Pentecost reflections

Celebrating the birth of Christ’s Church and remembering the costly waiting season.

On the calendar, Pentecost is here. We celebrate historically, the birth of the church on this weekend. It’s exciting to rejoice in the miraculous and powerful gift of the Holy Spirit. And we should rejoice and give thanks to God.

Let’s make our celebration personal too. I remember that initial time when the Holy Spirit came as a revelatory light into my life. I was instantly changed and set free from the darkness attempting to destroy me. I was not immediately sanctified. No, no, I am still very much in process, just as we who believe in His name are being daily conformed into the image of Christ.

Thus, we should reflect often on that transformational moment and give thanks to God. Compassion for lost souls fills us when we remember who we were (dead in our sins) before the Holy Spirit filled us with life, and made His residence in us.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.

For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬-‭5‬, ‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

And then again, the reality of the New Testament day of Pentecost, is that it was the culmination of an excruciating waiting period. As I stop and reflect on that first Pentecost season, I ask the Holy Spirit to enliven my thoughts with the truth of the struggle, the grief and the waiting for His promises to be fulfilled.

The disciples - for 3 years - walked with Jesus, and were taught by Jesus. They ministered in public alongside Jesus, and were sent by Him with instructions - 2×2. These 12 men and the women who believed in His ministry and supported Him, celebrated feasts with Him, ate with Him at the tables of sinners, and leaned into His extra-curricular explanations of parables.

These same followers experienced His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and within a week of what looked like sure victory, experienced His crucifixion, death and burial. And then they waited, scattered and fretted over the events of the previous three years. Waiting, yes waiting on the Lord, is a critical part of our faith journey. Because waiting in hope, believing God’s faithfulness to His promises requires faith.

As Jesus showed Himself to His followers as the resurrected Christ, their faith was reignited and fueled for the next waiting period. They were truly walking by faith and not by sight. Jesus restored Peter and helped Thomas over the obstacle of doubt; He encouraged the women, but warned them not to cling to Him. His ascension was soon coming, and so Jesus commissioned His disciples with next steps.

Wait! Wait in Jerusalem together for the promised Holy Spirit. Wait for Him… then go.

Have you longed for the fulfillment of one of God’s promises? Are you regularly looking for His return?

Have you waited long for a loved one to be born again? Are you in the midst of pleading, bargaining and trying to speed God up?

Have you prayer walked, fasted, and engaged in prayerful warfare completely covered in the Armor of God?

Me too! Yes, yes, and yes, to all of that.

We all find ourselves in seasons of waiting. I have been, I am currently, and will be again, for patience is a fruit of the Spirit. I guess one of the best questions I have been asked by a mentor is this: “Are you waiting on {this person} to change or are you waiting expectantly for God’s will to be accomplished in you through this trying season?”

So, this weekend in our devotions {and hopefully in our church services} we will celebrate the birth of The Church in remembrance of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon each person. Let us give thanks to God for the honor of His anointing. Individually, the LORD now calls us His Living Temple. We are His Royal Priesthood. May we host the flame of His presence well.

May our seasons of waiting upon the Lord become tender and precious moments of being formed in faith, times of complete surrender to His will, and may we come out blazing with trust in His faithfulness and passionate to believe He keeps His promises.

Thank You, Holy Trinity of God. Thank You for being compassionate and steadfast in Your love. Thank You for seasons of waiting that lead to reflection and growth and the exaltation of Your name. Thank You for Your family - The Church. All for Your Glory… Thank You!

Eyes on Jesus and Shine,

Lisa