Stopping the Ears: Early Ray Barones

Acts 7:48 "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (the high priest and Jews) , ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.54 When they heard these things (about their own rejection of the Holy Ghost), they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 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, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58a And cast him out of the city, and stoned him..."

The Holy Ghost didn't make his grand entrance at Pentecost! Some will say that is heresy! The Holy Ghost returned to Christians at Pentecost. He had been around for a really long time. However, from the time of Malachi to the time of Jesus was around 400 years, hence the "400 years of silence". All the prophets of the Old Testament were inspired of God (The Holy Ghost) to prophecy. After Malachi that all ceased!

Those who are inspired by God are guided by him. As an example consider the following:

Mark 12:36 "For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool."

David, filled with the same Holy Ghost of whom Stephen was filled saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, just as Stephen did! In effect David was a Pentecostal before pentecost. From the second day of Passover until the celebration of the harvest was seven weeks. The following day of Pentecost made 50. Hence, "Pentecost".  It was "the day of firstfruits". It's when the best of the harvest was brought forth. Only this time it was God who brought the firstfruits; the return of the Holy Ghost!

There are twelve fruits of the spirit (Revelation 22:2). Scripture only names nine!

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance..."

From scripture the Holy Ghost came of the day of Pentecost. That was the day of "first fruits". Could it be than the filling of the Holy Ghost was one of the twelve and that he preceded all the others? The Holy Ghost is power!

Acts 1:8a "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..."

The Holy Ghost is power! And why do Christians need power? "To overcome the world!" (1 John 5:4).  It does make sense that the Holy Ghost himself is the first fruits who bears the other eleven fruits. His power does result in love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance! Surely "power" is the first fruit if the other fruits.

Now read from Acts (above) again. Considering that temple worship had been replaced by synagogues is part of the story. There were no longer "temples" in which the Holy Ghost dwelt. There was no building, for God was never there anyway (verse 48), and there were no human temples either. God's 400-year silence, was a short vacation for the Holy Ghost! It turns out that God never ever lived in the temple, but his is a cosmic kingdom. The Spirit of God isn't contained by walls, but dwells freely everywhere until new temple's are created in the hearts of men! David's "heart" was the temple of the Holy Ghost as were the prophets with whom God communed!

The Jews resisted the Holy Ghost as "their fathers did". This NT conversation validated that the Holy Ghost was the power on whom the OT patriarchs had faith! It's the same Holy Ghost who spoke for Moses so powerfully in the face of Pharoah as was the Holy Ghost spoke to so powerfully to people so they could understood in their own tongue. There are not two Holy Ghosts. He was there at the creation as well. He was one of whom God made man "in our image"!

In effect Pentecost was the filling of the souls of those who had faith in Jesus Christ with power: the power to love, be joyful, be peaceful, etc.! Because men weren't inspired for 400 years, souls had been empty up until the time of John the Baptist anyway. John had the Holy Ghost because he spoke with power and was inspired of God, being anointed before he was born!

Jesus was Fathered by God's Spirit, the Holy Ghost. I believe his soul was already filled at birth. Because he was filled meant that he could not be filled again (John 1:33). There it is said that the "Spirit descended and remained on him". Then immediately he resisted the devil" filled with the Spirit"! He was born powerful, and I suggest that the Holy Ghost came down and somehow energized that power that he had since birth. It would seem his baptism started a transformation which was enhanced at the transfiguration and finished after he had returned to his Father after the resurrection.

The Jews rejected the Holy Ghost as they had in the time of their fathers.  When confronted with the facts, they did what children do: 1) cried out, 2) stopped up their ears, and 3) persecuted Stephen. This is the M.O. of those in rebellion still today! When people who are wrong in their beliefs and actions are confronted, they cry out (usually with name-calling), stop up their ears (as they close their eyes and hum), and then get vicious! That is the M.O. of liberals today as they reject the truth about Jesus.

When facts (truth) fail those attacking, they always resort to these tactics. Why? Because they hate Jesus who says that he is the only way! They hate the Holy Ghost because he is the Power behind the name of Jesus and the power which makes people do God's will!

And what's all this got to do with Ray Barone? Not much! But that's how he behaves when Debra, his wife, tells him the facts! (Everybody Loves Raymond).