Pentecost & You

by | May 31, 2023 | Community, Featured Article (02), General Interest, Magazine

Seeing a New Year

Pentecost & You

Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian

WeLoveFirst.org & Facebook.com/welovefirstsebastian

Rev Jeff Wood

 

 

  • Just behind us is what the church calls Pentecost.  It commemorates the outpouring of the Spirit in a special way upon a group of people.  The day is recorded in Acts 2 of the New Testament.  What do we know about the Holy Spirit?  One common thought is that the Spirit is a force.  But that is not so according to the Bible.  He is a person.  How do we know this?  Because the Holy Spirit does what a person does. 

                    A person speaks.  The Holy Spirit speaks.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Rev. 2:7)  A person intercedes.  The Holy Spirit intercedes.  “We do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”  (Romans 8:26)  A person bears witness.  The Holy Spirit bears witness.  “He will bear witness of me.”  (John 15:26)  A person leads.  The Holy Spirit leads.  “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”  (Romans 8:14)  A person guides.  The Holy Spirit guides.  “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”  (John 16:14)  A person appoints.  The Holy Spirit appoints.  “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.”  (Acts 20:28) A person can be lied to.   The Holy Spirit can be lied to.  “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.”  (Acts 5:3)  A person can be grieved.  The Holy Spirit can be grieved.  “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”  (Eph. 4:30)  Persons speak, intercede, bear witness, lead, guide, appoint, face lies, and face grief.  According to the Bible the Holy Spirit is a person.

                    We tend to think of human persons with bodies.  He is a person but not with a body.  He’s a person, not just energy.  That the Spirit is a person , not a magic power or mystical power is important because I dare say that we approach a powerful bomb on our doorstep quite differently than a powerful president there.  One is something you dispose of and the other is someone who could dispose of you!  The one you control and the other you relate to.

                    May you know in some way the person of the Holy Spirit in your life. 

    Rev. Jeff Wood, First Presbyterian, 1405 Louisiana Ave, Sebastian, FL 32958 (772)589-5656

    www.WeLoveFirst.org  and www.facebook.com/WeLoveFirstSebastain  Services at 10 am Sunday