Word of the Week - Holy Spirit
“And I will ask the Father and He will give another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16
Pentecost – Celebrating and embracing the Holy Spirit – On this day of Pentecost, we celebrate the gift that God gave us in the 3rd person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Most believers and non-believers can understand God the Father and Jesus the Son but many are not sure about the Holy Spirit. Of course God in His fullness is Spirit and mysterious in many ways, so we see and understand our Triune God through a dim view as humans. That being said, the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as an amazing gift and we cannot experience the fullness of God unless we are in communion with the Holy Spirit. “In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God”. Romans 8: 26-27The following are just a few attributes of the Holy Spirit and the benefits of fellowship with the Holy Spirit:He Comforts us: If we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives He will Comfort us in times of need. God sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended into heaven to be our great Comforter. Call upon the Holy Spirit and He will comfort you in times of need. “And I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” John 14:16He Teaches us: If we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit He will Teach us and give us wisdom. We will see things and know things that are beyond our own intellect or conventional wisdom. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” John 14:26He Uses us: By the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, we are able to testify to what God has done in us and through us and be witnesses for the Gospel. We should constantly ask God to use us as instruments to represent God in power and love. “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me.” John 15:26He Convicts us: The Holy Spirit Convicts us when we have sin within our hearts. He never condemns us but if we allow Him permission the Holy Spirit will point out anything that is not right within in us and lead us to change and be renewed in Christ. “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world, and show where right and wrong and judgement lie. He will convict us” John 16:8He Guides us: In this world there are many voices and no shortage of opinions, many of which are good and sound. That being said, we must be able to navigate through the noise and it can be challenging at times. The Holy Spirit is the still small voice of God that will lead us and guide us to the Way, the Truth and the Life in Christ. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13Holy Spirit we invite you to come Comfort us, Teach us, Use us, Convict us and Guide us in the way we should go!!!!!!!Happy Pentecost Sunday. Have a great week of fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!!!!!!!!!-Duane