THE
HOLY SPIRIT & ITS LAW OF LIFE & RIVER OF LIFE
May 27, 2012
MF Blume
Acts 1:1-3 KJV The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of
all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (2) Until the
day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had
given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
(3) To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Today is the day of Pentecost.
· It’s the day when, 2,000 years ago,
the CHURCH WAS BORN.
· God’s Spirit baptized 3,120 people.
· (260 times the number of 12 disciples).
· They spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the
utterance.
The events leading up to this great day of the Kingdom were, of course,
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
· We need to understand something about the
work of the cross.
· The death was not the ultimate goal.
· Neither was the burial and resurrection.
· The ultimate goal was to make ATONEMENT for
the human race.
· Atonement is reconciliation.
· Mankind’s sins had to be taken care of
so God could restore us to the KINGDOM STATUS IN WHICH HE CREATED US
before Adam fell into sin.
· The sacrifice of Jesus, and nothing else,
would do that.
So He died in order to make the sacrifice.
· He was buried and resurrected from the dead
in order to act as HIGH PRIEST and make atonement by offering HIS OWN
BLOOD to God the Father in an official manner.
· This presentation was foreshadowed and
typified by the DAY OF ATONEMENT when the High Priest of Israel marched
into the holiest of hollies before the Ark of the covenant and
sprinkled the ATONEMENT BLOOD ON THE MERCYSEAT.
Leviticus 16:14-16 KJV And he shall take of the blood of the
bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward;
and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his
finger seven times. (15) Then shall he kill the goat of the
sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the
vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock,
and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
(16) And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because
of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their
transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle
of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their
uncleanness.
Notice what happened when sacrifice was accepted by God.
Leviticus 9:22-24 KJV And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the
people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin
offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. (23)
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and
came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared
unto all the people. (24) And there came a fire out from
before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the
fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their
faces.
Acts 2:1-4 KJV And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. (2) And suddenly
there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. (3) And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.
Jesus was sacrificed and fire fell ON THE PEOPLE as though it was THEY
WHO WERE ACCEPTED BY GOD!
· They were so one with the sacrifice of
JESUS, that the fire of acceptance FELL ON THE PEOPLE because
Jesus’ sacrifice AS THEM was so acceptable to God!
Like a new creation was occurring here, God’s SPIRIT GIVES THEM
UTTERANCE to speak the wonderful works of God just as GOD SPOKE
“LET THERE BE” in Genesis and formed the world!
Jesus died and resurrected to ascend into heaven AND MAKE THAT
ATONEMENT.
· He went straight to the THRONE like the High
Priest passed the veil and went to the mercyseat of the ark of the
covenant.
· He presented HIS BLOOD so to speak.
· He was dead and was alive, and showed
himself alive.
When people start asking why they were speaking in tongues, Peter
started to preach.
· He preached about Joel’s prophecy of
the outpouring of the Spirit of God.
Acts 2:17 KJV And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith
God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams:
Then he moved into speaking about Jesus being resurrected after they
killed Him.
· David prophesied of Jesus being loosed from
death and not being left in hell.
· (v. 30) David said God would raise up his
descendent to sit on the throne of David.
· (V. 31) That was in reference to the
resurrection of Jesus!
· Jesus is risen and AT THE RIGHT HAND THRONE
OF GOD.
Acts 2:30-33 KJV Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God
had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins,
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his
throne; (31) He seeing this before spake of the
resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his
flesh did see corruption. (32) This Jesus hath God raised
up, whereof we all are witnesses. (33) Therefore being by
the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see
and hear.
And that seating CAUSED THE SHEDDING FORTH of the Spirit that they saw
and heard when the people spoke in tongues.
When the people wondered what they should do in response to all this
sacrifice of Jesus for their sins…
Acts 2:37-38 KJV Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men
and brethren, what shall we do? (38) Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.
So all of this great and fantastic series of events on the day of
Pentecost occurred because Jesus was dead, resurrected three days
later, all for the purpose of BEING SEATED ON THE THRONE OF DAVID in
order to POUR OUT THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
Notice what the Holy Ghost was called.
Acts 1:3 KJV To whom also he shewed himself alive after his
passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and
speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
He spoke of KINGDOM for forty long days!
· And then he was done and ready to leave, and
left them these last words:
Acts 1:4-5 KJV And, being assembled together with them, commanded
them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the
promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
(5) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized
with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
This was so different a KINGDOM and so absent from their thinking
that their minds went back to a common traditional thought in
those days of a RESTORED ISRAELITE KINGDOM.
Acts 1:6 KJV When they therefore were come together, they asked
of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom
to Israel?
But Jesus diverts their attention away from such thoughts, saying:
Acts 1:7-9 KJV And he said unto them, It is not for you to know
the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own
power. (8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth. (9) And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of
their sight.
He left them with the words of the HOLY GHOST BAPTISM!
Jesus never once referred to any Israelite natural Kingdom in all the
years of His ministry.
· After this point the day of Pentecost came,
and the Apostles never once preached any such Israelite Kingdom.
· They all focused on the very thing Jesus
diverted the attention of the yet-unregenerated,
not-yet-Holy-Ghost-filled disciples – the POWER OF THE BAPTISM OF
THE HOLY GHOST!
No wonder he called it POWER, because HE SENT IT FROM HIS THRONE!
The Holy Spirit baptism is a baptism of KINGDOM POWER!
Look at the power of this baptism.
John 14:12 KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
BECAUSE I GO TO MY FATHER.
· That is in reference to the ATONEMENT which
he would make by going to the Father as HIGH PRIEST.
· We would DO GREATER WORKS because he would
make atonement.
John 14:26 KJV But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The SPIRIT is called the SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
· He would go to the FATHER and the FATHER
WOULD SEND THIS SPIRIT.
· He would go to the Father to MAKE ATONEMENT,
which would make way for the Father to send this PROMISE.
John 16:7 KJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient
for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
He had to go away and MAKE ATONEMENT.
John 16:12-15 KJV I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. (13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify
me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
(15) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I,
that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The SPIRIT would come and SHOW THEM TRUTH!
Forty days of KINGDOM PREACHING were followed by a few more words about
the HOLY GHOST POWER of the Kingdom.
Then it comes and Peter preaches a masterpiece of a sermon about Jesus
going to the throne of David in order to send forth the Holy Spirit and
cause these people to speak in other tongues.
1,500 years before this day, MOSES comes down from on top of MOUNT
SINAI after being there for the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME JESUS TOOK TO
PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD after His resurrection.
· 40 Days.
· And the day he came down from the mountain
he saw all of Israel dancing and worshiping a golden calf idol.
Exodus 31:18 KJV And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables
of stone, written with the finger of God.
Exodus 32:1-4 KJV And when the people saw that Moses delayed to
come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together
unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before
us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land
of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. (2) And Aaron
said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of
your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto
me. (3) And all the people brake off the golden earrings
which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. (4)
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving
tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy
gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 32:15-20 KJV And Moses turned, and went down from the
mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables
were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were
they written. (16) And the tables were the work of God, and
the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
(17) And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they
shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
(18) And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for
mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome:
but the noise of them that sing do I hear. (19) And it came
to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf,
and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out
of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. (20) And he
took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground
it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of
Israel drink of it.
Exodus 32:26-28 KJV Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and
said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons
of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. (27) And he
said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his
sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the
camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and
every man his neighbour. (28) And the children of Levi did
according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day
about three thousand men.
Notice it is LEVITES—the family of the PRIESTHOOD – who
comes to Moses.
And there is a reference to their dedication and commitment as though
preparing them for priesthood for God’s truth against idolatry
and false religion.
Exodus 32:29 KJV For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day
to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he
may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
1,500 years later to the very day, Jesus had finished preaching for 40
days ON THE KINGDOM.
· He ascends to the throne of DAVID, the right
hand throne of God, and sheds and pours out the Holy Ghost.
Whereas 3,000 died that day by the sword of the Levites, PETER PREACHES
with the sword of THE WORD OF GOD…
Acts 2:41 KJV Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.
They died alright, by the sword…but by baptism INTO THE DEATH OF
JESUS CHRIST to claim his death their own, so they could say they
DIED, WERE BURIED, RESURRECTED and SEATED WITH CHRIST ON HIS THRONE!
The Spirit they received that day was POURED OUT BECAUSE Jesus sat on
the throne!
· And they received the SAME SPIRIT and SAT ON
THE SAME THRONE from where that Spirit came!
And 1,500 years earlier when Moses saw the golden calf worship, he just
finished a time of 40 days and nights carrying with him down Mount
Sinai the TABLES OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS written ON BOTH SIDES.
Think of this:
· Peter preached that this HOLY GHOST BAPTISM
came BECAUSE Jesus preached 40 days and then went to HEAVEN TO SIT ON
THE RIGHT HAND THRONE.
· 1,500 years earlier Moses spent 40 days with
God and comes down with tablets of law written on both sides and 3,000
were slain by the sword whereas 3,000 were SAVED 1,500 years later on
the day of Pentecost.
· We see this connection with 40 days with
Moses and Jesus, 3,000 people affected by both, and there is this
mention of THE TABLES WRITTEN ON BOTH SIDES.
·
Exodus 31:18 KJV And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables
of stone, written with the finger of God.
Exodus 32:15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the
two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written
on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they
written.
There is a picture in the Bible where JESUS IS LIKE A HIGH PRIEST GOING
INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE TO THE THRONE and there is a WRITING ON A
MATERIAL ON BOTH ITS SIDES.
· And people come into a PRIESTHOOD because of
it!
· But not just a priesthood!
· A KINGSHIP!
Revelation 5:1 KJV And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on
the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals.
Just like the tablets of law of God, written on both sides.
Revelation 5:2-10 KJV And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a
loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals
thereof? (3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither
under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look
thereon. (4) And I wept much, because no man was found
worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
(5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the
Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open
the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (6) And I
beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and
in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (8)
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and
golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
(9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God
kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
THAT ACT OF THE LAMB GOING TO THE THRONE AND TAKING THE BOOK after
having BEEN SLAIN is a picture of THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB MAKING PEOPLE
KINGS AND PRIESTS, like Moses Saw the Levites become PRIESTS.
Peter spoke of Jesus going to the throne to make atonement and pour out
the Holy Ghost baptism.
· Power.
· They would receive POWER.
· Like PEOPLE BECOMING KINGS AND PRIESTS WITH
POWER!
The day of Pentecost was the GREAT DAY OF KINGDOM OUTPOURING OF POWER!
· It’s not on the day when the church
was born, but it is also the day when PEOPLE WERE MADE KINGS AND
PRIESTS because of the BLOOD.
· Like Moses came down with the tablets
written on both sides, it’s like JESUS CAME DOWN AND PUT THE HOLY
GHOST BAPTISM IN OUR HEARTS and WROTE THE LAW OF GOD ON FLESHLY TABLES
OF THE HEART, not stone.
But it is not a death like Moses saw with the law of commandments
contained in ordinances.
· This is the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN
CHRIST JESUS that frees us from the law of sin and death!
2 Corinthians 3:3 KJV Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to
be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but
with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in
fleshy tables of the heart.
Romans 8:2 KJV For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAW OF LIFE!
And Paul the Apostle makes the SAME COMPARISON that the Holy Spirit is
trying to do through my sermon today:
2 Corinthians 3:6-8 KJV (6) Who also hath made us able
ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:
for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (7) But
if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was
glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold
the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to
be done away: (8) How shall not the ministration of the
spirit be rather glorious?
And while the Book of Revelation 5 shows Jesus; BLOOD – the thing
that made atonement -- causing people to become KINGS AND PRIESTS.
Revelation 5:9-10 KJV And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us
unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
We read this in the first chapter of Rev.
Revelation 1:5-6 KJV And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the
kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins
in his own blood, (6) And hath made us kings and priests
unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen.
He washed us in his blood AND MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS.
Rev 5 says He redeemed us with His blood and MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS.
Let us think of the DAY OF PENTECOST forevermore as the GREAT DAY OF
THE KINGDOM WHEN THE BLOOD OF JESUS MADE ATONEMENT AND CAUSED KINGDOM
POWER FROM THE THRONE TO COME DOWN AND MAKE US KINGS AND PRIESTS.
IT IS A RIVER “OF LIFE”.
· Blood is the LIFE OF THE FLESH.
· His LIFE was shed in DEATH.
· BUT THAT, IN TURN, SHED RIVERS OF LIFE!
· It is OF LIFE because it CAME FROM HIS BLOOD
sprinkled on the very throne which the mercyseat represented!
Let us rejoice in the baptism of the Spirit and its LAW OF LIFE and
RIVER OF LIFE!
