Welcome to our Emmaus blog site where we are hoping to create a safe environment to ask questions and search for answers together on various topics related to our faith in Jesus. If you are here as someone who has known Jesus for many years or perhaps are still searching for the answers to life's big questions, "Does God exist? Who is Jesus? Do I have a purpose in life? Is there more to this life than what I see?", then this is the place for you to connect and discuss your thoughts without judgement.
Our format will be to pose a question to which I will share a few thoughts and scriptures and then open it up for discussion. Feel free to share views and ideas to add to or challenge these thoughts as we endeavor to discover the truths the bible gives us to answer the question. Everyone is welcome but we only ask that you measure grace to one another.
During this unusual time when we are all faced with changes beyond our control we all need to be assured that God is real and what he is doing through this time. Is he present and if he is in what ways can we expect to see him be actively involved on a daily basis?
To answer these types of questions we can't leave out the Holy Spirit as part of God's plan for our lives. I know there are many who have been scared off by this topic so we are going to stick to the basics to begin with so let me pose the first question that we need to answer.
Question: Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Part One - The Holy Spirit is not simply an influence but a person because he has personal attributes. Here are just a few.
- He can be grieved - Ephesians 4:30
- He can be insulted - Hebrews 10:29
- He can be lied to - Acts 5:3
- He can be resisted - Acts 7:51
- He can be quenched - 1 Thessalonians 5:19
What difference does this make, if any, to our daily lives? And if he is a person what does that mean on a relationship level?
Please feel free to comment with your thoughts below.
Being able to see people with more loving eyes, at different places on a journey. More often feeling or sensing the Spirit's presence with others. Seeing some physical healings. Having more peace and joy, even spontaneous outbursts of laughter. Having more patience with people and myself. Wanting more of Him. Experiencing quickening of body and spirit. Just feeling more free. Not needing to analyze as much. Some prophetic words, personally, but more from others. Others I know well having words of knowledge.
Wow! This summer and fall have been a crazy time to say the least. I haven't posted anything for quite a while on this blog regarding the person of the Holy Spirit but He has been at work in our lives every day executing the results of what Jesus did for us at the Cross. This one of his main functions, not to draw attention to himself but to point to Jesus and his finished work.
John 15:26: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me
His primary function is to bring glory to Jesus so those who…
Are we honouring Holy Spirit enough? Mark 3:28-29 says " I tell you the truth,all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin". Luke 12:10 "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven".
What a great time of year to be revealing more of the Holy Spirit. This weekend coming up is Pentecost Sunday, 50 days past the Passover and the resurrection of Jesus, that focuses on the outpouring of the Spirit or the Promise of the Father. The prophet Joel spoke of this time when sons and daughters would prophesy, young men would see visions and old men would dream dreams. Acts 2: 17 and Joel 2:28-32.
There are lots that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can do equally well like being present at creation, being present everywhere at the same time, being all powerful and all knowing. There are also things that each of them does that is unique and…
Although Holy Spirit remains a bit of a mystery to me, I do know that He offers power, gifts and fruit to those He indwells. The fullness of all that He offers is ours who believe He lives in us, obeys and totally surrenders to Him. I think He than will reveal Father and Son. Thoughts?