Day of Pentecost and an Important Lesson to Learn
Day of Pentecost
Recently I have discovered an old truth that needs talking about. It is the truth that you should not always believe what others say. That sounds rather harsh, but it is one of the lies of the devil, that we are just not supposed to have or do certain things, because they do not fit the idea of what others may have for us or about us. A Chaplain friend of mine wrote me from Iraq. He was not happy because he had a Memorial Ceremony for a Soldier who had died , and apparently some including the Battalion Commander did not like what he said. It was not " politically correct" he was told. I wrote him back that he should go on saying what he feels is right, and the Soldiers need to hear. ...despite the consequences. I heard back from him, and he said that apparently it was not so much what he said, but what they were going through that was contributing to the tension.
We do not live up to our lives in Christ despite so much He has given us, because we believe the worst about ourselves and the little lies that others tell around us. I Corinthians 12:4 in our Epistle says that: " there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries , but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works in all."
As Christians who have received the Holy Spirit by faith in our lives , we should not believe it when people tell us that we are not capable or worthy. God says we all have the same Spirit, and that is the last word. Why do we believe such statements from others that put us in a category or box that makes us feel so incapable? These ideas are not from God, the same God who fills us with His power and love at the moment of trust in His Son Jesus.
God says the same Spirit works in all. We are complete in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit. God took the Spirit to make the multitude to hear everyone speak in their own language. Acts 2:6 He gives us this Spirit at the moment of trust in Christ. We are sealed with the self-same Spirit, and are capable and worthy of excercising the gifts He has given to us whatever they are. " If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:23 This is what our Lord said to His disciples after He breathed on them, and said, " Receive the Holy Spirit."
Lloyd Ogilvie in his most recent book, The Red Ember in the White Ash tells the story of Senator Connie Mack from Fl. " While he was a senator from Florida, he faithfully attended the Thursday noon senator's Bible study I taught as Chaplain of the Senate. One Thursday, I felt led to ask if anyone present wanted to receive fresh power from the Holy Spirit. A long five minutes of silence ensued. Connie at first resisted the invitation, then suddenly found himself raising his arm and saying, ' I'm ready, Chaplain. I want you to pray for me.' The other senators gathered round him, and I simply asked these questions, ' Connie, are you ready to commit your life to Christ? Are you ready to commit your ministry as a United States Senator to be a servant-leader? Are you willing to receive the Holy Spirit's supernatural gifts of knowledge, discernment, vision, and prophetic power...? ' Connie responded with a resound ' Yes' to each of these questions......Senator Mack's reflections on that day and a subsequent experience tell in a very pointed way how the Holy Spirit stirs up the fire in our souls."
Personally I wonder how many of our own beliefs about God and the Scriptures that reveal Him and His Son , and His Spirit in our lives are true. Our doubts, uncertainties, and troubles and lack of spiritual power through the Holy Spirit often betray us to be more of the doubters than of the believers. That is where we spend a lot of our lives. Our lack of power comes from believing things about our new Christian lives that are not true. They come from things that others tell us which are not very spiritual at all.
You are incapable of really doing anything, so just give in to the suppositions and beliefs of others even though they are not really true Biblically, or You are really unworthy of anything good because you fail. We all fail and are in need of reliance upon the Spirit of God to accomplish His work, are we not? Jesus said in John that "without Him we can do nothing." But unfortunately we think we are just going to do things in our own strength because God is too big to come down and care about our problems.
As we close today there is a hymn that is often sang at this time of year, Pentecost, and ordinations and also when people are confirmed in the Church, " Veni, Creator Spiritus"..." Come Holy Spirit."
" Come, Holy Ghost, our souls, inspire,
And lighten with Celestial fire. Thou the annointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above, Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light, the dullness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face, With the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, give peace at home: Where thou art guide,
no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son, and Thee, of both, to be but One.
That , through the ages all along. This may be our endless song;
Praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"
" It is the same God who works in all. Receive the Holy Spirit." You and I are children of God through faith in His Son, and the gift of the Spirit . You are capable, and loved. Now are we going to live up to the calling we already have?
Recently I have discovered an old truth that needs talking about. It is the truth that you should not always believe what others say. That sounds rather harsh, but it is one of the lies of the devil, that we are just not supposed to have or do certain things, because they do not fit the idea of what others may have for us or about us. A Chaplain friend of mine wrote me from Iraq. He was not happy because he had a Memorial Ceremony for a Soldier who had died , and apparently some including the Battalion Commander did not like what he said. It was not " politically correct" he was told. I wrote him back that he should go on saying what he feels is right, and the Soldiers need to hear. ...despite the consequences. I heard back from him, and he said that apparently it was not so much what he said, but what they were going through that was contributing to the tension.
We do not live up to our lives in Christ despite so much He has given us, because we believe the worst about ourselves and the little lies that others tell around us. I Corinthians 12:4 in our Epistle says that: " there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries , but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works in all."
As Christians who have received the Holy Spirit by faith in our lives , we should not believe it when people tell us that we are not capable or worthy. God says we all have the same Spirit, and that is the last word. Why do we believe such statements from others that put us in a category or box that makes us feel so incapable? These ideas are not from God, the same God who fills us with His power and love at the moment of trust in His Son Jesus.
God says the same Spirit works in all. We are complete in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit. God took the Spirit to make the multitude to hear everyone speak in their own language. Acts 2:6 He gives us this Spirit at the moment of trust in Christ. We are sealed with the self-same Spirit, and are capable and worthy of excercising the gifts He has given to us whatever they are. " If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:23 This is what our Lord said to His disciples after He breathed on them, and said, " Receive the Holy Spirit."
Lloyd Ogilvie in his most recent book, The Red Ember in the White Ash tells the story of Senator Connie Mack from Fl. " While he was a senator from Florida, he faithfully attended the Thursday noon senator's Bible study I taught as Chaplain of the Senate. One Thursday, I felt led to ask if anyone present wanted to receive fresh power from the Holy Spirit. A long five minutes of silence ensued. Connie at first resisted the invitation, then suddenly found himself raising his arm and saying, ' I'm ready, Chaplain. I want you to pray for me.' The other senators gathered round him, and I simply asked these questions, ' Connie, are you ready to commit your life to Christ? Are you ready to commit your ministry as a United States Senator to be a servant-leader? Are you willing to receive the Holy Spirit's supernatural gifts of knowledge, discernment, vision, and prophetic power...? ' Connie responded with a resound ' Yes' to each of these questions......Senator Mack's reflections on that day and a subsequent experience tell in a very pointed way how the Holy Spirit stirs up the fire in our souls."
Personally I wonder how many of our own beliefs about God and the Scriptures that reveal Him and His Son , and His Spirit in our lives are true. Our doubts, uncertainties, and troubles and lack of spiritual power through the Holy Spirit often betray us to be more of the doubters than of the believers. That is where we spend a lot of our lives. Our lack of power comes from believing things about our new Christian lives that are not true. They come from things that others tell us which are not very spiritual at all.
You are incapable of really doing anything, so just give in to the suppositions and beliefs of others even though they are not really true Biblically, or You are really unworthy of anything good because you fail. We all fail and are in need of reliance upon the Spirit of God to accomplish His work, are we not? Jesus said in John that "without Him we can do nothing." But unfortunately we think we are just going to do things in our own strength because God is too big to come down and care about our problems.
As we close today there is a hymn that is often sang at this time of year, Pentecost, and ordinations and also when people are confirmed in the Church, " Veni, Creator Spiritus"..." Come Holy Spirit."
" Come, Holy Ghost, our souls, inspire,
And lighten with Celestial fire. Thou the annointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above, Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light, the dullness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face, With the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, give peace at home: Where thou art guide,
no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son, and Thee, of both, to be but One.
That , through the ages all along. This may be our endless song;
Praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"
" It is the same God who works in all. Receive the Holy Spirit." You and I are children of God through faith in His Son, and the gift of the Spirit . You are capable, and loved. Now are we going to live up to the calling we already have?
Comments
Post a Comment