1.5 Azusa Street & ACOP Legacy

[VICTOR]

What’s common to these two quotes is the focus–Jesus Christ. These should remind us always that Jesus is the center of everything. Apart from Christ, all our knowledge about God, all amazing experiences, fellowship and teachings will continue to be the human ways to reach God (religion). I love it when Bartleman said, “The Holy Spirit never draws our attention from Christ to himself, but rather reveals Christ in a fuller way.” This should also be our aim–to focus on Jesus and never draw peoples’ attention to our wit and religious practices.

[Max]

It has got to be about Jesus. If we want God’s best it is going to be Jesus. If we believe in the trinity then Jesus can’t be slighted by an encounter with the Holy Spirit. An encounter with him should always point us closer to God, if we are not drawing closer then something is very wrong

[ECO]

@Shakeys thanks for this answer. I like how you say that an encounter with the HS can’t slight Jesus. The trinity is always seeking to promote a love for the fullness of the godhead in the believer’s heart. Your comment reminds me of this quote from Gregory of Nazianzus:

No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the Splendor of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish Them than I am carried back to the One. When I think of any One of the Three I think of Him as the Whole, and my eyes are filled, and the greater part of what I am thinking of escapes me. I cannot grasp the greatness of That One so as to attribute a greater greatness to the Rest. When I contemplate the Three together, I see but one torch, and cannot divide or measure out the Undivided Light.

[Charla]

In both quotes the central role of Jesus in regards to our salvation is emphasized. We fix our eyes on Him as the author and finisher of our faith.

Both quotes also reveal that Holy Spirit has a role in our faith journey too. He delights in revealing Christ, teaching us and pointing us to Him. He empowers us with gifts and boldness for the purpose of following and sharing Jesus.

[Jenn]

What a great reminder to seek Jesus, not the the gifts of the Spirit. If we go after God’s best, we will always find the Holy Spirit showing us more of Christ. We need to stay focused on Jesus, not proof of Him or evidence of the Spirit.