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"When contemporary Christians consider the role of the Holy Spirit the emphasis is often based on what he can do for us rather than on what he can do through us. Too often the Holy Spirit is seen as nothing more than a "blessing factory", as a result the connection between the ministry of the Holy Spirit and personal purity is often missed. Of course the Holy Spirit is about blessing - of that there is no doubt - but his main function is to educate and to empower. The gifts we receive from the Spirit are functional not self indulgent, they are given for "the strengthening of the church" (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Whilst the most intense, personal and passionate moments of the Christian life may well be spent relaxing in the embrace of the "comforter", the purpose of such intimacy goes well beyond our own happiness. Love remains the most powerful motive that God has at his disposal and it is not given to us so that we might indulge ourselves in isolation from the lost. Christ's love is always given to us to inspire obedience, in fact if we fail to obey – or at least fail to sense within ourselves the desire to obey – then according to Jesus it never was his love we experienced in the first place."

Grace and peace, A

I'd forgotten how life used to be without the Internet!

For about a week now we've had no internet connection at home and we have all been lost!

Xander can't vlog, the girls can't do their home work, Tracey can't play 'word twist' on Facebook and I've just had to do 11 entries in my 'Soldier's Guide' blog.

The internet is the source of so much information - train times, admission prices, stock availability - you name it - where do we turn first in 2008? The world wide web.

Imagine what life would be like without the Holy Spirit!

Christian's can't function without the annointing - they might look the part, they might be the shiniest motor in the showroom - but like a brand new Rolls Royce or Ferrari - they're not going anywhere unless they've got fuel.

Why do we try and live without the Spirit? Probably because 'maintaining contact with the life giver' takes effort, sacrifice and discipline.

I've missed the Internet but I don't need it - I can survive without it. But oh how I need the company and constant inner presence of the Spirit!

Spirit divine, come as of old
With healing in thy train;
Come, as thou did’st, to sanctify;
Let naught of sin remain.

Come, great Spirit, come,
Make each heart thy home;
Enter every longing soul;
Come, great Spirit, come.

Spirit divine, purge thou our hearts,
Make us to understand
Thy blessèd will concerning us,
And teach us love’s command.

Spirit divine, cleanse thou our souls
With pentecostal flood;
Breathe into us the life that shows
The Father-love of God.

Grace and peace, A