by Stephen Lewin
As posted previously on Voice in the City website. View original post here.
Testimony of Jesus Christ
The Bible records in many places that we can have a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In John’s Gospel (chapter 16), Jesus Christ the Son of God, shares with His disciples about the Holy Spirit, using a personal pronoun (He). Jesus shares that the Holy Spirit communicates with people regarding sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8b NKJV). Furthermore, in this chapter, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth – “for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come“ (John 16:13b NKJV). The Holy Spirit will hear from Christ, and declare it to Christ’s followers (John 16:15). That is a true relationship.
Jesus reveals in John chapter 14, that another would replace Him to carry on what he had begun with His disciples. This person is God the Holy Spirit. Jesus had a wonderful engaging relationship with His disciples, and because He was indicating that He was leaving them, and they would miss His companionship (and instruction etc with them), they became sorrowful. So, Jesus told His disciples that another like Him would replace Him on earth, who He would send to continue a relationship with them, and this would be to their advantage. The Holy Spirit would be a comforter, a helper, an advocate, and a counsellor, to followers of Christ, and would teach them and even bring His teaching back to their remembrance (John 14:16,17 and 26 AMPC).
TESTIMONY FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS
Acts 13 (verses 1-4 NKJV), records that the Holy Spirit spoke to the church leaders in Antioch, while they were ministering to the Lord with fasting and prayer, to separate Barnabas and Saul for the ministry God had called them to. Then the Holy Spirit led them to go and minister to others. These people had a relationship with the Holy Spirit, as they heard Him speak and obeyed His instruction. The Holy Spirit speaks in many ways including dreams, visions, and through prophetic utterances when people are moved by the Holy Spirit. This is possibly how they could collectively have heard Him speak, when one or more prophets that were among the church, spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Acts 21:10-11 NJKV).
PERSONAL TESTIMONY
Some years ago at a Bible College Chapel service, the leader of the college, gave a prophetic word from the Holy Spirit. It was said that night at a meeting in the outskirts of the city, that oil from Heaven would be poured out. I knew this was a word from God, and made sure I attended the meeting that evening. While engaging in corporate worship and ministering to the Lord, suddenly a hand of hot oil poured into my being, and God’s love caused me to experience an ecstasy in worship, and resulted in motivating me to share the love I had experienced. This has marked me for life.
Believers today, as promised in the Scriptures, can have a beneficial relationship with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4, 16-18, 38-39, Acts 4:31, Acts 7:55 etc)
