Pastor’s Column 5/28/2023

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Acts 2:1-4, NLT

Pentecost Sunday - The Moment Is Now!

The divine assignment to preserve the fulfillment of the propheticcoming of the Holy Spirit to the first Christian believers, was given to Luke. There was no one, like Luke,whocould have shared this great happening, more accurately. While preserving the birth, ministry, miracles, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus

The divine assignment to preserve the fulfillment of the prophetic coming of the Holy Spirit to the first Christian believers, was given to Luke. There was no one, like Luke,whocould have shared this great happening, more accurately. While preserving the birth, ministry, miracles, death, burial and resurrectionofJesus, Lukeplaces us at thescene. After the disciples; family members of Jesus; and others, spent ten days sequestered in prayer and worship after Jesus left them, the promised moment of the Holy Spirit’s advent came. Luke describes the great moment as he had done on another occasion. Luke says,“Suddenly there was a sound from heaven…” (Acts 2:2, NLT). When Christ as Messiah entered the world, Luke described the baby’s welcome by the heavenly court: “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others…”(Luke 2:13, NLT). There’s divine immediacy when God acts! The close to 33 years separating those two scriptures, were written by the same pen, and flowed from the same heart. Luke, whose two-volume (Luke-Acts) account of what is so essential for the faith we share, is divinely inspired and instructive. Pentecost, coincides with the Jewish Feast of Harvest, called Shavuot. Pentecost is that moment the Holy Spirit gave the Christian faith its first witnesses, who would carry the Good News to the world. As a seed matures in the fruit it bears; so, does a Christian, and the Church. We become a rich harvest through the Holy Spirit. We are endowed with gifts (fruits) to reach a diverse and multilingual world! The time is now! Luke places us at thescene. After the disciples; family members of Jesus; and others, spent ten days sequestered in prayer and worship afterJesus left them, the promised moment of the Holy Spirit’s advent came. Luke describes the great moment as he had done on another occasion. Luke says,“Suddenly there was a sound from heaven…” (Acts 2:2, NLT). When Christ as Messiah entered the world, Luke described the baby’s welcome by the heavenly court “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others…” (Luke 2:13, NLT). There’s divine immediacy when God acts! The close to 33 years separating those two scriptures, were written by the same pen, and flowed from the same heart. Luke, whose two-volume (Luke-Acts) account of what is so essential for the faith we share, is divinely inspired and instructive. Pentecost, coincides with the Jewish Feast of Harvest, called Shavuot. Pentecost is that moment the Holy Spirit gave the Christian faith its first witnesses, who would carry the Good News to the world. As a seed matures in the fruitit bears; so, does a Christian, and the Church. We become a rich harvest through the Holy Spirit. We are endowed with gifts (fruits) to reach a diverse and multilingual world! The time is now!