May 31 - Sweet Heavenly Spirit

Acts 2:1-12

On the seventh Sunday after Easter, the church celebrates Pentecost. The verses we read today are particularly appropriate for this celebration. We join the disciples in the Upper Room, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit: 

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house.....they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit....(Acts 2:2-4a). 

 Don't you wish you had been there? What an amazing experience it must have been! 

And yet, each time a new believer gives her life to Jesus, she is filled with the Holy Spirit. Take a look at I Corinthians 12:13:

So we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free  and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

The Holy Spirit is described in many ways in the Bible:  a strong wind.....a blazing fire.....a comforter....a dove....cleansing water...anointing oil....but the most important thing to remember is that the Holy Spirit is an equal part of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person.  He longs to bring us into a deeper relationship with God.  He corrects us, consoles us, and keeps us on a straight path.  And when we sin - which is often - he is there, waiting for us to repent.

The early church had the direct experience of seeing the Holy Spirit in action. We have access to that same Holy Spirit. 

Please take 2 minutes and 20 seconds to listen to this song.  I sang it in college (which is many, many years ago now) and I am often drawn back to those years when I find myself humming this tune.  Perhaps these words will have special meaning for these pandemic times as well. The Holy Spirit has not left us in these times of crisis and uncertainty. He hears our cries, and he longs to bless us. In the end, as we have heard from our pastors and from scripture, God wins.

Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

  

Listen

The Holy Spirit comes to the Church

 11 January

Scripture Reading

Read Acts 2:1-12 and reflect on the passage.

When our kids were toddlers one of their favorite phrases was, “Do it again!” “It” may have been reading a book, singing a song, or having Dad twirl them around the living room. But they couldn’t get enough. They wanted more.

On Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, releasing more of God’s kingdom, power, and gifts into their lives. Luke says that, as a result, 3,000 people called on the name of the Lord and were saved. I long to see that kind of power in the church today. And the good news is that God gives refills!

All believers have the Holy Spirit by virtue of baptism, but to be saturated with the Spirit is our ongoing need, because it’s so easy to become filled with other things like fear, and doubt, and anger, and guilt, and temptation. Like a sponge, I need the Holy Spirit to wring out of me those things that hinder my relationship with Him, and soak me again in His presence and power. Not just once, but over and over. The Spirit wants to give us more of what Jesus offers. So “Do it again, Lord!”

Questions

1.      When you think of Jesus, what characteristic comes to mind first and foremost? Wise teaching? Love for others? Power to heal? Holiness of life? Mission?

2.      In what ways might your view of Jesus influence your understanding of the Holy Spirit?

a

Prayer

Holy Spirit, fill me today, so that with all the saints, I will be prepared to glorify You and join You in Your work. Amen.

—Jeff Morlock

The Story - Chapter 28 - New Beginnings

"...we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:11-12)

What indeed, does this mean?  The disciples were entering a new phase of life, a new beginning as the chapter title suggests.  New beginnings are scary and at times just plain difficult.  We resist the change that is being forced upon us.  We second guess ourselves and feel as though we will never feel good again.

Thinking back on the loss that has brought us to this crossroads causes new feelings to surface.  The disciples were in the midst of their grief.  More than likely they were replaying the incidents of the past few days over in their minds, wondering if they could have done something differently--totally missing the point.  But, they were human as are we.

When faced with new beginnings we resist them too.  Change is loss; therefore we run from it.  But once the dust begins to settle, we start to live once again.  Change is a part of life, so it can't be all bad.  Jesus prepared his 12 friends for all that transpired, but as is often the case, they didn't understand or refused to understand, all that He had said.

What truth are you denying?  Is there an addiction you are running from, a financial crisis you are turning a blind eye to?  Is there a child in your life who needs special attention, or a lonely parent who craves your love?  There is no time like now to stop and look around.  The Holy Spirit is there for us, waiting for us to call upon Him.  He will reveal the next steps, the missing piece to our lives. Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Read Acts 2:1-12

Listen to Acts 2:1-12