The truth that matters most is verified only by revelation from God. Just as the Holy Ghost strengthens us against evil, He also gives us the power to discern truth from falsehood. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the Spirit to be with us always. The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. If we partake of the sacrament in faith, the Holy Ghost will then be able to protect us and those we love from the temptations that come with increasing intensity and frequency. We can, for instance, be warned by the Spirit to resist the temptation to do evil.įor that reason alone, it is easy to see why the Lord’s servants have tried to increase our desire to worship God in our sacrament meetings. To always have the Spirit with us is to have the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost in our daily lives. You know from the words of the sacrament prayer how that promise is fulfilled: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.”Īnd then comes the glorious promise: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them” ( D&C 20:77 emphasis added). We can, if we live worthy of it, have the blessing of the Spirit to be with us, not only now and then, as in such remarkable experiences as we’ve had today, but always. During our confirmation we heard these words: “Receive the Holy Ghost.” 1 From that moment, our lives changed forever. My purpose today is to increase your desire and your determination to claim the gift promised to each of us after we were baptized. I have felt, as you have, the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, testifying to the words of truth we have heard spoken and sung. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.My dear brothers and sisters, I am grateful to be with you on this Sabbath day in the general conference of the Lord’s Church. Instead, be filled with the spirit,19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit. May our prayer today seek the fulness of the holy spirit to lead and guide is into truth.ĭo not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Ultimately the Holy Spirit fills our lives to develop growth and maturity in our walks with God. See other examples Acts 2:4, John 15:26, Romans 8:9, Acts 1:5, 1 Cor 12:13, Acts 11:15Ĭhallenge – we must be cautious not to be overwhelmed by the signs and wonders, rather than applying the gift of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.Every believer who professes faith in Jesus Christ and repents of their sins, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.The experience of the Samaritans is not always normative to every believer’s encounter.The history book of Acts records varied experiences of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.Being led by the Holy Spirit produces growth and maturity.Simon was more interested in the experience rather than the fruit/work of the Holy Spirit (v18-19).When we receive the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells our lives and deposits an appetite to serve and worship God.Ĭhallenge: Like the Samaritans, are we looking for satisfaction in the wrong places or wrong people? Is the Holy Spirit guiding our lives and steering us in the right direction towards Jesus? The importance of The Holy Spirit in CONTEXT – v14-24 The situation is reminiscent of John 4 & the woman at Jacob’s well.They gave Simon their undivided attention.The people believed Simon was a great power of God.Simon believed he was great but was unable to satisfy the thirst of the people in Samaria.The Samaritans were looking for satisfaction in the wrong place.As we explore chapter 8, what can we glean from the activity of the Holy Spirt amongst the early church believer’s and what can we apply to our lives today? The World is drinking from a faulty fountain – v10-11
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