We’ve Got the Power! It’s Pentecost Sunday!

Happy Birthday to YOU! Today is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church. So, it is YOUR birthday, because you ARE the Church going and coming. At every birthday celebration, a gift always shows up! This day of celebration commemorates the Gift of the Holy Spirit to us. And what a gift He was AND is to us today!

Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter) -- the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and others in the Upper Room. They were in one accord in one place. We, the Church, need a Pentecost today! To turn from blame and shame to Godly, courageous, bold witnesses for Christ. To become people of compassion, kindness, and love for each other. In a world of violence and cultural unrest, if ever we needed a Pentecost, it is today!

Pentecost fulfilled Jesus' promise "to send the Holy Spirit to you!" (John 16:5-15). It launched Peter as a powerful witness for Christ. How did he go from being cowardly to courageous, from being frightened to fearless? How did he go from denying Jesus to defending Jesus? It was the power of Pentecost that made the difference in his life. And that is the same power we need in our lives if the Church is to have a positive and lasting impact upon the world. Peter was changed. (Acts 4:13)

Acts 2:41 records that Peter spoke to the crowd and 3,000 people were baptized. Power-less to power-full! And that’s what Holy Spirit does for us, too! My story is similar to Peter's. I was weak, timid and afraid, but because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life, I weathered and overcame many storms in my life. The Holy Spirit gives me the power and confidence to share the Good News boldly and unafraid. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to anyone who is a believing and obedient Christian and who desires the fullness of God’s Spirit.

The moment we received Christ, the Holy Spirit not only came to live in us, but He also imparted the power to overcome the enemy’s tactics. "Be filled" means to allow the Holy Spirit to produce His attitudes and actions in the life of the believer. We received amazing gifts of the Holy Spirit when we received Christ and a big bushel of fruit. Galatians 5:22: "The Fruit of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

The change this world needs begins with you and me. When we point to others, there are four fingers pointing back to us. "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin in me!" Won’t you pray this prayer to be changed and empowered to be bold witnesses of God's love through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?

“Dear Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I know You live in me. I know that You are my helper, my counselor, my confidant, my comforter and my peace. I ask You to take complete control of my life. I ask for Your gifts and fruit to be evident in my life. Lord, I ask that You fill me to overflowing with Your precious Holy Spirit. Baptize me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet – the same way You filled those in the Upper Room. I ask You for a radical transformation like the disciples had when they went from fear, anxiety, and timidity to empowered people of faith, boldness, and courage. Come Holy Spirit! Consume me! I ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

It’s Pentecost Sunday and I’ve Got the Power!

With two of my grandchildren, we recently watched the movie “Bruce Almighty”, a spoof about a guy (Jim Carrey) who was complaining that God was treating him poorly. Soon after, God (Morgan Freeman) actually contacts Bruce and offers him all of His powers if he thinks he can do a better job. Bruce accepts and goes on a spree, using his new-found abilities for selfish use and sings “I’ve got the POW-ER!” Hilarious movie but when I say "I’ve got the power” it’s because of Pentecost Sunday and the power that was given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost Sunday commemorates the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and those in the Upper Room. It occurs 50 days after Easter (10 days after Jesus’ ascension to heaven), recorded in Acts 1:12-2-13. Pentecost fulfills Jesus' promise to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:5-15) and it launches the large-scale spreading of the Gospel. It was after Pentecost and the infilling of the Holy Spirit that Peter (the same one who denied Jesus, the coward, fearful, the impulsive activist) could speak with boldness and courage. Acts 2:41 records that he spoke to the crowd and some 3,000 people were baptized. Now that's what I call POWER!

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He said these words to His disciples ”When the Holy Spirit comes to you, you shall receive POWER." (Acts 1:8) How awesome is that? A couple of days ago I met with a young woman to encourage her as she was going through some pretty tough times. I told her how I weathered many storms of life because of the Holy Spirit's power that helps us successfully make it through this thing called LIFE. And, Holy Spirit gives us the POWER to share the Good News boldly and unafraid. That same power, the power of the Holy Spirit, is for believing and obedient Christians in our generation to turn our world around.

I believe the Holy Spirit, the one Who Jesus said, “I must go away so that the Holy Spirit can come”, is the answer to our actions AND reactions of faith and trust and love and power. How was it possible to be a strong and bold witness of Jesus Christ back in those days of such tyranny and oppression? How is it possible for us to overcome the challenges in our lives? How is it possible to experience John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

It is all possible by acknowledging and living in the Spirit! The moment we received Christ, the Holy Spirit not only came to indwell us, He imparted to us the power to overcome the enemy’s tactics. "Be filled" means to allow the Holy Spirit to produce his attitudes and actions in the life of the believer. We received an amazing gift of the Holy Spirit when we received Christ. In fact – a big bushel of fruit. Galatians 5:22 -- "The Fruit of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control." Just look at what being “filled with the Spirit” provides to us as we acknowledge Holy Spirit in our life.

People ask me: “What’s your secret?” “How can you always be so happy?” It is no secret. It is the natural product of embracing the Holy Spirit’s presence and fellowship that’s called “Living in the Spirit”. Through life's ups and downs, I can tell you I know peace. I know faith. I know comfort because of the Holy Spirit. Walking in dependence upon the power that is there.

Come Holy Spirit! Consume me! Won’t you pray this prayer with me today in celebration of Pentecost Sunday and Holy Spirit that lives in you? It's simply acknowledging His presence and His power that is available today.

“Dear Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, welcome into my life. I know you are living in me, and today I acknowledge that you are my helper, my counselor, my confidant, my comforter and my peace. I ask you to take complete control of my life. I ask for your fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to be evident in my life. Lord, I ask that you fill me to overflowing with your precious Holy Spirit – baptize me from the top of my head to the bottom of our feet – the same way you filled those in the Upper Room. I ask you for a radical transformation like the disciples had when they went from fear, anxiety, timidity, and concern to empowered people of love, faith, boldness, and courage. May I receive you fully and completely. I ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!!!