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Pentecost
Pentecost: The Birthday of the Church Celebrated May 19, 2024
On March 31, 2024, Christians observed Easter, also known as First Fruits or Resurrection Sunday, to commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. Paul referred to Jesus as the first fruits because he was the first person to be permanently returned to life and that there will others to come, each in their time. “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes (the rapture), those who belong to him (1 Cor. 15:22-23).
The next holy day is called Pentecost, which literally means, “count fifty.” It is fifty days from First Fruits and is also known as the Feast of Weeks. This holy day commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit which is the birth of the church. (Acts 2:1-31).
In Acts 2, the apostles were gathered together, when a mighty rushing wind (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) and “tongues as of fire” (a symbol of the presence of God) appeared. The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which means spirit, wind, or breath. Power tools powered by compressed air are called pneumatic tools. If you
were to take a course to study the Holy Spirit, it would be called pneumatology.
In Acts 2 the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. I Cor. 12:13 says that Christians are baptized by one Spirit into ONE body. This is the baptism that counts. Water baptism is just a ritual that commemorates what has already taken place. Pentecost is the spiritual birthday of the individual who has been “born again” (John 3:3).
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came temporarily upon selective people (judges and the kings, etc.) to perform a specific act and as a sign of favor. In the New Testament indwelling of the Holy Spirit is permanent. This is the “guarantee of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:13-14). John 14:17 reminds us, “But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Why do we call Pentecost the birthday of the church? In Matt. 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” Eph. 1:22-24 says that the church is “his body.” Col. 1:24 refers to his (Christ’s) body, which is the church. Being filled with the Holy Spirit into one body, the church is his body, the church was born on Pentecost.
If you go to church on Pentecost, you might notice many wearing red, which symbolizes the joy and fire of the Holy Spirit. Some churches have a red light in the ceiling to symbolize the coming of the Holy Spirit.
If you are born again, “Happy Birthday” and “Happy Birthday” to the Church.
A Zola Levitt presentation on Pentecost
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.