Because EMPTY is never a good idea.
- Christine DiGiacomo
- 24 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Conversations with people provide a great deal of
content for these Morning Briefings--even when
they come through email, like this: ‘So let me get
this straight - based on what you wrote in 'Okay
I'd like to try the Holy Spirit,'https://conta.cc/4x4BOiR,
I make a decision to follow Jesus and let him lead
my life and you’re saying that then God will live in me?
That is kinda crazy, don’t you think?’
Actually, when put that way, it really is crazy. Crazy, at least, to our limited minds. And once again, having God the Holy Spirit indwell us certainly sets Christianity apart from every other religion. But then, there is Jesus Christ who also willingly became a man to love, teach, lead, suffer and die… what kind of a God would die for people? What kind of a King would die for his subjects? Only One. O yes, there are many distinctives to our biblical Christian faith.
But as we have been discussing, one of the least understood aspects of Christianity is the person and work of the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the trinity. 'The Spirit is not just a flighty, whimsical spirit who comes and goes like the wind. He is an eternal being.'1Â
The Holy Spirit in us enables us to know hope in our souls,
to walk in power because he is God in us. . .
the reason God is able to say ‘never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’2Â
The Holy Spirit interprets God to us,3
which means that as we seek God's guidance,
the Holy Spirit impresses on us the path to take.
He leads, guides, convicts, comforts and draws people to the heart of God.
While he is one third of the Trinity, he has his own mind and distinct personality. Why, He prays for us! Paul informed the Romans,
"The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."4Â
People mistakenly refer to the Holy Spirit as energy … uh-uh. The Holy Spirit has all the qualities of a person without possessing material substance. He has will, intelligence, feeling, knowledge, empathy and the ability to see and love, think and hear, speak and desire, grieve and rejoice.5
I love the Holy Spirit.Â
In order for your vehicle to run, you have to put gas in the tank (or plug it into the wall, you greenies), right? Same with you - in order to operate at full capacity, you have to fill your tank. In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must set your mind on the things of God.
->Prayer is the fuel to power your soul and make up your mind.
Make sure your tank is full, start each morning in prayer. There is not one right way to pray; however, starting each day in prayer is life-changing and life-giving.
Included in my morning prayers, I ask God to forgive my sins, and then, Friend, right after that, I ask him to refill me with the Spirit.Â
Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, "Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit."6Â Paul used a Greek word for filled that when correctly translated means, 'Keep on being filled with the Spirit.'
You see, while His presence in my life is a constant, my permission and desire for the Spirit to be much in me is not… if life is anything at all, it is distracting from the presence, and our awareness, of God. So I daily ask God to refill me with his Holy Spirit so that I will be tuned to his voice, his wisdom, leading, guiding, comforting and convicting.Â
The Holy Spirit is a gentleman . . . he does not come where he is not wanted. Is he welcome in your life, my friend?Â
Look for Him, will you?
Look to Him to fill you up.
Listen! Hymn of the Holy Spirit, Pat Barrett:
grateful to be on the journey with you,
Christine
Holy Spirit: who or what? no.7
1 - from The Forgotten
God by Francis Chan
2 - Hebrews 13.5
3 - 1 Corinthians 2.13
4 - Romans 8.27
5 - A.W. Tozer, brilliant man of God. 1897-1963Â
You can listen to his sermon on Youtube:Â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEgAXa-znac
6 - Ephesians 5.18