Pentacost Coming

Pentecost remembered

When I was the pastor of various churches over the 41 years I would try and do particular different things for pentacost, which we call the birthday of the church. The word of GOD was understood each one of a gathered multicultural gathering.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.John 14:26 | NIV

It seems to me the power of the Word about GOD’S love for the people is translated powerfully. Once I visited the Korean congregation that worshipped in our church. I had asked what the sermons scripture was about and read it in english and. Then listened. The SPIRIT translated and gave me a message.
Another time I was worshipping with friends at their Urdu church. Again i read the scripture. The minister was an evangelist and he apologized for not translating while preaching. I told him i had heard a message while he preached. I shared with him what i had heard. The people in the room as we were eating together after worship got quiet and started listening. They said that was Exactly the WORD he had shared. GOD had translated for me. The WORD was powerful.

I also liked adding some additional visuals for Pentecost. It could be crape paper hanging in the church. One year as we read the passage a huge wind blew in the window as if on cue and we paused and felt the wind blow through the church.
One year I tied orange and yellow balloons on the end of the pews so that the color would bounce around during the service. One year we gave out balloons and everyone blew up their balloons but didn’t
Tie them off. On the count of 3 we released the balloons and the yellow orange and red balloons flew around the room. Another year I had small pieces of red orange and yellow tissue paper torn up into small pieces and when we read that passage one person held the tray of them behind a screen and another turned on the leaf blower and the noise and the papers flew over the screen and rained down on the people.

Whatever it takes for you to come together and sense the blowing of the spirit into your Iives… or translating the Word into the very message you need to hear… May this Pentecost bring you that very real presence of GOD’s. Spirit.

GOD ABIDES, AND I THANK God.
Bobbie McGarey

New Life Presbyterian Church. 2019

Acts 2. Excerpts

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place.

2 Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there.

4 The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

5 Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. 6 And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages.

7 They were excited and amazed, and said:

Don’t all these who are speaking come from Galilee? 8 Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? 9 Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam. Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, 11 Crete, and Arabia. Some of us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews.

Yet we all hear them using our own languages to tell the wonderful things God has done.

12 Everyone was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, “What does all this mean?”

Pet spoke in a loud and clear voice to the crowd:

Friends and everyone else living in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I have to say! 15 You are wrong to think that these people are drunk. After all, it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 But this is what God had the prophet Joel say,

“When the last days come,I will give my Spirit

to everyone. Your sons and daughters

will prophesy. Your young men will see visions,

and your old men will have dreams.

18 In those days I will give my Spirit to my servants,

both men and women and they will prophesy.

I will work miracle in the sky above and wonders

on the earth below.

There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

The sun will turn dark, and the moo will be as red as blood

before the great and wonderful of the Lord appears.

Then they will save everyone

who asks for his help.”

25 What David said are really the words of Jesus,

“I always see the Lord near me, and I will not be afraid

with him at my right side.

Because of this my heart will be glad,

my words will be joyful, and I will live in hope.

The Lord won’t leave me in the grave.

I am his holy one, and he won’t let my body decay.

He has shown me the path to life, and he makes me glad

by being near me.”

.” 41 On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptized. 42 They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread[c] and prayed together.

Life among the Lord’s Followers

43 Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. 44 All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. 45 They would sell their property and possessions and give

the money to whoever needed it.

46 Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely,

47 while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.