EMPOWERED BY HOLY SPIRIT

By Jeffery Kolling

It is impossible to understand the Bible, Christian living, the structure of the church or our own relationship with God without understanding the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an "it." The Holy Spirit is a person. The Bible says that He is not something. He is Someone. He is God.

To understand this better, let's talk a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeffery Kolling
• Release date: Aug 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088187319

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EMPOWERED BY HOLY SPIRIT

EMPOWERED BY HOLY SPIRIT

EMPOWERED BY HOLY SPIRIT

JEFFERY KOLLING

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GRACE OUTREACH MINISTRIES

Grace Outreach Ministries & Jeffery Kolling

www.JefferyKolling.com

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© 2023 by Jeffery Kolling

All rights are reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Due to the changing nature of the Internet, if there are any web addresses, links, or URLs included in this manuscript, these may been altered and may no longer be accessible. The views and opinions shared in this book belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. The publisher, therefore, disclaims responsibility for the views or opinions expressed within the work.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotation is taken from the King James Version (KJV) public domain.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible. (CSB) Copyrights © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Paperback ISBN- 13: 9781088187241

eBook ISBN- 13: 9781088187319

Hardback ISBN- 13: 9781088213636

Copyright © 2023 by Jeffery Kolling

DEDICATION:

I love to say thank you to a couple of people on this page.

Spiritual Mother Alice, you are wonderful, and a blessing to me. I am blessed God put you into my life.

Spiritual Auntie Iris, you are a wonderful aunt I have, thank you for everything you did for me.  You are the best aunt, and ministry partner of Grace Outreach Ministries.

Pastor James Shugart, Thank you for teaching me how to become a pastor like you. I remember the 1st time I watch your sermon on Facebook Live Stream, and you guide me, and now I know the Bible well, and I am a better pastor because of you. Thank you for being a partner of Pastors Table Podcast.

And of Course Thank you, Lord of Lords, my Heavenly Father who loves me so much. I love you, God.

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Romans 10:9-11 NKJV

In the Memory

This book is written in loving memory of Grandma Mary, Special Sister in Christ Ann, and Uncle Chuck.   I love you guys to the moon. You left me with beautiful memories, joy, and laughter. Though I cannot see you, you are always by my side. I love you

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 11:25 NKJV

Contents

1 WHO HOLY SPIRIT

2 DEVELOPING INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

3 WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES

4 BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

5 FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

6 THE GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT

7 BAPTSIM WITH HOLY SPIRIT

8 HOLY SPIRIT IN OLD TESTAMENT

9 HOLY SPIRIT IN NEW TESTAMENT

10 HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE US

INTRODUCTION

How the Holy Spirit Empowers

So, what does it mean? One of the many passages that we can read to help answer this question is in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian churches. After laying down some important theological framework about God the Father, God the Son, and the gospel, Paul wrote:

...I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… [so] that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19, ESV).

God is a giving God. Because of that, he pulls from the unsearchable, limitless resources of his glory to give us strength or power in our inner being through the Holy Spirit.

Let me explain the phrasing in these verses to help us better understand how the Spirit empowers us.

First, notice that the location where God works is in our inner being or our souls. God is not concerned about our physique or attractiveness. As he told the prophet, Samuel, The LORD sees not as man sees… the LORD looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

That is often difficult for us to understand because of how focused we typically are on the external, physical, and aesthetic world around us through things such as fitness, fashion, and cosmetics.

But our identity is on the inside. That is why God focuses on our souls, and that is where he brings change and strengthens us.

Secondly, notice that God strengthens our souls with the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? We could spend so much time here but let me give a few basics.

The Holy Spirit:

is God, the third part of the Trinity; is a person (not an it or a thing)

is often misunderstood and even forgotten; lives within believers as the personal presence and power of God

is our soul’s pneuma (Greek for force); our fresh air; the wind in our sails

raised Jesus from the dead; gifts us to serve each other and reach others with the gospel

convicts us of sin in our lives; confirms God’s Word as truth when we read it; is our best friend, comforter, uplifter, and helper

Thirdly, notice how Paul is explaining that instead of the Holy Spirit making the Christian life better, he makes the Christian life possible. Without the Spirit, we cannot even come close to living the life that God has called us to.

That is what Paul wrote at the beginning of verse 17 that the Holy Spirit strengthens our inner beings: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… (Ephesians 3:17).

The Spirit dwells in our inner being when we, according to God’s grace and by faith, confess our sins, ask forgiveness, and surrender our lives to him. There is no work or sacrament that brings on the Spirit — it is a gift of God.

When we are saved, we are set on a new journey called salvation, and the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us make that journey.

Lastly, notice that God’s goal for the Holy Spirit in our lives is not just maintenance, but abundance. Paul wrote in verse 19: [so] that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).

To be filled with the fullness of God is about allowing God to settle in, make himself at home, fully influence, overwhelm, and govern our lives. It is what is meant Paul meant in Romans 10:9 by confession Jesus is the Lord of our lives.

What the Holy Spirit’s Empowerment Does

This passage is not talking about a greater feeling, he is talking about a greater feeling. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there is less of us, our wants, our desires, our sins, and our influences.

So many people try to live life in their own limited power and from their weakness, but every time the enemy knocks them down and defeats them with guilt, bitterness, hatred, insecurities, doubts, busyness, distraction, pride, greed, more.

That is because our enemy also tries to work in our inner being or our souls. I could tell too many stories of Christians that destroyed their lives, their witness, their relationships, their families, and their ministries because they tried to rely on their own power instead of being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

But our lives do not have to be lived in defeat. We do not have to be intimated by our enemy or fall into sin. We can live victoriously in this life by God’s grace — but it only comes through tapping into God’s limitless resources, being empowered through the Holy Spirit, and living in the fullness of God.

The well from which we get the power to live life for God will never run dry no matter how many times we draw from it. The powerful presence of God in our lives is not a one-time thing — it is eternal.

It is the source from which our souls are being daily renewed and regularly transformed (Romans 12:1-2) as we study Scripture, pray, fast, and worship.

In a different letter to the Galatians, Paul explains that the remedy for stopping the works of the flesh (or sin) in our lives is not to try harder or do better, it is to be filled more with the Holy Spirit that will result in the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV).

What Does This Mean?

Brother or sister in Christ: Don’t live a life of defeat. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, allow him to govern your life, and allow him to empower you. God has put in us a well of living water, but it is our choice whether or not we drink from it.

May our prayer be, God empty me of myself and show yourself more in my life. Strengthen me with your power.

Holy Spirit — you are welcome here. Flood this place [and my heart] and fill the atmosphere.  Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for To be overcome by Your presence, Lord…

1

WHO HOLY SPIRIT

It is impossible to understand the Bible, Christian living, the structure of the church or our own relationship with God without understanding the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an it. The Holy Spirit is a person. The Bible says that He is not something. He is Someone. He is God.

To understand this better, let’s talk about Trinity. There are three persons in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Christians do not worship multiple gods. God the Son, or Jesus Christ, was God in human form. The Holy Spirit lives inside us when we accept Christ and helps us grow closer to God.

The moment we receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is all-powerful and present everywhere. The Holy Spirit teaches us and takes us deeper into God’s truth as we go along in our Christian life.

There is not a person anywhere who can be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. There is not person who can follow Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sees everything that goes on. He knows what goes on in our hearts. He knows what goes on in our minds. Nothing is hidden from Him.

The Holy Spirit sees everything that goes on. He knows what goes on in our hearts. He knows what goes on in our minds. Nothing is hidden from Him.

—Billy Graham

The Holy Spirit is also called holy. The Bible says, Be holy because I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). One of the Holy Spirit’s ministries is to help make us holy—to become more like Christ.

How Does the Holy Spirit Work?

First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins.

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8, NKJV). He uses a mother’s prayers, a tragic experience, a pastor’s sermon, or some other experience to convict us of sin and of our need to give our lives to Jesus Christ. He points to us and says, You are a sinner. You need to repent.

We don’t like to hear that, but without conviction, we could never have our sins forgiven, we could never be saved and we could never go to Heaven.

Second, the Holy Spirit gives new life. The Bible says that we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). Our spirit within us, made in the image of God, is dead toward God. Mankind needs life. Yet, we have all sinned and, therefore, are dead toward God.

The Holy Spirit, however, gives us new life in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, No one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3).

But how is someone born again? What does that mean? The Holy Spirit is the one who makes you born again; it is a supernatural act. It isn’t the good things we’ve done, but God’s mercy through the Holy Spirit that saves us (Titus 3:5). All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation by accepting Christ.

Third, the Holy Spirit lives in us. As you read this, you may realize that you are spiritually dead, but God says, I will put my Spirit in you. I will come to live in you.

That’s the reason we should never take anything unclean into our bodies. That’s the reason we should discipline our bodies. God loves your body. He doesn’t want it polluted