“Happy Birthday”

Pentecost Sunday, the Birthday of the Church. It’s hard to overemphasize the importance of this great feast. Jesus gave perhaps the greatest endorsement when he said it’s better that I leave you because I will then send the Holy Spirit. I have a lot more to tell you, but you can’t bear it now…but the Holy Spirit will tell you… (John 16:5-15).

The Holy Spirit has been active in the Church since that first Pentecost Sunday. You can’t say enough about the greatness of the Holy Spirit….. the third person of the Blessed Trinity…not a junior member, but the mutual love of the father and son. We’ve seen the action of the Holy Spirit throughout salvation history …. … in creation, bringing order out of chaos, throughout the Old and New Testament, and in the church up until this very day.  The Holy Spirit is our counselor, advocate, spirit of truth. He brings the gifts and fruits of the Spirit… peace, patience, kindness, fear of the Lord, healing, prophecy. All the things of God he brings to us. 

Judy and I were Baptized in the Holy Spirit 50 years ago. Without sounding delusional, it was like our own personal Pentecost…. similar to that first Pentecost in the upper room. I went from a fragile, confused and weak Catholic Christian to a fledging Popeye the Sailor Man. I was getting knocked around by Brutus (aka the devil) , looking like I was about finished, when the Holy Spirit gave me some “Holy Spirit Spinach”. Wow, I did a 180…. Scripture came alive, I experienced the love of God, the forgiveness of my sins, a new boldness in speaking about the Lord, even gifts of the Spirit. Believe it or not, we prayed with many people and they came to know God and experienced spiritual and even physical healings. To God be all the glory. The Holy Spirit is the author of all the good that we have experienced these last 50 years…. and of course the previous 25+ years.

So, here we are again at the Pentecost Sunday. How does the Holy Spirit want us to celebrate? Here are two thoughts: 

• For those who feel you’ve not really experienced the Holy Spirit in your life, here’s a few steps …it takes humility and it takes a little faith. Ready? Go into your room , kneel down, and ask Jesus to help you. Tell Jesus you love him and want to serve him as your Lord…that you believe that he is God, the savior of the world, that he died on the cross for your sins… ask him to forgive all your sins. Give control of your life to him. Ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to you now. Jesus, baptize me in your Holy Spirit. Trust that Jesus will honor your decision to step out. You may have many questions about all of this, so reach out to a friend or priest that you know or even to Mr. BLOG.
• Okay, the second thing is for those who have experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit…maybe 5 days ago, 5 years, or 50 years ago. Know there is still much more the Lord wants to do in your life. He’s about making you more his disciple, making you holier…more loving, more of a servant, more of an evangelist, even a saint. There’s always more. So, today recommit your life to the Lord, give him permission to take full control. No one reading this BLOG “died and went to heaven”… so there’s always more.

Happy Birthday Church !!! Let’s celebrate !!!  It was better that Jesus left the earth, for he sent the Holy Spirit to us. And that was very good news. 

John 16:5-15

“But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:5-15)