Chapter 5: Ministering in the Flow of the Holy Spirit
- Zion Jeng
- 7月29日
- 讀畢需時 22 分鐘
已更新：8月3日
Bible Reading:
Acts 1:8
Ezekiel 47:1
Revelation 22:1-2
We notice from the four gospel books that the last chapter of each book always mentions about the Lord Jesus who, just before He ascended on high, entrusted His commission to the disciples. We see a paragraph of words by which Jesus gave important directives as to the pathway of ministering, so that the disciples may put to practice the right way of serving in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. Nevertheless, if we are to take a close look at the pathway of ministering based on the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we need to turn around first and start from the very beginning; because the commission given by the Lord Jesus to the disciples before He resurrected and ascended on high were all recorded at the beginning of this book.
Acts 1:8 records that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave this instruction to the disciples, “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.” This verse serves as key to the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles. This key speaks of two matters that are of great significance. First is the commissioning of ministry, which refers to being witnesses for the Lord. Second is that the way of ministry must be in the flow of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the testimony of Jesus Christ must be spread to the ends of the earth. However, the basis for the universality of the Lord’s testimony is through the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles is also known as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit flows down from the throne, with Jerusalem as its origin, then through all Judea and Samaria and later, to the ends of the earth. If we look at the recordings in this book, outwardly it may be about the tracks of the apostles, but inwardly it is the flow of the Holy Spirit. It will, therefore, not be hard for us to understand that the way of ministry is to serve the Lord in the flow of the Holy Spirit.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit is the Way of Ministry
In order for us to see clearly that the flow of the Holy Spirit is the way of ministry, we will refer to the rivers as recorded in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation.
Down the Middle of the Great Street of the City is the River of the Water of Life
Revelation 22 is a continuation of chapter 21. Revelation 21 records that the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is symbolic of the church. (Rev. 21:9-10) The apex of the city is where the throne of God and the Lamb is. Down the middle of the great street of the City is the river of the water of life. It is as clear as crystal, and it flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. There are twelve gates in this Holy City – three gates each on the east, north, south, and west. All these gates lead to the throne by this great street. Hence, from whichever gate you come, you must stay on this street in order to get to the throne. What is mentioned here as the great street that reaches the throne actually depicts the way of ministry. Therefore, if this street is absent, then there is no way one could reach the throne. There is no way one could serve God.
“The river of the water of life flows down the middle.” (Rev. 22:1) This “river of life” symbolizes the flow of the Holy Spirit, and this river of life is situated in the middle of the street. Likewise, the flow of the Holy Spirit is in the center of the way of ministry. This means that as long as one remains in the flow of the Holy Spirit, then he is in the way of ministry. Hence, we can conclude that the flow of the Holy Spirit is the way of ministry.
The Holy Spirit that Descended at Pentecost Keeps Flowing Until this Day
Praise the Lord! On the day of Pentecost, when all 120 people in Jerusalem came together in one accord to pray, the Holy Spirit descended. From that time on, this river of the Holy Spirit began its flow starting from Jerusalem to all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It continues to flow without ceasing to this very day – for more than 2,000 years. If we are dislodged from this flow, then we are not in the way of ministry at all. Hence, we have to value the flow of the Holy Spirit.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit Originates from the Throne of the Lord
Now then, where does the flow of the Holy Spirit originate? The Holy Spirit has one place of origin, and that is from the throne found in the third heavens. Revelation 22 speaks of a throne in this universe, and that throne is the throne of God and of Jesus Christ the Lamb. It is the place of origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit. In this regard, we shall take a look at the Bible to trace out the origins of the two rivers to serve as symbolisms.
The Temple in Ezekiel 47
The book of Ezekiel 47:1-12 mentions a river which symbolizes the Holy Spirit’s flow. The water comes out from under the threshold of the temple and flows toward the east. This temple is the place of abode of God. Our God dwells in this temple in the high heavens. From the recordings found in Ezekiel 47, the point of origin of this river is symbolic of the throne. This shows that the flow of the Holy Spirit has its origin from the throne of the Lord.
The Throne in Revelation 22
It is recorded as well in Revelation 22:1 that, “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” This also signifies that the origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit is the Lord’s throne.
The river found in Revelation 22 and the river found in Ezekiel 47 stand far apart facing each other, yet in both cases each of these two rivers flows out from the throne of the Lord. These two rivers are, in fact, one and the same river, which implies that the flow of the Holy Spirit originates from the throne.
The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1 is about Christ’s Ascension while Chapter 2 is about the Descent of the Holy Spirit
As a matter of fact, Acts 1 records that as Jesus was ascending to heaven, they were looking intently up into the sky. Then a cloud hid Him from their sight and they could see the Lord no more. While the Lord Jesus was taken up before their very eyes, suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee”, they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
After Jesus was taken up to heaven, the disciples returned at once to Jerusalem and prayed for ten days. As a result, chapter 2 records that the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost. How did the flow of the Holy Spirit descend? It was when the Lord Jesus was lifted up and glorified that the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. (Acts 2:33) Once the flow of the Holy Spirit comes down, it rushes onward to every corner of the world. And it remains flowing to this very day!
Nevertheless, there is an important principle here that we need to point out. If we want the Holy Spirit to flow in the church, then Christ must be enthroned. Therefore whenever man takes supremacy, or whenever man rules, the Holy Spirit will immediately cease its flow. In terms of experience, every one of you here serves in your local churches. Before you serve, you ought to come facedown before the Lord first and allow Him to be enthroned, because the flow of the Holy Spirit comes from the throne of Christ.
Two years ago (1984), around the beginning of September, I had an inner burden to invite all the co-workers and responsible brothers to bow in prayer every Wednesday night. The purpose is to concretely restore the position of Christ as the head. Praise the Lord! After I shared my inner feelings, everyone responded in the spirit. Indeed when everyone bowed down and acknowledged that they are nothing but individuals who had been lifted up by the Lord from the miry clay, and that because of the Lord’s great mercy, we have thus been lifted up to have a share in the ministry. By kneeling down in prayer and waiting on the Lord, the throne of Christ was immediately restored in the church. Hence during the Year-End Conference of 1984, the Holy Spirit worked conspicuously in that during the beginning of 1985, due to the presence of the Holy Spirit’s flow, more than three hundred believers consecrated their lives to the Lord. O! Where Christ is enthroned, there the flow of the Holy Spirit will be.
The Holy Spirit Flows Unimpeded by Way of the Cross
Once the Holy Spirit flows out from the throne of Christ, we must pay careful attention so that it may flow freely without impediments.
The Altar in Ezekiel 47
It is recorded in Ezekiel 47:1 that, “The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.” It mentions here that the Holy Spirit’s flow passes through the altar before coming out. The temple is the origin of the flow where both the most holy place and the throne of the Lord are, afterward it flows past through the altar and comes out. “Altar” symbolizes the cross. To know whether or not the Holy Spirit’s flow circulates in the church depends on whether or not there is the presence of the “altar” in the church. Does one see the cross or not?
In terms of experience, the initial step to the experience of the altar is through consecration. For this reason, all the saints need to consecrate themselves to the Lord, for consecration refers to the altar. Do we want to see the flow of the Holy Spirit in the church we minister? The key lies in how many of the saints have consecrated themselves. If the number of people who consecrate themselves keeps increasing, then the flow of the Holy Spirit becomes more powerful while its scope broadens. When the flow of the Holy Spirit goes unimpeded, the presence of the Lord abounds; the co-working of the Lord becomes evident; the blessings of the Lord arrive; and the love of the Lord overflows. Hallelujah!
A step deeper into the experience of the “altar” is what is known as death on the cross. Therefore whether or not the Holy Spirit can flow unimpeded in the church depends on whether or not brothers and sisters in the church accept the cross and experience death on the cross.
It is true that, today, there are a lot of charismatic movements that are involved with the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, yet after a fleeting moment of in-filling, all is gone. Year after year, there is no growth of life seen. This is due to the absence of the “altar.” What do you call a church with altar? It is when all the Christians accept the cross and are willing to put down their viewpoints and opinions. Like in my case, I am willing to put down my options and benefits; in his case, he is also willing to forsake his authority and glory. When everyone allows Christ to occupy the pre-eminent position, that place will be called a church with an altar. There the Holy Spirit will flow very naturally without impedance.
The Lamb in Revelation 22
In Revelation 22, when the origin of the flow of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, what we notice is not the throne of Christ but the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev.22:1) “Lamb” speaks of Christ Jesus who died on the cross, thus depicting one who had been slain, as well as one who had suffered and was sacrificed. Where there are sufferings and sacrifices, there is the cross. Where there is the cross, there is the flow of the Holy Spirit.
Acts Chapter 1 where 120 Laid Down Everything and Brought about the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
The disciples along with several women, 120 in all, went to the upper room in Jerusalem to pray, speaks of the experience of the cross. How they forsook everything and prayed persistently in one accord, shows that they had denied themselves, at the same time, had regarded the heart of Christ as their own. As a result, it ushered in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost.
Psalm 84:6 records, “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” Once again, this shows us that, when all the saints accept the cross and experience being pressed down, being crushed, enduring hardships, being stripped, and being brought to the place of death, then it implies that after passing through the Valley of Baca, that valley will turn into a place of springs. Even the autumn rains cover it with pools, signifying that the Holy Spirit flows freely and gushes out to overflow.
Because of the Lord’s mercy, for the past few years, our church in Manila had started learning the lessons of the cross. The first step is consecration. Second is the acceptance of the cross. Everyone learned to bow down before the Throne, lay down his own viewpoints, opinions, glory, and authority, while accepting the Lord’s governance and designation. In the early part of 1985, each one consecrated himself; they offered themselves up to live for the Lord; they accepted the laying of hands by the leaders. As a result, the flow of the Holy Spirit was ushered in, and in a year’s time, more than 300 were baptized.
In Ezekiel 47, it concretely mentions the condition of those places where the water of the Holy Spirit flows through. It records that “there will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows, everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear new fruits, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” This water started flowing out from Jerusalem since the day of Pentecost and immediately 3,000 were baptized.
Where large numbers of fish thrive, there will be fishermen. It can be said that fishermen are those who are called to serve the Lord full time. When the Holy Spirit works, the church will certainly produce servants of the Lord.
I deeply believe that the ministry training we are currently holding is in the flow of the Holy Spirit. After we go downhill and back to preaching the gospel, we will surely see fruitful results. The Bible mentions about the church at the time of Pentecost, how the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Because the flow of the Holy Spirit brings about large numbers of fish, it also causes sinners to repent, to believe, and be baptized. May we become even more humble and bow down before Him, so that through the cross we may put ourselves in the position of death and allow the Lord to take control of our entire being for the flow of the Holy Spirit not to be hampered…Amen.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Sustained through Prayer and Preaching of the Word
We will now go a step further and look into the way of ministry as pointed out by the Lord based on the Acts of the Apostles on how to maintain the flow of the Holy Spirit through prayer and preaching of the Word.
Joined Together Constantly in Prayer (Acts 1:14)
Acts 1 started off with the recording of 120 people who were joined together constantly in prayer in the upper room in Jerusalem. We have touched slightly on this experience in the ministries of our church. Aside from the prayer meetings held in the different localities on Tuesday nights, there are also small group prayer meetings, co-workers’ prayer meetings, prayer meetings of responsible brothers, sisters’ small group prayer meetings, etc., the purpose of which is, that the Holy Spirit may flow continuously.
Teaching, Fellowshipping, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer (Acts 2:42)
When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, the church was formally founded. On that day, 3,000 were saved. Now, how did the 3,000 newly baptized believers receive help to be able to enter into the flow of the Holy Spirit? The Bible says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Naturally the 3,000 newly baptized believers were also brought into the flow of the Holy Spirit. Thereupon, the apostles preached the Word for them to follow, and led them to prayer as well. This is because the flow of the Holy Spirit must be maintained through prayer and preaching of the Word. The more prayer and preaching of the Word, the more outlets of the Holy Spirit there will be. There must be collaboration of prayer with the preaching of the Word. In other words, prayer and preaching of the Word are the driving forces required to sustain the flow of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer, Filling of the Holy Spirit, and Preaching of God’s Word (Acts 4:31)
Having been freed from persecution, they returned and prayed together in one accord in the homes of brothers and sisters. After they had prayed, the whole place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s word. Here, it mentions again that the disciples did not give up praying and preaching the Word.
Prayer and Preaching of the Word (Acts 6:4)
The apostles and the church valued the importance of prayer and preaching of the Word. When Satan knew about this, he devised a scheme to destroy the flow of the Holy Spirit by making them preoccupied all day with the distribution of food, thereby neglecting prayer and preaching of the Word. However, just at the right time, the apostles became aware of the schemes of Satan, they told the disciples, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables.” Therefore they chose seven deacons to be in charge of the food. The apostles then devoted themselves to prayer and preaching of the Word. Henceforth, the Holy Spirit was able to continue flowing.
Therefore, we must give much attention to prayer as well as to the preaching of the Word. Every Christian ought to preach the Word. In our Bible study on Thursday nights, every believer can actually share what they receive from God’s Word; this is called preaching the Word. Every Friday, the sisters eagerly join in the fellowshipping; that too is preaching the Word. In the Saturday night Youth Fellowship, young people share what they have learned from reading the Bible; again, this is preaching the Word. Apart from these, we also have Sunday message meetings, home fellowships, and the sharing of the Word; all these are called preaching of the Word. This kind of close collaboration between prayer and preaching of the Word will indeed sustain the flow of the Holy Spirit and allow it to flow even more freely.
While Peter Prayed, the Holy Spirit Sent Him to the House of Cornelius to Preach the Word (Acts 10:9)
It is recorded in Acts 10 that about noon, Peter went up on the roof to pray, and he saw a vision. The Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men are looking for you, get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them (to the house of Cornelius).” Peter obeyed the Holy Spirit. The next day he rose and went with them to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius. Cornelius was expecting them, and he had called together his relatives and close friends.
Peter, thus, began speaking and preaching the Word to them. While he was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. O! Through Peter’s prayer and preaching, the Holy Spirit’s flow had been poured out even on the Gentiles in Caesarea – to the house of Cornelius.
The Church Prayed and God’s Word Increased and Spread (Acts 12:5, 24)
Acts 12 records that, after James was put to death and Peter was kept in prison, the entire church prayed earnestly for Peter. The Holy Spirit worked, causing King Herod who had earlier murdered James, to be eaten up by worms. As a result, God’s Word increased day by day and spread widely. Due to the collaboration of prayer and preaching, the flow of the Holy Spirit continued to gain forward momentum.
After Fasting and Praying, Barnabas and Paul were Sent by the Holy Spirit to Preach the Word (Acts 13:1-5)
The flow of the Holy Spirit had a new advancement. Chapter 13 records that in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers who fasted and prayed. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them for.” Thus, Barnabas and Saul were sent out to serve the Lord in the flow of the Holy Spirit. It was here in these different parts of Asia that many churches were founded. From Jerusalem the Holy Spirit flowed out through all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. To this day it is still flowing in our midst. Suppose there was no one who would want to pray and preach the Word, how can the Holy Spirit persist in its flow? How can we be saved today?
From this reality, we are able to see that the flow of the Holy Spirit is being sustained through prayer and preaching of the Word.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Reinforced by Fellowship and Love for One Another
This flow of the Holy Spirit not only needs to be maintained, it also needs to be reinforced and spread out. How, then, is the flow of the Holy Spirit being reinforced? It is when all the saints in the church fellowship and love one another. This will, therefore, allow the flow of the Holy Spirit to be like living water that rushes forward and spreads all over the world.
How come the flow of the Holy Spirit is being reinforced through the saints’ fellowship and their love for one another? It is because mutual fellowship is a law that strengthens the body of Christ. Also, by loving one another, this flow of the Holy Spirit is being reinforced. We also see how the flow of the Holy Spirit had been reinforced through the fellowship of the saints and their love for one another at Pentecost. This is also the reason why we have to divide the young people in church into many groups, so that visitation may be more convenient and fellowship may be widespread; moreover they may be able to love one another more. This way, the Holy Spirit may flow even more widely and extensively.
The 3,000 who were Baptized Had Fellowship with One Another (Acts 2:42)
Is this not so? The 3,000 who were baptized on the day of Pentecost had fellowship with one another. Due to the large number of people present, they divided themselves into groups and met together in their homes so as to enable all the saints to have fellowship and to love one another; thus the flow of the Holy Spirit grew stronger.
Today, we also follow this Biblical principle that as soon as a person gets saved and is baptized, we assign them in small groups, the purpose of which is to promote fellowship in love. This way the flow of the Holy Spirit may not be diminished or broken off, but rather, be sustained and increased in strength.
They Broke Bread and Ate Together with Gladness in the Temple Courts and in their Homes (Acts 2:46)
The 3,000 who were baptized broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. They had everything in common, which shows that they truly loved one another. This is the church in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. Where there is true fellowship and love for one another, there the intensified flow of the Holy Spirit will be.
Peter and John Went to Samaria to Visit and Have Fellowship (Acts 8:14-17)
This flow of the Holy Spirit reached Samaria too. It was Philip who first went to Samaria to preach the gospel. Many believed in the Lord and were baptized, and there was great joy in the city. Peter and John later followed and went to Samaria too. They reinforced the fellowship there and laid hands on those who were baptized. Then the Holy Spirit descended on them. Thus, the Holy Spirit flowed from Jerusalem, and has now reached Samaria. Since then, the City of Samaria had its own large church.
Barnabas Went to Antioch for Fellowship (Acts 11:21-26)
As we come to chapter 11, we see that the disciples had been scattered by the persecution to different places. The Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas went to look for Saul (who was later named Paul), and together they met with the church in Antioch. Through fellowship and love, the flow of the Holy Spirit had also reached Antioch.
Paul and the Co-workers Visited Different Places and Had Fellowship (Acts 15:36)
Later, Paul and the co-workers made Antioch their center for ministry. The Holy Spirit not only flowed through Antioch, where they continued to have fellowship and love one another, the Holy Spirit also sent Paul and the co-workers to all the towns where they had preached the gospel in order to visit them, to have fellowship, and to love one another, so that the flow of the Holy Spirit may grow in strength.
After we go downhill and back to our church, we have to put each of these steps into practice. We must give impetus to visitation work, in order to bring backslidden brothers and sisters back to church fellowship and love for one another. If the entire church meets together and loves one another, the flow of the Holy Spirit will be reinforced, and will eventually become a mighty torrent.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Spread Out Through Our Obedience to His Forward Movement
The last point serves as our central message, which is, the flow of the Holy Spirit being spread out through our obedience to His forward movement.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit Continually Moves Forward
The river being mentioned in Ezekiel 47 was only ankle-deep when first measured, which means the water was not that deep yet. After measuring off a thousand cubits, it was knee-deep. After measuring off another thousand cubits, the water came up to the waist. Then again, after another thousand cubits, because the water had risen, and it became a river that no one could cross. This refers to the work of the Holy Spirit as one that continually moves forward without stopping. Anyone who does not follow closely will be weeded out. For instance, if there is anyone who does not attend the ministry training now, do not regard this as something unimportant. Our only fear is that you might not be able to keep up with the Lord’s leading to move forward. We need to understand that the flow of the Holy Spirit is continually advancing.
Now, we will concretely state how the flow of the Holy Spirit is spread by way of man’s obedience. The more we obey the forward flow, the more widely it will spread.
We Must Be Channels of the Holy Spirit for the Flow of the Holy Spirit to Have a Way Out
For the past 2,000 years, this flow of the Holy Spirit has been constantly moving forward. Hence, our spiritual condition cannot but move forward as well. The instant we do not move forward, you and I will be displaced from the flow. How, then, can we let the flow of the Holy Spirit remain among the saints? The key lies in whether or not we (the church) act as channels of the Holy Spirit. If, and when, the flow of the Holy Spirit is in our church in Manila, the Holy Spirit will search for channels. This group meeting here acts as a mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit in sharing the Word; that group there also acts as a mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit. In large meetings, the Holy Spirit also finds oral channels to speak out. As long as the Holy Spirit keeps finding channels, this flow will continue. One by one, sinners get saved. One by one, the Christians are revived. If everyone becomes a channel of the Holy Spirit, as in mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in prayer, mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in visitation, or mouthpieces of the Holy Spirit in preaching the gospel, eventually the flow of the Holy Spirit will always find a way out.
The Flow of the Holy Spirit is Spread by Way of Man’s Obedience
In short, the flow of the Holy Spirit is spread by way of man’s obedience. We shall take a look at the Acts of the Apostles to see how the flow of the Holy Spirit was spread through man’s obedience.
The Holy Spirit Descended at Pentecost and They Spoke in Other Tongues as the Spirit Enabled Them (Acts 2:1-4)
Acts 2 records that the 120 people who prayed in the upper room in Jerusalem ushered in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They, then, began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This was the first time the church appeared, and she became the channel of the Holy Spirit. This may not necessarily mean that everyone has to speak in tongues, nevertheless we must learn to obey the Holy Spirit and become His channels.
Peter was a Channel of the Holy Spirit and 3,000 were Baptized (Acts 2:14,41)
During that time, 120 people were all filled by the Holy Spirit. Then Peter, who obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit, stood up and quoted from the book of Joel chapter 2 and Psalm 16 to explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to preach the resurrected Christ. Because he acted as a channel of the Holy Spirit, immediately 3,000 repented and were baptized. After Peter had finished preaching, the rest of the apostles also stood up and acted as channels of the Holy Spirit. No wonder the flow of the Holy Spirit kept advancing.
Peter Was a Channel of the Holy Spirit, while Ananias and Sapphira Died because They Lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10)
Chapter 5 records the judgment by the Holy Spirit. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, kept back for themselves a part of the money they got from the property they sold, and pretended they had offered up all. Peter said to him, “Ananias, why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?” Immediately, he died on the spot. His wife, Sapphira, who was with him in tempting the Lord, also stopped breathing and died. This speaks of the authority of the Holy Spirit which, when exercised in the church, can put to judgment all sins in order for the church to maintain its holiness, enabling God’s glory to fill the church. This is another condition of the church when it follows the forward flow of the Holy Spirit.
Philip Obeyed the Voice of the Holy Spirit, Preached the Word to the Eunuch, and the Gospel Spread to Africa (Acts 8:29)
The next recording was that of Philip, who ministered in the flow of the Holy Spirit. Philip was enjoying God’s blessings in Samaria when, one day, the angel of the Lord told him to go south to the road – the desert road. He obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and started out. Unknowingly, he met an Ethiopian eunuch. The Spirit spoke to Philip again to go to that chariot and stay near it. Again, Philip obeyed and went. He was invited to go up the chariot so that he may preach Jesus to the eunuch. Later, he even led the eunuch to be baptized. After this, the eunuch went home and took Jesus to Africa. The flow of the Holy Spirit had eventually reached Africa.
Peter Obeyed the Voice of the Holy Spirit to Preach the Word to Cornelius’ House and the Holy Spirit Descended (Acts 10:19)
The flow of the Holy Spirit is spread through man’s obedience. Acts 10 records that Peter obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and went to the house of Cornelius to preach about Jesus. As a result, the Holy Spirit descended upon all those who listened. Hence, the flow of the Holy Spirit, because of Peter’s obedience, was spread to Caesarea.
Paul and Barnabas were Sent Out by the Holy Spirit to Preach to the Gentiles and Establish Churches (Acts 13:1-4)
In chapter 13, we read that in the Church at Antioch, there were some prophets and teachers who fasted and prayed. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Barnabas and Paul obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit, and were sent out by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the flow of the Holy Spirit reached the different parts of Europe and the ends of the earth.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Acts of the Apostles records the flow of the Holy Spirit beginning from chapter 1 with the ascension of Christ as origin; then in chapter 2, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Thus, the flow of the Holy Spirit started out from Jerusalem, passed through all Judea then to Samaria, and continued to rush forward and spread out. When we come to the end of chapter 28, we could not find any concluding words; this means that all the future churches come under Acts 29 for the continuation of the Holy Spirit’s flow.
We hope that our eyes may be opened to see the way of ministry, so that in the days to come, we may all minister (1) in the Lord’s presence, (2) with the Lord’s co-working, (3) in the Lord’s blessings, (4) in the great love of the Lord, (5) in the flow of the Holy Spirit, so that the Lord may have His way without any obstructions! Amen.
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