Satan fights against the teachings about the Holy Spirit in the earth today. I’ll tell you why. Because the Holy Spirit is the part of the Godhead that is here today ministering to the saints. When Jesus went to be with the Father, He told His disciples, “When I go to be with the Father, He will send His Spirit in My Name to be here on the earth.”
You can read in John 14 where Jesus said He was coming back again. We know that the return of Jesus is imminent. But the reality of the situation is this. He has gone to be with the Father, but He has not come back yet. He has not appeared in the clouds as it says in 1 Thessalonians. That hasn’t happened yet.
According to the Word of God, we know that between the time He left and the time He comes back, He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, according to the Word of God. Remember when Stephen was stoned how he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.
Someone may say, “I thought God was here on the earth. I thought God was everywhere. I thought God was omnipresent.” Well, He is in the form of His Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive Christ’s anointing within us by way of the Holy Spirit.
We know that the devil attacks the Holy Spirit every chance he gets because the Holy Spirit is the part of the Godhead that is here today ministering to the saints. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. He is our Counselor. He is our Helper. He is the One who helps us. We pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus, but it is the Holy Spirit Who is here on the earth doing the work and commanding the things of God and it is the Holy Spirit Who resides within you. He is the One who lives within us.
If the Holy Spirit does live within us as Christians, and He does, then what kind of temple do we keep for Him? God wants us to be holy before Him. The temple should be holy.
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
There is a little nugget that is stuck in that verse that is so often overlooked. We are to pursue peace. Will you be at peace with all people all of the time? Maybe you will be and you should be, but there will be people who will not be at peace with you. Nevertheless, you are to pursue peace with all people. You are to also pursue holiness.
The interesting thing about holiness is you can attain it, because you are the one who is in control of your body. You may not think you are. You may think you are out of control, but the reality is you are in control of you. God has given you authority over yourself.
When we talk about the fruit of the Spirit in the Word of God, it says love, joy, peace, gentleness…these are the things that are a byproduct of being a Christian. This is the seed that is placed within you when you become a Christian. The result of having the Spirit of God living in you is love, joy, peace, gentleness…but at the end of that list is self-control. What does that mean? That means you have been given the ability to control yourself.
For years ministers have been preaching about how Jesus would be coming back for a church that would be spotless and without blemish. It’s pretty easy when you’re talking about someday the church is going to be spotless and without blemish.
Let me tell you something, Church. We are that church. The responsibility is on our shoulders. The time is here. We are to be that holy church, without spot, without blemish. We are to be ready for the coming of the Lord.
We are made righteous when we accept Jesus. We become holy as we walk in willing obedience to His Word. “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
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Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.