Leeds Vineyard

The Holy Spirit 

Nik Gee, Pastor of Harrogate Vineyard explains what the Holy Spirit is like this: 
"A few days ago, I was in our front room with our girls. Despite being in the room with them, I was checking out the football scores on my phone – very important and necessary too, some might say – and a lot more interesting to me than Peppa Pig! However I was completely unaware that all 3 girls had switched their attention from Peppa Pig to me and had been trying to get me to join in their game. I may have been in the room, but I was definitely not present for them. 
And that is so not how God is. He is not a distant God. He’s not just in the room, hanging around so that we’re aware He’s there, but not engaged with us. He desires to be an integral part of our lives. He is actively present. To counsel, to help, to encourage, to defend & to comfort. And if he’s present in our lives, we’ll see the evidence of that."

You can read and hear his full talk here.

That means we live now, and whether it’s in wonderful circumstances, or times of struggle, He is actively present with us. The presence of God brings meaning into our lives.

In the New Testament, a Greek word used several times to describe the Holy Spirit was “Paraclete” which we would translate as "counsellor", "helper", “encourager”, “advocate” ( or defender), and "comforter" - it’s God, actively present with us.
 
With the presence of God actively present with us, we can be present in the lives of those around us. As we are filled with the Spirit, we see the fruit of the Spirit growing in us and we see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control grow in those we share Jesus with.

We can never have too much of the Holy Spirit, because the more we are filled, the more we overflow onto/into others. It should be our first prayer as we wake – come Holy Spirit, fill me anew today, that I might be a blessing.

As we are transformed by His power, we see the transformative power of the Holy Spirit flow through us into others. As we experience love, grace & mercy, we share that with our friends, our community and beyond."