John 14:12-31
Our Men’s Group last night watched Archbishop Foley Beach’s “Three Streams” talk on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit stream in our Three Streams heritage. In his talk he quoted our verses 16 and 17 today: And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. The Archbishop highlighted a number of aspects of these verses, but what stuck with me was the ending, that the Holy Spirit dwells with us (us together) and in us (you/me, individually). That is, as a group we are a Spirit-filled church and individually we are Spirit-filled. All we have to do is ask.
I cannot read these Holy Spirit sections today, tomorrow, and Friday without remembering the transformation in my life two years ago when I did that in-depth study of the Holy Spirit from Jesus’ Last Supper talks, as recorded in John chapters 14-16. I remember saying back then and still today, “Me and the Holy Spirit are getting tight!” (Please forgive my pedestrian language.) Back then I began to see the Holy Spirit more personally, more a “Being” than an “It”, one with whom I could speak my mind, my troubles, my prayers. And doing so does not diminish the Father or the Son at all; Jesus says in verse 13, “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Each of the members of the Trinity is glorified when any one of them is glorified. We need more Holy Spirit power, folks, in our church and in our personal lives. Get tight with Him!
See also: November 1 / John 14:12-24; November 2 / John 14:25-31