JESUS SPEAKING
“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14: 25-26)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
The Lord informed His disciples that He would soon be taken away from them. In His absence, He promised to send them a replacement; a helper; a spiritual entity that would guide and direct them, and bring to their remembrance all of His teachings. After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven; upon reaching His eternal position, He sent the Holy Spirit into the hearts and minds of every believer (beginning on the day of Pentecost.) The faithful began to speak in foreign languages; they were given the power and authority to forgive sins, to cast out demons, to raise the dead, and to heal the sick. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was, and is, proof that Jesus Christ has reached His heavenly destination. Even today, the work of the Spirit reminds us that He is still seated at the right hand of God; a place of honor from which He continues to guide and direct His church.
In the early 20th century a bold and daring explorer named Roald Amundsen set out to reach the remote poles of the earth. He succeeded, arriving at the South Pole in 1911, followed by the North Pole in 1926. As the story goes, during his northern expedition, he took along a homing pigeon (homing pigeons mate for life; and thus, when separated from their mates, they possess a unique ability to return to their nests from anywhere in the world. Before leaving for the North Pole, Amundsen, not wanting his wife to worry, promised to release the pigeon when he had reached his destination. His wife was elated when the bird eventually arrived back at its nest in Norway. The pigeon was a symbol; a message proclaiming that the explorer had arrived in a distant land, and was very much alive and well.
The Holy Spirit is also a symbol; it is a message and a reminder that Jesus Christ is alive. Many have received the message; while others have not. Those who have opened their hearts to God’s messenger have acknowledged that Jesus is their Lord and master; the Living God who presently guides and directs His church through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have never received His gift of salvation, go somewhere quiet and ask God to send His Holy Spirit into your heart. He will not withhold this wonderful gift from those who faithfully ask Him.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, and that He is seated at Your right hand. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; guide and direct us; teach us and remind us of Your ways. May we always remain faithful believers; may we never waiver; may we never grow weary; and may we never turn away from Your truth. Continue to use us to fulfill Your will in this place, until the end arrives and we see you again, face to face. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!
Jesus Speaks 