We need the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4) The knowledge of God is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. The Kerygma The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible and when we know the Holy Spirit he helps us to understand what he has written, he even helps us apply it to our lives and that’s something very few authors are willing to help me with personally! St. Peter, newly filled with the Holy Spirit in power and truth, demonstrated the model very well in his post-Pentecost sermon to the people of Jerusalem. So long as our view of the operation of the Spirit does not violate the Scriptures the manner of indwelling should not cause division. And as usual, […]. to keep HPR reaching clergy around the world. The death and resurrection of Christ brought the Holy Spirit, the indweller of the church, and its members. I say “carelessly” because the presumption is so often made, for example in homilies, that “we Catholics” are all faithful to the teachings of the Church, that “we Catholics” all know the teachings of the Church, that “we Catholics” all receive the sacraments with right disposition, and thus, that “we Catholics” personally all receive the holy grace of the sacraments efficaciously, fruitfully. Those who “have no need” for humbling repentance, have no place in their hearts to receive faith, and thus his life. Don’t get me wrong we knew he was there but we did not want to appear like our charismatic friends who often mistook great music and powerful emotions as the moving of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that this sort of call reflects a deep trust in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, which unites together all the baptized and continues to be giver of the church's life. In this way, the Church has grown weak, lukewarm, more ceremonial than liturgical, more institutional than life-filled in Christ’s Body. Infant Baptism fits beautifully within a faith-filled Catholic family, the fruit of a faith-filled, and holy Catholic marriage. I think more people should write on this topic. 3. This is the first blog post I have ever read on the Holy Spirit, which is very cool! Do we, members of his Church, need a washing of heart-deep repentance today? A former teacher, engineer, Protestant minister, and missionary, he has earned graduate degrees in Catholic theology and ministry, Protestant ministry, and physics. Where did he go to school? If a person thinks too much about himself, he will do many wrong things. John Paul II’s rich and powerful encyclical, Dominum et vivificantem, is an instruction on the Holy Spirit that he knew, in 1986, was needed by the Church now! The Church needs the Holy Spirit in her preaching, because this list of what the Spirit is sent to do, is exactly what the Church is in need of. Conclusion Thus, they can grow in grace and faith through their whole lives, as is pleasing to God. You don’t have to read far in the New Testament to find out that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual life and growth to every believer. The Church needs to be convinced—convicted—that the world is very much with her, and in her, and she is very much in and with the world. November 10, 2014. The Spirit was God s gift for the New Testament church that, when claimed by faith, would bring "all other blessings in its train" (The Desire of Ages, p. 672). Jesus taught, in his final discourse before the Cross: But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. The problem is, such families, and such marriages, are the exception, and not the rule. Should Catholics Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine? You can have communion with God, and always be in tune with His voice. He gives you spiritual gifts. The purpose of preaching and teaching is not to make friends, preserve comfort, and keep parishioners content with the status quo. He has the keys to your house the keys to your car and everything else in your life! Look at your sacramental life! The Church in our time needs the Holy Spirit, that he might do what only he is sent to do: bring Life! The Church needs the Holy Spirit in her preaching, because this list of what the Spirit is sent to do, is exactly what the Church is in need of. When a Christian doesn’t know about the Holy Spirit it’s like having someone who lives in you’re home that you’ve never taken the time to get to know. Peter answered their cry: “Repent, and be baptized … Save yourselves!” And the result, the fruit: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41). The Holy Spirit also has the unique role of animating the Church in our day and age. The Autonomy of the Holy Spirit. We believe God is there and created everything. Business as usual is not an option; a radical, zealous return to him is needed. . So, why does the Church need the Holy Spirit so much in our time? Standing before God on Judgment Day, we will not be able to think of one decent excuse for our disobedience, because there are none to be found. We all are, after all, baptized and sacramentalized, are we not? In Acts Chapter 4, Peter and John were entering the temple to pray when they passed by the crippled beggar. More common is infant Baptism in a family for which presence at Mass is better described as “most Sundays,” by “attendance at” rather than “participation in” the Mass, and for parents whose marriage was celebrated “in the Church” more for their relatives than for the grace of the Sacrament. Grief is a different emotion. We have a choice. If you want to study further, and I hope you do, here are a few books that I have read and found helpful in gaining a biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit and his work. So he does things that are against God’s rules. This call to repentance was acknowledged to be primary and necessary also in this passage where Jesus spoke of John, and Luke thus testified of the crucial role of John, and his baptism of repentance: This is the one about whom scripture says: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you.” I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. The Best/Worst Sermon Ever Preached at Steven Furtick's Elevation Church. She has sinned, and she takes it lightly. The knowledge of God is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. I use the words “we” and “us” intentionally in that conditional statement, because the words “we” and “us” are so often used carelessly among Catholics in speaking of Catholic things, and the Catholic faith. I am by no means speaking of what is happening in the hyper Charismatic churches. We need the Holy Spirit to stand in the face of rejection. All the strategy, plans, and programs can never truly achieve church renewal or revive us as believers. I taught an 8 week long Bible study at a charismatic church a year or two ago and it was a wonderful experience. The Holy Spirit is the One who puts love in our hearts: love for Christ, love for Christ’s kingdom, love for the lost. God s moral Law was written in Sinai by the finger of God (Deuteronomy 9:10), identified in the Gospels as the Spirit of God. To preach and teach our need for real, authentic holiness, is not easy—it often does not garner the praise and approval of men. I really liked that book on the Holy Spirit as well. First, we must turn from the old, then we can turn to the new. The Church needs to be convinced—convicted—that the world is very much with her, and in her, and she is very much in and with the world. So many Catholic homilies are platitude-rich, safely short, and as if carefully crafted not to make disciples, but to leave the congregational thermometer to within half a degree of where it was before. The Holy Spirit is God Himself tangibly working in our hearts, minds and sometimes in our bodies to experience God's grace here on earth as it is in heaven. We need the Holy Ghost for Boldness to speak what God wants us to say and do what God wants us to do. The Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraaff is a classic book the covers some of the false teaching that is often taught in the charismatic movement. “If the world hates you, you know that it … From the earliest centuries of the Christian church, various groups, discontented with the lack of freedom, active charity, or vitality in the institutional church, have called for a greater sensitivity to the ongoing outpourings of the Holy Spirit; among such movements were the Holiness and Pentecostal movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Holy Spirit will guide you. (Romans 5:5, CEB) Our faith is not balanced if we don’t embrace all the persons of God Almighty. Does the world need a washing of heart-felt repentance today? Ryrie’s book is more a of theology. We are being "created in Christ Jesus for good works." When, I ask, is the last time “we Catholics” have heard such a sermon? So many parishes, having such a dearth of full-hearted and full-throated adult formation, receive adult formation in the Catholic faith, and in the Catholic moral life, only in the 10- or 12-minute homily, once a week. The Holy Spirit does in the whole Church what the soul does in the members of the one body." Great post! Dominum et vivificantem Sign up with your email address to be the first to know about new products, VIP offers, blog features & more. The Holy Spirit guides me and helps me through life. Church, look at your life, what you have done, and what you have failed to do! Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Have you read the Forgotten God by Francis Chan? I found it very helpful in preparation for teaching. Why We Need the Holy Spirit Are there solutions to the many problems that are rife all around the earth today? The Holy Ghost does not minister in Christ’s body to knock people down, but rather to pick them up. While over the years there has been much controversy in the church on the meaning of “the gift of the Holy Spirit” it should not be a matter of fellowship! Suppose first, a normative, well-formed Catholic marriage, bringing forth children as the fruit of their love. The Lord’s Supper | What Is It and Why We Do It, 6 Reasons for Lack of Faithfulness in Ministry, Our Son Left Us and This Is How We Dealt With It. We struggle with the Holy Spirit because we don’t really understand how an invisible Spirit can have influence in our life. And thus, sin is so rarely addressed from the pulpit (the only source for catechesis for most Catholics today); and thus, so many Catholics have become desensitized to sin, and numbed to the call to holiness. It's through the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit that God works in us to allow us to be regenerated, reconciled, empowered, guided and strengthened for the work God calls us to do. The purpose and point of a homily is not politeness, it is truth—saving truth. All Rights Reserved. 5 Tests to Find Out, 9 Things Christians Shouldn’t Do During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Praying for the Destruction of Your Enemies, What the Bible Says About Kissing Might Surprise You, How to Make Your Wife Submit to Your Authority -6 Tips, Why Ukraine Celebrates Christmas on January 7th. And there is power in love — love will drive you to do things that could never have been done otherwise. Humanae Vitae and the Law of Gradualism – Rejoice and be Glad, Evangelization: The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Following that sermon, in the concluding passage (Acts 2:36-40), we see the model: “You have sinned!” His hearers were “cut to the heart,” and cried out to know what they should do. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. The formation in the Catholic Faith of the parents typically stopped with Confirmation preparation at 8th grade or so; preparation as adults for the Sacrament of Matrimony typically was a few required hours, endured so that the all-important thing—the wedding—could happen in the Church building. Finally, for a full treatment of the subject in a straight forward style you need to pick up The Holy Spirit by Charles Ryrie. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Individual. Why people do bad things. "In the Church there is a broad ignorance, a lack of knowledge about what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit or the importance of the Holy Spirit," McKnight said when asked to comment on the joke some make when they refer to their church as being a "Father, Son, and Holy … Never Say This to a Preacher After His Sermon! Merry Christmas! God, through the power of the Holy Spirit He has put into His children (after their repentance and baptism), is forming in His people His holy, righteous character. Where Do We Meet the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is also the one who gives spiritual gifts to all followers … We grieve the Holy Spirit when we act sinfully, whether it is in thought only or in both thought and deed. By obeying Him, you can live the faithful life that you have longed for. Thanks for an informative post! Sin is judged. Don’t you want to know who lives inside of you? Sin is death. Well, there is a problem: the holy grace and divine Presence given us at Baptism, and in the other sacraments, can be weakened (or, indeed, lost completely) by sin, leaving us tepid, lukewarm, “institutional-only” Catholics—in profound and dire need of repentance, restoration, and renewal! I grew up in a Lutheran church and since then have attended evangelical, non-charismatic churches so I am also in need of instruction about the Holy Spirit. And later, in many situations, the Holy Spirit will teach us and give us light, especially by reminding us of those very words from the Bible. She has sinned, and she does not tremble before the altar of the Lord! Here are three reasons why you should pick up your Bible and maybe a good theology book and seriously study the Holy Spirit. He has served as religious formation director for parishes, director of lay ministry and deacon formation at the diocesan level, and retreat director. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. There is an interesting pattern found in the Old and the New Testaments. When someone writes a bestseller everyone wants to know who the author is. . Why Christians need the *Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit wants to teach us who Jesus really is “I still have many things to say to you… Blog posts represent my personal opinion (Caleb Suko) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or beliefs of any other person or organization. Copyrights © 2017 SUKOFAMILY. Concerning judgment: Satan himself, the evil one in whom abides only lies and deceit and death—he is the ruler of this world—he is forever judged and condemned by the Lord. Eight Reasons Why We Don’t Need to Beg the Holy Spirit To Show Up At Church Sometime ago I was invited to a joint Sunday evening worship service of several area churches. Look at your prayer life! I grew up in a Baptist Church and like most Baptist churches we didn’t talk much about the Holy Spirit. But harm is done. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents (CCC §2226). This Church, with the world abiding in her, must be convinced—convicted: Church, look within your heart! It is notable—important—that the preaching of John the Baptist, in his crucial preparation of the coming of the Messiah, and the preaching of Christ Jesus Himself, both began with the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Mt 3:2; 4:17) That is, before the good new things of God would be revealed, first, repent. I also have a theology book by Charles Ryrie and I didn’t think to check out that. will remain, even to the end of the world, after all but a symbol of those heavenly facts which fill eternity." First, the ministry of the Son; then the ministry of the Spirit. Since 1900. Privacy. Related Information: Table of Contents that includes "Why We Need the Holy Spirit" Origin of article "Why We Need the Holy Spirit" Keywords: God's spirit holy spirit God, help from laying on of hands God's spirit, gift of Laying on of hands: What the Bible Says … (1) This realization led Cardinal Newman to declare that "Holy Church in her sacraments . Instead of relying on endowments, cultural Christianity, or the cultural significance of the mainline church itself, David Watson here points the Church back to the true source of power … (Jn 16:7-11). Look at your moral life! When such Catholic families are immersed in a secular, godless, materialistic culture of death—modern America—the result only worsens: the Church cannot evangelize the culture—she hardly knows her left hand from her right. Concerning sin: there is a paucity of vibrant, life-transforming faith in her. To preach and teach our need for on-going, earnest repentance of our sins is not easy. I hope all my readers here will click on the title-link, and read the article. We need the Holy Spirit. A correct understanding of the Holy Spirit is essential for spiritual growth and this can only come from a careful examination of Scripture. Where does he live? … | Renew The Church Blog, In which I commit the unforgivable faux pas and talk about vaccines on the internet. The Holy Spirit makes us who we are as Christians. But here is one reason why we still need smoke and lights in the modern church. There are two ways to explore the archives at HPR: We Need the Holy Spirit! The Magis Center for Catholic Spirituality. Barb, I haven’t read Francis Chan’s book on the Holy Spirit, but I know he’s a good author so I might have to check it out. Thanks for these great sources, Caleb. R. Thomas Richard, PhD, together with his wife, currently offers parish presentations and adult formation opportunities. (2) And what do these sacraments accomplish? They might be a prophet, a judge or an apostolic team. We need to be convicted, and judged by the Holy Spirit, that we can be brought to life in him. Concerning righteousness: The Righteous One has ascended to the Father, and unless the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, be a living Presence in her—God in her—she is empty. By David F. Watson -. In the first few songs, we were encouraged to sing phrases that indicated the Holy Spirit wasn’t present. But if I go, I will send him to you. This post is part of a series which you can find here. He has called, and is calling us to holiness, and all that we need in order to respond is awaiting us, in the Holy Spirit, now! All rights reserved. Look at your faith, and weigh it on the scales of God’s intention for you! The Holy Spirit and the Local Church Jesus is the Lord of his church, and the Spirit of God can work vibrantly among his people. When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we turn it into … Here are three reasons why you should pick up your Bible and maybe a good theology book and seriously study the Holy Spirit. If we see no need to turn from the old—if the old is good, or good enough—then, we are content with ourselves as we are, and we have no hunger for the Good, for the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. So many homilies are safely distant from any uniquely Catholic beliefs, or challenging, or threatening Catholic moral teachings. What kind of person is he? He is a constant companion. – Mama Needs Coffee. He can give you strength, help, comfort and guidance. The Holy Spirit permanently and immediately upon justification indwells those who have professed faith in Jesus as their Savior. No, the secular world evangelizes the Church, and she adapts and embraces the loves and ambitions of the world. The Church Without the Holy Spirit The greatest need of this hour is a new Biblical baptism in the Holy Ghost. Posted on Feb 23, 2011 by United Church of God Estimated reading time: 2 minutes. First repentance, then life-receiving faith! Most Catholics, if they were to think about these presumptions carefully, would right away acknowledge that the presumption is false. St. Peter Preaching to the Crowd on Pentecost. With their obedient cooperation, He … Most might say that using the plural pronouns so presumptuously is not exactly false, so much as merely a rhetorical device. Call the Holy Spirit to probe every dark corner, and every place of shadows in you, and unmask you to yourself, that you might repent, and believe, and be saved! Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God by Gordon Fee is also not a new book but certainly worth reading. No harm done. Shocking Statistics from Porn Sites During Quarantine and 3 Justifications for Viewing Porn, Do You Have the Deadly Sinoravirus? Playing down the role and the person of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our churches is not a good idea. The measure of Christian ministry is not consumer satisfaction, but obedience to the One who sent us into his vineyard, for the work of in-gathering. Fee deals with the Apostle Paul’s many references to the Holy Spirit in his epistles. The more thoughtful among us might think that it certainly ought to be true for all of “us Catholics,” that we do all these things, and so to be told that “we Catholics” do as God wills is merely being polite. The book deals with much more than just false teaching about the Holy Spirit. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Galatians 5:16-26. We need the Holy Spirit because we live in darkness; we need the Holy Spirit because we are called to be the light of the world. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray, and to discover, their vocation as children of God. By Baptism at infancy, they insure that their children receive an infusion of God, the Holy Trinity, into their little souls, with holy sanctifying grace as infants, so that these much-loved children can be nurtured, fed, and can receive divine truths, in age-appropriate ways, all through their childhood years. The “now!” continues. It is not easy to talk about specific sins so common in our secular culture today that—when allowed into the Catholic heart—erode and can destroy saving grace in the soul. Consider the fundamental cell of our Catholic culture—the Catholic family. With God it is a faith question. 1:26; Eph. We quench the Holy Spirit when we do not allow the Spirit to reveal Himself the way that He wants to (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Learning about the author can often help us gain a better understanding of what he wrote. Too often our church life is devoid of the Lord’s spiritual dynamism. Do we need such preaching, today? […] been published on-line, at the website of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, as an article titled The Church Needs the Holy Spirit! Sin is condemned. The Holy Spirit will call you to faith in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. He is thinking about his body, not his *spirit. That person tries to do whatever things will make him happy. ... on of hands" is listed among "the elementary principles of Christ" that make up the foundational doctrines of the Church—showing it is a procedure we should still practice. Oh, yes. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand what we read. The first is seen when a person becomes born-again. Why the Holy Spirit's Power is Needed for Church Renewal. We become overly dependent upon human wisdom and planning, to such a point that we no longer rely upon the Lord who can deliver us. Our understanding of who God is instructs us how to live our daily life, The better we know God the closer our relationship with him will be. America's foremost pastoral publication. So what is the problem? (All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves) (Lk 7:27-30). The inevitable result of generations after generations of such poor formation is a Church that is ripe and easy pickings, for the thief of souls the evil one. This is enough—although more could be written—to establish the necessity of repentance on the path of salvation. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. His work, his bitter fruit, is judged and condemned. 2020 Had Some Good Things Too! 2 Now, Christ Himself would dwell within, through the Spirit (John 14:20). I suppose it might have something in it, as well. Neither hotter nor colder: where it was; tepid, lukewarm, safe. Playing down the role and the person of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our churches is not a good idea. Maybe when you were younger, you thought that surely if mankind works long enough and hard enough, solutions could be found for any problem. The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift, it’s God here and now. If the Holy Spirit is God then we should do everything we can to know who the Holy Spirit is and how he works in our life. Why You Need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit There are two manifestations of the Holy Spirit that set the stage for the Holy Spirit to become intimately involved in the life of a believer. What You Need to Know about the Holy Spirit,Michael Horton - Read more about spiritual life growth, Christian living, and faith. We need Spirit-driven preachers, teachers, and pastors, leaders and learners, adults, and children. When a society entered into spiritual decline and a moral free fall, God sent a man or a woman mighty in the Holy Spirit. It was the power of the Holy Ghost within them that transformed these disciples from fear to having the boldness to speak to the beggar these words, “in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and … The Church had to first be cleansed by the blood of God before it could be filled with the power of God It was before the ascension of Jesus … After all, “every” Catholic family already has the Holy Spirit—indeed, the whole Holy Trinity—by definition from Baptism. Into such marriages, into such Catholic families, a newly baptized infant is entrusted for his or her gradual initiation into, and catechesis in, the Catholic Faith. He carefully unpacked John’s Gospel on this crucially important promise, the Advocate, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit who would be sent, and who would come, after the departure of Jesus. "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power and love and discipline." When is the last time “we Catholics” have preached such a sermon? He is the author of several books in Catholic spirituality, which are described on his website, www.renewthechurch.com. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to enkindle within us the grace we need in order to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and to know the Father as our Father. © Homiletic & Pastoral Review (masthead). Why is the Catholic population decreasing in numbers? We need revival, renewal, restoration, and return. Do we not all have the Holy Spirit already? Why We Need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has many things to tell you.