The Encounter

“But the Holy Spirit will come on you and give you power. You will be my witnesses.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭ERV. ‬‬As we can see, the Holy Spirit didn’t only come to console but also to give power to those who believe in Jesus. These are to bear witness to the power we gain through the Spirit of God.

Tribulations in our lives as Christians are expected; they overwhelm, tire, and bring a huge unavoidable sense of loneliness. Yet our hope is not lost, in 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us our God is a God of all comfort. God sends us His Spirit as a Helper to give us His strength in our weaknesses. But who is this God of comfort?

We come to church with the expectations of hearing the word of God and it changing our lives. However we don't come with the right heart to receive it. We allow the seed to grow in a hostile environment that doesn't give us the results we need. Or without realizing it our heart is a dead zone in which the word cannot thrive. What we need to do is change the conditions of our hearts to change the product of the word. What are you willing to do to cause the change you are looking for?

The Spirit cannot abide in a room of idols, much like it can not abide in us if there is something else seated on the throne of our hearts. As youth, we vow to put God first; but slowly, and sometimes without even realizing, we try to balance God with all the other enjoyments the world offers us. We say He is first but when it really comes down to it, God is nowhere in our hearts. Instead, we become a room full of worthless idols.

The magnitude of God’s love is so difficult for us to understand because as humans we are so disloyal. Yet his love remains steadfast even when our heart is attracted to things it shouldn't be. Once in His loving arms we “backslide” into the arms of sin. Sadly, we don’t even feel remorse for our infidelity. Nevertheless He still chooses us and crowns us as his beloved bride. To understand God’s love today we look into one of the premiere examples shown in the bible.

There is a verse that says when we ask God for something, he will answer. However, his answer might not be what we want it to be. What will our reaction be when God says no? Will we be angry, will we throw a tantrum or will we accept what God has answered?

We are expected to have the Holy Spirit, but sometimes our heart gets in the way and deceives us.  Our hearts are so easily manipulated that we confuse overwhelming emotions with the Holy Spirit. When we are young it is difficult to realize that people are not crying from emotion, but because the spirit in us is being embraced by the presence of God. And sometimes in our ignorance we fake being in the spirit just so we won't feel left out. How do we stop living in emotion and start being led by the Spirit?

Although it might seem like church is full of acts that might be interpreted as rituals, such as taking the holy supper, being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit; none of these physical actions matter if there isn’t an internal change. A real encounter with the spirit causes growth in areas such as patience, love, joy, etc. Producing these spiritual fruits is the core of our walk in Christ.

Although it might seem like church is full of acts that might be interpreted as rituals, such as taking the holy supper, being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit; none of these physical actions matter if there isn’t an internal change. A real encounter with the spirit causes growth in areas such as patience, love, joy, etc. Producing these spiritual fruits is the core of our walk in Christ.

The blood of Jesus serves to transform, redeem, and purify us. It’s deeply ingrained as a part of our faith, however from the outside it can look like a very odd practice. But in reality, the simple act of taking the bread and wine is so rich in symbolism, meaning, and essentially marks a change in reality. It is so powerful, it affects body, soul, and spirit. The words tradition, custom, and ritual don’t encompass the true essence of this act.