5/14/13- Learning about the Spirit

⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:4-8)

Thoughts: We learn so much about the Holy Spirit in this passage.  He calls the Spirit a gift to be waited for.  The Spirit moves where it wants- like the wind.  We are called to wait for the Spirit to move- dates and times are secondary.
    The Spirit is a gift from the Father.  Much debate has been whether the Spirit is from the Father and the Son or just the Father.  But the Spirit is a gift from God and should not be overlooked because of the deliverer. 

     The Holy Spirit's coming is meaningful.  The Spirit comes with power- like a rushing wind- that energizes and empowers us.  Some confuse the Spirit with energy, but the Spirit is more than energy and life.
    The power the Spirit gives us is the power to make a difference in the lives of others.  It is the power to witness.  The Spirit enables us to witness locally, regionally, and internationally.  

     The Spirit breaks down barriers of race, language, generation and gender.  When the Spirit moves, all the walls we throw up are broken down.  Pentecost showed that.  

Prayer: Lord, empower me to glorify and witness to you. 

(The Spirit is compared to the wind- strong and uncontrollable)