Catching the Wind of God’s Spirit (Read Acts 15: 1-35)
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 6,8) “It seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 15:28)
The Spirit is compared to a “wind” that blows wherever it pleases. As the Spirit moves wherever He pleases, the people of God seek to “catch” the wind of the Spirit so that in His power and with His guidance they can faithfully exalt Christ and continue His ministry in the world.
A sailing image would fit here, I think. The Jerusalem believers in Acts 15 sought to “catch the wind” regarding issues facing Gentiles who had come to faith in Christ. These words from v. 28 are excerpted from a letter that the “council” at Jerusalem—a kind of first “synod” assembly—sent to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
What requirements would be made on Gentile believers as they came to faith in Christ?
Following extended prayerful deliberation the Jerusalem council sensed agreement between each other and God’s Spirit on what to require.
As we begin this season of prayer, may we together find agreement with each other and with God’s Spirit on how He is calling us to continue our Spirit-led witness and Spirit-filled life together.
Thank God for the channel of prayer that He gives us to continue pouring the new life of Christ into our hearts.
PRAYER
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3: 6,8) “It seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 15:28)
The Spirit is compared to a “wind” that blows wherever it pleases. As the Spirit moves wherever He pleases, the people of God seek to “catch” the wind of the Spirit so that in His power and with His guidance they can faithfully exalt Christ and continue His ministry in the world.
A sailing image would fit here, I think. The Jerusalem believers in Acts 15 sought to “catch the wind” regarding issues facing Gentiles who had come to faith in Christ. These words from v. 28 are excerpted from a letter that the “council” at Jerusalem—a kind of first “synod” assembly—sent to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
What requirements would be made on Gentile believers as they came to faith in Christ?
Following extended prayerful deliberation the Jerusalem council sensed agreement between each other and God’s Spirit on what to require.
As we begin this season of prayer, may we together find agreement with each other and with God’s Spirit on how He is calling us to continue our Spirit-led witness and Spirit-filled life together.
Thank God for the channel of prayer that He gives us to continue pouring the new life of Christ into our hearts.
PRAYER
- Pray that the Spirit will continue to “blow” through our hearts and our community.
- Pray that a burden for prayer would rest on our congregation.
- Pray for God to fill us with His Spirit so that as we wait upon the Lord we will move forward in ways that “seem good to us and the Holy Spirit.”