The Spirit

On this first day of another new week, we cannot but lift our hearts and voices to praise our Triune God. One of the privileges of a new week, is that our minds take on a new view, which we have at the beginning of a new day, but which seems to widen, when we think of beginning a fresh, new week. It is with these grander and more expansive thoughts, we give fuller and wider thanks to our Creator.

Today begins a new week. Holy God, we come with new hearts and minds to You. Grant us such freshness and newness of heart that we are more than delighted to give You praise and thanks, and worship You in the freshness of truth.

Today begins a new opportunity to be found, revived in worship to God. True, we worship God daily, however, on this first day of a brand new week, we remember the Resurrection of our Lord, on the first day of the week. We rise on this day, to pay homage to our Lord and give honour to Him.

Today begins, not just a new week and a new opportunity to worship, but in this day, with open hearts, we have new convictions of sin, where repentance is our constraining path. Without repentance, where would we be? This is as good an opportunity as any, to come before the Lord with penitent hearts, open minds and surrendered wills.

In words from Psalm 34: 1 – 3, we join together in singular worship and unshared praises to God.

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. KJV

As indicated, this week, we shall be looking specifically and closely at the miraculous and wonderful works of the Holy Spirit, found in different parts of the Bible. Some may be very familiar to us, while others may not be as well-known.  

These are being brought to us:-

Not just to increase our store of knowledge of the workings of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

Not just to remind us of the unmatched power of the Spirit of God to do what we deem impossible.

Not just to have us fall into ecstatically euphoric feelings of awe and wonder, lifting high His wonders and signs.

No, this week must take us into wider, deeper, higher and fuller measures of understanding and acceptance of the power, which each single one of us has, in the Name of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, this week should sprawl wide open, the great doors of possibility which have been opened wide to each of us, with free, unlimited access, once we know the Baptism of Jesus. Once we know Him and Him only as our resident, living Companion, no accommodation will be available to other visitors, to share even a little space for a little time. Guess what! The full excitement is that we do not even have to show Him in our lives for He will show Himself with boldness and openness.

Think of it like this. A woman is pregnant and is able to go around the ordinary business of living with not one soul knowing it. The life in her, all that time, is growing and thriving, becoming bigger and stronger. Then the time comes, when that growing life in her decides to show himself, so that she moves and lives, and others see the evidence of the new life in her. She does not have to show that new life in her. That new life shows itself through her.

In many ways this is what happens with the Holy Spirit within us. As He is given space and room in us to stay and thrive, to grow and work, He shows Himself in us. We simply live our lives and He directs and dictates as He will be seen.

Is this not absolutely wonderful!

Indeed! But it is also very disconcerting and most uncovering. You see, it is easy for a person to claim that she is pregnant or to think and believe that she is pregnant. However, the absolute truth will come to light in what the new life in her shows.

This I know, as these Spirit-working instances will tell. It is impossible for the Holy Spirit to remain an embryo in anyone. He shows himself with quickening.