This Sunday is the celebration of Pentecost. The day when the promise Jesus made to His disciples about sending the Holy spirit, the Counselor to be with them and empower them to do the work He had called them to do on His behalf in this world was fulfilled. This amazing event was the ignition point for the beginning of the Christian Church. Power from on high entered these individuals, and at that point in their lives their demeanor went from being fearful and apprehensive to one of boldness and confidence. No longer did they cower in the face of oppression or persecution as followers of Jesus, but instead stood up in defense of their Lord and the preaching of the Gospel.
We, as Christians of the 21st Century, have that same power within us. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, it is still very much a presence in our lives. In many cases this amazing asset, this gift from God, is not seen for what it is nor is used for the purpose for which it was given to us at our baptism. The Spirit of God is to be our Counselor, the one we can rely on to help us live the life God desires for us, and to help us remain steadfast in the one true faith. It is also the source of strength we need to be disciples of Christ and proclaimers of the Gospel to our present-day world.
In today’s day and age there is an ever growing need to be witnesses for Jesus and sharers of the saving message of the love of God in Christ Jesus. The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh are running amuck and without the knowledge of our sinfulness and the hope of salvation in the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Savior, there is no hope to be found.
May you and I be servants of the Lord, who have been fired up in our faith, and are desiring to live as those empowered by an all-powerful God, who can transform lives and bring positive change to a world gone awry. I am heated up, how about you? Pastor McCarty