Good News for All

Jesus has ascended into Heaven where he is the power beside the throne of God, but God sent us his own Spirit to share life with us. This Holy Spirit, the power behind the resurrection of Jesus, is the new heart which God promised to put within those who would believe and chose to pursue him. He will help you live a new life of freedom from sin. God promised long ago that he would, "put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezekiel 36:27). Jesus told his disciples that he had to leave them. As long as he was still around, the Holy Spirit could not come, but God was about to fulfill this promise.

The Comforter

Referring to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter (John 14-16 Greek: παράκλητος (paraklétos) meaning advocate or helper), Jesus told his disciples that they would soon meet him. Jesus said that the Comforter was to fulfill a particular role that involved:

• He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (John 14:26)
• the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father will testify about me (John 15:26)
• He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8)
• He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13)
• He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak
• He will disclose to you what is to come
• He will glorify me, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:15)
• it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you (John 16:7)

The Holy Spirit is the representative of Jesus on the Earth. When Jesus was here, people had to line up to talk to him. He needed to eat, sleep and pray, and was not always available. He is in Heaven now, but the Holy Spirit is here instead, available 24/7 with no lineups or wait time. The Holy Spirit does such a good job of representing Jesus that people get confused and talk to him and about him as if he were Jesus. They say, "Jesus told me," when they mean that the Holy Spirit told them. They say, "Jesus showed me," but it was actually the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does the same things that Jesus did when he was here. He is the one we deal with, but he is so much like Jesus that we cannot tell the difference.

Pentecost

Pentecost is the name of a Jewish harvest feast called Shavuot. It is celebrated on the 50th day following the Feast of First Fruits, which took place on the day after the Sabbath following the Passover. Jesus died on the Passover day and he rose from the dead on the day after the following Sabbath, which was the Feast of First Fruits. The risen Saviour is described as the first fruits from the dead, in anticipation of the coming resurrection of all those who believe and follow him. The Holy Spirit arrived 50 days later at the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost. This is the day when the Jewish world commemorates the giving of the Law at Sinai, written on stone tablets. That Pentecost was the day when God gave the Law again, in the form of his Spirit written on our hearts, the "New Heart" that he had promised long before.

The remarkable events of that Pentecost day are recounted in Acts 2. The disciples of Jesus were assembled in hiding, afraid of persecution by the Jewish authorities. Suddenly the Holy Spirit appeared like fire, accompanied by the sound of a great wind, and they all began praising God in strange languages. It caused such a stir that they had to explain what was happening. When the crowds who had gathered heard his explanation, many repented and joined Peter and his friends as believers in Jesus. From that day, those people who had formerly been afraid and hiding became bold and open about presenting Jesus as the Saviour. Thousands joined the church. Miracles and healings took place similar to those which Jesus had been doing. It was as if Jesus was there with them, as indeed he was in the person of the Holy Spirit, his representative on Earth.

The Holy Spirit is still here in the Church today. He is here to be Jesus representative with you and within you. He is here to help you live boldly and with confidence. When you talk to others about Jesus, he is standing by to convince those who hear you that what you say is true. The Holy Spirit is here to help you live right, to help you in your part of accomplishing the instructions of Jesus to reach the whole world with the Good News of Salvation.

 Gifts of the Spirit

Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
Prophecy
Knowledge
Wisdom
Discerning of Spirits
Healings
Miracles
Faith
(1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

 Fruits of the Spirit

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control
(Galatians 5:22,23)

 Ministries of the Spirit

apostles
prophets
evangelists
pastors
teachers
(Ephesians 4:11)