The Holy Spirit...

A question for followers of Jesus...

1. When was the last time the Holy Spirit was tangibly seen/experienced in the movement of a service you attended?

Yesterday I had the privilege of being involved in a gathering of followers in which the Holy Spirit was tangibly experienced by many within the room. I know for some, even reading this it makes you nervous, but why? Why are we fearful of what the Holy Spirit is able to do if we are willing to get out of the way? Is it that we are afraid of the service being "unbiblical" or is that we are afraid of what the Holy Spirit, "a co-equal" portion of the Trinity will ask us to do?

The Spirit began moving within repentance...
As I arrived at the Youth Building I had many plans of my own in getting ready for the morning, but found myself sweeping, vacuuming, and picking up trash. As I started cleaning, there was an intense battle within me that was deeply rooted in pride! My flesh was crying out, "Why am I doing this, there are people that do this? I should call them and ask them why it didn't get done." As the minutes past, God quickly through his Holy Spirit (John 16:13) reminded me of a scripture in Philippians 2 in which Paul tells the church of Phillipi that "although he (Jesus) was God, he (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself..." Then the Spirit took over in my thoughts and begin to ask questions in which I could not ignore..."So John, when have you become too important to sweep or vaccum a floor?" He continued..."If you are truly like my Son, you would do more of the "menial tasks" you think you have become too important to do!" That was tough to hear but it was oh so freeing!!!

A few hours at the 10.01...
God through His Holy Spirit did a beautiful thing at 10.01 (our Youth Ministry Ministry service) yesterday. Instead of "doing" as we had always, we changed things up. Getting back to the basics of what God has called us to do as followers, gathering to worship the Creator.

With only scriptures and prayer guiding the morning, we left room for the Holy Spirit to move within the students and adults.

This is what we tangibly experienced by the movement of the Holy Spirit:

1. A girl that had just learned that her grandfather has been diagnosed by an aggressive cancer was sitting beside a girl that had recently lost her grandfather. Oh yeah, and one girl is a senior at WHS and the other a freshman at TCA. These two ended up sitting beside each other yesterday only by the Spirit's guiding. We were able to see this, because we left room for this to occur!

2. At the beginning of service I went up to a student that I hadn't seen at 1o.01. We begin to dialogue in asking where he was from and what he was involved in. After the service he came up to me and said that he was in a rough time and needed help because of where his family was currently. I was able to connect him to parents in the back that was familiar with his town and was willing to walk beside him in this difficult time. Because of obedience to listen to the Holy Spirit in talking to this boy before service, he felt a comforting trust to come and share with me, in which, for God's glory, I was able to connect him to wonderful parents in the back!

3. One of the greatest experiences happened as a result of several acts of obedience..
A couple in our Adult Community Group shared Saturday night about an experience they had in their marriage in which I was able to use them as an example at 10.01 the next morning. In this, I asked students at the end of 10.01, if anyone had parents in a particular struggle that matched the couple that shared at our Community on Saturday, to go and talk and seek prayer with this couple. Well, a girl did. And the coolest thing, this particular girl had a something in common with this couple that she is able to minister to them as well! Oh man, was this cool!

God you are awesome.

Sermons and songs are good, but leadings by the Holy Spirit is so greatly needed and desired in this culture in which we live and exist. I close with a warning from Paul to the church in Thessolonica that I pass onto churches in America today...

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire!"

Show His love, others long for!