Prayer Works Bible Study: June 1, 2025

"The Holy Spirit"

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I wanna just talk about the Holy Spirit and just have an overview understanding because next week we get to fellowship with him. So that you know, we all kind of like on the same wavelength and understanding, right.

So a lot of scriptures I'm sure we'll get to them or if we don't, I'm sure we'll get to where we need to get to. So I am in John 14. Yeah 14, John 14:12 John, 14:12. 

So this is what John says most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, you would do also. This is Jesus speaking he says. If you believe in me the works I am doing you are going to do too.  

And greater works than this he would do because I go to my Father. So Jesus is saying, hey, if you believe in me, you're going to Do what I'm doing right now.  

But you are going to do greater works. How are you going to do greater works? Because I will go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name that I will do. That the Father may be glorified in the son.  

If you ask anything in my name, I will do it, second time. If you love me keep my commandments and I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper. So you get you don't get another helper if you are not already getting what, help, right. 

So right there, you see, we get another helper. That he may abide with you forever. The spirit of truth, whom the world can not receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you.  

He dwells with you and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphan. That's powerful when you think about this. So in other words, if you don't have him in you will be what? An orphan. I will not leave you orphan, but I will come to you. 

A little while longer and the world will see me no more but you will see me because I live you will live also. At that day, you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.

He who has my commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me and he who loves me, who be loved by my Father. I will love him and manifest myself to him.  

Then he talks about Jesus by Judas Iscariot. 23, If anyone loves me, you will keep my word and my Father would love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. 

He who does not love me, does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father who send me. These things I've spoken to you while being present with you.  

But the helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name. He will teach you all things. Not some things, not a little bit, all things. We now see the extent of the Holy Spirit's ability to teach us. All things, not some things, all things.  

So I was talking to Vee was talking to me about gardening that's included. This is where you see sometimes when you are in the middle of doing something and you have no answer to something or you have never done something.  

You end up finding a solution because the Holy Spirit will teach you on all things. So my kids always said, dad, how come you know everything? Because I have learned to rely on the fact that I need the Holy Spirit even sometimes to fix my car if I have to.  

Because it says here in all things, not some things, all things. And now what’s so incredible when you think about where we get our ideas as human beings. We get our ideas from God. 

So which means what you teach you is something that has already been created by God. So things that other people have done, they did them because God, in his infinite wisdom, he wanted that thing be created.  

Now you're coming to fix what was created already by another person. The Holy Spirit then teaches you what was already disseminated to another person maybe 20, 40 years ago. Cause he would teach you all things, not some things, all things.  

But the helper, whom the Father will send manner, will teach you all things and bring to your rememberance all the things that I say to you, so you're going to be taught all things, but you also brings to remember it. The things that Jesus taught.  

That's why I always say read the Scriptures because he can't remind you of something that you haven't read. Peace I leave you with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled.  

Neither let it be afraid. You've heard me say to you I'm going away and coming back to you. If you love me, you will rejoice because I said I am going to the Father and my Father is greater than I. Let's go to 16, same book, John 16:26.  

But when the helper comes who? the whole spring. Whom I shall send to you from the Father. The spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me. Now we know Jesus but the Holy Spirit comes to testify about him to us.  

Why? And you also bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. These things I've spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues.  

Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they would do to you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them and these things.  

I do not say to you at the beginning because I was with you. But now 5 I go away, will send me and none of ask me where are you going. But because I'll say these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage. It is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you.  

And when he has come you convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because they do not believe in me of righteousness, because I go to my Father and to see and you see me no more of judgment, because the rule of this world is judged.  

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come.  

You will glorify me, for you will take of what is mine and declares it to you. The Holy Spirit would take what was in Jesus and declares it to you.  

All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I say that you would take of mine and declare it to you, that's powerful. Brothers and sisters the conversation about the Holy Spirit has caused so much division in the history of the church.  

There's churches that speaking tongues, some, they said you should not speaking tongues. There's all kinds of things. There's churches that say this is what the Holy Spirit should do. It's just now the reality is that he is a person who knows all things.  

That Jesus said he's going to teach him, which means that he has more knowledge than all of us combined, and how he does what he does is subject to him. Not to us, we don't get to decide.  

You know, for example I don't get to decide when Mother Jones should eat. Because Mother John's knows when she should eat, she knows when she should go to bed because she knows what her body needs and desires. 

In as much as the Holy Spirit knows what to say when to say it. What to give, how to give it to whom to give it to, and to whom to withhold it. He knows all that. I'm saying this because I want us to understand before next Sunday. That however, he feel this to show up.  

We have expectations of him showing up, but what he will do and how he will do it is based on the knowledge and information and wisdom he has of the people that are there and why they are there and who needs what and how they should receive it and how they should be empowered. 

Nobody knows that. If we claim we do, then we don't understand him. Again, we talked about the disciples. Jesus said to them, go wait in Galilee. They have no idea about what's going to take place, they are clueless.  

They just know we've been told to sit here and wait. What's going to happen? I don't know. When the Holy Spirit shows up. This scripture says he came like a mighty rushing wind, that was the first for them.  

Then they started speaking in other languages and as I was starting this past week, I realized why they were speaking in so many languages. It’s because 1 so many people of different languages needed to see this experience.  

Then two, to signify that this is not going to be for just one particular group of people. It's going to be for everybody who believes in Christ. Now all of us, right, all of us in order to be saved right salvation, you cannot receive salvation without the Holy Spirit doing something in you. That's how we all get salvation.  

So which means that at salvation, at salvation this Holy Spirit now regenerates us into this new creation. Which means you and I right now, because we believe and we're in salvation, we have the Holy Spirit. 

Because the disciples this is in Matthew. This is John 16 are these men saved right now in John 16? Yeah they're saved because of Jesus. Have they been baptized? Most likely. Now then speaking in tongues but they have the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus gives them authority.  

They aren't doing anything, but they have the Holy Spirit in them. But when we get to Acts Jesus says wait. We're going to have to feel you for what? For what you are about to go and do.  

So which means that we all once you get saved the Holy Spirit. The Bible says the Holy Spirit brings you into the body of Christ. You are baptized into, you become that's how you become a member of his body.  

Because the Holy Spirit engraves you into the family of Christ and you become a member of the body of Christ at salvation, being filled with the Holy Spirit. It happens when God wants to equip somebody to do something.  

Whenever the thing needs to be done. Let's look remember Philip, Acts 8. He's a Deacon. He's not an apostle. He runs away, finds himself in Samaria. The scripture says now full of, this man was already baptized.  

But when he is in Samaria the Holy Spirit comes and fills Philip. That he starts preaching the gospel. While he is on the run to a city that they've been trying to convert for Christ. The disciples then hears about it.  

In Jerusalem that Samaria has been taken for Christ. They then come and the scripture says they laid hands on people. This is all the works of the Holy Spirit for what needed to happen for the city of Samaria.  

Hey, maybe City of Samaria because of all what is taking place with Jezebel from First Kings 13 all the way to now. It needed this reinforcement. Who knows? But the Holy Spirit knew what needed to be done.  

So in as much as he knows what needs to be done for all of us and the things that we need to tackle and figure out, he knows it in advance and he's going to come and equip those he desires because he desires and those God, he has a plan for.  

Now here's the amazing thing. Did Philip know that he was gonna preach the gospel in Samaria? He was on the run, he was hiding. But the Holy Spir knew, Samaria has to be taken for Christ.  

Because what was the instruction in the book of Acts? Go preach this gospel, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world. They don't go, they stayed put. Paul comes, starts chasing everybody and wants to kill everybody and nobody goes to Samaria. Except a man who's running and why is he going to Samaria?  

He figured Paul ain’t coming to follow anybody in Samaria. Because there's no Christians over there. So the safer space to hide is what? Samaria. But while he's in Samaria the Holy Spirit was like good, I needed you here.  

Now he comes and he fills this man, who is Deacon in order to rescue the city. And bring it to Christ to show to us that he knows all things and he will teach us all things. When he needs to teach us for whatever reason.  

Our job in this process is to have complete trust that he is never wrong. He's always right. Always on time. He's not confused, He's not trying to figure out things. He's not trying to figure out whether Mother Jones likes it or not.  

No, he knows what needs to be done and he's sure of it. Our job in the process is to have complete trust in the Holy Spirit. Why should we? Because Jesus tells us these scriptures I just read you here. That it says it's to your advantage.  

So now if we know that we have this advantage, wouldn't it be wise that we take it? We should take it. So which means that whatever advantage that he has for us. It's already been promised. It’s for us to take it.  

Knowing that whatever it is, whatever situation, whatever moment, whatever we find ourselves in, we have an advantage. I mean, they're so assuring that we have an advantage. No matter how things look. That you have an advantage in every situation.  

And this is what the scripture says, not me. This is what the scripture says. Ephesians 5:15 the apostle Paul teaches. Believers how to experience a holy relationship with God. How to live for him, obey him and discover his will and serve him.  

This is what he said. So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools but like those who are wise, don't act thoughtlessly, but understand that the Lord wants you to do. We have to understand what the Lord wants us to do.  

Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life instead be filled with the Holy Spirit. Singing sounds and hymns and spiritual songs among yourself. This is what we are doing on Sunday, right?  

Singing hymns, spiritual songs amongst yourselves and making music to the Lord where? In your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that was a new living translation I'm reading. Being filled is different from indwelling.  

We already have the indwelling because baptism happened, we received Christ on salvation and once we receive salvation, the Holy Spirit now engrafted us into the body of Christ.  

So we are part of his body. Then that's the indwelling, feeling is when at a moment when he chooses, for whatever reason, sometimes it can be as simple as Calvin you're trying to fix your car and you are run out of ideas.  

And he comes and fills you in a moment and you oh I can do it this way. That's our lives is believers. But the unfortunate part is that we have turned a blind eye to moments like that because we are always thinking and looking for these grand things.  

Not understanding that even in your planting you hear him say 2 inches, I'm going to feel you and give you what you need in order to do this task at hand. You can hear him say, hey, these plants are too close together. Move them another inch.  

This is how we get empowered for things that you have never done gardening in your entire life. But somehow all of a sudden you become a genius in gardening and your plant starts growing and you're like, huh? How is this happening?  

Because God, in his infinite wisdom, the scripture just we've just read, he says he's going to teach you in all things. Not some things, all things. How to hang a picture frame? He'll teach you.  

Because if you're in the body, I want you to think about this. I want you to think about how would Jesus live? Now how would he live even if he was living in his house right now.  

Let's say we are hanging picture frames. Don't you think Jesus would probably do a perfect job of hanging these picture frames? Because he is the Messiah. Because what he was travelling what was in him was all power all authority. 

So which means everything he says, everything was created for me. So he says I'm going to die and I'm going to give you what I have. So that he will explain all things. Not some things, all things, that's powerful.  

This this season here just speaking for me. It has made me appreciate the Holy Spirit in ways I have never really appreciated him and see him for who he really is. And it shows us the love of God. 

 That even things that you think he doesn't care about, he does care about. The simplest things that you're like, yeah, you know what I can just do without that, he's involved in it. Because the scripture doesn't say some things.  

It says all things, all things. Including why he wants to wash in a bucket, stuff like that. Says you explained to you all things. So you realize that the wisdom for us is to make him more prominent in our thinking and in how we do things, knowing that he is available at a glance. 

So Sunday is coming, next Sunday's coming. I'm looking forward to it because it's almost kind of like what does he has in store for us. I wanna see what do you have in store for us. Whether he wants us to be at peace.  

Whether he wants us to illuminate himself, whether we will love one another more because all the gifts of the spirit and the fruit of the spirit when he shows up are available for whatever that needs to take place. 

A few stories I've been telling a few stories these past weeks, right a few stories. I travelled to Zimbabwe few years back and I went to lunchtime prayer meeting.  

By the way years ago we started this lunchtime prayer meeting back then when we were young boys and it was surprising to me how big it had grown that there were over 2000 people in the church sanctuary that was downtown during lunchtime. 

People, instead of going to lunch, they'll just leave work and come to prayer. So I went, I'm like expecting, you know, I wasn't expecting anything and when I walked in there, I'm like, wait.  

We have an overflow for lunchtime prayer. Yeah, there's overflow. So I go up in the sanctuary and now you know, have you ever been to a situation where you prepare, for example Sunday we have prepared for Sunday.  

We're preparing for Sunday. Then we get there and we realize Oh my God. This is bigger than what we prepared for and which allows you or which makes you in that moment realize that you know what, I just have to lean on him.  

Because I wasn't expecting this. Now, here we are this is what's going on. So I'm in this prayer meeting and now I realize the need that was in the room. You could feel it. You know you realize your little regular prayer that she had brought that you thought you were going to do is not gonna cut it.  

And then he comes and he says you're gonna have to lean on me. Because the stuff that we need to do in here and I'm going to do it through you. So I'm standing there and I just spoke candidly from my heart.  

I close my eyes for a benediction so we can go, people can go back to work. When I say Amen and I open my eyes, there's a line of people that has formed that needs to be prayed for.  

Now I start praying and I'm overwhelmed because there's already 100 and something people that are on the line. Now I don't know what to pray. I really don't because I'm thinking I was supposed to get out of here and go pick my mother and do all these things and is now 2:00 PM.  

People are going to work. They need to go back. So I'm trying to make all these decisions in my head. What needs to happen? This lady walks up and she starts weeping uncontrollably where I could not ask her what's going on so I could pray.  

That's what I want to do, but she can't stop crying because and I leaned into the Holy Spirit. Because I could feel the pain, I leaned into the Holy Spirit and I heard it prostitution and I'm like, ah.  

How do you say this to a person? Who's standing in front of you that you are struggling with prostitution? And I leaned in and I heard it again, carefully I said it. And she fell on her knees, almost with relief that somebody knows now and I prayed for her.  

Now this day, brothers and sisters I don't know how many people I've prayed for. But I felt like I was somewhere where I was just here 1 by 1. Lord is just telling him he had an abortion, lost a baby, and it was so overwhelming. Like you are on autopilot. 

And in that moment now I look back to that and I realize that was God saying for this moment I have to fill you because there is a need in the room that needs to be met and I know all things, I see all things and you don't. Work with me, listen to me.  

We got out of that place 5:45 and I learned a lesson. That surely we don't know nothing. I went to Orlando, so a preacher message that I've always preached, I know this message like the back of my hand. Thou art the Christ.  

My favorite message to preach on. And if it goes so many directions, I can take it and the night before I'm about to go to bed, the Holy Spirit says, hey, you need to get up and pray cause I got a job for you to do tomorrow. 

 And I'm like, ah, I know this message and I don't think I need to go through it again. I just preached it a week ago in California. Says ok, woke up in the morning. Have you ever woken up and you feel abandoned.  

So I'm like, you know, everything is just not you just know it that something is not. I get to the church, I get up, you know, they do all the stuff that I they are singing you know. And I get up there. My mouth never felt that dry.  

I'm trying to say what I need to say and my mind is going blank. Everybody's giving me this stare like, first time I almost said can I start over? Literally I wanted to start over because it went south very fast.  

I'm talking about 5 minutes in and I'm, and they've already said we have 35 minutes. My mouth is dry. I keep sipping water. Nothing is working. Everybody's staring at you like yo. This dude and this is a message I have preached so many times.  

And the Holy Spirit literally stood on the side and I could not get over that event for years, couldn't until three years ago, three years, three years ago or so, we were in Florida at the same church.  

And I was like, I ain’t preaching. I'm just going to sit, leave me alone, you know and April, saying Michael's like, hey, do you? So Michael's like, hey, do you? I was like, no, I'm good. I'll just sit here. That service after service, this lady walks up to me. 

She says to me I will never forget the message you preached here four years, five years ago. That's how I got my healing from that day. And she's like, I learned so much about trust. Now watch what the Holy Spirit does.  

If he wants to accomplish something, he will accomplish it. Unbeknownst to me this person got whatever explanation that the Holy Spirit needed her to get. On the other hand, I got nothing from what the Holy Spirit wanted me to get.  

When are we thinking I failed Oh, my God. I don't know if I ever want to preach in this church again. And unbeknownst to me, he did what he came to do. So what am I saying that our expectations as we deal with the Holy Spirit should always be blank.  

But should always be there. I don't know if this makes sense. English is my second language. He should always expect that he's going to do something. But you should never expect what he should do.  

Because you don't know and he knows all things. He could literally come into service for one person and leave everybody. And just this one for whatever reason, cause he knows all things. Our job, our job is to have unwavering faith in the promise that Jesus said to his disciples. 

He is going to come and he is going to explain all things. And leaving you and when he wants to fill us, it's not because he has nothing better to do. It’s because there's something that needs to happen and our job is to pay attention to his movement and his will.  

So which brings me back now I know me and Calvin we kind of had a conversation about this. Because I cannot say it 1 morning that they spoke in tongues, cause that's what was needed for that day.  

Then there are times where he shows up and we all feel this overwhelming sense of love. Because that's what he wants done. Cause somebody has not been loved all their lives and today is the day they have to feel the love of the Father. That's what you do. Or he can show up and we all start grieving and weeping for the world.  

That's to his discretion or he can show up and we all start laughing and having joy. Because that's what he needs, whether we maybe depressed with all the stuff that's going on around us, but again as he will.  

He will do what he desires, if he feels you. It's because there's something that needs to be done. If he feels us on the day, maybe there's some people who need somebody to lay hands on.  

And again I know it's coming because last week I've been fighting it, I can feel it and I can see the enemies just throwing everything, kitchen sinks, you name it, it's all coming and I have an expectation. 

Yeah and I don't know what to expect. But I know this, he's going to be there. Not because he's going to come. No, because he’s already in us and is already there. But if it does anything extra is because there's something that needs to be done. In our case, we have things that we are planning.  

And in our case is understanding that we can't do those things without him, in our case is knowing that men all authority belongs to him. So the fight that we have with the devil us always to move us from the belief that he is.  

That's our fight with him. That's why the scripture says when the enemy comes in like a flood, God will raise a standard. Now the standard the Holy Spirit has always been the standard of Christian living, always.  

He is the standard. Jesus says if you believe in me then out of your belly will flow rivers of living waters. Rivers, not a stream, rivers. If you believe on me, if you believe what I said, right?  

Everything about me, that's what the scripture John just read everything about me. What I've said, it says what was in me now it's in me. Greater works will you do than I did. Now why is he saying that?  

Because he knew that when the Holy Spirit comes, not only will you do what I'm already doing, there is much more things that you will be able to do because the spirit that knows all things and that will explain everything will be with you.  

That's how we get to greater works will you do than I did. So all the things Cynthia. All the things that you're like, man, I don't understand. I'm not sure about that. I don't know. We gotta recognize that there is one who knows all things and he will explain it clearly and intently.  

That's why the Scripture keeps saying whoever has an ear let him hear what the spirit says. Why? Because what the spirit says is more important because he knows all things and the scripture says he searches even the mind of God.  

I mean that scripture is so scary to me. That the Holy Spirit searches the mind of God and then comes and reports and reveals to you and I what God is thinking. Here's the negative, but the positive Veronica read on it on Tuesday.  

But if you grieve he says God can forgive you for everything. You can do anything and God will forgive you. Can murder a person. If you're sincere about repentance, God will forgive you.  

But you know what he can't forgive blaspheming about a spirit that knows all things. That is unforgivable. Now, if that is unforgivable what is? How then precious is he? If that's unforgivable, how precious is the Holy Spirit then?  

I mean, think about all the things that people are doing in this country, this world. All this corruption that we see, God says, I'll forgive that, I'll forgive that. But blasphemy again as the Holy Spirit, that's it.  

So how precious is he then? If that's the price tag that's on him. That's why we have to have total and complete trust in the personage of the Holy Spirit. That if he moves, you follow. If he says 2 more minutes, 2 more minutes.  

Because there is things that he can do in 2 minutes that you and I can never do in a lifetime. One last story my Bishop in Zimbabwe calls me, says Zee I had a dream. I just bought a brand new Mercedes-Benz.  

You know the C Class that old C Class, the one with the round eyes. Just purchased that have been delivered to Zimbabwe. Two weeks into riding the car Holy Spirit says hey, take this car and give it to one of the pastors in the church. 

What if I go just buy another car and give him. No, given this one. Holy Spirit, he has a dream three times above this and he's negotiating with God and the Holy Spirit. How he best could do this? He goes to bed.  

He has resulted in his heart that you know what I will give it to him. Let me drive it for a month. You know, let me just drive it for a month while I make plans. I’ll get it get another one, whatever it is says give it to him. Bishop says he has a dream on Friday, after he made this decision.  

Says in the dream this man comes and says to him in the dream by the way, you are not the first person God has asked to do this. He has already asked some people and they all said no.  

Says in this church? Now I'm asking you, the pastor ok, finally he wakes up 3. Wakes up his wife was like yo drive, follow me drive behind me. Let's go to Pastors house. He drives to Pastors house, knocks at the door at 3:00. AM says hey keys.  

This is your car now and he's like. He starts weeping cause the man was up. Getting ready to go to men's meeting on Saturday at the church because he lives far. So in order to get to the church, he had to get 3 buses and to get there at 7:00 in the morning and prepare for this men's meeting at 8:00.  

He had to leave the house that early. Come to find out that for a whole entire three months, this man, this was his routine. Now, because his car had broken down, never said a word to anybody, and he's been struggling.  

Because the Holy Spirit knows all things, so all this is happening in the background, unbeknownst to you that he is trying to sort out things and stuck between an answered prayer and the prayer request as Man's will in the middle.  

Sometimes I'll end with this sometimes. It's not that God does not answer prayer. God answers prayer but sometimes prayer is stuck in mans willpower. If God says Pastor Zee, I need you to, I need you to give Cynthia some money and Cynthia has been praying for some money, and then I hold on to my reins because I don't want to.  

It doesn't mean God has an answered prayer. It's just that man, it's just that prayer is stuck in human will. This is why it's important to hear and to do. Because we don't know what prayers we are with helping answers to because of our will.  

So it is important that if you can read John 14:16 and get in and just kind of really line by line. Line by line and you have a clear understanding of what Jesus was talking about and why this was so important to him.  

So important and think about these guys the day of Pentecost become the foundation in which the church is sitting on 2000 years later. What we know is preaching, started on the day of Pentecost. All this preaching that's going on in the world now.  

Starting on that day. All the preaching will ever do started on that day, that was the foundation of it. Why? Because the Holy Spirit was poured out. Says in the last days I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh. All flesh, the answer is near.  

Never far, always near. Heavenly Father as we ready ourselves for this week and for Pentecost Sunday. We are grateful that your promises are yay and Amen. We don't know what awaits us, but we have full expectation of what the possibilities can be and will be.  

You surely are going to do something but we are going to yield to your will as you director us as the part of your command. Go ahead in advance and schedule some things for us to enjoy on this particular day. A week from now, we'll be basking in your presence.  

We yield our hearts to you knowing that you are our Father and we are your children. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we go into this week, remind us of the little things that we need to take care of and we’ll forever bless you in Jesus name, Amen.