Jesus + Holy Spirit... Purpose?
- Christine DiGiacomo
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
There are several topics that are near and dear to my heart--each one having to do with living life to the full--including living with joy, knowing contentment, life on purpose and of course, why the Holy Spirit is the difference maker! And because nothing about Jesus Christ was boring, our lives should not be either.
Do you know how many times people have told me they just wish they knew their purpose? Turns out the Holy Spirit has something to do with that too.
Right now, let's look where we've been in the last couple weeks, as this will be our last in this series on the Holy Spirit: Who or What? [Xavier, Steve and Andy-Washington DC please tap the 'past Morning Briefings' tab above to read or listen to the past offerings.]
We have looked at the Holy Spirit as a Person, third Person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor is He an impersonal force. He is a Person, equal in every way with the Father and the Son. We have considered the activity of the Holy Spirit recorded in the Old Testament, which was a more limited role than that in the early Christian church or today.
But then ... Jesus. I pay particular attention to what Jesus had to say about the coming of the Holy Spirit, and accordingly, cannot read his words enough. They included:
John 14:16 - He [God] will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. the world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you
26 - The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name will teach you of all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 16:7 - Unless I go away the Counselor will not come to you.
John 16:13 - 16 But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own. He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
He will bring glory to me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine.
The Holy Spirit is a WHO. Jesus makes that very clear; it does not matter what 'spiritual' people want to say about the Holy Spirit being a 'force' or an 'energy', we must operate in truth, for he is far more than a force or energy. Lean in.
After the Resurrection and just before the Ascension, recorded in Acts chapter 1, Jesus' followers pressed him again to know if this would be the time he would set things straight in Israel--topple Rome's tyranny of the Jews, and set up His kingdom. Remember, they lived under the heavy hand of Rome, which was about to get a whole lot worse.
Jesus replied, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. your attention please -
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1.8
I suppose you could read right past that verse, and not give too much thought; I'm sure many have. Not so fast. . . Luke starts with the word "but"- did you notice that three-letter word at the start of the sentence? 'Kinda' like Jesus is saying, 'you guys are wanting a shift in power, but I am here to give you power you know nothing about yet. The power I'm talking about will change your lives forever. . . it is spiritual power--supernatural power.'
Here's the thing, 2000 years later, that spiritual power, matters tremendously to you and me. It is the difference between a 'ho hum life' and 'life like you always wanted, but never dreamed you could realize.'
And, life filled with the Holy Spirit empowers us to live out our God-given purpose which always includes our telling people about the greatest love and life they could ever have or know.
Consider this very dramatic setting in which Jesus utters his last words to his disciples, and then before their very stunned eyes, goes up into the clouds...He literally ascends into Heaven. Again, I think we under-play just how miraculous that whole thing was!
And you know, someone's last words - someone who knows they are likely his last words, that is - tell us so much about what is most important to him. So what was last on Jesus' mind as he spoke to his inner circle, likely his brothers, mother and a few others too...along with you and me 2000 years later:
'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses...'
Witnesses, you and me...huh? Yes, you and I were commissioned by Jesus himself to tell others what we have experienced in Him. And we do it in the unique ways God has equipped and placed us.
Why, it is the easiest,
the best,
the most delightful thing in the world
for me to start spiritual conversations with people -
no matter where I am.
And that is what Jesus charged us to do - once the Holy Spirit came... and that He did, just 10 days after Jesus spoke these words on the Mt. of Olives.
Jesus, 'gonna send the Holy Spirit and you will have power to be.my.witnesses, and
you will have purpose like you've never known it!'
Listen: The Commission, Cain:
Another version, The Commission, Cain + Isaiah Templeton:
Just tell them what you've experienced!
So many just do not know.
Christine
Holy Spirit: Who or What? no.16
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