Do you know what the word gospel means? Euangelion. It means literally the joy news. J.R.R. Tolkien, says there’s a kind of story … that brings us unbelievable joy … He says these stories always have a certain kernel to them. There’s always some incredibly hopeless situation, and victory is snatched out of the jaws of defeat. But how? Always through someone who comes in, and whose weakness turns out to besiege me strength, someone whose defeat turns out to be a victory. He says it’s those kinds of stories that just seem to bring us joy. He called them eucatastrophes.

Do you know what the word eucatastrophe means? The joyful catastrophe. The tragedy that turns out to be a triumph. The sacrifice that turns out to bring joy. He said, however, there’s a Eucatastrophe of the eucatastrophes. There is a Story in all of the stories. He believes there’s a bass string to the human heart, and those stories can kind of make it reverberate a little bit but can’t pluck it.

Tolkien says the gospel story is the only story that will pluck that string so the whole heart never stops reverberating and vibrating with joy. The reason it will reverberate is … this is the reality to which all of the other stories point. It happened. It really happened. There really is a hero who defeats the villain. There really is Jesus. The word gospel means the joy news. Joy. It’s real. You have to have it.

ok it is after easter now what?

The next event happens in Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

God will Empower you to be a witness after you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Now i want to be crystal clear here when we are born Again God the Holy Spirit enters into us and will lead us!

1cor 6:19

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

So, who exactly is the Holy Spirit in the Bible? Let’s break it down:

• The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Holy Trinity,along with the Father and the Son. While each of them is distinct from one another, all three of them are fully God, have the same essence, and will exist forever. We often refer to them as “God in three Persons,” where one of three is the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit is there to help those who are weak. “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Romans 8:26).
• The Holy Spirit helps Christians be a witness and blessing to others.His power enables Christians to be better people and more effective witnesses to Jesus. 
• The Holy Spirit sanctifies His people, making them more Christ-like. Only when there is full dependence on the Spirit is there life transformation. “You were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11b).
• The Holy Spirit helps Christians know God’s will. God sends the Holy Spirit to live with us, teaching and reminding us of what Jesus taught during His ministry (John 14:26). It’s only within the Spirit that Christians can know, understand, and align themselves with God’s will.

Instead of becoming more self-reliant to overcome life’s challenges, Christians are to depend on the Holy Spirit for empowerment, supplication, and spiritual guidance. Before Jesus ascended, He said, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven” (Luke 24:49).

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

We have to unpack the nature of the Holy Spirit to understand why He does what He does. Essentially, the Holy Spirit’s character can be explained by the following:

• He calls every person to salvation. Not one Christian would be saved by God if the Holy Spirit did not work in their hearts. In fact, “… no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Every time someone says “Jesus is Lord,” it’s a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power. “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
• He is always right and will never contradict the Word of God. Christians might fall into the temptation of following their own ways or doubting whether what the Holy Spirit tells them to do is right. But the Holy Spirit is never wrong because He is part of the Holy Trinity with God the Father and God the Son. In fact, He inspired the writing that constitutes the Bible you’re reading today.
• He generously gives gifts for unity and good works.The Holy Spirit brings unity to His people by equipping them with unique abilities. When every gift comes from the Spirit, there isn’t room for pride. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all… God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
• He allows us to produce fruits with the gifts.The fruits of the Holy Spirit are evidence of one’s deep relationship with Him. These “fruits” or products of one’s walk with God include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Genesis 5:22-23).

Given the nature of the Holy Spirit, Christians should aim to have a relationship with Him rather than try to understand Him from a third-person perspective. Instead of thinking of the Holy Spirit as a “what,” think of Him as a “who”. Instead of referring to the Holy Spirit as an “it,” remember that He’s a “He” or a Person. Lastly, instead of relating to the Holy Spirit as a “force,” we should approach Him as a “friend”.

There are many Scriptures that demonstrate how the Holy Spirit is God. He is not a spiritual expression of Jesus or a less divine version of God but an equal part of the Trinity. 

Here is some scripture on the Holy Spirit:

He is God, and believers are baptized in His Name (Matthew 28:19-20).

He has the power to protect believers so that nothing can steal their salvation (Ephesians 4:30).

He dwells within believers and transforms them into the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

He has the power to wash our sins away and make us new (Titus 3:5).

This is just a small selection of Bible verses that talk about how the Holy Spirit is God – there are plenty more that we can discover in our studies.

If we were to read the story about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-4, we see that they put on a show of generosity only to be revealed that they lied to God about the money. Peter confronted them, and said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself… You weren’t lying to us but to God!”

If the Holy Spirit is not equal to God, Peter wouldn’t have accused the couple of lying to God. This is one of the many clear pieces of evidence that shows how the Holy Spirit is God.

This may seem confusing to the human mind and outside the limits of creation, but God is infinite, possible, and beyond our comprehension. To quote R.C. Sproul, “…the doctrine of the Trinity is not a contradiction but a mystery, for we cannot fully understand how God can exist in three Persons,” and yet He does.

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was called “Ruach” and named “Pneuma” in the New Testament. Both of these have a similar meaning, describing the Holy Spirit as this “wind” or breath of air, where nobody knows where it’ll go or understand where it comes from. Air, after all, is one of the rare things that are non-physical yet completely tangible – a perfect analogy to describe the Holy Spirit.

Where can we see the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? The Old Testament doesn’t use the term “Holy Spirit” as often as the New Testament does, but uses other terms to describe the same Person. Here are a few examples of where you’ll see the Holy Spirit at work in the Old Testament:

• The Holy Spirit participated in the creation of the world. The Holy Spirit was “hovering over the waters” before the world was fully formed (Genesis 1:2).
• God gave Adam a “breath of life” during the creation of man. “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). If we are to go back to the original Hebrew Bible, “breath of life” uses the same word that’s translated elsewhere as “spirit.” 
• The same Spirit also came upon prophets, judges, and warriors to give them extraordinary power, such as with all the prophets writing the Bible (2 Peter 1:21), Joshua (Numbers 27:18), Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (6:34), and Saul (1 Samuel 10:9-10). It was also mentioned that the Holy Spirit eventually departed from Saul when he disobeyed (1 Samuel 16:14).
• The Holy Spirit played a primary role in the Old Testament prophecy. David said that “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; His words are upon my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2), and Ezekiel explained that “The Spirit came into me as He spoke, and He set me on my feet” (Ezekiel 2:2a).
• The Holy Spirit made believers holy (Psalms 143:10). Scripture promised that God will put His Spirit in His people to help them live according to His statutes and will (Ezekiel 36:27). In this message, God is paving the way for Jesus to eventually officially announce the Holy Spirit’s presence in the New Testament.
• The Holy Spirit helped His people anticipate the coming of the Messiah. In Isaiah 11:1-5, the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to prophesy about the arrival of a Messiah, which was eventually completed when Jesus arrived and announced the prophecy’s fulfillment in the New Testament (Luke 4:18-19).

Christians can learn from several Bible characters who were filled with the Holy Spirit, all fueled and inspired to accomplish God’s work. Here are some:

• In Exodus 35:30-35, the Holy Spirit helped the men under Moses’ care. “Then Moses told the people of Israel, ‘The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom…’”
• In Numbers 27:18,the Holy Spirit empowered Joshua to lead Israel. “The Lord replied, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.’”
• In Judges 6:34, the Holy Spirit came upon Gideon. “Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.”
• In Judges 13:25,the Holy Spirit came upon Samson as well. “And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.”
• In 1 Samuel 16:13, the Holy Spirit rushed upon David when He was anointed as king. “So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.”
• In Ezekiel 2:2, the Holy Spirit enabled Ezekiel to prophesy. “The Spirit came into me as He spoke, and He set me on my feet. I listened carefully to His words.”
• In Matthew 1:20, the Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in Mary’s virgin womb. “As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’”
• In Matthew 3:16, the Holy Spirit was present at Jesus’ baptism, telling the people present that Jesus is God. “After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him.”
• In Luke 4, even Jesus Himself was filled by the Holy Spirit, enabling Him to go through the wilderness and resist the temptations the devil tested Him with for 40 days. “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.”
• In John 14:26, the Holy Spirit teaches the disciples and reminds them of what Jesus taught while He was on earth. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
• In Acts 4:8-10, the Holy Spirit enabled Peter to bravely question the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? …Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ…’”
• In Acts 8:29, “The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and walk along beside the carriage.’” Philip immediately ran over, heard someone reading from Isaiah, and began to share the gospel with him. By the end, the Ethiopian was fully committed to getting baptized – right there and then.

There are other people in the Bible who were filled by the Spirit, but these are evidence enough of how the Holy Spirit works in people. The Holy Spirit truly is God – one that convicts, empowers, and guides us.

Now the we know about the Holy Spirt what is the difference between receiving the holy Spirit at salvation and “The baptism in the Holy Spirit?

when we are born Again we receive the Holy Spirit but after the we need to urgently seek God for a baptism or total immersion of Gods power to be an effective witness for christ!

So what is the biblical normative experience of the baptism (empowerment) of the Holy spirit?

acts 2:1-20

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygiaand Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 

“‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.

18 

Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.

19 

I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 

The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21 

And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.

26 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,

27 

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.

28 

You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e]

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried,and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand

35 

until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’[f]

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

According to the scripture they all were filled and spoke in tongues! Then they also used the gifts of prophecy and others!

what was the effect? 3000 people got saved and baptized!

do you want to be used by God seek God for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!

then trust God to help you be a witness OK, the seek God with passion!

 now let do a word study from our friend and greek expert Rick renner 

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.…
— 1 Corinthians 2:9,10

Over the years, we have received millions of letters from viewers who have written in response to our TV programs. If I were to amass all of those letters and analyze the number-one need that people write to us about, I would have to say it is their desperate desire to know God’s will for their lives.

People struggle to know what is right or wrong, what jobs they should or shouldn’t take, what school they should attend for higher education, whom they should or should not marry, whether or not to go full time into the ministry — and on, on, and on. Often well-meaning, misinformed people have told them, “Well, you can’t always know God’s plan.” These misled people even quote First Corinthians 2:9 and use it as an excuse for ignorance. They say, “You know what the Bible says: ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.’ You see, even the Bible tells us we can’t always know what God has planned for us!”

However, that was not the point the apostle Paul was trying to make when he wrote this verse! We cannot use First Corinthians 2:9 as an excuse for ignorance. It’s true that there was a time long ago under the Old Covenant when it wasn’t possible to fully know God’s plan as we can know it today. Paul paraphrased from the Old Testament when he said, “…As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them…” (see Isaiah 64:4). Isaiah was bemoaning the perplexing problem of man’s inability to know what God has planned for him. At that time, before the Holy Spirit came to indwell the hearts of people, it was difficult and often impossible to fully discern the things God had planned for each of His children.

Think about how perplexing this problem must have been! God meticulously prepared wonderful, prearranged blessings for His people, but they weren’t able to discern these things in advance! The word “prepared” is important in this text, for it is the Greek word etoimadzo, which carries the idea of a readiness or something that has been fully prepared. The use of this word in this verse alerts us to the fact that God has a divine plan for each of our lives and is ready to reveal it! How wonderful to realize that God’s plan for us is not happenstance, accidental, or a product of last-minute planning. He has been meticulously working out a plan for our lives since before the foundation of the world. He is the Great Planner!

Under the Old Covenant, however, the Holy Spirit didn’t reside in the human heart, so people struggled tremendously to find God’s predetermined plan for their lives. In their efforts to uncover His will, they sought special, divine signs and even visited prophets of the region in an attempt to find answers and gain God’s guidance and direction. Although God had prepared so much for His people, they were blind to much of what had been provided for them because they didn’t have the Great Revealer living in their hearts.

How I wish I could say that it was different today, but most modern Christians live their lives as if they were still living under the Old Covenant! This is especially sad when you consider that Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside their hearts and therefore have access to all the answers they could ever need. But because they have never developed a spiritual sensitivity or learned to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit, they still live like Old Testament people, depending on special signs, divine signals, or advice from others.

This shouldn’t be the case! The Holy Spirit has come to tell you and me everything we need to know to walk in the fullness of God’s plan for our lives.

Because the Holy Spirit has come, the ignorance that once existed among God’s people has permanently been eliminated. No one can rightfully use First Corinthians 2:9 as an excuse for ignorance or for not knowing the will of God. People who use this verse in this way are sadly misinformed about its purpose. Taken in context with the following verse, this verse clearly reveals that God does not want His people to be ignorant about His purposes, blessings, promises, and provisions that He has so meticulously planned for their lives.

First Corinthians 2:10 continues to tell us, “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.…” What does the word “them” refer to? It refers to all the things that used to be hidden! The word “revealed” is the Greek word apokalupsis, a compound of the words apo and kalupsis. The word apo means away, and the word kalupsis is the Greek word for a veil, a curtain, or some type of covering. When compounded into the word apokalupsis, which is normally translated as the word “revelation,” it literally means to remove the veil or to remove the curtain so you can see what is on the other side.

This word apokalupsis plainly refers to something that was veiled or hidden for a long time and suddenly becomes clear and visible to the mind or eye. It is like pulling the curtains out of the way so you can see the scene outside your window. The view was always there for you to enjoy, but the curtains blocked your ability to see the real picture. Once the curtains are drawn apart, you suddenly behold what was previously hidden from your view. The moment you see beyond the curtain for the first time and observe what has been there all along but wasn’t evident to you — that is what the Bible calls a “revelation.”

Now apply this to First Corinthians 2:9,10. In verse 9, Paul indeed said that there was a time in the past when the eye could not see, the ear could not hear, nor could the heart begin to imagine all the amazing, wonderful things God had prepared for those who love Him. God had prepared those benefits according to His prearranged plan, but they were veiled — hidden to us, obscured from our sight. But when Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit came, and one of His major works in our lives is to remove the veil that once obstructed our view so our eyes can see, our ears can hear, and our hearts can fully comprehend the specific, special plans that God has meticulously prepared for each of us!

So I want to tell you, if you’ve been using this verse to claim ignorance of God’s ways, it’s time for you to change your thinking and speaking about it! This verse doesn’t give us an excuse for ignorance. In fact, it says just the opposite! This verse declares the day of not knowing what God has prepared for us is gone forever! The Holy Spirit — the Great Revealer — now lives inside our hearts, and He wants to reveal God’s blessings, promises, provisions, and plans to you and to me!

Thank God, you no longer have to seek special signs or divine signals. You don’t have to seek out prophets as they did in the Old Testament. Right inside your heart is the greatest Source of revelation on planet earth — the Holy Spirit! If you’ll develop a spiritual sensitivity and learn to listen to His voice, He will reveal everything that God has meticulously planned for you so you can be all God has destined you to be.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You for the presence and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life. Forgive me for the times I’ve ignored this precious Partner whom You have sent to instruct and lead me in all the affairs of life. I repent for trying to find my way in life without His counsel and assistance. I confess that I’ve often sought the advice of family, friends, counselors, pastors, books, and other sources more than I’ve sought the counsel of the Holy Spirit — yet He is the One who knows the end from the beginning. Father, I thank You for providing the greatest source of revelation inside my own heart through His presence within me. Starting today, I seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for each and every decision I make in life. Father, since You have meticulously planned my life and have sent the Holy Spirit to reveal that plan to me, from this day onward I want to let the Holy Spirit provide the revelation I need to fulfill that plan!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!