There’s a big birthday just around the corner. I hope you’ll be celebrating it with your friends who share it! Sadly, there will be a bunch of folks whose distractions may keep them from slowing down to experience it. Will you be among the delighted, or the distracted?

My focus this Monday morning is next Sunday morning: to be concise, it’s the day we mark as Pentecost. First prescribed through Moses as part of God’s calendar for His Chosen People, the 50^th day after Passover was set-aside to recognize God’s goodness in the annual harvest. 

Our shared Christian faith carried important factors from the Old Covenant practices into the New Covenant period. As the Risen Lord Jesus prepared to exit Earth and return to Heaven, He gave some prophetic insight to the Apostles regarding their assignment(s) as leaders in His Kingdom in the days just preceding His Ascension. His immediate instruction was (in brief):

“Wait” — Acts 1:4

“Wait?” For what?

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about… in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” — Acts 1:4-5

One of the prescribed national/spiritual holidays for the Jewish people, it was a major gathering in Jerusalem for which significant crowds were together. Sure enough, what Jesus had forecast happened as promised:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 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 and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” — Acts 2:1-4

Through the Old Testament historic record, the Holy Spirit had frequent walk-on status with the people who were in relationship with the God of Heaven. He – the Holy Spirit – would be given to select individuals to enable their fulfillment of God’s call on their lives, but that provision was not offered to all, nor was His presence in a period guaranteed to last for a lifetime. Until…

Pentecost was the game-changer. For the first time in God’s history of redemptive intervention, His presence – the third person of the Triune God – was going to be a promised promotion from the old practice of religion to the new era of relationship. His new plan would involve all His Family – the followers of Jesus – to become the Church of Jesus Christ. The Birth of the Church has been etched in the cornerstone of that living construction: it was the first Pentecost, following the Resurrection.

Why is that notable? Check out this short-course in understanding the life to which you have been called and commissioned. How is our spiritual family life different than that of our neighbors who do not share our faith?

You and I have a formula for life that gives meaning and purpose to everything we do. There’s no mystery to the meaning of life for a Christian. Here it is, in short form; memorize it, and follow it.

The Work of God: we’ve given it a summary headline, and it’s catchy. The Great Commission was issued by Jesus to the Apostles:

“Go and make disciples of all nations” — Matthew 28:19

The Word of God: the greatest tool in our toolbox is the light saber of the Spirit:

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”  — Ephesians 6:17

Without knowing and using the Scriptures, you’re unarmed and functionally worthless.

The Gifts of God: the unique role we’re each called to play is indicated by the specific gifting needed to perform:

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…” — Romans 12:6

The Power of God: all of those provisions are great, but our ability to step into the supernatural is predicated on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…” — Acts 1:8

Without Him, our tanks are empty.

That catalytic component – the Power of God, provided by the Holy Spirit’s presence in every believer’s life – is celebrated next Sunday. 

Christmas reminds us of the arrival of the Son of God. Pentecost reminds us of the arrival of the Spirit of God. I hope you’ll have that in mind when you join forces with the rest of the human Temples – each of whom houses the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture – who will be assembled next Sunday for our weekly power meeting, during our Sabbath break. 

The Work; the Word; The Gifts; The Power: put them all together, and what do you have? The Mission started by Jesus, entrusted to us, and accomplishing His purpose through our faithful lives!

Happy Birthday to us!

Bob Shank

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