5 Functions of the Holy Spirit

 

H.G Bishop Moussa

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

ONE GOD AMEN

We were speaking about the ‘Bread of life’ as you know we started to speak about this issue. We have had two talks and today is the third.

First talk we talked about the Eucharist and we found that the Eucharist gave us a lot of gifts. If you remember we have four gifts and three responsibilities. To remind you we have four gifts from the Eucharist.

1. Abiding in Christ

2. Asking the intercessions of the Saints and attending with us

3. Having the membership in the body of Christ unifying ourselves with the believers around us in the church and everywhere.

4. Salvation as the priest is shouting in joy saying given for us for salvation and remission and eternal life of those who partake of Him.

These are the gifts concerning the responsibilities we said that we have:

1. Spiritual Strive - First, responsibility, Spiritual Strive – we need to have some sort of spiritual struggle with the devil with the world around us, different attractions with the flesh inside us we need to have some sort of spiritual strive in order to take the blessing of the Eucharist and to be utilizing the energy and the power given to us through the Holy Body and the Holy Blood of the Lord.

2. Service inside the church – Second, responsibility was the service inside the church. We said as long as you are a member in the body of Christ each member has a function and therefore we have to be members working, functioning, having jobs, having services inside the church. I asked you to read Romans twelve and to try to find out twelve services in this chapter. Romans 12 contain twelve services you can pick them by yourself when you go back home and read this chapter.

3. Witnessing – Third responsibility was witnessing outside the Church because the Lord said to us and the priest repeats this, “every time you eat this bread and drink……you shall proclaim my death confess my resurrection and remember me till I come” therefore I must proclaim the death of the Lord. Everybody notices a cross on my hand and a cross on my chest even if it’s tattooed like that. I can say to him what the cross and who is Jesus? And what’s the salvation done by him. Therefore it’s the outreach for the community; for the society and we said we don’t want you to be isolated from the society, NO we want you to be in touch with the society. Our job is to get the outsider to be a member here, to come inside 2). To get this one that became inside the Church to become stable in the Church and to grow. Number 3 if he is growing and is stable I can send him or her outside in order to get more and more people to be members in the body of the Lord.

This was the first talk briefly and the second was about the liturgy and how it was a journey giving us the story of salvation. And we divided the Liturgy into 7 segments.

We start by the incense that’s number 1 and then the psalms and then the offertory when we offer the lamb and then the readings we listen to many chapters in the Bible and then we start the story of salvation and then we ask the Lord amongst us many requests in the litanies and for the dead people the departed ones and then we go to the fraction and the distribution of the body of the Lord and then we leave the Church taking peace and taking the Lord Himself inside our hearts and go to the world outside we can recognize the difference and the gap between the heavens and the earth because the Church is the house of angels and since therefore when we come here having the Lord with us we are in the Heavens and even the word Heikal – sanctuary, Pi ervi in Coptic it means literally the place that was made as heavens (Pi ervi). Pi means “The”, er means “made” and Vi “the heavens” The place that was made in to the Heavens.

Now the third topic of today is about communion with God, you know it’s the Holy Communion, the Eucharist is called the Holy communion but actually the communion with God is the function of the Holy Spirit that why when we take the blessing the priest says “the love of God the Father the grace of His only begotten Son our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ and the Gift and the Fellowship or communion (it’s the same thing). It is the job; it’s the function of the Holy Spirit, to get in touch with us and to get us into communion with God, even to union with God because we have God inside us. This communion for sure is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. How does the Holy Spirit work in our hearts? The Holy Spirit has five important functions. I would be glad if you can remember these functions by heart as they are like a spiritual ladder or levels or stages. The first work of the Holy Spirit inside our hearts is ‘He blames’- he starts by blaming - why? Because of our sins. He blames us because of our sins – you may say it’s a difficult task – I don’t like it, No. you have to like it because if you are committing sins without blaming from your inside then you may live in sin for ever then your going to lose eternity and to lose salvation and to lose holiness. Blaming is a sign of friendship and of love. If I blame you of something wrong that you commit you must not hate me, you must love me saying you are honest. Some other people leave me sinking more and more in sin.

The first job of the Holy Spirit in our life is to blame us. Number two if He is blaming and He leaves me then it’s a catastrophe. I’m going to have a sense of guilt and that’s it. No number 2 is that He guides – after blaming me He guides me in the correct direction. You know that when you want to visit somebody you always phone them saying give me directions please. If you don’t give me directions I will get lost. Therefore this is the second function of the Holy Spirit - is guidance. HE BLAMES, HE GUIDES.

Number 3 He comforts, He is called the Paraclete which means the comforter He gives comfort.

So he blames me, guides me and then gives me comfort. Then He does not suffice with that. He gives me sanctification. He sanctifies me and there is much difference between just cleansing you even from the inside and sanctifying you to have the Holy Spirit filling you, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a positive thing; it’s the positive aspect of Christianity. Not only to cleanse us from sin but to have the Holy Sprit dwelling inside us, therefore He sanctifies me. And the last thing that is very important – He gives me fruits and gifts. He gives me Spiritual fruits and spiritual gifts for the service of the Church.

These are the five functions of the Holy Spirit in our life. If you can just repeat them I will be very thankful.

1. He blames

2. He guides

3. He comforts

4. He Sanctifies

5. He gives fruits and gifts

Few words concerning each of these.

(1) He Blames:

The Holy Spirit, it is written about Him that He blames us and He blames the world (in John 16:8) “And when He has come, He will convict (convict that’s blame convincing me that I’m wrong – convict) the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement.”

These are the three things the blames me concerning a) sin b) righteousness, c) judgement. The meaning He explains of sin is that because they do not believe in me. The Holy Spirit says to me why you are a sinner. I say I’m born by sin; sin is a fraction of myself. I remember one of the young people said to me this type of sin is a fraction of me – What can I do? No, the Holy Spirit says to you Yes – this was before Jesus. But after Jesus Christ, Jesus came to the world in order to save me. He blames me, Why didn’t you utilize the salvation of the Lord Jesus. So what about righteousness, of righteousness because I go to my Father and you will see me no more - thus he blames me concerning the righteousness of Jesus. Jesus is righteous. (so you say what’s that got to do with me).

You say He is righteous. I say to you NO! He blames you – Why are you not righteous like Jesus? You say I’m limited. (Yes I know – do you want limited righteousness).

Take from the unlimited righteousness of Jesus. His righteousness is not for him alone. He gives it to us. Why are you still unrighteous? Why are you still committing sins? Why didn’t you utilize the righteousness of Jesus? He was righteous and He committed no sin. He didn’t know sin. That is from the original, from the origin, from the very start.

The third thing is of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. He blames me that is when we all say to him it’s the devil. When we make a mistake we blame satan. It’s satan. Satan didn’t do anything, this man is kind!!! (Sayedna says this sarcastically)

We say to him welcome we say in Arabic “Arad wala Afrad”. He does an exhibition of his goods but does not impose himself upon you except if you say come therefore here it says to you satan is judged. It’s finished. The Lord said I saw satan dropping down from heavens. It’s finished. He said satan is coming; he has nothing in me – why do you give satan the opportunity? Despite the victory of the Lord upon him therefore my dear friends this is the first function of the Holy Spirit to blame me of sin.

Why are you committing Sin? Salvation is here. Of righteousness – why are you not righteous? The righteous infinitely, unlimitedly is here. Take from His righteousness, Jesus Christ. And number 3 He blames me of judgment, thus if I say satan tempt me. He will say to me you can defeat satan through the power of Christ. This is the first function –blaming.

The second function is guiding.

(2) He Guides Me:

We can get this from the same chapter verse 12. Let us see what is said here. John 16:12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come. He will guide you….’ He will guide you. If he suffices His blaming I will blame Him. I am personally like that – if He tells me I am bad; why are you doing that for? But the best thing after blaming me I tell Him what can I do? Maz-aa af-aha kay akhloos! How can I be saved! Like this man in the prison with St Paul – what can I do in order to be saved?? BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ you can be saved and your household.

The Holy Spirit gives me the second function thus the guidance. He guides me and you know that the Holy Spirit knows everything because He is God infinite and also after you know putting light on my life full of sins and exploring my inside. He turns this pot of light towards the Saviour Jesus Christ and gets me to know the Lord, knowing the Lord then I know the Saviour who can save me. This is the second function. He can guide you through the conscious. Actually the word ‘conscious’ ‘scious’ means science. It’s the word science-‘con-science’ it means that He gets you to know what’s wrong and what’s right through the conscious. He may guide through the spiritual father and Abouna can say to you this wrong please stop doing that. This is very dangerous. Balash (stop) balash (stop) smoking, balash (stop) drugs, balash (stop) alcohol, balash (stop) sexual immoralities. Very dangerous for you, please stop it. So therefore spiritual father can guide me; and also the teachings in the church. A type of channel for guidance. We are hearing a lot of advice through the Holy Spirit speaking in our fathers and brothers who are speaking to us. Spiritual teachings-they can guide me through the Gospel when I read the Gospel I’m going to know a lot about the way of salvation and how to be saved.

(3) He Comforts Me:

It says in the bible that is He is called the Paraclete and the word Paraclete means the comforter. He comforts me. The Lord said to us ask in order to have the fullness of joy. What do I ask for? I’ll ask for the Holy Sprit. When you read John 15, we can notice this verse ask for the Holy Spirit He will fill your heart with joy. One of His fruits is joy and joy is much more different than pleasure and happiness. So look the honestly I knew it from one you I don’t remember where probably back in the states. He was asking what’s the difference between pleasure, happiness and joy. I’m asking that is; so one person said to me pleasure is related to the senses, sensual either by eating or something sexual and so on it’s something related to the senses sensual; and it’s followed by sense of guilt – if this pleasure is in the wrong track. So what about happiness? It was very good of him, something that I didn’t know he said to me happiness is related to the happenings around me. Therefore this happiness is coming from where? The happenings around me! So if the happenings around me are good. I’ll be glad. If the happenings around me are sad, I’ll be sad. So where is the happiness coming from? It’s coming from the outside. So I asked him what about joy? He answered that is from the inside thus the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Lucky is the one who refuses the sinful pleasure and is not sufficed with the happiness coming from the outside events and happenings and has a lot of joy from his heart through the Holy Spirit dwelling inside him.

He sends condolences to everybody when this person is suffering any tribulations. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. So when I aa-zee (give my respect of one that has passed on) you ask where are you going? I respond I’m going to aa-zee would you for example say who is getting married? If this is the case I would of said I’m going to congratulate or sending my best wishes. You ask has your child passed V.C.E for example do I go and aa-zee that is send my condolences on the contrary this child has passed with good results and hence I’ll congratulate and send my best wishes. So in what situation I would need to send my condolences (aa-zee)? In a sad time that is departure of somebody and so on. Therefore the Holy Spirit has this function in our life to give us condolences and comfort, whenever things are negative and not pleasing us. This is the third function of the Holy Spirit.

H.G Bishop Moussa asks the youth to recite the three previous functions of the Holy Spirit and ask them to recall the fourth. They respond with SANCTIFICATION. H.G Bishop Moussa continues saying

(4) He Sanctifies Me:

I’m sure you remember the 36 crosses of the myron. Christianity is not a negative religion. What does it mean negative? It means cleanse you from sins. This is called negative. So what does this mean? Well this is good you would say. NO I respond to you by saying that Christianity is greater (agbar) than that. Christianity does not suffice with cleansing you from sins. Just to keep you empty. NO! Do you remember the man that had an evil spirit and when this evil spirit was dismissed? He roamed around and then the evil spirit was looking for a way to enter the mans body. He returned and saw the heart of this man empty, clean and ornamented. He did not enter, as the spirit said to himself if this man is waiting for me what is the purpose of me? So therefore he got another seven evil spirits worse than him and entered the man. Even though seven is a number of perfection, in this case it is perfection, completeness in sin or in evil. My dear friends Christianity does not suffice with cleansing us. Yay-zeen hayat tahar- raa (we would like a life of purity). Yay-zeen ma-na te-glash (we don’t want to make mistakes). Be neglat (we make mistakes, wrong doings) in sexual immoralities…..What do you want? I want you to be a holy sanctuary; this is the message of the Lord to us. I want you to be a Holy person. I want you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You ask how can this be.

We respond by telling you when you were young and we baptized you. Through baptism we cleanse you, regenerated you but with the myron we took the Holy Spirit in our hearts and we became sanctuaries for the Lord. That’s why we put the 36 crosses – do all of you remember or have you forgotten? Can someone tell me where the first cross goes? On the head to sanctify the thoughts. Second and third on the nostrils and then the fourth on the mouth. 5,6,7 and 8 – the senses. 9 and 10 –the heart. 11 and 12 symbol of the will because you stretch your back to do something. It’s the symbol of the will thus it’s as if I’m telling the Lord to sanctify my thoughts, my senses, my heart, my will. We also put two cross on each joint to sanctify my deeds, then my legs to sanctify my way. Try to imagine the person with me ………. We are all struggling we see having sanctified thoughts, senses, feelings, will, deeds and way. This would be…….?? Perhaps St Anthony. They would be a saint. This is the function of the Holy Spirit my dear friends. Therefore when you are struggling with Christ don’t suffice with the negative things. Cleanse me Lord, cleanse me Lord. It is easy for the Lord to wash you. But to ask Him fill me Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit and if you fill me with your Holy Spirit I’m going to be a sanctuary for you, all my being will be yours. Do you remember the hymn we used to sing when you were young?

“Jesus Christ our Lord Saviour of my soul, let my thoughts be your thoughts that is all in all” and we repeat it. Come on lets sing together.

Here it is a collection of twelve multiplied by three. Three symbolising the Holy Trinity. And the twelve? The disciples. Through the Holy Trinity I’m going to be one of the disciples with the Lord. How? When He sanctifies my thoughts, senses, heart, will, deeds and way.

(5) He Gives Me Fruits and Gifts:

Give me your concentration for 3-4 minutes. In Galatians 5:22 – can somebody get it from the bible and we will count them (fruits) and they should be nine. Someone else get ready 1 Corinthians 12. We will also find nine gifts. Come let’s count them together.

Ok Galatians did someone find it. Ok begin to count. A youth begins to read ‘But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control’

They are nine but we will not speak about them much but I would like you to contemplate on them.

1. Love- is an act of giving but in a spiritual way. We have two other types of love. But this love the love of the Holy Spirit is called in Greek and Coptic – Agape. The other two types of love are called what? Eros and philly. Eros is sensual, lust love and philly is human love, deficient, insufficient that is love of humans, that live with each other. This is the love of the world, which is not sufficient. I have the spiritual love.

2. Joy – as we said it’s not pleasure and not what? Happiness, it’s joy

3. Peace - to have a peaceful inside

4. Longsuffering – you have many cases in the bible with longsuffering and those without longsuffering. Like Aftah when one went and told him why you didn’t invite us to the war? He told them who are you? Who are you? Then he killed them. Like Gideon the same people also went up to him why you didn’t invite us? What did I do? It’s you that is doing such and such. This is longsuffering.

5. Kindness – with the poor and the needy and so on.

6. Goodness – that you make everything correct.

7. Faithfulness – believe in Christ.

8. Gentleness – to be meek and gentle in your behaviour and speech and so on.

9. Self-control – this is what we need in this society especially yours. You need much self-control. Not in something particular but because we have TV, the dish, the internet. This all need self-control. So how do we get self-control? And I have the Holy Spirit; as you know in the verse that says nourish spirit tread upon honey. If the internet is honey it’s a poisonous type of honey. Poisonous it makes sexual addiction. It makes much trouble and tribulations many from other aspects. I have the Holy Spirit which gives me the nine fruits that is very precious.

First Corinthians 12 we will also find nine gifts the fruits for my spiritual life and for my behaviour. The gifts for service, for service in the church. We will count them and we will also find them nine gifts.

1st Corinthians 12:7-10

Manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all – ‘for the profit of all’. This is for service. Gifts is called manifestation that is the Holy Spirit will manifest himself through the certain gifts why? For the benefit not of the person but of the church at large.

1. Word of Wisdom

2. Word of knowledge

3. Faith – faith in Christ that can give even in different situations it is very strong

4. Gifts of healing

5. Miracles

6. Prophecy

7. Discerning of spirits

8. Different kinds of tongues

9. Interpretation of tongues

One and the same spirit works all these things.

1. Words of wisdom – for example when we listen to His Holiness Pope Shenouda words of spiritual benefit. All his teachings wisdom! God keep him for us as you know he is the best, the best preacher in the world. He has won prizes. Did you know that? International prize- the best preacher in the world. His audiovisual tapes all over the world. I remember a young person went to Rome while he was in a restaurant he heard H.H Pope Shenouda’s voice coming from the kitchen. He followed the voice from where it was coming from into the kitchen and found a Coptic person. He was working in the kitchen and is listening to H.H while he is working.

Another person told me he was very depressed and about to commit suicide. He was driving his car and because he was so depressed and troubled he was lost, doesn’t know what to do and how to find comfort. So what he did was put on the tape recorder. It happened to be a tape of H.H Pope Shenouda. As if H.H was speaking directly to him. They were words exactly what he was wanting to hear, what he needs. Words like God loves you. As if this was a message from heaven to him. Just like the navigator in H.G Bishop Suriel’s car. Good guidance. So actually the youth switched off the recorder. He made the sign of the cross and went to his confession father. He was comforted and filled with peace.

2. Word of knowledge – again we listen to H.H Pope Shenouda this time in terms of theology or doctrines. We find knowledge H.H has knowledge in many different areas. For example Anba Gergorious was the Bishop of knowledge (Bahs el elemy) this is a gift.

3. Faith

4. Gifts of Healing

5. Miracles- Some people have this gift as we all know about Pope Kyrollos. Pope Kyrollos was able to heal. Once healing came from his chair not directly from him. Late Bishop Youannis told us this story in public. He was the secretary to Pope Kyrollos VI.

A lady came from the Delta to Cairo I don’t remember from which province. She told them I want H.H Pope Kyrollos to pray for me because I am suffering from a skin disease, it is very serious and very agonizing. They told her H.H Pope Kyrollos is in Upper Egypt visiting Said. She began to cry out God I came so he could pray for me and heal me and he is in Upper Egypt. Couldn’t he have waited? For me to come was out of my way. Because of the skin diseases she was in pain from her movements. So she asked them where does he sit. They told her on this chair. She went to the chair, knelt down and began to pray. She got up and was fully recovered and healed. She had nothing left of the skin disease. This late Bishop Youannis saw this miracle with his two eyes. So some people have this gift for the benefit of the church. Like the gift of casting out demons of those who are possessed. Once a man went to Pope Kyrollos who was demon possessed. Pope Kyrollos said to him while he was waiting in line, ‘you came step aside, step aside you came’. So this man did step aside and the man who brought him said to Pope Kyrollos Abouna (so and so) told us to come to you to pray for him. Pope Kyrollos waited until all the people left. He clapped and shouted “ Fahmy get me some water” Fahmy got him some water and then he said and now Fahmy is Abouna Mettais El Baramousy. Sayedna blessed the man with this water three times and also sprinkle the water on him. The boy began to shake while Sayedna was holding the cross in his hand saying “Shoo, Shoo” Every time Sayedna would say “Shoo” the boy would fall shaking to the ground until he calmed down. Then Sayedna said you can take him now the man responded saying the boy is tired. Sayedna answered Yes they were forty. Like a counter, he was counting, each time he said ‘Shoo’ an evil spirit would leave the boy. He held the boy’s hand his face glowing smiling fully healed you can take him home now.

6. Prophecy – knowing the future. Pope Kyrollos also had this gift. For example a visit to Bene Suif there was thousands upon thousands came so they could greet H.H. See what you do when H.H comes here? This is in the Saied not like here civilized. So they were crowding Sayedna and the organizers were pushing the crowd away from him. Sayedna spotted out a lady saying to her you want a boy you will get a boy. And he blessed her with the cross. Now she has a son called Mina.

7. Discerning of the spirits- differentiate between right and wrong between the spirits. Walking in the fear of God or walking in the wrong path.

8. Different kinds of tongues – different languages which was important to preaching in the first ages.

9. Interpretation of tongues – St Peter speak in English, St Andrew translates with the Holy Spirit.

I think that is enough Thank You very much!

You have forgotten the five aspects what are they?

1. He blames.

2. Guides.

3. Comforts

4. Sanctifies.

5. Gives a) fruits b) gifts - Fruits for the life and gifts for the service of the church.

Questions & Answers:

Sayedna I just wanted to ask some advice with speaking to non-Christians when they ask about why we fast and sometimes they think like when we say that when we are not eating certain foods of fasting they think we are talking about dieting. So how can we like explain in simple way the reason for fasting and how it connects with our spirituality?

Fasting for sure is important probably you are asking that other religions like Muslims. They fast also even the Indians, Hindus fast. Therefore fasting is something accepted by all religions as a control for the body to release the spirit. We often give the body what it needs, not one of us ever neglects its body in terms of meals, food, sport, rest and sleep. Also the spirit is starving! So we would like to feed it. Stop taking care of the body for a while and we give this care to the spirit, in prayers, bible, and communion and so on.

They made an experiment, the meat my brethren gives energy in two areas, anger and erotic. This is the truth. They had two groups; one group ate beans, the other meat (minced). After one month they found the group eating beans were meek and rarely annoyed each other. They found those eating meat gives energy that induces anger and constantly annoyed each other. So one is violent and in the direction of lust.

Vegetarians behave less in these areas. Fish is also less than meat in terms of energy. So when I fast I delay my times when I eat vegetarian and include spiritual exercise with them. 100% my spirituality will be better than before.

We get confused with the work of the Holy Spirit and the conscious? What’s the difference between our conscious and the Holy Spirit?

The Conscious – Con ‘scious’ from science as we said is a voice from God that gets us to discern between good and bad. A voice from God inside our human nature in all of us to guide us towards God’s voice, like you know what’s it like? Like the mobile phone. There is a ring. For example Ashraf and I are watching markaz al gamal (an Arabic show). I left my mobile phone somewhere. What do we do to find out where it is? So I tell him call my phone because I forgot where I placed it. As soon as I hear it rings I go and get it. This is the voice from God. I can suppress this voice. I can make some sort of corruption to this voice. Different types of practices of, but this is totally different of the Holy Spirit itself. The Holy Spirit is God Himself inside me but even though God is inside me I can tell Him not to work. But there is much difference between the voice and the Holy Spirit Himself who sent the voice. In Christianity I’m going to have the voice and I’m going to have the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will get this voice sharper and sharper and more sensitive. And before when I used to accept the big sin, I start not to even accept the small sin. Before I refuse the manifest sin I refuse the hidden sin. Voice the conscious becomes more sensitive and more guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore the difference between the conscious and the Holy Spirit is the difference between the ‘voice’ and the ‘one who speaks He Himself.

Some youth here are not convinced with the fact that we get baptized so young? Why don’t we have the free will in this as well? God gave us the free will in everything else. Why not baptism?

Very good question. First of all those who are baptized old in Christianity are very few like the Baptists. One of them is Jimmy Carter (he is a very nice man). He is from the Baptists. The Baptists follow the methodology of the John the Baptist as he baptized the old. But look closely as to why they were baptized at an old age. It was called the baptism of repentance (Mam-oo-deat al tow-baah). The baby is going to repent what sins! Doesn’t know anything or understand anything. So the baptism was for the old related to repentance. It’s the baptism of repentance. So now are baptism is different because it’s the baptism of membership in Jesus Christ and it’s written in the bible that the promise is for you and for your sons and when you read Acts, 3000 were baptized. Were all of them old people? Surely there were children. There were families being baptized.

Like the man guarding the prison in Phillipi believed in Jesus Christ. Paul said to him ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved you and your household’ (Acts 16:31). And he was baptized with his family.

And all the churches all over history, the Catholics, the Greeks, the world baptize for the children. Why? Baptism is a gift from God. Repentance is an action from the person. Therefore requires an old person. So I give him the gift when he is young as we said yesterday through this gift he is renewed. I created inside him the new man in Christ, the new nature. The old nature is still there. So when he grows up here is where the free will takes place, the old man will grow on the expense of the new or the new nature to grow on the expense of the old. Therefore he practices free will. The free will exists; we didn’t cancel it, because he still can choose when he grows. I give him the gift; acknowledge his love for Christ Jesus loves you. Jesus Christ died on your behalf. He loves you, wants you to be His son, wants you to be His daughter and we teach him Christianity while he is young. When he is old he can say yes or he can say no and this does happen. Therefore we didn’t cancel the free will, we gave him the gift of Christ inside him and we leave him to his own decision. When he gets older having his own will. However John the Baptist asked the people to come and repent and the one that repents must know and understand.

Why is it really quick for us to feel the Holy Spirit when we are or when it tells us when it’s wrong? Why is it hard for us to feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit? Why is it that it takes such a long time for us to feel the Holy Spirit the comfort of the Holy Spirit?

The TRUTH HONESTLY….. Honestly we are all inclined to sin. The more that we are inclined to sin – what is going to work inside me. One He blames, He blames, He blames, He blames. When I repent He starts to comfort me. Always we are closer to sin than repentance. The more we grow in the spirit of repentance hence the more we grow in the spirit of comfort. There are two areas. Area of sin, which is blaming. Area of repentance, He comforts. I look at myself and see why He is blaming me. There must be sin. When I feel He is comforting me it means I am repentant. But that doesn’t mean that because I am repentant that I am good. No on the contrary when I have pride in myself I’m going to be a sinner and He will blame me. So therefore whenever He blames this means there is a sin inside me. So when I repent He will give me comfort. Let us repent in depth and in continuity then the comfort will be deep and continuous.

We would like to know can the Holy Spirit depart from somebody because of their sin like in the case of King Saul?

Very good, clever question. The Holy Spirit used to depart from somebody. Actually it never departs except if He sees that it is my decision to end my life, God forbid. When does He leave me? When I tell Him to leave me and I don’t want you, but tries all the time to blame me to get me to repentance. Because He has knowledge about my future like for example King Saul, he left Him. Why? Because He knows that he will be rejecting the Holy Spirit till the end of his life. It is out of His knowledge that Saul will not repent till the last place in His life. Like who? Like Judas. The Holy Spirit told him “Am I going to leave you?” Therefore the Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us except if we leave Him or dismiss Him or if He knows that it’s a decision of the end of my life. God forbid.

Thank you.