Last Updated: Tuesday - 01/04/2011

Spirit will come suddenly

Ecumenical group eager to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit

EDMONTON — They came. They heard. They were conquered.

About 200 people who attended the How to be Led by the Spirit seminar went home nourished spiritually after the two-day conference given by Dr. Tim Sheets, pastor-founder of Living Word Church, July 6-7 at Shaw Conference Centre.

"It is about trust," Constance MacDonell told the WCR.

"I learned to trust the Holy Spirit," said MacDonell, a parishioner of St. Peter's Parish in Villeneuve. "The Holy Spirit comes over you and it's just a peaceful, calm experience."

A young couple from Our Lady of Fatima Parish shared the same story.

"I have seen the light," said Lisa Jesuino, 21. "Now I know how to follow, worship and pray to him."

When asked what it means for her to be led by the Spirit, Lisa said that it means receiving inner strength. "This strength leads me to believe that I can accomplish my goals and do things that I never thought I could."

"I feel a lot better, a lot lighter and not as heavy-hearted as I was before," Marlo Jesuino, 26, told the WCR. "God showed me the way. I feel the best I felt in a long time, in over 16 years."

The Ohio-based Sheets gave five presentations on the interlocking dimensions of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church and human beings.

"The Spirit enters our lives when we take Jesus into our hearts," said Sheets.

"Listen to your gut, that's where God talks to you," he emphasized. "When we are led by the Spirit, we're led into doing things that God has created us for."

In his talk on Pentecost, Sheets discussed the immediacy of God's response to people's deliverance from evil, provisions for the journey in faith and healing for the believers both spiritually and physically.

"We are moving into the 'suddenlies' of God as God is cutting (the waiting) short for all who believe in him," said Sheets.

Illustrating his point on "the suddenlies of God," Sheets gave examples from the Bible stories that narrate how the Israelites were surprised and stunned by God's saving acts.

"One day the Israelites were hungry, suddenly the next morning the ground was covered with manna."

On the day of Pentecost the disciples were sitting in the upper room and suddenly they heard a roaring sound, which signalled the coming of the Holy Spirit, Sheets cited.

The Church that Jesus founded became successful and flourished because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he said.

"The Holy Spirit brings Christ's power to prevail," he added.

People from various Christian denominations attended the Christian Renewal Fellowship sponsored seminar.

Sheets, author of the books Armed and Battle Ready and Being Led by the Spirit, moved the people with his passionate preaching and teaching.

Healing and music ministries were two important components of this seminar. There was singing in between talks while healing ministry was held at the end of each day.

"A woman was healed with a serious back problem," attested Ralph Morris of St. John's Anglican Church, who coordinated the event.

The group Dayspring of Catholic Charismatic Renewal led praise and worship songs. People were responsive to the songs and some even did an interpretive dance to express their feelings.

"It is a little bit frustrating that we did not have huge attendance this year," said Morris, 76.

This gathering usually attracts more than 400 people since Christian Renewal Fellowship started in 1986.

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