Blowin' In The Wind

When the wind blows you see it move things.  When God’s Spirit blows you see it move people.  It’s happening here.

God’s Spirit is healing people.  God’s Spirit is opening people’s eyes to faith, to see Him.  God’s Spirit is drawing people together.  When we hear God’s Spirit stories it strengthens our faith.  That’s why we share stories of God’s Spirit moving.

It says in Romans 1:11,12,  I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

Paul has this strong desire to be face-to-face with other followers of Jesus so he can give them something of the Holy Spirit to make them resilient.  That something is according to Strong’s exhaustive concordance: “the idea of “calling alongside together.” The (Greek term  for encouragement) “emphasizes reciprocity: encouragement is not delivered from a superior to an inferior but shared among believers who stand shoulder to shoulder.”  Come stand side by side with us.

One night this summer in the Gahanna neighborhood group, the evening started with about half the group sharing stories of the Holy Spirit leading them to release the Kingdom of God upon individuals during the past week.  A woman shared a story of praying for her hairdresser’s badly burned arm and it being healed.  A couple shared a story of praying for their child’s healing who then went and shared it with friends.  Another said the Holy Spirit gave her boldness to speak with neighbors about Jesus.  That is just a few.

The result was everyone that night was encouraged in their faith by them sharing the fruit of their faith.  One person asked for prayer that they felt so full of the Spirit that they wanted God to bust out like he did through the other’s stories.

In Hebrews 11:6 it says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  When we share stories of what the Holy Spirit is doing each week, we are sharing stories of our faith in action,  rewards for earnestly seeking the Holy Spirit.  As John Wimber who started the worldwide association of Vineyard churches  said, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.”  Our friends take risk in obeying the Holy Spirt, and he rewards them. Those Holy Spirit stories then encourage our faith to seek God and be rewarded.

God’s Spirit makes the lyrics to "Blowin’ In The Wind" true.  “The answer my friends IS blowin’ in the wind.”