The Wonderful Holy Spirit by Pastor Russ Fochler

Last weekend was the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, also called Pentecost -- which is 7 weeks (50 days) after Passover.  Shavuot is celebrated as a harvest feast and in remembrance of God giving the Torah to the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.   On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus died as our Passover Lamb, the Holy Spirit came in power upon the those who followed Jesus and obeyed his command to wait in Jerusalem to be endued with power from on high. The children of Israel were unable to stay faithful to God's commandments in the Torah (also called "the Law").  And the more legalistic they tried to be, the harder their hearts became.  But God prophesied through Ezekiel his answer to this great problem: 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.  Ezekiel 36:26-27 NASB God's Spirit within us, replacing of our hearts of stone with hearts responsive to God's heart!  So, we can now have the Spirit of the Life inside -- showing us the life-giving intent of God's statues and ordinances, instead of our continued striving to follow the letter of the law with a hardened heart.  (See 2 Cor 3:6)   Thank you Wonderful Holy Spirit! Here is something Jesus shared about the Holy Spirit with his disciples.  I'm including two of the translator's notes (using underlined words and italics) because I found them intriguing and helpful.   Jesus is speaking to his disciples: 15 “Loving me empowers you to obey my commands.  16-17 And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. another The Greek word allos means “another of the same kind.”  As Jesus is the Savior from the guilt of sin, the Holy Spirit is the Savior who saves us from the power of sin by living through us in fullness. Savior  The Greek word used here is paráklētos, a technical word that could be translated “defense attorney.” It means “one called to stand next to you as a helper.” Various translations have rendered this “Counselor,” “Comforter,” “Advocate,” “Encourager,” “Intercessor,” or “Helper.” However none of these words alone are adequate and fall short in explaining the full meaning. The translator has chosen the word Savior, for it depicts the role of the Holy Spirit to protect, defend, and save us from our self and our enemies and keep us whole and healed. He is the One who guides and defends, comforts and consoles. Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, our Savior.  The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you will know him intimately, because he will make his home in you and will live inside you." 18 “I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans — I will come back to you! 19 Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. 20 So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. 21 Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love you in return and will manifest my life within you.” 22 Then one of the disciples named Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “Lord, why is it you will only reveal your identity to us and not to everyone?” 23 Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place. 24 But those who don’t love me will not obey my words. The Father did not send me to speak my own revelation, but the words of my Father. 25 I am telling you this while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Spirit of Holiness, the One like me who sets you free, he will teach you all things in my name. And he will inspire you to remember every word that I’ve told you." Worth meditating upon and embracing! With expectancy and wonder, Pastor Russ Fochler