​​The Advantage

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 said, “It is expedient, [it is beneficial, it is better] for you that I go away” (John 16:7, emphasis added). Why? Because we would then receive the Holy Ghost. We live today in the greatest God dispen- sation there ever was. It is not God among us, it is not only God with us, but it is now God in us! Jesus was excited to be going to the right hand of the Father so that He could send mankind the Holy Ghost. He declared that you having the Holy Ghost is better than you personally working with Jesus in the flesh! Jesus was the disci- ples’ Leader, He was their Teacher, He was their Provider, and He was their Protector—but only when He was in the same physical place with them. You now have a Leader, a Teacher, a Provider, a Protector, a Comforter, and a Friend with you and in you twenty-four hours a day. He is the Holy Ghost. You can ignore Him, forget about Him, even be unaware of His presence, but that does not change the fact that He is in you. Because most Christians see God only in a picture, or on a cross, or as a distant God, they never receive the benefits of the Holy Ghost in their daily lives. But He desires to show the power of God to a world in darkness, to demonstrate His glory to the nations. We must become aware of the “advantage” the Father has given us. We need to get to know Him and to cooperate with Him in our daily lives. It is better that Jesus left—you now have the Holy Ghost!

Pastor Tom Kehres

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The Spirit and the Glory

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion. . . . As for me, this is my covenant . . .
my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth. . . . —Isaiah 59:20–21

The Redeemer has come to Zion! He has turned you from sin and removed your old sin nature. He has now made a new covenant, or a new agreement, with mankind. What is that covenant? To take you to heaven? No! To put His Word in your mouth and His Spirit upon you! You have all you need to live in health, wealth, victory, peace, joy, and godliness in this present world (2 Peter 1:3)! He sent His Word and His Spirit as His part of the covenant. Now you must put faith in that Word and in the Spirit He has given you. Before we all get out of here, there will be a generation who takes that Word and yields to His Spirit to manifest the glory of God in the earth. Sickness will bow, devils will flee, depression will be destroyed, and God’s kingdom will advance. A remnant of people will arise and shine because their Light is come! The glory will arise upon these people even though the rest of the world is in gross darkness (Isaiah 60:1–2). This glory will arise upon them because the Spirit will arise upon them. People will come out of darkness into the presence and power of God. This people is now preparing and learning to cooper- ate with the Spirit of God. You can also be a part of this covenant and this generation. Choose to get to know the Holy Spirit and get to a place where He is allowed to flow and move. Arise! Shine! Because the Spirit of the Lord is come!

Pastor Tom Kehres

Receive the Promise

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law . . . that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. —Galatians 3:13–14

Christ died on the cross, became a curse on the cross, and redeemed you from the curse, so that you could do more than just die and go to heaven. It was so that you could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith. Until Christ died, was buried, and was raised, you could not receive the Spirit. This is because we were all sinners and fell short of the glory of God. But the sinner you were died with Christ and was buried with Christ, and your new man rose with Christ. This new man was created to be the house of God, the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Your new man was made righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24) so you could receive the Holy Spirit through faith. You were not born again just to receive the Spirit and go to heaven, but to receive the Spirit and change the earth for the glory of God! Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” His will, will only be done by the power of the Spirit in and on a human. Whenever you allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you and impact the world, His kingdom has come with power. Get to know the Spirit of God and allow Him to change your thoughts into God-thoughts and your ways into His ways through the Word of God. You have been redeemed from the curse in order to receive the greatest bless- ing ever given to man—the Holy Ghost!

Pastor Tom Kehres

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Repent . . . and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. —Acts 2:38

There are many reasons that God sent Jesus to die for us. Most of the Church’s teaching on that event has been for the purpose of our being saved and going to heaven. We have sung songs about heaven and expressed our desire in prayer to get off this crummy earth, go to streets of gold and mansions made for us, and live in God’s presence. All this is true and brings a good hope for the believer, but in this verse, Peter gives a main reason to repent: so you can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! The Holy Ghost is the main reason for Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (John 14:16–20). His presence in your life will turn this crummy earth into a place of power, ministry, and His presence. You do not have to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. You can live in God’s presence today through the Person of the Holy Ghost! You are then expected to pass Him down to your children and all who are afar off (Acts 2:39). The Holy Ghost is your key to a joyful, peaceful, fulfilled life here on earth. You must understand that the reason you are here, and the work you are called to do, will only be fulfilled through the Holy Spirit’s influ- ence in your daily life. Each day, this day, must not be just another ordinary day of work, eat, and sleep. Make a difference—make an impact on someone today through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Pastor Tom Kehres