Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Come Holy Spirit set us free
Acts 2:1-13
Alex Mammen
Epiphany MTC, New York

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
In life we are constantly waiting; waiting for a well-paying job, a suitable life partner, a nice house, etc.  It can be very difficult however to wait for something if it is something we desire greatly and want immediately.  We feel as if we had this one thing, that our lives would be perfect and we would not ask for anything else.  However we know that once we receive the thing we may have been desperately wanting, shortly after there will be something else we will crave. This passage was about Jesus’ disciples and several of His followers who loved the Lord very much. Jesus asked them to wait patiently in Jerusalem to receive a very extraordinary promise. They would soon be receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit who would give them the ability and power to live for God. They were unaware of how great this gift was, how this gift of the Holy Spirit would ultimately change their lives forever.  The Holy Spirit was going to be able to strengthen their faith in God and enable them to  become stronger, more devout Christians to help further the kingdom of God.  
Let us for a moment remember the context of the passage.  The disciples were actually in a very uncertain state in terms of what was to happen next.  Jesus had risen from the grave and had ascended back to the Father.  They were by themselves and it is very accurate to say that they may have been very afraid.  They only needed to remember Jesus’ promise to calm their fears however.  He stated to them that He would never leave them.  He had promised them that He would send the Holy Spirit to come and support them.  This passage can also be identified as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to come onto His believers to help spread the word about who He is.  When the Holy Spirit comes they start to converse in various languages.  They were never previously trained to speak in these different languages.  We have to remember that they are from Galilee.  It was  truly a miracle that they were able to preach to the people that had come together for the Feast of Pentecost the works of the Lord, each in their own respective language!  
We are consumed by the Holy Spirit being believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  What this means is that the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts.  The Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us to understand the ways of our Lord and other aspects of the Bible as well.  We must always remember that God has a unique plan for each of our lives.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God wants us to always be spreading the good news of Jesus and what He has done to save our lives from sin, and grant us eternal life.  We should pray to God and ask Him to bless us and baptize us with the Holy Spirit so that we can live for Him.  It is a great honor to be used by God to help others and to help further His kingdom.

PRAYER

Father God, fill us with the Holy Spirit, especially when we feel weak and burdened and help us to remember that the Holy Spirit is there to guide us so that we may live for Your glory. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Roman 5:5

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