September 2026

“Riding with the Wind”

Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

-John 3:7-10

Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to wind. You can’t see Him, but you can see the effects of Him. It is the same way with love, with joy, with inner peace, and with all other gifts of the Holy Spirit. These invisible things are embodied in us, and those invisible intangible things are just as real as anything that is visible and tangible.

Jesus said: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” He is teaching us to look for the visible earthly evidence of the invisible heavenly working of His Spirit in the people around us.

In His famous conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus (printed at the top of this newsletter article), Jesus says that in order to ‘have eternal life,’ we are to be born of the Spirit, just as we were born physically. Our first birth took place without our consent, as we were brought into this natural world. But the second birth comes to those who seek, knock, and ask for true love, true wisdom, and true holiness. In other words, eternal life is given to those who seek, knock, and ask to be children of God (born of the Spirit).

I have recently taken up the habit of going out for bike rides between Mattoon and Loxa. I quickly discovered that when I find myself getting from Mattoon to Loxa very quickly, it is because the wind is at my back. When I turn back to bike from Loxa to Mattoon on those days, I find myself fighting the wind. That’s a struggle.

In the Hebrew language, the word ruach (ַרוּח) (is a word that can be translated into English as “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit.” I will testify that it is much better (we travel farther and more efficiently) when we are riding with the Spirit as opposed to stubbornly pedaling against Him. Even though the path of life itself can get very difficult (there are hills to climb that require strength/faith), it is a joy to have God’s breath sustaining you.

I believe that God loves it when we ask for the Spirit (when we truly desire being born again by the Spirit), and that God is eager to grant the request. After all, Jesus did say: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Don’t resist the Holy Spirit, dear friends. Ask for God’s breath to fill your lungs; ask for the love of Jesus to live in your heart; and ask for the Holy Spirit to be the wind directing your journey. All for the glory of God!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matthew