NEW BEGINNINGS - DIVINE COMFORT

Dear Precious Child,
   Before He went to the cross to die as payment for the sins of the whole world, your brother Jesus told His followers that He was not going to leave them without His comfort and encouragement.  He said that He was going to send My Holy Spirit to them to take His place, to be their ever constant comfort. (John 14:23-27) The followers had become dependent upon Him for instructions, guidance, comfort, insight, wisdom and the dispenser of My love to them and to all of humanity.  The thought of His leaving was heavy on the hearts of the followers.  Their religious laws and religious priests added burdens to their lives instead of relieving them of burdens the way Jesus did.  The followers of Jesus were grieved that His comforting presence in their lives would be lost forever.  He had graciously introduced to them the truth that I am a loving Father instead of a stern taskmaster which religion taught.
    You can imagine the thoughts in the minds of His followers like what if He is wrong, what if another comforter comes and we won't recognize Him, what if He comes to another city and I'm not there?  Doubt began to enter into the minds of the followers of Jesus and then His crucifixion added fear to them.  In the midst of the turmoil surrounding His crucifixion they had probably forgotten what Jesus had said would happen.  He said that after His sacrifice for their sins that I would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who was with them at the time in the person of Jesus, but after He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with Me that He would have no more need of the power of the Holy Spirit in His life.   He said that He would send to live in them the same Spirit who did miracles through Him while He was in the earth, the same Spirit whom He said would cause them to be born again of My Spirit and had created within them a new personality, the same Spirit who spoke My wisdom and knowledge from His mouth.  That promise must have seemed like a fairytale then, as it does in to some people today in your world.  His followers asked, "How can that be?"
    He described the coming of My Holy Spirit into their lives as being like the wind, that you don't know what it is, where it comes from, but you see the result of it blowing the leaves on the trees and other visual manifestations. (John 3:3-7) The followers considered it was too difficult to understand, but they loved Him, loved His graciousness, loved His miracles done in their behalf, loved His positive words instead of the negative words of the religious leaders and politicians. 
They were panicked at the thought of being without His comfort, but many loved Him enough to obey him and go to Jerusalem to wait for My promise. (John 16;12-15)
    The people who obeyed Jesus and went to wait for My promise experienced a miracle from Me.  You know the story, that as they waited, prayed and praised Me, they heard a rushing, mighty wind from heaven which appeared as flames of fire upon their heads and they all began to speak in a heavenly language, the same language that I spoke when I created the earth.  Some spoke earthly languages that they had never learned.  It was the greatest miracle from Me in the history of the world.  (Acts 2:1-4)  Their spiritual eyes were opened and they began to understand the truths in the parables that Jesus taught.  His followers were so joyful that they were giddy and as they left the room people who saw them in their gaiety assumed that they were drunk with alcohol.  The followers and the observers understood that it was the fulfillment of the promise through Isaiah which said that I would give them gladness instead of mourning, beauty for the ashes that religious practices required they place on their heads as signs of being sinners.  They were happy instead of sad, encouraged instead of discouraged, hopeful instead of depressed, and they had new joyful personalities.  They were comforted from the inside of them by the presence of My Holy Spirit dwelling inside of their spirits and providing new motivations, new thoughts, new attitudes and new actions.  They were new creations, created by My Holy Spirit.
     My Holy Spirit lives inside of My children who invite Him, ushering into their lives newness of life, just as Jesus promised when He said that He would send another Comforter.  They began to experience the revelations that My Spirit gave to their understanding, My wisdom and insight into the causes of their problems and the wonderful solutions to all of their problems.  My Holy Spirit certainly takes the place of Jesus in the lives of My children who invite Him to live inside of themselves.   My Fatherly guidance becomes real and My truths are no longer mysteries.  Solutions overcome problems and insights lead to understanding.  What a wonderful day when My children receive My promise to them of the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom I establish our Father/child, on-on-one, personal, intimate relationship which brings heaven to earth. (Matthew 6:10)
    I never want My children to be without comfort.  I want them to receive My greatest promise into their lives, My Holy Spirit the Comforter so that they will live the abundant life of Kingdom living while in the earth.
    Your Promise Keeping Father