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BibleProject Video!
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About The Holy Spirit
from ► BibleProjectThe Spirit is, first and foremost, God’s personal presence. The Spirit is a person and not merely a force. However, in order to let the text speak for itself, you have start on page one of the bible. Before creation ever even began, we see a depiction of the spirit of God hovering over the dark, disordered waters of the earth, ready to begin spreading goodness and creation. In the Bible, any time we see a description of the spirit of God, such as what is depicted in the first few verses of the Bible, the Hebrew word "ruakh" is used. This word is used to describe a number of things in Hebrew, but one thing they all have in common is that they are some kind of energy. Energy (such as the wind, which is one thing that the word ruakh describes) is invisible, powerful, and necessary for life, making it a fitting description for the spirit of God.
Throughout the Bible, we see the Holy Spirit power used to empower individuals for specific tasks. Joseph is empowered to understand and interpret dreams, an artist named Betzalel is empowered to create beautiful things for the tabernacle, and a group of people - the prophets - are empowered to bring messages from God to the people of Israel and to see what is happening from God's point of view.
The prophets, though, were able to see a problem. While God's spirit had created a good and perfect world, humans had given in to evil and unleashed chaos into it through their injustice. In a way, mankind had returned the earth to the dark, disordered state that it was in when the spirit of God was first hovering over it.
Addressing this problem, the prophets said that the spirit of God would come again, just like it had in Genesis, this time to transform the human heart and empower people to truly love God and others. It is through the life of Jesus that God carries out this return of His spirit.
At the beginning of Christ's mission, there is this beautiful scene where He is being baptized in the Jordan River. The Holy Ghost, God's spirit, comes down on Him in the form of a dove and empowers Him to begin his mission of healing the human condition and starting a new creation. We see this happen when He goes out and heals people and forgives them for their sins. Christ, empowered by the spirit of God, goes throughout the world fixing the chaos and disorder that mankind had brought to it.
Of course, the religious leaders of the time see these actions as a threat, and they have Jesus killed. Still, though, God's spirit is at work. When the disciples saw that Jesus had risen from the grave, they proclaimed that He glowed with the spirit of God. When Jesus appeared to His closest followers, He breathed into them the Holy Spirit, empowering them too to spread God's goodness throughout the world. Soon after that, God's spirit comes over all of His followers.
Today, through Christ and the power He has given His followers, God's spirit continues to hover over a dark and chaotic world, slowly healing it and working towards the day when it is restored to its former glory. (a)
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The narrative (a) offered herein has been published with permission (b) and no monetary gain is being sought. Footnotes within the narrative have been inserted by The Marion County Manna Project and re-direct to our webpages (unless otherwise noted) for additional spiritual insight and reflection.
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If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (1). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (2) (c) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!
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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (3), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (4), Discipleship Encounters (5) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
Modifications are welcome at goodnews@marionmannaproject.com.
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FOOTNOTES:
(1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship
PAGE CREDITS:
(a) Holy Spirit, BibleProject, accessed November 6, 2020,
https://bibleproject.com/explore/holy-spirit/
(b) Terms of Use, BibleProject, accessed January 25, 2020,
https://bibleproject.com/terms/#use
(c) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020,
https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use
(d) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020,
https://www.biblegateway.com/
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
(e) How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020 https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html