When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
Jesus broke in on the disciples with fire so that they were caught up and in awe of the glory that had broken into the room where they were. The words that Jesus spoke that day marked the fulfillment of the law and walking in the Spirit. That was the beginning of the story, but we are coming to the end when He will come back for His church.
If we are going to rise up not in our own strength, then we have to understand that the Spirit is not some force, but He is a person who abides with us forever. The Holy Spirit is reminding His Church today that He wants to dwell in us. We can accomplish nothing without the Spirit of God, because only God can build what is of Him.
All creation cries out for Him and that those who are born of Him are sons of God (Romans 8:22-23). Jesus commanded the disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father which they had heard from Him (Acts 1:4). The Promise of the Father is available to all of us who cry out and not just to those who were with Jesus on the Day of Pentecost. We, as believers can hasten the day of the Lord by living righteous lives. When we come together corporately to cry out to God and we are only seeing trickles of God’s glory, the reality is that He has not forgotten. For when He tells us that He is calling us into a season where we will see a moving of His Spirit, it does not mean that it will happen right away, but it will indeed happen. Note that the disciples were told to wait, showing that it is important to stay committed. For we do not know when the cups will be full. After the waiting, the Holy Spirit poured Himself out on 3000 people (Acts 2:4).
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you 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. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:12-15 (NKJV)
Jesus said that He had many things to still tell the disciples, but that in due course He would lead them into all truth since all things that the Father had were His. The Holy Spirit is not artificial intelligence or some computer which we sit before to download things into. He is a knowing person, a sentient being who feels as deeply as the Father feels. The reason homosexuality and crimes are winning is because we are not dwelling. A homosexual and an adulterer should not be uncomfortable to come into church, but then once they are there the Holy Spirit will do His job.
When Holy Spirit’s direction is in our lives, attenuation will occur. This is where noise is suffocated because we are in Him and it is easier for us to discern His voice. Acceleration will also occur and we become like a tree that bears fruit in every season. In God’s Kingdom, we are bearing fruit all year round. Accomplishment will therefore occur and we will not stagnate for we are active participants in God’s Kingdom.
The Father has given us a helper in the form of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). We are not orphans. We are not abandoned or forgotten. The Spirit of God wants us to know this because an orphan mentality will destroy us and make us want to take our own life. The Word tells us that the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings; crying out for us when we cannot pray.
There are a number of characteristics of an orphan spirit. Below are 10 characteristics that we should be careful of.
1. People with an orphan spirit cannot settle. When called into a relationship, they expect rejection.
2. A person with an orphan spirit projects themselves as being invulnerable and because they are controlled by a spirit of rejection, they fight to maintain that spirit of invulnerability.
3. Their perceptions of rejection become their perceived reality of truth.
4. They carry a spirit of assumption, so they assume things about others.
5. They carry unrealistic expectations of others which if not met, causes them to cast off those who hurt them.
6. They constantly move from church to church.
7. As they advance, they cast off the advice of those who helped them and live an isolated life.
8. They despise the potential God has put around them and are threatened by others.
9. They cannot identify with the sufferings of others. They tell you about their own story but cannot walk with you through yours.
10. Their admiration of you quickly turns to competition and then assassination.
When the Spirit of God comes upon us, He empowers us to function like Jesus functions. He empowers us to walk in His character, so that we are never in a place where we cannot receive of His power. The Holy Spirit also empowers us to function like Jesus in choice. Thus, when I make choices to lose my life so that I might gain it, then that same Spirit of God rises up. The Holy Spirit also empowers us so that we might be charismatic. This means that we can heal the sick, raise the dead and speak into people’s lives that which only the Holy Spirit could have revealed to us.
