Personal Pentecost

On Sunday, many churches celebrated  Pentecost, commemorating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the occupants of the upper room. This point marked a significant change in the lives of the disciples as they were emboldened to go out and "make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19). Indeed the change in attitude of the disciples in the pre-Pentecost duration and the post-Pentecost era is very significant.  It is worth noting that the same Holy Spirit who was present in those days to empower them, is still present with us in the modern day church.

However, we seem not to be experiencing the same awe-struck situations the Christians of old encountered. I believe that this is resulting from the fact that we have not learned to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's voice in our lives. Jesus said in John 16:12-15 that “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (emphasis, mine).

Thus it is obvious that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. He has a voice. His communication can be through external impressions and signs- Luke 3:22; "and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”, or it can also be through internal impressions in our hearts and minds- Acts 13:2; "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  I am of the opinion that the external signs are easier to identify but the internal communication is a bit of a challenge.

Jesus, in John 10:27 said "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" From this verse, I believe that by virtue of us being Christian, we have the innate ability to hear the promptings of the Lord through the Holy Spirit, in our hearts. The challenge, now, is our capability to fellowship with Him, such that this fellowship matures into a relationship and finally into a friendship whereby we can completely listen and obey His voice.

So how do we know it is His voice? Well I believe that, that prompting, voice, conviction, etc we have, that we sometimes refer to as "something told me...", is Him. His direction must be in resonance with the word of God and I believe, this causes an inner peace which we can testify of. Jesus in John 16:13 said "When the Holy Spirit who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ides, but will be passing on to you what he has heard.  He will tell you about the future.  He shall praise me"

I believe that to establish a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit, we simply need to submit our will totally to Him. To be more intimate with the Him, we need to spend time in prayer, studying scripture,  partaking in communion and doing good works. I have come to realize that He does not force us to take His directions but when we do, it's for our best interest. Jesus in John 14, described Him as a Helper. In verse 16 He said: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever". He is available for our own benefit. I pray that we decide to submit to Him. To submit, is to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. His will must become our will. Yet in His gentleness and love, He leaves the decision to us. Lets choose to submit today!!.

Recently I chanced upon a hymn written by Edwin Hatch to the Holy Spirit. I pray the lyrics speaks to you as it did to me. God bless. Enjoy your fellowship with Him:

1. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Fill me with life anew,
   That I may love what Thou dost love,
   And do what Thou wouldst do.
2. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Until my heart is pure,
   Until with Thee I have one will,
   To do and to endure.
3. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   Till I am wholly Thine,
   Until this earthly part of me
   Glows with Thy fire divine.
4. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
   So shall I never die,
   But live with Thee the perfect life
   Of Thine eternity.

Take hold of the opportunities

Paul must have been pretty angry to shake out his garments and give up on the Jews in Corinth. But look! Just a few lines later, we read that the ruler of the synagogue and his whole family were converted, forming the foundation of the Corinthian church. How on earth did that happen? A man named Titus!
Titus was living a life that bridged two worlds. He was a Gentile, but he practiced Jewish customs and worshipped God. Despite all the opposition Paul received, Titus offered him a place to stay—and his house just happened to be right next door to the synagogue!

Coincidence? Probably not. God positioned Titus between two groups of people, and when Titus opened his door to Paul, he opened the door to an entire community of believers. Paul’s proximity to the synagogue, and his friendship with Titus, undoubtedly gave him numerous opportunities to keep sharing the gospel with the Jews who worshipped right next door to him. And it worked! From Paul’s later writings, we know that a number of Jews ended up joining the Corinthian church.

Maybe your life doesn’t bridge two worlds as obviously as Titus’ did. Still, think about the different groups of people you interact with. Think about your family, your job, your neighborhood, your church, the gym, and so on. Have you ever thought that God might have positioned you just perfectly in the midst of all these people to be a door-opener for the gospel?
Today, take some time to map out the many different connections you have. You could start by making a list or drawing a kind of web that illustrates the many groups you are linked to. Next, think and pray about how you can open the way for the gospel in each of these links. Then, look for ways to take advantage of these connections.

You may have to adjust your thinking a bit before you can see all the connections that God has placed in your life. But ask the Spirit to help you. And if you get stuck, just remember Titus. He simply invited Paul to stay with him. Even a small act of hospitality can do wonders!

“Lord, help me to open doors for the gospel wherever I go. Teach me how to bring people closer to you.”

~Taken from www.wau.org

He Speaks

Years ago, a large American brokerage firm boasted in commercials, “When [we] speak, people listen.” The ads usually featured a young professional bringing a restaurant’s chatter to a halt simply by mentioning where he worked.

God speaks to us every day, in many different ways, though sometimes it’s hard to hear him through the “crowd noise” going on around us. But he is speaking. He can speak to us even through someone who isn’t speaking directly to us at all! This is what God did in the jail where Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Despite their wounds from a severe beating, they sang hymns to the Lord. The jailer might well have gone to sleep that night listening to the apostles’ praise. And the other prisoners, presumably dangerous criminals, didn’t mock these two strangers. Instead, they listened, enraptured.

Although the singing wasn’t directed at them, the other prisoners heard and were touched. The apostles’ praise was so profound, in fact, that “the foundations of the jail shook” (Acts 16:26). It was both an unexpected place and an unexpected time, but God used the earthquake and the hymns to speak to both the jailer and the prisoners that night. The prisoners were so touched that they didn’t run for their freedom when they had the chance. And it’s likely that God used the prisoners’ response to speak to the jailer and bring him closer to conversion.

We don’t know when or how God will speak to us next. It may be through a homily directed at us or through a hymn we sing at Mass. But maybe it will be through an overheard conversation, a sentence we read by chance, or a billboard we see on the road. God’s word to you today may echo softly in your thoughts or occur as a powerful stirring of your heart. No matter how he chooses to speak to you, one thing is certain: he will speak!

So try your best to be alert. Listen for what God will say next. Who knows? Maybe it will be a message that rocks your world!

~Taken from www.wau,org