In Acts chapter 2 we see the story of Pentecost. Shortly after Jesus had returned to Heaven the disciples gathered in Jerusalem, hiding from the authorities, waiting for the gift Jesus promised them. Before He ascended, Jesus said to his disciples “wait here in Jerusalem for the gift my father promised... In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” God chose Pentecost, this Jewish harvest festival, as the day for the outpouring of his Holy Spirit.
With a sound like the rush of a mighty wind, God fulfilled that promise by sending his Spirit to anoint those first disciples. As the Spirit came upon them, there were tongues of flame that alighted over them. This was the baptism of the Holy Spirit that they had been waiting for. With the coming of the Spirit, Peter and the other disciples were filled with a holy fire. There was a passion ignited within them that prepare them to go out into the world and share the good news of Jesus with every person they encountered.
We need that holy fire today. We need that indwelling of the Spirit to ignite a passion within us to bring the hope of the Gospel to a new generation. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us for the work of Christ. This Sunday is Pentecost. And my prayer for us, as individuals and as a church, is that God would send his Holy Spirit upon us. I am praying everyday that God's spirit would fill us, and ignite a passion within us to burn brightly for him.
I know that some of you who will read this have been Christ followers for a long time. It is very possible that you experienced this outpouring of the Holy Spirit many years ago. But what I have observed is that sometimes the busyness of life, the hardships and struggles, can have a way of quenching the fire of the Holy Spirit within us. And I believe that from time to time we need to reignite that holy fire. And so I am praying for us that this Sunday we could all experienced a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.
In my mind, Pentecost is as important as Christmas or Easter. I would love for everyone of us to be present in person in worship this weekend Rock Church. We will celebrate Pentecost and we will pray for that holy fire of the Spirit to be poured out upon us in worship, reigniting our strength and passion for the work of Christ. We will be accepting new members this Sunday as well as sharing in baptism. If you were interested in either, this is still time. Please email Lynette@rock-church.org for more information.
Have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together this Sunday to celebrate Pentecost and experience anew that outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
I love you all,
Pastor Steve
PRO TIP: The color for Pentecost is RED. So feel free to wear something red if you have it.