Pentecost
is always new and continuing
“Then he opened their minds to understand
the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the
Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It
was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his
name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem
“But in fact, it is best for you that I go
away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will
send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin,
and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin
is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I
go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because
the ruler of this world has already been judged.” John 16:7-11 (NLT)
1. The Church must live in the power of
Pentecost.
The first need of the church is to always
live Pentecost. We pray: God by Your
Holy Spirit renew Your wonders in our day as by a new Pentecost.
Many throw up their hands in despair
today. The church is dying, they
say. Even Christians who are strong
spread gloom, even though this is contrary to what they believe. While the church is arguing over issues and
fine points, other things are happening.
The second largest religion in W.Va.
Peter the Apostle said: “But sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and
fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers,
those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is
better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
1 Peter 3:15-17
2. A real Christian is a man of Hope.
We must take hold of hope once again and
restore it to its rightful place. Hope
is a doctrine issue.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has
bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world
does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are
children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know
that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is
pure.” 1 John 3:1-3
3. The Church must relive the Book of
Acts.
Warning. “We have made the Church an organization just
like any other. We made it able to stand
by itself. And now we are trying to get
it to work. It does, more or less, but
it works like a machine and not something alive.” Athenos
We should read Acts and relive the time
when the 120 disciples were together in the upper room. They were preparing to receive the Promise/Gift
which is Jehovah The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,8).
We see in Acts the Holy Spirit directing and confirming the Lord’s
church as they reach out to the world.
We always need the wind and fire and spiritual power that the written
word testifies to. We must look beyond
human limitations and allow the power of God to work in and through us. We need to open the windows of the upper room
and allow the first breeze of God’s Springtime to blow through us.
The hour of suffering is the hour of God. The situation seems hopeless – then this is
the time for hoping. Along with Abraham
we trust God: “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the
father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed
be.” Romans 4:18
4. The power of faith/trust.
Paul said: “For the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6). Some
read with a veil over their face, but faith in Christ takes away the veil. Remember the God of the OT Church is also the
God of the NT Church. God called Abraham
to be the Founder of a Spiritual Family.
True Israel
“Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
1 Cor 12:3
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all
been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one
member but many.” 1 Cor 12:13-14
“Make every effort to keep yourselves united
in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one
body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the
future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and
Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.” Eph 4:3-6 (NLT)
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