Jesus is returning.
He is.
That’s a promise.
However, please don’t forget that Holy Spirit is here now.
Right now.
I’m reading Acts 1:4
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “Which, He said you have heard from Me”
The Holy Spirit Promised.
Notice that Promise has a capital P.
The Promise that Jesus is speaking of is a person.
Not a person like you and me.
The Promise is Holy Spirit, the third person of The Trinity.
He is here.
He is NOW.
Let’s break this down a little further.
The word Promise is ἐπαγγελίαν in Hebrew.
It is Epangelian or Eppagelíab in Greek
Eppagelía is the original Greek term for promise but more specifically, The Promises of God.
Holy Spirit is The Spirit of Promise.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety (the willingness to worship and serve God), and fear of the Lord.
But we fail to understand that 7 is the Biblical number of completion.
The totality.
The completion of.
So if Holy Spirit is THE TOTALITY of The Promises of God, He encompasses ALL of God‘s promises.
According to one count, there are 3,573 promises in the Bible. These promises cover a multitude of things – from God’s plan of salvation, to assurances we can claim for our daily living. I’m sure there are many more that we have missed.
Millions perhaps.
Uncountable promises.
However, just because God has promised it doesn’t mean we are walking in its fullness!
I can promise you 1000 flowers, but that doesn’t mean you stopped by to pick up the bouquet.
Here is one example of a Promise…
Song of Solomon 2:4
He has brought me to His banqueting place, And His banner over me is love.
Let’s break this down.
He brought me to the banqueting house — The place in which believers receive the graces and blessings of Christ. The wine house. The marriage supper of the Lamb.
The marriage supper is a promise.
His banner over me is LOVE. It is waving overhead to protect and comfort me.
The cross was a type of banner.
The most magnificent banner.
On the Hill of the Skull, it waved.
But do you KNOW the LOVE of the Father?
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because LOVE covers a multitude of sins.
LOVE is what covered our sins on the cross.
LOVE was the banner.
It was His Promise.
So Holy Spirit is LOVE.
Holy Spirit has empowered you with power, LOVE, and a sound mind.
No love means no power
No love means you will fail to have a sound mind.
Love is our SUPER POWER.
How I wish every believer could let this resonate deeply in their bones. How I wish we understood its fullness in every fiber of our being.
THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.
LOVE IS WHAT WE ARE.
LOVE IS WHO WE ARE.
LOVE IS WHY WE WERE SAVED.
LOVE IS WHAT WE WERE COMMANDED TO DO, AND BE, AND THINK, AND WALK OUT.
Not apologetics.
Not heresy hunting.
Not our personal ministry.
Not our denomination.
Not our carefully crafted sermons.
Not our photographed good works.
Not our Greek and Hebrew word studies.
Not our small group.
Not our church.
Not our platform.
Not personal prophecy.
Not our anointing.
Not our mantle.
Not our favor.
Not our Facebook followers.
None of it matters if we have not LOVE.
Biblical love is not a noun.
Biblical love is a VERB.
Biblical love is Holy Spirit acting in and through us.
ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL HAVE BEEN IN VAIN IF WE HAVE NOT LOVE!
Holy Spirit, help us to LOVE one another well.
Teach us how to LOVE the lost.
Teach us how to LOVE the unloveable.
Teach us how to properly share the gospel of LOVE.
Let our LOVE shine SO BRIGHT that it lights up this dark and dying world.
Teach us how to walk in THE PROMISE of LOVE.
The entire law, all 613 of them were transformed at the cross into just 2 commands…
LOVE GOD.
LOVE OTHERS.
Lord, help us to fulfill our part of The Promise.
To learn more about Heidi and her Kingdom passion, visit Kingdom Come Home
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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