The Promise of the Spirit

When Christ gave His disciples the promise of the Spirit, He was nearing the close of His earthly ministry. He was standing in the shadow of the cross, with a full realization of the load of guilt that was to rest upon Him as the Sin Bearer. Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, He instructed His disciples regarding a most essential and complete gift which He was to bestow upon His followers—the gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of His grace.

“I will pray the Father,” He said, “and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16, 17). The Saviour was pointing forward to the time when the Holy Spirit should come to do a mighty work as His representative. The evil that had been accumulating for centuries was to be resisted by the divine power of the Holy Spirit….

The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service. To all who have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a counselor, sanctifier, guide, and witness. The more closely believers have walked with God, the more clearly and powerfully have they testified of their Redeemer’s love and of His saving grace. The men and women who through long centuries of persecution and trial enjoyed a large measure of the presence of the Spirit in their lives have stood as signs and wonders in the world. Before angels and men they have revealed the transforming power of redeeming love.—The Acts of the Apostles, 47-49.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 9
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Sharon who in the hospital with a possible stroke. Also pray for Evia, age 14 or so, as she spilled hot liquid on her hand and is in a lot of pain. Pray also for Paul who just had heart surgery. Mike
—-My good friend, Linda, has passed due to complications with covid. Please pray for her family and friends. Rose
—-Please continue to pray that God will guide in E and her children’s future. R
—-Please pray for my elderly father. He’s in the hospital with UTI, compression fracture in back, low oxygen to name just a few things going on. Louise
—-Please pray for my little Alan. He had a reaction to eggs and it’s been a rough morning. He’s okay, we just don’t know how bad his allergy is, and eggs are in so many products. His meds are making him a little loopy right now, but he won’t settle down and rest. Jennifer
—-Please pray for my cousin Cynthia, she lost her baby a year ago this day, and today lost the baby’s father as well. She’s only 22 and this is extremely hard on her, she feels like it’s her fault and just isn’t okay. Jessica
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Dear Friends,

Some years ago, I had a appointment to meet a certain lady in order to practice a piano/organ duet for a weekend convocation. We were to meet at 6:30 PM. I was there at 6:05 as I wanted to practice some other pieces. I had accidentally left my organ music the week before and had asked the church secretary to put it in her office. The lady, I was supposed to meet was supposed to get the music while the office was open and put it on the organ for me. She was going to be at the church earlier that day and assured me that it would not be a problem. She forgot. I peeked in the office window. There it was sitting on the secretary’s desk. So near and yet so inaccessible.

I decided to practice a few hymns until she came at 6:30. I practiced until 7:00. The church is unheated during the week so I was getting chilled by that time. At 7:00, I decided that I was going home. I walked down the long hall to the fellowship room and told the cleaning people that if the lady I was to meet ever showed up to tell her I had left.

As I was walking back to the church sanctuary for my boots and coat, the pastor walked in. I explained my problem. One glance at my face told him that I was not at all happy. He unlocked the office door, called the lady I was to meet, and handed the phone to me. In the course of the conversation, she admitted that she had forgotten all about our appointment. She was in Wal-mart buying a few needed items and assured me she would be there in ten minutes.

I went back into the cold sanctuary and practiced my music. By 7:35, she still had not arrived. My feet felt frozen by this time. I turned off the organ, got on my boots and coat, grabbed my purse and music and headed for the door. Just as I was ready to step outside, she was getting out of her car. Oh, NO! She sincerely apologized and asked if we still could practice. I said ok, but I was going to play it through only once. Then I was going home.

Later that evening, I called Ronnie Jay and was telling him about my miserable evening. He said, “Well, I suppose you’ve never forgotten anything—like 8:00AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Suddenly, I felt ashamed for getting upset with her, when I kept forgetting to call him on those mornings to make sure he has heard his alarm clock.
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Rom 2:1-3 Jesus warns us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matt 7:1-3

When tempted to complain of the faults and failings of others, may we remember our own shortcomings. May we “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:8-12

Rose