Scripture

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me.

~John 15:26, ESV

Quote

It is an extraordinary thing that those who profess to care so much about Christ should know and care so little about the Holy Spirit.

~J.I. Packer

I thought I had read Packer’s book KNOWING GOD and got frustrated when I could not find it in my library but I was mistaken or else my memory has really gotten bad. I do speak of the Holy Trinity some–God three in One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but probably not as often as I should. Three distinct personalities and yet One God. These three persons are coequal and coeternal centers of self-awareness, and each partaking of the full divine essence. They are not three roles played by one person, nor are they three gods in a cluster but three persons and One God. They are always together and always cooperating, with the Father initiating, the Son complying, and the Spirit executing the will of both Father and Son, which is His will also. Dr. Hershel Hobbs thought of it life this: in the Old Testament, God the Father was center stage; in the incarnation, Jesus was center stage; after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is center stage.

Packer points to the fact that both the Father and Son are credited in the NT with sending the Spirit {John 15:26, 16:7}. The Spirit would come in Jesus name and act as His agent, deputy or witness. The Spirit would carry on the ministry of Jesus. Have you considered the fact that Jesus’ disciple were misfits and failures. Judas was the only Judean, the eleven were all Galileans. Plus they were commercial fishermen and tax collectors. They were all uneducated and very young. Why would Christ commit His cause to a group like this? It seems insane when you think about it. They understood very little of what He taught and everytime He put them to the test, they failed, and yet He is entrusting the gospel with them. In Acts 1:8 He told them that they were to get the gospel to the world. Are you kidding me! How can this motly crew get the gospel to the world? How can a piece of red clay breath? God would have to breathe into that clay the breath of life. How could these disciple possibly succeed? The Holy Spirit–the Ruach, the breath of God. Without the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, there would be no gospel, no church, no Christian witness in this world. What about a little praise for the Holy Spirit! I will tell you something else; without the work of the Holy Spirit, there will be no revival. Do I make much of Jesus or is it the Holy Spirit working in me that makes much of Jesus? Something to think about.

I am not making light of the disciples; they were surely better men than myself. My point is simply this: without the coming and work of the Holy Spirit, they could not possibly suceed in their mission. Come Holy Spirit, dark is the hour, we need Your filling, Your love and Your mighty power. Move now among us, stir us we pray: come Holy Spirit Revive the church today.

Extra

I am very grateful for God’s mercy and grace. The Spirit moved last night and I became a spectator. I love when that happens. All I can say is Thank You Holy Spirit. All glory and praise the the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Busy day coming up. Prayer group at 9:30, Pastor’s Conference at 10:15, then Donna Smith’s COLS. Joe David and Gregg Compton are doing the service. On the same note: Ramona Eaton passed away yesterday at the age of 90 we think. I am sure Joe David will be doing that service and I am guessing Wednesday but I don’t know. Ramona’s husband Joe was a very good friend. I miss Joe. I miss a lot of old friends.

We don’t need any rain at 1120 Iron Man. I don’t have a gauge but I bet we got five inches last week. I have water standing in the garden. I have ditches that I have not been able to cut with the Gravely all year. I am thinking about putting tires with tractor tread on the back. I hate weed eating.

Extra/Extra

J. I. Packer had an Anglican background and although he is considered a Calvinist, he is not typical. I have discoverd that some of the greatest authors and theologians have are reform to a certain extent. Packer believed in both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. He said these two are irreconcilable and we must make no attempt to explain them, nor should we favor one over the other. The best explanation I’ve come across on the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man is in the first chapter of his book EVANGELISM AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. The most inspiring literature I’ve ever come across on the INCARNATION is in his book KNOWING GOD, chapter five. It is a chapter all Christmas haters need to read. Speaking of Christmas, the way this year is flying by, it will be here soon.