Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You sent us Your Holy Spirit. Today, we are blessed because the Holy Spirit guides us into Your truth. We can also experience the Shalom of God because of the Holy Spirit and we are Your witnesses. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
The life of the church is the life of the Holy Spirit. This was the promise of the Father and He was pouring out His Holy Spirit, lavishly, upon His church.
Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
This is what the Lord had promised His disciples.
John 14:16-20 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (18) I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (19) “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. (20) At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
The work of the Holy Spirit in His church is to bring us to His truth. We live in a world which is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. It is called the VUCA world. How do we navigate our lives in a VUCA world? The world will give us several options but do we follow the course of this world? No.
We need the truth. God’s word is the truth. John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
It is through the application of truth into our lives decisions and choices that we can navigate our lives in this VUCA world. How do we apply the word of God, which is the truth to life’s, twists, and turns? This is the work of the Holy Spirit. He is in us and He is our helper.
It is for us to be totally cast upon our Helper, the Holy Spirit, every moment of our lives. We need to be in the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit. We need to be in constant conversation with the Holy Spirit.
Here is an illustration. When we first learnt to ride a bicycle and learnt to balance, it was a thrilling experience. Over time, we do take balance for granted, because balance becomes a part of us. The relationship with the Holy Spirit is like balance, which is a real experience.
Once we have learnt to relate with the Holy Spirit, we will long to have more and more of the Holy Spirit. The relationship with the Holy Spirit is an ever-growing delight. We will want to be always in the Holy Spirit.
I Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us from the VUCA world and sets us apart for God, by the word of God.
John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. (26) But 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. (27) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Holy Spirit will also bring us into the realm of God’s Shalom. The VUCA world, causes us to be anxious. Whereas, even as we live in this VUCA world, we can experience God’s Shalom for we are under the domination of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, friends, the relationship with the Holy Spirit is where we become His Doulos. We are surrendered completely to the Holy Spirit. This is a life of repeated surrender, for God will never take away from us our freedom of choice. Every moment, we intentionally surrender to the authority of the Holy Spirit over us.
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Being in the Shalom of God amid a VUCA world is the basis of our witness. If we too are anxious and troubled, just like the people of the world, then we are not being witnesses to Christ.
John 15:26-27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (27) And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
This Shalom of God that we experience even as we live in a VUCA world is past understanding. It cannot be explained. It can only be demonstrated. As we demonstrate the Shalom of God in a VUCA world we let people know of Christ and bring people to faith in Christ.
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit enables us to live out the truth The Holy Spirit enables us to live out the Shalom of God The Holy Spirit enables us to be His witnesses