Spirit
The Carpenter tells us that with his resurrection the comforter can come, in fact, it is recorded that
in John 20:19
"That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Yet despite this event, we also acknowledge that the Holy Spirit reveals Himself in power during the day of Pentecost. From here we see that He reveals Himself to the Samaritans (Acts 8), and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10).It can be argued this staged process was necessary to convince a people (the Jewish nation and the specific Jewish believers of Jesus), that Jesus did in fact "die for all the world", He was a Saviour not just for the Jews but for all nations. This specific and witnessed revelation of the Holy Spirit coming upon these groups left a documented event to mark Jesus words about "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
After these events, we understand that as we call on the name of the Lord to be saved, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell within us, it is the blessing of every believer now to have the Holy Spirit reside within us.
This is not the end, we can falsely, fall into the trap of keeping the Holy Spirit in a confined place. Our God while a "jealous" God, will not press a person beyond their willingness to allow him into their lives. We need to seek, we need to surrender.
In today's climate, what was once commonly accepted has become forgotten. The surrender of one's self totally to the Holy Spirit is now hidden to many, His existence and activity even denied by some who claim to follow Jesus. This is tragic. God waits, dwelling within us for us to come to the realisation, that we, as declared followers of the Christ, cannot make it by our own efforts. We need to surrender, the bad, (often easily done), but also our perceived good (things we find simple to do without seemingly relying upon the power of God)
This can lead to a strange disconnect between the life we read about in circa 30AD and the lives we witness now within believers. All is not lost. Jesus tells us to trust His word, it's called faith, and in this realisation we also have faith. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit may well come with fantastic gifts, and demonstration of power, but is not necessary or important.What is true is that we will find a new "Holiness for Living" and be "Empowered for Service", yet this statement we "reckon as true" based upon an act of faith, not because of an outward sign.
The power of the comforter is always here for believers of the Carpenter, just surrender yourself today!
in John 20:19
"That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Yet despite this event, we also acknowledge that the Holy Spirit reveals Himself in power during the day of Pentecost. From here we see that He reveals Himself to the Samaritans (Acts 8), and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10).It can be argued this staged process was necessary to convince a people (the Jewish nation and the specific Jewish believers of Jesus), that Jesus did in fact "die for all the world", He was a Saviour not just for the Jews but for all nations. This specific and witnessed revelation of the Holy Spirit coming upon these groups left a documented event to mark Jesus words about "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
After these events, we understand that as we call on the name of the Lord to be saved, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell within us, it is the blessing of every believer now to have the Holy Spirit reside within us.
This is not the end, we can falsely, fall into the trap of keeping the Holy Spirit in a confined place. Our God while a "jealous" God, will not press a person beyond their willingness to allow him into their lives. We need to seek, we need to surrender.
In today's climate, what was once commonly accepted has become forgotten. The surrender of one's self totally to the Holy Spirit is now hidden to many, His existence and activity even denied by some who claim to follow Jesus. This is tragic. God waits, dwelling within us for us to come to the realisation, that we, as declared followers of the Christ, cannot make it by our own efforts. We need to surrender, the bad, (often easily done), but also our perceived good (things we find simple to do without seemingly relying upon the power of God)
This can lead to a strange disconnect between the life we read about in circa 30AD and the lives we witness now within believers. All is not lost. Jesus tells us to trust His word, it's called faith, and in this realisation we also have faith. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit may well come with fantastic gifts, and demonstration of power, but is not necessary or important.What is true is that we will find a new "Holiness for Living" and be "Empowered for Service", yet this statement we "reckon as true" based upon an act of faith, not because of an outward sign.
The power of the comforter is always here for believers of the Carpenter, just surrender yourself today!
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