Tag Archives: holy spirit

Thought for the Week: Waiting for the Feeling

Waiting for the Feeling
I was watching the ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ programme on TV. A couple had bought a house and renovated it to the man’s satisfaction. The woman was not satisfied and said, “I am waiting for the feeling”, meaning she would feel when the house was the home she wished for. I wrote about Pentecost in the last ‘THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK’ and mentioned what happened when the Holy Spirit came. The Apostles had been waiting for the feeling and they were touched by flames of fire which gave them the feeling without a doubt.
Sometimes, a person seeking Jesus will expect to have something like the strong winds and flames before they can be sure. I knew one such person many years ago who was waiting in that way and had almost given up saying, “Unless I have something miraculous, I will not believe”. On his way home from work that day he stopped for a break and in that moment, he had a feeling which changed his life. The Holy Spirit had shown just with a feeling that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the man gave his life to Him.
I imagine we are all having thoughts about COVID-19 and may be getting tired of asking God to change the world and give us back the freedom we enjoyed before the virus came. I know that I have been made aware that most of the people who have a faith have found it difficult not to have an opportunity to worship their God. We are waiting for the time to come when we will have a feeling that the Holy Spirit has turned things around.
Many years ago, when my son was in university, he had a chance to have a year in Texas. The church he worshipped in was out of doors under a bridge. Every Sunday, whatever the weather, even deep snow, and whatever the age of the congregation, they gathered together to worship God. After the service they dispersed to serve the Lord in different ways. My son taught black children who were not receiving an adequate education at that time. This week, we have been told that our chapels can be opened for prayer. There are many difficulties which have to be overcome. We have a challenge though. If any of you have a feeling about a way of us worshipping again together within the law, let me know.

PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK

Ever loving, ever caring God, we pray today that the times will change to enable us to get together to worship you, our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We are still struggling to cope with the constraints of our lives, but we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who was made to suffer before His crucifixion. Our Lord Jesus cried out about what was happening to Him, and then added, “Thy will Father”, and so, even though we find it difficult to accept the constraints, we also say, “Father God Thy will be done”.
Lord Jesus, we bring to you this week those who are in hospital and the doctors and nurses caring for them. We pray for carers who are suffering mentally as they try to keep people alive, only to stand by their bedsides as they die.
In our thoughts this week we consider thinking and waiting, Lord Jesus. You went through all of those emotions and disappointments and we ask that by the power of the Holy Spirit, people who have not yet given their lives to You will get that feeling of a new life, a changed life and become a person joining all of us in your special family.
With love in our hearts and thanksgiving for our own lives of faith, help us to help others to know You, In the Name of God, the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

When the Day of Pentecost Came

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2 verses 1 & 4

Dear Friends,

day of Pentecost cameEaster Day may be past so far as the celebrations of Jesus being alive are over and the Christian calendar has taken us on to the Sunday known as Low, but I hope and pray that we have not allowed the mundane things in our lives to take away the uplifting message of Easter. The period we are in, in May and June, includes the Ascension of Jesus to His rightful place with His Father in heaven followed by one of the most exciting days for Christians.

On Sunday June 12th, we celebrate the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the waiting disciples and filled them with such great power that they lost all their fear and were able to present boldly the Good News of Jesus to thousands of people who were then converted into being believers in the Risen Christ.

Every Christian has been given the same power to be bold in their faith. As I write this I have just read that the man who was threatened with the sack for having a palm cross on the dashboard of his car will no longer lose his job and the cross can stay where it can be seen. He stood his ground for Christ and Christians backed him up to the point where his employers felt bound to change their minds. The Christians of our country need to stand up and be counted in this way for we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit for such a purpose.

“Be Bold, for the Lord our God is with us!”

In the Lord’s love and service,

Marion