Chapter 1<br >LET s GET REACQUAINTED<br > WITH THE SPIRIT<br >W<br >Selected Scriptures<br >inston Churchill once used the phrase， "a riddle wrapped in<br >a mystery inside an enigma. 1 How many of us， I wonder，<br >would describe the Holy Spirit the same way? Be truthful now. Put<br >away all the textbook definitions， and think about what you really<br >know about Him.<br > The fact is， many Christians have never really understood Him<br >well at all， and that lack of understanding is reflected in our awk-<br >ward attempts to relate to Him. At best， we might say that our<br >relationship is an uncomfortable one. We re not sure what to say<br >or feel or how to act around Him， so we often ignore Him as if He<br >were an uninvited member of the Trinity. Then， too， He often gets<br >credited for people s bizarre behavior， which only increases our fears.<br >The end result is that， instead of drawing closer to God s Spirit，<br >many believers back away with a wary attitude.<br > Could it be that insecurity and guardedness are keeping you<br >from getting acquainted with God s intimate Spirit? He is that， you<br >know..， intimate， personal， and penetratingly practical. So<br >c mon， don t be shy. Come up close and get to know this companion<br >of our souls who strengthens and guides us on our spiritual journey.<br >Let your heart be warmed by the flame of His empowering presence.<br > Ready?<br > Then let s begin by calling on Him with this simple yet eloquent<br >prayer.<br >Come， Holy Ghost， our souls inspire<br >And lighten us with celestial fire.2<br >i. Winston Churchill， as quoted in Bartlett s Familiar Quotations， 15th ed.， rex<br >Emily Morison Beck (Boston， Mass.: Little， Brown and Co.， 1980)， p. 743.<br >2. Rabanus Maurus， as quoted in 12，000 Religious Quotations， comp. Frank S. Mead (1965<br >reprint， Grand Rapids， Mich.: Baker Book House， 1989)， p. 228.<br ><br >