How life-changing it would have been to be present when Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the multitudes with a lunch box borrowed from a school boy.

Think about how your personal faith would have been bolstered if your physical eyes had seen the wind and the waves cease at His command! Or if you had been the one to discover the gold coin Jesus provided in the mouth of the fish as tax day was fast approaching!These are just a few of the miracles that the disciples witnessed Jesus accomplish. There are many more we have never heard or read about! The bible itself tells us so:

Check out the definition of advantage: “A condition or circumstance that puts someone in a more favorable or superior position”

Most Christians embrace the wonder of the Trinity - that God is three in one: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. But for different reasons, many believers operate in differing levels of fear, confusion, uncertainty, or hesitancy about the Holy Spirit.

Anywhere in your life of faith where there is power, potential, or promise you can expect opposition.

Remember, Jesus said that a relationship with the Holy Spirit would be more advantageous for us than walking with Him in the flesh.

To keep people from experiencing and enjoying this clear and powerful promise, the enemy has stirred up controversies, false teachings, and errant applications to cause people to shrink back from pursuing, embracing, and enjoying the Holy Spirit.

We must value what the Word of God has to say above our perspectives, opinions, and previous experiences.

He is a Person
Why is that so important? Because the heart of God for each of us is to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. If we see Him as an “it” we will never develop the intimate friendship God desires for us to have with the Father, the Son, AND the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul’s fervent desire for the believers at Corinth was for them to know and experience each person of the Trinity.

The Greek word used here for fellowship is the word, “koinonia.” (COIN - UH - NEE - UH)

In a world with all different levels of relationship and friendship, “Koinonia” implies ongoing, relational closeness - “intimacy.”

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as your “Helper.” The Greek word here is “parakletos” and it is a powerful word.

So powerful in fact that bible translators struggle with finding one English word to use in its place. Depending on the translation you are reading, you’ll find one of the following words:

Helper. Comforter. Advocate. Counselor.

In addition to desiring to be your intimate friend, He is ALL these things.

God’s plan is for us to do life, marriage, family, relationships, work, ministry with access to the power of God, made available to us through our advantage, our Comforter, our Helper, Advocate, Counselor and Friend - the Holy Spirit.

GOD’S PLAN FOR EVERY BELIEVER. GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU!

FActs:

Repent of your sins. Be water baptized in the name of Jesus. Receive the Holy Spirit.

Moses was a type of Christ – the foreshadowing of a deliverer. Through the sea is a prophetic picture of water baptism. All the things chasing you from your past washed away. In the cloud represents the Holy Spirit.

To protect and provide for his people, after they had been delivered, and were on the journey to the promised land, God provided a cloud by day and fire by night.

When the heat is on in life, the Holy Spirit is your protection. When you can’t find your way, the Holy Spirit is your direction.

The Holy Spirit is a gift, and is a gift that God loves to give. A gift isn’t earned or deserved. It is received gladly and joyfully.

The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.

The book of Acts shows us that instruction about the Holy Spirit, such as we are doing in this chapter, can bring faith to receive:

Be encouraged by what we have gleaned from the Word of God about the Holy Spirit:

He is a Person. He is your Helper, Advocate, Comforter, Counselor and Friend. He is a Gift, and God loves to freely give Him.

We receive Him by faith, regardless of whether we receive Him in personal times of worship, corporate gatherings, through instruction or the laying on of hands by other believers.

When we receive Him, we discover power from God to live out our faith. We pray that today you would receive a new, fresh or deeper baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We pray that today, you would walk more closely aware of and relating to the Holy Spirit - Your “Advantage.”