The Prophet Joel spoke about God pouring out His Holy Spirit upon all mankind in the end-times.   “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28

This prophecy will be fulfilled prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We can also say this prophecy is today partially fulfilled for Our Lord Jesus has already sent His Holy Spirit upon His followers.

Recall the Words of St. John the Baptist promising a Baptism with the Holy Spirit

St. John the Baptist said “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11

At the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, the Scripture tells us that the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) descended upon Jesus as God The Father spoke from heaven.

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

In this Scripture we see the Holy Trinity described. God exists as One God in an inseparable communion of Three Persons. God is Father, Our Father in Heaven  ‘the voice from heaven’; God is Son, The Son of God, God incarnate, Jesus Christ and God is Spirit, The Holy Spirit, ‘descending like a dove’ upon Jesus.

Jesus, Son of God is One with God The Father, and the Holy Spirit.

After His Resurrection Jesus appeared to His apostles and “He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22

Jesus also promised He would pray for the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) to be given to them. Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14: 16-18

The Holy Spirit is God, perpetually united with God The Father and God The Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the power of God’s love and omnipotent presence that transforms our hearts, our lives and our world.

Just as the Apostles were waiting and praying for the gift of the Holy Spirit, we too must pray for the Holy Spirit to bless us and to come upon all people, in fulfillment of the prophecy spoken of in Joel 2:28.

Let’s reflect on why THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SO CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF OUR WORLD.

We cannot love God or one another without the Spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

In speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.”  John 16: 9-10

The Holy Spirit helps people to understand all the wrongs we are committing, including the great lack of faith in God.

The Holy Spirit transforms our world and bears fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5: 22-23

If we want a world with more love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control then we must pray for God to send us His Holy Spirit!

Jesus said, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

Jesus “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 2 Corinthians 5:15

Think of yourself as a precious chalice belonging to God. We are called to be ‘a temple’ of God that God prepares to give God glory. To make us pure, the Holy Blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sin as we confess Jesus as Our Lord and Saviour and ask for His forgiveness. Once cleansed and purified, God fills us with Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit and feeds us with His Body and Blood in The Eucharist.

If everyone was fully cooperating with God’s plan of salvation we would receive both forgiveness and purification through the Blood of Jesus Christ and we would receive the Holy Spirit that teaches us, sanctifies us and keeps us from the power to sin.

Now you may be wondering, why is our world in such trouble?

I believe the answer is that Jesus Christ Our Lord is being rejected and so too is God’s Spirit of Love, The Holy Spirit!

Like a perfect gentleman God does not forcefully intrude on our life. We must be willing to welcome Him in. The Divine Guest wishes to take permanent residence in your heart to guide you, to inspire you, to comfort you, to strengthen you, to encourage you and to enable you to become a vessel of pure love in the world.

The remedy to our global sinfulness requires our willingness to call upon God’s saving grace.  We must pray that God sends us His Holy Spirit to reveal our sinfulness and put us on a path for sustainable holy transformation.

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only He has seen the Father.” John 6:45

Remember the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ONE God, Three Persons intimately and perpetually united in a Holy Communion operating together for the well-being of all creation. Through Jesus we have seen the love of God The Father and the Holy Spirit at work bringing mankind to a greater understanding of truth and love.

As the first Apostles were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were praying with great faith and trust in God.

We too must do the same!

We must believe that only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we be  given the power to turn away from sin.

Let’s get practical and consider a few examples of what the Holy Spirit can accomplish.

The Holy Spirit is also known as the Spirit of Love and the Spirit of Truth.

“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

The Spirit of God will help people have faith and trust in God.  The Holy Spirit will help people understand sin and turn away from all forms of sin, evil, violence, war, etc.

Jesus tells us in this passage that the Holy Spirit will help the world to understand His Truth:

“When he (The Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8

“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:11-12

THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL RENEW OUR HEARTS AND OUR LIVES AND OUR WORLD

Rejoice in this holy future.  The day will come when “The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.” Micah 4:3. 

If human beings are God’s Chalice and precious temple, then today that temple is being horribly defiled by sexual impurity.

“If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” 1 Corinthians 3:17-19

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7: 21-23

The Holy Spirit will purify our world as it renews our minds and hearts, enabling us to worship God in Spirit and Truth. A mind and heart full of the Holy Spirit of God will turn away from sin and seek to honour God and do His Holy Will. The Holy Spirit fills us with the sacred gifts of knowledge and understanding, wisdom, good judgment, reverence, courage, divine wonder and awe.

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:23

People of God – let us pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of all people. Let us pray for the fulfillment of God’s prophecy “I will pour out my Spirit on all people” Joel 2:28

Join The Mercy Movement, a global cause that is uniting Christians in prayer at the foot of the Cross of Jesus, every day, @ the Time Our Lord Jesus died for us, 3pm. At this time pray and thank Jesus for dying for our salvation and ask Jesus to send us His Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth, to bring healing and reconciliation, to stop violence and end wars and corruption of all forms.   Be a peace-maker by praying for the Holy Spirit to restore our world.  Jesus is longing to be loved! Let us love Him as we join together in prayer and remembrance of the Passion of Christ! O what Glory to God a Christian world united in prayer @ the Hour of Mercy, 3pm, every day thanking Jesus for His gift of redemption! Join In, in your local time zone or time zone that works for you.  Believe in the power of our united prayer!