Focus: The Comforter (continued 2)

Text: Jh.14:26

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall TEACH you all things, and bring all things to your REMEMBRANCE, whatsoever I have said unto you."

The first and second in this series are: Who do we have here, and What's He doing here?

Today we conclude by asking: How does He do it? The Holy Spirit is here for us. He is here to comfort us. In the Old Testament the Father was prominent. In the Gospels Jesus Christ our Lord was prominent. And now in this New Testament era, the Holy Spirit is in charge. The Father and the Son are working now through the person of the Holy Spirit.

He is our Comforter. But how do we get this essential ministry of comfort?

Talking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, "...for he dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN you" - Jh.14:17. The Spirit lives and works in us, and He lives with us to minister to us. He is our heavenly reality. He is near us and in us. That is proximity and intimacy. And it is up to us to develop affinity with the Holy Spirit.

So firstly, we get the comfort of the Spirit directly from Him. The God of all comfort through the Spirit "comforteth us in all our tribulation."

Secondly, the Holy Spirit comforts us through the Scriptures. He is the Author of the Bible and speaks to us by it. You hear the voice of the Spirit loudly in the Scriptures.

Thirdly, the Spirit comforts us through others who have experienced the comfort of the Spirit in their own souls. So the "God of all comfort" through the Spirit "comforteth us in all our tribulation, that WE may be able to comfort THEM which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith WE OURSELVES are comforted of God" - 2Cor.1:4.

The Spirit comforts us through others who themselves have received or welcomed the comfort of God into their own hearts. You can't really give what you don't have.

Tychicus was sent by Paul "that he might comfort your hearts" - Eph.6:22. Many a heart is in dire need of comfort. Open up to Spirit-sent comforters. You need what Paul calls "good comfort" and the "comfort of love" - Phil.2:1,19. Paul made a list of a few fellow-workers, whom he says were "a comfort to me" (Col.4:8,11). The Spirit uses others to bring the comfort of God into our lives. And I pray God to keep far away from you "miserable comforters" (Jb.16:2).

We need those who comfort both with words and deeds.

You need people in your life - Spirit-filled believers, people who indeed possess words of comfort in their mouths.

We need people whose presence in our lives is nothing short of a comfort.

So you can see that we are comforted by the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We are comforted by the Scriptures, and also by Spirit-sent and Spirit-filled people.

Finally, the Spirit wants to use you to comfort others. He wants you to become a member of His team of comforters. Let Him use you. Be a giver of goodly and comfortable words. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter