August letter

August 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This summer many of our congregations are again taking part in short-term mission trips and seasonal outreach programs. As always, we are grateful and inspired by the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit as we step out in new ways to touch people in the name of Jesus.

The Spirit is always with us, leading, prompting and reminding us of the things of Jesus. Yet some people misunderstand how the Spirit relates to believers. For some, it might be tempting to think that the “power” of the Holy Spirit is something we can call down from heaven to help us become bold, wise, healthy and wealthy. But the Holy Spirit is God, not a genie in a bottle to grant our every wish.

“But the Counselor, 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,” Jesus said in John 14:26.

And in chapter 16, verses 13-14, Jesus added, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”

The Spirit does not have his own agenda, but only the agenda of the Father and the Son, who sent him. That agenda is human redemption and salvation-the gospel agenda.

The Holy Spirit is not a scene-stealer or a circus act. The Spirit is God, and he is God with the Father and the Son, not on his own, somehow apart from the Father and the Son. Our heavenly Father is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Father who loved the world so much that he sent his Son to save the world and who, with the Son, sent the Holy Spirit so that he and the Son would always be with us and in us.

Jesus said in John 14:16-19: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to 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. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

The Holy Spirit empowers us, not for selfish, personal means and ends, but for God’s means and ends, which have to do with conforming us to the image of Christ, not with granting us the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

To be baptized with the Holy Spirit is to be baptized into the baptism of Jesus Christ. It is to enter into new life in Christ-the life of the kingdom of God. And the gifts of the Spirit, whatever they might be, are given not to enhance us or our lifestyle, but to serve others. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms,” we’re told in 1 Peter 4:10.

The Holy Spirit lives in us, unites us with the Father and the Son and transforms us into the image of Christ. He stands beside us, bringing us hope and courage, endurance and peace. He leads us toward Jesus, nudges our conscience, and reminds of the Father’s love and mercy. And he does it all without drawing attention to himself.

We tend to look for loud, spectacular demonstrations of God’s power at work in our lives or in our church. But God doesn’t need that, and as he showed Elijah, neither do we. God is always present with us, always ready to respond to our need for love, joy, comfort, courage, patience, endurance, gentleness and peace. The Spirit is our Comforter, our Advocate, our Helper – not some hyperactive publicity agent.

Do you remember the “still, small voice,” that the prophet Elijah heard outside the cave on Mount Moriah (1 Kings 19). God was not in the earthquake, nor in the powerful wind, nor in the roaring fire. Instead, God was in the still, small voice.

When we truly listen to the Spirit, what we’re going to hear is, “Listen to Jesus.” And Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow him. It’s not a path of glory, fame or fortune. It’s a path of love, patience and sacrifice.

We look for big; God works with little. We want powerful demonstrations of the Spirit’s presence at our beck and call; the Spirit, like the wind, blows where he wants. I’ve often said that Christian life is like being on the back seat of a bicycle built for two. God is on the front seat and he steers the bike. We’re just along for the ride.

Thank you for being willing to follow Jesus, to learn from the Spirit, and trust in the Father’s love. Your faithful prayers and generous donations are a precious and vital part of what God is doing in our fellowship on the local level and on an international scale, and I am so grateful for all you do in his service and in his name.

In Christ,

Joseph Tkach