3) DESCENT
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
When have you experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit like a mighty wind shook the shutters of the Upper Room where the disciples of Jesus were down with fear.
It looked like everything was over!
They had heard from Jesus about resurrection – but they hadn’t really experienced it yet. They had forgotten about Jesus’ tears and screams that brought Lazarus back from the dead.
They had celebrated the old feast of Pentecost, but they hadn’t experienced the new feast of Pentecost yet.
Fear went out the window with the breath of fresh air that came in the window that first Easter night.
For 40 days the Risen Jesus was preparing them for the next, for The More.
He gave them the great promise of the Spirit – especially when he was lifted up, when he ascended into heaven.
And on the 50th day – there came a new moment in their lives – the bursting forth of the Great Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, and went forth to the whole world with Good News.
Come Holy Spirit to me.
The Holy Spirit like a mighty wind shook the shutters of the Upper Room where the disciples of Jesus were down with fear.
It looked like everything was over!
They had heard from Jesus about resurrection – but they hadn’t really experienced it yet. They had forgotten about Jesus’ tears and screams that brought Lazarus back from the dead.
They had celebrated the old feast of Pentecost, but they hadn’t experienced the new feast of Pentecost yet.
Fear went out the window with the breath of fresh air that came in the window that first Easter night.
For 40 days the Risen Jesus was preparing them for the next, for The More.
He gave them the great promise of the Spirit – especially when he was lifted up, when he ascended into heaven.
And on the 50th day – there came a new moment in their lives – the bursting forth of the Great Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, and went forth to the whole world with Good News.
Come Holy Spirit to me.
Breathe into me new life – a new spirit.
We’ve all seen people who were down, people who had lost their spirit, lost their faith, become depressed, and then “after some time” rise out of their doom and shuttered lives, and begin breathing new life into our world.
We’ve all seen teams that had given up, had too many losing streaks, get a new coach or a few new key players, and things got turned around and they danced their way to championships.
We’ve all heard about Alcoholics Anonymous where men and women who were being destroyed by addiction to the spirits in alcoholic – get a second wind, a new life, and recovered and their lives became manageable. They met in basements and upper rooms and a new spirit was breathed into them – from the group – from the Higher Power of God.
We’ve all heard about a teenager who changed dramatically for the better because of a failure or a great teacher or a change of schools or he or she just came of age and they woke up one morning with a new Spirit.
The Spirit can descends on everyone – like a bird quietly flying down and landing on a branch – or like a gentle breeze on a hot humid day – or like tongues of fire than can inspire. Yet, each of us has the choice: to accept the Holy Spirit and begin to branch out into new life or shut the Spirit away by closing our shutters; to allow the wind of the Spirit to blow the sails of our boat out to the open sea as we head for new harbors or to stay stuck in the same old place; to keep the torch and fire of the Spirit burning within us or to smother its flames.
Come Holy Spirit.
Come Dove of Peace.
Come Breeze of God.
Come Fire – Passionate Spirit of God.
We’ve all seen people who were down, people who had lost their spirit, lost their faith, become depressed, and then “after some time” rise out of their doom and shuttered lives, and begin breathing new life into our world.
We’ve all seen teams that had given up, had too many losing streaks, get a new coach or a few new key players, and things got turned around and they danced their way to championships.
We’ve all heard about Alcoholics Anonymous where men and women who were being destroyed by addiction to the spirits in alcoholic – get a second wind, a new life, and recovered and their lives became manageable. They met in basements and upper rooms and a new spirit was breathed into them – from the group – from the Higher Power of God.
We’ve all heard about a teenager who changed dramatically for the better because of a failure or a great teacher or a change of schools or he or she just came of age and they woke up one morning with a new Spirit.
The Spirit can descends on everyone – like a bird quietly flying down and landing on a branch – or like a gentle breeze on a hot humid day – or like tongues of fire than can inspire. Yet, each of us has the choice: to accept the Holy Spirit and begin to branch out into new life or shut the Spirit away by closing our shutters; to allow the wind of the Spirit to blow the sails of our boat out to the open sea as we head for new harbors or to stay stuck in the same old place; to keep the torch and fire of the Spirit burning within us or to smother its flames.
Come Holy Spirit.
Come Dove of Peace.
Come Breeze of God.
Come Fire – Passionate Spirit of God.
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