With Christ as our firm foundation stone, we build our lives brick by brick, just like the masons do. Every decision we make should start with prayer as we seek wisdom from Him. But what if we lose our way? What if we lose sight of the cornerstone, and all of a sudden we are out of alignment? This is where the Advocate steps in.

Just before Jesus is taken into heaven, He promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses… to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

After Jesus ascends into heaven, Peter preaches, "Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

After Peter and John are arrested and threatened, they gather with a group of believers and pray for boldness. "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31)

As I continued reading the book of Acts, I found a beautiful description of the Trinity:

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus… God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." (Acts 5:30-32 ESV)

God raised and exalted Jesus. Jesus sits at his right hand as Leader and Savior of the world. The Holy Spirit is a WITNESS to these things.

Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as a witness? What does that mean? In the Message translation of this verse, it says the Holy Spirit "corroborates every detail." That means everything the apostles were preaching could be confirmed. They had the support of the Spirit. They had the ultimate reinforcement.

Like a quarterback in a football game, they were surrounded by offensive linemen in the form of angels, miraculous prison-breaks, abilities to heal the sick, and boldness to preach the gospel despite opposition and persecution. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit moving and the church growing in numbers. Rapidly.

How does this relate to us? Let's go back to the previously posed question. What if we lose our way and fall out of alignment with our Cornerstone? This is when we call in back up. If you think of yourself as the quarterback of your life, do you think you can win the game all on your own? No quarterback is that talented. He needs his team! You're going up against an enemy who is doing everything in his power to knock you down.

Here's the secret: If you build your life on Christ, our Cornerstone, then you have access to the world's best offensive line - the Holy Spirit. And the game? You already have the victory! You know how it ends! There is nothing that can stop the name of Jesus. Hold fast to the Rock, continue building brick by brick, and seek the Spirit when you seem to lose your way.

Prayer

Father, we praise You for Your sovereignty. Help us build our life on Your firm foundation. Thank you for sending Jesus to be our Leader, Savior, and Cornerstone. Thank you for gifting us with the Holy Spirit as a fellow witness and corroborator- providing backup and blocking the enemy. Redirect our path when we start to drift, and teach us to remain in alignment with Your truth. Amen.