RUACH HAKODESH --- PART 3

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 is YHVH at Work in Believers:
[The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of YHVH without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but Ruach HaKodesh gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.] -- John 3:5-7. Who is Ruach HaKodesh? YHVH is three persons in one; YHVH our Father, Yeshua our Adonai and Saviour the Son and Ruach HaKodesh. YHVH became a man in Yeshua so that Yeshua could die for our sins. Yeshua rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Yeshua ascended into heaven, His Physical Presence left the earth, but He promised to send Ruach HaKodesh so that His Spiritual Presence would still be among humankind -- see Luke 24:49. Ruach HaKodesh first became available to all believers at Pentecost -- Acts 2. Whereas in Old Testament days Ruach HaKodesh empowered specific individuals for specific purposes, now all believers have the power of Ruach HaKodesh available to them. [For more on Ruach HaKodesh, read -- John 14:16-28; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; and 2 Corinthians 1:22.]

What Does Ruach HaKodesh do?

Ruach HaKodesh Empowers Believers:
[The Spirit of the ADONAI came upon him and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram and the ADONAI gave Othniel victory over him]. -- Judges 3:10. This phrase, [The Spirit of the Adonai came upon him,] was also spoken of the judges Gideon, Jephthah and Samson, among others. It expresses a temporary and spontaneous increase of physical, spiritual or mental strength. This was an extraordinary and supernatural occurrence to prepare a person for a special task. Ruach HaKodesh is available to all believers today, but He will come upon believers in an extraordinary way for special tasks. We should ask Ruach HaKodesh’s help as we face our daily problems as well as life’s major challenges.

Ruach HaKodesh is Present in Times of Hardship:
[When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won’t be you doing the talking; it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you]. -- Matthew 10:19-20. Yeshua told the disciples that when arrested for preaching the gospel, they should not worry about what to say in their defence; YHVH’s Spirit would speak through them. This promise was fulfilled in -- Acts 4:8-14 and elsewhere. Some mistakenly think this means we don’t have to prepare to present the gospel because YHVH will take care of everything. Scripture teaches however, that we are to make carefully prepared, thoughtful statements -- Colossians 4:6. Yeshua is not telling us to stop preparing, but to stop worrying.

Ruach HaKodesh Helps us Worship YHVH:
[The time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship Him that way. For YHVH is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth]. -- John 4:23-24. [YHVH is Spirit] means He is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere and He can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have Ruach HaKodesh’s help? How does Ruach HaKodesh help us worship? Ruach HaKodesh prays for us -- Romans 8:26, teaches us the Words of Moshiach -- 14:26 and tells us we are loved -- Romans 5:5.

Ruach HaKodesh Transforms us From Within:
[If you love Me, obey My Commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counsellor, who will never leave you. He is Ruach HaKodesh, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you do, because He lives with you now and later will be in you]. -- John 14:15-17. Yeshua was soon going to leave the disciples, but He would remain with them. How could this be? The Counsellor; the Spirit of YHVH Himself; would come after Yeshua was gone to care for and guide the disciples. The regenerating power of the Spirit came on the disciples just before His ascension -- 20:22 and the Spirit was poured out on all the believers at Pentecost -- Acts 2, shortly after Yeshua ascended to heaven. Ruach HaKodesh is the very presence of YHVH within us and all believers, helping us live as YHVH wants and building Moshiach’s Church on earth. By faith we can appropriate the Spirit’s power each day.

Ruach HaKodesh Works in Every Part of Our Lives:
The following chapters teach these truths about Ruach HaKodesh: He will be with us forever -- 14:16; the world at large cannot accept Him -- 14:17; He lives with us and in us -- 14:17; He teaches us -- 14:26; He reminds us of Yeshua’s Words -- 14:26; 15:26; He convicts us of sin, shows us YHVH’s righteousness and announces YHVH’s judgment on evil -- 16:8; He guides into truth and gives insight into future events -- 16:13; He brings glory to Moshiach -- 16:14. Ruach HaKodesh has been active among people from the beginning of time, but after Pentecost -- Acts 2. He came to live in all believers. Many people are unaware of Ruach HaKodesh’s activities, but to those who hear Moshiach’s Words and understand the Spirit’s power, the Spirit gives a whole new way to look at life.

Ruach HaKodesh Helps us Understand and Remember the Scriptures:
Yeshua promised the disciples that Ruach HaKodesh would help them remember what he had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Yeshua’s life and teachings and Ruach HaKodesh helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Yeshua taught and did -- see 1 Corinthians 2:10-14. Ruach HaKodesh can help us in the same way. As we study the Bible, we can trust Him to plant truth in our mind, convince us of YHVH’s will and remind us when we stray from it.

Ruach HaKodesh Gives us Peace:
The end result of Ruach HaKodesh’s work in our life is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Moshiach’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. If your life is full of stress, allow Ruach HaKodesh to fill you with Moshiach’s peace -- see Philippians 4:6-7 for more on experiencing YHVH’s peace.