The Holy Ghost: A Partner With Power - Pastor J. D. Howell 5-24-2026

Our Bibles with you. Will you turn with me to

the Book of Acts. May I direct your attention to

the eighth chapter. We will be reading verses number eighteen

through twenty one. Brother Nathaniel Ephesians, chapter number four and

verse number thirty. Brother Jesse John, Chapter number fourteen, Verse

number sixteen. Praise the Lord. I appreciate the goodness of

the Lord in the land of the living. We appreciate

those of you that are on vacation, who are vacationing

an hour aways seeing to being here this morning. We

thank God for your dedication, commitment, and loyalty. We missed

the rope Gap family and the Valentin family today. We

know they would be here if they could, but they're

a great distance away, and other things are going on

in some of those families, So pray for them. Aren't

you glad that you're saved and sanctified and holy ghost filled.

If you're not holy ghost filled this morning, then you

can be some point in this service today. Praise the Lord.

There's no doubt about it. God is willing to fill

you with a holy ghost if you're saved and sanctified.

Brother Nathanielphesians Chapter number four and verse number thirty, my brother,

and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye

are sealed unto the day of redemption. Amen, brother Jesse

John chapter number fourteen and verse number sixteen. And I

will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter,

that he may abide with you forever. Oh, praise the

Lord that he abides with us. Let's stand for the

reading of our Golden Text, Acts chapter number eight, reading

verses number eighteen through twenty one, the Bible says, and

when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles hands,

the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying,

give me also the power that on whomsoever I lay hands,

he may.

Receive the Holy Ghost.

But Peter said, unto him, thy money perish with thee

because thou hast thought that the gift of God may

be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot

in this matter. For thy heart is not right in

the side of God. Looking at the latter part of

verse number twenty one, again, for thy heart is not

right in the side of God. Why did the great

Man of God, the Apostle Peter, speak such harsh words

to Simon. It is because his heart was not right

in the sight of God. Not only was his heart

not right in the side of Philip and Peter and

the other minister's present. At this time, Peter knew very

well that this man is disappointing the Lord. Yet he's

requesting the Holy Ghost our Golden Texas verse number nineteen, saying,

give me also this power that on whomso wore. Ever

I lay hands, he may receive.

The Holy Ghost.

I want to preach a message the Holy Ghost title

the Holy Ghost a partner with power, a partner with power.

He's a friend, not a force only. He's a friend always,

not a force only. May we pray, Heavenly Father, we

love him.

We praise you.

We thank you for your goodness and your mercy. We

thank you for this precious people, Lord, people whom I

perceive to be people of like precious faith. I thank

you for the leading of the Holy Ghost that has

brought us here today. I thank you for the unity

and the togetheredness that has been brought here by the

power of the Holy Ghost and by the person of

the Holy Ghost. We pray that this place would be

permeated by his presence, meaning his person would be here

amongst us. We're thankful for the Sunday school lesson this

morning and the way you annoyted the teacher. God, we

thank you for our Sunday school teachers. We pray that

you would anoint this thy people said a guard at

their ears, and help them to hear what the spirit

of God would say.

Not of my words only, but of your words. We pray.

We beseech of thee to help us.

We need you for nothing without you, and may we

depart this place joyfully and not sorrowfully, in Jesus's name.

And the church said, hey, man, looking at Acts, chapter

number eight, verse number nineteen, our golden text. Again, these

are the words of Simon the Sorcerer, saying, give me

also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he

may receive the Holy Ghost. Our text is found in

a New Testament Book of the Holy Bible. The Book

of Acts has been called a record of the acts

of the Apostles. But we know the apostles were writing

shotgun to the Godhead. And we believe in the Triune Godhead, don't.

We, Church?

And so because of this aposto power, not meaning, they

were oneness. But because these apostles had been with the

Lord and had been empowered by the Holy Ghost, they

were able to evangelize the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

They fulfilled the great commission for themselves. And as disciples

of the Lord's savior, Jesus Christ, may we as well

fulfill the commission that we have received as from the Lord.

We know the individuals in this building today must be

about the Father's business. And there is no easier way

to do the Father's bidding and business other than being

filled with the power.

Of the Holy Ghost.

He will enable and equip every person to do what

God would have us to do. And there is no

doubt God has intentions for every person within the kingdom

to do something for Him.

And so we know that these.

Men were men of God, these women were women of God.

They were people of the Book, people that were persuaded

that Jesus Christ was in fact the long awaited Messiah

and the second part of the Godhead, the Son of God.

And in this precious book of the Bible we find

the acts of the apostles by empowerment of the Holy ghosts.

So we find the record of the actions of the

Holy Ghost and the apostles during the early days of

the New Testament Church. Now, I want to point out

something to you. While the Holy Ghost came to the

believers because the Godhead knew the unbelievers would be hostile, violent,

and cruel towards the Lord's followers. And we have plenty

of information concerning records of exactly that happening, people being

persecuted because they were followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew, chapter number eleven

and verse number twelve. He said, from the days of

John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence,

and the violent take it by force. These are the

words of the Baptizer himself, and he is speaking of

John the Baptist and the Kingdom. A lot of you

are familiar with John the Baptist. He was the voice

of one in a wilderness crying out the announcement, a

crier of sorts, an announcer of sort, someone broadly proclaiming

the word of truth, that the Son of God, the

Lamb of God, was upon the face of the earth.

And he made the announcement that this Son of God

would be the Baptizer. And we know what Jesus said

about John, and we know how John was filled with

a holy ghost in his mother's wombs. So these two

men were mighty, mighty. Jesus was the God man, one

hundred percent God, one hundred percent man, God incarnate, or

God enveloped in human flesh. And he's going about in

the power of the spirit. John the Baptist is preaching

in the power of the spirit. And Jesus spoke concerning John.

He said, this man is already encountering violence. This man

is already being persecuted. And all the persecution that John

the Baptist endured for preaching against the sins of people

and people of prestige and prominence, all the end of

life scenario that took place in the life of John

the Baptist. But thank God, he had been filled with

the Holy Ghost. And so in Matthew chapter number three,

in verse number eleven, John said, I indeed baptize you

with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me,

he is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not

worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with a holy

ghost and with fire. So we see here that Simon

the Sorcerer had some sort of experience with Jesus Christ,

but he had not been converted because he had not

truly repented. And I feel like there's a lot of

people in churches today that have some sort of experience

with church and with Jesus Christ, but they're not really

converted because they have not repented. So we know, friend,

that the the Holy Ghost was very active in the

affairs of the early Church. And I feel like the

Holy Ghost is very active here at the Bethel Holiness Church.

And I'm most thankful for that.

My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude because of the actions

of the Holy Ghost amongst you and I, and we

have seen it throughout the wide world.

Since Jesus ascended unto his.

Father that the Holy Ghost has been our greater helper.

He has been one to help us, to lead us,

to guide us, to instruct us, to lead and guide

us into all truth.

Truly, he is another comforter.

In the sixteenth chapter of John, the Lord Jesus said, 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. So Jesus Christ spoke

of the person of the Holy Ghost coming to earth

to dwell within us and to abide with us until

his reappearance, because he knew that we would need the

divine assistance. Jesus Christ understood very well what the church

would faith. He understood that he was leaving behind a

people that would be a persecuted people. Again reminding you

of the words of Jesus Christ that the Kingdom of

Heaven suffereth violence.

Okay, so you are suffering things in your.

Life and you don't realize that it is spiritual warfare.

You don't understand that the devil is your adversary.

He's not your friend, he is your foe.

And there are afflictions and infirmities and sufferings that the

people of God are dealing with all because they are

not endued or enveloped with a power of the real,

genuine Holy Ghost. Every person in this building this morning,

and every child of God needs divine assistance. Let me

speak to those whom desire to be filled with the

Holy Ghost. First things first, let's make it clear he

is not an it. He has never been an it,

and he will never be an it. He is a being,

and he is more real than you are. He is

an eternal being, and he is not only a power

or a force. He is a person with power, such

great power.

And I believe.

The theme of our golden text them this morning is

some people are looking for the forest, but they're not

looking for the friend who will stick closer than a

brother or paraclet, that partner that will walk with you

into your prayer clauset and see to it that you

walk out an overcomer. We've all seen the meme or

the pictorial illustration of a little kitten walking into a room,

and underneath the depiction of the caption would read me

walking into my prayer clauset.

And then there's a second picture that shows.

A mighty roaring line walking out of the same room,

and the caption underneath that picture reads like this me

walking out after I've talked to Jesus about it.

And I want you to know here this morning that

you do not really realize.

The power that is available to you as a blood

bump and a born again child of God. There are

some things that you are facing and fighting against that

you would not have to face and struggle and battle

with And if you would use that power that was

within you, and if you do not have that power

that was within so many others of the Church, then

you too can receive that power. Jesus said, you shall

receive power after that the holy ghost has come upon you.

The apostles of the.

Only Church, they told the church members, you shall receive

power after that the holy ghirst has come upon you.

But the people of the Only Church did not have

the wicked heart that Simon the Sorcerer possessed. And because

when they prayed for that power that comes from on high,

they received the person that came from on high, that

very being that Jesus Christ sent to their aid or

to their assistance. So what was it that Simon the

Sorcerer was looking for. He was looking for the power,

He was looking for a force. I believe Simon the

Sorcerer would rather have the power.

Than the person.

I don't know about you all here today, but I'd

rather have the person of Jesus Christ or the person

of the Holy Gersten and to have any power at all.

But I know that there is power in his person.

Who is power in his presence. You see, Simon the

Sorcerer did not know, and he did not care to know,

that there must be a desire for the person to

live inside of you. And if that person is going

to live inside of you, he is going to be

picket about his dwelling place. Come on, now, noticer, what

Simon the Sorcerer said, He said, give me also this power.

He did not request the in dwelling of the person,

but he said, give me also this power.

But on whosoever.

I I I lay my hands on, he may receive

the Holy ghost. There's no doubt that Simon the Sorcerer

had made an idol out of ministry.

There's no doubt that he had made an idol out

of the.

Preachers or the apostles of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There is no doubt that the followers of Jesus had

respect him for.

The spiritual leaders.

Even Apostle Paul said, concerning some in the early Church,

he said, you would have given me your very eyeballs,

And if that had been required of you. I do

not want a discredit commitment to or loyalty in any way,

and I don't want to discredit to the fact that

we are to be in subjection to spiritual authority. But

this man did not see these men as servants as

of the almighty God. He saw men that possessed a

power that was able to manipulate the person of others.

When he saw these men had the power, not the

power of God, but the power to lay their hands

on people and for people to act differently or for

some mysterious force, and to enter their person, he wanted

that power. And I'm gonna explain why he wanted that power.

And I'm gonna explain why he said, give me a

soul this power. There was something very wrong with this request,

because it sparkling an explosive rebuken by the Apostle Peter.

I've been praying about the character of this man, and

Brother Jesse, I can say I now have a better

understanding about who this man wasn't really. I wonder if

the Apostle Peter really understood everything there was to this

man when he first come into the presence of Philip,

and when he first walked into the middle of this revival.

There is no doubt that Simon the Sourcer was a

man of mighty influence. In this eight chapter we find

information in a bundance concerning Old Simon. You know why

we can find so much information concerning or Simon because

and he's done a great job making himself of great

notoriety and of great reputation. Have this decetive individual had

bewitch the people of Samaria? And he did such a

good job of coming accomplishing this to a seducing spirit

that he was able to convince many that he was

a great one that is found in the world of God.

Many people believe that he was a great one, or

a higher force or a higher power. In other words,

they perceived him as a god man. There is no

doubt in my mind whatsoever that this man developed a

God complex. Why would somebody want to pred him to

be God? Why would somebody want to act like they

are God? Well, in my lifetime, there's been several feelings that.

Have tried to make people think they are God.

There have been several people throughout the course of time

that has had a God complex. I know of a

few mortals who possist an inflated sense of self worth

and those who possessed an inflated sense of self worth

and add off Hitler, for example, Saddam Hussein, Pablo Escobar,

Hillary rodmand Clinton, so many more have had a God complex.

Come on, now, this type of person desires status, and

they desire reputation, they desire recognition, but most importantly, they

desire power. They genuine believe that they are entitled to

greatness because they believe that they are destined for greatness.

And if anyone or anything gets him.

Their path or their pursuiting, they are old kay with

destroying her, anything and anyone that lies in their way.

And so when the great Apostle Philip come into Simon

the Sorcerer's part of the country, if Simon the Sorcerer

was alive today, there would have been billbirds on every

corner saying, come and see the sorcerer Simon by name.

And I'm sure that Philip took notice to the power

that this man seemingly possessed.

But nevertheless, he preached the Gospel.

And as Simon watched the apostle Philip preacher the Bible, said,

he believe what was going on. There was no way

that he could deny that Philip possessed the greater power.

But I don't believe he saw his need to repent

I don't believe he saw his need to.

Go in a different direction.

This man was simple believing that these men have power.

And there's no doubt Jesus said, ye shall have power,

Ye shall have power, that the Holy Ghost has come

upon you. And so Simon, the soorcier, has an ulterior motive.

He wants what Philip has and he gets in the

baptismal line after everybody has prayed, and the Bible said

that actor Philip had turned that place upside down for Jesus,

an actor, everybody's come out of the lake or the river,

something wet. Simon's hard is still wicked. A stealing odterior motive,

but it would not deny the evidence that these men

had power. The Bible said Simon believed and was baptized.

Yes it did. But it also said he followed Philip.

And can I tell you he was following Philip for all.

Of the wrong reasons.

He was trailing Philip for the same reason that Delilah

was trailing Sampson. Come on, now, I'm preaching that some

people here today he was following filling in the same manner.

The ta woman that was enveloped from the spirit of

Python had followed the great Apostle Paul, and for whatever reason,

Philip did not address the elephant.

In the room.

But when the bevern no Joerusalem heard about the Great

Real Bible the vangelist Philip had conducted over there, they

sent old Brother Peter to see what was going on.

And Peter took his partner John, and.

Those two mighty men of God walked into the meeting,

and they began to look around, and they were aware

of their surroundings. And there's no doubt old Brother Peter,

with a gift that he possessed, he recognized the spirit

of Ana, Nis and Sapphire is in this place.

There's somebody that worn't status.

There's somebody worn't repetition, a recognition and reputation. There's somebody

in this place seemingly in the eyes of others. There's

a brand new baby and Jesus and a brand new convert.

But the Bible sent us.

Peter and John laid their hands on people, and those

innocent minded people will pure motives received the person or

the holy ghost. Oh wicked Simon slipped up and he

said something that revealed his heart. I could almost hear

it now in my mind. Give me the power, give

me the power, as he stuck his hand in his pocket. Oh,

come on now, when Simon bird to make an offer

to purchase the power, Peter unleash some piercing words of rebuke.

My Sunday school teacher this morning told us, if he

is a man of God and a pastor sent to

a local congregation by God, he will possess the heart.

And the mind of God, and he.

Will tell the truth, and he will reveal the truth

to the people. I want you to know when Peter

unleashed those piercing words of rebuke, they were not at

all any lessen power or strength. When he told her

and a nycence of fire, that the plan to tell

it conjured up and concocted would be unsuccessful, I could

see it as the Holy power of God moved on

Peter because the person of the Holy Ghost.

Got to move.

I'm telling you Peter's friend would not allow Peter to

be deceived, and Phillip's friend or Phillip's partner would not

allow her that great meeting to be hijack. I'm preaching

a missus. The Holy girls tirled it a partner with power.

What Simon didn't know there was an e turn or

being inside of Peter and John and Philip that would

tell them what was going on in us heart.

And Peter said, die money.

And there's no doubt he had a lot of it,

couse he had deceived the entire town and everybody felt

like her he was a god. But Peter looked at

him basically the same way he did an a nisance

of power, knowing that money did not move him. He

told Simon how money perish with thee because now hast

taught ing that the gift of God may be purchased

with money. Could you imagine somebody having the audacity to

approach Sister Howell this morning, some sister reach in her

pocket book and say how much do I have to

give her to have power like that? Could you imagine

some man approaching Brother Nathaniel Howeller and looking at him

and pulling the beer for it out and saying, I

will power lock that, give it to me.

What do I need to pay for it?

Come on, now, Jesus was a gift to humanity, and

the Holy girlst was a guilt from the Lord Jesus

and the Father to humanity. And you can't buy salvation.

You can't earn salvation. You can't buy the Holy ghost.

You can't buy recognition, You can't buy reputation in this kingdom. Oh,

Jesus said, the greatest amongst us would be the servant

of everybody in the kingdom.

And he let by example.

I want you to know that before Jesus entered the

throne of his father as.

King of kings, a lord of lords of an entire.

Redeemed human race, he spent thirty three and a half

years of being a loly servant within humanity. He found

out how people worked. He found out how the church work.

Come on now, he heard the rabbis preacher. He took

part in the service, he said in the pew in

the synategod with his mouth shut. Oh, come on now.

He hurt like you all do. He hit his finger

with a mallet like you all have done. He got

sick with the flu just like you all do. He

is somebody that's familiar with the afflictions and the impermitees

of mere mortals.

But I watch you in the old.

Jesus being left by the spirit, and he went into

the wilderness, and he was afflicted of the devil personally.

But he overcame. He went into the wilderness with the

Holy Ghost. He walked out of the wilderness with a

holy ghost, but now his ministry was unleashed on the world.

The Holy Ghost was beginning to manifest and reveal that

Jesus will soon be going. But Jesus will send me

unto you. I thank God for the Holy Ghost today.

I want you to know you ain't got her enough

money to buy him. You ain't got her enough fast

time of prayer, time to earn him.

He's looking for a sincere heart.

And I want you to know Simon the Sorcerer was nonsincere.

He was insincere.

And I don't know your motives, but God knows your motives.

And I want you to know that individual, that being the.

Third member of the Godhead, when he looks inside your heart,

he can do it without the eyes of her Peter.

He can speak concerning your heart without the tongue and

the mouth of Peter. I want you to know here

this morning, there God is telling you you need more

than a power. You see the SATs of God lay

the head on people in their heell. You see the

sights of God ray the hands or people, and the

slain and the spirit. Her news are work breaking news.

Those people ain't got nothing to do with it. It's

the one that's operating within them. Ain't nothing powerful about

my hands at all, that I will tell you. If

he stretches far to his hand and tells me to

stretch forth my hand with his hand, then there's something

possible gonna take place.

You wouldn't think.

That people will look at these things through the wrong glasses,

but they do. For whatever reason and for whatever motives,

they look look at this thing wrong. They don't realize

that the Holy Ghost was given to the Church to

enable them to be martyrs, to help them to endure

hardness as good soldiers, to help them endure afflictions, to

help them rebuke the enemy that's come against the people

of God and the assembly of the people of God.

The Holy Ghost has been given to help us die

as martyrs on crosses, in burning heaps, one with another,

mass executions, mass murderers, to help us have church in

the catacombs, to help us have church on the backside

of a forest somewhere.

The Holy Ghost is with us. He is with us

to help us.

And the Kingdom has suffered violence since the days of John,

the battles and the violence take it by force. It's

about the king and it's about his kingdom. It's not

about Jeremy Howell. It's not about Charity Howell. It's not

about Nathaniel Howell. It's not about Rachel how it's not

about Irish. When rooting, I mean people sometimes they idolize

the ministry, and they idolize the gifts, and they idolize

the preacher, and they idolize the teaching. Now, come on, now,

David was not at all afraid to say I'd rather

be a doorkeeper in the house of my God. What

we need is your heart to be in stewardship, and

your heart to be in servitory, and your heart to

be in the kingdom. You don't need to be looking

for a tone, you don't need to be looking for power.

You need to be looking for the person. But you know,

the person will make you be humbua. The person will

make you despise reputation. The person will make you make

yourself of the recognition, not the person, not the person up.

The person up is who's signing up, has some of you,

do Lord? And I tell you, without a person, there

will never be power.

I say, without a person, there will never be power.

The person, the person of the Holy Ghost is in

this building somewhere right now. And if he was to

take on bodily form, he would look just like Jesus

Christ did. He'd look like a glorified mortal. But he

chooses not to be embodied, because he chooses not to

be entombed or enshrined in human flesh. Because Jesus knew,

my church is gonna be everywhere. It's not always gonna

be in Jerusalem. My church is gonna go to Judea,

My church is gonna go to Samaria. My people is

gonna extend on out through the uttermost parts of the earth.

During the three and.

A half years of Jesus's ministry, he was right there

in that general Brother Jesse. He even said, I'm here

trying to help the Jewish people, and in the process,

I'll cast some bread to the dogs. In the process,

I love the gentiles. In the process, I'll let it

be know. My will concern all the mankind. But sister,

how the Holy Ghirst will never be enshrined him, tombed

or embodied. He will never sit right here as a

member of the best of holiness church. He will never

listen to a rabbi and a synagogue. He is going

to show up in every church of truth. He's gonna

be by the side of every family of truth. He's

gonna live inside of every person of truth. I'm telling you,

I don't want the power, only I want the person.

Jesus said, there is a friend that sticks curser than

any brother. I'm talking about a partner with power, yes,

but oh thank God, he brings the power, but I

take him.

Without the power.

I thank God for the person of the Holy Ghost,

I said, I thank God for that person, for a

holy ghost. Wherever we're at right now, Holy Ghost, you

never believe.

I pray that you will be glorified.

I pray that that son of righteousness, Jesus would be glorified.

I pray that the Father would be glorified.

The Holy Ghost, just as the baby Jesus was a

gift to humanity, is a gift to the church. If

I could hug him today, I would was you know what,

I can't get a hold of a natural form, but

I sure can't hug him By believing every word that

proceeds out of the mouth of the Father. I sure

can hug him and love on him and thank God

for him that he is here. He is our helper.

He is our helper. And a lot of people they

have very high thoughts concerning themself. They say things like this,

When I get the Holy Ghost, I'll do this. When

I get the Holy Ghost, I'll do that. They licking

him like to a piece of equipment or a tool.

Let's use a chainsaw for example. When I receive the

Holy Ghost, I'll be able to cut down this tree.

When I receive the Holy Ghost, I'll be able to

clear this forest. Because he, the Holy Ghost, will be

a chainsaw that needs no will be a chainsaw that

kneeds no teeth on the chain.

Ah.

That is such a foolish illustration and such a foolish example.

He would be the operator operating you the chainsaw. He

the Holy Ghost, is not a tool in your hand.

You are a tool in his hand. When he comes in,

he takes ownership and you surrender to his will. I

tell you why God's been able to build a church

in South Florida. It's because of some saints about twenty

years ago that's sold out just to be a little

tool in his toolbox, just to be something in his

hand that he can use.

I'm not looking for an opportunity to.

Use the Holy Ghost like some men use her and

abuse their wife. I'm not looking for the Holy Ghost

to use him like some people use and abuse and

take advantage of their family or their children. I'm looking

for the person or the Holy Ghost that he might

use a little one me, no matter how it significant

I am in this big wide world or even within

the Kingdom.

Oh great Holy Ghost.

Use me, Holy you know my ability.

Peter told Simon, first things first, buddy, after unleashing them

explosive words of rebuke right in the middle of a

wonderful Holy Ghost service, and people say, rebuke has no

place in the church. Our son is school teacher covered

that pretty good. It certainly has no place in the

middle of a camp meet. And try to convince them

old camp meet and speakers of twenty thirty years ago

their rebuke didn't have a place in a camp meeting

or in a revival meeting. Peter demanded repentance be the

first thing Simon the sorcer do in order to be forgiven.

It's in there you ask God to forgive you for

this wickedness in your heart. You ask God to forgive

you for this thing that's hidden in there that nobody

knows about, and you need to repent in order to

be forgiven.

He's saying he hadn't really.

Heard, he hadn't really been healed, He hadn't even heeded

phillips sage. Phillip's message was one of repentance. Let's become

new creatures in Christ Jesus. Let's have old things pass

away that we could be sanctify and filled with the

Holy Ghost. And Peter's having to come to that meeting

and outpouring of the Holy Ghost's taking place, and he's

having to stop and preach the same message Peter Phillip's

been preaching. Repent, repent, pray that God and perhaps the

thought of thine heart may be forgiven. Thee Oh, the

heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked.

Who can know it?

Simon, the sorcerer of this man was one that wanted

to play God.

He wanted power in those hands.

Or when I get the Holy Ghost, I'm gonna walk

over there and slap my hand on Titus Wood and

he's gonna receive the Holy Ghost No, you're not.

No, you're not.

Brother Christian and Sister Learn aren't gonna allow you to

do it. And know he is not going to receive

the Holy Ghost because you put your hands, those hands

of hey, there's mortal, dirty hands. You gotta first be

able to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

I want you to know you need the Godhead to

take up a residency inside of you. Come on, I'm

not preaching to ten or twelve this morning. I'm preaching

a half a dozen of you. Do you not feel

the need to be filled with the Holy ghostp Do

you not feel an urgency to receive the Holy ghostup?

When the Holy Ghost dealt with me to preach this message,

I did not realize this was Pentecost Sunday.

I don't find it as a surprise.

Or coincidence that the Holy Ghost would remind your pastor

to preach about him or remember me? He said, think

about me? He said, Oh, thank God for the Holy

ghostep this morning. What about your heart? What's in your heart? Well,

I want to prove that I got the Holy Ghost.

I preach a little bit. Well, I want to prove

I got the Holy Ghost. So I'll go pray for

somebody for a little while. I want to prove I

got the Holy Girl. So so o, Lola La la, little

Wilder shed some tears for a little wire.

That does not prove anything in the herd of anybody. Oh,

come on.

Simon the Sorcerer was a manipulator. He was a deceiver,

and he was operating through seducing spirits, and he was

successful until he met a man with a true holy

ghost living inside of him. I want you to know,

because the person of the holy Ghost was living in Peter,

he was no longer deceitd by little damsel, he was

no longer detooled by little damnse over, and I'm more

time being there for his day rich work thing. The

man named Simon the Sorcerer, who was literally like God

in that land, would not intimidate talking Peter. I want

you to know, in that power that's greater than any

other power, resize and side of you because of the

person that lives inside of you. I want you to

know it's true. No reapon for him that gets you shy, prosper.

I'm saying, Hi jack me, holy ghost, high jack, this service,

Holy ghost, empowrus repipe, refel, restore, renew, help us to

begin with repentance. This man wanted to play God, just

let people want to play preacher.

He folly intended to buy the power.

And when Philip hooked to his evangelistic wagon and went home.

And when Peter and John covered the tracks of Philip

and went home, Simon the Sorcerers sister him and thought

he'd go around with more mystere there is power, are

y'all seeing it? He wanted a force. I would never

watch that Star Wars trilogy. I remember thirty five years ago,

before we came into holiness. I saw it for the

last time and I had got really genuinely converted and convicted,

and the Holy Ghost was leading me away from certain things.

And I remember watching them supposed Jedi forces and Brother

Jesse they had power because of another force, and I

realized and it scared me to death. They were mocking

the Holy Ghost. But you know what, even though they

were mocking a spiritual force or a spiritual power that

was able to defeat the forces of darkness.

Hey, now I'm telling you what.

It's more than an electrical current pulling somebody's light saber

from a platform into their hen. It's more than lightning

bolts and thunders. Oh, come on, are y'all women. It's

more than just a shout. It's more than just the dance.

It's more than the power. It's more than the force.

I said, it's more than the force. I'm not telling

anybody today, May the Force be with you. I'm not

telling anybody today, May the power be with you. What

I'm telling people today is, may He the Person be

inside of you. And when he is come, he will

take care of everything else. I said, When he is come,

he will take care of everything else. The enemy can

try to hijack you at night while you're asleep, but

the Holy Ghost will begin to speak through you, I said.

The Holy Ghirston will begin to speak through you. The

enemy my try to destroy you during the week, but

the Holy Ghost will begin to speak to you. I

know what I'm talking about. There's been times I've been

in my office preparing for the next service. There's been

times I've been in my house preparing for the next service,

and the Holy Ghost knock on my heart's door and say,

minister howell, if it's all right, come on now. He

don't just totally take over my wheel. He has his

way within me, he has ownership within me. We know

the Bible said the spirit is subject to the profits

and every encounter and in every involvement of the Holy Ghost,

you've got to surrender your wheel, which sister Rooden shouts

every service. I guarantee you there was some point to

where she surrendered her wheel, and the Holy Ghost comes

by and says, can I push your your studious efforts

to the side, and can I speak into your heart

as somebody's wanting the force and knock the friend. Somebody's

wanting the power and not paraclete. I'm preaching this morning

on a pardner with power. Oh yes, you'll have the

power over till you get the partner. Oh yes, you'll

have the force that till you get the friend. He'll

never leave you, he'll never forsake you.

He'll go with you all way, even up to the.

End of the world. Simon needed salvation and he needed sanctification.

If you would, he needed to be rebaptized. And there'll

be somebody right now carnally minded to say, I guess

I need to go to the close a hatch you

at the church and be rebaptized first, you need to repent.

Repent.

Every time the holy ghost has moved in my life

in a very special way, he's always glorified Jesus. He's

never glorified Jeremy. He's never glorified Jeremy. And I said

this past Wednesday night, when I got saved, I told Jesus,

it's Jesus before Charity. And I tell him that on

a weekly basis. And you know what I've told sister Charity.

I said, Charity, make sure it's always Jesus before Jeremy.

And I may have a close second going on there

in her heart, and she does with me too, but

we will never put ourselves ahead of our Jesus. And

I told this church, if you have to choose, and

you do have to choose between Jesus and Jeremy, you

choose Jesus. And for any person that refuses to choose

Jesus after you chosen Jeremy, you're gonna realize you're alone

because I'm gonna go be with Jesus. When it comes

my time to choose, I'm gonna go and be with Jesus.

And you know what, with a holy ghost living inside

of us, I don't want to grieve him. I don't

want to offend him. I don't want to quench his spirit.

I don't want to quench his power. I don't want

to grieve his power. And if he tells me to

preach something that will hair lip somebody's grandma, if he

tells me to preach something that would cost somebody a

little bit of hardship and grief until they repent, then

I don't want to grieve his spirit.

I don't want to quench his spirit. I don't want

to lose his anointing.

You do realize that as easily as you get anointed,

you can lose that anointing. Simon needed the Holy Ghost

in his heart, not power in his hands. Simon needed

the Holy Ghost in his heart, not power in his hands.

He needed a love for people, the king and the

Kingdom in his heart's called servitude, not the power to

manipulate the masses. Do I need to repeat that Jesus

demonstrated to his disciples before he left by washing their feet.

That serve it to is of most importance.

It is true after my departure, grievous wolfs will come in,

not sparing the flock. Jesus was aware of this, and

those are the words of the apostle Paul. But there

was one that came to help the flock. I'd love

to have Moses as a shepherd. I'd love to have

David as a shepherd. I'd love to have fill in

the blanks as a shepherd. I'd love to have certain

men watching over me. But whenever he said I'm sending

another comfort, a lot of people think is this is

another force or another power. They think of it just

another option, another opportunity to another one.

When Jesus said I must go away because.

I'm gonna send another comforter, you know what Jesus was saying,

I'm sending one just like me. Another that was just

as sweet as I was. Another one that was just

as concerned as I was. Another one that will meet

the needs of the church family, just like I met

the needs of the church family. Another one is just

as great of a watchman as I was. People are

looking at this Holy Ghost as an electrical current. I've

seen good, good holdiness of Pentecostal people of all persuasions

mess up on this, and I feel like the Holy

Ghost has been been insulted terribly. And that's why We're

not seeing a lot of the actions of the Holy

Ghost today because if we loved him enough that we

would preach in such a manner that would deem to

be executed or crucified, than we would see just like Polycarp, Peter, Philip,

and so many others witness, we would see the power

of our resurrected Lord. You preach and honor him as

a person enough, and let him preach the way he

wants to preach, as Jesus as the only way you preaching,

non polluted, non deluded, whole truth where people want to

drag you out and stone you. You know why we're

not seeing the Holy Ghost in operation, because we're not

needing him to operate within us. You know, a lot

of denominations, affiliations, and organizations don't want the Holy Ghost

in their presence because he will require them to adhere

in aligned with the Word of God. They don't want

to Holy Ghost speaking. They don't want the Holy Ghost working.

They don't want a man getting annoyed. They don't want

Peter coming into the middle of their mass revivals and saying, Simon,

the Sorcerer has ulterior motives. This man wanted to power

and he was willing to buy the power, willing to

manipulate the people, because brother Philip, he wanted to manipulate

them more than they had already been manipulated. It's true

the apostles laid their hands on believers and they received

the Holy Ghost. And Simon witnessed this happening, and he

wanted the power, but not the partner.

Jesus. Since the how that is saying.

I want to control him, I don't want him to

control me. People say, brother, jear me, why do you

go ahead and obey God when you're preaching.

Without fear or favor? Because I feel.

Like it's a terrible lack of judgment and wisdom to

ignore the bidding of the Holy Ghost, and because I'm

afraid of quenching the spirit and grieving the Holy Ghost.

And Jesus said, I'll pray the Father that he shall

give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever,

Brother Philip. Isn't it crazy to think amongst people that

had such great power because of the person, there was

a man willing to buy it. You'll buy something, but

it'll be a counterfeit from a greater than Simon.

A sorcerer.

They'll be a counterfeit holy ghost dealer, come by away.

And I wonder if Simon the Sorcerer really and truly

repented and got right, because if he didn't, Lucifer knew.

Oh you want it, but you don't want righteousness. You

don't want truth, you don't want purity, you don't want holiness.

Oh you want the mysterious, you want the magical, you

want the whimsicle, you want the fantasy. You want to

move and manipulate people. Well, I wonder if when Philip,

Peter and John left town, if Lucifer sent somebody to

town to say, so, you didn't receive it when they

prayed for you, did you? They just told you to repent,

that there's something wrong in your heart. But we've seen

so many so called preachers and prophets take a hold

of people who knew they weren't living right, and they

promised them peraclet, they promised them the Holy ghost. Somebody

told me that some people that used to attend my

church has recently started a church.

I have not confirmed that with Sister Wooting, but they

told me they have.

I had no idea, but I know last week the

Lord gave me some information. He said that family has

seen your ministry, and that family has appreciated your burden

for people, and they do not deny that. And then

I had some sort of experience where they were telling me,

we see your ministry, we see your love for people,

we see your reach for the least of lost and

the lonely. We've been on the sideline since we left you,

watching and we give you a head nod and we

acknowledge you, and we are preciate you, but we don't

want to live it. Holiness is not a requirement. And

in that experience encounter, I saw their ancestors lived right,

and for whatever reason, they don't want to live right.

But they told me the very weak that I had

that experience, and I hadn't thought about this family at

all other than just occasionally praying for them. And somebody

told me they started a church and the pastor and

his wife's in double marriage. And I'm not trying to

hairlip anybody, because they may listen to this, but they ain't.

No double married preacher got any business standing on a

platform preaching period.

Ever. The Bible's very clear about that, is it not?

Brother Aaron Wood, he said, he's shaking his head as

just it's just not possible, it's not right. But I

tell you a counterfeit will tell you it's okay, and

you will feel something, but you'll be missing the power.

You'll have a form of Godliness and you'll deny the power.

And as that person humbly and meekly told me the news,

Sister how will say, Well, they're fixing to find out,

God bless their heart that pastoral ministry is not a

bet of ease or a bet of roses. And she said,

may God help them not to get bitter before it's

over with, because if you past her family, I feel

the Holy ghostay in this place, you step out of tune.

You get out of touch quick. Now what people do

is between them and God. And everybody's welcome to sit

in a pew at Bethel, and everybody's welcome to grow

in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Savior

Jesus Christ. Simon the Sorcerer was obviously in the middle

of this revival, and he was obviously in the baptism

on line he come up with, and he believed. But

what he believed was they have power. They saw Sister

Breno Charles get heal of cancer. There's power. They saw

brother Philip Powell get heal of cancer.

There's power.

They witnessed eyewitnessed the sister Teresa Wallas being rose from

the dead after fifteen to twenty minutes.

There's power.

Brother Steric Knife seen more bodily resurrections than that, but

that was one that you all witnessed, and we thank

God for it. But I'll tell you this, I'm not

looking for more bodily resurrections. I'm not looking for more

cancer cures. I'm not looking for more healings and mighty manifestations.

Who I'm looking for it's the Holy Ghost. And when

he's here, he will bring all of that with him.

And I want to say this, we don't make him

yield to us. We make ourselves surrender to him. Come here,

brother Jesse. I do this not to boast in my son.

The other day we had a father son talk and

I said, you've always been one that crucifies the flesh

and tries your best to master your own body. And

I said, great men of God do that very thing.

It's an exercise. Historically, great men of God have done it,

mastering of one's own self, and Sister Wood and you've

been an eyewitness for years now. He will lay caffeine

down for six months, He'll lay it down for a year.

He'll lay soft drinks down for six months. He'll lay

it down for a year. And I've told him, don't

you be foolish and say I'm gonna take a vow five, ten,

fifteen years. But you learn how to control that flesh.

Because a man that doesn't know how to control that flesh,

God can't control that man. I'm not trying to kill

this service, but he's in the middle of a no soda,

no carbonation fast Easier said than done when you're hot,

working outside in the sun and everybody and their brother's

offering you a cold soft drink.

For now.

For a while now, Sister Hell and I've been on

a one million day. I haven't said anything from this

pulpit about that period, and had no intentions on saying it.

But it's been a pretty good while now. This week,

both brother Jesse and Brother Nathaniel asked me, said Dad,

separately individually, Dad, are you still eating on it one

mill a day? I said, yeah, most days it's nine

thirty at night to about five o'clock, I said, at

nine thirty, because of my condition, I had to put

two little Vanna fingers in my gut to keep me

from burning up where reflex give my stomach asses something neat.

But from nine to five, three four, and about three

or four or five, whenever I feel like pushing to

there's no food. It's not that I don't have the

Holy Ghost. It's something that I want to remind this

body that I'm in control of it, and I want

to remind this body that he's in control of me.

I think it would have been wiser to have preached

us on a Sunday night when we're not all so

tired and so hungry, and we were content and ready

to shout for a while. But God checked me again

this morning and said, preach it this morning. If we

could just fall in love with Jesus, you'll fall in

love with the Holy Ghost. If you could just fall

in love with Jesus, you'll fall in love with the

Holy Ghost. And I'll say this, when you love Jesus,

you love going to church. And we miss Sister Cheryl

because she demonstrated to us that Christians go to church

in spite of their disabilities. And you know why Sister

Cheryl was that way because she saw an old preacher

that her and I both knew, an old Church of

God preacher get drug into church by his wife on

a cot and that man would lay on that platform.

How many of you knew him? Somebody remind me of

his name.

James po Jackson. Thank y'all.

His wife, his faithful, dedicated, committed wife, was a friend

to him, a partner with power, no doubt. But even

though that man was this, the power of God that

emitted from that man persuaded everybody that even though he

had his limitations, the Holy Ghost had no limitations. And

I just felt that from the top of my head

to the soul of my feet. I don't know the

outcome of Simon the Sorcerer. Did you see it in

their brotherwood?

Anywhere?

The jury still out. I would love, when we get

to Heaven to walk over there to Philip and say,

meet our convert Simon. I would love to hear Simon

say I thought I had power and pointed to the

third head of the Godhead and say until he came

inside of me. I didn't need deception, I didn't need

manipulation on the flip side. If Simon's in hell today,

I'll never hear him say why did I want the

force and not the friend? Why did I want the

power and not the person? And I want to ask

you the question this morning, Who is it? What is

it you really want? Could we stand right now, please,

I'm not worried about recognition. Jesus made himself of no reputation.

Right now, I ask you to close your eyes, please

bow your heads please. I want you to imagine that

the Holy ghost in person standing outside your heart's door

and saying I want to come in.

Are you ready?

Do you need to scramble and get some things fixed

for him to come in? Then admit with me, there's

some work to be done, just like Simon the Sorcerer

had some work to be done. I don't want to

give a general alter call right now. May the praying

saints pray with me as we pull.

What will your outcome be?

One day we'll find out what became of Simon, if

he died the sorcerer or if he died the spirit

filled man of God? Is this altar prepared for you?

Yes? Is this altar prepared for us?

Yes? Are we prepared for the altar. We have one

that's come. Is there another? One brother told me recently, said, Pastor,

I've been asking God to just take over my being,

take over me and use me. That's the attitude to have,

not I want to use the power to benefit me.

We pray and we sing, Old Lord, send the power.

Just now.

What we mean by that is, Old Lord, send the

person of the Holy Ghost, and if he comes, we'll

have the power. If you're tempted to miss church for

frivolous reasons, you need to begin at the altar of

repentance and say God, I want things that matter to

you to matter to me. Now, we've got about fifteen

men over here praying, not a single sister over here

on this side.

And we got.

Young teenage, young adult sisters. Not a single sister. But

I feel like this is for men and women, boys

and girls. We could say Susie the Sorceress, Susie the Sorceress,

or Simon the Sorcerer. I thank God for the way

the Holy Ghost helps us feel. I thank God for

the power he brings. But oh, the person He's shown

up every time I've needed him, He's been very present.

I'm Glad Jesus sent that comforter. Quench not the spirit, grieve,

not the Holy Girl host. I want you to pray

the way you feel led to pray today. He's a

gift to you. He wants to live in you. He

wants to bide inside of you.

Forever. He'll never leave you, He'll never forsake you.