Celebrating the Power of Pentecost
Pentecost Sunday is a time when we celebrate and recognize God’s Holy Spirit at work in the life of our church and the lives of the believer. Pentecost means fifty (50) and occurs on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ.
Originally, according to the Jewish calendar, each year the Jews would celebrate the “Festival of Harvest” (Exodus 23:16), which was when they would honor and give back to the Lord the first fruits of their harvest. This took place fifty (50) days after the Passover and was a very vivid picture and offers much insight into the creating and empowering presence of God’s Spirit that was to come after the resurrection of Christ.
In fulfillment of Christ’s promise at His Ascension, the Holy Spirit or “Helper”, descended upon His disciples in the upper room like “individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them”. This was when and where God reaped the first fruits of His great worldwide ministry receiving 3,000 new believers, which also marked the birth of His church.
The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and is a personal Being, the third Person of the Trinity; He is equal to the Father and the Son in glory, and worthy with them of worship, love and obedience. The function of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ by showing His disciples who He is and what He means to them and to bestow upon them, and us as believers, His power.
What is this power and why do we need it? First and foremost, the power of the Holy Spirit it to purify us, cleanse us from our sin, and a second aspect is to impart strength to us. Why does the Holy Spirit purify and strengthen us? So God can use us! The Holy Spirit wants to equip us for His ministry; He does this work in us, so He can do His work through us. Christians work by being the hands and feet of Jesus as we spread the Gospel, share His love and bear witness to His transforming power in our lives. These works, along with Matthew 25 Ministries, here at Oxford UMC, illustrates the dynamic and vital presence of God’s Holy Spirit.
Everyone can be blessed to be a blessing as we yield ourselves over to the Holy Spirit and His direction. In Him, we are and have all that is necessary forever. Without Him, we are and have nothing. Come join our worship service this Sunday and grow with us. Pentecost is an excellent time to celebrate with fellow believers as we embrace the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us and within our church.
