RUACH HAKODESH – PART 2

The Spirit at Work Among the First Believers:

The Believer church began with Yeshua’s resurrection. Believers believe that Yeshua died to save them from their sin and that He rose again from the dead. Following the Resurrection, Yeshua appeared to His disciples and breathed Ruach HaKodesh on them -- John 20:22. After Yeshua was taken back up into heaven, the Spirit was given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. At Pentecost, the believers were overwhelmed with visions, and they spoke in tongues when the Spirit entered them -- Acts 2:2-5, 17-18. They believed that they were entering into the [new age] that was prophesied by Joel. This new age was one in which the Spirit was present on earth, living and working in the lives of Believers. The Gift of the Spirit was seen as the Power of this new age -- Hebrews 6:4-5. The apostle Paul understood the presence of the Spirit in the believer’s life to be a certain sign that that person had been saved from his sins. The believer could be assured that YHVH had granted him eternal life in heaven -- 2 Corinthians 1:22. Paul taught that it was necessary for a believer to have the Spirit in order to enter YHVH’s Kingdom -- Romans 8:15-17. The Spirit changes their believers’ lives to become more like Yeshua. Becoming more like Yeshua is a lifelong process, because every believer is caught in the daily conflict between living in the Spirit or according to sinful desires. The process does not end until the person is brought completely under the Spirit’s power -- Romans 8:11, 23.

The Spirit Gives Salvation and Life:

John the Baptist had spoken of Yeshua as one who would come and baptize with Ruach HaKodesh and with fire -- Matthew 3:11. Yeshua referred to this in -- Acts 1:5 and -- 11:16 and it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost -- 2:17, 33. When the Spirit was poured out on the disciples at Pentecost, they were given salvation from YHVH because they believed in Yeshua. One of Luke’s most important messages in the book of Acts is that a person must have the Spirit in order to be a believer -- Acts 2:38-39. Even though Yeshua had followers while He was on earth, they were not saved until they received the Spirit. Peter recognized that when the Spirit entered the person’s life, YHVH had accepted that person. An example of this is Apollos. He did not know all about who Yeshua was, but because he was filled with the Spirit -- 18:24-26, he was effective in spreading the Gospel. Paul emphasizes in his letter that believing in Yeshua and receiving the Spirit go hand in hand. When a person receives the Spirit, he or she begins the Believer life -- Galatians 3:2-3. When one is baptized in the Spirit, that person becomes a member of the Body of Moshiach -- 1 Corinthians 12:13. A person belongs to Moshiach and is a child of YHVH upon receiving the Spirit -- Romans 8:9-11, 14-17. The Spirit is the Life-Giver. When a person believes in Moshiach, he or she becomes a new creation -- John 20:22. The Spirit is the Power of YHVH that brings about this new birth in believers. Believers experience new life because of the Spirit living in them.

Experiencing the Spirit:

There are many ways that the Spirit works among His people. When the first Believers referred to the Spirit, they were thinking of experiences of divine power. They used the word [Spirit] to explain the experiences of new life, freedom from the law and spiritual renewal. They wrote of experiences of extreme joy and moral transformation brought about by the work of the Spirit. Paul wrote about spiritual gifts such as inspired speech -- 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, miracles and healings -- Galatians 3:5, acts of service, counselling, administrating, helping others and showing mercy -- Romans 12:7-8. These are all gifts from the Spirit. While there are many experiences and gifts of the Spirit, individual believers cannot expect to encounter every one of them in their own lives. The Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to different people. Yet all believers receive gifts of the Spirit. It is important for individual believers to recognize the gifts and experiences of the Spirit in their own lives. These gifts and experiences serve as a sign of a believer’s salvation and new life.

Growing in the Spirit:

Believers shared their experiences of the Spirit and through this the early church began to grow. The Spirit brought people into the Body of Moshiach through the ministry of Paul and the other apostles. Paul travelled to many different places such as Samaria and Caesarea and it was the Spirit that enabled him to preach the truth about salvation and bring people to belief in Yeshua. The apostles were given many gifts of the Spirit, including healing and miracles, in order to better proclaim the message of salvation. Because of these gifts of the Spirit, the early church grew and unified. Even today we can see how the members of the Body of Moshiach are unified through the different gifts of the Spirit. A person who preaches is just as important as the person who helps an elderly person do his laundry. Preaching and helping others are both very important gifts from the Spirit and work together to help build the Church.

Who is Ruach HaKodesh?

Ruach HaKodesh is a Member of the Trinity:

[And when Yeshua came up out of the water, He saw the heavens split open and Ruach HaKodesh descending like a dove on Him. And a voice came from heaven saying: You are My beloved Son and I am fully pleased with you.] -- Mark 1:10-11. As Yeshua was baptized, a revelation of YHVH was given. The Spirit descended like a dove on Yeshua and the voice from heaven proclaimed the Father’s approval of Yeshua as His Divine Son. That Yeshua is YHVH’s Divine Son is the foundation for all we read about Yeshua in the Gospels. Here we see all three members of the Trinity together: Our YHVH the Father, YHVH the Son and YHVH Ruach HaKodesh.

Ruach HaKodesh is Living in and Among Those Who Believe:

[I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are Mine, I am there among them]. -- Matthew 18:19-20. Yeshua looked ahead to a new day when He would be present with His followers not in body, but through His Holy Spirit. In the Body of Believers [the Church], the sincere agreement of two people is more powerful than the superficial agreement of thousands, because Moshiach’s Ruach HaKodesh is with them. Two or more believers, filled with Ruach HaKodesh, will pray according to YHVH’s will, not their own; thus, their requests will be granted.

RUACH HAKODESH – PART 1

The disciples didn’t have to wait long for Yeshua’s promise to come true. About a week and a half after Yeshua went up into heaven, Ruach HaKodesh came down at a gathering of believers with a sound [like the roaring of a mighty windstorm] and in the form of [what looked like flames or tongues of fire] -- Acts 2:1-4. As a result, the believers found themselves speaking in other languages and were able to communicate the story of Yeshua to various travellers in Jerusalem in the other peoples’ native tongues. And from that point onward, Ruach HaKodesh is acknowledged as being instrumental in the growth and development of the Church. Ruach HaKodesh indwells each believer upon his or her confession of faith and belief in Yeshua -- Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 2:12. He [Ruach HaKodesh is described with the qualities of a person rather than merely those of a ghost or a force] assigns various gifts to believers that lend to the cohesion and effective operation of the church as the Body of Moshiach. The Fruit of the Spirit is developed as believers yield to the direction of Ruach HaKodesh and discover genuine [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control] -- Galatians 5:22-23. The primary role of Ruach HaKodesh is to point to the significance of Yeshua as Saviour and Adonai. Ruach HaKodesh draws non-believers to YHVH -- John 16:8-9, and accompanies each individual believer throughout a lifetime of learning and spiritual growth. He also acts as a kind of [Interpreter] to ensure that YHVH hears our pleas and prayers. But just because Ruach HaKodesh is so prevalent throughout the New Testament doesn’t mean He wasn’t also around in the Old Testament as well. The [Spirit of YHVH] is mentioned in regard to Creation -- Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 40:12-13, and is said to have equipped certain individuals for specific tasks [such as Daniel] -- Daniel 5:11-12, [Joshua] -- Numbers 27:18, [Samson] -- Judges 15:14], and others. But in spite of numerous Old Testament references, the activity of Ruach HaKodesh among YHVH’s people was somewhat restricted until after the ministry and sacrifice of Yeshua. The Spirit of YHVH is our YHVH in action within us, upon us or around us. YHVH’s Spirit is YHVH at work, making things happen in the world. We cannot see the Spirit, but we can see the results of His Power. The Spirit of YHVH was present when the world was created. YHVH sent His Spirit to do powerful things among His people, Israel. Later, YHVH sent His Spirit when Yeshua lived on earth and the Spirit has been present with believers ever since.

The Spirit in the Old Testament:

There are three different ways in which the Word [Spirit] is used in the Bible. It is a wind from YHVH, the breath of life and a Spirit that fills a person with strong emotion or power.

Descriptions:

In the book of Genesis, the wind from YHVH was what caused the waters of the Flood to stop rising -- Genesis 8:1. This same wind from YHVH blew locusts all over Egypt -- Exodus 10:13 and sent quail for the Israelites to eat -- Exodus 14:21. YHVH blew wind from His nostrils to part the waters of the Red Sea so that the Yisraelites could walk across on dry land. In -- Genesis 2:7, we read that YHVH created man by breathing His Spirit into him. Human beings only have life because of the Breath of Life or the Spirit, that is within them. YHVH, through His Spirit, is the Source of all Life, whether animal or human. In the Old Testament the Spirit of YHVH would sometimes fill people, causing them to say or do things that they normally could not do, in order to fulfil YHVH’s purposes. People who were filled with the Spirit were given a great responsibility to fulfil because of the Spirit that was within them. Leaders were recognized by the Spirit within them. In -- Judges Chapter 3, YHVH’s Spirit filled a man named Othniel. He became a judge and was able to win a war and keep the peace in Israel for forty years. YHVH’s Spirit also filled other judges such as Gideon and Jephthah. Because of the Spirit of YHVH, they were able to conquer their enemies. Sometimes, as in the case of Saul, YHVH would send an evil spirit to fill someone in order to carry out His plans -- see 1 Samuel 16:14-16; Judges 9:23; 1 Kings 22:19-23.

The Spirit at Work Among the Prophets:

The prophets in the Old Testament had the job of giving messages from the Spirit of YHVH to the people. It was important for the people to know the difference between a false prophet and a true prophet of YHVH. The term [Ruach HaKodesh] is used in the Psalms and in Isaiah to set apart the Spirit of YHVH from any other spirit, whether human or from YHVH -- Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10-11. A false prophet would not have Ruach HaKodesh. A prophet that had a message from Ruach HaKodesh would have the character of a person who was obedient to YHVH. The people could recognize a false prophet by evaluating the prophet’s character as well as the message he was delivering. The prophets wrote about the Spirit in two significant ways. The Spirit inspired prophecy and it would be known again in the age to come, when Yeshua would be on earth. The later prophets, such as Ezekiel, Haggai and Zechariah, claimed that the Spirit was the inspirer of prophecy. This means that the Spirit gave them the words that they proclaimed and wrote down. The Spirit of YHVH was responsible for everything that the writers of the Bible wrote down. The prophets also wrote that YHVH would show His power through the Spirit in the age to come. Isaiah prophesied that the Spirit would come again to anoint a man who would bring salvation to all people -- Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 61:1. He was talking about Yeshua Moshiach. The Moshiach was the King the Jews were waiting for. Through Yeshua, the Spirit would be given freely to all of Israel -- Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Zechariah 12:10, as part of a New Covenant between YHVH and man -- Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27. The Covenant was a promise from YHVH that He would send His Spirit to deliver His people. The Israelites had broken their Old Covenant with YHVH because they continued to disobey Him. Under the New Covenant, YHVH promised to forgive them. Between the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament, it was believed that the Spirit was no longer present in Israel. During that time the Spirit’s Voice was no longer heard through the voices of the prophets. But the Spirit was known again when our Moshiach, came to the earth.

The Spirit in the New Testament:

Connecting the Old and New Testament:

We cannot fully comprehend the New Testament’s teaching on the Spirit without reading and understanding the use of the Spirit in the Old Testament. John speaks of the Spirit as a [wind] -- John 3:8 and Paul writes of it as [breath] -- 2 Thessalonians 2:8. In -- Revelation 11:11, the Spirit is described as a [breath of life.] These same descriptions of the Spirit are found in the Old Testament. Also, the New Testament writers agreed with the prophets of the Old Testament in that the Spirit inspired Scripture -- see Mark 12:36; Acts 28:25; Hebrews 3:7; 2 Peter 1:21. The Spirit that the Old Testament writers looked forward to was realized in the New Testament. Just as Isaiah had prophesied, the Spirit came again during the time of Yeshua. This [new age] was one in which the Spirit was once again present on earth. Yeshua was the anointed or specially chosen one, who came to give Salvation. Yeshua came and gave His Spirit to those who believed in Him. This was the beginning of the faith.

The Spirit in Yeshua’s Ministry:

An important aspect of Yeshua’s Ministry [His work on earth] and the message of His followers was that the Spirit was already with them, that this [new age] was the present. No other Jews of that time, except for a group called the Essenes of Qumran, believed in the presence of the Spirit among them. The prophets and the rabbis of the New Testament were still looking to a future time when a Moshiach would come. They did not realize that Yeshua was the Moshiach. Even John the Baptist spoke of one who would come and of the Spirit’s work in the future -- Mark 1:8. For Yeshua and His followers, the Spirit-filled life was a reality. The first Believers believed they were living in the [last days] because the prophecies of the Spirit’s return had come true in their time. Yeshua knew that His teachings and healings were fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament -- Matthew 12:41-42; Matthew 13:16-17. He also knew He was the one that was specially chosen by the Spirit to bring salvation to mankind -- Matthew 5:3-6; Luke 4:17-19. Yeshua understood that the power to perform miracles came from YHVH. YHVH displayed His Power through Yeshua, just as He will in the end times -- Matthew 12:27-28; Mark 3:22-26. The Spirit of YHVH was with Yeshua as He lived among men. Because so many people were still looking to the coming of the Spirit in the [end times,] the writers of the Gospels [the first four books of the Bible] emphasized the role of the Spirit in the birth of Yeshua -- Matthew 1:18; John 3:34, in His baptism -- Mark 1:9-10 and in His Ministry -- Luke 4:1, 14; Luke 10:21. They wanted to show people that the Spirit was with them, that they were already living in the [end times] and that Yeshua’s life was proof of that.

#sukkot begins on the 15th day of Tishrei and lasts for seven days, but the next day--the eighth day--is also special. God commanded us to rejoice before him for the entire week (Oh, what a burden!), but to set apart the first and eighth days especially for rest and gathering together in his name. Like Passover and Shavuot/Pentecost, Sukkot is a feast of YHWH. It's not just a Jewish holiday and it has no expiration date. It is "a statute forever."
#leviticus 23

TONIGHT, at 8:30pm CDT (UTC-5), is the PREMIERE of our Special Sukkot Home Worship Video Resource on our YouTube channel! We want to fellowship with you so join the premiere early. See you soon!

Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you, when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
Deuteronomy 33:3-4

Much of the Church effectively accuses God of hating Israel by making them obey impossible rules. Moses said God gave the #torah to Israel because He loved them. He also said it wasn't too hard for them.

Chag Sukkot Sameach!
from Peace Forest Jerusalem

Chag Sukkot Sameach!
from Peace Forest Jerusalem

Chag Sukkot Sameach!
from Peace Forest Jerusalem

Lamentations 5;21, “Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old” Or more literally; Return us to you LORD (יהוה) so we may return, repair us to our former days. Jeremiah laments that the people have left the way of our Creator and desires for the people to be repaired so they can know what it was like when they were following the Creator’s instructions. But there is no going back, we can only learn from our mistakes, repent and move forward.