All posts by Larry

Ask For It

Luke 11:13 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?

Do I have to ask for the Holy Spirit to receive the Holy Spirit? If I ask, will I receive? Let us answer those two questions one at a time.

John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

The apostles did not ask. No, you do not have to ask to receive the Holy Spirit. It is a promise Jesus made and He will keep His Word regardless of our asking.

John 15:26, 16:7 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Note again the consistency of the Word, sent from the Father. Jesus departed and sent the Comforter as promised. He keeps His Word independent of our asking.

The other answer as to asking for the Holy Spirit and receiving it comes from an incident in Act 8. I include only relevant verses. You might want to read them all.

Acts 8:9,13,19,21  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Jesus Said

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Born of water, out of the womb, and then born of the Spirit. Jesus doesn’t mention baptism here, just being born of the spirit. We will get into that later. Let us continue with the Word of Jesus.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

There is a sense of insecurity in this comparison of the spirit and the wind. It comes and goes without us knowing with any certainty. When the wind blows you know it only by the intensity by which you sense it. A light breeze or a hurricane force wind and if the spirit were to move upon you strong, you would know it of a certainty that would be different than a light breeze.

My first experience was the gentle light breeze. Is that common? Probably but I will not discount the possibility that of another’s experience being stronger. I can only speak for myself and He was so gentle so as not to do any damage. The only consistent example here is that the spirit comes and goes where He wants without our influence. We cannot and do not dictate direction or intensity of any move by the Holy Spirit. We can only gather this by inference in Jesus’ Word comparing the spirit to the wind.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is the Father that sends the Holy Ghost with purpose.