Category Archives: Holy Spirit

May 19, 2013 · 12:01 am

Day of Pentecost, Year C

The Spirit of Unity

Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17, (25-27)

When Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the power of demons He offer this defense:

So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.   (Mark 3:23-26)

There is a reason for the disunity we see on this earth. When faced with an enemy who is evil and intends to do harm, steps must be taken to divide him. This is a precept of warfare. Regrettably, humankind has shown a propensity to follow evil. God found it necessary to thwart the plans of those who would not follow Him.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the LORD said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9)

On the Day of Pentecost, God made it possible for people to comprehend the various languages which once separated them.

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.   (Acts 2:1-4)

God did something extraordinary. He placed His very nature into the heart of  those who sought Him. Jesus told His disciples that this event was coming:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”   (John 14:23-24)

Unity can only be brought about in those who are willing to be led by the Spirit of Unity. Are we now ready to be led God’s Spirit? If so, we have a great promise from God.

All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.   (Romans 8:14-17)

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May 9, 2013 · 12:00 am

Ascension Day, Year C

Above all Rule and Authority

Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47  or Psalm 93; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

Perhaps the greatest struggle on this earth is who has the authority. Battles have been fought and lives have been lost over this question. There are those today who question whether or not there should even be an authority. We are living in a time of lawlessness.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Church in Ephesus that they might know the authority of Christ:

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.  (Ephesians 1:17-23)

Whom are we to follow? Whom do we trust? Who is worthy of our praise? Are we open today to the teachings of Jesus?

Jesus said to his disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you– that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”   (Luke 24:44-49)

True disciples of Jesus are open to His teachings. They are  open to His revelations. They are open to His Spirit. Are we?

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”   (Acts 1:3-11)

We need the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. That baptism comes with obedience to the authority of Christ:

God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”   (Acts 5:31-32)

What is our witness today? Whom do we obey?

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April 28, 2013 · 12:00 am

Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C

globeThe Whole World in His Hands

Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

Do we define the Church by declaring who should not be included? That was how it was done in Jesus’ day. In His days on earth the Church was Judaism with its temple and synagogues. The church leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, knew who belonged and who did not. Tax collectors were hated and certainly not considered members in good standing. Jesus did not seem to follow their conventions:

As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”   (Matthew 9:9-11)

After Jesus’ resurrection Peter had difficulty accepting Gentiles as even prospective members of the Early Church. When the Spirit of God told him not to make a distinction between Jews and Gentiles he had to reevaluate the Church criteria. He was sent to minister to Gentile believers in Caesarea. To the circumcised Jewish believers who criticized him, he offered this explanation:

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”   (Acts 11:16-18)

Are we members of the one true church today? If so, who defines that church? This is what Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees who claimed that role:

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.   (Matthew 21:42-43)

Do we limit the grace of God by way of our definition of the Church? Isn’t our role to welcome people into the Church?  Before His ascension into heaven Jesus proclaimed:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.  (Matthew 28:18-20)

Notice that we are to make disciples of those we reach through the Gospel. We, indeed, must teach these disciples to “observe all things that Jesus commanded.” But our evangelism should not begin by disqualifying anyone from the start. Jesus did not do so. Have we eaten with tax collectors and sinners lately? What about anyone from another denomination? The Great commission is not the great omission.

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April 6, 2013 · 12:00 am

Saturday in Easter Week

The Boldness of Peter and John

Acts 4:13-21; Psalm 118:14-18 or 118:19-24; Mark 16:9-15,20

Today’s readings from scripture are a study in contrasts. First we read that the disciples were timid and slow to believe Jesus’ resurrection from the dead:

Now when Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.  (Mark 16:9-14)

On the other hand we read about the boldness of Peter and John. They had just accomplished a dramatic healing in the name and power of Jesus:

Now when the rulers and elders and scribes saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. (Acts 4:13-21)

On the one hand the disciples could not begin to respond to the news of the resurrection  because of their fear and unbelief. And on the other it was impossible for anyone to stop them. Not even the rulers and elders and scribes could do it, even with threats and intimidation. What brought about this difference? How did the disciples become so bold? In other words, how did the disciples become the apostles?

They discovered that there is power and authority in the name of Jesus. By His death Jesus has destroyed death and the power of sin over us. By his rising from the dead Jesus has won for us everlasting life in the kingdom of God. That kingdom begins now for those who believe. The age of the apostles is not over. The resurrected Lord breathed on His disciples and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Here is the section of Mark’s Gospel that the lectionary left out:

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Jesus will breath on us too if we allow Him. Will 0ur doctrine or dogma get in the way?

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February 13, 2013 · 12:00 am

The Season of Lent

703875_86723664The Wilderness Experience

The Season of Lent corresponds to the time of preparation that Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning His earthly ministry. Scripture tells us Jesus was led there by the Holy Spirit for forty days of fasting and prayer. Historically, Lent provided a time in which new converts were prepared for Holy Baptism.

Why should we observe this time of preparation and what does it mean to each of us and the Church today? Clearly this observance is not required for salvation. The saving act of Jesus on the cross and our response to His loving sacrifice is required, followed by our endurance in the Faith with His help. Nevertheless, we cannot deny that life does present us with wilderness experiences. What is false is a church that suggests that Christians should not have them. We do have them. Job stood head and shoulders above his peers as a righteous man in his day, yet he experienced a terrible wilderness experience. The false triumphalism found in some of today’s churches would have us believe that such experiences should not occur, bringing condemnation on those who go through them.

If we have wilderness experiences as a matter of course then why designate an appointed time to go through one within the Church Year? Is not this appointed time artificial? It is my belief that the Season of Lent in the early church was very much influenced by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps it is better to observe a wilderness experience appointed by the Holy Spirit than the one that is unscheduled and catches us by surprise. We may still endure unscheduled ones but we might be better prepared for them having benefited from the teachings and disciplines of Lent. Jesus required preparation in the wilderness through the Holy Spirit in order to begin His ministry on earth. He experienced other wildernesses as well, Gethsemane being one of them.

Our purpose for Lent should be the same purpose that Jesus had for entering the wilderness: to prepare for ministry. We all have a ministry if we are Christian believers. Lent should be a time of fasting and prayer, self-examination and repentance, and reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. It should be a time of setting aside the things of this world that so easily creep in and devote ourselves more to God and His Word. In other words, let us come up to the mountain of God and be prepared for his transformation.

What should Lent not be? It should not be about our attempt to impress God by what we are giving up for Him or what spiritual gymnastics we are putting ourselves through. The “giving-up” notion is fundamentally flawed. It makes us dread Lent. We then cannot wait for Lent to be over. That is why Mardi Gras or Carnival has such an appeal for many people. Too often Lenten promises are like New Years resolutions. We make them but we don’t keep them and then we are under condemnation. Satan has a field day with us. He loves our false humility and piety.

It is said that we often grow through our struggles and trials. This may be true but it is not necessarily true. A greater truth is that our struggles do teach us that we cannot get through life on our own strength alone. The struggles often drive us to God. It is God who then changes us and not our struggles. Why should we wait for a crisis to go to God? Why not go to Him early and often?

Perhaps the best observance of Lent would be to approach God with faith in the saving blood of Jesus, asking Him what He would have us discover about ourselves and about Him. Let Lent be a time of intentional fellowship with God in prayer, seeking His will and wisdom for our lives so that we might be better disciples of Jesus Christ and living examples of God’s love for the world.

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January 13, 2013 · 12:00 am

First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

baptism-of-christ-xx-francesco-alban1The Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The Epiphany was originally observed as the Baptism of the Lord. It still is observed this way in the Eastern Church. In the Western Church, over time, this event gave way to the visitation of the Magi, which became “The Epiphany” event. From a theological point of view it would seem that the Baptism of the Lord is the more significant. In a defining moment God the Father reveals Jesus to be His Son, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus to empower Him, and Jesus begins His earthly ministry by establishing an example of baptism for every Christian who would follow Him. This is an extraordinary Trinitarian moment for the Church and the world. This is “the” Epiphany of the epiphanies.

What does this moment mean for us and the Church? We cannot understand our baptism without first gaining some understanding of the baptism of Jesus. One wonders why Jesus had to be baptized at all. After all, John’s baptism was for the forgiveness of sins. Although Jesus is the Son of God He was made like us in every way, except that He was without sin. Even John the Baptist questioned why Jesus should be baptized:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.   (Matthew 3:13-15)

Jesus has set a pattern of living for us. His life is our pattern and His baptism is our pattern. If we are to become righteous as He is righteous then we must follow His pattern. Yet without His help we cannot follow His pattern. Thus we must seek His help. How does He help us? This is what John the Baptist tells about Him in today’s Gospel reading:

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”   (Luke 3:15-17)

Do we want the Holy Spirit and the fire of the Lord? We will taste the fire, because God refines us in His fire as we experience life on this earth. Yet we are not to travel this life alone. Jesus promised that He would give us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to lead us into all truth.

During this Season of Epiphany we need our own personal epiphany. We need to submit ourselves to a daily baptism by our Lord Jesus. He alone baptizes in the Holy Spirit. He alone can renew us and rejuvenate us. He alone can fashion us into His likeness. Do we seek Him today as did the wisemen of old.

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