The Holy Spirit is so very, very unpredictable!

His ways are “past finding out,” using Paul’s words from Romans 11:33.

And today’s Lesson provides an example.

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD BLOWETH UPON IT: surely the people is grass.” Isaiah 40:7

The Holy Spirit, the Life Giver, causing things (people) to wither, to fade away? In essence “to die?” Like the grass of the field?

Is this the Spirit of God Who is love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness?

Yes.

Is the Spirit of God Who brought order out of chaos in Genesis chapter one, during Creation week?

Yes.

Is this the Spirit of God Whom Jesus called the “Comforter?”

Yes.

Then, what’s He doing in Isaiah 40:7?

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”

Oh, friends reading here today … this is always the Holy Spirit’s first job with mankind!

He must, before any lost soul can be saved … “blow” upon that individual’s heart! Cause it to shrink from its natural pride! Cause it to be seared, burned by the very thoughts of eternal punishment, a devil’s Hell! In other words, bring that potential convert to Jesus UNDER CONVICTION!

Here’s Jesus, describing this “blowing” of the Spirit, His “withering” Ministry. “And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will REPROVE the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8

Reprove!

Convict!

Blow upon with a withering Breath!

He must kill (that despicable human pride) before He can extend Life!

Self-sufficiency must be made to fade … ere trust on Jesus, trust in Jesus, can be birthed!

The Holy Spirit, the Destroyer … before the Holy Spirit the Sustainer!

Have any of YOU ever been under conviction? Do you recall that sense of being on your way to Hell, such an awareness helping propel you to Jesus?

I do!

Jesus said, agreeing with our Text: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24, this is just a re-wording of Isaiah 40:7, folks.

Thank God for the day my consciousness was scorched by the Spirit … and then renewed by faith in Jesus … unto eternal life!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

What a verse, Isaiah 11:2, in reference to the Holy Spirit.

“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him (Jesus, the Messiah), the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”

The first clause is our emphasis today.

The Holy Spirit “resting” on our Lord!

The verb employed here is “nuach,” meaning “to settle down, to remain, to make quiet (peaceful),” and even once “to be confederate!”

“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him.”

Now when the Spirit first came to me, He did not rest!

In fact, He produced unrest!

He “hovered” over my chaos!

He convicted me of sin.

He sought to frighten me with threats of divine punishment, of Hell itself!

But Jesus had no sin!

The Spirit never convicted our Lord of anything, our PERFECT Lord!

I believe the Holy Spirit “conceived” Jesus! In rest, I might add. “And the angel (Gabriel) answered and said unto her (Mary, the Virgin), The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

The Holy Spirit gave Jesus peace, “rest,” when Mary and Joseph had left Him behind in the Temple. At age 12, you remember.

The Spirit rested on Jesus during the 40 days of Temptation, too.

And even at Calvary, where Hebrews 9:14 says Jesus “offered Himself” (shed His Blood) “through the eternal Spirit,” the Holy Spirit of God!

Furthermore … and astoundingly … Jesus offers to give us that Rest now!

Once we are saved. Born again.

Matthew 11:28 records His words: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Rest!

The Fruit of the Spirit includes “peace,” says Paul in Galatians 5:22.

Are YOU resting in the Spirit today?

Better yet, is He resting in you?

REST in the security of your salvation as this Wednesday comes and goes.

REST in the blessings of answered prayer, too!

REST in the fact that you know (personally) the Rest Giver, the Holy Spirit of God!

One more time …

“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him.”

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

The more I study Scripture, the more I am impressed with the parallels between the Old Testament and the New. Many, many times the New Testament repeats, rewords, further explains the Old Testament!

Today’s Lesson on the “Holy Spirit” provides an example.

“Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” Wisdom speaking in Proverbs 1:23, Wisdom as an attribute of Almighty God.

Now Jesus, God the Son, in John 16:13. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.”

Yes, parallel for sure!

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, the Communicator of Truth.

Notice the first verb Solomon uses, God uses, in the Proverbs text. “Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” The “will pour out” translation utilizes “naba” from the Hebrew language. It is “causative” in nature, there being a “reason” God does this! This whole “outpouring” is caused by God in Heaven! His idea! His strength involved! His intelligence! Furthermore the idea of “time” built into the verb is that of “duration.” God is still pouring out His Spirit!

The word “naba” means “to flow, to gush, to bubble,” and once in the King James Version “to belch out.” The word only occurs 11 times in the whole Bible.

God’s “Spirit” here is again represented by the noun “ruach,” God’s very Breath! The Spirit is God! Our Triune God.

And once the Spirit has been deluged … “knowledge” comes! “Will make known” is “yada” in Hebrew, with God again causing this education to occur. The God Who teaches is the God Who facilitates our enlightenment, our illumination, our very learning!

No real internalizing and understanding of the word of God occurs … apart from the ministry of the sweet Holy Spirit.

Cause and effect.

The Holy Spirit … then learning God’s Words.

No wonder the Psalmist prayed to the Lord: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Psalm 119:18

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

One must be careful not to build “doctrine” on obscure verses of Scripture. Especially without parallel Texts, elsewhere in the Word of God. But I still think I’m safe in writing what follows.

Here’s today’s thought from the Bible, concerning the “Spirit” of God, the “Holy Spirit” we call Him today. Job 34:14-15 observes: “If he (God) set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.”

Wow!

We’ve just been told that the Spirit of God is essential to life itself!

That He is the Sustainer of humanity!

In other words (restating the verses above) … If God set His Mind to it, if God recalled His Spirit (the word “breath” is a synonym for “Spirit”), all life (flesh) would perish (cease to exist), altogether so! Man would decompose, returning of the dust of the earth!

Wow again!

I already realized that Jesus sustained life. Paul wrote of our Lord in Colossians 1:17, “By Him all this consist.” With “consist” (in Greek “sunistao”) meaning “to stick together!”

But I did not realize (until this morning) that the Holy Spirit is that essential to our very existence as well! I should have. After all … He, the Spirit, is God!

Maybe the Holy Spirit “withholds” evil on earth … to that extent! Should He be “recalled,” worldly life would rot beyond usefulness, self-destruct!

Maybe without the Holy Spirit, all vestiges of kindness, every shred of mercy and grace and love, would disintegrate as well! Again, should that be the case, the world could no longer stand!

Maybe without the Holy Spirit, sane logic and intelligence and reasoning would disappear. I do know that in the Tribulation, when the Spirit is “withdrawn” to some extent, mankind soon believes “the lie!” The “line” the Anti-Christ shall use! “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He (the Holy Spirit) who now letteth (hinder) will let, until He be taken out of the way (out of the midst). And then shall that Wicked be revealed.” Paul in Second Thessalonians 2:7-8.

I’m swimming in waters way over my head today!

The utter NECESSITY of God the Holy Spirit’s Presence!

Our Text one more time. ““If he (God) set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; ALL FLESH SHALL PERISH together, and MAN SHALL TURN AGAIN UNTO DUST.”

What a noble, exalted, inspired view of the Holy Spirit of God!

Worth pondering all day long.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

The word is “omnipresent.”

It is the capability of being “everywhere at once!”

Only God possesses such an attribute.

Including God the Holy Spirit!

The Psalmist David writes of this fact, addressing the Almighty. “Whither shall I go from THY SPIRIT? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

That first question is overwhelming!

“WHITHER SHALL I GO FROM THY SPIRIT?”

The answer, as the context illustrates, is “nowhere.”

God’s Spirit is everywhere!

Simultaneously!

Without any time/space limitations!

He was active in Creation!

And will be active at Armageddon!

From the second verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:2 … to the last paragraph of the Bible, Revelation 22:17, the Holy Spirit is present, by Name!

Wow!

From east to west!

North to south!

Including you, inhabiting you, possibly filling you … dear Christian friend!

My point early this Saturday morning, a travel day for Brother Bagwell, ENJOY His Presence, the Holy Spirit’s.

Paul said in Second Corinthians 13:14 that we can “commune” with the Holy Spirit! Such communion is, in Greek, the word “koinonia,” meaning “companionship, comradery, partnership, fellowship,” all thrilling words in this “Holy Spirit” context.

Friends, He will be with you everywhere you go today.

Acknowledge Him.

Do NOT offend Him! (Grieve Him not, nor quench Him!)

Enjoy what He brings to your heart and mind!

And remember, you can never really “go from His Presence!”

Jonah tried, to no avail.

When you pray, He is interpreting your prayer in Heaven. When you read the Bible, He is explaining the Text. When you are tempted, He is enforcing your faith. When you are discouraged, He is your Comforter!

Mercy, why would anyone ever want to go from His Presence?

Oh the joy of living … after Pentecost!

Really, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell