The Lion Still Roars

Dear Trekker,
Until a few days ago, I was reasonably certain more should be written about patriotism in the good ‘ole USA. June falls between the bookend national holidays, Memorial Day and Independence Day. In a culture which increasingly confuses our sacred (religious) and secular (political) heritages and, though separate, their unique compatibility, patriotism, rightly understood, I believe, is the answer. But that writing must wait.

As I was sitting in the pew last Sunday, the awesomeness of Pentecost hit me with great force. The trinity of Christian holy days… Christmas, Easter and Pentecost… are as equivalent, representative, necessary and inseparable as the Trinity itself. God the Father sent His only Son into the world at Christmas; Jesus the Son died and rose again on Easter; God the Holy Spirit came to dwell irrevocably in all believers at Pentecost, gave birth to the church of Jesus Christ, and has continued His (God’s) presence and equipping power throughout history. The Lion of Judah, the Holy Spirit, roared at creation (Genesis 1:1,2), roared throughout the establishment of the Jewish nation and roars today. Without that roaring, our Christian faith would not exist.

The Church seems prone to “forget” the Holy Spirit, which leads to a legalistic interpretation and application of the Christian faith, even worship of the Bible by some as if it were God Himself. Unfortunate indeed, Trekker. So… at times the Holy Spirit suddenly erupts (similar to the universal Spirit baptism of all believers at Pentecost) to guide and empower the Church back to God.

Fifty years ago such an eruption occurred in the USA and other parts of the world. I recall reminding a brother, somewhat intrigued by the charismatic phenomena, “Friend, the Holy Spirit was not born yesterday. He (God) has been in the world since the dawn of creation. His manifestation varies, but our faith is all about the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.”

And herein is the rub! We read about the Holy Spirit in Scripture and see such accounts as descriptive of His work, but are prone, particularly from Pentecost forward, to making certain events prescriptive of the way the Holy Spirit always will work in all believers’ lives. But trekker, the Holy Spirit, God Himself, is not in our private box. We cannot help, however, but be in His.

Pentecost is not a paradigm; it was a once and for all event as Christmas and Easter. It cannot be repeated. Yet, as we saw God’s love anew when He invaded planet earth, and as the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and His resurrection is the plumb line of history, even so is the Spirit baptism of all believers. It is a fact and reference point Christians remember as we live out “changed lives” in the presence and power of the Spirit within. As St. Paul said so succinctly to the Christians in Rome 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit in an individual life is the essence and defines the presence of our faith. (Romans, Chapter 8:1-17 is so powerful on this subject. Read it now trekker, before proceeding.)

Let’s look at the details of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus told His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days (Pentecost) you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then later, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” The gift is the Holy Spirit! Acts, Chapter 1. (Chapter 2, the Pentecost account of the Gentile doctor, Luke, St. Paul’s personal physician and companion, outlines the events! Read them now, trekker.)

All the details of the day of Pentecost we may never know. But the power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit is all over the book of Acts. The dominant theme of the early church was the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. As William Barclay declares so matter

Of factly, “the Holy Spirit was the source of all guidance.” Then and now, the Church must be a Spirit guided community of faith. In Acts we learn as well that all leaders of the church were persons of the Spirit! (See Acts 6:3, 7:55, 11:24, 20:28.) Today, too, Christian leaders first and foremost must be Spirit-led people, or they disqualify themselves for leadership.

From Pentecost forward, the details of how the Spirit works may be up for grabs. But the fact of the Holy Spirit, as the source of power and courage and enthusiasm for the believer, is not! Power was unleashed at Pentecost as never before. Trekker, I have worked hard over the years to become conversationally fluent in a second language. At Pentecost, visitors to Jerusalem heard men praising God “in their own language.” That instantaneous capability is the work of the Holy Spirit, let me assure you. Peter’s boldness in the early church can only be explained in light of the Holy Spirit. I like Barclay here: “The Christian courage to meet the dangerous situation; the Christian’s power to cope with life more than adequately; the Christian eloquence when eloquence is needed; the Christian joy which was independent of circumstances, are all alike ascribed to the work of the Spirit.” I say Amen!

Trekker, you have the Holy Spirit or you don’t really “get” the Message. Does the Holy Spirit have you? This is the issue! The measure of the appearance of the Spirit in our lives is determined by our following Jesus and His commandments. As we yield to the Spirit life and Divine plan, the living out of Christ brings continued Spirit life and power. It can be no other way!

Lacking power, Trekker? Get in better touch with the Lion of Judah! You will be changed… we will be changed together, forever!

Appreciating Pentecost anew!
Jim Meredith