Shalom!

What a wonderful greeting which means the peace of God, peace with God, the blessing of God; all the good things God has for you wrapped up in one little word. I pray that you receive all of God’s goodness and mercy right now in the name that is above all names, JESUS.

I have just been praying and contemplating on the Person of the Holy Spirit. He is so many things to us depending on where we are on the path of life. For me, He has been the One who convicted me of sin, who showed me that I needed a Savior. He is the One who makes Jesus real to each of us and empowers us to live the victorious life.  He is the One who comforts us when we are hurting and needing to be loved. He is the One who lets us know when we go off the right path and brings us back to the Father. He is the One who strengthens us when we are weak and weary. He is the One who gets us all excited about the things of God. He is the One who brings all the promises to us and helps us hold on till the promises come. He is the One who feels our pain and weeps with us. He is the One with whom we can talk over every problem trusting in His love to never betray us. He is the One who gives us visions and dreams and lets us know that there is something wonderful that God is working on for us. He is the One who is with us right now confirming the truth of God’s word to us. He is the One who floods us with joy when we finally do something right and shout, “Thank you Jesus!”

I guess what I am trying to say is that the Holy Spirit loves us so much and cares about us so much and really wants to be involved in our lives. This year I have felt the Holy Spirit come and strip me of everything that is not of God. The promise that He would cleanse my heart and mind and life of all desires except for Him is becoming a reality. Just when I thought I had lost everything, the Holy Spirit came to me and loved me and brought me into the presence of our loving heavenly Father. I have never felt more loved by Him, more consumed with His fire, His passion. It is all God! We are all so lost, so hurting, so broken and we do such foolish things to try to compensate, to kill the pain or deal with life when right here within us is the Holy Spirit waiting to help us. We become so overwhelmed with our problems, our trials, our temptations, our fears, our frustrations that we neglect the ONE who can help us.

We are living in the age of the Holy Spirit, the Church age. In order for us to have a Victorious  life, we need now more than ever the presence and the power of God, the Holy Spirit. We need now more than ever the prayers and support of the Church, the Body of Christ.

I am praying and speaking it into being that you do not harden you heart but that your spiritual eyes and ears would be opened to receive the truth of God's Word. Let the Holy Spirit warm your heart to the things of God the Father who loves you so much that He did not spare His one and only Son but gave Him as a sacrifice for your soul. Let the joy of knowing and serving Jesus fill your life to overflowing. I have never felt this close to the Lord and I know it is only going to get better and better as I continue to seek Him, listen to Him and obey Him. This is what I have been looking for all my life and here it is right now. Won’t you join with me? Stop procrastinating. Stop fighting. Stop running and let the love of God catch up to you and overtake you. Don’t believe me, believe the word of God.   1 John 4:10-13 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another, No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. We know that we live in Him and He in us , because He has given us of His Spirit.”

Get that? God wants to make His love complete in us. Until that happens, we feel fragmented, incomplete, confused and frustrated. Don’t look any further! God is here to love you back to health, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Heavenly Father, I ask in my Lord and Savior's name, Jesus, that You touch each person reading this letter. Please give them new life, new hope, new strength, new power in the Holy Spirit. Yes, my precious Holy Spirit, work the works of God the Father in us so that we would be whole and holy. I thank you for your grace and mercy in my Master Jesus' name.

I am praying that you will be able to join us for worship here at The Way of Life Church, either in body or in spirit. Please receive all of our love and prayers as we remain, 

Your servants in Christ Jesus 

Pastor Steve & Dianne Wright