"The Next Season"

Pentecost and the Holy Spirit

Pentecost and the Holy Spirit:  It’s our season to celebrate the Truth  that Jesus is Alive and Well.   Scripture proclaims in 1 Corinthians15: “⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

What a season to celebrate that death has no sting and grave has no victory for those of us alive in Christ Jesus.  But Jesus knew we would face hardship and griefs and burdens and persecutions.  As Jesus left earth, the disciples wondered what they would do without Him?  How would they overcome?  They had no strength on their own.   They needed Help. 

 Jesus, fully aware of all their concerns and shortcomings, told them to wait and they would receive from Father, power after the Holy Spirit comes upon them and then they would be witnesses to all the world.  He, the Holy Spirit, is known as our Helper in all areas of life.  Pentecost season for the Christian, is all about the Holy Spirit.  The fact that Father did not leave us comfortless in our grief but when our faith is tried, the Holy Spirit would give us “Joy unspeakable and full of Glory” (1Peter1:8).   When our hearts and minds are confused He would bring us; “Peace that passes understanding” (Phillipians4:7).  He did not leave us to our forgetfulness but said; “the Holy Spirit would bring to our remembrance” everything Jesus accomplished for us (John14:26).  He did not leave us barren and weak but assured us that the ‘promise of the Father would fall on us and we would be endued with power through the Holy Spirit’ (Luke24:49).  He did not leave us lost and wondering which way to turn and who to believe but said the “Holy Spirit would guide and lead us into all Truth” (John16:13).  He did not leave us with a loss of words to pray in the hard and confusing times but assured us that the “Holy Spirit would pray through us and knowing the mind of the Father would intercede in our behalf through groanings” (Romans8:26-27). 

This season of growth all around us in the natural should be our season of growth in the Spirit.  After all, we have the Holy Spirit abiding within.  Jesus declared in John4:24 that God is Spirit and those that worship Him must do so in Spirit and in Truth.  This is the greatest season for His Church.  The season that the Holy Spirit invaded us and we have never been the same.  Now we understand that on our own we can do nothing but we are not on our own; we have, living on the inside of us, “the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead” (Romans8:11) and the “gates of Hell shall not prevail against us” (Matthew16:18).   After all, it’s not us; our talents, our strengths, our words or works but “ it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians2:13). 

Holy Spirit, we love and adore You and give you full access to our lives. Fill us Holy Spirit to overflowing so we can pour out on others Your Presence that takes our breath away.  Thank You Pentecost and HOLY SPIRIT!

Roger Smoak

Andrews Church of God