Times and reasons to celebrate

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 15-16; Psalm 58


TO CHEW ON: "You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide." Deuteronomy 16:11.

Moses reminded the Israelites of three yearly feasts in Deuteronomy 16:

• the Feast of Passover.

• the Feast of Pentecost (here called Feast of Weeks, i.e. seven weeks = 7 x 7 = 49 days + the next [feast] day = 50 days).

• the Feast of Tabernacles.

As described here, the Feast of Pentecost was an annual harvest festival. It was also called Feast of Harvest - Exodus 23:16, the Day of Firstfruits - Numbers 28:26, and Pentecost in Leviticus 23:16. (Pentecost is based on the Greek translation of fifty days.)

Viewed as a whole, God instituted these feasts to help the Israelites remember their history with Him. Through them they recalled their time of slavery in Egypt, God's miraculous deliverance, their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness in tents, and the fact that God was the source of their blessing.

It's a good thing for us too, to regularly remind ourselves of these things and rejoice, like people did in the Old Testament. Matthew Henry says:

"Never should a believer forget his low estate of guilt and misery, his deliverance, and the price it cost the Redeemer; that gratitude and joy in the Lord may be mingled with sorrow for sin, and patience under the tribulations in his way to the kingdom of heaven. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight, as well as our enjoyment. If those who were under the law must rejoice before God, much more we that are under the grace of the gospel; which makes it our duty to rejoice evermore, to rejoice in the Lord always" - Matthew Henry, Commentary on Deuteronomy 16.

We can celebrate:

• Our unique story of freedom from 'slavery' and our salvation, whether it occurred when we were youngsters or later.

• How God has blessed us in the meantime with family, a home, the family of God.

• How God has seen us through wilderness experiences (death of loved ones, times of sickness like cancer or depression, financial straits, unemployment...).

• How God continues to provide for us through the produce of our own gardens, or the salary from our workplace, or our pensions if we are retired.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Israelite example of regular, repeating celebrations that helped them review their history with You. Help me to remember in a similar way, and weave an attitude of rejoicing and thanksgiving into the fabric of my life. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 58

The Bible Project VIDEO: NEPHESH: Soul (Shema word study series)



Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Power for ALL

Stained glass window from 
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,
Moorhead MN.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 2:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:4


When someone gives you a job, in order for you to be successful it is important that you have the capability to carry it out. Thus Jesus gave the large assignment -- to spread around the world the good news of what He had done -- with a proviso. The disciples were to refrain from doing anything about it until God gave them the enabling. His instructions: "And you are witnesses of these things….but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49.

And so the disciples gathered in Jerusalem to wait -- for what? I'm sure they didn't know exactly. But when it came, they did know this was it. An interesting fact to note is that the Holy Spirit came, He came on all.

Holy Spirit was no stranger to the Jews. He had come upon and indwelt numerous people in the Old Testament.

The Holy Spirit came upon or lived in:

• Bezalel to give him wisdom and skill to design and create the Tabernacle and its furnishings - Exodus 31:1-5.

• Balaam, Ezekiel, and other Old Testament prophets to enable them to prophecy -- bless, curse, give the people messages from God, and predict future events - Numbers 24:2; Ezekiel 11:24,25; 2 Peter 1:21.

• Gideon, giving him courage and a plan by which to lead the people into battle - Judges 6:33-35.

• Samson  for exploits of physical strength needed to challenge and defeat the Philistines - Judges 14:6.

• King Saul giving him a new heart and a prophetic gift to prove it - 1 Samuel 10:6

• Simeon to enable him to wait with hope, and then recognize, announce and prophecy over Jesus - Luke 2:25-32.

Each of these indwellings was  given to accomplish a specific task. The people in general were not so empowered. But here, on the Day of Pentecost, all were filled. And the Holy Spirit's filling is still available to all.

That filling is not to give us spiritual thrills or make us feel good. It is empowerment for service just as it was in the Old Testament. And I would suggest that such infilling can enable in the same ways it did then, depending on the need of the task and of the moment. We can claim the Holy Spirit's infilling to give us a new heart. We can claim it for wisdom and skill in the arts. We can claim it for help in leading and governing, for words to say, for courage, even for exploits of physical strength. Let's claim the Holy Spirit's presence and empowering afresh for our life, work, and ministry today!


PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for Your availability to all. Help me to allow You to work in and through me today. Amen.

MORE: Pentecost Sunday - and  "Holy Spirit Rain Down" sung by Hillsong

Today is Pentecost Sunday. The liturgy for today begins with this collect:

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Wind, Fire, Words of the Spirit

Descent of the Holy Spirit - Dore

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 2:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them divided tongues 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

Three elements jump out at me as I read this thrilling passage of the Holy Spirit's coming on the day of Pentecost:

Wind

Wind was the sound of the Spirit's coming. Wind is that invisible unpredictable force of nature we all know. It is associated with the Spirit in other places in the Bible.

• Think back of creation where "The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). The writer of my Bible's notes on Genesis explains:  "Hovering connotes sweeping or moving rather than staying stationary. The Holy Spirit is the 'executive arm' of the Trinity so He was quite active as God spoke each word" - R. Russell Bixler,  New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 4.
• Jesus referred to the invisible, unpredictable wind when He spoke to Nicodemus about being born again: " 'The wind blows where it wishes and you can hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of he Spirit' " John 3:8.

Fire

Fire was the sight of the Spirit's coming. Controlled fire is a friend and powerful tool, but uncontrolled it's dangerous. God's presence is often linked with fire in the Bible.

• In the Old Testament God spoke to Moses from a fiery bush (Exodus 3:2).
•  He lingered over Israel in the wilderness in a nighttime cloud that looked like fire (Exodus 13:21,22).
• And God descended on Mt. Sinai in fire, shielding the Israelites from His presence in a thunderous cloud of smoke (Exodus 19:18). 
• John the Baptist predicted Jesus would baptize "... with the Holy Spirit and fire" - Matthew 3:11.

Words

Tongues were the shape of the Spirit's flames and the result was everyone present "began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." The Holy Spirit and words are linked in other places too.

• When the Spirit came on the seventy elders who were to be Moses' helpers, they prophesied (Numbers 11:25). 
• Joel predicted, "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughter shall prophesy…" (Joel 2:28). 
• Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Spirit who would give them witnessing power (Acts 1:8). 
• And it is through the Holy Spirit that we have the Bible writings (2 Peter 1:21).

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit's coming. As we ponder our own lives relating to the Spirit's presence, let's keep in mind how His empowering and working through us is wind-like. We can't control Him. What He accomplishes through us is done according to His sovereignty.

His presence in our lives is fire-like in its cleansing, powerful, helpful, sometimes dangerous ways.

Its evidence in our lives is words—words of prayer, praise, song, witness, teaching, encouragement, verbally and through all kinds of media.

PRAYER: Dear God thank You for sending the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in me (1 Corinthians 3:16). May this be supported by the wind, fire, and words that emanate from my life. Amen.

MORE: Day of Pentecost.

Today is the Day of Pentecost or Whitsunday. Here is the Collect that begins the day's liturgy:

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The secret of the church's success

Pentecost - Estella L. M. Canziani (1905-1936)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 2:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? …. We hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God'" Acts 2:7,11

The odds of those 120 Jesus-followers gathered in that upper room ever making anything of their movement were almost non-existent. They were mostly uneducated people without influence. They were out of favor with all the ruling factions, especially their own Jewish leaders. They had just been through the traumatic lynching and crucifixion of their rabbi, and though He had returned, it had been different than before. He came and went mysteriously. Recently He had physically disappeared into heaven.

But from the Day of Pentecost, those 120 never stopped growing.  From that day they gathered new followers wherever they went. What was their secret?

It was the Holy Spirit.

My Bible has an outline called "The Work of the Holy Spirit" that references the ways He has been active on this earth from the beginning through to now. In relation to fulfilling our mandate to spread the Gospel, the Holy Spirit works in all aspects.

He inspired the writing of Scripture—the good news we share - 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21.

Now he works in the hearts of the news-spreaders as He:

• Pours out God's love in our hearts - Romans 5:5.

• Gives power to proclaim the gospel - Acts 1:8.

• Imparts gifts for ministry - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

On the other end, the Holy Spirit also works in the hearts of the hearers as He:

• Brings conviction - John 16:8-11.

• Regenerates - Titus 3:5

Still today we need to take into our work a sense of our own inadequacy without the Holy Spirit. It is only through His empowering that we can accomplishing anything of eternal value:

"… the church was birthed in the worshiping, ministering power of the Holy Spirit; and shortly, three thousand people received Christ. This enablement by the Spirit initiated the spread of the gospel in the hostile environment of persecution, idolatry, and political oppression, and it is still the answer for the spread of the gospel today" - Scott G. Bauer, "The Miracle of Pentecost" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1492 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for coming and indwelling all believers—me too. Help me to give You full rights and access to my life so that my life and work will have eternal significance. Amen.

MORE: Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday)
Today the church celebrates the Day of Pentecost, also called Whitsunday.

The liturgy for today begins with the following collect:

"Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Why serving fulfills us

The white trillium is a symbol of beauty, 
purity, healing, and is often associated 
with the Trinity.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 16:4-15

TO CHEW ON: "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." John 16:14,15

In a recent talk, local speaker Kimberley Morrison reminded our women's group of how we're most fulfilled when we live in fellowship with God and others, preoccupied with how to serve them. Why is this? Because we're made in the image of God and that's His nature.

He is trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we observe these three persons of the godhead throughout the Bible, we discover they are continually in fellowship with, mentioning, praising, uplifting, and serving each other. That's what is happening in our focus verses:

"He (Holy Spirit) will glorify Me (Jesus) for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father (God the Father) has are Mine (Jesus's) . Therefore I say that He (Holy Spirit) will take of Mine (Jesus's and God the Father's) and declare it to you."

A sidebar article in my Bible completes the circle for us as it explains how the Holy Spirit helps us serve others by ministering the things of God (the Father, Son and Spirit) to them. The Holy Spirit enables us to: 

1. Have a righteousness that goes beyond and is deeper than traditional religion (see Matthew 5:1-7:29, especially 5:20). 

2. Teach the things Jesus taught, in the way He taught them, always staying in tune with the Father (John 5:19; 6:38; 7:16; 8:28).

3. Do the things He did in the manner in which He did them. Jesus...

• treated people with dignity (Luke 7:36-50) 
• was motivated by compassion (Matthew 9:35-38).  
• never did anything to selfishly draw attention to Himself (Matthew 8:4)  
• never performed based on others' agendas (Matthew 16:1-4).\

 4. Work with Jesus to see all nations (groups of people) become His followers (Matthew 28:19,20) - Todd Hunter,  "Relaying the Ministry of Jesus," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1473.

PRAYER: Dear God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, please help me to open myself to You in surrender, worship, fellowship, and service. Help me to be true to Your image in me by relating to and serving You and people by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

MORE: Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday)

Today is the day the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples assembled in the Jerusalem upper room. Read the story in Acts 2:1-21.

Here is the Collect prayer that begins the Day of Pentecost liturgy:

"O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."