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Receiving the Holy Spirit |
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The reason why there are defeated Christians is that Christians have not experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus gave him to us, but we have to accept him so that we can experience him. And how can we accept him, we need to ask for him. St/ James said, the reason why you do not have is because you do not ask. Jesus said, Ask and you shall receive. God may have given his Spirit to us and commanded us to receive him, but we need to ask for the Spirit so that he can come to us. In Johns account of the resurrection, John mentioned that when Jesus appeared to the apostles, he said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Notice Jesus commanded the apostles to receive the Holy Spirit on the day of his resurrection. But it took them a full 50 days at Pentecost - before we see the power of the Spirit working in them. The reason for this was that from the resurrection until the ascension, the apostles did not ask for the Holy Spirit. Peter and the others even had time to go fishing! But after the Ascension, Luke tells us the disciples with the apostles, went back to the upper room and All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. What were they praying for? I would think that they were praying for the coming of the Spirit. And the Spirit did come after nine days of intense prayer the first novena. So, if you want the Holy Spirit, you need to ask for him. |
