One of the reasons God often feels far away is we're operating in an environment

where his spirit is not comfortable. Dr. Tony Evans says how you choose to live

will influence God's involvement in your life. The Holy Spirit will never function

in a chaotic environment. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author,

speaker, senior pastor of Oaklef Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas and

president of the Urban Alternative. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit in

the form of a dove descended from heaven and rested on him. Let's join Dr. Evans

as he explores the significance of that image. It's very interesting, something

that I looked at a fresh this week and preparing for this time, that even though

the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a dove in Luke's rendition of this event in Luke

chapter three verse 22. It says, and the Spirit of God came down from heaven in

bodily form like a dove. Why would the Holy Spirit be called a dove?

The dove is one of the most sensitive birds in God's creation. It may be the most

sensitive bird. We find the dove when there was the flood, the worldwide flood

with Noah in Genesis chapter eight. When Noah wanted to find out if the

waters have subsided, he sent out a dove. The dove went out and flew back

because there was no land. It was only water. Noah sent the dove out again

according to Genesis eight. The dove flew back because there was no place to land.

But now this next time that he sends the dove out, the dove comes back with an

olive branch in its mouth. Letting Noah know that the water has subsided because

now the dove could pick an olive plant which meant olive trees had grown and

that it was safe now to go to land. So the dove was used by Noah to show

...