WARNING: For those of you that love quiet, predictable, mausoleum-type Christianity, this blog post is definitely not for you. Do yourself a favor and bypass this blog. Come back next week for something that might be a little more palatable. For the rest of you, read on and get ready to shout.
Did you know that the Holy Spirit is an extrovert? Yep! There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He is a 100% bonified extrovert who absolutely loves to make His presence known. The book of Acts gives example after example of what can happen when He is unconstrained and allowed to show up and be Himself. I wish that I had the space to recount story after story found in Acts of His extrovertedness. (I know that extrovertedness isn’t a real word. But, I just love the way that it sounds.)
Here’s a heads-up on what to expect when the Holy Spirit makes His entrance. He is known to cause …
- Sudden downloads of incredible joy. (Acts 13:52; Romans 14:17) I know that you already know this, but I will share it anyway. You will never ever find a sad Holy Spirit. It’s impossible. This download of joy is boundless, immeasurable, indescribable, overflowing, and bubbling over.
- Expectations for the unexpected. (You’re shaking your head and trying to figure that out, aren’t you.) In other words, there is an expectation for “suddenlies” to take place. (Acts 2:2; 9:3; 10:44; 16:26) I love to say it this way. When the Holy Spirit is present, you can plan for the unplanned to happen.
- All physical and emotional restraints to fall to the side and be replaced with displays of what some might call undignified behavior. (Acts 2:1-13) The Bible calls this “joy unspeakable”. (1 Peter 1:8) The fear of what others might think is eliminated as the Holy Spirit opens up what some have called “heaven’s happy hour”.
- Instantaneous deposits of supernatural hope and faith. (Romans 15:13) You suddenly can push aside the limitations that you’ve allowed others to place upon you and now become a different person (1 Samuel 10:6), one who is ready to take on any and every challenge.
To use a phrase that my wife Vickie would use, it is “easy peasy” to see why I love being in the presence of the Holy Spirit. With Him around, it is never a dull moment! Thank God for the Holy Spirit!
