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The Holy Spirit—The Plus Factor
‘The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name.’ John 14:26 NIV
Why would we describe the Holy Spirit as the ‘plus factor’? Three reasons:
(1) The Holy Spirit determines the gifts and skills you receive. ‘It is the one and only [Holy] Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.’ (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT) So if you feel like a square peg in a round hole, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your gifts are. Then ask Him to open the door and give you favour with the right people. He’ll do it.
(2) The Holy Spirit knows where you belong. The Bible says, ‘They, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia.’ (Acts 13:4 KJV) Where you are matters. For example, if you’re a whale you were born to swim in the ocean. If you’re a bird you were born to fly in the air. During a famine God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith, saying, ‘I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.’ (1 Kings 17:4 NAS) If Elijah had decided he’d rather stay where he was, he’d have missed his miracle. You don’t have to do anything to experience God’s love, but you must know His voice and follow His direction to experience His blessing.
(3) The Holy Spirit can be offended. ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.’(Ephesians 4:30 NIV) When a dove (which represents the Holy Spirit in Scripture) returns to its nest, it won’t land if the nest is out of order. So ask God to make you more conscious of the presence of His precious Holy Spirit, and make your heart a place where He always feels at home.
written by Bob Gass
‘The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name.’ John 14:26 NIV
Why would we describe the Holy Spirit as the ‘plus factor’? Three reasons:
(1) The Holy Spirit determines the gifts and skills you receive. ‘It is the one and only [Holy] Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.’ (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT) So if you feel like a square peg in a round hole, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your gifts are. Then ask Him to open the door and give you favour with the right people. He’ll do it.
(2) The Holy Spirit knows where you belong. The Bible says, ‘They, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia.’ (Acts 13:4 KJV) Where you are matters. For example, if you’re a whale you were born to swim in the ocean. If you’re a bird you were born to fly in the air. During a famine God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith, saying, ‘I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.’ (1 Kings 17:4 NAS) If Elijah had decided he’d rather stay where he was, he’d have missed his miracle. You don’t have to do anything to experience God’s love, but you must know His voice and follow His direction to experience His blessing.
(3) The Holy Spirit can be offended. ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.’(Ephesians 4:30 NIV) When a dove (which represents the Holy Spirit in Scripture) returns to its nest, it won’t land if the nest is out of order. So ask God to make you more conscious of the presence of His precious Holy Spirit, and make your heart a place where He always feels at home.
written by Bob Gass
