Have you ever played the dinner party game? The one where you have to choose 3 people, alive or dead, whom you would love to have dinner with? This was on social media the other week. Many people choose a famous actor, or someone like Shakespeare or Einstein (I actually think he'd be a character and a very interesting dinner party guest). Sometimes people ask what period of time you would go back to if you could time travel. I'd want to go back to the day Jesus was baptised in the Jordan and then follow Him through His ministry. A bit pointless though really, as I wouldn't understand a word what with them all speaking another language!
But, language barrier aside, how many of us would long for a little trip back through history, to catch a glimpse of that era, meeting Jesus, seeing miracles, listening to Him teach, watching Him touch the outcast lepers, and heal the broken-hearted? How many would love to be high-fiving Him when He called the Pharisees a brood of vipers! It would have been a pretty amazing time. To be there for all those amazing miracles and wonders had to have been tremendous, but to actually sit and listen to Jesus teaching, I think that would have been the most phenomenal teaching I'd ever experience. Those few years when Jesus walked our planet must have been the earth's and mankind's most sacred and special point of history, surely? Don't we all want Jesus here on the earth? Yet He said it's better for us if He goes. Wait a minute....how could anything be better than Jesus being with us on the earth?
John 16 v 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]
Jesus said that sending the Holy Spirit to us was better than Him being here with us. Now Jesus doesn't lie, and He doesn't exaggerate either. When Jesus was here on the earth, He was limited by the physical - His physical body, the laws of physics. Although He operated via the Holy Spirit, He still was only able to be in one place at a time. Just like when He was on His way to Jairus' daughter, but He was delayed by the woman with great faith with the issue of blood. He still healed, but He could physically only be in one place at a time. When He taught, He taught to many different types of people, and many didn't understand His teachings. Not even the disciples understood much of the time! He was able to further expound afterwards in His private time with them.
But the Holy Spirit is in every single believer. Everywhere. At the same time. All over the world. His role is to help us, to comfort us, advocate for us, intercede, strengthen us and teach us in all things (see John 14 v 26). He is there to help each one of us understand the scriptures where ever we are in our understanding and revelation, He will pitch it just right for us individually. He will encourage us daily, in every moment if we let Him. He is always with us, and doesn't need to leave us to help another as He's not bound by a physical body. He is our ever present help. Basically, He's the power that worked through Jesus and now He's not limited to just one Body (Jesus), but He's ALL OVER THE WORLD!
Really think about that for a moment. The same power that operated in Jesus when He walked the earth - healing, teaching, working miracles, displaying the love of God - is within you, me and all the rest of the Body of Christ all over the world. No wonder Jesus said it was better that the Holy Spirit come! Imagine 100,000 apostle Peters or Pauls all over the world. Imagine all those people in every country, in every city, in every town just loving people the way God loves, serving people the way Jesus served, ministering to people the way Jesus did - healing those who were sick, and telling broken people the good news that God loves them, and forgives them!!! Imagine how amazing that would be.
Well that's what supposed to be happening, right now, through every Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit!! The prophets in the old testament would have revelled in what we have in Christ today! The power that has been bestowed upon the Church, and the very Spirit of God Himself dwelling in us - it's utterly phenomenal. They had the Holy Spirit come upon them - but He didn't dwell within them continually like He does the church. They would have loved to step in our shoes.
So how many Christians are there in the world? A quick google for an estimate says around 2.19billion. How many of those are filled with the Holy Spirit? I don't know. But even if it's only half, that's still over 1 billion people filled with the same power that Jesus was filled with. Yet how many of those 1 billion are walking their lives like Jesus? Or Peter or John or Paul? Jesus didn't send the Holy Spirit so we could leave Him dormant within us. He didn't send Him so we could occasionally pray in tongues once a week on a Sunday morning. Church, we are Jesus' body, here on earth, each one of us filled with His power. It's like Jesus walking about on the earth today still through us. That's the point. That's the vision. That's the purpose. Amen! We're here to display Jesus to the world - His love, compassion, power and glory. Not because we are special, but through the Power and grace He's bestowed upon us.
If every Christian was doing this, in every town, in every city, in every country all over the world, then the world would be transformed. People's lives would be transformed. We wouldn't long to go back to the days when Jesus walked the streets of Capernaum, we'd be living it right here and now. The Lord is calling His church to be His hands and His feet. He has chosen you to reach out and show HIS love and kindness to that person who needs it today. Amen.
We need to tap into the power within us. We need to walk in the vision and purposes that Jesus has for us. When He said it would be better for the Holy Spirit to come, He meant it because everyone who receives the Holy Spirit should be walking in the power and grace of that Spirit. That doesn't mean forcing things upon people, or being "bible bashers", it means being sensitive to the guiding of the Holy Spirit, listening to His counsel and following His lead. Jesus healed those who came to HIM. He never forced Himself upon people. The very reason people were drawn to Him was the love that He walked in. No one had heard anything like it before. But that wasn't supposed to end with Jesus, it is to continue through His church walking in the Holy Spirit.
Let's do it.
AMEN!
AMEN!
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