I AM LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE AND EVEN A DEBATE

I decided this morning to broadcast a message to many of my friends on Blackberry Messenger, and also to other friends on Whatsapp. I also did a general post on Facebook. I asked the question what is it that the Christian Church calendar celebrates on Sunday 8th June ?

These were some of the replies :

1. I don’t know

2. Ascension Day

3. Whitsunday/Pentecost Sunday  (which is the correct answer)

4. I even got the response “we are not liturgical and do not celebrate such things, I immediately responded and said “you celebrate Christmas and Easter right ?????

Of course, we can celebrate the person and work of the Holy Spirit anytime, as we can the birth, death & resurrection and ascension of Jesus anytime as well, . but why don’t we highlight the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.. Some countries like the U.K. used to have Whitsuntide Conventions but these don’t seem to happen anymore.

Could it be that we don’t celebrate Pentecost Sunday :

1. Because of ignorance

2. because of fear

3. Because of a bad personal experience in the past.

4. Because of extreme and fanatical behaviour of some Christians. Thus we do as Martin Luther described “throw the baby out with the bathwater”.

Even the Upper Room in Jerusalem (at least when I have visited) was the most neglected religious site in the city. Often the Holy Spirit is only mentioned in the Benediction at the end of a church service, that is if the service is actually  closed in prayer

We would not be born again and in the Kingdom of God today except for the Convicting power of the Holy Spirit and His drawing us to that place of repentance.

Like  so many other  doctrines it is so hard to keep the truth of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in balance.

For hundreds of years the Holiness people majored on the Holy Spirit working on our character and making us like Jesus. That is wonderful, but only part of the truth.

In the last hundred or so years the Pentecostals have majored more on Power, and that is only part of the truth, we need a balance regarding these two aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

He wants to so work in our lives, and yet we often disregard Him.

1.He wants to speak to us, especially through the Word of God

2.He wants to open the understanding of believers to the things of God

3. He wants to lead us into all truth

4.He wants to impart life to the believer

5. He wants to bring about renewal

6. he wants to strengthen the believer’s inner being

7. He wants to help us in our praying

8. He wants to help us worship the Lord in spirit and in truth

9. He wants to lead us ever into the Father’s  will for our life

10. he wants to help us put fleshly deeds to death

11. He wants to produce Christlikeness and fruit in the believer’s life

12. He wants to give us a special calling  for service

13. He wants to empower us to be a living witness

14. He wants to impart spiritual gifts as He wills

15. He will bring about the resurrection and immortality to the believer in the last day.

What a ministry the Holy Spirit has to God’s people. we need to celebrate His coming into our lives, and let Him work in us for God’s honour and glory.

YES WE SHOULD CELEBRATE PENTECOST SUNDAY AND RECOGNISE THE THIRD MEMBER OF THE GODHEAD AMEN