“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and you daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
the scene is Jerusalem. The year is about 30 A.D. It has now been fifty days since the death and resurrection of Jesus. The time is 9 o’clock in the morning. The disciples who followed Jesus for three years gathered together with a fellowship of believers to meet and discuss what they are to do in Jesus’ absence.
Suddenly, there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire spreading out, and each person there was touched by the fire. It was the Holy Spirit, and it took hold of each person and they began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
This my friends was Pentecost. It was the day that God gave yet another gift to the world. It was the day that brought Jews and Gentiles together in a common life for a common purpose, and thus the Church began! Simply put, it was the glorious day that God changed the hearts of men and women, and as a result of those transformed lives, the world has not been the same since.
The Message of Pentecost
As we make our way to our conference gathering this year at Antlers, I feel compelled to shar with you two very important messages tha I receive from the events of Pentecost. Somhow, hidden between the lines of this beautiful and remarkable story are clues and hints that speak loud and clear for times like these. Prayerfully ponder these words as we prepare for our conference:
Never Underestimate the Power
of the Holy Spirt
So many people have misunderstood and underestimated what the Holy Spirit can do. As in the case with so many of God’s mysterious acts, we are powerless to explain the mighty workings of God. God confounds us! God confuses us! God forces us to either accept Him as He is, or deny what He has done.
This being the case, there is no limit to what God can do through the work of the Holy Spirit.
We have all seen the Holy Spirit at work. Not always able to comprehend or explain it, nonetheless we have observed it restoring, healing, and changing trandformed lives of many men, women, and children. Even some of you are at a loss when it comes to trying to figure out why you are no longer what you used to be.
Having said all that, the events of Pentecost are saying to us that EVERYTHING is possible when God is at work!
And lastly:
God Can Use Anybody
for His Service!
Take a look at those disciples that followed Jesus. After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, mere disciples became apostles who were no longer concerned about their differences, their customs and rituals, or allegiance or patriotism. They had become as one, and “all that believed were together, and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44)
These early Christians were bonded together in one life-style. They became friends and associates in the routine of their new life. The were united and like-minded in their zeal and love for Christ. Their testimony was united and powerful. This new bond between the believers presented a beautiful picture of a successful church.
What Does It All Mean?
What all this means to us is this: Since we serve a God who can do anything at anytime with anybody, what is wrong with thinking that Pentecost can happen again? In fact, I’m praying hard and long that when we come together in June, that Antlers will becom our Jerusalem, and we will become those who are touched by the tongues of fire on that special day.
We need to be transformed. We need to forget about our differences and allow God to use us in a might way. The stage is set. It remindes me so much of Pentecost.
We won’t all look the same. In fact, many of us will be able to speak in different languages than others. And surely we won’t come from the same cities and towns. But just as God worked through the Holy Spirit to bring about unity, I know deep in my heart it can happen again. Why not pray with me and ask God to help us relive the excitement of that first Pentecost experience, for I can assure you that Pentecost will not return until and unless it returns in you!
I’ll see you in Antlers.
Bishop Hayes
