"Therapy............................."

“Many of us have grown up on the theology that accepts the Holy Spirit as a Person, and even as a divine Person, but for some reason it never did us any good. We are as empty as ever; we are as joyless as ever; we are as far from peace as ever; we are as weak as ever.”…A.W.Tozer

There were about twenty of us last night to begin our ten-week study of the Holy Ghost. While we discussed several points of interest utilizing the Bible, the above author’s “Life in the Spirit”, and quotes from other fairly well-known “old-time” preachers, it was the statement shared here, given to us as a question, that remained unanswered until the last few minutes of class. The teacher had referred to me in jest as he brought it forth, declaring he had almost audibly heard my “amen!” in reading it the first time. I laughed with the rest, admitting that particular paragraph had resonated with me; but, with no response from others, I simply allowed Steve to continue. When we came to the end of the lesson, however, this old man ventured to state his opinion. Realizing that most who read this are probably familiar with Pentecost, if at all, merely through some sort of encounter with either the “legalistic” bunch or the “misinformed” masse we’ve acquired through tele-evangelism, let me apologize if my sentiments should surprise or confuse you in any way. Over four decades within this group, though, has convinced me that our problem is not in recognizing the reality of a risen Savior having resurrected in us via the Third Person of the Trinity, but in having had no good instruction along the way as to “who” and “what” He is in such form! We well know what it is to rejoice in His presence, to sing and preach under an anointing; but, when life comes along and we actually have to walk through the storm, when the day comes to a close and prayer doesn’t bring the immediate expected results, suddenly all the books and sermons on “faith” and “authority” do not add up. That, as much as anything else, is why we have people going out the back door as fast as they come through the front one, why our teenagers eventually leave Youth Fellowship and look for “freedom” elsewhere. Christianity is a connected walk with Him, not some transformation into Super Saint…….