0:00 Just one question. 0:22 For the first 30 years of Jesus' life, in the first 30 years of Jesus' life, can you tell me how many miracles Jesus did? Zero. 0:43 Anybody? Okay. Or how many times he preached in the synagogue? Not once. You are so smart, all of you. That's right. You know why? 1:04 Even though he was born of the Holy Spirit, even though he was a son of God, and it says in Luke 2, towards the end, that he went down with the parents from the temple. They took him back as he was with the scribes and Pharisees, 1:22 sitting and discussing some scholarly things concerning Scripture. And they marveled at the scriptural knowledge that he had. Even though God's grace was, it says, he went down and submitted to the parents, 1:44 and God's favor or grace was upon him. And he grew in wisdom and stature, it says. And despite being in the presence of the Lord and obedient for 30 years of his life, 2:05 you know, Jesus never preached one sermon, never performed one miracle. And that is something to think about. For your reference, excuse me, you can turn with me to Luke chapter 2. 2:31 Luke chapter 2. Verse 51 and 52. It says, He went down with his parents and came to Nazareth, and he continued in subjection to them. 2:52 And his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature. And in favor with God and men. What was he doing these initial 30 years 3:13 before he ventured into the ministry? You know, Jesus lived around 33 years, 33 and a half years. For 90% of his life, he spent at home. And it says he was 3:33 in subjection to Joseph and Mary who were imperfect earthly parents. And even though he was the son of God, he submitted to their, submitted to them 3:55 in whatever they said. He obeyed them for 30 years. And some of us who are in our not even 10 years old, or probably in our teens and 20s, we are so, you know, we have so much of rebellion 4:16 in our hearts. Some of us, we have experienced that. Even I was like that. So much of rebellion when parents tell us to do something, you know, something, you know, wants to resist it and say no to them and disobey them. 4:33 That, it was not how Jesus lived. Jesus lived, let's say, now we have heard many times here in this church that when Jesus probably, just imagine as a boy, like you all play and he was playing with his friends when he was small 4:52 and Mary calls Jesus, come and go and get a pot of water for me from the well. And what would Jesus say? Hold on mummy, 10 minutes. He will never say that. He would never say that. He would drop everything and run and obey. 5:09 And he did everything for 30 years and after that, even before he preached a sermon, even before he did any miracle, you know what certificate God gave him on the day he got baptized? 5:30 God validated his life, certified, saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And in another place it says on the Mount of Transfiguration, the same thing, and listen to him. 5:52 So he is our forerunner. And we feel so reluctant to obey our parents. Sometimes when we are being disciplined, we resent it. You know, because we have that self in us 6:12 on the throne which always wants to have its own way and doesn't want to give in and doesn't want to give up the self-life. So we want to resist that. But, you know, every time when we are corrected and disciplined, 6:32 we don't like it. the Bible says it very clearly in the Hebrews. No discipline at the moment seems enjoyable. But later on when you look back it brings peaceable fruit it says. 6:52 So now I can look back at all the discipline that I have received as a child from my mother. I lost my father early in life. My mother took the role and brought us up seven of us siblings. She did an excellent job with all of us. 7:13 I never used to like when she used to discipline me. And even the teachers in school, I am talking about 60 year old story. We got nicely in those days. In this new generation you guys are not what to say 7:34 I don't want to say lucky, you are unlucky that you don't have teachers who will really use the cane on you. Because now rules have changed. They used to really use the cane on us on our hands, on our bottoms. And we used to 7:54 go almost not every day, once in a while we used to really go with reddened palms or blackened bottoms, whatever. And that is how we grew up. And when I look back now over the 8:16 years, even the discipline that I received from my mother, I am so thankful that all that made me into a man that God wanted me to be. And in fact, I told this once, I don't mind saying that again, when my mother, 8:36 during her last days, about six years, she was on bed because she had a fracture. And one of those days, I went to visit her where she was, and she was recounting all the way how the Lord took care of us by his own hand 8:57 after my father died exactly 60 years back. I was seven years at that time. And she was telling how the Lord led us and guided us and provided for us and for his faithfulness on her sick bed, she was recounting that. Then I 9:16 held her hand and I said, Mommy, it's not only God's hand, it is these hands of yours which put us on the right track and I kissed her hand. I really did it with gratitude in my heart. No grudge. Thankfulness for the discipline. 9:38 And you know, the Bible says God disciplined those whom he loves. And if you are without discipline, the Bible says you are an illegitimate child, it says. None of us parents discipline 9:59 somebody else's children, unless you are a teacher. I have never disciplined my neighbor's children. I have disciplined only my children. and that's our responsibility. That's your parents' responsibility. And as long as 10:17 you are in your parents' house, under their care, under their roof, and they are providing for you, it is only right for you to submit to them and obey them. There is one command that God has given to children. Children, 10:37 obey your parents. And when you get out of the house after your studies and go out to work and leave the home and now you are on your own, earning, then the commandment for you is honor your father and mother. You don't 10:57 have to obey them if it contradicts God's will and scripture. you can honor them, you can politely talk to them and tell them I'm sorry dad or mom, I cannot do this because my conscience doesn't permit me and the Bible says 11:14 there is a higher authority above you, I respect that authority which is God's word and I want to obey that and they may feel bad about it but the way in which you speak can melt their heart. There is a verse in 11:35 the Proverbs that says a soft tongue or a soft answer breaks bones. You know you can break bone with your soft answer not with a hammer. That is God's way. Once when I was teaching Sunday school many years 11:55 ago I asked the children supposing I tell you that you should you know take vengeance on your enemies you must burn them up if they do anything against you and 12:16 things like that do you think I am speaking from the Bible or what? They said no uncle they were honest small children and then I told them you know what scripture says when your enemy is hungry give him something to eat 12:34 if he is thirsty give him something to drink by this you will heap up coals of fire on his head that is another way God's way of burning a person you want to burn your enemy burn this way this is God's way so 12:54 this is how Jesus obeyed his parents and God certified on I mean when he turned 30 and when he ventured into ministry and you know when he came out of the waters of baptism from the river Jordan being 13:14 baptized by John the Baptist heavens opened the father spoke the spirit descended upon him he was baptized in the Holy Spirit you see the Trinity there the father son and the Holy Spirit you see that right in the first page 13:32 of the Bible God in the beginning God and then God spoke God's word that is Jesus is called the word of God and then it says the spirit of God was hovering over the deep 13:52 of the ocean so the Trinity is there in the first page even in the last page of the Bible it says the father calling Jesus calling the spirit calling come so those who deny 14:12 the Trinity are in grave danger and anyway this is by way of introduction the main thing I wanted to speak to you today is about being filled with the Holy Spirit you know this is an integral part 14:32 and very essential thing in the Christian life because without the power of the Holy Spirit we cannot do anything that is worth doing and that counts for eternity we can do certain things 14:53 I mean so many worldly people and successful businessmen they have done so much and even atheist scientists they have discovered so much without the help of the Holy Spirit but 15:13 to do something to last for eternity we cannot do it in our own strength we need the strength of the Holy Spirit you see here I can do nothing what is it without Christ but everything 15:34 you can do with Christ and that is that which will last for eternity and for that we saw yesterday how a person can come to Christ and be saved from his sins from 15:54 his rottenness from his old way of life and when we come in repentance like that Pharisee came unable to lift his head up he dare not even lift his head up he just put his head down and he was so 16:15 conscious of his sinfulness unlike that Pharisee who was gloating about his sacrifice and all that this man just beat up his breast and said Lord I'm a sinner I'm the sinner actually in the margin it says I'm the sinner 16:35 have mercy on me that's all he said genuinely repented and it says he went away justified when we do that when we come to the Lord who in contrition in brokenness in repentance and say Lord I'm sorry the way I 16:55 have lived in the past and grieved your heart and grieved my parents and disobeyed and did so many things external sins and internal rebellion and all the rubbish that is there inside of me Lord I want to repent please cleanse 17:13 me wash me and make me clean Lord accept me as your child as many as received him to them he gave power to become God's children Bible says and when you do that in 2nd Corinthians 5 17 it 17:33 says if any man is in Christ is a new creation old things passed away and behold all things have become new so the Lord gives you a new life after that rebirth is death 17:54 and burial to the old man self and a new birth takes place a new spirit a new heart and a new mind is given to us new desires are given to us so that we can follow the Lord and you 18:14 see the first promise in the Bible is in Matthew 121 Matthew 121 it says and Mary will bear a son and you 18:35 shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins this is the first promise in the new covenant that you shall call Jesus his name Jesus and he will save 18:55 his people who are his people yeah his people are those who call upon him and acknowledge his lordship and come under his lordship whether it is Jew or 19:16 Gentile makes no difference whoever calls upon the name of the lord shall be saved so he shall save his people from their sins see there is a difference between saving a person and forgiving a person we have heard that illustration 19:34 now a father says to his son small child don't go near that pit you may fall into that and the son out of curiosity goes and goes around that and slips and falls into that deep ditch and he cries out from there to the father 19:53 dad dad dad and dad comes running and sees him and says didn't I tell you not to go not to come near this see you disobeyed and you fell inside this ditch pit then dad says the child says I'm sorry dad please forgive 20:14 me and the dad says okay you're forgiven and he walks away from that what has he done has he saved him no he has just forgiven him and left him in the pit that 20:35 is not what Jesus is saying here saving a person is not only forgiving him but lifting him up from that pit lifting you up from the miry clay that you were struggling to get out of that sin that easily besets 20:56 you and entangles you that you're struggling struggling struggling for probably years you've never gotten victory over it and then a day comes you cry out to the Lord and the Lord says I will help you then I 21:16 will give you a new heart I will break those bonds the Bible says that for this reason the son of God has appeared that he might destroy the works of the devil in another translation it says that he might untie what the 21:34 devil has tied you up with hundreds of knots Jesus has come to untie all those and set you free from your bondage and he has come to save you not only to forgive you he is not only the forgiver of sins he is the savior he 21:55 is our personal savior who saves us from sin and the second promise in the new testament as you open the new testament in the first pages in the first chapter we read he shall save his 22:15 people from their sins and the second promise is in chapter 3 verse 11 this is John the Baptist telling about Jesus chapter 3 verse 1 he says I baptize you with water for repentance but 22:35 he who is coming after me is mightier than I and I am not fit to remove his sandals see this was the position that John the Baptist took he said I am not even worthy to bow down and untie the thongs of his 22:56 sandals he humbled himself so much he said someone greater than me is coming even though Jesus was born physically six months later after John the Baptist he says he is greater than me because he was before me he says 23:16 in eternity so he recognized that and here he says I baptize you with water for repentance but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I I am not fit to remove his sandals he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit 23:35 and fire this is the second promise that the Bible speaks of first is forgiveness of sins the second one is the baptism in the Holy Spirit you know why we 23:55 need the baptism in the Holy Spirit I'll come to that in a moment the first thing is forgiveness of sins forgiveness of sins none of us can do on our own we are helpless to get rid of our sins unlike the heathen who go on 24:12 pilgrimages they dip themselves in holy water and they roll on the floor and they give alms to the poor they shave their head and do so many things sacrifices thinking that their sins will be forgiven that is their belief 24:29 but no amount of sacrifice will ever you know appease the wrath of God it only requires blood sacrifice and that's why they used to offer burnt sacrifices and annual sacrifice in the old covenant but Jesus came 24:49 to do away with all that by giving his own life his own blood as propitiation for our sins on the cross and God's wrath was appeased 25:11 and God was pleased with that sacrifice and on the basis of that now we don't do any of these animal sacrifices we look back on what God has done for us and we put our faith in that and are being justified we are justified 25:31 by faith we are saved by grace through faith Ephesians 2 8 and when we are saved this is the work of God by the way so that no man can boast and the second one also we cannot do anything about it 25:51 it is a gift it says the Holy Spirit is given as a gift and we don't earn it none of us can earn it do you earn for a gift or do you pray and fast for a gift if somebody 26:12 gave you a gift did you deserve that or did you pray for it or fast for it no gift is a gift and it is a free gift salvation is a free gift and baptism in the Holy Spirit is a free gift and we just 26:32 receive it by faith faith is like the Lord is extending his hand down to give it to me and me reaching out my hand to receive it from God's hand that is faith God is given he has already given the Holy 26:52 Spirit on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and now we receive by faith and not by some spectacular happening in an external manifestation like it happened on the day of Pentecost we 27:14 can receive the Holy Spirit by faith Paul says to the Galatians he says you foolish Galatians I want to ask you this did you receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the law that means by fasting and prayer or by you know 27:31 doing something to get it or did you receive it by by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ so we receive everything by faith and when we are born again our past 27:51 is taken care of by the Lord and now just imagine if the Lord says all that you have committed until today I have blotted out all your past sins are cleansed your slate is clean now be careful from today onwards you have 28:11 to manage and there is no help available for you and how many of us will take sin seriously the rest of our life will live in fear and trembling you want to tell a lie to 28:33 help us in our time of need God has given us the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is given to us not to make us some special kind of deluxe edition Christians but he has given us so 28:53 that his Spirit can be in us so that the Spirit of sonship by which we can call him our Father that's number one number two Jesus said I will give you a helper I will not leave you as orphans without comfort 29:14 I am going away but after I go away I will send the Holy Spirit who will be who is with you now you read in John 14 he is with you now and he will be in you shortly that means the Holy Spirit was with him with them 29:34 when Jesus was on earth and after Jesus was taken away he said the Holy Spirit will come I will send him and he will be in you he will reside in your heart why you need to see the context in which it is written turn with 29:53 me to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 here he's speaking about the Holy Spirit the comforter Jesus comforting his 30:14 disciples with his words and he says here whatever you ask in my name that I will do verse 13 14 13 whatever you ask in my name I will do it that the father may be glorified in the son if you ask me anything in my name I 30:33 will do it don't get this wrong when Jesus said if you ask me anything I will give it to you doesn't mean that you can ask for a Rolls what Jesus is mentioning here you have to compare scripture with scripture the 30:53 same John in his epistle he says if we ask anything according to his will he hears us so if you pray according to God's will God has never promised that he will give you a Rolls Royce car or palace like the Mysore palace 31:13 and things like that and make your life cushy so that ultimately you can go to hell you know God gives that you know to whom God gives such things those whom God curses on 31:34 this earth who are God's enemies on this earth he blesses them abundantly here here for example he blessed Cain he blessed Esau and he blessed so many disobedient people and 31:55 he made them great some of them became kings and some of them lived lavishly because this is where they I mean God gave them all the comfort like that rich man in Lazarus case Abraham says in the world I mean you enjoyed 32:14 there but here you are suffering but whereas Lazarus he suffered there but here he is enjoying eternal bliss so God really blesses those whom he curses on this earth but he will never give them anything that is eternal 32:34 they will enjoy all that they can enjoy here on this earth that is true you read the bible and see how many people whom God gave up they were blessed from earthly point of view but never were they given anything 32:54 spiritual blessings and eternal blessings they all forfeited that Jesus says here if you love me verse 15 you will keep my commandments in that connection Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit why is the 33:14 Holy Spirit given I will ask the father next verse 16 and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever this this is a spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold him or know 33:31 him but you know him because he abides with you now and will be in you shortly I will not leave you as orphans the reason why the Holy Spirit Jesus has promised is so that we can have power the 33:53 indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit's power can enable you to say no to the flesh no to yourself and to deny yourself and say yes to the spirit and obey the commandment and I tell you one 34:13 thing Moses how many laws did Moses give to the Israelites on Mount Sinai the Ten Commandments you know that and only the Ten Commandments they were not able to keep it especially the tenth one thou shalt not covet even 34:33 the apostle Paul was honest to say that when it came to the last commandment you shall not covet I found in me all sorts of covetousness and I was not able to you know keep the commandment oh wretched man that I am he 34:54 cries out even the apostle Paul who said I have as far as the law is concerned I am blameless he says he is only talking about the first nine commandments when it came to the tenth commandment he agrees yes I have failed 35:10 in that so even the ten commandments they were not able to keep just think about the sermon on the mount if you have read Matthew chapters five six and seven you know what a heavy commandments that Jesus has 35:30 given in the old covenant it says you shall not kill but in the new covenant Jesus said you shall not even get angry Jesus knew where the root lies when you have to kill a person it lies in your heart in the form of anger 35:47 and hatred and Jesus said if you are angry with your brother it is as good as murder he said and in the old covenant it says thou shalt not commit adultery but Jesus said I tell you if any man looks at a woman to lust he 36:07 has already committed adultery already the act is done as far as God is concerned in the new covenant and which is harder the old covenant law or new covenant law the new covenant is impossible for us to obey and keep 36:27 the commandments and how in the world Jesus can give such commandments and say you keep my commandments read that properly if you love me you will not you shall you will keep my commandments that means 36:47 it's a love relationship when I come in love relationship with Jesus you know when two people are in love with each other they go to any extent to do sacrifice for each other so that's labor of love so that is how when I 37:06 love Jesus with all my heart mind soul and strength it doesn't matter to me what he asks of me I will be ready to give it up and not only that Jesus said in the same book in chapter 11 Matthew after 5 6 and 7 he says 37:26 my yoke is easy that means my commandments are easy and my burden is light that means my commandments are not burdensome that's what John the apostle says in 1 John 5 3 he says God's commandments are not burdensome 37:47 he experienced that he lived with Jesus for 60 65 years and he knew that Jesus commandments are not burdensome but it is burdensome if I have to do it on my own but because Jesus has 38:07 promised the Holy Spirit and he will help you he is called the helper he will help you in your time of need Hebrews 4 15 and 16 you read that Hebrews 4 15 and 16 it's a very good chapter for you to remember young people 38:25 you know Jesus was also he lived like you and me in the flesh and he overcame he did not sin it says here for for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but one who has been tempted in 38:46 all things as we are yet without sin Jesus lived a sin life and he was tempted just like you and me in every area the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life he 39:06 was tempted in all these things and the next verse says let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy mercy for what for our past sins and 39:27 find grace grace for what to help you in time of need that is for the future so these two promises he shall save his people from their sins that is past now it's done now after we are saved the rest of our 39:47 life how do I live how do we live Jesus said I mean you Jesus himself said I cannot do anything on my own what I see the father do or what the father tells me to say I will say and it's the father who 40:07 is working in me he said so like that he has given us the holy spirit also and the holy spirit will help you in time of need so since Jesus was tempted like you and me exactly but he didn't sin not because he was the son 40:25 of God but because he was anointed with the holy spirit that's why it says come boldly to the throne of grace that you may find mercy for your past sins so that they can be forgiven and find grace in time of need that is 40:45 grace to help you in the future so the Lord has made provision for us after we are born again he has not left us to fend for ourselves he has given us the holy spirit to reside in us in us in our hearts so that 41:05 he can guide us and that we can be led by the holy spirit guided by the holy spirit and live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and you know the bible says ask in the same sermon on the mount Jesus says 41:25 in 7 7 chapter verse 7 I think ask and you shall receive seek you shall find knock and shall be open to you what is he talking about he's talking about the holy spirit you you you have heard all these commandments now now 41:44 in order to keep them you need something greater than what you have something which only the father can enable you to have and that is the promise of the father and you know just 42:04 before he ascended to heaven the last chapter of Luke and almost the last few verses Luke 24 47 it 42:25 says this is Jesus telling his disciples just before he ascending to the heavens he says and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name that is in Jesus name and to all the nations beginning 42:44 from Jerusalem you are witnesses of these things and behold I am sending forth the promise of my father upon you but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high this is he is speaking about 43:03 the Holy Spirit you stay in Jerusalem don't go away from here until the father sends what he has promised until you are clothed with power from on high the same thing happened afterwards in you read in 43:23 Acts chapter 1 verse 8 just before Jesus ascended he said in verse 5 chapter 1 verse 5 Acts this 43:44 is Jesus telling John baptized you with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now and verse 8 but you shall receive power you know the word power in the Greek I read that it is the word 44:04 dynamis out of which we get the word dynamite and this is what Jesus is mentioning here you shall receive dynamite you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you you know when the Holy Spirit comes 44:24 he gives you that power inner power like you know in days of Samson the Holy Spirit came upon him he tore the lion to two pieces and he pulled out the gates of the city and took it to a mountain top he burnt the field of 44:42 the Philistines by tying two tails of the foxes and put a torch in between many foxes and burnt up their field and he killed hundreds of people with jawbone and he pulled down a building by pushing the pillars on which it 45:01 was standing and so many things like that he did it because the spirit came rushing down upon him but he was not able to kill the lion that was in his heart that lust for women he was not able to kill tear that lion 45:21 that tore him up apart and he became a backslider afterwards but here Jesus is promising you this dynamite so that you can be witnesses for him so this is the power that God has promised to us so 45:42 this is what I wanted to emphasize this morning that you need the Holy Spirit to live this Christian life without this you cannot you cannot you cannot make it some of you who come from brethren background and Baptist background 46:00 it is difficult for you to receive the Holy Spirit because you have been programmed and taught that you know when a person has received Jesus Christ he has received the Holy Spirit also so you cannot separate Jesus and the 46:19 Holy Spirit Jesus see the father is one Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is second person third person of the Trinity they are three in the Godhead and Jesus is gone that's why he said when I 46:37 go I will send the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is a person it's not some power just power influence or some feeling the Holy Spirit is God himself the Holy Spirit is a person without a body he 46:57 wants a body he can live in your body if you allow him if you ask him to come and as I said it is difficult for those who have been taught that you don't have to have a second experience I mean that's 47:17 not true in the Bible you know you read in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 it says God has given us the Holy Spirit as a down payment you know what is down payment down payment is I mean initially when 47:38 they believed you know even before Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost you know Jesus once he told them receive the Holy Spirit after his resurrection he just breathed on them and said 47:56 receive the Holy Spirit but that was not that was before the day of Pentecost so that was just a foretaste and Ephesians 1 13 it says it is like a down payment now when you receive Jesus into your heart on the day of conversion 48:14 on the day when you are born again you have received him or you have given him some place it's like me coming to your house and say if I visit your house am I 48:35 in your house or not yes okay now does that house belong to me no I am there in your house but that house doesn't belong to me there are so many rooms which I have not seen I have not occupied 48:55 and it becomes mine only when all the rooms are opened up and surrendered to me including the title deed and key and the lock to me when it is surrendered to me then that becomes mine and when you 49:16 surrender every area of your life every part every chamber every room in your heart and mind you throw it open to the Lord and say Lord here I am take me I offer 49:36 myself fully to you and then I become God's full possession then you know to the extent that you open up yourself to the Holy Spirit he can fill you only to that extent if you say no 49:56 you can't come to this room Lord where your own things are there and you don't want anybody to see that and know it the Lord says okay in that area you will be defeated but if you surrender every room in your heart 50:16 in your life and throw it open and surrender it to the Lord's Lordship he will take it gladly and he will change you he will make you into a like Samuel said to Saul the spirit of God will come upon you and you shall be 50:35 a different man you will become a different person not only you will notice that people around you will notice it so thirst for it brothers and sisters Jesus said on the day of the last day of the feast in John 7 brother Ian 50:56 quoted that yesterday John 7 38 and 39 he said he stood up and cried and said if any man thirsts let him come unto me and drink he who believes in me out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living waters and 51:18 this he spoke about the holy spirit who whom they were to receive because the holy spirit was not given because he had not yet ascended to the father and after he ascended he sent the holy spirit and 51:38 what happened on the day of Pentecost you know that I don't have to refer to that you read that in chapter two of Acts the day of Pentecost came they were waiting in the upper room for ten days they were they were in prayer 51:54 and you know in what atmosphere they received the holy spirit the same verse in Luke chapter 24 the last verse 52:14 52 53 and the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy because the Lord ascended they saw him ascending from their midst 52:34 to the heavens and the clouds received him and they were filled with great joy and were continually in the temple praising God this was still the day of Pentecost the next 52:54 ten days they were in the temple continually praising the Lord blessing the Lord in in that atmosphere of thanks giving on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon them you know Psalm 53:15 22 it says it's a messianic psalm it says Lord you inhabit the praises of your people it says you want the presence of God you praise the Lord and you make a throne for the Lord and 53:36 in the same when they were praising the Lord the Lord came and took his place on the throne in their heart the same thing happened when the Israelis were fighting during the time of Jehoshaphat you know what they did how 53:53 they conquered the enemy they went about praising the Lord and the enemy was defeated even in Joshua's time they went about Jericho seven days and on the seventh day seven times praising 54:13 the Lord and singing his praises and the walls fell flat and there is power in praise dear brothers and sisters don't just keep on crying and pleading and praying praise the Lord you know they in 54:34 the old covenant there's a verse that says they saw his works and then they believed and they praised but whereas in the new covenant we praise him even before we experience any miracle so that is the mark of faith so if 54:53 you want to receive the Holy Spirit be in spirit of prayer and be in a spirit of praise and thankfulness and worship and that is the time you make a throne for the Lord and the Lord descends and you open up your heart and 55:12 get off your throne come down from your own throne in your heart your own self you you displace it your yourself which is sitting on your throne in your heart you empty 55:32 that displace that you open up your heart and give that throne for the Lord and make it subservient to the Lord and the Lord will reign in your heart he will come and he will take his rightful place and he 55:52 will give you that power by which you will be able to live this Christian life and I will conclude with this like you know Joseph 56:12 when he was striving with the angel when he was about to meet Esau you know he was fighting with an angel came and wrestled with him and the angel was good enough to let Jacob win and 56:34 jacob prevailed over that angel even though you know angels are how many times stronger and better than us but that angel let jacob win but even after winning you know what jacob said the angel said let me go 56:54 and jacob said no I won't let you go unless you bless me if you hold on to the lord like that lord I won't let you go unless you bless me unless you fill me with the holy spirit because I cannot live this christian life 57:11 because these commandments I cannot keep in my own strength no matter how many sermons I listen to how much Bible I read how much I pray how much Lord I just cannot make it you have to give me 57:31 and it is a gift that the Lord has promised and Jesus said everyone who asks shall receive no exception everyone that means all those whose sins have been forgiven and you have the assurance of salvation and 57:51 you know that God is your father and the indwelling spirit calls him Abba and father and the Lord taught us to pray our father who art in heaven you want his fullness to come and dwell in 58:11 you then pray the Holy Spirit is pictured in three ways in scripture one is the fire and the other one is the water he 58:33 who thirsts let him come unto me and drink Jesus said that's about the Holy Spirit and John said he shall baptize you with fire and the other one is the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind you know these are three elements 58:51 on earth against which nobody can stand you cannot stand before a fire you cannot stand before a flood you cannot stand before a storm or a hurricane or a cyclone or whatever the 59:11 force of these three elements are compared to the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit Jesus spoke to Nicodemus the Spirit blows where it wills and nobody knows where it comes from and where it goes so is the man led by the Holy 59:29 Spirit so you want the fullness of the Holy Spirit ask the Lord this morning he is not far from you he is right here in your midst wherever two or three are gathered in my name there I am in 59:49 their midst so he is willing to give you the Holy Spirit more than you are willing to receive don't think you will get some unclean spirit some demonic spirit like some of these people preach don't pray for that and you 1:00:05 know speaking in tongues and all that is not from God it is not for this day nowhere in the Bible it says that it is not for this day of course it says the tongues will seize when when Jesus comes then you don't need to 1:00:25 speak in unknown tongues to speak to him you can talk to him directly tongues will seize has knowledge seized in the same verse it says tongues will seize knowledge also will seize has it seized in fact knowledge is just 1:00:44 increasing in leaps and bounds like anything over the past few decades and it will still continue as predicted by Daniel he said in the last days knowledge will increase and people will move to and fro travel 1:01:05 will increase just see how it has been in the last hundred years after the wheel was invented and automobile and aircraft and all that how transportation has changed the face of the earth so things are changing dear brothers 1:01:24 and sisters this is all heading towards the culmination the end of end times and we are right at the door that day only John said we are in the eleventh hour he said now how much more closer 1:01:44 we are 2000 years back he said we are in the eleventh hour so if you want to live a victorious successful spirit filled Christian ask to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and don't expect some 1:02:04 something spectacular to happen to you don't expect some experience or some feeling or some influence or some electric shock down your spine or some chill or something like that no 1:02:25 Holy Spirit doesn't live in these things emotions and feelings the Holy Spirit lives in our spirit not in our soul so don't expect these things to happen and when the early disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and 1:02:45 the Spirit came in the form of tongue of fire they didn't shake and they didn't roll on the floor like some people do and all this nonsense that we see these days in the name of the Holy Spirit all that rubbish that didn't 1:03:04 happen on the day of Pentecost and that never happened when the genuine Holy Spirit was given this is all fake things and don't be afraid that the Lord will give you I mean you will be possessed by some demons or something 1:03:19 Jesus said if you being evil fathers that means the best of earthly father is evil compared to your heavenly father that's the meaning of that if if if you being evil fathers know how to give good gifts to your children 1:03:35 how much more your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him so if you ask you think God will give you a demon if you ask you think God will give you some trembling spirit or some spirit that will make you 1:03:52 roll on the floor and bark like a dog you don't give that thing such a thing to your son or daughter do you and the Lord is more sensible and 1:04:13 wiser million times billion times wiser than us let us open up our hearts and ask him let's bow our heads
