The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, Classic Version, 2015Sample

Come, Holy Spirit

Spending time in the presence of God is the most important activity of our lives. We need God’s presence in our lives more than we need anything else. But where do we find the presence of God?

I remember so well the first time I heard someone pray one of the most ancient prayers of the church, ‘Come, Holy Spirit’, with a real expectation that the Holy Spirit would come! It was on a Sunday night in 1982. We had a meeting in the crypt after our evening service at HTB. As we prayed, ‘Come, Holy Spirit’ we saw remarkable events occur. (To read about what happened and to understand more about the Holy Spirit’s character and awesome power see the Bible in One Year for 11 and 12 May.)

God is always present with his people today by his Holy Spirit. When we pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit,’ we are asking for an increased sense of the presence of God. There are times in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit filled a gathering of people sovereignly and spontaneously (Acts 2:2; Acts 10:44). There are other times when the disciples prayed for the Holy Spirit: ‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 4:31).

In the Old Testament passage for today we read how ‘the glory of the Lord filled his temple’ (1 Kings 8:11). Each of the passages for today tells us something about how to enjoy God’s empowering presence that comes through the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 76:1-12

1. Longing for God’s empowering presence

The temple in Jerusalem was not primarily a place of sacrifice, but the place of God’s presence. The psalmist writes, ‘In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His tent is in Salem, his dwelling-place in Zion’ (vv.1–2). ‘Salem’ is the old Jebusite name for Jerusalem. ‘Zion’ is a word often used to refer to Jerusalem as the focal point of God’s presence (v.7, AMP), amongst his people in the Old Testament. This is the place of his tent (‘abode’, RSV). This is where God dwells.

This is why the people of God were so passionate about Jerusalem, and in particular the temple. They longed, as we all do deep inside, for the presence of God. The amazing truth is that, through Jesus, we can know the presence of God in and among us, his people, wherever we are. He dwells in us by his Spirit.

Lord, I long for your presence with me. Thank you that your dwelling place is with your people. Please fill us again today with your Holy Spirit and make your name great among us.

Acts 13:42-14:7

2. Filled with God’s empowering presence

From the day of Pentecost, God’s empowering presence came upon his people. In today’s passage we read that they were, once again, ‘filled … with the Holy Spirit’ (13:52). Every Christian now has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them (Romans 8:9).

In this passage, we the see the impact of God’s empowering presence when people are filled with the Holy Spirit:

• Effectiveness
  In Antioch, crowds gathered to hear the word of the Lord (Acts 13:44–45). In Iconium, ‘they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed’ (14:1).

The Lord confirmed his message by enabling them to do signs and wonders (v.3). This does not mean that everyone in the church will necessarily enjoy perfect health in this life. Rather, we see an in-breaking of the future kingdom of God so that the gospel may go forth and triumph.

• Opposition 
  In Antioch, some people ‘went wild with jealousy and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly scene’ (13:45, MSG). ‘They stirred up persecution … and expelled them from their region’ (v.50).

In Iconium, those who refused to believe ‘worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street’ (14:2, MSG). They organised to ‘beat them up’ (v.5, MSG). We can often assume that if God is with us then we will not encounter any significant opposition. These incidents remind us that actually the opposite is often the case. Where God is at work the enemy tries to stir up opposition and difficulty.

• Joy
  Their happiness was not dependent on what was happening to them. They had a deep joy that came from God’s presence. As the psalmist writes, ‘Your presence is fullness of joy’ (Psalm 16:11, AMP). In the middle of all the opposition and after they had been forced to leave Antioch, they went on to the next town, Iconium, ‘brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples’ (Acts 13:52, MSG).
• Boldness
  The Holy Spirit gave them boldness in spite of opposition. In Antioch, ‘Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first” ’ (v.46). In Iconium, ‘Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord’ (14:3). In spite of opposition and ‘a plot afoot’ (v.5) they ‘continued to preach the good news’ (v.7).

Lord, fill me today with the Holy Spirit and with joy. Help me to speak so effectively that many will believe. Help me not to be put off by opposition, stirring or plots. Give me courage to speak boldly for the Lord. And Lord, I pray that you will confirm the message of your grace with miraculous signs and wonders.

1 Kings 7:23-8:21

3. Glory of God’s empowering presence

Why in the world would we not want to spend time with God? We spend hours on social media, watching TV or on the telephone. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘We seem to have no problem investing our time in those pursuits. The truth is this: The devil fights us more in the area of our spending time with God than he does in any other area of our Christian lives. In fact, Satan would much prefer that we get involved in all kinds of religious activity rather than spend time with the Lord.’

This passage helps us to understand how amazing it is to spend time in the presence of God – the extraordinary privilege that is available to every follower of Jesus.

This Old Testament passage – about the building of the physical temple in Jerusalem (a place for God to dwell forever, 8:13) – takes on a whole new meaning when we read it in the light of the New Testament. We see that the temple in Jerusalem prefigured God’s dwelling place in believers’ hearts in the New Testament.

In particular, the ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord. The climax of this temple, both in it being prepared for use (8:3–9) and in Solomon’s praise (vv.15–21), was the placing of the ark of the covenant in the temple. The ark had nothing in it ‘except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it’ (v.9) – in other words the Ten Commandments. When the people of God live under the Word of God we discover the Spirit of God increasing our experience of the presence of God.

We read, ‘When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.

When we pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit,’ we are praying for a greatly increased sense of the presence of God to come among us. This is what we so often experience when we pray that prayer.

Although God is present everywhere, we do not always sense his presence. Surely, what is being described here is a greatly increased sense of the presence of God. This is what Solomon was describing when he said, ‘I’ve built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever’ (v.13, MSG).

There can be particular moments when we experience God’s presence when we are with others, but you can also experience God’s presence as you spend time with him by yourself.

You don’t need to be legalistic about it, but a regular time with God helps. As you read the Bible, as you talk to your Father in prayer, as sometimes you listen to Christian music or just sit in silence, you begin to experience God’s presence. Indeed, sometimes the prayer ‘Come Holy Spirit’ can be answered with total peace, calm and stillness.

Lord, how can we praise you enough for the way that you have fulfilled your promise in us? Praise you Lord that as your glory filled the temple of Solomon, so now your glory fills your people. Thank you that all your promises are fulfilled in us (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Come, Holy Spirit. Fulfil your promise among us again today. Thank you that every time we pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit,’ the Holy Spirit comes and we experience an increased sense of the presence of God among us. Help us to prioritise our time and enjoy your awesome presence with us.

Pippa Adds

Acts 13:50

‘But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.’ 

It is sad that these God-fearing women got caught up with the jealously that the Jews felt (v.45) and sided against Paul and Barnabas. Even godly people can be wrongly influenced; we need wisdom and discernment.

Notes:

Joyce Meyer, The Everyday Life Bible, (Faithwords, 2013) p.530

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.