One final thing that I wanted to share with the excellent guys at UEA CU when I went there yesterday was that we are encouraged to ask for the Holy Spirit. Not only is it nonsensical to imagine that the Holy Spirit comes quietly and secretly upon a person (as you read the accounts in Acts you almost have to put your fingers over your ears it was so noisy!) it is also unhelpful to think we just get on with things until God so desires to pour out his Sprit on us. Now he might - he certainly did on Cornelius’ household but in most other cases people had an expectation built and hands laid on them. You may remember Jesus talking about asking and seeking and knocking. Well you may not know that he was talking about the Holy Spirit. The climactic application of his teaching on asking, seeking and knocking was this:
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13
Over the last few months my expectation has been soaring. I have decided to take God at his word and believe what he says and go with the expectation his word builds in me. When I take breaks off its amazing how much faith God’s word builds. Blow it, I’m almost 40. I want the rest of my life to count. If there is power available then I’m going to ask for it. “More lord More!” Isn’t just a nice charismatic think to say. It’s the cry of a heart who desperately needs more of God.
I am reminded of the Starship Enterprise battling it out with a Klingon battle cruiser. Their shields are almost gone and they are seconds away form being blown to smithereens. Captain Kirk desperately calls down to Scottie in the engine room for more power. Scottie replies as he always does “I can ney do it cap’n shes gan’ flat oot already!”. But of course there is always more power and somehow Scottie does the impossible, there is a surge of power and the Enterprise
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