PENTECOST! WE KNOW IT AS THE “BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH” WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIFTED UPON BELIEVERS. HOWEVER, FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE, THE CELEBRATION OF PENTECOST WAS MUCH DIFFERENT. WE MARK THE DATE 50 DAYS SINCE EASTER, BUT FOR THE JEWS, IT HAS BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE PASSOVER.
THE JEWISH PENTECOST WAS 1 OF 3 HOLIDAYS THEY WERE MANDATED TO OBSERVE TO RECALL THE TIME WHEN MOSES RECEIVED THE LAW FROM GOD ON MOUNT SINAI.
HOWEVER, THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION WOULD BECOME NOT ONLY A NEW TRADITION, BUT A NEW COVENANT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD WOULD BE POURED OUT UPON HIS PEOPLE. WHAT WERE ONCE “TEN COMMANDMENTS” CHISELED UPON STONE TABLETS WILL NOW BE WRITTEN INTO THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!
JOHN THE BAPTIST FORETOLD OF THIS HAPPENING, SAYING IN LUKE 3:16, “I BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER. BUT ONE WHO IS MORE POWERFUL THAN I WILL COME…. HE WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE.” IT WOULD FULFILL THE PROPHECY OF JOEL, AS WRITTEN IN JOEL 2:28-30, “… I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL PEOPLE.YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY. YOUR OLD MEN WILL DREAM DREAMS, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS. IN THOSE DAYS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT EVEN ON SERVANTS—MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. AND I WILL CAUSE WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND ON THE EARTH—BLOOD AND FIRE AND COLUMNS OF SMOKE.”
THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS TO HELP US REPRESENT CHRIST AND TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE MINISTRY THAT JESUS INITIATED UNTIL HE RETURNS FOR HIS BELOVED BRIDE, THE CHURCH.
THE HOLY SPIRIT! IN JOHN 14:16, JESUS REFERS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AS "COUNSELOR." THE NAME COUNSELOR, WHICH IS THE GREEK NOUN "PARAKLETOS," MEANS, "THE ONE WHO EXHORTS, COMFORTS OR HELPS" AND "THE ONE WHO MAKES APPEALS ON ONE’S BEHALF."
THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS US TO ALLOW HIM TO FILL US WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY SO WE CAN CONTINUE ON WITH THE MINISTRY OF JESUS AND CAN HELP FULFILL THE WORDS OF ACTS 2:21, WHERE“EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD” CAN FIND SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST.
GOD’S HOLY PEOPLE CAN BE A POWERFUL PEOPLE! POWERFUL, NOT IN THEMSELVES, NOT POWERFUL ACCORDING TO THE WORLD’S STANDARDS, BUT POWERFUL BECAUSE THE AUTHORITY OF GOD HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THEIR LIVES!
IT IS TIME THAT WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE OPENED UP TO THE MIND-BLOWING, HEART-WARMING, LIFE-CHANGING POWER OF GOD. THE POWER OF GOD THAT, IF WE WILL ALLOW IT, CAN INVADE THE BODY, INFLATE THE MIND, SWELL THE SOUL, LIFT THE SPIRIT AND MAKE US MORE THAN WE EVER DREAMED OR IMAGINED.
IF WE WILL JUST LET GOD SEND FORTH HIS SPIRIT THROUGH US THE WHOLE FACE OF THE EARTH CAN BE RENEWED. IF WE WILL JUST LET GOD SEND FORTH HIS SPIRIT THROUGH US THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL CAN BE REVIVED AND FULFILL HER TRUE MISSION.
IT CAN HAPPEN! IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE! IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHEN GOD SENT FORTH HIS MIGHTY WIND, CHAOS WAS CHANGED INTO CREATION! IT WAS HIS BREATH THAT BROUGHT ADAM TO LIFE AND THAT SAME MIGHTY WIND OF HIS BREATH SENT FROM THE FOUR WINDS THAT GAVE LIFE TO THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES!
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAME TO EARTH A YOUNG WOMAN EXPERIENCED HIM AND SAID "YES." JESUS WAS BORN AND LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE.
JESUS EVEN REFERENCED THE MIGHTY WIND OF GOD TO HELP NICODEMUS UNDERSTAND SALVATION IN JOHN 3:8, “THE WIND BLOWS WHEREVER IT WANTS. JUST AS YOU CAN HEAR THE WIND BUT CAN’T TELL WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHERE IT IS GOING, SO YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN HOW PEOPLE ARE BORN OF THE SPIRIT.”
IF WE WILL ALLOW GOD TO SEND HIS SPIRIT UPON US WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN. WE COULD SEE BARRIERS BROKEN, COMMUNITIES FORMED, OPPOSITES RECONCILED, UNITY ESTABLISHED AND OUR CHURCHES FILLED TO CAPACITY.
IF WE WILL ALLOW GOD TO SEND HIS SPIRIT UPON US WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE DISEASES CURED, ADDICTIONS BROKEN, CITIES RENEWED, RACES RECONCILED, HOPE ESTABLISHED, PEOPLE BLESSED, AND CHURCHES ON FIRE WITH THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
WE ARE EMPOWERED WITH GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT. CAN WE, THIS PENTECOST SEASON, MAKE IT OUR GOAL TO TAKE OUR RIGHTFUL CLAIM TO THIS POWER AND USE IT FOR GOD’S GLORY?
WE CLOSE WITH A PORTION OF THE PRAYER FOR OUR CHURCH UNDER THE SEGMENT “CHRIST-COMPELLED MULTIPLICATION!” LET US PRAY: “LIGHT A HOLY FIRE WITHIN US AND FILL US WITH A FRESH ANOINTING OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT. MANIFEST YOURSELF, HOLY SPIRIT, AND IGNITE A SPIRIT-FUELED MOVEMENT THROUGH US AND CLEVER FREE METHODIST CHURCH, SO THAT WE BEAR FRUIT THAT MULTIPLIES THE BELIEVERS AND THE CHURCH.
WE CHOOSE TO OBEY THE COMMAND OF JESUS TO “GO, AND MAKE DISCIPLES.” INFLAME OUR HEARTS WITH THE PASSION TO INVEST OUR LIVES AND RESOURCES IN OTHERS, THE CHURCH, AND YOUR KINGDOM. FILL US WITH URGENCY, SO THAT WE DON’T HESITATE TO BOTH LIVE AND PROCLAIM OUR FAITH.
WE WANT TO BE DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES. WE WANT TO BE HOLY. WE WANT TO BE CONSUMED BY YOUR LOVE AND POWER SO THAT WE BECOME A REDEMPTIVE MOVEMENT THAT IS ON FIRE TO EXPAND YOUR KINGDOM THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD. LOVING FATHER, WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! SET US AFLAME WITH A HOLY FIRE!”AMEN!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHURCH! HAVE A BLESSED AND SACRED PENTECOST!
