(June 16, 2025) Dr Richard Winter reminds us of a special day…
June 8 saw many churches celebrating Pentecost— rejoicing about that first outpouring of the powerful Holy Spirit 50 days after Easter as recorded by Dr Luke in Acts 2.
Pentecost Now Pentecost was originally a Jewish celebration observed 50 days after the first day of Passover. This harvest festival celebration was also called the Feast of Weeks and Shavuot.
For Christians that Acts 2 Pentecost is significant because it marked the beginning of the Christian church and our Holy Spirit empowerment to spread the message of Jesus… and to move in spiritual power (1Corinthian 12:8-11).
(May 19, 2024) Robert and Maureen McQuillan encouragingly share…
Today is Pentecostal Sunday, a day when many churches will celebrate the day that Jesus’ promise of power to enable us to spread the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Dr Jim McClure mentions in his article this month – The Power of Pentecost – that ‘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.’
Question: Have you ever wondered what that early church’s gatherings were like? As time went by they were dangerous places to attend! You could be picked up and carted off to the local jail awaiting stuffing inside a lion’s carcass!
Oh, despite the current troubles here, the bad news we’re seeing some much about on TV, we have it so easy in this country. Christians here haven’t seen what that first church would face! They really had to stand up for their faith back then!
As that first church developed. it proved to be one that greatly loved, lived and loosened Jesus –
Loved Jesus Greatly In his classic book Darkness to Dawn, Dean Farrar tells of a young Roman boy who was drawn to the faith. Taking a chance, some Christians took him to a meeting in a granary. Had you gone too, like that teenager you would have observed at least five particular things –
1. The unity of the people Of one mind and purpose. They were so obviously in love with Jesus and had a great desire to share Him with others through witnessing. 2. The preaching of the word It was clear, expository, enlightening, and life-changing. Those gathered had an obvious hunger for the taught word. They so obviously wanted to be taught what God’s word really said. And to know more about Jesus. 3. The worship of Christ Reverberating, glossological, rapturous. It was evident that Jesus was Lord (the king, boss), not Caesar nor any of the leaders. 4. The response of God Readily shared testimonies confirmed that confident prayers were magnificently and amazingly answered. 5. The ministry of the Spirit Supernatural, revealing, releasing. The 1Corinthians 12 nine gifts of the Spirit operated orderly and the touch of God was evident with various blessings.
In effect that first church was a growing church, one filled with expectancy, where anything in God’s supernatural could happen – and did! It was a people fulfilling their destiny in Christ.
Lived Jesus Greatly It wasn’t about buildings and programs – the early church would meet in homes, underground, wherever. It was about people maturing in Christ and letting go of worldly thinking and contamination, and living life to the full by the power of the Spirit.
They lived and grew in Jesus! They knew that living Jesus greatly would enable Christians to live the life they were meant to have! And in professing Jesus they were desperately hungry for the touch of God, and for the word of God. And they were ready and willing to die for their faith in Jesus. He was Lord, nothing else mattered, only Jesus, God’s word and His commands and purpose for their lives.
Their security was in soundly in Christ. They feared no authority and were of the mind to share their testimony with the lost, whatever the cost. They did so boldly, in the power of the Holy Spirit whom they allowed to direct their lives and everyday experiences.
Everything that was not of God – habits, wrong attitudes, gossip, criticism, anger, unwholesome language and thoughts, selfishness and such had to go from mind, heart, and mouth.
Only Jesus, their love relationship with Him and with each other, and their eager desire for the whole world to know Jesus and the saving power of His shed blood counted. And, although constantly in danger, they were consistent in living lives worthy of Christ’s horrible Calvary sacrifice for them.
Loosened Jesus Greatly That is they determined to share the gospel message of Jesus as Saviour with neighbours and strangers just as Jesus had commanded in Matthew 22:37–39Mge, ““Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.” This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: “Love others as well as you love yourself.”’
This ‘loosening’ Jesus to those around soon spread everywhere as the church grew. It was the honouring of the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20. In time it would reach across the world, even today, touching many causing them to be thankful for God’s love and Jesus’ sacrificial death on Calvary.
As a Thai gentleman we met years ago who told us, ‘When I realised what Jesus had done for me on Calvary, what else could I do but give my life fully to Him in gratitude?’
That’s like the great English cricketer, CT Stud who allowed himself to be disinherited from his rich family inheritance to follow Jesus, said: ‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for to make for Him.’
The early church’s driving force was to –
Be aware of the times.
Have an all-consuming love for Jesus and His teachings.
Serve the Lord of all with a burning desire.
See Satan defeated in the lives of others
Carry the good news go to the entire world.
Live in the victory Jesus had gained for them on Calvary.
Fulfil their destiny!
Hear Jesus’ ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ on judgment day.
That first church was a people who are not afraid to move in faith. They would rather attempt something big in God and risk failing than do nothing because it was safer! May we, 2024’s Christians, follow their example and be directed by that same driving force!
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.’
And as someone from the Jesus Film Project (www.jesusfilm.org) wrote some years ago: ‘If you love the Lord, you want to please Him. It just comes with the territory. Thankfully, we know the kind of things that please the Lord.
On that first Pentecost Sunday, those Holy Spirit filled Christians hit the streets with the gospel! Let us follow their example – let’s love and live for Jesus! And ‘loose’ around His good news message of love and salvation.
The refrain of a happy little hymn by Sydney Carter comes to mind – ‘It’s from the old to the new I travel: keep me traveling along with you.’
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.
(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.
(March 25, 2024) Dr Jim McClure shares Easter truths…
There is a major difference between fantasy and reality. Fantasy is based on fiction while reality is based on truth! One of our major problems today is that fiction and deception has replaced reality in many areas and truth is being discarded in favour of falsehood.
This is not new. Throughout history evil has sought to overcome good as moral social values have been reversed and lies have replaced truth. About 2700 years ago the prophet Isaiah’s description of his own nation at that time strongly resembles much of what is happening in our world today – ‘Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight’ (Isaiah 5:20-21).
(May 26, 2023) Angeline Selvakumari encourages us to discover God’s dawn light…
Great is God’s faithfulness!
He has led us thus far and will continue to carry us through! Psalm 46:5 is one of His great promises of protection – ‘God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.’
This scripture refers to ‘the city of God’ (v4). In Matthew 5:14, our Saviour, Jesus, referred to His followers as an important city: ‘You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.’
As such in these troubled times we need our faithful God’s protection! And we can relate to Psalm 46:2 which depicts why the verse five promise is sosignificant. It’s our assurance of God’s faithfulness, to be grasped in dark times that cause fear… even when if the –
Earth moved,
Mountains are carried into the midst of the sea,
Waters are troubled and roar and
Mountains shake!
When everything is moving, shaking and we are very troubled, the Bible confirms that our God is there for us! Even if everything around us ‘moves’ we will not. God is in the midst of every storm and will help us at the break of dawn.
Our God is a good God! Whatever He does is good! He’s the God of impossibilities, the God of the new dawn.
(June 1, 2022) Ed. Note: Honouring the late George Forbes, highly respected former missionary statesman, we rerun one of his special messages on Pentecost …
This weekend many churches and indeed countless Christians around the world will be celebrating Pentecost Sunday!
The Feast of Pentecost (also known as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks) was observed by Israel over many centuries. It was an important time each year to celebrate the beginning of the early weeks of harvest with thanksgiving to God. Also a time to celebrate God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt.
After His resurrection from the grave, Jesus had given His followers a command to not depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. He told them: ‘John truly baptised with water; but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’ (See Acts 1:4-5).
(June 6, 2019) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares about ‘the dynamite’ of Pentecost…
The Christian Pentecost is sometimes called the ‘Birthday of the Church.’ While some question the accuracy of that description, it nevertheless is a helpful reminder of a unique day in the life of the church.
Almost 2000 years ago a group of about 120 people (Acts 1:15) began a journey that was to impact the whole world. As that group of Jews who were followers of Jesus met to worship and celebrate the Jewish festival of Feast of Harvest (aka the Feast of Weeks), they were not expecting that what they were about to experience would change them, the church and ultimately the world!
The first Christian Pentecost was a hugely significant event. Luke recorded the event in this way: ‘Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them’ (Acts 2:2-4).
That is whathappened, but whydid it happen?
Peter explained it this way, ‘Exalted to the right hand of God, he (Jesus) has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear’ (Acts 2:33).
Pentecost was not just a random spiritual revival-type experience for those first Christians – it was a fulfilling of Christ’s promise in John 14:16-17. And it bonded those Christians together as a new community of faith.
The day of Pentecost is significant for many reason, such as:
1. Presence In the midst of that group a mighty wind began to blow and flames of fire appeared. In this startling and memorable way God demonstrated his presence with his people. They certainly would never forget those symbols of his powerful presence.(more…)
(June 3, 2019) Dr George Forbes, missionary statesman, reflects on a very special day in church history, one being celebrated by many churches this Sunday…
Suddenly… that word which indicates something out-of-the-blue! Such as what happened to those first followers of Jesus Christ on that special Day of Pentecost over 2000 years ago!
Before the Day of Pentecost came round in the year that Jesus died at Calvary and rose from the dead three days later, and before he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9), he ordered his disciples not to depart from Jerusalem – butto ‘wait forthe gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about’ (Acts 1:4).
The incredible gift Jesus promised
That they would receive power when God’s Holy Spirit fell on them.
That they would be his witnesses not only locally but across the world!
What a bold promise the Lord Jesus made in Acts 1:8: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’
And so they waited! Then, we read in Acts 2, the Day of Pentecost arrived… that annual Feast of the Harvest, one of Israel’s three major yearly celebrations, lasting only one day. It was on this particular feast day something powerful was going to happen in the plan and purpose of God!
Note the wording that opens chapter two… that ‘they were all together in one place.’ The ‘all’ this time was different from the group in the first chapter; it was the apostles and other disciples who had joined them to celebrate the Day of Pentecost.
This gathering would be unique in both Israel and the early church’s history because it was believers in Jesus who gathered in the upper room of a particular house on this particular day of celebration. It appears likely that the number was about 120 believers in Jesus Christ (Acts 1:15). And they obviously did not even dream what lay ahead! (more…)
(January 25, 2018) Tim Edwards shares somechallenging post Christmas/pre-Easter/pre-Pentecost reflections…
To many Christmas 2017 is long gone! It’s almost the 30th of January 2018 already! We’re rushing towards another 30th… Easter’s Good Friday… the 30th of March! In fact I’ve seen some Easter eggs and hot-cross buns in supermarkets already!
As we move ahead in 2018 our church is continuing to work our way through the Cover to CoverBible with daily scripture readings. But – although we’re definitely moving forward – I feel led of God to share some thoughts that came to me last December that are so relevant for moving forward in 2018.
For example, I recall we found ourselves in what appeared to be the somewhat strange predicament of pre-Christmas preparations while studying scriptures traditionally associated with Easter!
Strong link between Easter and Christmas
The more I read, thought and prayed, the more I realised that the link between Christmas and Easter is so strong, so real, tangible and necessary.
Easter, the suffering and death and resurrection of Christ, couldn’t have happened without Christmas(the birth of Christ) and by the same token Christmas is simply not complete without Easter – they are two components of the same story; both vitally important and eternally joined.
Jesus himself drew the link between the two events in the middle of his trial at the hands of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate: he referred back to the first Christmas and said, ‘The reason I was born and came into this world is to testify to the truth’ (John 18:37).
As he stood there approaching the designated time of his death, Jesus reminded the listening crowd of his birth, thereby joining the dots and bridging the gap for them by explaining what it was all about – that he came to testify to the truth, truth that would bring humanity into relationship with a loving God. (more…)
(June 6, 2019) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares about ‘the dynamite’ of Pentecost…
Peter explained it this way, ‘Exalted to the right hand of God, he (Jesus) has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear’ (Acts 2:33).
(June 3, 2019) Dr George Forbes, missionary statesman, reflects on a very special day in church history, one being celebrated by many churches this Sunday…
(January 25, 2018) Tim Edwards shares some challenging post Christmas/pre-Easter/pre-Pentecost reflections…
Connecting with You! 