John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Dear Readers, Peace, love and joy unto you, my brothers and sisters. I want to talk to you about a ghost. I’m not talking about haunted houses or Poltergeist. Nor am I referring to Casper the friendly ghost. I am talking about the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost. It is that Spirit which leads us and guides us. It is that Spirit that helps us unravel the meaning of the scriptures and reveals the truth to us. That is, if we are receptive to it. It is then and only then that the Spirit can do God’s work in and through us. There are times when I read the scriptures and suddenly warm tingly shivers run through my body, as if an electrical current were flowing in me. That is the Spirit. Your conscience is a manifestation of the Spirit. Your joy, your peace, the true love you feel are all manifestations of the Spirit. I love the feeling of the Spirit. It courses through my veins and electrifies my soul. I feel so in tune with God, nature and my fellow Christians. The sense of peace and joy I get is unexplainable.
There are times when I feel disconnected from the Spirit; times when I feel down and out. But when I read the scriptures and pray, an amazing thing happens. The Spirit rises within me and my peace and joy are replenished. Praise God! It is the Spirit which leads me through my troubles and gives me that peace that does not make sense. The Lord keeps His promises. John 14:18 says, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” He always does. He never fails me – ever. Most of the time, when I am writing, it is the Spirit that moves me. Sometimes when I wake, my thoughts are filled with poetry and passion. Most of my poems are written first thing in the morning after reading scripture. A warm, powerful passion overcomes me. I feel it even now as I am writing this. It feels wonderful. It takes work to maintain this feeling. You need to pray, read and most importantly, have faith. Fellowship is also key. Right now, my pastor is not allowed to see me. I am unable to attend church because I am in solitary. I have had to adjust, but the Spirit is so strong within me that I am able to overcome despair and maintain my peace. Thank you, Jesus! The Spirit speaks through me. It is the Spirit that ministers to others. I am just a vessel.
Two nights ago, I had an amazing experience. A man in the cell across from me is an atheist. We often have debates about the existence of God.
I asked him what science says about how life on earth started.
He said, “The elements started life. Air, wind, water, earth and the sun.”
To which I replied, “And where did the elements come from?”
He said, “They just are. The universe has always existed.”
“Okay”, I said, “Then, tell me this. How do you explain D.N.A.?”
“The elements”, he said.
“Do elements contain D.N.A.? Are they alive?”
“No”, he said.
“So, how then could they just spontaneously create life?”, I said. “If life is elemental in origin the way you are claiming, shouldn’t there constantly be new life spontaneously coming into existence?”
I intrigued him. You see, he thought that I am crazy for believing in God, while I proved that his ideas of the origins of life are utterly ridiculous. By the end of the conversation, he had decided that he would read the Bible in its entirety. I explained that he should start with the book of John and then go to Genesis and read through. You see, John is the crux of the Bible. It explains the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ. The old testament deals with the prophecy of those events. He is going to start reading the Bible as soon as I am able to get one for him. Praise God!
It was not I, but the Spirit within me that touched him. It was beautiful. I can only hope that it leads to his salvation. Please pray for him. The Spirit is our light on earth, our teacher, our soother, our strength, our love, our joy, our peace and our comforter. Amen! The Spirit is our connection to God. It should be the Spirit that drives us. With the Spirit we are one with God. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and truly mean it with all your heart and soul, the Spirit will enter you and fill you with the light of Jesus. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please do. You can do so right now by saying a prayer something like this: “Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want to stop living for myself and start living for You. The best way I know how, I trust you as my Lord and Savior. Please come into my life, guide me and help me to follow You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” It will be the best decision you have ever made. You will find peace, love, joy and comfort. You will belong. You will be part of something greater than yourself. I would be proud to call you my brother or sister. I pray that you make the right choice. I love all of you.
Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
May God bless and keep you! May you accept Him in your heart! May the Spirit dwell within you forever! Amen!
Love in Christ,
Randall
(A man who is filled with the Holy Spirit)