After Jesus had gone home to Heaven, his disciples were left alone. They'd been out on mission, with him in the lead or with him in the background, but always somewhere not too far away. They'd been through the horror of his arrest, trial and crucifixion, which seemed to unravel everything and imply that they'd been living a fantasy for the last three years. They had met him alive after his resurrection, overjoyed that he was back with them and understanding for the first time that he had actually overcome death. Then he went away again. OK, he was alive, but not here.
Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, when they would receive power (Luke's Gospel, chapter 24, verse 49). They had no real idea what this meant. In the end, it took only ten days, although it must have seemed a lifetime, with the Jewish authorities claiming that Jesus' body had been stolen and no tangible evidence left that they were lying. Something just had to happen. It was worth waiting for. Jesus had clearly gone to Heaven, so everything he said seemed to be true, but were there some doubts after a week had gone by about how amazing this power was going to be?
Then, of course, 50 days after Jesus' resurrection and ten after his ascension, the world was turned upside down. What happened on that first Pentecost after Jesus had redeemed us gave birth to the Church (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, verses 1 - 41), the collective term for followers of Jesus, or Christians, who now form the largest religion that the world has ever known. The word religion doesn't do it justice, though, since it isn't about doing things 'religiously' but rather freedom to live as we were meant to, in relationship with God, growing in the fruit of the Spirit and empowered by that same Holy Spirit through his gifts.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us a taste of what life in the Spirit can be as it recounts changed lives, healed bodies, minds freed from the control of demons, and an explosion of faith across Asia Minor and Southeast Europe - faith in Jesus as the Son of God who rescued us from the power of sin and death. That book of the Bible, together with the letters in the New Testament that were written by some of the players in the narrative, is a ripping yarn about an irresistable message of redemption and change, life and health, prophecy, teaching, evangelism and pastoral care.
Is that your experience of life? If you are a Christian, is that your experience of church? If not, you're missing out. The Holy Spirit who poured himself out on the believers almost 2000 years ago is the same God now as then. Yes, he is God! He is not a mysterious force or ghostly presence, but a divine person, part of the triune Godhead, part of the Trinity. He isn't just something that we mention in the Creed on Sunday mornings and believe is with us in some spiritual way by faith. The Holy Spirit manifests, makes real, the presence and power of the living creator in our midst. God is willing to live in you, change your life, set you free from slavery to sin, empower you to do the works that Jesus did and even greater ones. As Paul Hedger reminded us recently (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8FEVahg3oc), Jesus once cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, come to me and drink. As it is written, those who believe in me will have rivers of living water rising up within them." (John's Gospel, chapter 7, verses 37 & 38) By water, he meant the Holy Spirit (John 7:39).
How thirsty are you for God? How thirsty am I? If you really thirst for him like a deer pants for water (Psalm 42, verse 1), then don't accept anything less than a full baptism in his Holy Spirit. Allow him to pour himself into you as a glass filled with wine to the brim: then you also will receive power to live the Acts life.
If you have any questions or prayer requests,
you can leave a comment below, contact us, or send an email.
Comments