Final Sunday in June

On this final Lord’s Day Sunday in June, we are being made aware that we are at the half-way mark in the year. Even more conscious are we that this grace and favour of being able to see this final Lord’s Day Sunday, has come through the Holy Spirit, who has been as our guide into all truth, our counsellor in all situations and our comfort, peace and joy in all seasons.

We give God thanks for the unspeakable and marvellous Gift of the Indwelling Spirit. We cannot but attest to the fact that all Jesus has spoken about Him and how He will be our help and enabler, is unalterably true.

One of the things which Jesus has drilled and still drills into the hearts and minds of His disciples is that the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is all truth and He teaches only what is true. Let’s have our minds refreshed as we listen to Jesus proclaiming and publicly stating facts about the Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14: 26 ESV.

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. John 15: 26 ESV.

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. John 16: 13 ESV.

I refer to the Holy Spirit as the Pentecostal Spirit simply because He came on the Feast Day of Pentecost. I also find sacred mystery in this, as the Triune God is seen at work in it all. When you look and listen to the texts quoted above, the words of Jesus Himself, don’t you become even more affixed, and transfixed to the One who is the Spirit of Truth? Yes, the Spirit is the Gift of God the Father, but note, God the Son has said that He will ask God the Father to send God the Holy Spirit, after He, God the Son, has ascended, back to God the Father. Does this not truly fix and fit you in the Spirit?

Note fully as well, that the Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth. He is presented, not as a self-seeker or One who has come to advertise Himself. No! He is present to bear perfect and faithful witness to Jesus. He who is truth, has come to guide us into all truth. The word, all, includes everything and excludes nothing. It is with this understanding that we accept and believe, without hesitation, wondering or second-guessing, that we will not be left ignorant or confused about things when the Spirit is with us. He is our Teacher.

We thank God for bringing us to our first six months of the year, in true teaching and style. If to teach includes each of us who will learn, then we know from now, even before we move on, that we each will be wiser and more understanding in the things of God.

Thank You Holy Spirit for teaching us. As every single one of us humbles herself and himself before You, may You grant us teachable minds, receptive hearts and zealous spirits to Your honour and glory. Amen!