The Ever-Present Counsellor

During the Pandemic many believers were praying that God would do a new thing in His Church – something that would overspill to cities and the nation to bring in a harvest of souls. I believe the cry was for a new work of the Holy Spirit, bringing repentance in the Body of Christ, which would lead to a national revival. The answer to this prayer doesn’t seem to have come into the visible yet, so we must continue to ‘stand in the Gap.’ Only a visitation of the Holy Spirit can change us. In history, the work of the Spirit has usually begun with a a handful of individuals who yearn for the reality of His presence.

From recent conversations with different people, it seems clear that the closing down of public worship for many months resulted in a shift in our understanding of Church. Some people faithfully stayed where they belong and continued as intercessors. Others saw the break as an escape route to join another church. Some decided not to meet in person, but to continue to watch online, and sadly, others fell away and lost interest in the things of God. We could call it a time of shaking.

Consequently, I have asked myself what priority do we give to the Holy Spirit? Do we know in our inner being that we cannot do anything that will last for eternity without Him? I have just read some words of A.W. Tozer which brought home to me the great need we have for the Holy Spirit in our lives today, individually, and collectively. ‘If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the Church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no-one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament Church, 95% of what they did would stop and everybody would know the difference.’

We may have experienced the Holy Spirit in the past, but how real is He to us today? John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11). Does your fire need re-kindling? It is possible for any of us to lose our first love for Jesus. Jesus said that the fullness of the Spirit is for those who are thirsty (John 7:37-39).

The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus, the source of living water. Do we recognise that only Jesus can quench our thirst, because no-one but Jesus can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart? Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit is for those who ask and continue asking until they receive the fullness of the wonderful gift He has for them (Luke 11:11-13).

After the experience of Pentecost, the first disciples were filled again with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:29-31). They had been moving in the miraculous and, even under threat of death, they prayed for boldness. They had heard Jesus regularly teaching about the Kingdom of which He is King. They were Kingdom people with a big vision.

It is good to look back with gratitude and recall the way we have been led and blessed in the past. However, anointed by the Holy Spirit, we can live as Kingdom people, having a passionate love for Jesus, which causes us to obey Him without compromise. There is a plaque on the wall of the beach on Lake Galilee where Peter met the risen Lord Jesus and was restored after denying Him. Its words are simple, ‘The deeds and miracles of Jesus are not actions of the past.’ Jesus is waiting for those who are still prepared to take risks at His word, because they trust His power utterly. Are we risk takers?