Hosanna Restoration Church

As I was thinking about receiving and partaking, I thought about how many times in my life I received the elements of communion, put them in my mouth, and partook of nothing. I mean it was something we did, but it did not change anything. The same can be said of receiving the Holy Spirit; talk about a subject that rattles the portals of religion! One says that everyone one receives, another wants to see the evidence, and yet another wants to determine which evidence is acceptable. All of these are a big deal and all of them are settled when once a person actually partakes of Him, because only He matters!

We are given so many things by God that we never recognize until we do partake of the Holy Spirit. He reveals all truth. He gives us power. But we must partake of both the truth and the power or we will remain with something that we never put to use. Jesus came into the world and many would not believe or receive Him. He gives love; do we partake of it.

On Mother’s Day, it would be good to use her as an example. Mothers know what it is like to give and give. They carry a child in their womb, nurture the child that depends on them for everything, and then experience the rejection of the one who gave them life. They never cease to be there or wanting to be there for their child. They give so many things that the child fails to appreciate often times until it is too late. They offer things that the child never really receives or applies to their life. God certainly knows how mothers feel!

So here we have Jesus coming and breathing on the disciples telling them to receive the Holy Spirit; previously he told them that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit who would lead them into all truth. He says the same thing to every believer. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This was not supposed to be a command that caused problems; it was intended to make everything clear! If it was important enough for Jesus to say it, it should rank high on our things to do list.

I want to know the truth, and He came to lead me into all truth. I want to walk in the power of God and He came to empower all believers. With Him, we can forgive, love, access peace, joy, and patience, and walk in kindness.

There comes a point where we must simply decide to partake! In order to partake, we must open our mouths, chew, swallow, and digest. Children can be picky eaters, but moms keep trying to present healthy foods. Christians can be a bit like picky eaters. However God said that all scripture is given for our benefit. Often times there are foods we don’t like until we figure out they are good. There can also be things in the Bible that we are slow to embrace, but it is time to embrace it all. My dad was saved at the age of sixty-one; he told a friend once that he wished he had known forty years ago what he knew now. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst, they will be filled. Partake!