A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day – October 31, 2019
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (John 20:22)
The scriptures from Deuteronomy to Acts were a preparation for the coming of the Messiah (Jesus) and for the birth of His bride the Church. When you study the Jewish feasts it is apparent that they depict God’s timetable from the beginning. The Passover is a perfect illustration of what transpired when Jesus came as the true Passover lamb. The Feast of Weeks, which we call Pentecost, was forecast and planned by God and presented to the people by Moses in Leviticus 23 and prophesied by several other prophets.
God, and His son Jesus, speaks to us in parables. He gives us types and shadows that depict what will happen in the future. For example, our scripture of the day (John 20:22) is a great example. What do you think Jesus was talking about when He told His disciples to receive the Holy Ghost? Was he talking about receiving the Holy Ghost that very minute? We know that’s not true because He later told them to go to the Upper Room in Jerusalem and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4-8).
So, what was Jesus saying to His disciples when He breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Ghost? He was giving them a prophetic picture (a parable) of what they were about to experience in that Upper Room when a mighty rushing wind would fill the whole house (Acts 2:2). He was telling them that they needed to receive (take hold of and accept) what He paid for on the Cross to give them.
Jesus did not come to Earth to die on a cross, be resurrected from the dead, and defeat Satan, just for our salvation. That was a big part of it, but it wasn’t all of it. His plans were much bigger than that. He came for a Bride! He came for a Church without spot or wrinkle! He came to not only give us eternal life but to introduce us to the Holy Ghost who would empower us to destroy the works of the enemy. Jesus came so that the Glory of the Lord would cover the Earth like the waters cover the seas. His vision is for nations and the world, not just individuals.
This Upper Room Holy Ghost thing is much more important than we ever thought. It’s a key to world evangelism! It’s a key to defeating the enemy! It’s a key to unifying the Body of Christ! To some people, that last statement may seem ridiculous because all they see is division when you talk about the Holy Ghost. One thing I have learned over the years is that you can tell a lot by what the enemy fights the hardest. If you look at what he is using to cause the most discord in the Body of Christ, you will find out what God wants to use the most to get His job accomplished.
Isaiah prophesied 2700 years ago about what we see today in the Church when it comes to the Holy Ghost:
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:11-12)
The Apostle Paul re-emphasized this very prophesy in 1 Corinthians 14 when talking about the gifts of the Holy Ghost:
In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:21)
Hear the Word of the Lord!!! Do not let the enemy trick you into believing that this is not for you and your children. It is “The Promise” and it was paid for on the cross.
Receive the Holy Ghost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
