Pastor's Column 5/24/2026

PASTOR’S COLUMN

¹   On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. ²  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring od a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. ³ Then, what looked like flames of tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  ⁴  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.  ⁵  At that time there were devoted Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.  ⁶ When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by believers.?”  ⁷ They were completely amazed. “How can this be?”  they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee,  ⁸  and yet we hear them speaking in our own native language.”

Acts   2:1-8, NLT                                                                                                                

“I Hear You!!”

There is still in many parts of the world a time of “In-Gathering,” when new crops appear and are harvested to be shared with the community. The emergence of the awaited fresh crops are known as the “first fruits.” Pentecost occurred during this time because God wanted the believers who followed the command of Jesus to wait on the gift of the Holy Spirit to be the first fruits of the Church for which Jesus suffered, bled and died. The Holy Spirit’s thunderous entrance did not just shake the room of the believers, but the presence of the Spirit filled their hearts with great joy. The timeless joy of “waiting” has become a loss discipline in out ever-changing AI-driven world.  One reason people, leaders not excluded, today seem so unfocused and disciplined is because they are in a mad rush to manipulate world systems. We Christians should use Pentecost to think of its deeper meaning of empowerment and transformation for the Church. The change at Pentecost was not about an institution but about people. The Holy Spirit united people rather than dividing them. The Spirit gave people new languages to reach a more diverse group of people. The Spirit opened the ears and minds of the people so they could understand each other and communicate God’s goodness. What a miracle!