The Holy Ghost is not a thing or a spirit; He is a person. Jesus always referred to the Holy Ghost as “He” or “Him,” confirming that the Holy Ghost is indeed a person. He is the third person in the trinity of the Godhead, and He was sent to Earth to live within born-again children of God.

When a person receives the born-again experience, he or she immediately becomes a candidate to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Both salvation and the Holy Ghost baptism are gifts of God made available to people through the divine blood of Jesus that was spilled on Calvary.

After the disciples had received the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, Peter spoke to the onlookers saying, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Salvation and the Holy Ghost baptism are two separate experiences.

Peter went on to say, For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:39). The Spirit is holy, and He will only abide in a vessel that is pure and clean through the blood of Jesus.

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

When the Holy Ghost comes into a human vessel, there is so much He desires to do for the person and through the person; but He needs the person’s cooperation. That is the foundation of this sermon.

To cooperate means to act or work with another, to associate with another for mutual benefit. Do these things not identify the purpose of the Holy Ghost in our lives? Mutual benefit when speaking of the Holy Ghost refers to the benefit of the person He lives in and the benefit of God’s Kingdom. He will help us build, bless and increase God’s Kingdom.

When the Holy Ghost lives inside you, He seeks to fellowship with you and work with you to produce certain desired results; but He needs your cooperation. What kind of relationship would you have with your spouse, your children or your closest friend if you only acknowledged them or spoke to them when you wanted to? Sooner or later, that relationship would fragment and become weak. The other party in the relationship would grow tired of your selfishness and lack of cooperation. Then there wouldn’t be much of a relationship anymore.

God sent the Holy Ghost to Earth to perform duties in your life and to provide you with certain wonderful benefits; however, He will not take over and impose God’s will upon your life. When you are seeking the Holy Ghost, He does not come in and take over your tongue of His own accord. You first have to yield yourself completely to Him. Then He will come in and take over your tongue, but the yielding does not stop there. The Spirit needs you to continue to work with Him and yield to Him every day.

Acts of the Holy Ghost

The book in the Bible titled The Acts of the Apostles should be titled The Acts of the Holy Ghost Manifesting Through the Lives of the Apostles. Why? Because it bears witness to the acts of the Holy Ghost working in the lives of people who learned to cooperate 100 percent with the Holy Ghost, and that didn’t include just the Apostles. The reality, power and greatness of the Holy Ghost worked through many members of the Early Church.

Let’s examine a few examples of people who cooperated with the Holy Ghost so God’s will could be performed. Stephen was just a young man; but the Bible says of him, Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…did great wonders and miracles among the people (Acts 6:5,8). The Holy Ghost had Stephen’s complete cooperation, so he was able to stand before his persecutors and deliver a powerful Holy Ghost message that cost him his life.

Stephen became the first martyr of the Jesus Church; and through the power of the Holy Ghost, he had complete peace as he was dying. But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:55,56).

Ananias was another vessel who learned to cooperate with the Holy Ghost. One day, the Lord gave him a revelation and said, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight (Acts 9:11,12).

Saul had greatly persecuted the Church; but because Ananias had living reality in God by the Holy Ghost who was living inside of him, he cooperated with the Spirit. He could reason with the Lord, and the Lord could reason with him; so Ananias went forth in total obedience, and everything came to pass just as the Lord had said it would. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized (Acts 9:17,18).

Philip Was Completely Yielded

Another great example of cooperation is Philip. He was instructed by an angel to go into the desert, and that’s all he was told. Even though it didn’t make sense at the time, Philip obeyed because the Lord had his cooperation. It seemed like a pointless task for him to be walking through the desert by himself; but suddenly, a chariot started to pass by him. Instantly, the Holy Ghost spoke to him and said, Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot (Acts 8:29).

In that chariot sat an Ethiopian eunuch returning to his homeland in Africa, and he was a soul God had marked for Philip to win. So Philip ran thither to him…and preached unto him Jesus (Act 8:30,35). That day, the eunuch received salvation and was baptized in a place of water nearby.

When Philip completed that divine mission, the Bible tells us the Holy Ghost caught him up and carried him miles away to a city called Azotus. That may sound impossible, but it happened according to the power of the Holy Ghost working in Philip and because Philip was yielded completely to the Holy Spirit. Now unto him [God] that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20). Jesus spoke of that power saying, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (Acts 1:8).

God can do things that are beyond your imagination when you are completely yielded to the Holy Spirit and living by faith. Listen to what God says will happen to His children when Jesus returns: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:16,17). We won’t just be caught up and placed somewhere else on Earth. The Spirit of God will catch up the Bride and lift her all the way to Heaven.

Jesus Received the Holy Ghost

Jesus, as the son of man, came under subjection to the weak, human flesh we live in. Like us, He endured trials, tribulations, persecutions and temptations. The Bible says, He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus understands the adversities children of God face in life, so He knew before He left this Earth that people would need the Holy Ghost to live within them and guide them. Shortly before Jesus fulfilled the plan of redemption and ascended back into Heaven, He instructed the disciples about the necessity of having the Holy Ghost saying, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

Jesus demonstrated the necessity of having the Holy Ghost in His own life by not starting His ministry until He had received the Holy Ghost. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Jordan, the Spirit of God opened his eyes to what was taking place. And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him [Jesus], and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16,17).

Never Neglect the Spirit

If the Son of God received the Holy Ghost, why would anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus feel no need of receiving the Holy Ghost? So many Christians have lived beneath their divine heritage because they have neglected or counterfeited the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Many churches neglect the Holy Ghost baptism by claiming it is not for today. Others counterfeit the Holy Ghost baptism by encouraging people to speak in tongues at will through their own utterance and unction, but that’s not the Holy Ghost. When the disciples first received the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, the Bible says they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4). The Spirit is the one who does the speaking.

Some churches teach that you receive the Holy Ghost when you’re saved, but I say again that the gift of salvation and the gift of the Holy Ghost are two separate experiences. The Holy Ghost baptism is a gift from God which is made available to His born-again children; and like any gift you receive, it is the beginning of something new in your life.

Think back on some of the most wonderful gifts you have received. They could include a pet, a car, a bike, a grill and the list goes on and on. Whatever they were, they were the beginning of something new in your life; but you first had to get to know and understand those gifts. That is where many people miss it with the gift of the Holy Ghost. They receive Him; and then over time, they neglect Him. They never take time to get to know Him.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is not the climax of your spiritual journey; it is just the beginning of a process to make you just like Jesus. Paul wrote, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). You can only come into those things through the leadership, guidance and power of the Holy Ghost. Only with Holy Ghost power working within can He teach you, guide you and help you spiritually grow into Jesus’ stature; but He also needs your cooperation.

Don’t Be a Spiritual Babe

Jesus’ twelve disciples are perfect examples of this. So much of the time, they were a hinderance to Jesus and His ministry rather than a help. Oh, they meant well, and they did help Jesus at times; but for the most part, they were not on the same page with Him. They lacked the love and faith they should have had, and they were continually full of doubt and fear. Ego was also a big problem for them, and there was strife among them as they continually contended who among them would be the greatest in the Kingdom.

When Jesus began to tell the disciples of His death and resurrection, Peter resisted it; and the other disciples refused to believe Him. As a result, they all forsook Jesus when He needed them the most.

If you won’t yield to the Holy Ghost in this last hour when Jesus needs you the most, you will come up short. We don’t have much time left in this world, and things are going downhill fast. If you are a Spirit-filled child of God and you can’t see the state of this world, something is wrong. The signs of the times are all around pointing to the fact that we are getting near the end. Let the Spirit of Truth shed the scales from your eyes so you can see clearly what is coming upon the face of this Earth.

The disciples were like spiritual babes. Babies on this Earth love their parents, but they can sure make a mess; and that’s the way it is with a lot of Christians. They love the Lord, but they keep getting in His way and hindering God’s will. They have not taken on the mind of Christ or yielded to the Holy Ghost; so their Jesus light is not shining brightly when Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Some Christians’ lights are shining one minute and off the next. That is not what the Holy Ghost needs in this hour.

Grow Up in the Lord

The disciples were spiritual babes until the Day of Pentecost, when they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Immediately, they grew up into the stature of Jesus Christ and yielded their whole lives to Him. They presented themselves as living sacrifices unto the Lord, and Peter proved it when he preached the message found in Acts 2:14-40. He put his life on the line before those people declaring, “You killed Jesus! You crucified Him!” Some of those people took his words to heart. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41).

The Apostle Paul wrote, When I became a man, I put away childish things (I Corinthians 13:11). Paul was not talking about physical growth; he was talking about growing up in the Lord. He took on his spiritual responsibilities before the Lord and put away the immaturity of self, but so many Christians have not done that.

You may have the Holy Ghost abiding within you, but the real question is does the Holy Ghost have you? That separates the Bride of Christ from those who have wrinkles and blemishes in their garments. Does the Holy Ghost have liberty in your life to perform His duties? Does He have control of you or does self control you?

Keep Your Light Burning

In the parable of the ten virgins, five were wise; and five were foolish. Spiritually speaking, five had the oil of the Spirit, and five did not. Notice that at the midnight hour, all ten virgins were sleeping, including the wise who had oil in their lamps. They were not awake and alert; yet God, with His great mercy, let the call go forth, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him (Matthew 25:6).

Thank God, they all woke up. And even though the wise virgins had oil in their lamps, they weren’t trimmed and burning in that dark hour. Their lights should have been shining, but they were out. Those virgins were quenching the Spirit until God shook them with that call.

The same call is going out in this hour, and you had better be ready to meet the Bridegroom. If you have the oil of the Spirit in your vessel, are you yielding to Him? Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14). Is that Holy Ghost fire burning within your vessel to make you a shining light to those around you? Does the Holy Ghost have liberty in your life?

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). When Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost, He submitted to the authority, leadership and control of the Spirit within Him. Dare you do less?

Be Spiritually Minded

To be spiritually minded and give the Holy Ghost liberty in your life, you must take on the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). The Holy Ghost cannot work with your natural mind because it is an enemy to God. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law [will] of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7).

What occupies your mind from day to day? Paul wrote, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5). Are you always thinking about the things of God or the things of this life and this world? For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Is your mind continually troubled, confused and oppressed? If you don’t have divine peace, it’s because your mind is dwelling on the carnal things of life; and sooner or later, those things will lead to spiritual death. You will grow weaker and weaker until the devil will take over completely. You must keep your mind on spiritual things that produce life and peace.

When you decide to take control of your life and do as you please, you’re in the flesh. You may have the Holy Ghost; but the Bible says, They that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). When you’re living in self, you’re putting the Spirit off to the side; and God can’t work with that.

Does your mind gravitate to the flesh, selfish desires and things of this world or to spiritual things and the Word of God? Does your mind gravitate to souls that are lost and undone without God? Christ’s mind dwelt on spiritual things, and He had a mind of life and peace even though He didn’t even have a place to lay His head.

Beware of the Carnal Mind

The carnal mind is not subject to God’s divine will, and it cannot please Him. It will not obey God in all things; and it produces doubt, fear, envy, jealousy, ego and so many other things that are not like God. The carnal mind gives over to anger, strife, hurt and pouting. It resists the divine will of God and becomes offended when faced with sufferings and persecutions for the sake of Christ.

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin (I Peter 4:1). Arm yourself with the mind of Christ. It’s a mind that is willing to please God, suffer for the sake of Christ and sacrifice to do the whole will of God. It is important for a Spirit-filled child of God to give the Holy Ghost liberty in their life so they can receive all these benefits. Yield to the Spirit daily, not self. Seek to be spiritually minded so the Holy Ghost and His power will not be quenched within you.

In this final hour, the battles of the mind will be the hottest battles for God’s people; but God gets no glory from such battles. He gets no glory from a troubled, tired mind. That’s why by faith, you must learn to cooperate with the Holy Ghost on a daily basis and learn to turn your mind over to Him. When you do, He will take your mind battles and give you liberty and peace. Then He can use your mind to accomplish God’s will.

For you to grow stronger in the Lord, the Holy Ghost needs your mind; and He needs you to have the mind of Christ. The Holy Ghost can work in total harmony with that mind just as He worked in total harmony with Jesus. When you have the natural mind in operation, the Holy Ghost has a constant battle on His hands as He tries to serve you His benefits and work in and through you. He never had to battle with Jesus’ mind because Jesus had learned to cooperate with the Holy Ghost.

Take Care of Your Mind

When you receive the born-again experience, your eternal soul is sealed with divine blood on the inside. That means no man, devil or external power can break that seal upon your soul. It can only be broken from the inside by you choosing to commit willful sin.

The mind is different. When you receive salvation, your mind is cleansed and purified by divine blood; but it is not sealed off. People and the devil can still get to your mind, so taking care of your mind is your responsibility. What do you feed your mind day by day? What do you allow into it?

People can feed your mind their thoughts and opinions of seduction, lies, false doctrine and gossip. The devil can feed your mind his thoughts of deceit, confusion, fear, doubt and temptation if you allow him to. That is why you have to cooperate with the Holy Ghost every day. Learn to give your mind to Him; and He will feed your mind truth, the promises of God, the nine fruits of the Spirit and the living reality of God and His Son.

If you trust the Holy Ghost within you like you should, you will keep your mind stayed upon Him. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3). You will lean on Him and want His benefits. When you have the mind of Christ in operation, the Holy Ghost can cleanse your mind of all the troubles, trials and battles of the mind that seek to contaminate you and weigh you down.

The Bible speaks of Jesus saying, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Sin could never penetrate Christ’s soul because temptations could never get past His spiritual mind.

There is no defeat in Christ Jesus, but some children of God are being defeated all the time because they have not learned to cooperate with divinity. The Holy Ghost needs your cooperation, and He needs you to have the right kind of mind so He can give you victory.

When you take on the mind of Christ, the Holy Ghost can produce a continual, shining light in your life and make you a witness to all those around you who sit in darkness. When Jesus was here, the Bible tell us, The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (Matthew 4:16).

Give Your Life to Jesus

Friend reading this sermon today, the only way you can receive the benefits in this message is by being washed in the blood of Jesus and becoming a new creature in Christ. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17). For this miraculous event to take place, the Holy Ghost needs your cooperation. He is the one who will draw you to Calvary; and when you yield yourself to the divine blood, the Holy Ghost uses it to wash your dirty soul and make it clean.

If there is any sin in your life or if you’re doing and saying things you know God does not agree with, give your heart to the Lord right now. Let the blood of Jesus wash away all of that and give you a new, abundant life on Earth and eternal life in Heaven.

Say this prayer with me right now and mean it from your heart. Oh, God, forgive me for all of my sins. I’m so sorry I have failed you and sinned against you. I believe there is power in the divine blood of Jesus to wash away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come into my heart. Amen. Friend, if you meant that prayer, Jesus is yours.

Receive the Holy Ghost

Now, that you’re born again, you must go on to receive the Holy Ghost so you can begin cooperating with Him and receiving all His benefits. The Lord is calling you to receive this special gift, so praise Him with your whole heart and mind and yield yourself to Him. As you surrender more and more of yourself to Jesus in glory and praise, the Holy Ghost will move in with great power. He will take over your tongue and speak through you in a heavenly language.

Let Jesus Heal You

The blood that was spilled at Calvary is not only salvation for the soul but also healing for your body. Jesus went to the whipping post where cruel men whipped His back into a bloody mess. Through those blood stripes, there is healing for your body. By whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24). Jesus paid a terrible price so you can be made whole.

Friend, I’m the Lord’s believer, so let’s agree right now for you to be made well and for your requests to be granted unto you according to God’s will. Raise your hands and believe with me now as I pray.

Lord, in the name of Jesus, I bring the people before you. God, you know what these people have need of, and we come in agreement and in faith believing. Lay a healing hand upon each one. In the holy, blood name of Jesus, heal! Heal! Lord, let your healing virtue flow to each one to deliver them and set them free. Make them well, Lord, and make them a testimony to the power in the blood of your Son, Jesus. Make each one a shining light in this hour for your honor and glory. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Friend, watch every improvement and get well. Jesus said, They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). Simply praise and glorify the Lord even before you see the manifestation of your healing. Praise Him and glorify Him knowing God is faithful to His Word, and it will be accomplished in your life. Then write, email or post a message to one of our social media pages to let us know what God did for you. We will rejoice in the Lord with you.