| It's Laughable - article by Joel Hempel
The other night at the Deacons Meeting, as part of the teaching about the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit as the primary Counselor in our ministry, I said something like this to the deacons: Imagine you are visiting with a parishioner who has been hospitalized following a heart attack. You are privileged to have Jesus, in the flesh, as your co-minister. But when you walk into the room, you say to your friend in the hospital bed: “Good evening. This is Jesus, but disregard him; I’m in charge here.” I could hear Bob Jacobson laugh from 1200 miles away! It is laughable in an outrageous way to live and serve disregarding the right-beside-you presence of the Holy Spirit. We are told in Scripture that at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church, upon all Christians at that time, and that He would be with all Christians for all time to come. What is His God-given assignment (God-given as in self-directed)? Consider these representative passages: - No one can confess Jesus as Lord except by the power of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
- The Spirit teaches, gives wisdom, and brings to mind what we have learned from Scripture (John 14:26, Ephesians 1:17-20).
- The Spirit convicts us when we sin and need to repent (John 16:7-9).
- Gives power to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8).
- Guides us to the truth (John 16:13)
- Gives each of us spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
- Grants confirmation of our salvation in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:11-14)
- Helps and comforts us in our weakness (Romans 8:26-27)
- Helps us grow so we can bear spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-25)
Which of these Holy Spirit services do we want to disregard? I don’t know and couldn’t find out how or when our forefathers set the celebration of Pentecost. But, it had to have been by the prompting of the Holy Spirit - not because He needs the praise, but because we need to give Him the recognition. It is too easy for Christians to disregard the Spirit because we can’t see Him standing beside us. So, let’s assume we want to be aware of, attentive to, and responsive to the Holy Spirit in our lives. How do we discern the Spirit’s nudging? First, it is critical to note that no nudge by the Spirit leads us away from God’s Word. Thus, knowing God’s Word is essential to discerning God’s lead. Second, Jesus was known to frequently seek consultation from the Father. It only seems wise, then, that prayer would be our foremost avenue for seeking direction. Third, once you have a feeling, a sense, a mental nudge to do something or say something on God’s behalf, trust His lead. Venture out. Receive the blessing of walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). | 
