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  HE BREATHED ON THEM
  by A.B. Simpson
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Summary: Receiving the Holy Spirit is as simple as breathing, requiring
us to empty ourselves and trust in God's ability to fill us.

Topics: "Spiritual Renewal", "Receiving the Holy Spirit"
Scripture References: Luke 11:13, John 20:22, Acts 2:4, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 5:18

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DESCRIPTION
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A.B. Simpson emphasizes the simplicity of receiving the Holy Spirit,
likening it to the act of breathing. He illustrates that just as stale
air can suffocate us, clinging to our old sinful and spiritual lives
prevents us from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Simpson encourages
believers to empty themselves of past burdens and to continuously seek a
fresh infilling of the Spirit. By maintaining the right attitude of
emptiness, we can effortlessly receive the life-giving breath of God.
The message is a call to constant renewal and openness to the Holy
Spirit's presence.

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CONTENT
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The beautiful figure suggested by the words "He breathed on them" is
full of simple instruction. It is as easy to receive the Holy Spirit as
it is to breathe. It almost seems as if the Lord had given His disciples
the very impression of breathing, and had said, "Now this is the way to
receive the Holy Spirit." It is not necessary for us to go to the
isolation room of a hospital to have our lungs contaminated with impure
air. All we need to do is to keep in our lungs the air we inhaled a
minute ago, and it will kill us. All the pure elements have been
absorbed from it, and there is nothing left but carbon and other deadly
gases.

Therefore, if we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must first be
emptied not only of our old sinful life, but of our old spiritual life.

We must take a new breath every moment, or we will die. God wants us to
empty out all our being into Him. Then we can take Him in-without
needing to try too hard. A vacuum always becomes filled; an empty pair
of lungs unavoidably breathes in the pure air. If we are only in the
right attitude, there will be no trouble about receiving the Holy
Spirit.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ab-simpson/he-breathed-on-them/
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