Acts 1:4-5, 8 (NIV) 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. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit...But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
It is interesting to note how Jesus refers the Holy Spirit as a gift from the Father. If we think about it, The Holy Spirit is an amazing gift we each received upon our baptism. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts, guides, teaches and instills us with wisdom. Once a person recognizes the Holy Spirit moving in their life it is humbling and yet so exciting.
The Holy Spirit is a big part of the Christian's life. It took this Christian a long time to realize the power of the Holy Spirit; it also took me years to recognize the Spirit's movement. Now I watch for it every day, asks for it every morning. Come, Holy Spirit.
I think part of the reason it took me so long to understand that the Holy Spirit was approachable and real goes back to my childhood when we referred to the Spirit as Holy Ghost. I know it is only a word, but that word coupled with my lack of Bible knowledge provided a barrier to understanding and recognition.
The Spirit's role in the Christian's life is on a level playing field as God and Jesus. I find myself praying to the Holy Spirit for wisdom as regularly as I call out to Jesus for forgiveness or surrender my will to God. The Book of Acts is filled with examples of the Holy Spirit's activity in the lives of the new Believers. Come, Holy Spirit is a prayer to lift up daily.
Acts 1:1-8
No comments:
Post a Comment