The Dancing Hand of God (part 5) Holy Ghost and Fire ~ Dr William P. Hohman

Holy Ghost Fire Overview

In this fifth installment of the Dancing Hand of God series, Dr. William P. Hohman delivers a powerful and doctrinally rich message on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, whom he identifies as the present governor of the Kingdom of God on earth. Drawing from key scriptures including Isaiah 8:18, First Corinthians 12, Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:1-4, and John 20, Dr. Hohman traces the progressive revelation of God as intimately hands-on with His creation, using the metaphors of the finger, hand, and arm of God to illustrate increasing dimensions of divine power. He challenges believers to move beyond a passive, powerless Christianity and to earnestly desire and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through vivid personal stories, including a tent revival in Summit Lake, Wisconsin where state police were drawn in by the Spirit’s power, and a hotel maid who left a note reading “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place,” Dr. Hohman illustrates what the manifest presence of God looks like in everyday life. The message culminates in a compelling exposition of Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, calling every believer to be submerged in the Spirit for signs, wonders, and miracles.

Holy Ghost Fire Outline

• 0:00:00 – Introduction and Series Context: Dr. Hohman opens by recounting the origin of the Dancing Hand of God series, including the memorable tent revival in Summit Lake, Wisconsin, where the Holy Spirit moved so powerfully that police were called by a nearby bar.
• 0:08:00 – The Holy Spirit as Governor of the Kingdom: An exposition of the Holy Spirit’s role as the present lord in the church, contrasting Him with Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father, and emphasizing the need for the Spirit’s intimate governance in every area of life.
• 0:18:00 – God’s Hands-On Nature with Creation: Dr. Hohman explores how God’s hands-on approach to creating mankind reflects His desire for intimacy with people, referencing the formation of man in Genesis and the coming of Emmanuel as the ultimate expression of that intimacy.
• 0:28:00 – The Finger, Hand, and Arm of God: A structured biblical overview of God’s interaction with humanity through metaphors of strength: the finger delivering from demonic oppression, the hand as creative power, and the arm as redeeming salvation.
• 0:39:00 – Spiritual Gifts and the Manifestation of the Spirit: A deep dive into First Corinthians 12:1-7, unpacking the Greek meaning of manifestation as a hand that dances, and challenging believers to earnestly desire the gifts of the Spirit rather than shy away from them.
• 0:50:00 – Desiring the Gifts, Not Just the Giver: Dr. Hohman directly addresses the common teaching that believers should desire the Giver and not the gifts, correcting it with scripture and using the analogy of a parent joyfully watching children unwrap Christmas gifts.
• 0:59:00 – Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Fire: An exposition of Matthew 3:11, John 20:22, and Acts 1:4-5 tracing the promise and fulfillment of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, distinguishing between the Spirit dwelling in believers and coming upon believers at Pentecost.
• 1:09:00 – Pentecost and the Fire of Purification: Dr. Hohman expounds on Acts 2:1-4, explaining how the fire of the Holy Spirit ignites passion, burns away impurities like dross from precious metal, and empowers believers for signs, wonders, and miracles in daily life.
• 1:17:00 – Call to Action and Exhortation: The sermon closes with a passionate call for believers to stop living powerless lives, to embrace the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and to step into their God-given authority as signs and wonders in the earth.

Scripture References

Isaiah 8:18, Isaiah 59:16, Hebrews 2:12-13, Romans 8, Zephaniah 3, Luke 11:20, Psalms 118:15-17, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Romans 5:17, 1 Corinthians 12:1-7, 1 Corinthians 14:1, Matthew 3:11, John 20:19-22, Acts 10:38, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 2:1-4, Malachi 3:6

Key Takeaways

• The Holy Spirit is not a doctrine but a person of the Godhead who governs the Kingdom of God on earth and desires intimate involvement in every area of a believer’s life.
• God is inherently hands-on with His creation: He did not merely speak man into existence but formed him personally, and that same hands-on nature is expressed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit today.
• The word manifestation comes from a Latin root meaning a hand that dances, revealing that the Holy Spirit is the divine choreographer who works uniquely in and through each believer for the profit of all.
• Believers are called to be signs, wonders, and miracles in the earth, not to escape into passive faith but to advance the Kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes.
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a legitimate, distinct, and necessary experience beyond salvation, described as being submerged in the Spirit so that He comes not only in the believer but upon the believer with fire and power.
• Scripture commands believers to earnestly desire the gifts of the Spirit, including tongues, prophecy, and healing, because God gave these gifts to equip His people for spiritual warfare and Kingdom advancement.
• A guilty conscience is never God’s will for a born-again believer, because the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from sin and dead works so that we can live and function as the righteousness of God in the earth.

Holy Ghost Fire Notes

The Holy Spirit as Present Governor

Dr. Hohman draws a clear distinction between Jesus as Lord over the church and the Holy Spirit as the Lord in the church. While Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, He did not leave believers comfortless. He sent the Holy Spirit as governor, the one who is present and active in believers’ daily lives. This is not merely theological terminology but a lived reality: the Holy Spirit is meant to govern homes, workplaces, relationships, and even the atmosphere of a room, as illustrated by the hotel maid who left a note declaring the manifest presence of God without ever being told a minister had stayed there.

Three Dimensions of God’s Strength

One of the sermon’s most structured teachings presents the finger, hand, and arm of God as progressive metaphors of divine power. The finger, seen in Luke 11:20 when Jesus casts out demons, represents God’s delivering strength. The hand, which formed man from dust and whose span holds the universe, represents creative power. The arm, referenced in Isaiah 59:16, represents redemptive power that saves when no human intercessor can be found. Dr. Hohman uses these three images to show that God’s power over every demonic force and every form of corruption is available to believers today.

Manifestation Means a Dancing Hand

The Greek word phaneroo, translated manifestation in First Corinthians 12:7, means to cause to be seen and known by action. Dr. Hohman adds the Latin root meaning behind the word manifestation itself: manus meaning hand, and festus meaning festive or dance. The Holy Spirit is therefore the hand of God that dances, the divine conductor of the orchestra of believers, orchestrating different gifts, ministries, and activities into one beautiful kaleidoscope that glorifies God. This image reframes spiritual gifts not as divisive or chaotic but as a coordinated, joyful expression of God’s creative power through surrendered lives.

Why Believers Must Desire the Gifts

Addressing a common teaching that Christians should desire the Giver but not the gifts, Dr. Hohman corrects this with First Corinthians 12:31 and 14:1, both of which command believers to earnestly desire the best gifts. He uses the analogy of a parent who does not scold children for unwrapping Christmas presents but delights in watching them enjoy what was lovingly prepared. In the same way, God gave spiritual gifts because He wants believers to use them, enjoy them, and advance the Kingdom through them. Refusing the gifts out of fear or false humility is not spiritual maturity but powerlessness dressed in religious language.

The Promise and Fulfillment of Pentecost

Dr. Hohman traces the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit from John the Baptist’s announcement in Matthew 3:11 through Jesus breathing on the disciples in John 20:22 and then commanding them to wait in Jerusalem in Acts 1:4-5, until its explosive fulfillment in Acts 2:1-4. He distinguishes between the Holy Spirit coming into believers at the new birth and coming upon believers at Pentecost, noting that being baptized in the Holy Spirit means being fully submerged in Him. This baptism brought fire of passion, power, and purity that transformed frightened, disbelieving disciples into bold witnesses who turned the world upside down.

The Fire That Purifies and Empowers

The fire of the Holy Spirit serves two distinct purposes in Dr. Hohman’s teaching: purification and empowerment. Just as precious metals are heated until dross rises to the surface and is skimmed away, the fire of the Spirit burns away the impurities of conscience, condemnation, fear, and carnality. But that same fire also ignites a passion for God that makes believers spiritually contagious, drawing others into the Kingdom the way drunk people naturally gravitate toward others who share their condition. This fire is not optional for the believer who wants to live in Kingdom authority; it is the very engine of signs, wonders, and miracles that God has called His people to demonstrate.

Frequently Asked Questions