Thursday, April 19, 2018

While I Was Watching...

While I was watching...

Our church like many others,
Has the Easter custom of a cross,
Decorated with flowers
A marriage of the "lamb slain
From the foundation of the world,"
And the springing vitality of his creation.

The cross is a place to take a picture
and make a memory.
I sat with my cane beside me and watched.
A large family, some members present
Only because of the special day.
Another large family,, gathered from
Far places to comfort aging parents.
Sometimes just one person, alone
Because of distance or death.

And I wondered
What about those who have come
Just because, "It's what you do." or
"We did when I was a kid."
"Or it will please Mom or Dad."

The blood-bought salvation, and
The Holy Spirit's witness of adoption,
Unknown and so unsought.

But what right have I to guess at whats in a heart?
Since I don't know, I ask
"The Spirit to pray through me,
in sighs too deep for words,
yet acceptable to God,"
That the memory, or habit, or impulse
That brought them there, shall be nurtured,
By those around, who know the Spirit
And "feel the blood" until blooms in their hearts.

And now, I pray the ancient collect
for purity of heart, mine and their's,

Almighty God, unto whom
all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid,
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit.
That we may perfectly love thee and
worthily magnify thy Holy Name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

...But Jesus Christ is Alive.

...But Jesus Christ is alive.

I want all who read this to name the things,
that worry you, annoy you, or discourage you, 
THEN repeat with me, 
"BUT JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE. 
Now repeat that when you hear anyone 
talking about their worries, annoyances, and discouragements. 
It is why Christians can smile when everyone else is frowning.

False Witnesses Defy God, Undermine Community

False Witnesses, Community Destroyers


The practice of spreading falsehoods about your political opponents is forbidden in the TEN COMMANDMENTS. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." That is wrong, not only because God forbids it, but because it undermines the community.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

What Did I Do?

I stopped doing a thing,
Everyone knows is good.
It is about praying and
Reading the Bible.

I told them, read the Gospels
So you know who you are talking to
When you pray.

I said, read the book of Acts.
Jesus said receiving the Holy Spirit,
Is the main thing to pray for,
And WHO, God promises to give
To those who ask, in the Our Father
   Way.    (Luke 11:1-13)

Then I felt the Holy Spirit
Questioning how I spend my time.
I know, its not mine,
it belongs to God.
Promises I have made will not be kept.
Unless I change how I spend,
Well, Gods time.

Fewer and fewer came to
Hear what I was telling.
And read the books I was explaining.
If no one comes to be fed,
Shouldnt we change the diet?

What will they do?
The Holy Spirit, who sent Peter to Joppa,
Made Stephen the next speaker.
Stephen gave his life, And God called Paul.
A table waiter named Phillip,
Became the evangelist to Ethiopia,
Through a bureaucrat, he met on the road.
He also had four preacher daughters.

The Holy Spirit will do what He does.
Some of them will become teachers,
(Some already are) and replace me.
Others will find new teachers,
With things to give, that I dont have,
And ways of learning, that will open
New paths for them to know God.

The Holy Spirit says,
Do what you promised.

I will take care of them.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Yoda and Jesus

“DO OR DO NOT, There is no TRY.”

These words of wisdom from Master Yoda have axiomatic authority, they don’t need proof, they are just so. So what’s wrong with trying? There is nothing wrong with the kind of trying that comes from commitment, only the kind that is used to avoid commitment.

When I, a Christian preacher, encounter something with that kind of authority, I find myself thinking, “that has to be somewhere in the Bible.” I looked for it, and I found it in Matthew 25:14-30.

14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents,£ to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and fathful slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Jesus had been telling his disciples that his death and resurrection were coming. That his death and resurrection would begin the final movement of history toward the new heaven and new earth of full redemption that is the Kingdom of God. We who trust in Jesus are looking forward to that final victory now.

But while those who trust in Jesus, trust by faith that the Kingdom is coming, they do have to remain faithful through the “in between” time, with its conflict and suffering. At times God seems absent, like He too, is in a far country. But He is bringing the kingdom to completeness, even though we need eyes of faith to see it. Jesus taught us to trust and keep looking in the parables about the yeast, and about the wheat and weeds.

So Jesus tells this story.  There was a man, who was very wealthy, and was about to become king of a distant country. He had to go there and he would be gone for a long time. He gathered the three servants, who would be in charge while he was away, and allotted to each of them a part of his money. One of them was given 5 talents, one was given 2 talents, and the other 1.
A talent is 75 pounds of gold or Silver and  would be the equal of 20 years or more, of a laborer’s income at the time. The servant, who got one talent, was not cheated. He may have looked at what they received, and forgot how very much he was given, but even one talent is a fortune.

The owner is gone a long time, but he does come back and takes reports from all three.
Two of the servants used the money in business and earned a 100% profit, the other took no risk, prepared an excuse to use when he had to give an accounting of his stewardship. He also tried to blame the owner.

Now how does Yoda’s wise proverb apply to the story, and to me?

I realize that most often “I’ll try” is a way I have of anticipating and excusing failure. It is a way I pre excuse myself for giving less than a wholehearted effort, in short to be less than faithful.

I can hear this servant saying, “I’ll take the money and I’ll try to do something with it,” while planning to do nothing.

By-the-way who is he kidding, the owner or himself?

When the owner returned and had an accounting with the three servants, he was able to congratulate the two on their faithfulness, and richly reward them.

But the one, told of his suspicion that the owner was a hard case, who could not be trusted. He chose to take no chances and buried the talent all wrapped up and gave it back unused. The owner said if you thought that about me, why didn’t you just put it in a savings account? Small risk, and at least a little interest. Because the others were faithful and he wasn’t, his talent was turned over to the 5 talent man, and he was thrown out.

The owner was interested in faithfulness. I wonder what he would have said if the other two, or one of them, had gone broke? Because he congratulated them for their faithfulness, not their profits, I think he would still have honored the faithfulness if there had been no profits.

It is good news to me that Jesus is more concerned with faithfulness than with success. That gives me permission to take chances, to act on faith, even when success is hard to predict. If something is clearly right, and of God, we can go for it, knowing our Master has our back, and knowing that success is being faithful, not what most people call success.

Those who trust in Jesus know by faith that the Kingdom is coming, but they have to remain faithful through the “in between” time.

Now there is a question in this that won’t leave me alone. Faithful to what? The answer may seem obvious, not needing to be defined. Unfortunately there is confusion about what  faithful Christianity looks like. The differences in behavior we see among groups called Christians are great enough to leave us seriously disorientated.

So as the coach says to the team that is struggling, “Remember the basics.” With us it’s always about;

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” The follow up question, “And who is my neighbor?” is answered with the Good Samaritan Story. This whole explanation is in Luke 10:25-37.

For the “investor” who is growing in faithfulness, there is also The Sermon on the Mountain, found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. This is where we are led to go beyond “accepting Jesus as our savior”, to letting Him be the Lord of our whole life.

In Luke 10:25-37, and in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, Jesus is teaching us what being faithful to him looks like.

There is risk in taking Jesus seriously, especially when you see clearly that his teaching is counter intuitive, when measured by worldly wisdom. But we worship a crucified and risen savior, therefore, living dangerously is at the heart of following him, doing what he taught us to do.

God cares about faithfulness. Often He brings success from what we think are failures, like Jesus on the cross. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, success comes more often when our goal is to be faithful, rather than just successful.

So in the interest of faithfulness, I have decided to eliminate “I’ll try” from my vocabulary and live the adventure of trustful risk taking. “Do or do not, there is no try.” I will take every opportunity to bring hope to hurting people. Some are hurting because of physical needs, some because of inner turmoil, but whatever it is and whoever it is, I will tell what Jesus can do, and do what Jesus enables me to do.   

The Kingdom of God is coming, and wherever people love their neighbor as themselves, it is here!

What I want you to do is commit yourself, “take the dare, be a faithful risk taker.” “Do or do not, there is no try.”

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Holy Spirit

THE HOLY SPIRIT

By Walter Edwards

When I was a student at Asbury College over 50 years ago, I heard a lot about the Holy Spirit. What I heard I was not sure I understood, but I could tell there was more for us than I had yet received. So I went to the college bookstore, bought three loose leaf note books and several packages of paper. I went to the library, took Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and copied, one to a page, all the references to Spirit and spirit in the entire Bible. I was determined to know all the Bible had to tell me about this Person of the Holy Trinity. The notebooks are long gone now, but the study of God the Holy Spirit in the whole Bible remains, and I share it here with you.

The Holy Spirit, the Bible and You

In this study we will review the stories of the presence and actions of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Bible, from the creation of the world through the prophets and kings of Israel, the New Testament, and especially in the Book of Acts and the letters to the earliest Christians. We will see that Jesus came not only to die for our sins, but also to rise from the dead and give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. We will see that we can have what Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and many others had, and we will learn how it can happen for us.

[Since I am new at this (writing and publishing stuff) and don’t know how copyright laws may apply to the large amount of scripture I have copied. I have used the King James Version which is older than copyright law and can’t be illegal for me to copy. If you are uncomfortable with the old fashioned language of the KJV, simply read the passages in the Bible you normally use]

1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We in the church have devoted much attention to wisdom issues. Our doctrinal formulas, creeds, theological writings represent years of study, discussion and debate. I do not say they are unneeded or unimportant, but have we not erred by putting far less time and prayer into the quest for the power of God the Holy Spirit?


Why don’t we hear more about the Holy Spirit? One of the disappointing facts about people who experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives is that they are tempted to become judgmental critics of others who do not seem to “have what they have.” I myself, after I experienced the power of new life in Christ, thought the older  Christians in my congregation, who were not as excited as I, were not really Christians at all. Something like this seems to have been going on in Corinth and prompted Paul to write the 12th through 14th chapters of 1 Corinthians  (See Cautionary Tales, below)

The tendency in the newly converted to be judgmental has inspired the remark that” new converts should be locked in a closet for the first six months,” which you can understand even though it is nonsense. What they need are mature Christians who know what they are feeling and will affirm them while walking beside them.

Pastors who have to deal with immature new believers sometimes fear and reject the movements that produce them. Sometimes the divisive effect of this judgmental critical spirit causes harm to the Body of Christ. Pastors then reject these movements and the experiences they produce.

Sadly some pastors have the form of godliness, but do not know the power of a personal experience with the Holy Spirit. They are good and faithful servants of God, but are unprepared to cope with this. All these reasons and perhaps others I haven’t identified have tended to keep us quiet about this essential part of the Good News about Jesus, he baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
                                                                                                         
However it is not true that nothing is being said about the Holy Spirit. Many of our best pastors and teachers have said and are saying a lot, much of it of great significance.

Bishop Perrera of the United Methodist church in Cuba says, “Before the current revival in Cuban Methodism, very little was said about the Holy Spirit. This part of our faith was feared as being divisive.”

In a series of sermons on the Holy Spirit Dr. O. Dean Martin, then pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville, Florida, gave one with this title “The God who Lives on Elm Street.”. His point was that the Holy Spirit is the person of the Holy Trinity most present with us. Whether we are uneasy because of sinful guilt, experiencing miraculous new insights, suddenly discovering that the Bible is opening itself to us, getting guidance we can’t explain, discovering a calling from God, or coming to a peaceful confidence that we are now the children of God with a destiny to see him and be like him, it is the Holy Spirit who is doing it.

Dr. Henry van Dusen, late President of Union Theological Seminary, in his book, Spirit, Son and Father, asserts that our experience of God begins with the Holy Spirit, through whom we are led to Jesus, in whom we discover the true knowledge of God the Father,

William Barclay said, “It is the work of the Holy Spirit within our hearts which enables us to recognize Jesus for what he is and to trust him for what he can do.”

It is even in our songs, the United Methodist hymnal No. 332 Spirit of Faith Come Down, tells us why we need the Holy Spirit.

A question asked by St. Paul centuries ago is still of great importance just as it was then:

Acts 19:1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having  passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding there certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 

Why will I be giving all this attention to Old Testament passages? All four Gospels report that the message of John the Baptist included his statement that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. It was pointed out to me, I think in the writings of  James D.G. Dunn, that this announcement has no information about what baptism with the Holy Spirit might mean. That is very strange except that there is a reasonable explanation for this omission that I have come to believe; it was because the people to whom John was speaking already knew enough about the Spirit so that the announcement could stand without explanation.

The people of Israel were accustomed to hear the reading and discussion of the writings, we call the Old Testament, in their synagogues every Sabbath. So from childhood they knew the stories in the Bible that tell of the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the prophets, priests, kings and poets of their nation. When John the Baptist told his Jewish hearers, “The one coming after him,” would baptize people in the Holy Spirit. Their familiarity with the Old Testament meant they knew at least some of what that means. I invite you to look with me at what they knew, what they received from Jesus in the New Testament, and what is now possible for us.

A Question to ponder: What do we know before we hear what Jesus and the church have to tell us about the Holy Spirit? We have the experience of  conscience, The universal presence of the golden rule either negatively or positively expressed in various ethical and religious teachings (see, “Justice for Hedgehogs” and "The Abolition of Man"), The  good feeling we have when we do good, the way truth resonates when we meet with it, etc.I believe all these are evidence that the Spirit of God does strive with all humans, John 1:4


The Holy Spirit In the Old Testament



John 20:22 Jesus said to the disciples “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The study of the Old Testament passages about the Spirit tells us what they understood Jesus to be offering them when he said this.




Come Creator Spirit
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The word translated “moving” also means “brooding” like a bird with her eggs, warming and guarding them so that the life growing in them can come to fullness. This image suggests that the Spirit or wind (Hebrew ruach can mean either) was the womb within which the creative word from God is producing creation out of chaos. The Father’s word, “Let there be light” implants life into chaos, the Spirit is the womb in which the miracle happens, and The Word is the one who will come in the flesh to redeem it all.

Charles Wesley’s hymn Come, Holy Ghost Our Hearts Inspire UMH No.  603, says in the third verse,
           
Expand thy wings, celestial Dove,
            Brood ‘ore our nature’s night;
            On our disordered spirits move,
            And let there now be light.

Thus the “sweet singer of Methodism” captures the essence of the creative work of the Spirit bringing order to chaos in the beginning of it all, and bringing wholeness from God in the personal miracle of the new birth: the Holy Spirit present in the creation accomplishes our re-creation, as John Wesley put it, “Restoring the lost image of God.”

Abraham’s Calling from God

Something stirred Abraham’s father Terah to leave Ur, one of the great cities of the ancient world, and start toward Canaan. They got as far as Haran and stayed there until Terah died. But the stirring didn’t stop and now it became clear to Abraham that it was God who was calling him with a task, to go on to Canaan; and a promise, that through him God would bring blessing to all the people on earth. That stirring, which turns out to be God, with a task and a promise for us, is the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 12
1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Question: Do you sometimes feel a stirring like that?


Jacob’s dream and wrestling match

God’s task and promise continue through Abraham’s family. A son named Isaac is born to Abraham in a miraculous “elderly pregnancy” of his wife Sarah, who had been childless. Isaac finds his wife Rebecca among their larger family back in Haran and in due season twin sons are born. Esau first and Jacob second. Esau grows up to be an outdoorsman, Jacob a home boy.

But Jacob is not a very nice man. He cheats his older brother out of the inheritance he should have received. He uses sharp business practices to get revenge on his father-in-law for tricking him into marrying his two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Yet Jacob has two encounters with God that lead to a change in his life and enable God to use him to carry on God’s plan that began with Abraham.

Jacob is running away from home because Esau is after him for cheating him, and because Isaac is angry that Jacob lied to him. That night Jacob lies down to sleep resting his head on a rock and has a dream. He sees messengers from God going down and up a ladder to heaven. He wakes up, says, “I didn’t know God was in this place,” and offers God a deal. You take care of me and I’ll give you 10% of the profit.” Not a very impressive beginning, but still it is a beginning.

Years later, this time running from his father-in-law and angry brother-in-law, back to his old home and the angry brother he cheated and still fears, Jacob encounters a “man” who wrestles with him all night long to whom he surrenders at last and from whom he asks and receives both a blessing and a new name, Israel. Years later on his death bed he remembers and calls this “man,” “The angel of God who redeemed me from all evil.”

(See Genesis chapters 27-32, and 48:16) After you read these scriptures, re-read the comments above.



What even a pagan King can see

Now another member of the Abraham family, Joseph son of Jacob/Israel, becomes the one through whom God continues to work His plans. The Holy Spirit is in Joseph and even the King of Egypt can see it.

After Joseph was called out of jail to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream, he suggested what could be done to prepare for the seven years of famine, including the appointment of a man to take charge. There was something in this recent jail bird that even a pagan king could see.

Genesis Chapter 41:38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is

(Read the entire story of God at work in the life of Joseph, Genesis Chapters 37-50)

Moses: Getting the Israelites Back out of Egypt

After the good things that happen to the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Joseph, years pass and a new Pharaoh who “doesn’t know Joseph” comes to power. The Israelites are multiplying, living in the best of the land and “aren’t like us.” What if there is a foreign invasion and these aliens who live among us side with the enemy? We can weaken them by making their lives difficult and get some work out of them by slave labor. So life for the Israelites becomes harsh. The Egyptians attempt to arrive at a genocidal “final solution” by killing the male babies and the people begin to call on The Lord to deliver them.

A young couple named Amram and Jochabel have a baby boy. They can’t bring themselves to obey the law by throwing him to the crocodiles, but in what may have been a way to pretend that they were following the “law,” they put him in the river, but in a protective basket made of reeds and tar that crocodiles wouldn’t like to eat. In a “coincidence” orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby, gives him a name, a life and an education. She also allowed his sister and mother to nurture him, so when he was grown he still knew who and what he was. He tries to do a good thing, protecting one of his relatives by murdering a persecutor, but when he follows that by trying to mediate a quarrel between two Israelites, he is rejected and runs away.

He finds refuge with a nomadic sheik who gives him one of his daughters as wife and a job herding sheep. Forty years pass and then God makes His presence apparent in the burning bush. The man who ran is called to go back and take charge where he was rejected before. Every argument and excuse is tried but God won’t let him off and at last he returns. Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is bold enough to confront the Pharaoh, overcome the foot dragging, and complaining of the Israelites and lead them out of their slavery. Once out of Egypt he has to administer, teach and protect this motley crew.


Organization and Empowerment

          (See Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy for the complete story of Moses)

Exodus 18:13-27 Jethro, Moses Father-in-law advises him to organize.

1When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt
5 …[Jethro] came with [Moses’] sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: 
8And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: 16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. 18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. 

But Organization isn’t enough.

Numbers 11:16-29 God fills the elders with the Holy Spirit.

16And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 17And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone…

...24And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. 25And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. 26But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! 


Organization isn’t enough. Perhaps the repeated complaints against “organized religion” are really about the failure to lead the organized people to become Spirit filled people. Jesus said that unless we love one another people won’t be able to know if we are his disciples or not. (John 13:34-35). The love for each other that Jesus wants us to have and show, is a fruit of the Spirit. With out the Holy Spirit in us the fruit isn’t going to grow and show, on us. Humans with our flaws and limitations will always have problems living together. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that gives us the Love, Joy, Peace Patience, and Perseverance to live together in unity, to be the body of Christ.

Just as C. S. Lewis said about Aslan, the god character in the Chronicles of Narnia,” He is not a tame lion,” the Holy Spirit does things His way, and will often break over the lines we draw. When Moses set up the meeting where the leaders were to receive the Spirit, two of them, Eldad and Medad weren’t at the meeting, but the Spirit came on them anyway. Joshua, then an assistant to Moses, wanted them squelched, but God is not contained or constrained by our plans and formulas. Moses, wiser than Joshua wished instead that he Spirit might break out and enter the lives of “all the Lord’s people.” That wish of Moses becomes a prayer, then a prophecy and finally a miracle of fulfillment at Pentecost. The God to whom we pray is a Sovereign not a Santa.

Numbers 11:25. “They shouted like prophets.”

Some of us become quieter when we experience the nearness of God, at least some of the time. Others are moved to cry, shout, laugh, or dance in the aisles, at least some of the time. We need to be patient and remember that people moved by the Holy Spirit will respond according to their own God given personality; the ecstatic expression of some people who experience the Holy Spirit has been there from the beginning.

An early example of Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Part of the new leadership responsibilities of Moses is providing for worship. People need a place and God gives Moses directions for creating it. God also gives Moses men who are filled with the Holy Spirit equipping them to build it

Bezaleel and Oholiab were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in craftmanship.
Exodus 31:1-7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. 6And I, behold, I have given with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; 7The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, 

From the builders of the great cathedrals to the members of the altar guild, to the people who plant flowers around the church or in the cemetery, to the creators of banners and carvers of decorative screens, to the organ builders, to seamstresses who make choir robes and stoles, all of the craftspeople moved by the Spirit of God help us give expression to the worship we owe our God.

But people filled with the Holy Spirit are still people. We have personalities shaped by our negative as well as positive experiences. We are subject to temptation and sometimes we don’t continue “walking humbly with God” and bad things happen. So the scriptures include some stories that warn us not to “tempt the Lord our God” by jumping off high places of spiritual experience expecting that we are super saints who can’t hurt others or be hurt ourselves.

Cautionary tale number one, Sampson

In the book of Judges Chapters 14-16, we have the story of Sampson a man of legendary physical strength. But he is not a very savory character. An unholy man in many ways he visits prostitutes and acts out violent revenge when he is wronged. In one ritualistic practice, the Nazarite vow, and only the part of it about not cutting his hair, is he faithful to God.  Amazingly, this was enough to open him to the Holy Spirit so God could use him to help his people. This need not be totally surprising when we remember the way God has also used people as flawed as I am and you are.

Numbers 6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: 3He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 5All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 


There are three kinds of Biblical Holiness, (1)Ritual holiness like Sampson’s uncut hair, or not eating pork, or circumcision. Then there is (2) Ethical holiness such as using an honest scale, not stealing, no murder, refusing to offer or take bribes. And finally there is (3) Relational holiness, loving your neighbor, forgiving people who wrong you, like Hosea did for Gomer, practicing hospitality like Abraham did for the messengers of God. These do not replace each other but flourish together, I am baptized, Ritual: I try to be honest in word and deed, Ethical; and I forgive as I pray to be forgiven, Relational.

Though Sampson demonstrated physical power because the Spirit of God moved him, he lacked the moral/ethical and relational holiness that we all need. It is a constant complaint of the great prophets that people are into ritual while failing to be honest and loving toward their neighbors.

Amos 5:21-2421I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols 24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

A great experience with the Holy Spirit is indeed great, but it isn’t enough, by itself, there must also be honesty and love of neighbor, including the neighbor who is an enemy. Jesus warns us about self-deception through having done wonder works. See in the Sermon on the Mount.         

Matthew 7:21-23. 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

(The stories of Saul and David, the first and second kings of Israel, overlap)


Cautionary tale #2. Saul son of Kish

1 Samuel Chapters 9-31 We meet a king filled with the Holy Spirit, transformed, yet a psychotic, with a persecution complex, who finally becomes a suicide.

Spirit filled and transformed
1 Samuel 9:5 [Saul] ..when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 6And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 
                                                    
9:9And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

After Samuel had anointed Saul as king he organized a great gathering of the people to present him. When Samuel got to the “Here’s Saul” part they couldn’t find him, he was hiding. Yet when he was under definite directions to wait for Samuel to preside over a sacrifice and feast, he jumped in and usurped Samuel’s role. As James says, “A double minded man unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7)

Jealousy leads to attempted murder.

After David became his army commander and brought victory to Saul and Israel, Saul became murderously jealous and attempted over and over to kill David. Yet when David had Saul at his mercy and spared him, Saul wept and promised never to do it again, but did.

18:6And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. 7And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? 9And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 10And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 11And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

In his final days Saul turned from The Lord and sought guidance from a witch who communicated with the dead. In the battle with the Philistines the next day Israel is defeated, Saul’s sons are killed and Saul falls on his own sword.


Despair and suicide
31:3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 4Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

Filled and transformed but still human, he and we, need to remain open to God’s daily guidance, lest, as Jesus warned, having cast out one evil spirit we let ourselves become empty and end up in a worse condition than ever. (Matthew 12:43-45)

Cautionary tale # 3. King David.

 David is chosen and anointed by Samuel. The Holy Spirit comes upon him

1 Samuel 16:10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.

Filled with the Spirit David has the courage to fight the giant Goliath.

1 Samuel 17. 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them24And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter,

Empowered by the Spirit David defeats the Philistines, becomes head of the army and marries the king’s daughter.  

1 Samuel 18:5And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

           
Saul comes to fear and hate David so much that he attempts several times to murder him, yet David, a Spirit led man, will not yield to hate and revenge.

1And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. 2Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. 4And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 5And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. 7So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. 8David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
9And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed. 11Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee;

After Saul’s death David struggles with the divided kingdom, those who were Saul’s people, including some of his descendants. Gradually David unites the kingdom, defeats the attempts of neighboring kingdoms to grab bits of Israel’s territory and finally is accepted by all Israel as their king. Under his leadership of the nation comes a time of peace and prosperity.

2 Samuel 7:15. David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. 16And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe; 18And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.



Then, perhaps because of prideful self satisfaction, (2 Samuel Chapters 11-18), A terrible story of, adultery and murder,

2 Samuel 11: 2And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. 5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

murder,

David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. 16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died

Death and grief

Confronted by Nathan, a faithful and courageous prophet/pastor, David repents.

2 Samuel 12:13-18. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.

After being confronted by Nathan the prophet David repents.

Psalm 51:9-12.    Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Sadly, when we sin we not only mess up our own lives, we confuse the minds and morals of those we are teaching how to live. Learning from his example, David’s children turn on each other and at last on David himself. But it all begins with David’s own sin.

rape,  

2 Samuel 13:1And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. 3But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. 5And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. 6So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. 7Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat. 8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. 9And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. 10And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. 12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. 13And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. 14Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her.

revenge,

2 Samuel 12:21But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. 22And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. 


Absalom throws a banquet for all the sons of David.

2 Samuel 13: 28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. 29And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.

David exiles Absalom for the murder of Amnon, but finally lets him come back.
rebellion,

1And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel3And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. 4Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! 5And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel

When Absalom feels strong enough he makes his move.

2 Samuel 15:10. Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron11And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalemthat were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.


Finally David has war With Absalom and despite David’s orders, Absalom is killed.

Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 32And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is33And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And we see David’s struggle with his sin and his love for God in the Psalms.

Psalm 51
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1    Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2    Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3    For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4    Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5    Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6    Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7    Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8    Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9    Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13    Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14    Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15    O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16    For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17    The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18    Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19    Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Heart searching to keep right in the future.

             Psalm 139:1-12, 1    O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2    Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3    Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4    For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5    Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6    Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7    Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8    If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9    If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10    Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11    If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12    Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

            23-24.  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24    And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Spirit lead me.

          Psalm 143:10.  Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

And Then There are Also Prophets

It is not only kings but others who are filled with the Spirit in order to serve God. The kings themselves as well as the people at large need to hear what God has to say about their actions and the consequences. So God calls prophets filling them with the Holy Spirit equipping them with a message, and the courage to deliver it. These prophets are so conscious of God in them and speaking through them that they deliver their message with the declaration, “This is what God says.”

Foremost among the prophets is one who did not leave us a book with his name on it like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc, but who is so important that he went to heaven without dying (Swing Low Sweet Chariot), and was expected to return as herald of the coming of the messiah. He is Elijah. His ministry, message and miracles are recorded in 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2, some of the most dramatic stories in all of the Bible.


II Kings 2:1-18. Elijah and Elisha.
A double portion of thy spirit

 This request is not for twice as much as Elijah had, but the inheritance of the eldest son. (Deuteronony 17:21). Elisha’s persistence resonates with what Jesus taught in Luke 11:1-13 as the way to receive the Holy Spirit;—ask, seek, knock.

1And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel3And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho5And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan8And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan14And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 17And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 18And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

Following these giants are the great literary prophets who have left us a written record of their words from God, their warnings to Kings and people, and the consequences of their disobedience.

After the warnings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea and others, Israel and Judah continue to turn to other Gods. Often they worship the Gods of the powerful nations that surround them hoping to persuade the nations (Gentiles) to make them secure. They learn, the hard way, that it won’t work and they are led away into captivity. Never again even to our own day do the majority of the Jews live in the Land of Promise.

But God also gives the prophets a message of hope. A messiah will come who will give the people the Holy Spirit and bring them back to life. Not just alive but transformed from the inside. Hard hearts will be replaced by tender hearts of flesh. The Holy Spirit will enable them to live according to God’s will and way. God will no longer be embarrassed by them. (Ezekiel 36) Nowhere is this message of hope and promise given in such dramatic form as in Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. Dead and dried up in hopelessness, then preached to and breathed on by the Holy Spirit, they come to life a great army. (Ezekiel 37)

Ezekiel 36:25-28. Ezekiel’s new covenant.

25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Dry bones resurrected.

1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

Jesus’ Favorite

One of Jesus’ jobs was to show us how to understand the scriptures of the Old Testament. Jesus would have had no trouble calling the Jewish bible The Old Testament because the prophet Jeremiah had declared that there was a need for a new covenant (Testament) between God and the people and that God had promised there would be one. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

So Jesus says many times that he is changing what was said by “those of old.”  However he keeps continuity with what God has been doing from the beginning and all through the story of the family of Abraham. Especially this continuity is in the writings of the prophets and most of all in the writings of Isaiah. Jesus quotes Isaiah more than any other part of the Old Testament.

Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus used this scripture to introduced himself to those who thought they knew all about him, but didn’t.  (The people of Nazareth, his old neighborhood).

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.



Isaiah 30:1-2. Making decisions without discernment is a sin against the Holy Spirit

1Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 

Isaiah 63:10. Grieving the Holy Spirit

10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

Not only Isaiah but the other prophets know and are led by the Holy Spirit. One of the most dramatic and arresting statements concerning the Spirit comes from one of the shorter prophetic books, Zechariah. They are called Minor Prophets because their books are short, not because they are less important.

Our frantic struggles to rescue the institution called the United Methodist Church need to heed this word.

Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Micah 3:8. Micah was prophet full of the Spirit of the Lord, conscious of a power that made him able to confront the people.

8But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. 

And the climax of the unfolding of God’s plan is revealed by the prophet Joel.

As far back as Moses there was an awareness that something is missing in people. Genesis declares that we are created in the image of God, but we hate each other, rob and kill, go to war, lie to others and worst of all, lie to our selves. Moses said he wished every one of the people he was leading was filled with the Spirit. He saw that the thing that was missing is what has been called “the life of God in the soul of humankind.”

Joel was prophet of God to Israel in a time of war and pestilence. He heard God say that He will “restore the years that the locusts have eaten.” And He declares that in the last days He will pour out the Spirit on all humanity. Even those who are not counted of importance by society will have prophetic powers. Everyone will have the relationship to God that Moses, Kings, prophets and poets have. This revolutionary promise explained for Peter what had happened to him, an uneducated Galilean fisherman, and his fellow disciples on the day of Pentecost.

Joel 2:28-29 (Also Acts 2) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
          
(Joel’s proclamation of God’s promise amounts to an answer to Moses’ prayer.)
                     
(Numbers 11:29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!)

Diversity! The giving of the Holy Spirit to the unlikely comes to include even Gentiles.

(Ephesians 3:5-6 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:).

Daughters and handmaids will receive what Moses had.

28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 

(Joel 2:25. I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten.)

25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,

AND FINALLY:

In the book of Job the tormented sufferer looks for answers and in the end gets not answers, but God himself. Isn’t this what we discover when we “surrender all” and ask for the Holy Spirit? We get God’s own self the Holy Spirit, better than any particular gift.     

Job 42:1Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.







New Testament Section


A caution about those who claim the New Testament writings, especially the Gospels, were not written until after the eyewitnesses were dead: No one of these writings shows that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple had happened, therefore they must have
been written before the year 70 AD (CE). That is why I trust that the record in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and The Acts is the testimony of, or based upon that of eyewitnesses.

The Holy Spirit brings about the Virgin Conception of Jesus.

God moves into the fallen world in a new way that continues and advances what God has been doing from ‘..the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1) The Spirit that brooded over chaos and brought about the creation of the universe, now moves in the life of Mary to create a body for the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18-21. 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

The Old Testament promises about the Holy Spirit being given by the messiah are about to be fulfilled. Jesus is here and John the Baptist announces this good news, an essential part of what we call The Gospel

Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33 All four gospels say the same thing, a rare event, Jesus comes to baptize in/with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew:  11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 

Mark: 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Luke: 16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 

John: 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 

In the two ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus we see the pattern of godliness that John Wesley said is the way a Methodist should be, “having the form of Godliness and seeking the power of Godliness.” (General Rules, any edition of the Book of Discipline)

John the Baptizer called for repentance and a return to moral uprightness as in the Ten Commandments, which is the outward form of Godliness.

Jesus called for inner Godliness, not only not committing sin, but not having the inner attitudes and emotions that lead us to sin. The power of Godliness is life in the Holy Spirit marked by Love (1 Corinthians 13:13), joy and peace. (Romans 14:17b)

1 Corinthians 13:13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (Agape Love).

Romans 14: 17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 


The teaching of outward and inward religion continues as part of what Jesus says about  the new birth. The new life offered to Nicodemus and all of us, begins with the water of baptism on the outside and the Holy Spirit on the inside.

John 3:5,  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

The action of the Holy Spirit in people is often surprising and mysterious. This reminds us of what happened when the Spirit came upon the elders with Moses in Numbers 11-16-29. Eldad and Medad didn’t follow the program and the Spirit filled them anyway.

John 3:8.  8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

The wind as symbol of what happens to those who are Spirit born fits the questions we sometimes ask, ‘Why her, why him, why me, what’s special about them? Nothing but the decision they have made to be available to God the Holy Spirit!

The disciples baptized with water, Jesus didn’t, thus emphasizing the ministry of fulfillment in Jesus as the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

John 4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

A Key Part of the Good News given to the Woman at the Well
          (John 4:4-42)

Jesus is again teaching the truth that inward religion is God’s call and gift. Worship now is to be in Spirit and Truth. God is Spirit and is looking for worshippers who will worship in Spirit and Truth. The great spiritual masters of the past, represented today by Twelve Step and Oxford Group type movements, show us what worship in Truth looks like.

“Confessing our sins one to another and praying one for another that we may be healed.” (James 5:16).

Praying the Lord’s Prayer so that “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” becomes in fact “I surrender all.”

John 4:23-24, 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”



Jesus speaks of Abundance

Rivers of living water flowing from the hearts of believers. Abundance of blessing, the Holy Spirit poured not trickled, like the gallons of wine at the wedding in Cana.

John 7:37-39 37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” 

                                                                                                       
The Upper Room Discourse (also called the Sermon in the Upper Room, and “The Book of Glory”) (John 13-17)

This section of the Gospel of John has been called all of the titles mentioned above. The thing that puzzles me is that it seems to have been given relatively little attention by Bible teachers and students over the years compared to the attention given to the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7) Yet as we examine it in some detail in the next few paragraphs, it seems to hold the key to the power that is needed to enable us to live the way of life taught in the Sermon on the Mount. I find this section of John’s gospel to be Holy Ground in deed.

 In 13:1-17 We see Spirit empowered servant hood. Being “Filled with the Spirit” grants a dignity that being a servant doesn’t demean. The classic book Practice of the Presence of God is the testimony of a soldier who became a pot scrubber in a monastery. Lawrence wasn’t considered acceptable material to become a priestly monk. So he offered his scrubbing as a service to God, and was so filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit that he became a guide for others and is remembered as a great saint. His book and letters are still in print after centuries.

John 13:1-17: Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; 3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

The sign that we belong to Him

No label of all those we have invented and promoted to declare who we are as his disciples is equal to this one.

13:31-35 Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another

14:1-14, A house party, and an astounding promise.

Modern translations of the passage give us rooms or resting places instead of mansions. I was troubled by that at first but came to see that what I really want, and what Jesus offered is an invitation to a house party at His Father’s house. His Father who he gave us the right to call Our Father.

14:1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many mansions: (Rooms, therefore a house party) if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

What Jesus promises here solves several concerns of mine. I have been a keeper of things that remind me of people.(hoarder). If I am to see these people in our father’s house of many rooms, I don’t need the things. There are misunderstandings and wrongs I have done, I look forward to the opportunity to fix it. There are thank you’s that I want to say with deeper meaning than before. There are thank you’s that were never said because the opportunity was never available. I don’t want to miss this party!


Directions to the house
For those troubled by the interpreters who teach that people who don’t know Jesus by name, are excluded from salvation, I say that Jesus can be and is the way even for those who don’t yet know him by name, or even know his story, so long as they “reverence [fear] God and do what is right” they are acceptable to God. (See Acts 10:34)

14:4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

The Astounding Promise

14:12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.


I’m going, Help is coming.

Paraklatos. The Greek battle strategy called for the soldiers to fight in a unit until near collapse, with the enemy also near collapse, and then send in the reserves for a triumphant conclusion. The reserves are called the paraklatos. This is the same word translated here, “Comforter”. We are to give all we have in the work of the kingdom of God while knowing that we can trust that the Comforter will come and bring victory. Thus “faith does not make things easy, it makes things possible.”  

14:15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.



Chapter 15, The oneness of Father, Son and Friends         




5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.


Clarity in a confused world about the things that matter, will come from the Holy Spirit.

16:4b-15, Sin, righteousness, judgment.

4But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.


                 The Holy Spirit is our guide into further truth. Some examples of truth learned since the time of the New Testament are: That Chattel Slavery is evil, That there should be Hospitals, That children should not be thrown away, so we should have Orphanages, That women are not property, but are entitled to full human dignity. That democracy, as the way for people to choose their own way, is the best system of government. .

John 17:1-26, Jesus’ prayer for the twelve and for us.

Skeptics have asserted that this prayer was made up by the author of the gospel, because “how could anyone know what Jesus said to the Father.” But Jesus says that He said this in the world. John knew because Jesus told.

13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

This prayer of Jesus which has no explicit mention of the Holy Spirit, speaks of a oneness of the Father, the Son and the disciples, which is only conceivable through the indwelling of the Spirit in each, so that Trinity takes us into itself and we are born again into the family of God. The oneness of Father, Son and us that Jesus prays for, is what he promised in chapters 14, 15, and 16.  

17:20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

The Trial, Death and Resurrection of Jesus

John chapters 18-20. The price he paid and the victory he won so that he could give us this gift.

The Risen Lord Commissions the Apostles and breathes on them the Breath of God

John 20:22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

There is so much more about the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel because it was written in gentile territory for gentiles, Ephesus! They had little knowledge of the Old Testament and its record of the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in the long history of God’s dealing with Israel. So John had to include the things Jesus said and did that explain. Remember that these gentile believers had experienced the Holy Spirit (see Acts 19), but they needed to understand what, or Who, had happened to them.


The Holy Spirit in The Synoptic Gospels


Luke 1:15, John The Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit before birth. John is a perpetual Nazarite. (See Numbers 6:1-21)

15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Luke 1:26-38 Mary is to have a son, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:41, Elizabeth’s song, she was filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary greeted her.

41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

Luke 2:25-26, Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit and knew he would not die before the Messiah came.

25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Matthew 4:1, (Luke 4:1) Jesus led into the Wilderness by the Holy Spirit, who had descended on him when he was baptized by John.

1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Luke 4:18-19 Jesus announces his ministry by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy,


Jesus takes the three disciples, who are his inner circle, to a mountain retreat where they see his unveiled glory, see his conversation with Moses and Elijah, and tells them the kingdom is coming and some of them will see it

Jesus’ promise here cannot refer to His second coming, it might refer to the transfiguration which followed immediately, but I believe it refers to Pentecost when the disciples received power from on high in the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 9:11And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Following the mission of the Seventy in Luke 10:1ff

Luke 10:21, The twelve return and Jesus is filled with the Joy of the Holy Spirit.

21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit,

Luke 11:13. The Purpose of Prayer.

1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 
5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

 The Sin against the Holy Spirit

Matthew 12:22-37, 22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

In verse 28 Jesus makes one of his “connect the dots” declarations of who he is, by saying that the Kingdom of God has arrived implying it is in him, the king.(Le etat se moi).

In verse 31 He declares that there is a way in which people make an absolute and final refusal of God. Since Jesus also says that “whoever comes to him he will not refuse,” it has to be that this refusal involves burning the bridges so you can’t come to him. Since it is the Holy Spirit who convinces us of the truth, convicts us of our sin and assures us that we have become the children of God by adoption; to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to burn the bridge.

In verse 33 Jesus tells us that confusing bad and good is how we do it. If we look at what God is doing to overcome evil and call it bad we have burned the bridge to God, we murder our ability to see truth and are lost in an absolute darkness of our own choosing.


Mark 3:19-30 20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

In verse 30 we see the very thing itself being done, Jesus heals the bodies and souls of suffering, tormented people and these critics, some of them his “friends”, said “He hath an unclean spirit.”


Luke 11:14-26. 14And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Added poignancy in the tragedy of the unpardonable sin is the fact that the previous 13 verses in this chapter tell how we are to pray in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. How it must have torn at Jesus’ heart to offer the gift of all gifts and then have to warn us of the danger of committing a sin that cannot be forgiven.


C.S. Lewis’ book The Abolition of Man” illustrates this sin. By deconstructing the meaning of words, to look at good and call it evil, destroys meaning, murders your own ability to discriminate between good and evil, and blasphemes the Holy Spirit. To justify obscenity in the name of free speech, when the “speech” is in fact verbal assault is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.  The prostitution of language that reduces the offense of the bodice ripper to “if some people were offended.” as in the Janet Jackson incident at the half time show in the 2004 Super Bowl, blasphemes the Holy Spirit.

There is another caution we are to observe in reverence to the Holy Spirit, who is God, not to cause the one who is with us to give guidance and power, grief.

25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27Neither give place to the devil. 28Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 5:1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

Where is it that the Holy Spirit is grieved? It is in the fellowship of believers when “bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,” are seen and heard in the church. Why is there a lack of spiritual power to persuade and save people? because the Spirit who provides the power is grieved.

Prophetic Power to the Persecuted Witness

Mark 13:9-11, The words of the persecuted will be given by the Holy Spirit.

9But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 
A dramatic example, is the replies of St. Joan of Arc when she was on trial.


Luke 24:46-49, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit and tells them to wait for the promise in Jerusalem.

46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And ye are witnesses of these things. 49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Luke again takes up the story he’s been telling, “Book 2” Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:1-8
1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Verse 3. Jesus teaches them as he did before, but now as the one who has died and risen again. Scattered here and there in the four Gospels are remarks about things he said which they didn’t understand until after the resurrection. Here we see how and when they did come to understand.

Verse 4. “promise of the Father.” The promise is the one made throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments. What Moses wished for, Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied Joel envisioned and John the Baptist proclaimed, is ready to come to those who wait as instructed.

Verse 8. Power. The rest of the book of Acts is a description of the power of the Holy Spirit in action, His operation in the lives of the Apostles and the ways they sometimes grieved and limited Him.


The Day of the Father’s Promise Fulfilled

Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Acts 2, Wind (vs.2) The Greek and Hebrew languages have one word in each that means both wind and breath. So from the creation story with the Wind moving over the waters and God breathing into Adam the Breath of Life to Jesus telling Nicodemus that the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is like the mysterious movement of the wind, we are prepared for this moment.

 Tongues and Understanding (vss.4 and 6) In the story of the Tower of Babel we are told of human arrogance that wants to be like God and the resulting chaotic loss of the ability to communicate with one another. Confusion of languages and everything else caused by pride.

Here we see people humbled before God through repentance and obedience, filled with faith, and overflowing with God’s presence, therefore able to understand each other and share the best news that ever was. 

 Explanation (vss. 16-21), This study of the Holy Spirit in the whole bible has led me to the conclusion that Pentecost is not a mere “add on” to the Gospels, but is that for which the Gospels exist. Jesus came to forgive in order to prepare us to receive the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the record of what the Holy Spirit can do and wants to do, in and through us. That this was God’s plan, unfolding through out the entire history of Israel, is declared by reference to one of the prophets who foretold it, Joel.


Witness (vss 22-36) Peter speaks for the 120, all of whom are telling what they have seen and heard throughout the ministry, death, resurrection, and teaching of Jesus. The New Testament from start to finish claims the authority of eyewitnesses.

Response (vss 37-41) The message of these witnesses is that the one the crowds had rejected and condemned to death has been raised from death. God has declared Jesus to be right, his accusers to be wrong and those who crucified him to be guilty of murder. The Holy Spirit convicted many of them and in their acknowledgement of guilt they ask, “What shall we do?” Repent, which means to change your mind about everything, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ showing you now belong to him, and expect to receive the same Holy Spirit promised by the prophets and who you have seen in action here today.


Life together (vss. 42-47) Their new life as believers begins. Listening to the teaching (doctrine) of the Apostles, fellowship (hanging out), eating together, including the bread and wine that remembered Jesus; probably every time they ate together; and praying together certainly the prayer Jesus taught them and the Psalms.

Chapter 4 tells of an attempt by the authorities to stop them. They are told to stop, threatened and…

Acts 4:23-31, A power filling prayer meeting.

…..23And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

These Spirit filled believers wouldn’t be quiet about what they knew. Part of what they knew was that the power of the risen Jesus through the Holy Spirit was in them, so as they confronted people in need they healed them. When they were called on to explain themselves they told about Jesus and so confronted the authorities who had him killed. They were threatened, ordered to keep quiet, but declared that God had ordered their words and actions so they would obey Him, not them. Their boldness came as they renewed the filling of the Spirit in communal prayer.


Acts 6:8-7:53, What one persecuted believer said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11).

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: 14For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Acts 7
1Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. 4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. 8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. 9And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 12But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt18Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19The same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: 21And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel24And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt35This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 
37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon44Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47But Solomon built him an house. 48Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50Hath not my hand made all these things?
51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
One of the persecuted believers inspired by the Holy Spirit gave his witness, beginning with Abraham (v. 2) continuing with Moses’ prophesy about the one to come (v.37)  he recounts the whole story of God’s love and Israel’s failure,  ending with the charge that his accusers were doing just what their unfaithful ancestors did, (v.51) so they killed him. But God used his witness to begin the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. That day Saul held the coats of the murderers, years later he would die for Jesus as Stephen had.

Acts 8:14-17 Passing the Holy Spirit on.

14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.


Acts 10:44-47, Gentiles too, the prophecy of Joel fulfilled in regard to “All people.”

A Roman centurion who is a servant of God, ”one who feared God and did what is right” (Acts 10:35),. Is visited by a messenger from God, sends for Peter as instructed, and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 

   Acts 15:1-29 The Church decides not to argue with the Holy Spirit.

8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (See Acts 15:1-29)

The Holy Spirit as Guide

Acts 16:6-10 6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.




The Fourth Cautionary Tale,

         I Corinthians 12-14 and the preacher who counted his gifts.

These three chapters name the gifts of the Spirit, tell us how the gifts are to be expressed in the life of the church, and warn us to remember that the Fruit of The Spirit, which is love, is more excellent than any gift. Without love the gifts are nothing. This profound message from Paul was called forth by the misbehaviors of the Corinthian church which Paul also could say lacked no spiritual gift. People blessed with great spiritual experiences still need apostolic correction and discipline. “Whoever gets mad is wrong.”





There was a preacher who was filled with the Holy Spirit and began an exploration into the spirit filled life. He experienced glossolalia, healed people, prophesied, spoke words of wisdom, and got a PhD in the study of mysticism. One day he was counting up all his rich experiences in an attitude of self congratulation when The Spirit said to him, “Why do you think I gave you all these gifts? Not because you are so wonderful but because you are so needy!”

“Too Deep For Words”

C. S. Lewis in his book, Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, speaks of “prayer without words.” I think that people who have true inward religion at times experience such a deep concern for lost people and the evil they suffer, on the one hand, and on the other, such joy because they know God loved them so much that He gave his Son for them, they are unable to put either the concern or the joy into words. So the Spirit helps them to groan with concern and rejoice with joy that cannot be spoken.

Romans 8:26-27, Prayer in the Spirit, and Mark 7:34.

Romans 8:26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Mark 7: 32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, EphphathaEphphatha, that is, Be opened35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 

In Romans 8:26 Paul refers to a sort of prayer that is an inarticulate groan, which is the Spirit assisted prayer of intercession in accord with the will of God. In Mark 7:34 we have the record of Jesus praying with an unutterable groan (sigh). It is interesting that this is associated with one of those few places where we are given a word Jesus said to the deaf man that is in the untranslated Aramaic language of Jesus’ everyday speech, what scholars call the ipssima verba.

Acts 19:1-7, We haven’t even heard of the Holy Spirit.

1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7And all the men were about twelve.

This happened in Ephesus these men were Gentiles and so lacked the knowledge about the Holy Spirit that Jews familiar with the Old Testament writings knew.

How to be available.

Jesus tells us to wait for what God has promised, who is the Holy Spirit. When his disciples asked him to teach them to pray he gave them what we call The Lord’s Prayer together with words that tell us to be persistent and to trust the goodness and generosity of God who will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, [this way].

Luke 11:1-13 The prayer Jesus gave us.

1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 
5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Having said this prayer most of our lives, now let us learn to pray it.


Assurance of Resurrection Life for us

One of the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit is the assurance of our ultimate victory over death. We are reminded by the effects of aging, the deaths of people around us and our aches and pains that the body we live in is a raggedy tent that will not last long. But, because Jesus lives we will live, and the Holy Spirit is the “little taste of heaven we are given, to get to heaven on.”

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

When we agree on a “big deal” like buying a tract of land the buyer puts up part of the purchase price and it is called “earnest money.” Paul uses this as a parable of what God has done for those who trust the good news of Jesus and his kingdom. We have been given the Holy Spirit as God’s assurance, “earnest” of what is now ours and will be fully possessed when Jesus returns. This is why all three parts of our Holy Communion confession “Christ has died, Christ has risen, “Christ is coming again” are essential.

When John Wesley made a plan for those people who came to him for guidance in seeking to be saved, he developed a short statement called the General Rules. The third section of them was about how to be open to God’s presence in our lives. He called these the means of Grace and said for the people who wanted his help to use them and get God’s help. Here they are.

(The means of grace, From the General Rules in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.)

“attend upon all the ordinances of God; such are:

The public worship of God.

The ministry of the Word, either read or expounded.

The Supper of the Lord.

Family and private prayer.

Searching the Scriptures.

Fasting or abstinence.”




Farther in or stand by the door? The Rev. Sam Shoemaker rector successively of two Calvary Episcopal Congregations, one in New York and the other in Pittsburg, who was also used by God to help Bill Wilson create AA, had a concern about Christians who became so “Spiritual” that they no longer could communicate with those outside  the door of faith. Sam chose to stay “by the door” for their sake.

This teaching about the Holy Spirit may seem to be too far “inside” but I believe that the experiencing of transforming power and the personal presence of God is central to the gospel and cannot be dismissed as something only for some people we might think of as “way inside,” super Christians. As Peter said at Pentecost, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39)



My Own Experience of the Holy Spirit

I didn’t know it was the Holy Spirit when as a child, I heard about Mary, and Joseph and the baby Jesus, and came to a loving fascination with that Holy Family. Nor did I know it was the Holy Spirit when I received a “promotion Bible” on moving to the third grade in Sunday school. When I heard the story of the Good Samaritan and was told that we must value people according to their actions not their race, and when I heard that we will be judged by Jesus according to our care of hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, prisoners and strangers and believed that I must live accordingly, I didn’t know it was the Holy Spirit.

But when I asked God to let me belong to Him and felt the love, joy and peace of God’s forgiving acceptance, I then learned that it was the Holy Spirit. Looking back from that moment I began to recognize the times when the Holy Spirit was at work on and in me. Now that I have identified the One who is always there and always was, I strive amidst all the tumultuous times and the quiet times to listen for the “still small voice” and allow Him to lead and correct as well as comfort and assure me.

Decisions have been made where I faced choices between two good things, where I would have my student pastorate and go to seminary, whether or not to continue courting a fine girl who is now for many years another minister’s wife. As I prayed and considered both, a feeling of uneasiness warned me off of one alternative, and a feeling of peace drew me to the other. It was the Holy Spirit.

The increasing physical limitations that keep me from doing a pastor’s work made me consider how I am to serve God at this point in my life. The words of people who wanted me to write what I teach and preach have come back to me with the conviction that the Holy Spirit is saying NOW it is time to do that.




So here it is, I hope it is good for those who read, as it has been for me in writing.

Walter Edwards, S.V.D.


Fourth Sunday of Pentecost, 2013