Pentecost and Beyond

Hello family!

It has been awhile since I have written on this blog and a while since I have seen or spoken with you guys.

I had a few thoughts that I wanted to share. With 48 hours of non-stop travel and days without electricity it gives one time to reflect and think. I have been thinking about Thursday nights and everything that God has been doing. I have been thinking about how I have learned so much of who God is through everyone, and how much I appreciate everyone. When I reflect on the past year or two, that we have been gathering, eating together, and sharing life together, it gets me stoked with what God wants to do. I am excited about whatand how God wants to build upon the foundation that we are building on, the foundation of Christ. That for some reason God has been moving, speaking, and encouraging us, drawing us closer to Him and closer to each other. To say that I am excited about the direction the Lord is taking us is an understatement.

A few Sundays ago was Pentecost. For those of you who don’t really know much about Pentecost, it is really quite a beautiful day to remember, celebrate and reflect upon. It means 50,but is full of meaning besides the number. Pentecost is the day that Jews celebrate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai and the day Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. You can read about it in the beginning of Acts, or Deuteronomy and Exodus.

On Pentecost I had the privilege of speaking topart of the church here in Africa, and had the amazing privilege to worship with people of all ages, from many different nations, and many different languages. I thought it fitting for that to take place on Pentecost.

As the story of Pentecost goes, the followers of Jesus were together worshiping, praying, and eating together, when all of asudden something like tongues of fire came down and rested upon them. They all started to speak it their own native tongue, from the surrounding nations. The crowds that were around them were amazed and quite frankly confused. They accused them of being drunk, but Peter was quick to correct them, and tell them that it was too early morning to be drunk. Peter then goes into a speech saying that this is what the prophets had for told, and this is what Jesus had promised. We also read in the book of John that Jesus speaks about sending his Counselor after him, and because of this Counselor we will do greater things then even Christ did.

After the gift of the Holy Spirit these people go out and start doing miraculous things. They share what they have, there is no poor among them, they cared for widows and orphans, and they start to pick up the slack where the government is missing the mark. Their movement grows even though they are for the most part an underground movement. They call them selves the Way, because it is about the way to life, they way of living here today into eternity. The bible says there were thousands who were joining them daily, but at the same time many were staying away from them, because they were afraid of this new crew of people, but they had great respect for them.

What where these people afraid of?

Were they afraid that if they joined them they would have to share what they owned, what was “theirs”?

Were they afraid they would be judged or told they are going to hell?

Were they afraid of building intimate relationships with others, being exposed to the healing power of Christ?

Were they afraid because these people were living upside down to the way that the world lives?

Were they scared because the way these people connected to God and each other was even different from the way that their religions operated?

We could ask ourselves the same question, what are we afraid of?

Or maybe we could ask how did this underground, non-official movement, gain such good standing with the public, and grow so rapidly?

Are we living like they were, or what would that look like in this day in age?

Would it look any different or is that an excuse to not live at all?

Despite the confusion many had, and the fear that many people had, this movement grew because the Holy Spiritwas with them, showing them how to live the Kingdom of God out, here and now. They were able to do the impossible, give freely to those in need; they travel to other parts of the globe to live out this gospel, to work normal jobs, like making tents, but to love extravagantly, or to wait on tables, but to do it in the strength, love and knowledge of the Holy Spirit. They did this not because it was a rule, or law that Jesus left them, or because of an institution that had been set up but because that’s what Christ did, and still does today.(maybe not the tents, but the love). They continued to go to their regular churches, places of worship, or Synagogues, but they also gathered together on the side to pursue this Jesus deeper and to wrestle out what it looks like to live this way. There were many disagreements, but there was also a lot of rejoicing and cities began to get turn upside down.

Some people think that the amazing things were the healings, or the gifts of the spirit that was poured out, but if you ask me the miraculous thing was the sharing of possessions. The dying to ones self out of the desire, and shear joy of helping others.

These people began to full fill what God had promised after He rescued them from Egypt. There was no poor among them, God had told them that if you obey my teachings there will be no poor among you. How exciting is that, but the difference now was that it was for the whole world, for all of creation.

For Jews, Greeks, Samaritans, Sinners, Saints, Tax collectors, Priests, Prostitutes, the WHOLE WORLD!

In a way, Pentecost is a celebration of a new beginning, of a fresh start, a new partnership with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Three in One, the fulfillment of the law through Christ Jesus.
So now we live Post-Pentecost, what does all this mean for us today, in Philadelphia. What is the relevance of these old stories, and how do we apply this to who we are in the Body of Christ. How do we wed this teaching to our little crew that gathers not because it is a new program started up, but because we are people wanting to go deeper with God and to go deeper with those around us. We attend different churches, but have one faith. So what does all of this mean for us?

What does it look like for us as a community, a tribe, a little family adopted into the kingdom to partner with the Holy Spirit. To invite Him to come and teach us who he is and what it looks like for us to live out this Gospel. Do we have the same Holy Spirit that is talked about here in the beginning of Acts, if we do how do we work with him?

Does it mean that we keep doing what we’ve been doing or do we do more, again not do more because is a rule or a law, but because we desire to Love and see God more, and to love others more.

Does it mean we go as extravagant as the early church we read about in acts and share everything in common, holding nothing back for anyone else? We did that a little bit to help Josh our, does it mean we do it to an even greater level?

Or is it as simple as reading the scriptures more, really studying them, and spending time in prayer like the earlier church did? Then share what we are learning with each other as often as the time permits.

Maybe it means we try to take every opportunity we get to eat together, to break bread and drink wine, so to speak, and invite others to join us for these meals?

Does it mean we start more worship services, or maybe our worship serviceslook like us getting to know our neighbors and starting new relationships?

Maybe it means moving into a house together and working out the gospel in the tough nitty gritty of living with others and trying to figure out how to love them despite theirs and ours weaknesses. Looking to break our selves open and pour ourselves out like Christ did, and being open to receive when other are pouring into us.

It may look different for each of us, or the same, I don’t know, but where we can start is by truly inviting the Holy Spirit to lead our crew. That we would be open to His leading, His movement, His Challenging, and that when we are asked to respond that we respond and answers Gods call.

Let’s truly go deeper, despite the discomfort and fear of it. Let’s wrestle with the gospel in ways that may even be new to our way of think. Let’s read the Living Word with a renewed sense of passion and desire to see God’s Kingdom come, God’s will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Let’s not just talk about what it looks like, but let’s take risks knowing that we will fail at times and get hurt other times. Let’s continue to break bread, and do it even more often then we do now.

This is where this life gets exciting, when we walk and talk with the triune God, in an exciting, passionate and living relationship that involves those around us.

I am looking forward to when I will be with you guys again, sharing meals, laughing, praying and discussing. I am excited to hear all that God has been doing and speaking to you guys. And once again thank you so much for all that you have taught me, and all the love, grace, and support that you have given to me.

Until then, Grace and Peace!

If anyone doesn’t read this pass on the word that I say “Hi”, and send my Love.
Chris