In his book, HOLY SPIRIT, MY SENIOR PARTNER, Dr. David Yonggi Cho wrote:
“Every morning when I awake I greet the Holy Spirit and invite Him to go with me
through the day and take the lead in all my affairs, and He does. I say, Good morning
Holy Spirit. Let's work together today and I will be Your vessel.” I understand that in
order for him to create the consciousness of the Holy Spirit’s presence, he used to have
a chair next to his on the platform in which he assumes the Spirit sat. When it was time
for him to preach, he would invite the Holy Spirit that they do it together. After each
sermon, he would tell the Holy Spirit that they had done a good job together. Through
such a partnership with the Spirit of God, he succeeded to lead the largest church in the
world at a time.

“Recognising the Spirit every day and on every occasion, will allow us to enjoy more of His reality.”

We anchored our previous meditation on the need to recognise the Holy Spirit. If we
want to get more of the Spirit, we must recognise Him. What does it mean to recognise
someone? The word is a transitive verb and it means to admit someone of being a
particular status. It also means to admit someone as being entitled to be heard. Finally,
to recognise is to admit as being lord or sovereign. All these must be applied to our
dealings with the Spirit of God. The Spirit is sovereign. He is entitled to be heard. We
are to commune with Him regularly as we would with another person, because indeed
the Holy Spirit is a person – the third person in the Godhead. Recognising the Spirit
every day and on every occasion, will allow us to enjoy more of His reality.

Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit as another Comforter whom He would send. The Greek
has two words to describe ‘another’. It is either another of the same kind or of different
kind. Jesus used the former. The Holy Spirit would come in the same capacity as Jesus.
So, the Spirit took off from where Jesus left. It is instructive to note that both Jesus and
the Holy Spirit have the same operating format. If you know what made people benefit
from the ministry of Jesus, you have known how to benefit from the Holy Spirit. Again, if
you know what made some people miss out on Jesus’ ministry, you know what will
make our generation miss out on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

“It is also by recognising the Holy Spirit that we will be able to access all that He has to offer.”

Our text is quite revealing. The land of Gennesaret benefited from the ministry of Jesus
because they recognised Him. It is also by recognising the Holy Spirit that we will be
able to access all that He has to offer. Jesus made this clear that the world cannot
receive the Spirit because they do not recognise Him. “And I will ask the Father, and he
will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who
leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and
doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will
be in you.” (John‬

Two things are of great importance in our text. Firstly, what should be the compass of a
believer’s expectation? It is the promise of God. There is no prospect in expecting what
has not been covered by His promise. The promise of God should form the parameter
and focal point of a believer’s prayer. In his writing, James opined that one of the
reasons why prayers go unanswered is that people pray amiss. It is obvious that
praying for what God has not promised is tantamount to praying amiss. It is also good to
make a distinction between general promise and specific promise. For example, when
God called Abram at the age of 75, He promised to make him a great nation. He
promised him a child which eventually came when he was 100 years old. That would fit
into a specific promise, and it is not the type that every 100-year-old can appropriate.

“he absence of righteousness accounts for fraud, violence, and general unrest.”

Now, Peter said that based on the promise of God, they were looking for new heavens
and a new earth. This should be the grand expectation of every true believer. What
makes the new heavens and new earth special? Righteousness will be the rule rather
than the exception. We currently live in a dysfunctional world largely because of
unrighteousness. The absence of righteousness accounts for fraud, violence, and
general unrest. In the new order, righteousness will hold sway. That will be the time for
the full and final restoration of all things as God once intended it.

““Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is
the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.”
On August 15, 2018, VAR (Video Assistant Referee) was first used in a competitive
match between France and Croatia. It debuted after years of argument for and against;
and even now the argument rages as to its importance. It is a technology introduced to
help officials make correct decisions, thereby enforcing fair play. I watched a match
recently where a goal given by the referee was cancelled with the aid of VAR. Unknown
to the centre referee, a player had obstructed the goalkeeper before conceding the goal.
It was the VAR that brought that to focus.

“It is scarier when you discover that even thoughts and motives will be weighed.”

As the game went on, one thing on my mind was how many things that we celebrate as
goals (success and breakthroughs) will be cancelled when God finally reviews them. In
Hannah’s prophetic worship, she submitted that all actions are weighed by God. It is
scarier when you discover that even thoughts and motives will be weighed. “For God
will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
(

In the morning hours of my 61st birthday, I decided to have a haircut. I drove straight to
the salon. Strangely on this day, all the parking spots had been taken. That compelled
me to seek out an alternative outlet. I found one about a kilometre away and met the
barber who had just finished attending to a customer. They were arguing fiercely over
the new monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The client was against it, but he
was rooting for the policy. I did not join the fray immediately, but only said a few words
when he asked if I was okay with the level he had taken for the haircut. At my response,
he asked, “Are you a member of the clergy?” I asked what gave him such an
impression. “Because you spoke so calmly” was his reply. Well, I wonder if all members
of the clergy speak calmly. When he finished, I introduced myself to him, and more
importantly I introduced Jesus as the answer to all of the world’s woes as we know them
today.

“Our manner of life should be such that brings people to Christ and not drive them away.”

I left his shop thinking of several things. The world is deciphering different things from
our lives. Our speech matters as does our appearance. Someone said that we the
believers are the Bible that the world is reading and we should ensure that we open to
the right page at all times. Apostle Paul said they were diffusing the fragrance of Jesus’
knowledge in every place. We should live conscious of this also. Our manner of life
should be such that brings people to Christ and not drive them away.

When I asked after a son of one of the men that we had served together in a ministry,
the father told me that he was schooling in the United States of America. His choice of
school was to facilitate his desire to play basketball. The young man told his father that
he did not want to get to heaven and be queried about what he did with his tallness! The
young man was quite tall. That is saying things mildly, but it is revealing. No matter our
height or size, there is a role for everybody. If we take a proper audit of ourselves under
the light of the Spirit, we see how to convert what we are to an advantage.

“Making the most of life is about living life to its full potential.”

Making the most of life is about living life to its full potential. For this to happen, several
things must be put into consideration. We already mentioned one – know and embrace
yourself. Rather than being preoccupied with body statistics that you think are not
complete, think of how to deploy what you have. As mentioned earlier, there is
something that is just right for you. Are you tall? Play basketball like the young man. Are
you stout? Try your hand on Shot Put or Discuss. In addition to embracing yourself, you
must learn to set goals. Though it takes more than setting goals to succeed, it is
nonetheless an important step as there is no chance of pursuing what you never set to
begin with. Set goals, pursue them, and celebrate every little milestone you attain at
different stages of your life. It is called enjoying where you are on the way to becoming
what you could be.

Every purpose has a time. This is a clearly taught in the Scriptures. It is also true that
purposes have their allotted times of accomplishment. This is also true of prophecies
and promises. It takes sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to not miss divine timings. In our text,
Jesus spoke of “that Day” and warned of the danger of missing it. In effect, He wanted
them to stay sensitive so as to know the time of His coming. The text shows us things
that can deaden spiritual sensitivity. They include carousing, drunkenness, and cares of
this life. Carousing is any form of dissolute behaviour. An unbridled appetite for
pleasure, even when legitimate, is antithetical to the spirit of sensitivity. No wonder
God’s word always advocates moderation in all things. On its part, care of this life may
seem normal; but if it takes our full attention, our spiritual sensitivity will nose dive.
Jesus taught us to cast our cares on the Heavenly Father, seek the Kingdom of God
and then we can expect all things to be added.

“An unbridled appetite for pleasure, even when legitimate, is antithetical to the spirit of sensitivity.”

Reading from Paul’s epistle, we find additional aid in developing a sensitive spirit. “And
indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you,
brethren, that ye increase more and more; and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your
own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you” (1
Thessalonians‬

John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” was written in 1678. Since then, it has been
translated into dozens of languages. It is an allegory detailing the journey of a Christian
who is trying to find his way to heaven. It depicts the temptations that a Christian will
face as he makes his way to the celestial city. Hundreds of years after it was published,
the book has not ceased to inspire every generation of Christians. Interestingly, John
Bunyan wrote the book while he was in prison. This shows that great things can happen
in unlikely places.

“No matter where you are, guard your heart with all diligence and be sure nothing tampers with your capacity to connect with God.“

In our text, we have the account of Jeremiah recalling the word of the Lord to him. By
the word of the Lord, he knew that his uncle’s son would bring to him an opportunity to
buy his land. That was exactly what happened. As we observe with John Bunyan,
Jeremiah was also in prison when he received the word of the Lord. That also proves
that good things can happen to us even in awkward places. This brings us back to the
issue of sensitivity. Jeremiah could hear of the opportunity because he was sensitive.
Had he been bitter for being remanded, he would have lost the cutting-edge sensitivity
necessary to receive from the Lord. No matter where you are, guard your heart with all
diligence and be sure nothing tampers with your capacity to connect with God.

When the two sons of Zebedee came with their mother, they requested to sit on either
side of Jesus in the Kingdom. Our text captures the reaction of the remaining ten
disciples – they were pissed off. There is an indication that these two brothers did not
think through their request before making it. They told Jesus that they were ready to
drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism without understanding what that meant.
They did not realise that would end up in martyrdom. There is a second problem with
their request; it showed insensitivity. They did not care how others felt. Their
insensitivity was going to cause disaffection among the disciples had Jesus not
intervened.

“Leadership is like shepherding, and a good shepherd must be sensitive.”

Insensitivity is akin to selfishness, and it can pose a major problem in interpersonal as
well as professional relationships. For instance, anyone who is insensitive to the
feelings of their spouse will cause irreparable damage to their union. An insensitive
boss will make a bad job of his role. Leadership is like shepherding, and a good
shepherd must be sensitive. In order to become more sensitive, learn to think through
your words and actions before deploying them. Be conscious of the fact that words do
not leave people the same. Negative words hurt and can dig at the root of people’s
emotions and confidence. Imagine that you were the recipient of your words and
actions. If you would not receive them well, that shows that others would not as well;
they may just be tolerating you.

Balance in life requires knowing what to give up and what to pursue. In recent
meditations, we learned of the need to give up our worries for several reasons. Giving
up our worries will lead to more robust health and general well-being. However, we
must never give up on pursuing our God-given goals or other worthy causes that we
set. Perseverance is often the difference between success and failure. Here is an
illustration of the point. Howard Carter arrived in Egypt in 1891 and set to work to
discover the tomb of King Tut who lived around 1400 B.C. The king died when he was a
teenager. His expedition was bankrolled by Lord Carnarvon. After five years of fruitless
search, Carnarvon was going to call off the search in early 1922, but Carter pleaded for
an extension of one year. That perseverance paid off as Carter and his team found
steps leading to the entrance of the tomb later that year. It was amazing to Carter and
Lord Carnarvon upon entering the tomb’s interior chambers on November 26, its
treasures were virtually untouched after more than 3,000 years.

Those who quit too soon are writing a memoir of failure inadvertently.

Anyone who wants something truly precious in life must hold on for it. Spectacular
things do not spring up suddenly. In the book of Jonah, the shrub that grew overnight
also perished overnight. Great and abiding things take a while. Jesus gave a parable of
a widow and an unjust judge. The widow kept coming to the judge for justice. After a
while, the judge backed down. This teaching encourages perseverance in prayer, but
the lesson applies to other areas as well. Those who quit too soon are writing a memoir
of failure inadvertently.

When Jesus visited Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha went all out to make dinner for
their august visitor. At a point in time, she got overwhelmed and wondered why Jesus
had not instructed Mary to give her a helping hand. Curiously, she got a loving rebuke
instead. Jesus told her that she was given to worry. Was He talking about her
preoccupation with dinner preparation or something else? Obviously, Jesus took aim at
something deeper in the life of Martha. It seemed that Martha was characteristically
someone who was prone to worry. Mary, on the other hand, was at Jesus’ feet, soaking
in His wisdom. Here we find one of the symptoms of worry – misplaced priority. Those
who worry excessively are often busy, but regrettably it is with the wrong things.

“Those who worry excessively are often busy, but regrettably it is with the wrong things.”

Rather than worry, Jesus would want us to set our priorities right. “But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
(Matthew‬

Jesus spoke strongly against worrying. We presented two arguments in ‬our previous
meditation – the fact that our life in Christ is superior to the mundane things of life and
that man is on priority above other creatures. There are other arguments canvassed
against worrying. Our text asked rhetorically what use is worrying. Worry is a thankless
and fruitless exercise. Worry changes nothing. Or, maybe it does; only that it changes
things for the worse. The frustrating aspect of worrying is that it has been observed that
half of the things that people worry about never happen. Going through mental and
emotional torture for some spurious things is hardly the right option.

“Going through mental and emotional torture for some spurious things is hardly the right option.”

Another reason to jettison worry is that you have a caring Father. “For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things.” (

Worry is described as one of the most destructive emotions known to man. It is a state
of constant uneasiness and apprehension resulting from how people think about certain
things. It may be about the past, present, or future. It may also be about something real
or just imagined. When left unchecked, worry can have a devastating effect on the
mental well-being of people as well as cause other physical ailments. Experts
recommend that people who are prone to excessive worry need to seek professional
help and go through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). While that may not be out of
place, it is important to get ‘Word Therapy’ as can be seen in the scriptures. Jesus
taught His disciples to not worry and He has His reasons.

Only trust Him!

Firstly, worrying about what to eat, drink, and wear is worthless since we already
already have something superior – life! Life is superior to the things that support it. The
King James Version of the Bible has an emphatic touch to this. “Therefore I say unto
you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?” Life is preceded by a definite article. Jesus said somewhere else that He is
the life! If you have Him, there is nothing else that will not be given in addition.
Secondly, in order of precedence, human beings come before other creations of God. If
the little creatures have their rations, that of man is guaranteed. Only trust Him!

The blind man who Jesus healed had a verbal war with the Pharisees. The Pharisees
argued that Jesus was not of God because He performed miracles on the Sabbath day.
The young man thought otherwise. In John 9:33, he argued that if Jesus was sinful as
they claimed, He would not have been able to connect with God and do the miracles,
because God does not hear sinners. They felt insulted and lashed at him in the words of
our text. They condemned the young man as unwell, wondering at his temerity to teach
them. This brings us two salient things about knowledge. Firstly, anybody can be our
teacher in one area or the other. Recently, a post was trending on social media. It was a
lecturer who found a woman in his class who happened to have taught him in nursery
school. A teacher today can be a student tomorrow, and those who care about
knowledge must never forget this.

“If you think you already know, you cut yourself from the flow of learning.”

Secondly, no one can knows everything. The moment you feel satiated with learning,
you will lose out on what you do not know. In our previous meditation, we cited
Epictetus when he warned about our association. Here is another quote of his: “It is
impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” If you think you already
know, you cut yourself from the flow of learning. Let us be guided by the words of Paul
to the Corinthians: “And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet
as he ought to know.” (I Corinthians‬

As a young Baptist boy, I remember that we typically carried the euphoria of Easter
Sunday till the following day, Monday. We used to call that Galilee Day. I am not sure if
that practice is still sustained today. For the most part, Galilee Day was a day of picnics.
We had fun, eating and playing all sorts of games. The originator of that idea thought
that was the best way to honour Jesus’ instruction to the disciples after the resurrection,
that He would meet them in Galilee. The picnic did serve some ends, but not what
Jesus had in mind. Their own Galilee Meet was not a picnic, it was a commissioning
ceremony. As we can see from our text, Jesus sent the disciples just as He had been
sent. So Easter is not just about eating and wearing new clothes, it is an invitation to
serious kingdom business.

“His equipment for us is the Holy Spirit.”

If we may ask, how was Jesus sent? John 9:5 provides a clue – “As long as I am in the
world, I am the light of the world.” An additional clue is His mandate found in Luke 4:18-
19 –  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the
gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the
captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” All these define our task as believers.
From our text, we see that He has not sent us out without equipping us. His equipment
for us is the Holy Spirit.