Reading this title might make you wonder if that is a wrong
title. Isn’t the greatest gift Jesus' birth on earth and Him bringing God’s
peace to this world? If you read last week’s article, you might be scratching
your head.
Note the difference.
God’s greatest gift to this WORLD is the gift of salvation
through Jesus Christ our Lord. The gift of eternally being reunited with a
loving Heavenly Father and being able to fulfil what we were created for.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Thank God because we are
living in times that many people have a hard time coping with. For those who
are believers and followersof God’s
Word the Bible, and therefore putting into practice the teachings of Jesus
Christ, it is especially hard. Some countries are more challenging then others.
Everyone though is living amongst these kind of people, believer or not.
One such list is described in the second letter written to
Timothy, one of the closest disciples of the Apostle Paul. Although Paul wrote
this to Timothy 2000 plus years ago, it does describe the days we are most
likely living in.
Paul wrote about the
Dangers of the Last Days
3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there
will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their
money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their
parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be
unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control.
They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be
reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They
will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
Stay away from people like that!
6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes
and win the confidence of [a] vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt
of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following
new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These
teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have
depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for
long. Someday everyone will recognise what fools they are, just as with Jannes
and Jambres.
The people that Paul talks about is not a list that
describes believers but those who do not believe. Which makes you wonder what
‘believe’ means then.
You can believe in anyone but if you are not following the
teachings of that particular person, you say you believe in, then are you truly
believing in him or her? But let’s trust that you reader are indeed a true
believer, follower and doer of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Reading that list makes you wonder how to live amongst
people like that as the actions of those people will effect our lives somehow.
That brings me back to the greatest gift to the church that
is the body of true believers. The greatest gift to us, believers is the gift
of the Holy Spirit. Who is that then? God can be described as a Triune being.
Meaning three distinct beings, however all of them God, but distinct,
different. The common factor among the three is that they are all God. God the
Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. They all have the
God powers so to speak. They are omni present (present everywhere) omni
powerful, omni science (knowing everything). They were all present in a
different form at the Baptism by John the Baptist of Jesus Christ- the Son- in
the Jordan river, yet in a different manner. Their main era of operation is
also different although all three have always been in operation somehow. When
it comes to this earth, the main one in operation now is God, the Holy Spirit.
That was the promise Jesus left His disciples,just before He left earth after his death and resurrection on earth.
Although God created this earth beautifully, it didn’t take long before it
became a mess. Because although man was given responsibility of this earth, he
didn’t take it very serious. Hence the mess we are in because the majority of
people still don’t make the responsibility of this earth their concern.
What is God doing in these last days? He is banking on us,
human beings to make this earth what He intended it to be/ How is that
possible? Giving up would be the easiest. But if all of us believers would do
so, what lightwould be left, if any.
Hence the Promise He left us with. Because to shine light in
a dark world, an upside down world, can be challenging. We need power to not
just survive, but also thrive and prosper so we can help others fulfil their
God given calling.
The first 33 years of the Church (that was from say 30 AD
till 60 AD) was marked by them calling on the name of Jesus, The Holy Spirit,
and the Word of God.
To give you a quick summary these are 2 of the 7 reasons of
the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Does it apply to you? Yes! If
you are a believer. No, if you are not!
No 1- It’s a command – If he said we should have it, we
should!
No 2.- It’s an empowerment for service to the world. But you
need power to do that service. Think about police, nurses, teachers etc They
need that power to see the light as an eternal reservoir to tap from. In our
own power, we will run out fast. With Holy Spirit power we multiply and can
stand and most of all respond His way to negative circumstances and people.
Which is positive , yet firm and with conviction of what we stand for.
There are at least 5 more reasons but for now, take this
serious.
Recognise you will need that Holy Spirit Power. Start asking
Him for it and He will be thrilled to let you have it.
If that is you, see you next week when I tell you how.
