Joe Sisson
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom 2 Cor 3:17
As we transition from Advent to the New Year, it reminds me of Luke’s words at the beginning of his second book, the book of Acts:
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven … Acts 1:1
Luke is reminding his readers that the story of Christmas didn’t end there; it was only the beginning. Jesus Himself told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to…
… wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5
As the book of Acts progresses, the process of unwrapping and interacting with this new gift, the Holy Spirit, ushers in new perspectives – paradigm shifts from their previous experiences. People began to speak in new languages, and miraculous signs and wonders were being performed. They received supernatural revelations and had Divine encounters.
In this new year of the Lord’s favor, God is inviting us to fully receive this latter gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Him, the gift of new life in Jesus is transformed into abundant life; from fruit produced through abiding in Christ to fruit that remains; from the miracles, signs, and wonders of Jesus to the promise of doing even greater things through the Spirit (John 14:12).
I want to encourage us all to embrace the challenge and opportunity of this new season – not a newness as in making a “resolution” in the power of our own strength, but a newness as in a “revolution” empowered by the Spirit of God.
Prayer
Let’s ask God to transform our lives from what is good and pleasing to what is His perfect will by seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit and all the manifestations of God’s glory that come with it.
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Luke 11:13
