What's the BIG DEAL about the Holy Spirit?

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/40974828/whats-the-big-deal-about-the-holy-spirit-no4

Real-life encounters give us relatable material.

We can see ourselves in the dynamic, and

determine where we stand in a matter.

So it is with this vital topic of understanding

and experiencing the Holy Spirit.

For instance, 'Yeah, I still don't get it,' he said.

'The Holy Spirit ... you really think he is a person?

I've been a Christian for so many years but I do

not really understand him, I guess.' hmmm...

How is it that, we who have loved God for decades,

gone to church most weekends, understand so little

about this third person of the Trinity? How is that possible?

(I have talked about the Trinity in my last two Morning Briefings, https://conta.cc/3TJvIpC; https://conta.cc/4yzAPsB)

While the Holy Spirit indwells, inspires, guides, convicts, quickens, transforms and empowers the people of God - most of the work of the Holy Spirit is not visible.

Friend, you have never seen the wind, but you have felt the effects of it

 blowing the hair around your face, and drying your eyes

You have seen the effects of the wind bending trees in half, 

      creating whitecaps on the lake

         blowing tumbleweeds across the highway, 

            whipping sand into a storm.

And I've noticed that here in North Carolina, when a stiff wind comes up, it usually brings a change in the weather; often, rain. In fact, it just happened--after a strong wind, came the rain. We are currently under flood watch.

Here is the corollary: I have never seen God, but I have felt his presence.

Experiencing the presence and power of God . . . only known through the Holy Spirit, is life giving.

Having established that the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity, what does the Holy Spirit do in the lives of Christ followers today?  

The Holy Spirit breathes new life/God's life into believers.

When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, there is "fruit" that can be seen in her life. I miss the big apricot tree in my California backyard ... not surprisingly, that tree produced beautiful apricots that I picked and ate right off the tree and many others that I canned. Fruit - visible, tangible...expected.

That tree is meant to produce apricots, and not cherries. It was Paul who described the 'fruit' that should be evident and growing in the life of a Christian; fruit which happens to look a lot like character qualities! The fruit of the Spirit is 

love , 

  joy ,                          

   peace,          ->are these evident

     patience,          in you?

       kindness,      

          goodness, 

             faithfulness, 

                gentleness, 

                   self-control.1

And that self-control coupled with faithfulness? Well, it proffers God's wisdom, which he promises if we but ask him.2 Our brother James further illuminates with, 'The wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.'3  Notice the intersection of godly character and wisdom. The fact is - if we are God's children, filled with the Holy Spirit, we will desire to embody these 9 fruits--they are assurances and evidences of the Spirit-driven life.

The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that we belong,

that we are children of God.

"God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children."4 Put another way, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." And as children of God, we are heirs of the kingdom, and will live with our Father forever.  Huh, just as there was no doubt that I belonged to my mama - in my heart, in practice, in her eyes and devotion, there is no doubt that I am God's child. He has given me the assurance and I know it from deep within myself; again, that is because of the Holy Spirit I received when I made the decision to let God lead my life.5

There are other things which we will discuss in days to come, evidences of the Spirit in the people of God and in our lives, but the thing that has loomed so large for me, screamed off the pages of my Bible and out of the lyrics of songs lately is this:

The life of the person filled with the Holy Spirit is 

characterized first and foremost by LOVE.

She wants to experience more of God's love;

he wants to love God more ...

Rather than being consumed with self,

she thinks first of others;

she remembers to love them unconditionally.

He wants to express that love in ways that will be understood.

"They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love" wasn't just a 60's hippie song; it is to be personal-  'hey, others will know I am a Christian if I love them !' You see, when the Holy Spirit is in our lives, we are freed from ourselves to love others well.

BREATH PRAYER:

Breathe out: Holy Spirit, free me from my self

 from being self absorbed, self centered.

Breathe in: Come, Holy Spirit, renew and refresh me

 with your Presence, Power and Love. Amen.

Listen to the beautiful re-release of this old song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-W5HEVPJT8&list=RDt-W5HEVPJT8&start_radio=1

Thankful to be on the journey with you,

Christine

Holy Spirit: Who or What? no.4

1 - Galatians 5.22-23

2 - James 1.5

3 - James 3.17, CEV

4 - Romans 8.16, CEV

5 - Let God lead my life? Yes. I believed the evidence that Jesus is/was the Son of God, died on the cross for me. I asked for forgiveness of my sin, and then asked that he would lead my life. Best decision ever.