As the day of Pentecost approaches, all believers of Christ should try to better understand the meaning of this Holy Day, and the profound need we all have for God’s Holy Spirit to take control of our lives. My brother, my sister, unless you walk by the Spirit, unless your are used by the Spirit, you are left to your own devices, which will not last and you will end up feeling exhausted. You see, God made us in His image to be His full sons and daughters. Besides, because of the sacrifice of the cross He is fashioning and molding us to make us like He is, for us to be full members of the Family of God. But, to accomplish His awesome purpose, we need to have His Spirit working within us, empowering and leading us day by day. Let’s understand this through the example of Peter.
My friend, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, you too, as Christ’s disciple, should also be “filled with the Holy Spirit” begin “to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). The Bible shows us that Peter who had previously denied Jesus before the cross, was suddenly filled with strength, faith and power. Now he could speak boldly that day, although he must have known it might cost him his very life. Yes, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter was a changed man (Acts 4:19-20). Why? Because he had seen the resurrected Christ, and had seen Him ascend into heaven. Now, he knew, and knew that he knew that God was real and that Jesus was the very Son of God, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven. So, he gained a kind of conviction and boldness that he had never had before. Nothing and no one could ever stop him from proclaiming this truth.
No doubt, for this to happen, Peter had certainly taken the time to repent bitterly for having denied Jesus. He surely must have also prayed fervently, thinking things through and learning the lesson of putting his total trust in God as he had never done before. As a result, something happened that day in Peter’s life and it can happen to you too. But How do you prepare for this possible life-changing transformation? Peter remained in the upper room, praying, in expectation of the promised Comforter… How are you preparing for the upcoming day of Pentecost. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow…What He did yesterday is still real today. Do not be a mere spectator of the day of Pentecost, prepare yourself to become a living sacrifice, a tool that the Lord can use for His glory. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.