A PRAYER FOR PENTECOST

May 15, 2012

⁴ And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

⁵ For John truly baptized with water;

but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost

not many days hence.

⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

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Good Morning Friends of FCC,

On SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012, GOD’S PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE will remember THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.  It was on THE DAY OF PENTECOST that the HOLY SPIRIT filled the hearts of the first CHRISTIANS.  Living this side of Pentecost, we can hardly imagine what it must have been to follow the LORD without the influence and blessing of the HOLY SPIRIT. 

We do know that before PENTECOST the disciples were unstable in their commitment.  Peter denied the Lord three times on the night He was arrested.  They all “forsook Christ and fled” when He was crucified.  They argued over who was the greatest.  They doubted Christ.  They were spiritually weak.

EVERY DAY AFTER JESUS RETURNED TO HEAVEN, the disciples gathered together for prayer in an upper room in Jerusalem.  Jesus told them to “Wait for the promise of the Father…ye shall be baptized with the HOLY GHOST.”  (Acts 1:5)  Every day, for ten days, they prayed and agreed together—the Bible says they were in “one accord.”

Jerusalem was filled with Jewish worshippers from around the world.  FIFTY DAYS earlier they had remembered the JEWISH PASSOVER FEAST—the day that the death angel passed over Egypt and compelled Pharoah to release the Children of Israel from enslavement.  Now they were remembering the JEWISH PENTECOST FEAST—the day that Moses was given the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai. 

The Bible says that WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME there came the SOUND OF A RUSHING MIGHTY WIND (I imagine that today someone would say “it sounded like a train!”), then FIRE APPEARED ABOVE THE HEADS OF THE DISCIPLES (Actually some think the original language suggests there were small bursts of lightning), and the THE DISCIPLES BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER LANGUAGES (You can read in Acts 2 of all the languages that were heard that day).  Luke, the author of ACTS tells us, THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

AS PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS JERUSALEM RAN to see what was happening, praise turned to preaching!  The PETER STOOD UP AND PREACHED, “This is what JOEL prophesied!  God said He would pour out HIS SPIRIT upon all flesh…our SONS AND DAUGHTERS would prophesy…and WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED!”

Convicted by the truth and convinced by the Spirit, thousands of JEWS shouted out, “What should we do?”  Peter answered, “REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS FOR THE REMISSION OF YOUR SINS, and YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.” (Acts 2:38).   And 3,000 were baptized that very day.

Weeks later as the disciples compared the FIRST PENTECOST to THAT DAY THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO THE GENTILES at the house of Cornelius, PETER explained, “GOD PUT NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US [Jewish Christians] AND THEM [Gentile Christians] PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH!” (Acts 15:9).

THE BLESSING OF PENTECOST IS 1) THE PRESENCE, 2) THE POWER, AND 3) THE PURITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!  We need another PENTECOST at FCC! 

We have enjoyed great days of blessing, but we need PENTECOST!

We have encouraged each other to be faithful, but we need PENTECOST!

We have established a good Church to the glory of GOD, but we need PENTECOST!

We have seen answers to prayers, but we need PENTECOST!

We have seekers at our altars, but we need PENTECOST!

IT IS THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that we welcome. 

The NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS were filled with the HOLY SPIRIT on the FIRST PENTECOST but they were filled again and again when they prayed and as the church advanced. 

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR EMOTIONALISM, though when the Spirit is present HE TOUCHES THE HEART.  We are longing for hearts that are warm with the LOVE OF GOD and an UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR GOD.

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR DISPLAYS OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS.  Our great need is for the GIVER OF THE GIFTS!  When He comes He will gift His Church and His people “as He wills” and for His glory.  HE MUST INCREASE!  We must decrease.  He never fails to give us what we need when we need it. 

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR TALKING.  THIS IS A CALL FOR WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, WALKING WITH THE SPIRIT, AND WALKING BY THE SPIRIT!  Testimonies from people who have no interest or willingness to walk on the highway of holiness are empty at best and blasphemous at worst.  We need people who can testify, “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us…”  We need obedient Christians.  We need Christians who will abandon half-hearted, worldly-minded “forms” of godliness, and will gladly surrender to do the will of God! Always.

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR SUPER-SAINTS WHO ARE SO WONDERFUL THAT THEY WILL NOT GROW IN HOLINESS.  When the Spirit of Pentecost comes, “he will guide you into all truth.”  It is this Spirit that makes God’s people attentive to spiritual leadership.  It is this Spirit that drives God’s people to “hunger and thirst after righteousness.”  It is this Spirit that compels God’s people to learn the principles and the practices of holy living. 

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR ROCK-CONCERT THEATRICS, A PARADE OF CARNAL HALF-CLAD BEJEWELED DANCERS, OR SHOW-TIME CHURCHIANITY!  The Presence of Pentecost doesn’t need light shows, fog machines, or mega-watt speaker systems.  The Presence of Pentecost is grieved away by displays of pride and the flesh.  They had none of that in the first century.  GOD’S SPIRIT had them and they turned their world right-side up.   

THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR BETTER BUSINESS, THIS IS A CALL TO DO GOD’S BUSINESS IN GOD’S WAY!  In too many places American churches are nothing more than businesses trying to get customers.  They tell the people what they want to hear, feed them what they want to eat, and sell them what they want to buy—all in one place.  OUR LORD SAID, “MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER!”  We need to pray and pray and pray and pray until our hearts are right, our lives are righteous, God’s will prevails, and “the Spirit answers to the blood and tells me I’ve been born of God!” 

If you’re still reading this letter, you can tell my heart is full!   I hope and pray that you will not miss this Sunday.  YOU NEED PENTECOST.  I NEED PENTECOST.  WE NEED PENTECOST.