The Will of The Spirit

I gave my life to Jesus when I was seven years old. However, as it would later unfold in my high school years, despite claiming to be a Christian, there was little evidence of that to my peers. No Christian is perfect on their best day. We are forgiven sinners trying to live for Jesus. I encountered the Holy Spirit on a mission trip in Grifton, NC in 2000, and that was when I knew the Lord had truly saved and forgiven me and had a plan for me to serve with NCBOM. Several years after we graduated from high school, my best friend was drawn by the Holy Spirit and was saved and I could tell it was real. I realized back then that I had not been the example and witness in front of him that would have pointed him to Jesus. I had nothing to do with his salvation, other than that he knew I attended church. That made me more aware that we all influence people in a way that can point them to Jesus or to hell. Although I know it is the work of the Holy Spirit that saved him and not me. Since then, he was called to preach the Word. We often discuss the Holy Spirit and how it seems that many people do not follow the Spirit as they should, as I didn’t when I should have. But the Spirit is Jesus himself. So we must be aware of His guidance every day.

Not too long ago I studied how the Holy Spirit works and moves as it will, like Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:8). I was unloading corn at a feed mill last Fall, and while standing there beside the truck, the wind blew through and the Holy Spirit reminded me, as the wind comes and goes where it will, the Spirit goes where it will, to whom it will, saving whom it will.

We must be about the work of the Lord while we can. If not, we are letting people go to hell without telling them that Jesus loves them and wants to save them. The Spirit also uses us to be a witness of Himself to others. I need to do a better job myself. Disaster Response is still one of the greatest ways to show Jesus to people. But we must be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led to lead them to the truth of salvation. We need to respond when the opportunity arises.

I took a picture of a rainbow over the Leland, NC site in 2024, at the exact location where we responded to flooding from the unnamed storm before Hurricane Helene. That was a God given gift to remind us He is still God and always will be. Let the Spirit fill your soul and be a Baptist on Mission.