Pentecost - A CELEBRATION of the Presence of God's Spirit in Our Lives

 
Last Sunday we had a party! We celebrated, on Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church - the gift of the Holy Spirit to ALL believers. Complete with balloons, cake... and presents. 
 
Presents? Yes, in the service we heard God's Word, received assurance of forgiveness, and in the healing service after the worship services, we received powerful reminders of God's healing presence in our lives. With prayer, laying on of hands and anointing with oil, we invited God into the damaged and damaging areas of our lives - to bring healing and hope. So... what's next?

Well, God does not simply leave us alone, now that we've opened up to him. The Spirit calls us to CONTINUE to confront our brokenness and sin, and find strength to deal with those broken aspects of our lives. Healing is generally NOT a simple and spontaneous removal of a symptom of a deeper problem. It would be like a patient with a brain tumor taking an aspirin to get rid of the headache and thinking he/she is cured. No, what we really want, what we really crave from God, is true healing of heart and mind and spirit.  God's healing presence is ALWAYS there. He wants us to be free from sin and its power over us!
 
The SEASON of Pentecost, which begins now and continues until mid-November, helps us LIVE lives of healing, of celebrating God's presence and power in our lives EVERY DAY. It is a journey, filled with victories and defeats, joys and conflicts - and through all of that, an absolutely unwavering sense of God's presence in our lives each day. The scripture readings for the Season of Pentecost are intended to lead us into and through a powerful, faithful, spirit-filled life. Join us on the journey!
 
In Christ's service,

Pastor Larry Becker