holy spirit – Page 9

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Beauty In The Battle

August 16, 2022August 29, 2022 krisshetter

"Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to our holy name and glory in your praise."  Psalms 106:47

Holy God, the heavens are your battleground! You fight against the cosmic forces over darkness. Your power and majesty are at work all around me through the unseen world of the spirit. And through my earthly worship I take up your sword each day to withstand any evil, in your Son’s name. Amen

One of my favorite lines by Jesus in the Bible is, “Get behind me, Satan!” as He rebukes Peter for having the wrong mindset about Jesus’ work. His exact words are repeated in Matthew 16 and Mark 8. Jesus also uses similar words in speaking directly to Satan in Matthew 4:10 with “Be gone, Satan!” I jokingly use these phrases when donuts appear in front me. Recently, however I heard teaching about spiritual warfare and I realized I had the completely wrong approach to it.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him." Psalm 28:7

We so often talk about rebuking Satan or fighting our “Goliaths” when in reality we shouldn’t be speaking to the devil at all. It’s dangerous work that I would venture to say most of us are not prepared to withstand. Even the archangel Michael used God as his shield rather than his own words. Instead, we should be relying on the incredible power of the Trinity to fight our spiritual battles.

Along this same line I once told a friend we shouldn’t be asking, “What would Jesus do?” but rather what would Jesus want me to do? We are not fully man and fully God. We are just man. And we need to acknowledge that alone we only have the power given to us through the Spirit. God, through His great love for us, will take care of the rest. Isn’t that beautiful and amazing?

So what do we do? We enact the famous lines from Ephesians 6 and put on our armor of God. We stand firm in God’s truth. We fit our feet with Jesus’ gospel of peace. We arm ourselves with the shield of faith and the sword of God’s Word. In other words, we allow God to fight His glorious fight with the devil while we do the seemingly mundane acts of worship, studying our Bibles, praying for intercession, baptizing in His name, and spreading His Word of peace and salvation.

Friends, we need to start saying, “Get behind my Lord and Savior Jesus, Satan.” He is the blinding shield, the kryptonite against evil. He is the most powerful weapon we could ever imagine to ward off the arrows lobbed at us. Each time we open our Bibles, go to church, show love to a stranger, speak the Gospel truth into a friend we place that shield firmly in place for God to enter into battle.

My Every Need

August 15, 2022August 29, 2022 krisshetter

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

“Dear Lord, before I even put my feet on the floor this morning I want to thank you for meeting all my needs today. I know not all my “wants” may be met but each time I am able to eat a meal, rest easy in my home, drive safely on my errands, pay my bills, find peace in my mind and joy in my heart I thank you and lift you up in glory for the love you have for me. Amen”

My BSGs recently studied the intricacies of the trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was great getting to know and understand to the best of our human abilities how each of the three interact with each other and with creation. The foundation of the study was that God is love. He didn’t need to make us humans because He was already complete within the trinity. They love each other and are fulfilled by each other. And glorify each other. So creating “us” became a pure act of love.

“It would be wrong to think of ourselves as God’s primary focal point and purpose; that is not the message of Scripture.” says Christian teacher, Tara-Leigh Cobble. “He created us and invited us into pre-existing joy.”

Pre-existing joy? Think about it. Throughout the gospels Jesus talks about how God loved Him before and how they glorify each other. They had love and joy and everything they needed before “us.”

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." John 17:24

So given this truth, how much more amazing is it that God cares about us? About your bills. About my aches and pains. About our fears and worries. There are those who believe that God created the world and then left us alone (deists). But every single day He answers prayers. For me, that good night sleep was an answered prayer. The fact that my husband still has a job and can provide for us is an answered prayer. That my oldest daughter has yet another day to decide to turn to Him and that my younger daughter already has are answered prayers. That I have food to eat and a strong body to serve others. For just having another day to glorify Him before my time is up.

He loves me. He loves you. He is providing for us. So each morning let us lift up our eyes and present ourselves to Him as His servants. Ready to glorify Him, ready to acknowledge His holy presence in our lives.

At Home With God

August 14, 2022August 25, 2022 krisshetter

“Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”  Romans 4:20

Holy God, everything I have belongs to you — my home, my car, my food, my marriage, my family. Help me to use them in service to you each day so I can proclaim Your glory and the wonderful work you have done in my life. Amen

I’d have to say one of the first obvious signs that I was submitting to God and giving Him authority over my life was years ago when my brother-in-law came to visit us and wanted to bring his girlfriend. We had two small children and my husband and I decided we needed to model God’s morals by telling his brother that although she could come, they couldn’t sleep in the same room together. He laughed, thinking we were joking. But when we affirmed our decision, he asked how we could decide that when we, ourselves, had lived together before marriage. It’s an easy answer actually. We were now Christians with children to whom we were responsible for modeling God’s will.

Here’s the thing, Christian, it’s ok, even necessary in God’s act of progressive revelation, to change our minds. To grow in our faith. To set up new boundaries. Especially in our own homes. For Abraham, mentioned in our first verse today, he struggled to align his entire household with God. He made bad decisions about his wife, he had to make peace among his family, he was faced with the prospect of sacrificing his son to the Lord. But He kept moving forward in his faith. With each step he learned more about God’s expectations of him and he guided his family and home toward God’s promises. He set history on the right path by giving glory to God over and over. Joshua carried this forward when he assembled all the tribes of Israel.

"¹⁵But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Our home spaces are the perfect place to glorify God. Why? Because when we stand in our home, every blessing we can see belongs to Him. The home, apartment, tent, condo, all belong to God. The food in the cupboards, the furnishings, the beds, the indoor (or outdoor) plumbing – yes, all belong to Him and should be used in His service to glorify Him.

My two oldest friends are unfortunately not believers. And over these last few years I’ve had the Holy Spirit convict me of my behavior when I’m around them. I need to show them the work God has done in me. When they are at my house, I must model God. That means I shouldn’t allow certain behavior or speech within the walls of my house. I fail at times when I let myself be pulled into the world of unbelievers. Sometimes I forget to pray over our meal, I drift into outraged political discussions, and I gossip. My first step was realizing what I was doing doesn’t honor God. My second step is to be more consistent in application.

Friend, if the Lord has blessed you with a comfortable place to lay your head each night, a place to make a life for your family, a home to provide hospitality to others, we need to remember it was all given for a purpose. If we struggle to honor God in our home, how can we be expected to receive further responsibility from Him outside our homes? So today, stand in the middle of the place you call home and proclaim it is all for His glory.

Our Outward Reverence

August 12, 2022August 24, 2022 krisshetter

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:18

“Holy Spirit, today as I stand looking into my closet in deciding what to wear today help me to not only have an inward Christ-like life but also an outward one so that I may completely glorify God in all I show the world. Amen”

I know it’s not fashionable or even politically correct these days to say things like, “the clothes make the man (or woman) but in the not too distant past this was understood as fact. This well documented human behavior actually acknowledges a role in what our outward appearance says to the world. You may think things have changed because of culture or “at home work” but human psychology is a pretty stubborn thing. Don’t take my word for it.

“Through our clothing, we can send each other silent cues that signal to others how we expect them to treat us. This works because we tend to make very quick assessments of situations and people and put them into categories that we already understand. This cognitive shortcut, known as representative bias, saves us precious computational energy.”
Sarah C. Newcomb Ph.D., Psychology Today

And in a 2012 study done through Northwestern University, researchers found that wearing certain clothes exerts influence through symbolic meaning. So, when, as Christians, we leave the house each day do we ever consider what message we are sending out to our neighbors, the folks at the grocery store, at church or at the beach by our clothing choices? That’s not to say we should be covered head to toe in some sort of hijab – the Bible doesn’t ask that of us women.

^“20you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

Jesus wants us to present ourselves with honor in front of God. That means we clean ourselves off and cover our private bits up. When my youngest was home from college her last summer she wanted to find a modest one piece bathing suit. Quite the change from her bikini days. When asked why, she said she wanted to be more modestly dressed around her Christian boyfriend. That’s the Holy Spirit work in a believer!

Friend, when we leave our homes and go out into the world, we are God’s representatives. And when we attend church, we should present our best as though receiving an audience in front of the king. We glorify Him through our modesty of outward appearance and exuberance of inward love.

Forever & Ever

August 6, 2022August 22, 2022 krisshetter

“To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” Philippians 4:20

“Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live in me. I can turn to you at any time, day or night, in times of joy and of sorrow and you are with me guiding me, convicting me and loving me. Forever and ever. Amen”

When I married my husband 34 years ago, we promised to be there for each other till the day we die. I plan on keeping that promise, and I’m certain he will too. However, I also recognize that we are both human. We will disappoint each other. At times we’ve felt betrayed by the other. We’ve been angry and hurt. We’ve also loved each other deeply. And although I hope that our promise we made all those years ago stays true, you just never know what strange turns our sinful human nature may take.

In all our relationships there is only one that we can know without a doubt, that we could place a million dollar bet on and know it’s a “sure thing.” And that’s the one we have, as believers, with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will bein you.” John 14:16-17

Before the glory of Pentecost the Holy Spirit only came and “visited” man. He would come and direct various people in the Old Testament to do God’s work. But Jesus made it clear that He would no longer make us orphans. When He left He would step aside for the Holy Spirit to come and live IN us believers forever. How beautiful, loving and glorious is that? God – this magnificent, mysterious, expansive, all powerful being wants to be a part of me and you, always. While we are taking a shower, making dinner, at work, running errands He is with us.

“You have often left God. Has He ever left you?”
Charles Spurgeon

I’ve had friends that no longer talk to me. I’ve turned my back on some myself. I’ve even gotten pretty mad at God. With one of my funnier moments telling Him, “I’m not going to believe in you anymore!” (Ponder the irony of that statement for a minute) But God has stayed true.

Friends, look at the very best relationship you have. The one that brings you laughter, joy, loyalty and more. And magnify that by a billion. That’s God living with us and in us through the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you but I think that’s certainly something for which we should glorify and give thanks.

My Body Is Yours, Lord

August 2, 2022August 18, 2022 krisshetter

"Therefore, I give glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God." Romans 15:17

“Heavenly Father, as I begin this workout help me have the strength and fortitude to complete it so that I may be strong in order to serve you with all my heart, mind, and body. And in that service my body gives glory to you for all that you have given me. Amen”

One of the many lessons I’ve gleaned through studying the Bible is that Jesus wants all of us – our entire body, mind and heart. He’s not a halfway kind of guy. You’re either on the path and maybe struggling to stay on it or you are wandering off into the forest. There’s no one foot on and one off. Because when we get to the narrow gate you’ve got to have both feet firmly planted to walk through it. This includes taking care of the body God gave us.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore,  honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Put in context this Bible verse is referring to sexually immoral acts. However, it can also simply remind us that our bodies are God-given. And like all God’s gifts He wants us to use it as good stewards. Why? To put our gift into service for the children of God to glorify Him.

One day, after beating myself up about my weight, my aging face, my bad hair I stood in front of the mirror and had an epiphany. I am a child of God. My body belongs to Him. And my complaining and lack of caretaking of my body was rude. Yes, rude and disrespectful to God. I needed to instead think of ways to care for this gift and glorify Him with it.

Whatever state our bodies are in, be it fit, or old, not quite fully functioning, or basically in working order, we need to take care of it so that when called upon by the Holy Spirit we are ready for action. Even if you are in a wheelchair, your arms can be strong to hug a person or maybe just hold a hand. If you are struck with a disease affecting you physically God still wants you in His holy service.

So friends, break out your sneakers, snap on your headband, pick up those weights and getting moving. Get strong. Get ready. Your neighbor, your friend, a stranger, a family member may need you today to lend a hand. And when you step forward to help remember to thank God for this gift and glorify Him!

To God Give The Glory

August 1, 2022August 18, 2022 krisshetter

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11

Holy Father, Loving Jesus and Ever Present Spirit, today I will exalt you; I will praise your name forever. Great are you, Lord! You are worthy to give all glory and praise! I will speak of your glorious splendor and majesty. I will tell of the power of your wonderful works and I will celebrate your abundant goodness and proclaim your great deeds. Amen*

A few years ago, I started a prayer project. I had no problem asking God for things to happen in my life. I also didn’t struggle with asking for forgiveness. And I always added others to my petitions. What I had a difficult time doing was praising God. Not just thanking Him for what He has done for me, but praising Him for who He is. It seemed silly and flowery.

As my faith has progressed, I’ve realized how important it is for us believers to acknowledge God’s magnificence, power and well, just plain awesomeness. It helps to put our whole lives into perspective. It reminds US who really is in charge. So, I started the 30 Days of Praise series. Eventually I went on to write 30 More Days of Praise and then 30 Days of Thanksgiving.

Recently, I kept seeing the word “glorify” in the study I’m doing about the Trinity. I started looking into the differences between praising God and giving God the glory due to Him. I found this helpful description of praise and glory:

Praise (ἔπαινος; epainos) means the excellence of a person. Glory (δόξα; doxa) means splendor and greatness. Honor (τιμή; time’) means respect and high status or value.
Dr. Thomas Clothier

And it got me thinking how I need to up my praise game. God isn’t just excellent in the ways He shows up in my life. He, without anything to do with me, is full of splendor and awesome in power! Jesus’ every move was to glorify the Father. The Father loved and glorified the Son. The Holy Spirit came to live in us to glorify Jesus’ act of salvation and to continue the work of the Father. The Trinity uses us to glorify the work of creation – it’s beauty and mystery.

We glorify him when we care more about what he wants than about what we want. Even better, we glorify him when we want the same things he wants.
Peter Krol, Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible.

I’m not sure I can fully describe the glory of God through words but I’m going to make an attempt to show how our everyday lives can be lived to give Him the glory due. Please join me on this 30 day prayer journey of glorifying God and watch as His love for us unfolds into a beautiful story.

*This prayer was taken from parts of Psalm 145, “David’s Psalm of Praise.”

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He Will Provide

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 krisshetter

Lessons from Cherith

The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.  Psalm 145:14

We had come to Colorado after receiving the news – my mother-in-law’s constant bowel pain was the result of peritoneal cancer, a rare and deadly disease. She had never fully recovered from her bout with uterine cancer diagnosed just 18 months prior. Her markers were clear but this painful and never-ending pain in her stomach kept her sidelined. We will never know why it wasn’t discovered sooner but there are blessings even in that.

And so, after setting her up on hospice and determining that additional in-home care wouldn’t be sufficient and was well beyond what my father-in-law could afford, I offered to stay longer. As I said goodbye to my husband who needed to get back to San Diego for work, I was faced with my usual self-doubt. “I’m not good at this kind of thing” I said to myself. “I’m not a sweet, kind, compassionate person” I lamented. “I never know what to say in difficult times” I fretted.

I was scared to face day-to-day the woman I love as my own mother as she lay living out her last days. I was worried about how to be around my quiet father-in-law. I definitely was concerned how to handle all her friends who wanted to visit and needed a shoulder to cry on. And then I finally remembered God.

He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
⁵He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever. Psalm 111: 4-5

I went for a walk and soaked in the beauty of the Colorado mountains and realized I didn’t need to have all those gifts. He has blessed me with so many other gifts that were needed – organizing, communication, and more. And what I now needed was to lean on Him for the rest of what was required.

My BSGs had just finished Shirley Giles Davis’ study book, God. Gifts. You. Which takes a deep dive into the list of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Coincidently she lives and works in Boulder, Colorado, just a few miles from where I now found myself needing the strength of God’s gifts. She reminded us that our gifts can be used for good and have their own pitfalls if used incorrectly. She showed us how God’s beautiful world can only function properly when we appreciate and honor the intricate ways all people’s gifts are used in harmony.

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.  Psalms 55:16

And so, I called on God in humility. I thanked Him for the blessings of financial security that helped me be there. I listed in thankfulness the gifts of the Holy Spirit which have been endowed to me. And I prayerfully spoke the following:

“Lord, I cannot do this without you. I don’t have the right words for the right moments so I need the Holy Spirit to speak for me. I don’t have the strength for this gracious Father. I need you to keep me strong and lifted or I will fail. Only through your loving grace, using my gifts that I have been blessed with and you filling in the rest will I be able to glorify you and help Bev and all those around her. Please Lord speak in place of my words and be my strength.” Amen

His intervention was immediate as He surrounded me with His love and peace. All those worries and fears dissipated. And for the next three weeks the Holy Spirit held me up and spoke for me. He spoke to the friends who left Bev’s room crying in despair. He spoke to family members who handle grief differently than me. He spoke to Bev while I read her Psalms each day to comfort her. And He kept me from being tired and weak. I could wake at any hour with ease to administer medication, keep the house clean, and make meals for the ever changing number of people at the house. He provided, just as He promises, just as He always has.

You are my strength, I sing praises to you; you, God are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.  Psalms 59:17

My BSGs recently completed Priscilla Shirer’s study on Elijah. In her week 6 video she mentions the definition of faith as aligning our entire life with God’s 8,000 promises found in His Word. Our faith doesn’t need to be some mysterious feeling that is undefinable. It’s simple, when we believe God’s promises and live like we do then that is faith. That’s what Elijah did when he went, as directed by God, to Cherith — a lonely, dry, desolate place. God provided in ways only He can with food delivered by ravens and just enough water to get by for about two years. Elijah knew he couldn’t make it on his own. He needed God to survive. All his knowledge and gifts weren’t going to help him. God would need to fill in where he was lacking.

Friends, God promises over and over to provide for us. The Bible is filled with endless stories of His provision. Our own lives are testimonies to those provisions. Sometimes we just need to remember to humbly ask for Him to provide where we are weak and not gifted.

The morning my beloved Bev went to our Father I was blessed again to have God show me how much He had answered my prayer. I needed some alone time so I decided to take a shower. As I stood in the bathroom waiting for the water to warm up, I suddenly felt a huge weight press on me – like an anvil was placed on each shoulder. I cried out in surprise and then it was gone. I knew He was showing me what He had sheltered me from for the last few weeks. And although I am still experiencing the grief of Bev being gone from this earth, that heavy weight has never returned. I can thank God and the Holy Spirit for being my weight bearers. And I can thank God that He will provide in our weakest moments.

Where in your life to do you need to ask for God’s provision?
Where do you feel insufficient and weak? Ask Him today He will provide!

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, christian podcast, Christian women, Faith, Jesus, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

“Those” Seasons

April 20, 2022April 19, 2022 krisshetter

Hello friends! It’s been a while since I’ve added to my blog. For the last few months I’ve been in one of “those” seasons. Loss, heartache, questioning, along with so many conversations with God and His Holy Spirit. As James reminds us,

“Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

And ain’t that the truth.

We have a few roads from which to choose when we go through our difficult seasons. We can beg the Lord to go back to the familiar and comfortable. We can rush our minds to the other side of the trial either imagining an outcome far worse or far better than we hope or fear. Or we can learn a bit from Jesus’ brother and “let this perseverance finish its work so we can be mature and complete.” In other words, we live in this God-given moment right now, seeking His blessings, seeking His voice, and seeking the lessons to be learned.

The day I wrote this post my devotional reminded me to not work for food that perishes but for the food which endures eternal life. (Charles Stanley, Every Day in His Presence) I was admonished to change my point of view and not focus on the problems right in front of me but rather what God’s interest is in developing me for His eternal purpose. And very importantly, asking for help in learning His lessons quickly so that His peace and strength would again be my resting place.

During these last few months I’ve also been deep dive into Priscilla Shirer’s study on Elijah with my BSGs. As usual, God is using all of my life to teach me about standing firm in my faith and stepping forward in trust. And as I have prayed to God to reveal to me my next blog series I kept hearing the phrase: “Lessons from Cherith.” You see, Elijah had to spend a lot of time alone, facing his own trials before he was ready for the “big show.” In that time, some of which was in the area called Cherith, he had to choose to either trust God’s eternal plan for him or not. He had to remove so many well-honed cultural and religious thoughts of “the way things are supposed to be” and instead see how God works. And he had to decide to stand out amongst the crowd.

And although my “Cherith” hasn’t lasted for as long as Elijah’s or even as long as Jesus was in the wilderness, I learned some valuable lessons while communing with the Holy Spirit. In the next few weeks I’d like to share some of these with you. To hopefully help us realign our lives to be Christian lives, lived out for all the world to see. For our friends and neighbors and co-workers to be spurred to ask why we seem different.

Friends, we can’t keep wandering through the wilderness of this earthly world living up to its standards. It’s time to take our hard earned lessons from “those seasons” and put them to work for the glory of God.

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian parenting, christian podcast, Christian women, Faith, Jesus, Jesus Follower, podcast, Uncategorized

The First 3,000

February 28, 2022February 28, 2022 krisshetter

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:41

My husband and I are back in the process of a church search. For some of you, your church has been your lifelong home. For others, you know all too well the difficult path of church searching. We spent the last seven months trying out a church and realized it just wasn’t the right fit. Great preaching and friendly people but there were a number of pieces missing that we didn’t see being resolved any time soon. We left on friendly terms as we began our journey to the right home.

And this search led me to think about the first church. That fateful day of Pentecost when 3,000 souls turned their hearts and lives over to Jesus when the Holy Spirit was delivered to Earth. There could’ve been more. Others stood in the temple that day and heard the sound of the violent wind. They heard the Jews from every nation speaking to each other in their native tongues. But they hardened their hearts.

Some however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”  Acts 2:13

The 3,000, selected by God, were urged by Peter to recognize what had just occurred. He quoted the prophet Joel in explaining how the Holy Spirit would be poured out just as it had happened. He reminded the Jews of David’s words when he spoke of God’s promise to fill them with the joy of God’s presence. When Peter had his brief history lesson the 3,000 asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39

He answered with the message of the Gospel. And he went on to plead with them to abandon their corrupt generation. Imagine. 3,000 people all at once starting on their new beginning. It must’ve been glorious!

But their baptism wasn’t the end of their stories. What came next was an intense learning period. They “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship.” (v2:42). They ate together, worshipped together, studied together, prayed without ceasing, worked together to help those in need. And they multiplied.

You don’t get the impression from reading about the first church in Acts that a bunch of individuals were saved then when to their own homes and began an intensive self-realization study. Or went about their work day as though nothing spectacular just happened. No, their common goal was to spread the news of Jesus Christ dying for our sins. Remember, they spoke in many different languages. So, they were preparing to go back home to make even more believers. Preparing to go do difficult work. That first church was all about discipleship. I wonder how many of our churches can truly say the same? I haven’t been a member of one yet. But it’s what I’m looking for now.

The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions and the nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we must become.
Henry Martyn

The act of baptism, confessing our faith in Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit, is typically a public affair. It’s the starting point of our new beginning. But after that one time event we call on the power and strength of the Holy Spirit to fill us continually for one mission – to be in service to God. Those first 3,000 believers would need the Holy Spirit to continue on their mission. They would most likely encounter adversity, opposition, violence, and yes, success. Beautiful success.

We should all celebrate the day of Pentecost, which comes on the 7^th Sunday or 50 days after Easter Sunday (June 5, 2022). For the Old Testament Jews, it represented the giving of the Law to Moses. But the new covenant, for all the world to partake, saw Jesus enter our lives. And after Jesus’ foretold crucifixion He gave us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. On that day 1000s of years ago, yet another promise was fulfilled by God. His Spirit came to live in all of us, permanently. And we were commissioned into His service.

As my faith and biblical knowledge has matured, my list of “must haves” for my new church has been honed. I want a church that is biblically strong, always pointing me to Jesus, a joy-filled body of believers, and one whose primary goal is to create well-versed and confident disciples. I hope you will pray for us in finding such a place.

The modern church itself needs a new beginning. As individuals, may we be spurred to greater expectations of our Christian communities. And may we seek out ways to draw each other together in unity as our forefathers in Christ did on that day of Pentecost.