Running on Empty?

Last Sunday was the Day of Pentecost, celebrating the time when the Holy Spirit came explosively into the lives of Jesus' Disciples and gave birth to the infant church. Here's an article I wrote up about Pentecost for our June Newsletter...

Can we really know God?  Can it possible for us mere human beings to know his Presence with us? Or even living inside us?

According to Christian spirituality the answer is Yes.  Jesus promised before he went to the cross and rose again that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us for ever.  By his death and resurrection he made a bridge between us and God. That means we can draw near to God.  

But this bridge carries two-way traffic! If we can cross the bridge to come to God, God can also cross over to us.  And this is what he did when sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

That's why Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church.  When the Spirit comes, the Christian faith comes alive!  No longer is God just an absent Father, Creator of all perhaps, but a million miles out of our league.  Because his Spirit lives in us, now he is our Father, and we are his beloved children.  No longer is Jesus just a wonderful person from the distant past.  Because his Spirit lives in us, he is now our Saviour and our friend.

So it's good news that God promises the Holy Spirit to everyone who believes in Jesus his son.  We were never meant to live the Christian life on an empty tank, just going through the motions. We need the fuel of the Holy Spirit to get us out on the highway!