, and in the place of the believer.

Why?

“For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26).

We are not always aware of the perfect way to approach the Father in prayer. Perhaps we come begging when we should be worshiping Him. We are human and the Father is infinite. So the Holy Spirit makes sure the believer always prays properly.

That means no matter how the believer prays or what the believer prays, the Holy Spirit makes the words come out right when presented to the Father in heaven. “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses… [making] intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). What is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work as our Helper/Lawyer? “He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27).

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The Holy Spirit

The Helper: Jesus’ Favorite Name for the Holy Spirit

Jesus used the term Paraclete, meaning “Helper,” to describe the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Perhaps more than any other, this name consistently describes the character of the Holy Spirit in His relationship to us prior to our conversion, at the time of our conversion and following our conversion.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Believer

    • The Atonement Terms for the Holy Spirit

Certain terms of the Holy Spirit tend to emphasize His role in the salvation of individuals. These saving names include the Anointing, the Eternal Spirit, the Gift of God, the Helper, a New Spirit, the Oil of Gladness, One Spirit, the Promise names, the Same Spirit of Faith, the Seal names, the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of the Fear of the LORD, the Spirit of Holiness, the Spirit of Grace, the Spirit of Him Who Raised Up Jesus, the Spirit of Life and My Witness. Certain terms for the Holy Spirit tend to emphasize His role in the salvation of

      • Terms of the Maturing Work of the Holy Spirit

Certain names and phrases ascribed to the Holy Spirit describe His work in the maturing of the believer. These names include the Helper, the Holy Spirit Who Is in You, a New Spirit, the Spirit of Grace, the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of Supplication and, again, My Witness.

      • Terms for the Teaching Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Certain names ascribed to the Holy Spirit tend to emphasize His role in teaching spiritual truth. These names include the Anointing, the Spirit of Revelation, the Spirit of a Sound Mind and the Spirit of Truth

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

    • Terms Describing the Identity of the Holy Spirit

These terms identify the personality of the Holy Spirit and/or describe His deity. These references include He/Himself, the Same Spirit and various names associated with the Old Testament names of God Elohim, Jehovah, Shaddai, Shekinah and Elyon.

    • Descriptions Given by God the Father

            Certain terms ascribed to the Holy Spirit in Scripture are used by God the Father or express the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Father. These names include the Promise of the Father, the Spirit of Your Father and a variety of titles of the Holy Spirit that include the possessive pronoun.

    • References to the Spirit and Jesus

Certain terms for the Holy Spirit in Scripture are used by Jesus or others to describe the relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. These names include the Gift of God, the Helper, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of His Son and the Spirit of Truth.

    • Descriptions of the Spirit’s Character

Certain attributes ascribed to the Holy Spirit in Scripture tend to describe His character, and answer the question: What is the Holy Spirit like? These terms make specific references to life, eternity, generosity, goodness, holiness, graciousness, judgment, knowledge, love, might, power, truth, understanding, wisdom and steadfastness.

The General work of the Holy Spirit

    • The Bible Authorship Names of the Holy Spirit

Certain traits ascribed to the Holy Spirit tend to emphasize His role in the inspiration and preservation of Scripture. These authorship names include the Anointing, the Fullness of God, the Helper, the Spirit of the Holy God, the Spirit of Prophecy, the Spirit of the Prophets, the Spirit of Revelation, the Spirit of Truth and the Wind.

  • The Creation Names of the Holy Spirit

Certain names ascribed to the Holy Spirit emphasize His role in the creation and sustaining of life on earth. These creative names include the Breath names, the Finger of God, the Life names and the Voice names of the Holy Spirit.

    • The Balanced Ministry of the Holy Spirit

In what may be the apostle Paul’s most complete discussion of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a number of descriptive names for Him are stated or implied in the Epistle to the Ephesians to describe the balanced ministry of the Holy Spirit. These names include the Spirit of Promise, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Access, the Spirit of Indwelling, the Spirit of Revelation, the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Unity, the Spirit of Feeling, the Spirit of Sealing, the Spirit of Fruitfulness, the Spirit of Fullness, the Spirit of Victory and the Spirit of Prayer.

    • Revival Names of the Holy Spirit

Certain names or titles of the Holy Spirit describe His work in revival. These terms include the Anointing, My Blessing, the Breath of Life, Dew, the Enduement (clothing) of Power, the Finger of God, Floods on the Dry Ground, the Fullness of God, the Glory of the Lord, the Oil of Gladness, the Power of the Highest, Rain, Rivers of Living Water, Showers that Water the Earth, the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Power and Water.

    • The Pictorial Names of the Holy Spirit

            A number of the names or titles of the Holy Spirit may be viewed as emblems that portray various aspects of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does. Among these portraits of the Holy Spirit are the Anointing, My Blessing, a Deposit, the Dew, the Doorkeeper, a Dove, an Enduement (clothing), the Finger of God, Fire, Fountain, the Guarantee, the Oil, Rain, Rivers, Water and the Wind.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HELPER

Pre-conversion Ministry

                                  Helper/Prosecuting Attorney                       His role in convicting us of sin.                                                    Helper/Crossing Guard                                 His role in restraining us from sin.

Ministry at Conversion

                                  Helper/Interior Decorator                             His role of renewing spiritual life.                                                  Helper/Apartment Manager                        His role of indwelling the believer.                                                Helper/Notary Public                                    His role of guaranteeing our salvation.

Post-conversion Ministry

                                 Helper/Administrative                                    His role in filling us for service.                                                   Helper/Search Committee                             His role in setting us apart to God.                                             Helper/Teacher                                                His role in explaining spiritual truth to                                                                                                                   the believer.

                                  Helper/Lawyer                                                 His role in presenting our prayers to the                                                                                                               Father.

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Introduction

One day as I was studying the scriptures and I discovered the importance of names. I had always wondered how certain attributes entered into the world we live in today. It was done through names and it all started with Adam (man of earth) and Eve (to live). One day I asked the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself in a manner I would understand and here we are today.

In this study, you will learn about more than the names of the Holy Spirit. You will learn about His personality, and what He does for you today. This teaching is, more than a doctrinal study of the Person of the Holy Spirit. I want you to learn about Him, to know Him and to experience Him in your life.

People usually do not think of the term “Holy Spirit” as a name. Instead, they think of the phrase as a description. Maybe this is because they do not think of the Holy Spirit as a person, rather people think of Him as an influence and give Him a title just as they give a title to boats, cars or hurricanes.

Because people pray to “Our Father in heaven,” or they pray, “Dear Jesus,” they know about the Father and the Son as persons. But most people never pray to the Holy Spirit, perhaps  because they do not think of Him as a person. Some do think the command, “Pray the Lord of the harvest” found in Matthew 9:38 is directed to the Holy Spirit; also, “the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). And Scripture shows examples of prayer to the Lord as the Spirit present among His people– instances in which the Holy Spirit responds to the prayers being offered (see Luke 2:25-29; Acts 10:9,13-15,19; 11:5,7,8,12; 13:2; 15:28).

To explain how the doctrine of the Trinity works, I have used the following statement: “The members of the Trinity are equal in nature, separately in person, but submissive in duty.” In this teaching, I have emphasized three things.

First, this teaching equally emphasizes the deity of the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the Son as they all have the same nature, attributes and character.

Second, this teaching separates the personality of the Holy Spirit from the personality of the Father and the personality of the Son. The Godhead consists of three separate persons.

Third, this teaching emphasizes the duties of the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Father and the Son to carry out the work of God in the world.

This teaching is aimed beyond the study of Bible facts. I want you to feel the Holy Spirit living through you. It should help you live successfully for God. Each section concludes by offering principles to be applied to your life.

One name or title is missing in this study: the term “ghost,” as in the Holy Ghost. The original King James Version (1611) translated the word p-neu-ma “Ghost” as in, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:5), and, “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). This has resulted in confusion in some minds.

Some think the word “ghost” refers to a phantom, as in “the ghosts of Halloween.” But the word pneuma should be translated “Spirit.” The word “ghost” had a different meaning in 1611 than it does today and this difference blurs the personality of the Third Person of the Trinity for some. The solution to this confusion is simple. Every time the term “Holy Ghost” is found in the original King James Version, it should be translated “Holy Spirit.” If you prefer to use the name Holy Ghost, do so, as long as you understand the meaning of the name you are using. For the Holy Spirit is the furthest thing from a phantom. He is very real.

His primary name, Holy Spirit, has a twofold implication:

First, when we take the Holy Spirit into our lives, He makes us holy, as His name implies. Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:19,  “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?”

Second, when we live by the principles of the Holy Spirit, He will make us spiritual, because we have become like Him. You become holy and spiritual as you study the Holy Spirit.

Here is an example,

Get two glasses of water and one empty glass. Now pour the two glasses filled with water into the empty glass, notice that the two become one glass of water.

Exodus 40:9, it says:

9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

The anointing oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, you are the tabernacle according to the above verse, notice what just happened when the vessels were anointed, they became Holy. There are many people who are trying to become holy through performing certain acts which have been taught through religion. You don’t have to try to be holy, you are Holy because the Holy Spirit resides within you.  Remember once the oil touched the vessels they became holy.

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Stewarding The Wealth Transfer

Jesus recognized that men tended to be greedy. He even had one of His executive team members dipping into the treasury of His ministry. If Jesus had that going on, we also might have similar issues. It will be vital for you as a son  to be sure that you steward the funds that are under  your control.

As Kingdom Financiers, we must be extending those personal principles of tithes and offerings so that we don’t create any hindrance to the flow of funds. We can be positioned for a solid financial flow by our giving or hesitancy in giving or see that flow cut off entirely.

In Proverbs, we find some incredible wisdom we need to implement in our lives.

Proverbs 11:23-31: 23,

The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. 25 The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. 26 The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. 27 He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil. 28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. 29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. 31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner.

This passage begins by addressing the motivation of our heart which should be for good, not evil. Then it speaks of generosity. You have likely heard the testimony of people who are continuously giving and, as a result, are constantly flourishing. Giving is not limited to money. It covers many more areas.

Tithing 

There are various forms of giving. The first we usually call tithing, but tithing is not giving; it is returning. It is a stewarding for the Father to be returned to the assigned storehouse.

Offerings

Then we have offerings that are amounts above and beyond any tithe. If we have not tithed, God cannot bless it.

The withholding of the tithe has an associated curse as one is robbing not the pastor, not the church congregation, not their family, not their friends. Rather, they are robbing God.[35] That is not a good position to be in.

Proverbs 26:2 tells us:

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

If I don’t want a curse to have the legal rights given to the accuser to land upon me, I need to not qualify for that curse.

Robbing God permits a curse to be placed upon them and their finances. The solution is simple: tithe and give offerings. Firstfruits Firstfruits are gifts unto the Lord in advance as seed for a coming harvest.

Firstfruits

Firstfruits are gifts unto the Lord in advance as seed for a coming harvest. Firstfruits should be commensurate with the expected harvest amount.

Here’s an example,

If you want to sow a firstfruits for a $10,000 return, a $100 firstfruits seed is not equal with the desired harvest. Ask Heaven what the amount should be and respond accordingly.

Alms

Giving to the poor, widows, or orphans are examples of alms, but it is not limited to that. If, for example, you have a print shop and someone comes to you to get some printing done, but you need more time to service them well, you could recommend a competitor you know to do the job for them. That would be considered a giving of alms by you.

You could give someone a verbal recommendation, which is also a form of alms. Alms are much broader than we have believed.

In the Proverbs 11  we find that: 25 The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

Generosity will result in abundance. What you are giving, you will also receive. If I sow money, I will receive money. If I sow vehicles, I will receive vehicles. What we sow is what we reap. That is a fundamental principle of farming.

26 The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

If you have a certain product and you withhold it without good cause, it will not generate a harvest for you.

Look at verse 27:

27 He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

Many times, what you need is not funds but favor. Favor will take you much farther than your money can. When you seek good and seek to do good, it will result in favor.

The Old Testament contains the story of Job, who was tremendously blessed. Throughout the book of Job, you read of his good deeds, which resulted in blessings in his life. The calamity that Job faced lasted a long time, but actually, it was over from start to finish in just a few months or weeks.

In the end, he was twice as blessed as he had been before.

The Court of Heaven Case

Job was on Satan’s radar because his blessing affected the economy of the land he lived in. Satan did not like the competition and took him to court. The only problem was that Job did not appear with him in The Court of Heaven.

Why did this happen, His non-appearance resulted in a default judgment which was placed upon him.

But wait, Job received the victory through it all. In the next verse, he was found not guilty for  trusting in his riches.

28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. 29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Your life should produce fruit that is a tree of life – life-giving, not death-producing.

Your life should have such qualities that Jesus could step in and you would have no discomfort with your financial practices.

31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner.

Everyone will be recompensed.

Remember, the seed you sow, is the seed you grow.

What kind of seed are you going to produce? What we do is a stewarding of what has come into our hands. We must understand that all monies that come into our hands have an assignment.

Let’s say that the twenty dollar bill in your wallet had the assignment to help buy some things for a little boy, pay for someone’s lunch, or purchase gas for someone to travel to their next appointment.

We should seek the Father concerning what the monies we are stewarding are assigned to do.

The money you receive as wages helps put food on your table and clothes on your backs.

The purchase of that food helped pay the salaries of the farmers who produced the food, the workers in the grocery store, the wages of the truck driver who delivered it, and so on.

It is a never-ending cycle of provision, so the money you are stewarding is not really yours. It is in trust to you. You have been entrusted with it.

Practice generosity. I know of people who give something to someone every day.

By doing so they are creating a constant flow of money or whatever they are distributing into their lives and the lives of others.

Galatians 6:9 in the JB Phillips Translation says, A man’s harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows. (Phillips)

In conclusion, 

What are you sowing? Can you do better?

How well are you stewarding that which is in my hand?

As sons, the Father wants us to learn the basics, so we can be able to handle any influx that would come into your hands.

When He can trust us, we will be entrusted.

Are we ready for it?

 

Excerpts were taken for Dr. Ron M.. Horner’s book entitled,  “Building Your Business with the Blueprint of Heaven: Seeing what Heaven Sees and Making it Happen“.