The deadness of Winter has given way to the greening of new life in the fields and forests of Arkansas, now lavishly adorned in a living palette of jonquils, firepinks and wisteria, and complemented by redbuds, dogwoods and flowering trees of all kinds. Contributing to all this splendor, robins, bluebirds and martins cheerfully announce the arrival of Spring. Meanwhile, the Grand Artist is also moving among the community of rescued humans, in whose lives he is working a rebirth and transformation fully as awesome as his work in nature. Sara Faye and I were privileged to enjoy God's work in both arenas this past weekend, as we shared in the body-life of the nondenominational Covenant Fellowship in Searcy, Arkansas.I believe in the Holy Spirit
A brother in South America writes, "I noticed that you said: I 'believe in' the Lord Jesus Christ, and I "believe in" the Father. Would it be correct also to say, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit?'"
A gracEmail reader writes: "I ordered tapes from a religious event, in which someone said that the Holy Spirit works only through the Bible and does not actually live in the Christian. Would you discuss that sometime?"
Holy Spirit and sanctification
A gracEmail subscriber invites my thoughts concerning the role of the Holy Spirit regarding our sanctification as children of God.
A sister in Virginia writes, "You recently asked readers to pray that God would 'anoint' your messages during a weekend preaching mission. This is not a word commonly used by people in my church. Please elaborate on what you mean."
A gracEmail reader asks whether we are baptized "in" the Holy Spirit or "by" the Holy Spirit, since the Greek preposition en> used in 1 Corinthians 12:13 can mean either, and what difference it makes anyway.
A gracEmail subscriber in Arkansas writes, "I've always been taught that the Bible was divinely given word by word.... But some passages just sound like a believer pouring out his heart to others. Could you offer some thoughts on inspiration and the Bible?"
A Christian college Bible professor writes: "Why do people believe the gospel? Reasoning from historical witness that one believes to be real history, attesting to events that happened in time -- that has been and remains the Christian way."
We welcomed recent days of steady rain in these west Houston suburbs. Now I welcome this break in the rain for a neighborhood hike.... Around and below me, the gentle wind rustles through the grass and flowers and trees. Overhead it moves the clouds across the half-darkened sky.