Pentecost

PRAYER PRACTICE

Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.

DAILY READING

 Acts 2:1-4 and Galatians 4:1-7

Discussion points

DEVOTION / REFLECTION

Happy Birthday Church

by Elaine Pierce

Happy Birthday, Church! Today is Pentecost, a red letter day in the church calendar. You can read about the first Pentecost in Acts 2.  For today's Worship post, we're going to focus on Galatians 4:1-7, which reinforces what happened in the Upper Room when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.

I don't think that I will fully grasp what it means to be a child of God this side of heaven. But the longer I live the Christian life, the more I am convinced that God longs to bless me, but those blessings are not what I thought they would be. He is not nearly as interested in my bank account as he is my character. His blessings aren't focused on my personal peace and happiness - they are focused on on how I can please and serve him and how our relationship can grow and deepen.  

Meditate on these words:

Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father," So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  (Galatians 4:6-7).

Yes, dear friends, we are heirs of God. We have the full rights of sons (and daughters). We receive eternal life when we come to him, confess our sins, and ask him to be the Lord of our life. The law shows us that we cannot do this through our own efforts. We will always fail. Don't lose heart. Just remember, day by day, that God has done it all. His Son paid the price.

And we can sing Happy Birthday to the Church, and we can gather around the festive banquet. What a day or rejoicing that will be!

Thank you, Father, for eternal life. I am your child, your heir, and at times that is simply too much for me to fully comprehend. Every day, help me to be more like you, and to claim your promises, your love, and your complete and total forgiveness for my sins. Amen. 

April 21 - The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

Acts 2:1-4 

Diane Ward 

Fifty days after the Passover Sabbath the longing and waiting for the Holy Spirit Jesus had promised was over. As the disciples gathered in a room of the temple in Jerusalem a violent wind of the Spirit and tongues of flame ushered in the presence of the Holy Spirit. From surrounding cities and regions Pentecost pilgrims were amazed to hear their native languages spoken where the disciples were gathered.

During years of clinical practice, I witnessed the presence of the Holy Spirit at the bedside of a dying patient. A visitor sat beside him reading from Revelation 22. Suddenly he was kneeling at the bedside speaking and praying words unknown to me. As I watched the last breath of the patient a powerful wind blew through the small hospital room sending objects flying. This I knew - the Holy Spirit was powerfully present!

At the coming of the Holy Spirit Peter’s impassioned message to those present ignited the hearts and spirits of new believers and the church of Jesus Christ was born with a following of new baptized believers. Jesus’ victory at Calvary had foiled the plan of Satan. Jesus had been led into the wilderness after his baptism, filled with the Holy Spirit to be tempted of Satan. (Luke 4:1-2) Temptation often comes with its strongest power when we are nearest to God. Satan aims high – even Peter the rock on which Jesus was to build his church, denied three times knowing him.

Those who heard and accepted Peter’s message of new life in Jesus served in unity, sharing, and caring for each other. We are living at an epic time, witnessing daily the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve in spirit alongside the early Christian church, carrying within us the message of God’s love and the hope of new life.

“Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (Jude 20-22)

You Do Not Have to "Go It Alone"

Were you ever assigned a task that you were not prepared to do?

Many years ago (more than I care to admit) I was asked to be on a church stewardship board. I knew very little about Biblical stewardship and I would have to ask people for money (gasp!). I accepted, but I felt totally inadequate for the job. I had neither the skills nor the training.

The apostles must have felt like this shortly after Jesus death. Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus told them to “Go and make disciples of all nations and … teach them ...” Jesus had previously told the apostles he would be leaving, but would have God send an advocate (or counselor) to be with them. Most likely the apostles forgot about this promise, but even if they remembered, did not understand what it meant.

Today’s reading (Acts 2:1-4) is about the arrival of that counselor, the Holy Spirit. What an awesome event that was!

Today the Holy Spirit comes in a less dramatic, yet equally effective, manner. Through our baptism, because of Jesus death, He makes us Holy and acceptable to God. We also become members of Jesus’ Heavenly Kingdom. A blessing indeed!

Members of the kingdom have the privilege of carrying out Christ’s work in this world. We are to worship God, care for people and “Go and make disciples”.

Being asked to serve in the church made me realize I had an active role to play in the Kingdom. Before that, I suppose I thought that all I had to do was sit back and enjoy God’s blessings.

I survived my role on the stewardship board. I met a lot of people, I learned a lot about God’s plan and with God’s help, the board even raised enough money to build a new sanctuary for the church.

Later it dawned on me. The counselor, that is the Holy Spirit, provided me with everything I needed to carry out God’s work.

The counselor is with me. I do not have to go it alone. What a relief!