Pastor's Desk
June 4 , 2006
WE CANNOT LOVE God as we are called to without the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul said: “For this reason I kneel before the Father,from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19) The magnitude of God’s love for us needs to be grasped by supernatural revelation. It cannot be understood by the human mind alone. “…God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:5)
When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost on the 120 disciples who had gathered in the upper room, he came with power. They experienced something in their innermost being which bubbled forth in a glorious expression of praise and worship. They were speaking the mighty deeds of God in other languages which they had not learned—no doubt giving expression to what they were feeling inside. They were empowered to love God and to give bold and compelling expression to that as they became witnesses of Jesus wherever they went. They experienced inexpressible joy in the Lord and the peace that transcends all understanding. They loved God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and they loved their neighbours. They began to make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded them (Matthew 28:19-20). The life in the kingdom which Jesus had described to them was beginning to be seen among them. It is that life in the kingdom of God that we long for and to the degree we invite the Holy Spirit to have his way among us, to that degree we will experience that life.
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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.
This page was last updated on Friday, June 2, 2006