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Holy Spirit - The Miracle Within
Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 10, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: The Holy Spirit is "The Miracle Within" each Believer. Are we open to the leading of the Holy Spirit? Updated March 2021. .
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One night... a wife found her husband .... standing over .... their infant's crib.
As she watched him ...looking down at their very first child, ...... she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: .... disbelief, ... delight, ... amazement, skepticism, ... enchantment
Touched by this unusual display... and the deep emotions it aroused, .... with eyes glistening ......she slipped her arm ... around her husband.
"A penny for your thoughts," ... she said.
"It's amazing!" he replied.... Honey It's just amazing.
"I just don't see how anybody ...... could make a crib like that ...for only $57.95." (Long Pause)
Now Ladies... does that sound like something... a man would say?
I am sure that my wife Lee... is saying ...... Amen!
Here lay ...one of the greatest miracles in God's creation... and all this father saw .... was a crib.
He did not see .... The miracle ... that lays within.
But he ... is not unique.
Many times, ... people look upon God's handiwork ....... and only see the outside manifestations... yet never... the miracle ... that lays within.
Whether it is ... the miracle of the birth of a new baby ... or the miracle ... of the birth ... of a new Christian. (Pause)
There are many ... who see only ... the outside framework ... and miss ... the miracle .... that lays within.
God's word tells us ... that something very exceptional ... is within ... each Christian.
When we obey Jesus ...... by repenting of our sins and being buried in Christian Baptism .... we have the promise ... that you will receive... the "Gift of the Holy Spirit."
Hear God's Word in Acts...... BIBLE "Repent ... and be baptized, ... every one of you, .... And you will receive ... the gift of the Holy Spirit." END (Acts 2:38)
The Holy Spirit ... The Gift ... The Miracle ...... that abides where? ... within .... our very being.
In fact, ... in Paul's letter to the Ephesians ... we are told ... that God's Holy Spirit ... is a mark ... of God's ownership .... of us.
Hear God's Word to Us: BIBLE "Having believed, ... you were marked in him ... with a seal, ... the promised ...Holy Spirit" END (Ephesians 1:13)
Now, ... There are those who believe ... that the Holy Spirit ... is some kind of inanimate object ...... much like the crib ... that held that newborn baby.
They see only the crib ...... not the miracle ... that lays within.
These people accept the idea ... that God's Holy Spirit can live within us, ...... but they do not think .... that the Spirit .... does very much.
Thus ... they miss out ... on the miracle ... of what the Holy Spirit can mean and give ... to each one of us.
Christ clearly states the importance of the Holy Spirit ... to each believer:
Hear our Lord's word: BIBLE "It is for your good ... that I am going away. ... Unless I go away, ... the Counselor ... (the Holy Spirit) ... will not come to you; ... but if I go, ... I will send him ... to you.... When he comes, ... he will convict the world of guilt ... in regard to sin." END John 16:7-8
Jesus is saying .... that when He left, .... He would send His Spirit ... in ... His place.
The Holy Spirit, ... The Miracle that lays Within, ... does many things:
The Spirit ... helps us to understand the deep things of God's Word.
He helps us in our prayers ...... guides us ... teaches us and empowers us ... for ministry ... with spiritual, ... supernatural gifts.
But perhaps the most intriguing thing the Holy Spirit was sent to do ... is implied in Acts 1:8.
BIBLE "But you will receive power ... when the Holy Spirit comes on you; ... and you will be my witnesses ... in Jerusalem, ... and in all Judea ... and Samaria, ... and to the ends ... of the earth." END Acts 1:8
Notice the text says .... First that they would receive the Holy Spirit ...... and then ... and then ... they would be ... his witnesses.
The Holy Spirit came First ....... then witnessing.
Many of these people had been with Jesus ... throughout His entire ministry.
They had been disciples of our Lord, .... sat at His feet ...... absorbed His teachings.
Gone out into the surrounding cities ... to proclaim the Good news .... that the Kingdom of God ... was at hand.
Yet ... Acts 1:8 implies ... that they would become witnesses when? .... after they received ... the Holy Spirit.
Why should they have to wait?