Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8

THE POWER OF PENTECOST

(May 17, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares …

Pentecost has often been described as the ‘Birthday of the Church.’  Why? Because Pentecost was the day when the mission of the church was born.

The first Christian Pentecost was a hugely dramatic occasion. ‘Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance’ (Acts 2:2-4).

Pentecost was not just a random, revival-type experience for those first Christians – it was a fulfilling of Christ’s promise to His disciples, ‘When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me’ (John 15:26 NJKV). The Greek word translated here as ‘Helper’ literally means ‘one called alongside.’  The Holy Spirit walks alongside us in our journey through life.

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POWERFUL PRE-PENTECOST PRAYER

(May 15, 2024) Wayne Swift again calls it as it is, sharing some thoughts about those united first Christians who excelled in obeying a particular command of Jesus, and witnessed the birth of the church!

To excel in something, even a leisure pursuit – golfing, surfing, fishing – you have to follow a certain process.

Now when it comes to living as Christians – including whatever God wants us to be involved in – we are often quick to think that we can ‘produce the goods’ simply by wishing or hoping. And there are many times when we think all our dreams will come true without any effort or change on our part.

Our goal as Christians is pretty clear – to win people to Christ. But it takes prayer, time, involvement… and that’s the process before the event.

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AN UNUSUAL PURCHASE

(March 27, 2024) Dr Robert McQuillan shares…

I’ve shared about this subject before, but felt led to reshare some aspects because of something that happened this very week.

Do note that while this article is somewhat sombre, it is a reality one of thanksgiving for the major thing that our empathising, suffering Saviour did for us! Hallelujah… He’s alive and returning King, Lord and friend!

Stunned
It was Easter time some years ago when I discovered it. I’d been casually browsing through a local store with Maureen when I suddenly noticed the most unusual object that stood out among other wall hangings.

It was a cross that so grabbed my attention that I sort of froze. I was immediately reminded of Jesus suffering for us on Calvary’s cross, the horror of those nails being driven into our Saviour. He would have been weak already from the mishandling He’d received from His tormentors… now He’s been bound and nailed to that crossbar joined to the upright forming a cross!

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FULL STEAM AHEAD FOLLOWING THE FATHER!

(August 17, 2023) Robert McQuillan reflects on a lifestyle choice…

It’ll soon be Father’s Day and I’m reminded of my dad and my childhood. Let me share something personal here… since childhood I’ve had a thing about steam trains!

Many a Sunday afternoon my parents would take me for a walk in the country (few people had cars back then and walking was the in-thing). Sometimes we’d cross a railway line. If I heard train whistles from down the track, and realised a steam locomotive was coming, I would insist we stop and wait until little wide-eyed me would watch it come by!

Growing older I’d be off with mates to the Saturday afternoon flicks. John Wayne was soon my hero and the first movie I saw him in he jumped onto the rear carriage of a big steam loco.

Following one’s heart
But more than the Duke was on my heart. Locos were certainly were! Especially as dad was an engineer – the official title for locomotive drivers in those yesterdays of steam trains, and I was proud of him.

Came the day which I will never forget when Dad took me – just a ‘little fellow’ in short pants – down to the local, large city rail station and explained about the (to me) ‘huge monster’ that was technically called the engine. And then being lifted up onto the platform, his working domain. What a thrill, such excitement for a small boy… my heart was beating: this was like a dream come true.

The loco had been prestarted and Dad explained the controls, how the engine operated. It was a cold morning but the heat from the blazing firebox quickly warmed me physically – my heart was already on fire with curiosity. I had stared at the huge wheels, and now I gazed at the control levers that looked so heavy to little me, and then back at the tons of coal in the tender. I was elated to be on that platform, especially when Dad permitted me to pull the whistle!

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THAT PENTECOSTAL WILDFIRE!

(May 24, 2023) Robert and Maureen McQuillan comment on some Pentecost realities…

It was an amazing day for the early church!

Scripture records the incredible breakthrough those frightened, uncertain 120 believers experienced on the Day of Pentecost – ‘Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force – no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them’ (Acts 2:2-4 Message).

In reality, they were changed, charged, challenged, committed, commissioned!

More than just worship
This was something more than just worshipping God in new languages, glossolalia! It mightily changed those first disciples – they became daring men and women of faith who immediately witnessed the gospel and saw many converts genuinely repent of sin and turn to Jesus for salvation!

May 28 is Pentecost Sunday and many churches (not just Pentecostal) will be celebrating it as the…

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