Doris Wynbeek Rikkers - Understanding the Holy Spirit Today: A Biblical Perspective of Gods Power and Action

Many Christians believe in God and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Gods Son. They understand those two persons of the TrinityGod is the Creator and Father, Jesus is the Son who came to earth as a human, suffered, and died for us. But then theres the other person of the groupthe Holy Spirit, he came in later, right?at Pentecost, to start the church. Yes, thats true, but theres more than that. The Spirits work is far greater than most Christians realize.

Understanding the Holy Spirit Today is a book that will help you grow in your knowledge of the Spirits work in the Bible. Just as we teach our young children about Jesus by first sharing with them the stories of Jesus and what he did, so too we must begin our understanding of the Spirit by reading the stories of what he accomplished and how he acted throughout Gods story and the history of his people. With a foundation of basic knowledge, we can then move on to a greater understanding of the Spirit and discern his presence in our everyday lives.

The Bible tells us that Gods Spirit is everywherehe rides on the wings of the dawn, he settles on the far side of the sea, he lives in the heavens high above the earth, and he fills the deepest hollows on the ocean floor. There is no place in the universe where we can escape from the safety and comfort of his presence. Since the Spirit is alive and active all around us, we should be familiar with his actions, his gifts, and his abilities. Unfortunately, too often we shy away from knowing the Spirit, perhaps because we fear getting carried away by him. And yet if we desire a close relationship with God, we must learn more about all three persons of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Gods Spirit is the worker bee of the Trinityhe does the work of Gods mind and plan. He was right next to God at the dawn of creation. He provided the breath that made Adam come to life. He filled people with extraordinary strength and skills to do wondrous things for God. He equipped leaders with talents to guide Gods people. He supplied ordinary people with the words of the Lord to instruct, correct, and give hope for the future. Depending on context, the Hebrew word ruach can be translated as Spirit, breath, or wind. But without the work of the Spirit, breath is only a physical reflex that moves air in and out of the lungs, and wind is only air in motion. The Spirit transforms everything, filling breath, wind, and the human spirit with something powerful and divine.

Sometimes the Spirit is quiet and gentle, hovering in the background. Sometimes he is loud and powerful, making his presence obvious. At first he fueled people with just enough strength to accomplish a momentary task. Then God promised to send his Spirit through the prophets to give his people a new heart. Finally the Spirit Counselor came to create a new communitythe churchand to stay in peoples hearts forever.

When God calls one of us to do something great for him, we dont have to fret about achieving it on our own. God will send his Great Powerful Spirit to be with us and give us the strength, the confidence, the power to accomplish his plan. Just as the Spirit aided people in the Bible to do extraordinary things for God, so too he will do it for us today.

One thing is for sure: Gods Spirit is living among us. He always was, always is, always will be. This book is designed to help you recognize and understand the work of the Holy Spirit, and lift your awareness of this person of the Trinity who is often overlooked. By reading his stories in the Bible and realizing how he works in our lives today, may you come to know him better.