Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 The Holy Spirit - The Gift 


1 Corinthians 2:10-16 
“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 During the Resurrection, Jesus tells his disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they have received the gift that the Father had promised them. Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit had fallen upon the disciples, they began to speak in different languages. At the time, the disciples were staying in Jerusalem, with God-fearing Jews from different nations. When the crowd heard them speaking, they were in utter shock as they each heard their native language being spoken. They asked in disbelief how the Galileans were able to speak in different languages. Some even accused them of drinking too much wine. However, Peter addressed the crowd, quoting what the Lord had spoken through the prophet Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people…The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:17, 20-21). 
Through the Holy Spirit, Peter understood why God had given the Spirit to the disciples and how they were able to speak in different tongues. Peter understood that the gift of the Holy Spirit is to be used to prophesy the good news of Jesus Christ, so all of the Lord’s lost children can come back to Him. He understood that God wanted His people to prophesy about His kingdom and for them to be saved before the Day of Judgment. This was all revealed to Him through the Spirit that came directly from God. Those who accused them of consuming too much wine were looking at this moment from a worldly perspective. They were not able to apprehend what they were witnessing: the disciples receiving one of God’s greatest gifts of all time, His Spirit. They took this moment as an opportunity to laugh instead of realizing that this was the fulfillment of God’s promise to the disciples. 
The disciples spoke with the Holy Spirit acting within them so they could continue in God’s mission to save all his children and bring them into a closer relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit had revealed the Lord’s plan to the disciples, helping them understand life-changing things they could not understand before. When we look back to Corinthians, Paul tells us that through the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ with us, teaching us and explaining to us what the Lord wants us to understand, spiritual realities that are beyond human comprehension. It brings us to a new level of understanding of God’s plan and the Lord’s call for us. The Holy Spirit, with its divine power, opens our eyes, transforms us to be true stewards of God’s work, and helps us overcome disbelief in the present world. What is impossible for humans is possible through God, and he helps us overcome the impossible through his holy and divine Spirit.
The Holy Spirit had enabled the disciples to spread the good news: that we are saved from our sins through the selfless sacrifice of Jesus Christ when we repent. We must also continue in the Great Commission, spreading his name to the ends of the earth, with the support of not our wisdom, but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our job as Christians also includes that we are to live by the teachings and presence of the Holy Spirit. We must listen and use what the Lord has taught us and helped us to understand through the Holy Spirit, so we may follow the attitude of Christ. In today's world, we as Christians face many trials and temptations to lead us away from the Lord’s path. With the Holy Spirit, we do not have to fight against these trials and temptations alone, as the Spirit reminds us that Jesus Christ is our constant refuge. 
 
Prayer
Lord Almighty, we thank you for blessing us with the amazing gift of your Holy Spirit and loving us unconditionally. Help us to use the Spirit you have blessed us with in every aspect of our lives. Please continue to strengthen your Spirit in us so your will may be done. Amen. 
Thought for the Day 
The Holy Spirit gives liberty to the Christian, direction to the worker, discernment to the teacher, power to the Word, and fruit to faithful service. He reveals the things of Christ. -Bill Graham

Irene Sony Joseph 
Epiphany Marthoma Church New York

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