Good day dear friends. We had a wonderful worship time yesterday and at the 10:45 Contemporary Worship time we welcomed True Tomlinson for her first worship visit. She and Mom look great, and at Coffee with the Pastor, she opened her eyes! She has beautitful blue eyes and a smile to match! We ask prayers for Dad, Kit Tomlinson and the senior highs who are in Mission, Texas for the Mission Service Project. Pray also for the adults who are on that trip as well.
Several folks wore red and the church looked great with everyone present to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. We were challenged at 8:30 with a blackout in our part of town. We opened the windows and I kept urging God to send the "rushing wind" we were reading about in Acts 2, but nada! At the very end, as we're singing the hymn of personal commitment, the lights came back on, and we had air conditioning in both the activities building and the church.
We'll be studying what Pentecost is as we go along this week and here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Please read Joel 2:28-32. This is the passage mentioned by Peter in the passage from yesterday, Acts 2. What do you suppose God intended in having the prophet write these words? Do these words speak to you and your situation? How can the gift of the Holy Spirit help you do what you know God has asked of your life?
Here is the passage from Joel 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;"
As I mentioned in worship, this passage from the OT has some very gender friendly language. God speaking through the prophet Joel says that the Holy Spirit would be "poured out on all people." (v.28) God also says that "sons and daughters will prophesy" (v.28) and "servants, both men and women" would receive God's Holy Spirit. In other words, God's Holy Spirit is for all people. As was told to the disciples in Acts 1, believers would become God's witnesses. The Holy Spirit would come as the One who would help us in all situations where we serve God by speaking words of invitation to all.
God has asked all of us to live and share in ways that give evidence that we are His disciples. The new commandment given to us by the Lord was "that you love one another. By this they will new you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.(John 13)" Not the easiest thing to do at times, but the most needed. By our living our lives in loving ways, that gives witness to the Lord.
Perhaps you've been called to teach, or even preach. And this call may seem overwhelming, but God's Holy Spirit comes to give us the needed strength and wisdom to fulill that call. As I said in the sermon, the "rights" to the Holy Spirit do not belong exclusively to the Pentecostals or Assembly of God churches, God's Holy Spirit is for us all. We need not fear the person of the Holy Spirit, for He is God's presence among us, sent by the Father to comfort, guide and lead us.
PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit to my life. Fill me as You're poured out in me, to fulfill the call which You have placed in my heart. Guide me to faithfulness. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
