Pentecost Sunday is quickly approaching. As a committed continuationist, it should come as no surprise that Pentecost is of interest to me in the present tense. Lots could be said (and have been said) with regards to its significance and relevance both then and now. The fireworks of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the manifestations, the prayer, the preaching, and the results are all noteworthy and a high water mark for the early church. For me, Pentecost should be added to the list of significant moments in Christian history and theology like the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Pentecost was the activation and empowerment of all that Jesus provided and promised. In one sense it was a culmination of the passion narrative; in another way it was just the beginning.
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It’s Time For the Church to Gather
One of the keys (as I understand the Bible) to defining “church” is identifiability. You can SEE it gathering together. It is a witness of God’s people before a watching world. It is a gathering of the “saved ones” (primarily), who are “called out” (EKKLESIA) for assignment in Kingdom matters. It is “not to be forsaken” (Hebrews 10:25). In fact, if the forsaking of the assembly is taken in its context, then one could make a case it is a willful sin not to do so (Hebrews 10:26).
Church is not mystical, ethereal, or nebulous. It is tangible. It is real. It is identifiable. A community can say, “There it is”.
New Wineskins and Civic Engagement
“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Mark 2:21-22
I have heard more than my fair share of sermons on new wine and the accompanying wineskins. The words of Jesus are found in all of the synoptic gospels, so obviously the writers (inspired by the Holy Spirit) considered this teaching to be important. The tricky part, as it sometimes can be with numerous Scriptures, is how such passages are to be applied.
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Who Shall Rule?
Every four years there is a national election in the United States to determine who we want as President, as well as a number of other less prestigious, but no less important government positions. It’s a time when we will be inundated with political commercials and commentary concerning who are civil leaders should be. We will face the questions which will ask us who we should reelect and who we should run out of office. We will filter out (hopefully) the lies, inaccuracies and embellishments. We, as an electorate, will mostly think within the binary box of republicans and democrats, which in itself is a frustrating paradigm because it predominantly leaves us with the feeling that we are forced to choose between the lesser of two “evils”.
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Positioned For Prosperity In 2020
Prosperity is one of those words which seems to either be exploited or eschewed in Christian circles today. The concept has abundant representation from both its advocates and detractors. There seems to be little “middle” ground when it comes to the two tangents of the prosperity pendulum. That’s unfortunate, because prosperity isn’t an evil concept; nor is it a gimmick. Prosperity, rightly understood, is one of the tools the Lord uses to expand His Kingdom work at large, as well as with individuals.
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