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After the resurrection of Jesus he reminded the disciples he must leave so that the Comforter could come.

Who is the Comforter? He is the Holy Spirit. The word tells us in John chapter 20, “Now when it was evening on that day…Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, … “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

As Christ followers, when we say yes to Jesus, we receive everything we need to be successful in our relationship and mission with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Over the years, I had been taught mixed teachings on the Holy Spirit. From John 16 we can see: “For three years the disciples had been with Jesus, walking with Him and hearing everything He had to say. Yet Jesus told His closest friends that He needed to leave them so that the Holy Spirit could come- and that they would be better off because of it.”

Remember the veil was torn in two from top to bottom which symbolized that we no longer had to wait for someone else to make sacrifices for our sins because the ultimate sacrifice was made through Jesus Christ. Then it was compounded when Jesus returned to heaven so that the Holy Spirit could come and be with us as we go throughout our days. In fact Jesus himself said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18,19)

If Jesus had the Holy Spirit with him and he felt it necessary for us to have the Holy Spirit with us, then we should embrace the Holy Spirit working within us.

Only Christ followers have this wonderful access to God. In difficult times the comfort that comes when you just do not know what to do is the Holy Spirit. The words you say when you really do not know what to say is the Holy Spirit. The insight you get when you read scripture and need clarity is the Holy Spirit. The nudge you get to help someone along their way is the Holy Spirit. The caution/go for it feeling you get when making decisions is the Holy Spirit.

Be encouraged you are not alone and God is right there helping you through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.