Pentecost.....

Acts 2



1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them."

Today is Pentecost Sunday.

Pastors Seth and Stacia had the sanctuary adorned with the color red...the cross cloaked in hanging red satin, red candles on the altar, red carnations on the pulpit and the still red poinsettias from Christmas.

Flaming red....the color of fire.

Scripture talks about the promise of God's Spirit coming to his people, to comfort them, to enable them, to empower them and to change them.  He came as tongues of fire and a loud wind, doing miraculous things amongst the believers.  I have experienced miraculous things also with God's Spirit....no fire or loud wind but a gentle whisper to leave my old life behind and take up a new way of living....something I have never regretted.

That is what we were reminded of today.  God's flaming, purifying Holy Spirit comes to cleanse us from impurities, to refine us into what God desires us to be and to allow this same Spirit to reform us into living vessels of holiness and truth.  It does not mean that the Spirit has come to make us perfect for the rest of our lives but it does mean that He has come to do a work that is constantly changing us into God's likeness.  It is like a refining fire that cleanses and purifies....moment by moment...he takes our lives and makes them new especially through difficulties and sorrows, losses and sickness, disappointments and insecurities, times of anger, disillusionment and frustration....even through our times of faithlessness and questioning. 

Pentecost Sunday....a day to remind me how far I have come.....and how far I have yet to go.

Come Holy Spirit.....come!!!