17. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

20. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for what You do and for what You say. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. And Father, as I decrease I ask that You would increase. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

You may be seated in the house of God.

If ever there were a group of people that felt as though their world was going to collapse around them, it had to be the disciples that were there in that house.

Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray Him. Then He told Peter that, “You are going to deny Me.” Then He told them (glory to God) that He was leaving them. It would seem as though all hope would be gone. Everything (glory to God) that they that was going to collapse. Their encouragement would come to nought.

But in the midst of all the warfare, in the midst of the words that Jesus spoke, there was hope. Yes, there was. For Jesus promised that He was going to send another Comforter in His Name.

You see, when it looks like things are not going to line up, when it looks like things (glory to God) are not going to go your way, you have got to understand there is a Comforter.

He said in the book of John chapter fourteen that this Comforter would come, and that He would abide with you forever. He was speaking, of course, of the Holy Spirit, God who lives within the heart of all that believe.

We are... We use the word “comforter” to mean someone who sympathizes with us. But when we look at the way Jesus was using the word “comforter,” He was using it as somebody that goes alongside us.

You see, the Holy Spirit is there to encourage you. But He’s not there to tell you just keep your chin up. He’s there to give you strength when you need strength. The word was deeper than just the word “comforter.”

The word “comforter” means (glory to God) to be called alongside of. You see, the Holy Spirit is called alongside us, because He is there to help us. He is there to aid us. He is there to teach us. He’s there to keep us. He’s there to lead us. The Holy Spirit is in this place tonight.

And many of us are going through things (glory to God) that we don’t understand, and we don’t comprehend. But the Holy Ghost will reveal what it is God is saying to you tonight.

You may be in a place tonight where you’ve lost your direction. You may be in a place tonight where there’s confusion all around you. But if you call on the Holy Ghost, He’ll come alongside you and give you that encouragement that you need.

When we look at the Holy Ghost in the book of Romans chapter eight, even when we don’t know what to pray, the Bible says that He makes moanings and groanings that can’t be uttered. When you don’t know what to say, He’ll say it for you. He’ll come between you and God. And He’ll begin to talk to God for you.

I don’t know what position you’re in right now. But if you got the Holy Ghost, you don’t have to worry about it.

You see, too many times we look at the Holy Ghost as not the part of the Trinity. In other words, I mean we don’t reverence Him as God. We know the Bible says God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. We reverence the Father and we reverence Jesus. But we leave out the Holy Ghost. We don’t give Him the honor that’s due who He is.

We’ll call on Jesus. We’ll scream the Name Jesus. But Jesus sent another comforter. You see, we’ve got to get this understanding in us. The Holy Spirit is Jesus in the earth right now.

You see, the disciples had Jesus with them to teach them and to guide them. But He knew that we could not do this thing on our own. So when He went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Ghost. He’s your teacher. And He’s your guide.

You see, it’s alright to have a relationship with the Father and Jesus. But I’ve got to get in a place where I got a relationship with the Holy Ghost. Who am I preaching to in this house tonight? He’s the one that’s in the earth right now. Let me say that again. He’s the one that’s in the earth right now. And I can talk to Him, and He’ll talk back to me.

The Bible says, “Who knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God?” But if I don’t have (glory to God) a relationship with the Spirit of God, how am I going to understand and know the mind of God?

We’re talking about the Holy Ghost tonight. You see, we’ve got to get to a place in our walk with God. It’s alright to get a little goose bump. Do you hear what I’m saying? It’s alright to get a little shout. But do you got a relationship? He goes alongside us to give us strength when we need strength.

Our English word “comfort” comes from two Latin words. The word “come” means “with.” And the word “fort” means “strength.” In other words, He is with strength. And He gives unto us strength.

So a comforter is not somebody who puts, who... It’s not somebody that just, you know, wants to, “It’s going to be alright, baby. It’s going to be alright.” That’s not what He does. He gives you the strength so you can finish this walk that God has called you to. You can’t do it, and I can’t do it without the Holy Ghost.

Jesus told His disciples that the Father would send another comforter. In other words, He was saying don’t fret about it. You see, because they had come to the point where they really knew Jesus and they loved Him. And they understood that for what He called them to that they could not do it without His aid.

You see, we have got to get the understanding that what God has called us to, we cannot do it without His aid and without His help. It’s bigger than we are.

He encourages us, just like Jesus encouraged the disciples. That’s what He does.

When we look at our Bibles in John sixteen and verse thirteen, it says,

13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

You see, too many times we’re walking in darkness and we’re walking in blindness. But see, if I understand my relationship with Him, He’s going to show me things to come. Do you hear what I’m saying?

You see, He becomes my eyes. You see, when I begin to minister to you, it’s not me ministering. It’s the Holy Spirit. He becomes my eyes so I can see for you. But He’ll be your eyes so you can see for yourself.

He said, “If you really know Me, then I’m going to show you things to come.”

When we look at our Bibles in the book of Acts chapter ten, and verse nineteen and twenty, it said,

19. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

When I have a relationship with Him, He’s going to give me instruction. Look at your neighbor and say, “He’ll give me instruction.”

You see, I can’t do anything until I get instruction. You see, I can’t put my hands to the things of God until I get instruction. I can’t even guide my life until I get instruction.

When I make Jesus not just Savior, but Lord, that means that I want Him to have complete control. And not just Jesus, but I want the Holy Ghost.

The Bible says in John, First John, greater is He that’s in us than he that’s in the world. I’ve got greater than on the inside of me. Therefore, no matter what obstacle comes up in my way, I am an overcomer. Because I have God inside of me.

In Acts chapter thirteen and verse two, it says,

2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

He directs the selection of Christian leaders. You see, too many times we as leaders in the body of Christ, we put people in places where we want to put them. But see, if I don’t allow the Spirit of God to minister to me about who needs to go where, then the work is not going to get done. And God is not going to be in it. And when God is not in it, it’s going to come to nought.

You say, “Well, I can do a better job than they can do.” But you may not be called to that job. Hello, somebody.

You remember what happened with Saul? God wanted to be their judge. He wanted to be their king. But just as we are, we are people that like to see something physical. So instead of understanding that they had something divine and something greater than flesh, they wanted flesh.

And when we look at Saul, he was anointed to be king. But he wasn’t God’s choice. He was the peoples’ choice. Who am I preaching to tonight? You see, when I allow the peoples’ choice to be in place, then the Spirit of stubbornness and the spirit of rebellion is going to be able to come in so easy, and cause not only that person to miss God, but everybody else that’s following them to miss God.

The Holy Spirit has got to let us know who needs to lead and who needs to follow. Do you hear what I’m saying? He gives us who He wants in place. That’s what He does.

When we look at our Bibles in Acts sixteen and verse six, it says,

6. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

Somebody say, “He chooses the field of operation.” You see, too many times we think that we’re supposed to just go out. Hello. But if I spend time in prayer, He’s going to tell me where to go and where not to go.

You see, He knows what’s in that place before you get to that place. And if I’m really in tune with what God is telling me to do, He’ll put an unction in me to say, “Uh, uh. Don’t go there. Go here.”

And when I go where He wants me to go, then I’m going to be productive in my witnessing. But if I’m in a place where God is not telling me to be, then I’ll find that there’s nobody receptive.

He’ll tell you where He wants you to minister. See, you can’t just minister anywhere. You got to allow the Spirit of God to lead you. Hello, somebody.

You get out there and He ain’t called you there, the devil will try to beat you half to death. The spirit of rejection will fly on you so fast. It’ll make you want to never go out again.

He will give us where He wants us to minister.

I went to a place. Lord, have mercy. And I’m going to tell you like it is. If I had prayed I wouldn’t have went there. Preaching up a storm. Sweat drenching all off my body. And it was just as dead as a doornail in the house.

If I had listened to the voice of God, I would have never gone there. Somebody say, “It ain’t just about a paycheck.” Oh, I need to tell somebody that tonight. You’ll get yourself in a position that you never wanted to be in, thinking about an offering. You’ll spend more time trying to pray devils off of you.

But when you go to the place where God has called you, the Anointing of God is going to move through the place.

We went to Atlanta three days for a revival. The Power of God was all in that place. And God moved by power and demonstration in the Holy Ghost. Why? Because He sent us there.

If He didn’t send you there, then it won’t be productive. He choose the field of operation. I don’t choose it. You don’t choose it. He chooses it. That’s what the Holy Spirit will do. He guides us. He leads us. He tells us where to go.

When we look at Romans chapter eight and verse fourteen, it says,

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, (and we love this here) they are the sons of God.

Obedience to the Spirit of God proves our sonship. It proves that we belong to Him. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? When I walk in a place of obedience to the Spirit of God, He acknowledges me as a son. But when He’s ministering something to my heart and I deliberately disobey him, as evangelist said, I become a bastard child. And He is not my Father.

Those that are lead by the Spirit of God, those that are obedient to the Spirit of God, those are the sons of God.

In John six and verse sixty-three it says,

63. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

This is what Jesus said. It’s the Spirit that will quicken you. Jesus said, “The words that I speak, they are spirit and they are life.” In other words, they give life. The Spirit will quicken you. He will quicken your mortal body with the things of God.

But it’s according to my relationship. If I don’t have a relationship with Him, He can’t quicken me. But when I know Him and He knows me, He can quicken me and cause me to be obedient unto Him.

Tonight, saints of God, it’s time to get to know the Holy Ghost. It’s time to start really acknowledging Him.

Even as I’m standing here preaching and teaching the Word of God, His Presence is in this place. I still feel His Anointing in this place.

When the king comes into a room, they roll out the red carpet, and they honor him. And they bow to him. How much the more shall we bow to the Holy Ghost? How much the more shall we reverence the Holy Ghost when He comes into the place? He is God. He is God.

Think about your relationship with Him. Think about it. Do you really have a relationship with the Holy Ghost? I hear some of you saying, “I don’t really know.”

If you don’t, it’s time to get a relationship with Him. It’s time to get a real relationship with Him, that He would lead us and guide us in the direction that He wants us to go. And He will lead us into all truth.

When I have a relationship with Him, He will keep me out of error. Too many times we get into a place of error, especially with the gifts of the Spirit. We get into a place of error where we overstep our boundaries with the Holy Ghost.

You see, it’s so easy when you’re ministering through the gifts of the Spirit to think in your natural mind that you know what God is talking about. But see, if you put your mind to it, you going to cause yourself to get in some trouble. See, because you might think that you already know the situation. But God can be talking about something totally separate and totally different.

And then if I think in my carnal mind that I know what’s really going on, it’ll cause me to add to what God ain’t saying.

But when I have a relationship with Him, I let the Spirit of God move the way He wants to move.

Do you have a relationship with the Holy Ghost tonight? Even in the midst of our worship, we try to be sensitive to people. Because we begin to get tired. But the Holy Ghost is still moving in the place.

You can get down on your knees and worship Him. You can sit in your seat and worship Him. But just stay in a position of worship. When you get tired, sit down. But worship Him.

He searches for the true worshipers. And He’ll begin to move like you’ve never seen Him move before. We’ll begin to see the Glory cloud around the church, when we really have a relationship with Him.

Take an inventory. Do you just know the Word, but you don’t know the Holy Ghost? Is He just somebody that we just talk about every now and then? Or is He someone that when we wake up even in the morning we say, “Good morning, Holy Spirit. I give You glory and honor. What is it that You want for me?” And when you really get a relationship with Him, He’ll rush into the room. He’ll say, “You are My beloved.”

He’s looking for people that are like that, somebody that just doesn’t want something from Him, but just wants to worship Him.

He already knows what you got need of. But just worship Him anyway. He’s the one that’s going to tell you how to get what you need. So worship Him. Worship Him.

The Bibles says in the book of Romans five and five that the love of God is even shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. We can’t even love right without the Holy Ghost. It becomes phileo and not agape, doesn’t it? But see, when I got the Holy Ghost I can love you with agape love. I can love my brother and my sisters with agape love. And that’s what He wants from us. That’s what He’s looking for out of us.

Lift up your hands to Him tonight. You can sit right where you are tonight. But all I ask is that you worship Him, because His Presence is here. He’s in this place. He’s here for us.

Whatever you got need of tonight, just put it on the altar. Put it on the altar. And say, “Holy Spirit, I’m going to worship You in spite of what I’m going through, in spite of what I have need of.”

As I’m looking at some of you, you’re so serious about this. And that’s what it takes. Because He’s serious about you. He’s so serious, hey, about you. He’s so serious about you.

Holy Spirit, have Your way with us. See if there be any wicked way in us. Try our hearts, Lord God. Lead us in the way everlasting. Our eyes tonight, our mouths, our hearts, our hands, our feet, our minds, Holy Spirit, belongs to You.