Monday, May 21, 2012
It’s All About Power
What
is Pentecost Sunday? What does it mean to be Pentecostal? What is the big deal
about The Upper Room Experience? Good
questions, all. The short answer: It’s
all about power.
What is Pentecost
Sunday?
Pentecost Sunday comes fifty days
after Easter Sunday. The Greek word for fifty is “pentecost”, hence the name.
Pentecost was also a Jewish holiday. A Wheaton College
Professor defined it as follows: "Pentecost
is the day that the church was born. On that day, the Holy Spirit came to fill
believers. Jesus had ascended, but he sent the Spirit so that believers could
have the comfort, guidance, and empowerment of God's presence." The beginning of Pentecost is recorded in Acts
2:1-2. The disciples of Jesus were gathering together on the day of Pentecost
when: "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed
to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of
them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as
the Spirit enabled them." – Acts 2:2-4
What does it mean to be Pentecostal? Although Pentecostals are known for their exuberant worship
and preaching, being Pentecostal is more about having the same experience that
the Disciples and Mary, the mother of Jesus, had 2000 years ago on “The Day of
Pentecost”. That experience is often
referred to as the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). Those who
experience it testify of its life-changing effect. It is powerful!
What is the big deal
about “The Upper Room Experience”? The
disciples received the Holy Spirit while praying in Jerusalem in an “upper room.” Jesus had predicted that He would leave them
but then come live inside of them. He promised
" you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my
witnesses, telling people about me everywhere...” (Acts 1:8 NLT) This power-giving experience turned a group
of frightened followers into an army of bold world-changers.
St.
Paul warned a young minister named Timothy that there would come a time when
people would call themselves Christians but would shy away from it’s
power. “They will act religious, but
they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people
like that!” (2 Timothy 3:5 NLT) Sure
enough, within a few centuries this experience nearly disappeared from
religious circles. Incredibly, for many centuries
churches discouraged people from enjoying the same kind of experience that gave
the first century believers such courage and authority. Throughout history there have been groups of
people that would pop up here and there, only to be snuffed out by the
politically correct leaders of their day.
Then
in the early 1900s there was a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in places
like Wales, Houston TX, Topeka KA and Los Angeles CA. Thousands of people began to receive the Holy
Spirit and speak in “other tongues”.
Since then millions more have had the same power-giving, life-changing
experience. You can have it too!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Striking it Rich
Even Snopes.com confirms the story is true. In 1989 a Philadelphia
financial analyst, purchased a painting in an Adamstown, PA flea market. His
name was Donald Scheer. He wasn’t
attracted to the painting itself, but bought the picture for the old frame. He
only paid four dollars. As he began removing the painting from the frame it fell
apart, and he spotted a piece of paper hidden behind the painting. It appeared
to be a copy of the United States Declaration of Independence. Upon appraisal
he was informed that he had discovered an original copy of the Declaration of
Independence that was printed by John Dunlap.
Imagine his surprise when Donald discovered that only 24 original copies of this document existed, and that only three of them were privately owned. In 1991, Scheer was able to sell the rare print he had purchased for $4 at an auction for $2.42 million dollars. He had struck it rich, becoming an instant millionaire.
Imagine his surprise when Donald discovered that only 24 original copies of this document existed, and that only three of them were privately owned. In 1991, Scheer was able to sell the rare print he had purchased for $4 at an auction for $2.42 million dollars. He had struck it rich, becoming an instant millionaire.
Most
of us dream of striking it rich like Donald Scheer. We imagine finding the treasure that will
insure a live of ease and security. Stories
like his are few and far between, but the truth is that people strike it rich
all the time. Sometimes the valuables
they discover are in plain sight but undetected by others. Too often we measure value only in dollars
and cents, when the most valuable things in life are measured in things like
love and healthy relationships -- the greatest of those treasures being
forgiveness and everlasting life.
The
church I oversee recently offered free groceries to all adult guests who came
to a Sunday morning service. We did this
in an effort to help those who may be struggling in our sluggish economy. As a result, several dozen people came to a
Sunday morning service expecting a few groceries but they got far more than
what they imagined. A couple of our
guests told us that they felt God’s presence and a love more powerful than they
had ever experienced. Four of our
visitors chose to be baptized in Jesus name like Peter instructed believers to
do in Acts 2:38. According to the Bible,
those guests went home with a clean heart. Two of those same guests also
received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues like Jesus
mother and disciples did in Acts chapter 1.
The joy they experienced was evident. They came looking for temporal
help but left having received eternal blessings. What a deal!
That
is the same scenario Jesus’ contemporaries witnessed. People would come to Jesus’ meetings out of
curiosity and leave delivered from emotional issues, healed of physical illness
and set free from cynicism and unbelief.
Those who came looking for Jesus two thousand years ago struck it rich;
those who seek him today will too!
Monday, May 07, 2012
More Precious Than Rubies
How is it that a 5’2”, 80 year old woman can move a 300
pound 30 year old man with a twitch of her eye or a wave of her hand? Why do tough gangsters tear up at the weak
little voice on the other end of the phone?
Who do soldiers call out for when they draw their final breath? It’s all about their beloved and revered mother.
Moms, don’t ever let anyone tell you that your work is
anything less than crucially important.
When you live your life in an honorable fashion and raise other human
beings who do the same, you are being the salt of the earth and the light of
the world. When you live with moral
excellence and uprightness you are more precious than rubies.
Have a great Mother’s Day!
Proverbs 31 describes the value of a good mother; they are
more precious than jewels. In fact, they may be the family jewels. Verse 10 asks, “Who can find a virtuous
woman?” and then clarifies, “for her price is far above rubies.” The
rest of chapter explains what a virtuous woman is like. Dictionary.com defines virtue as:
1. moral
excellence; goodness; righteousness.
2. conformity of
one's life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude.
It is easy to see why a virtuous woman is so rare and
valuable. But I know some. They teach manners and values to their
dependents. They work long hours and do
unthinkable chores just because they love their families. They model chastity, forgiveness and grace. They keep us on the straight and narrow. My hat is off to them.
Salary.com, a service that keeps track of average salaries
according to occupation, surveyed 40,000 mothers and analyzed the time they
spend performing 10 typical job functions, such as day-care teacher, cook,
housekeeper and taxi driver. When overtime pay is figured in, the average pay
for those jobs, if someone else were hired for them equaled $138,095.00 per
year.
I am not suggesting that we can put a price on what a mother
does. Neither do I bring this up so mothers
can say, “See how much I give.” I am
calling attention to this pragmatic look at motherhood so those very mothers
can realize just how much value there is in what they do. Then there are the immeasurable acts that no
one can put a price on like owie kisses, pep talks, words to the wise, and a
mother’s prayer.
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