Forgotten God Part 1

The book "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan is highly recommended. Recommended if you want to be challenged, stretched and changed. I've read it once before and now are small group has decided to read it together. I figured even though I've read it I will go through it again just in case I missed something. Missed something....lol Yeah I definitely missed something. I just finished Chapter 1 and I already feel as if this is a different book than before. I am not sure that I internalized it in my first go round. Reading it with my small group and having group discussions will hopefully help all of us have deeper understanding and walk with the sometimes forgotten person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. 

At some point in history Christians quit focusing on the Holy Spirit. If you read the book of Acts the Disciples and these first Christians were rich in the Spirit. They didn't have all the knowledge we have now concerning the spirit, they just experienced it without abandonment. Jesus told them that one would come after him that was the same as him, another comforter and counselor. They believed him, they received the Spirit and the walked in the Spirit. As stated before, at some point Christians quit relying and even teaching about the Holy Spirit. Oh sure He is mentioned. But He is mentioned in a flippant way. "We are Spirit filled", "Walk in the Spirit", things like that. But where's the experience? As we quit experiencing the Spirit it seems as everything else got diluted as well. 

The Disciples got to experience Jesus physically. Wow. Sometimes I wish I could experience that. Wouldn't that make things easier? Having Jesus as your personal guide, you couldn't make a wrong move right? Well, as we know even having Jesus there physically the Disciples still sinned, made mistakes and sometimes fell into the "I don't get it crowd." However, having Jesus physically there man, what an experience. But the scripture say that the Holy Spirit dwells within us and it is clear that the Holy Spirit is God. So as Christians we need to understand that God lives in us. The same God that empowered the Disciples lives in you. He hasn't changed. He is here, in you and in me. So I am going to try and stop looking at it as Jesus isn't here physically. It doesn't matter. Because if I believe that the Bible is the infallible and flawless word of God, then I must believe Jesus when he said he was going to send a Comforter and a Counselor, one that is the same as he. (Reference of Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit from John 14).

I believe it. Now I want to experience it. This was just Chapter 1. Whew. Are you ready small group?