If Ascension Day passed you by, then perhaps you might miss a most important day that follows — one that equips Christ’s people to participate in His Kingdom gathering work.
That day is Pentecost. And that day is remembered today.
Pentecost marks a day when the Holy Spirit of God was poured out in abundance… a flowing out that will not stop until all God’s people are gathered in from all nations throughout all of history.
Prior to Pentecost the Holy Spirit was present… upholding creation and showing up in peoples’ lives on occasion, but with Pentecost came a full outpouring. Things shifted from spurts to full-on flowing. Think stream trickle shifting to Niagara Falls.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:4
When Jesus, who was the “first Counselor” ascended to the Father, shortly after that He gave “another Counselor”, His Holy Spirit, the promised One.
His redemptive work on earth prepared the way for the Spirit’s convicting and sanctifying work for all nations. Gospel ministry… the proclaiming of the Kingdom of God… would shift from Christ proclaiming it to Christ’s followers proclaiming it.
Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension paved the way for the gospel to spread to all. Forgiveness and new life in Christ opened up to new proportions – to all the world – as Jesus declared in Matthew 28. And Jesus invites us to participate. If the message is for all the world, then He will enable the message to “go into” all the world. He chose to do this using plain old regular folks like you and me, but with supernatural power from on high. He knew we would need it.
Jesus was very clear not to go it alone. The promised Holy Spirit would be the gift of the Father to clothe them (and us): “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49.
That clothing power is the Holy Spirit. Poured out in abundance on Pentecost…. a most important day.
Without Holy Spirit power we would simply muck about in our own strength devoid of Kingdom connection, and be defeated by our spiritual foe — Satan and his minions.
Jesus was saying, “Don’t go it alone. You won’t make it. But with Me in you (Holy Spirit clothing from on high) you will stand firm to the end.”
Spiritual warfare needs spiritual clothing.
So let’s embrace the filling of the Holy Spirit that God gives, and ask God to mobilize us with His power to proclaim His gospel (forgiveness and new life) in a world that is ripe for needing to hear God’s truth, forgiveness, and hope in Jesus.
The Artisan Post 