Jesus promised that all who believed in him would receive the Holy Spirit.
John 7: 37 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ gift to all who believe in him as Scripture has said. He sends the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus to come and make His home in every believer.
Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is our seal guaranteeing our eternal inheritance. He is our teacher, counselor, and our guide.
But do you know if the Holy Spirit is guiding or calling you to do something for Jesus?
In Matthew and Luke it teaches that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert where he was tempted by Satan.
Also in Acts 13, the Holy Spirit spoke to Jesus’ prophets, teachers and the apostle Paul to tell them what he wanted them to do.
Acts 13: 1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
These spiritually gifted men were praying and fasting because they wanted to know God’s will for them. Then they heard the Holy Spirit tell them to set apart Barnabas and Saul to do the work that he has called them to do and then he sent Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus.
I have never heard the Holy Spirit audibly tell me the work he has set apart for me or tell me where to go.
But we see the Holy Spirit doing this in Acts, so I think it is helpful to understand why the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul and Barnabas.
Paul was chosen and called by Jesus to be his apostle to the Gentile, but he did not know where to go.
Barnabas whose name is Son of Encouragement was full of the Holy Spirit and faith and he led many to Christ and he also need to be told where to go.
Acts 11: 22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit spoke and led Paul and Barnabas because they clearly knew their spiritual gift that they received and their calling to preach the good news of Jesus to the Gentile and he sent them to certain cities and he also kept them from going to places he did not want them to go.
Acts 7: 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Each city that Paul and Barnabas they always sought out Jewish synagogues to preach at because they knew they could effectively preach the Good News of Jesus to them.
Acts 14: At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
Synagogues was where there would be God fearing Jews and Gentiles who studied Scripture which the Holy Spirit could recall to them God’s truth from Scripture and those who were seeking God with all their heart would come to believe in Paul and Barnabas’ word because it came from Jesus and come to believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
This is true today for any church that fearfully sought Jesus by being his disciple studying God’s word which made them effectively hear teaching in church by having the Holy Spirit recall to them God’s truth from Scripture, just like the Bereans who honorably examined Paul’s teaching from Scripture.
We also need to remember that there will be those who will oppose God’s truth in church and sway others from it because they do not seek to know the voice of Jesus from Scripture and obey it.
Paul and Barnabas were also able to confirm the words they spoke were from God by doing miraculous signs and wonders. Today, the Holy Spirit does not need to show us miraculous signs and wonders to confirm that the Bible is God’s true because the Bible is the living word of God. In the early church there was no written New Testament, but we have it today and have no excuse for not knowing the good and pleasing will of our Father in heaven.
There are people in churches who look for miracles, signs and wonders to confirm God is with them or believe what they are taught is true but Paul warns not look for them because when the lawless one comes, he will deceive many people by doing false miracles and wonders.
2 Thessalonians 2: 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
We hear the Holy Spirit speak to us from the Bible, not audibly but with spiritual ears because Jesus said his word is spirit written by the Holy Spirit through men. This is what Jesus’s spiritual word are telling us to do.
Matthew 27: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The Holy Spirit is speaking to us to go make disciples by soaking them in the understanding the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit by teaching each other to obey the commandments of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit wants to also do this while we wait for our Lord Jesus return.
2 Thessalonians 1: 4 Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
The Holy Spirit speaks and leads all who sincerely seek God with all their heart because they want to be with him forever by teaching, counseling, and guiding them from Scripture which will keep them faithful in times of struggles and persecution for loving Jesus more than this world.
So, like Elijah just listen for the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit speaking to your spirit as he recalls Jesus words to you from Scripture.
Be safe in Jesus, Ps. Glenn.