Holy Spirit pt II 3.29.09
-morgan young
Principle #1
It’s hard to be on a “Wild Goose Chase” if your life isn’t already following the “Wild Goose.”
Principle #2
Pray and seek wise counsel.
Principle #3
A Wild Goose Chase Will always be about God’s Glory—not ours.
Principle #4
The Holy Spirit is a “He”; so we must know Him.
More about the Holy Spirit
1. The Hebrew and Greek words for “spirit” are “ruach” (roo-ock) and “pneuma” (“NOO-ma”)
Both mean “wind or breath.”
2. He lives with and IN us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
3. He is the very presence of God Himself in all the world. Psalm 139:7
4. He gives us power and influence to reach the world. Acts 1:8
5. He instructs us and brings things to our mind. John 14:26
6. He convicts us of sin. John 16:8
7. He guides us into truth and speaks for the Father. John 16:13,15
8. Calls people into ministry. Acts 13:2
9. He produces a new nature in us. (Fruit of the Spirit) Galatians 5:16-26
10. Gives spiritual gifts to believers. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
11. The Holy Spirit calls us to an adventurous life like Christ’s. Romans 8:9-12
Book suggestions:
Wild Goose Chase (available @ Lakeside Books) website free sample chapter
The Shack (available @ Lakeside Books) website
The Oakbrook Church Blog 
Morgan, great principles on the Holy Spirit with solid Biblical text to back it up. Only question I would have is why suggest a book like “The Shack” which depicts the Holy Spirit as a she, “Sarayu’, and contradict principle #4?
Great question Ryan. First, the Shack is fiction and I read it as such. I suggest the Shack in hopes of helping people relate with God in His Trinity.
I liked how the author captured the “spirit nature” of the Holy Spirit but still kept the character very relational. I think that’s a concept that to some degree has been a “miss” among believers.
Willian P. Young takes liberties in his story (to my mind) much the way C.S. Lewis took liberties in his story telling in the Screwtape Letters and the Narnia trilogy.
So far, I am observing that people on the front end or growing in their faith are helped greatly by the book and not derailed by what appear as theological sticking points to “seasoned believers.” In other words, I see people authentically pulled toward God in reading it vs. pulled toward heretical beliefs.
Also I observe mature believers being refreshed in their relationship w/God through it as well (myself included). I have found no one who’s read it, adopting non-biblical theology. Eveyone I know has read it as fiction. Could someone possible get the wrong idea reading it? Yes.
Could someone also read the Bible and the get the wrong idea reading IT? Yes…
Anything out of context can lead people down the wrong road; even the Bible.
e.g. “Women submit to your husbands.” Without the context, even the Word of God can be corrupted—and we’ve seen men take advantage of women by neglecting the rest of that passage.
So everything in life (including the Shack) is in the context of God’s Word. That’s why we have the Bible; for God to speak clearly as He chose and chooses. So my words, your words, William P. Young’s book, can be, must be subjected to what God says is True.
(Just to throw the “sticky whicket” out there: What does one tell a woman when she reads, “So God created people in His own image; God patterned them after Himself; male and female He created them.”?)
Just to be clear, I call the Holy Spirit “He” because His Word does and I believe it. I believe the Shack takes literary license with a female God and female Holy Spirit.
Hope this helps Ryan. Thanks for posting!
-morgan