ASSEMBLIES OF GODWelcome to the July 2024 edition of Creating Connections from the Office of Hispanic and Ethnic Relations. In this monthly portion of our newsletter, we seek to serve you by sharing a Biblical devotional message that we pray will encourage and edify. This would be a good month to join together in prayer for the United States of America. We celebrate Independence Day on July 4th because on that day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, thus America severed political ties with Great Britain and became a free nation. America was founded as a nation under God and its founders sought His blessing knowing that true freedom comes from Him. Pray for all who are in government authority, pray for our national and local leaders, pray for the peace of our nation, and pray God’s leading in the 2024 elections. Let’s pray according to I Timothy 2:6-8 that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be preached in every city, town, and village so that every person in America will know that personal freedom from sin and its consequence is available to all who put their faith in Jesus’ death on the cross, his burial, and his resurrection from the dead. Paul said to Timothy, “In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy” (I Tim. 2:8). Let’s be a part of a much-needed national prayer meeting.
Let me continue to share some thoughts and insights on the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In the January edition of Creating Connections, I shared that I was sensing in my Spirit that 2024 would be a year of a fresh focus on the work of the Spirit in the church. I was invited to preach in two churches in April and May where the pastors specifically asked for an emphasis on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, empowers us for service and participation in the mission of God. Initial evidence means we know and believe there are other evidences of Spirit baptism and empowerment beyond tongues, such as boldness to witness, holiness in your life, a greater love for God and people, prophetic utterances and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. Acts 2:4 says when the Spirit was poured out, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means that the Holy Spirit becomes a part of everything in your daily life. When Jesus was teaching His disciples about the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives he called the Holy Spirit another helper, meaning one just like Himself. Note John 15:26,27 says, “When the helper comes, whom I will send from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with me from the beginning.” The Greek word for helper means paraclete. Only John’s gospel uses this word, but it’s a term that identifies “someone called beside or alongside to help”. It also had reference to the idea of an advocate, like in a court of law, someone who helps defend you.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was reminding the believers in Ephesus that the Holy Spirit was there to help them establish the church in a very pagan and idolatrous city. The church was made up of Jews and Gentiles and therefore a very multi-ethnic church. He reminded them that the Holy Spirit would help them maintain unity by helping them live together in humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance for one another in love (Eph. 4:2-3). He also reminded them that the Holy Spirit would help them overcome the sin and temptation to steal, lie, cheat, or speak unwholesome words to others by replacing all of that with generosity, hard work, and the ability to edify others with our words (Eph. 4:25-29) and that the Holy Spirit is gentle and not forceful, so they should be careful to “…not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). The concept of being “sealed” means that the Holy Spirit has marked you as God’s own son or daughter. You belong to Him. Living in a dark and evil world means that we are constantly being faced with patterns of life that are contrary God’s will and purpose, therefore Paul exhorts them in Ephesians 5:18, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit”. “Be filled” in this context means to “let yourself be filled with the Spirit”, or in other words, don’t resist the Holy Spirit. In the same context, Paul reminds them that the Holy Spirit helps them worship God together, (note the important word ‘together’) because Paul writes “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and that they should sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the father and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Eph. 5:19-21).
Let me close by sharing one more work the Holy Spirit does in our lives. Paul uses the analogy of a husband’s love for his wife and a wife’s respect for her husband in Ephesians 5:22-23 to reveal a greater truth. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water with word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing: but that she would be holy and blameless.”
Paul reveals a glorious truth about the church. The church is the bride of Christ and He is getting His church ready for the day He comes back for His bride. When He comes, the church will be glorious, without spot or wrinkle. What does the Holy Spirit do to help the bride get ready? He anoints her and adorns her with gifts that make her attractive and beautiful to Jesus. When Abraham sought a bride for Isaac, he sent his trusted servant to go on a long journey back to his homeland and find a bride. In Genesis 24, we read the moment that the servant found Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. Rebekah was very beautiful and humbly gave Abraham’s servant water and water to his camels. Abraham’s servant was a type of the Holy Spirit for he gave her a gold ring and two gold bracelets. The Holy Spirit is giving the church gifts for service according to I Corinthians 12 and 14. Jesus is drawn to the beauty of the Spirit-empowered church. That is why Paul says to the church, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts” (I Cor. 14:1). We will talk about Spirit gifts in the next “Creating Connections”.
May God bless, use, and beautify your life and ministry! Amen!
Dennis Rivera
Director, Hispanic & Ethnic Relations
