nuance

The following is a copy and paste from the Community Forum which I thought deserved a reposting right here on the blog. Very good stuff from my bro.

Do you think about the Holy Spirit very much?

Yes and no. I definitely think I have a strong understanding that my gifts and the fruit in my life comes directly from God’s in-dwelling in my life via the holy spirit. At the same time I often tend to rely on myself in daily situations at work, school, or wherever. It’s so easy to forget that we have a Comforter and a Helper in this life and that He is with us always for the purpose of further reliance on Him and less reliance on self. I find the more that I do focus my thoughts on His presence in my life the more connected I stay to God and the more grounded my life feels in general.

Should we pray to him, if we pray to the other members of the Trinity?

I remember hearing a little while ago at a church in the Williston region that we were only supposed to pray to the Father. The reason’s were diverse and while everyone around me nodded their head in theological agreement, I just didn’t see it. I have the Holy Spirit inside of me but I can’t talk to Him via prayer? What? I believe that our prayers and conversations can be with any member of the trinity and it makes so much sense to me to pray to the Spirit for He is the one physically in us, helping us and building us up in our faith as we walk this walk.

Are the miraculous gifts of the Spirit (like healing and prophecy) active today or did they cease at some point in time?

I’ve heard all the arguments on this one, and every-time people try to argue that the holy spirit has ceased to operate in this way they end up having to put words in God’s mouth. The Bible clearly shows the gifts in action as the Holy Spirit descends upon the early church (which was the start of the age we are living in.) To say that He cannot work through people in dynamic ways is to limit his power. Of course there are plenty of people who claim to have these gifts that do not. They take advantage of people and and it is very sad to see (I believe one word that’s used to describe them is “kindling.”) That being said, just because one person mis-uses something should not discredit the possibility of the genuine article which I believe is most definitely alive and well. Putting too much emphasis on the gifts can often get people into trouble, so I see it as something that God will use and work-out in your life if you are walking with Him. It will happen naturally and does not need to be forced or overly focused on. I think the key is being open to the possibility and letting God work in and through us and the people around us as HE sees fit rather than how WE see fit.

And the biggie: Does the Holy Spirit speak to us???

Absolutely. I think this goes right along with what I said after the previous question. I am confident that the Holy spirit can and will speak to us. The primary way I see this happen in my life is when I read my Bible. My natural ability to glean something from what I am reading is very minimal, but God almost ALWAYS shows me something new and fresh everytime I open my bible. I truly believe these are not my own thoughts or ideas that I am somehow conjuring but that the holy spirit works through those words to hit me over the head with what I need to be seeing and hearing at that moment.

That’s it for me!