We can't contain the Spirit

"Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you." - Corrie Ten Boom

This quote reminds me so much of our need of the Holy Spirit. Many of us try to be self-sufficient in all areas of our lives, including our faith. However, this is not what God planned for us. The gift of the Holy Spirit is so that we may do the work of God, empowered by God. 

Romans 5:3-5 - There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Living in Grace

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The strength to live differently

Reflecting on Pentecost this past weekend, I was reminded of how we need the Spirit in order to live differently. What Jesus has called us to do, is not something that we can hope to achieve in our human strength or wisdom. It is extremely different and radical. 

If it were something that I could do with my own abilities I would be tempted to claim all the glory, but being a Christ-follower requires a supernatural element, that can only come from the Spirit.

Just take a look at the Beatitudes again and you will see what I mean (Matthew 5:3-10):

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

If you would like to listen to our Pentecost message, please click onto the link and enjoy. 

Living in Grace

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A wonderful promise

Jesus promised his followers that he would not leave them as orphans (John 14:18), which may have seemed strange for them at the time. At this point in their discipleship journey they probably had very little idea of what was to come - they didn't yet understand the pain and heartache that lay in the future. However, I am sure that these words from Jesus (v.18) came back to them, as they grieved his death.

It is interesting that the Greek word 'orphanos' is used in this instance, which is easy for us to see how we come up with the English word 'orphan.' Most scholars believe that what Jesus was saying was deeper than, "I won't leave you without a Father," but that it could also mean, "I won't leave you without a teacher."

We should remember that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that He is our teacher and He helps us to understand the words of Scripture. I love the fact that the person of the Holy Spirit is so multi-faceted, that He is hard to confine to a single definition.

Thought: In what way have you experienced the Spirit as a Father or as a teacher? 

Living in Grace

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Pentecost - what a gift!

On this day of Pentecost, it is a moment to thank God for his indescribable gift of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Paracletos (comforter, advocate, counsellor) was for the equipping and blessing of the believers. This gift was to give us the dynamic power we needed to share the Good News with a world longing for Hope and Love. 

I don't believe that anything has changed, in terms of our reliance of the Spirit, and God's call for us to share the Gospel. It is my prayer that we could be filled with God's Spirit, in order to move into our troubled world with a clear message of grace.

“That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight.” – Acts 2:14 (The Message)

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, Come! 

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Open to God

We are edging closer and closer to the anniversary of Pentecost. Undoubtedly this moment in history changed the Church completely. In fact, we could argue that the disciples could have drifted back to their old lives, if it weren't for the outpouring of God's Gift of the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, this didn't happen, and we are able to share in the magnificence of the Spirit.

As we await Pentecost let us ask ourselves if we are open to the Spirit? Do we believe in the power of the Paracletos to change us, equip us and strengthen us?

"God waits to dwell in us and to fill us with yet more grace, more love, more wholeness and with his own fullness. But the God of the Bible never bulldozes his way into a person's life. He loves us enough to wait until, out of our own free will, we invite him to come to us." - Joyce Huggett

1 Corinthians 1:24 - "But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them."

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Living God's way

The work of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to live our lives for the glory of God and to serve others in our communities. As Eugene Peterson eloquently describes: "The Holy Spirit is God moving in us to live God's life."

How does this resonate with you? 

Do you sense the Spirit moving in your heart, equipping you to live God's life?

1 John 3:24 - The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Titus 2:12 - It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

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A most unique gift

When we receive gifts from loved ones and friends, it is usually an indication of a deeper relationship between us. I mean, how often do you give gifts to someone you don't really appreciate and enjoy? I can't recall ever doing that.

We are reminded that at Pentecost God gave us the greatest gift of all - Himself. Jesus had been explaining to his followers that they should expect this GIFT, but in true fashion, no one knew what this gift would be. 

Acts 1:4 - On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."

"Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  - John 4:10

The challenge for us all is what we will do with this most unique and indispensable gift. Sadly, too many of us have left the gift unopened and unused.

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Better than Jesus?

Why would Jesus tell his disciples that it was 'better' for them that he returned to the Father? At first glance I struggled with this statement. If I had been with Jesus for those 3 years, there is no way I could imagine anything or anyone better. However, Jesus insists that this is the case and we need to know why. Hall Harris gives us this lovely insight:

"But why is it better for the disciples to have the presence of the Paraclete than the presence of Jesus himself as they do now? Because the Paraclete will not only be with them as Jesus has been, but in them as well (John 17:23, 26)."

This is the key difference. When Jesus was physically present with his disciples he was limited to time and space - he could only be in one place at a time. However, when the Holy Spirit came this changed the playing field. Now everyone had access to the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

So, if there is an answer to the question: "Is there anything better than Jesus?" The answer would have to be: Yes, it is the Spirit living within us.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Pentecost

 

I realise that there many different teachings on the Holy Spirit in the larger church, but I still remain convinced that the gift of the Spirit is for us to do the work that Jesus left for us to do. Of course, we enjoy the greater benefits of the Spirit in other areas of our lives (that is just the gracious nature of God spilling over), but the Spirit's main agenda is surely to equip the church for sharing the Gospel, living Christ-like lives and changing the hearts of people. 

Perhaps these words will help us reflect on this in a deeper way:

"Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless." - Charles Surgeon

"Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you." - Corrie Ten Boom

"The Holy Spirit's main ministry is not to give thrills but to create in us Christlike character." - J.I. Packer

John 15:26-27 (The Message) - “When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start.”

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The Watershed Moment

John told his followers about the gift of the Spirit long before Pentecost. Of course, most people couldn't fully grasp what he was saying, until the actual moment took place. God chose the annual feast of Pentecost to pour out the Spirit upon the entire Church - what perfect timing. From this point on (the Watershed Moment) the people of God were mobilised to share the Good News without fear.

 

Matthew 3:11 - “I baptise with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

 

As always Eugene Peterson puts these words into language we can all relate too.

 

“I’m baptising you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

 

The real action of our faith comes from the inspiration of the Spirit.

The Spirit ignites the Kingdom of God in us.

The Spirit changes us from the inside out.

We serve in the drama of the faith, but the main character is always JESUS.

 

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Waiting

When you are waiting for something it is often easier if you know when the actual date is going to be. For example, if you are preparing for a big event - like a wedding, family celebration, function, race or sports fixture - the waiting is made bearable by the prescribed date. 

 

However, when you are asked to wait for something and you have no idea when the 'date' is going to be, that is hard to do. This was the situation the disciples faced between Ascension and Pentecost. We know now that it was only 10 days for them to wait for the Spirit to descend, but they didn't know that. It could have been 2 weeks, 2 months or even 2 years.

The spiritual challenge for us is to remain patient with God's timing, even in the moments when we wish God would hurry up. God's plans and gifts are always worth waiting for!

 

Luke 3:15 - The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.

Hebrews 6:15 - And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

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Aldersgate & Pentecost

It is not often that Aldersgate Sunday and Pentecost fall on the same day, on the 24th May. Both of these events are deeply significant in the lives of Christians, and especially people aligned with the Methodist tradition. If for some reason you don't know what these 2 days represent have a look at the links provided: Aldersgate Sunday and Pentecost.

Pentecost is significant for me because it reminds me of the following key things for my faith:

1. God fulfils his promises.Joel 2:28 - "I will pour out my Spirit on all people."
2. The Spirit of God is with us all the time - Matthew 28:20.
3. God grants us the ability and strength to do things for His glory.
4. God's love is poured into our hearts - Romans 5:5
5. The Spirit brings revival and renews the Church.

May our hearts be "strangely warmed" on this day.
May the Spirit of God move our faith from being a "religious" knowledge into a dynamic relationship with the Living God.

"Because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Romans 5:5

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The Invite

On this weekend of Pentecost I pray that we may come to a deeper understanding of the gift of the Spirit. God is so generous with his Spirit, that we are all invited to share in this amazing gift. May we not turn down this awesome invitation from Jesus.

"The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." - Revelation 22:17

"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams." - Saint Augustine
 
Blessed Pentecost to you all,

Living in Grace
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