Celebrate Pentecost, Celebrate!

When Pentecost, the Fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place.  Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying.  Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them.  The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer.  All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.  (Acts 2:1-4)

This Sunday marks the day on the calendar when Christians celebrate the Day of Pentecost.  We celebrate the Holy Spirit coming and filling believers.

Sometimes lost in that celebration is the history of Pentecost.  I believe we need that history to fully understand how significant this event truly is.

What was Pentecost?  It was a solemn festival of the Jews, so called because it was celebrated on the fiftieth day after the sixteenth of Nisan, (Mid March to Mid April) which was the second day of the Passover.  It was called the feast of weeks, because it was celebrated seven weeks after the Passover.  It was instituted to oblige the people to go to the temple of the Lord, there to acknowledge His absolute dominion over the country, and to offer Him the first fruits of the country.  In addition, they were to remember and give thanks to God for the law which had been given them at Sinai on the fiftieth day from their flight from Egypt!

A celebration of the law!

Imagine that celebration!

Woo-Hoo...the law!

Party!

Things have changed now though,.  Instead of celebrating the law, we celebrate the Holy Spirit filling each and every believer.

We went from celebrating law to celebrating life!

How do we get from law to life?

Jesus Christ!

Salvation!

At the end of Acts chapter 2, we see that when the Spirit came, thousands repented and were baptized!  The church grew by leaps and bounds and a genuine love for others was on display!

This summer, why not choose life? If you have already made that choice, then you really do have a reason to celebrate Pentecost!

Resting Well - Just A Thought #57

Mark 6:30-32, "The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves."

Sounds like the apostles were busy and Jesus knew they needed a break.  Do you ever feel like you don't even have a chance to catch a quick meal before you go, go, go?

Do you feel like you rest well?  I am not talking about sleep, though that is an issue for many, but resting and refreshing in the Lord?  Do you take time away to renew and refresh yourself in His presence?  Are you stopping from the hustle and bustle to reconnect with the Father?

How well do you rest? 

I am SLOWLY learning the value of rest in the midst of a busy season.  I have intentionally pulled back from some things...even some of my leisure activities, in order to rest more.  I am finding my thoughts turning to the Lord as I seek His wisdom on what to pick up and what to lay down.

We should allow rest to shift our attention.  To pull back from the things that keep us busy and to re-focus on the Kingdom of God.

We should use this time to get refocused.  Our priorities may need to be re-shifted as we seek to balance our relationship with God, family, work and play.

Do we truly slow down enough when we rest?  As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a season for everything.

God gave us days to work, but he also calls us to take a Sabbath, a time to rest.  We should not feel guilty when we slow down and stop to breathe.

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God." (Hebrews 11:9)

We may work well but do we rest well?

God of Wonders

God is so amazing.

"How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! (Daniel 4:3a)

How mighty His wonders.  I like that.  I remember visiting Niagara Falls a few years back.  My daughter wanted to go on the Maid of the Mist boat ride which takes you up to the base of the water falls.  Now I hate boats but, being a dad, I went along for the ride.

I must say I was not only impressed, I was awestruck!

To see the power of the falls up close left me amazed at the God of wonders and His creativity.

The great thing about God is that not only is He a God of wonders but He is a God who works wonders as well.

"You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." (Psalm 77:14)

He is a God who provides, heals and guides!  He works mighty miracles and still moves today!  I have seen first hand the healing power of God.  My family has experienced God's provision and guidance first hand.

What has God done in your life?

I believe the wonders of the Lord should cause us to draw closer to Him.  We should delight in drawing closer to the Lord. (Isaiah 58:2)

In fact we are promised that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. (James 4:8) 

Why not draw near to the God of wonders today.

God of the Impossible

My 3-year old was asked recently how high he could count.   He then proceeded to work through the numbers 1 through 13.  His next words were, “Hey, I almost made it to 14!” He then proceeded to finish counting all the way to 20.

Have you ever been in that place where it feels you can only go so far and no further? Maybe you have felt like giving up or that you have done all you can.  It can be discouraging and some people feel like quitting all together.

I’ve felt that way before.  I remember when it felt like the whole world was against me and I could do nothing right.  I had reached the end of the line emotionally and was ready to call it a life.  In fact, I remember distinctly looking for a tree to run my car into.  It just felt like I could go no further.  Only God kept me from ending my life that day.

Like my son, who was surprised that he “almost made it to 14,” and was then able to continue counting, I was also surprised when God not only saved my life that day, but He used that event to draw me closer to Him.  Just when life seemed no longer worth living, God showed me that He is the God of the impossible.

I discovered that my identity is in Christ (Galatians 2:20) and not in what others say about me or even what I say about myself.  As I studied His Word and talked with a Biblical Counselor, I saw God do something I thought impossible. He worked a miracle in my life and in my marriage eleven years ago, so I encourage you not to limit God.  Put your trust in Him and watch Him do the impossible! 

Altar Ego

Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are by Craig Groeschel seeks to help the reader understand the truth of who they are in Christ!

So does it achieve its goal?

To a point.  I really enjoy Craig Groeschel's books.  This is the 4th one that I have read.  For the regular Groeschel readers, some of the stories are not as fresh in the re-telling.  This doesn't negate from the book for new readers but for someone who has read a few of his books, it is worth noting.

The book itself is pretty good.  Looking at your identity in Christ, the author also takes a reader into an understanding of what it means to be a living sacrifice!  He also encourages the reader to be bold in their prayers, obedience and their behavior.

Altar Ego is a good book.  One that won't disappoint.  I think this is also a great book to encourage new believers to go deeper with God!

BookSneeze® has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy.

He Has Risen

He Has Risen!

He Has Risen Indeed!

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:5-6)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." (Matthew 28:1-10)

Mud and the Masterpiece

I need to recommend this book!

Mud and the Masterpiece by John Burke is a breath of fresh air.  It's a call to seeing yourself and the people around you through the eyes of Jesus.  Now I have heard that rather cliche statement before but John Burke delivers. 

Filled with stories, part one of the book really challenges you to see others through the eyes of Jesus.  Each chapter ends with something to reflect on and something to try.  Both were challenging in their own ways.  Sometimes the reflection was harder than the action! 

The second part is more of a practical call to action and gives you a process in which to develop a community that reaches out to the world around them in more practical and relevant ways.  It is really about living in community on mission with Jesus. 

The tonal shift between the two parts was obvious but both tie together nicely.  I ended up buying a couple copies to give away before I even got a third of the way through the book.  Something I have never done before finishing a book! 

Get it, read it, act on it! 

"Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications and Baker Books in exchange for an honest review."