Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Waiting Upon the Holy Spirit
Roshan Varrghese
Epiphany MTC, NY
16
“Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through
David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested
Jesus
Rodney Parsley, a prominent American Christian minister once said, “The baptism of the spirit will do for you, what a phone booth did for Clark Kent, it will change you into a different being.” When we picture the essence of the Holy Spirit we see the common sweet, quiet, gentle ministry of the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, but in this passage we see another aspect of the Holy Spirit. We see the awesome invincibility of the Holy Spirit and the unflinching, unwavering zeal for the glory of God.
The discipline of waiting on the Holy Spirit is a powerful reminder to us that we are not to be the one ultimately in charge. We need to be reminded of that often. When we truly learn to wait on God, we discover that how great His love is toward us, how powerful He is and how involved He wants to be in our lives.
Wait for the Lord and He will deliver you." -- Proverbs 20:22 the source of deliverance: It is the Lord. Because it is He who is our Deliverer, it is in the presence of His Spirit that we will find true peace depth and unity.
In this passage, we see the invincible purpose of the Holy Spirit, that when the Holy Spirit says something, it will be fulfilled, even if it takes place a thousand years. In verse 20, we see that there are two quotations form Scripture that had to be fulfilled. One has to do with the desolation of Judas’s habitation, and the other has to do with the replacement of Judas among the 12 apostles. You see the invincible purpose most clearly in the words “had to be fulfilled”. We may start to ask why did it have to be? Isn't life full of contingencies? Isn't the future open-ended? Aren't people free to make of life choices? The reason it “had to be fulfilled” was because of the sole purpose that the Holy Spirit, expressed in the Bible, is invincible-unconquerable, indomitable, supreme and omnipotent. This is what we should long for from Christ. God’s word is an unbreakable promise. We need to see that His purpose is not crumbling; that He is not worried; there is no panic in His face; but only the confidence of an invincible purpose. God has spoken and it has to be.
Spiritual conditions that cannot be accomplished in a moment. Invite the Holy Spirit to take control of every aspect of our lives. As you wait, do all things "in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14:40) "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -- Psalm 27:14
God has a purpose for each and every one of us. From this lesson we can see that God’s words are eternal and always will be fulfilled. Just as the words spoken in Psalms are seen to be fulfilled, we witness the invincible power of the Holy Spirit.
Rodney Parsley, a prominent American Christian minister once said, “The baptism of the spirit will do for you, what a phone booth did for Clark Kent, it will change you into a different being.” When we picture the essence of the Holy Spirit we see the common sweet, quiet, gentle ministry of the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, but in this passage we see another aspect of the Holy Spirit. We see the awesome invincibility of the Holy Spirit and the unflinching, unwavering zeal for the glory of God.
The discipline of waiting on the Holy Spirit is a powerful reminder to us that we are not to be the one ultimately in charge. We need to be reminded of that often. When we truly learn to wait on God, we discover that how great His love is toward us, how powerful He is and how involved He wants to be in our lives.
Wait for the Lord and He will deliver you." -- Proverbs 20:22 the source of deliverance: It is the Lord. Because it is He who is our Deliverer, it is in the presence of His Spirit that we will find true peace depth and unity.
In this passage, we see the invincible purpose of the Holy Spirit, that when the Holy Spirit says something, it will be fulfilled, even if it takes place a thousand years. In verse 20, we see that there are two quotations form Scripture that had to be fulfilled. One has to do with the desolation of Judas’s habitation, and the other has to do with the replacement of Judas among the 12 apostles. You see the invincible purpose most clearly in the words “had to be fulfilled”. We may start to ask why did it have to be? Isn't life full of contingencies? Isn't the future open-ended? Aren't people free to make of life choices? The reason it “had to be fulfilled” was because of the sole purpose that the Holy Spirit, expressed in the Bible, is invincible-unconquerable, indomitable, supreme and omnipotent. This is what we should long for from Christ. God’s word is an unbreakable promise. We need to see that His purpose is not crumbling; that He is not worried; there is no panic in His face; but only the confidence of an invincible purpose. God has spoken and it has to be.
Spiritual conditions that cannot be accomplished in a moment. Invite the Holy Spirit to take control of every aspect of our lives. As you wait, do all things "in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14:40) "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -- Psalm 27:14
God has a purpose for each and every one of us. From this lesson we can see that God’s words are eternal and always will be fulfilled. Just as the words spoken in Psalms are seen to be fulfilled, we witness the invincible power of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, we thank you for your eternal promise.
We thank you for the invincible Spirit which resides within us. Help us to be
instruments for your Glory. Amen
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
God’s promises are eternal, we may not know when His words will be fulfilled, but we should be ready at all times.
God’s promises are eternal, we may not know when His words will be fulfilled, but we should be ready at all times.