Pentecost

-

 Pentecost

  " It is the Day of the Spirit poured forth...the characteristics of the Day are those of visions, dreams and prophesying...We need to fear if there is an absence of visions and dreams.   It is because we are not responsive to the Spirit." G Campbell Morgan, Acts

1.  From the Acts we read of Salvation being here available to all nationalities, people and cultures.  We read of dreams, visions and prophesies all fulfilled in the Death, Life and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to all who believe in Him.  

The Spirit enables us to believe.  Without Him we are unable to respond to the Gospel.  Who can change a sinner's heart?  A. The Holy Spirit alone.

Peter gives the sermon on Pentecost to the Church.  

"It prophesied of the time when ‘men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation’ should lift up their voices to Him who has purchased them unto God with His blood. It began a communication of the Spirit to all believers which is never to cease while the world stands. The mighty rushing sound has died into silence, the fiery tongues rest on no heads now, the miraculous results of the gifts of the Spirit have passed away also, but the gift remains, and the Spirit of God abides for ever with the Church of Christ." biblehub.com comment MacClaren

2. I Corinthians 12 applies the lessons to the early Church

12:1-3  At one time we too we were led by dumb idols, but now we say Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is divine, part of the Trinity.  We see the Holy Spirit in the first chapter of Genesis  1:2 " And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters"

"Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible.  There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of Truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead.” - John Stott

Ezekiel 37 tells us about the dry bones that were made alive by the breath of the Lord God. vs 14 " ( I) shall put my spirit in you and you shall live"

3. Isaiah 11:2 talks about the spirit of the LORD.  " the spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might , the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the LORD..."  We are not the same, but are of one body. I Cor. 12:12

Paul Brand was speaking to a medical college in India on Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In front of the lectern was an oil lamp, with its cotton wick burning from the shallow dish of oil. As he preached, the lamp ran out of oil, the wick burned dry, and the smoke made him cough. He immediately used the opportunity.


“Some of us here are like this wick,” he said. “We’re trying to shine for the glory of God, but we stink. That’s what happens when we use ourselves as the fuel of our witness rather than the Holy Spirit. Wicks can last indefinitely, burning brightly and without irritating smoke, if the fuel, the Holy Spirit, is in constant supply.” ministry127

" It is the Day of the Spirit poured forth...the characteristics of the Day are those of visions, dreams and prophesying...We need to fear if there is an absence of visions and dreams.   It is because we are not responsive to the Spirit." G Campbell Morgan, Acts


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday of the Passion-Palm Sunday: " Death must come before Life"

-
 Sunday of the Passion-Palm Sunday  " Death must come before Life" Mark 14-15:47;  Philippians 2:5-11 "ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 1928 Book of Common Prayer   "Death must come before life" is the sermon title. " Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."  John 16:7 John 12:24 “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” In agriculture ...
Read more

Last Sunday of the Church Year

-
Last of the Church Year- Sunday Next before Advent What comes to mind when we say " Christ the King" ? Of course that He reigns in heaven & the world we live in is not just a hodgpodge of occurences. Revelation for today says, " Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, & the ruler of the kings on earth." " ( He is ) Alpha and Omega, who is , who was, and is to come...." Not only is He a king but He has made us " a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.." ( Because "He loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.) The hymns and canticles we have help us to understand and remember this" " Rejoice, the LORD is king!" written by Charles Wesley and the vs in 1746 " Hymns for our Lord's Resurrection" first line, Rejoice--the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore! Rejoice, give thanks, and sing and triumph evermore! Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, a...
Read more

Peace in Believing John 20

-
  "The Peace of Believing"  Acts 4:32-35; I John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 "I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace." Charles Wesley. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee"  Isaiah 26:3 The word peace is eirḗnē (from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole") – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God's gift of wholeness) biblehub.com 1.  Fear present . gk phobia-from phebomai, "to flee, withdraw" In its usage, " (a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect."  biblehub.com John 20:19 sets the scene when Jesus comes to the Disciples.  They locked the doors for " fear of the Jews" What strikes fear into our hearts?    2.  Peace comes when fear leaves. The cost is " Je...
Read more