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Daily Devotion May 2nd

SATURDAY 2nd

Galatians 5 – Fruit of the Spirit (vv23-24)

I did not intend to go to these verses for this week, but it seems to be the way it has happened.

We finished yesterday with the importance of the characteristic of love to be found within the Church. Jesus himself said in John’s gospel; ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ (John 15:12) The measure for our love toward one another is the measure of the love that Jesus has toward us! That is a high standard! For his love is an everlasting, sacrificial, perfect love. In an earlier chapter John 13:35 ‘Jesus said ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.’

In the verses before us today we have what we commonly call the fruit of the Spirit – that is, the evidence of a life that is transformed by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and which has been and is continuing to be sanctified by the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians defines this person as being one who been set free from a yoke of slavery (the desires of the flesh) Galatians 5:1 and who is walking by the Spirit. (V16)

When we open-up the fruit of the Spirit (I like to picture it like an orange with segments) we find that the first segment is love, second is joy, third is peace, fourth is patience, fifth is kindness, sixth is goodness, seventh is faithfulness, eighth is gentleness, ninth is self-control.

There are if you remember nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, here we see nine segments in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but which is the most important the gifts or the fruit? My answer would simply be they are both important in the life of the believer and in the Church, but the gifts should only operate out of lives who are displaying the fruit. May God help each of us to be good examples of individuals living and walking according to the Spirit and not of the flesh.

In 2 Peter 1:5-11 we have Peter’s list of qualities he sees has essential in the life of the believer. ‘For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so near-sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.  For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’

Today I will highlight some other ‘Fruit’ Scriptures and trust as you read the verses you will be blessed and encouraged.

Psalm 1:3 ‘He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.’

Proverbs 11:30 ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.’

In the KJV – ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.’

Matthew 3:8 ‘Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.’

John 15:1-11’I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.’

Romans 7:4 ‘Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.’

Ephesians 5:9 ‘For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.’

Philippians 1:9-11 ‘And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.’

Colossians 1:10 ‘So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.’

There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place,

And I know that it’s the spirit of the Lord;

Sweet Holy Spirit,

Sweet Heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us,

Filling us with Your love,

And for these blessings

We lift our hearts in praise,

Without a doubt we’ll know

That we have been revived

When we shall leave this place.

There are sweet expressions on each face,

And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

Sweet Holy Spirit,

Sweet Heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us,

Filling us with Your love,

And for these blessings

We lift our hearts in praise,

Without a doubt we’ll know

That we have been revived

When we shall leave this place.

Doris Ackers CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion May 1st

FRIDAY May 1st

1 Corinthians 12 – The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit who himself is a gift to the Church, also comes with gifts. Firstly, there are gifts of service within the Body of Christ. We read of these in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

Secondly, there are what we usually describe as the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’ gifts or giftings that are spiritual endowments given to individuals within the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 lists them as:

The utterance of wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the ability to distinguish between spirits, various kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues.

Nine gifts which are as explained in this chapter apportioned by the Spirit to individuals as he wills.

I am a Pentecostal believer, and I not only believe in the receiving or the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I also believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that they should be evident in a Pentecostal Church gathering.

Now this is a subject that is too vast for me to cover in these devotions, but too important for me not to overlook! So in this short devotion I want us to be inspired again, I want us to not only be Spirit filled and equipped, I want us to be a Church where there is very real evidence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work.

In verses 4-7, we discover that in the area of the Church and gifts of the Holy Spirit there are a variety of gifts but the source is the same – the Holy Spirit (v4) There are a variety of service – but the source is the same – The Lord (v5) and that there are a variety of activities, but the source is the same – God empowers them all in everything (v6) and then in v7, to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit FOR THE COMMON GOOD. Notice the work of the trinity in the bold letters.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are nine in number, usually when someone gives us a gift it is for our own personal benefit, but not when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, whichever of the gifts he may have given to us individually is for the common good of everybody else, for example, in particular to a local Church setting, if one person has the gift of prophecy it is for the mutual good, or for the benefit of the whole assembly.

The gifts have often been divided into three groups and each group identified in this way:

Prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues – voice gifts

Wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits – revelation gifts

Faith, healing and miracle – power gifts

Whichever we way we want to group them, does not really matter, what matters is that we seek God for the manifestation of the gifts among us. In our own lives we need to come before God and make ourselves available for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be used.

Following on from chapter 12, we have the famous ‘love’ chapter. I think that Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is giving to us in this chapter, the secret to creating an environment in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be used and the only kind of environment in which they should be used. He ends chapter 12 by listing all kinds of ministries and giftings in the Church, ending with these words, ‘But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.’ And what is this more excellent way? It is the way of LOVE. Read through chapter 13 and note as you do all the good that we can do, but if we do not have love it profits nothing! Paul then continues in the next chapter (14) with, ‘PURSUE LOVE, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.’

LOVE – love must be the characteristic that binds a Church together and create the atmosphere in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit can operate. May we pursue love, so that the Holy Spirit will be pleased to impart gifts that in turn will benefit each one of us in the body of Christ, in the local Church.

Of all the Spirit’s gifts to me,

I pray that I may never cease

to take and treasure most these three:

love, joy, and peace.

The Spirit shows me love’s the root

of every gift sent from above,

of every flower, of every fruit,

that God is love.

The Spirit shows if I possess

a love no evil can destroy;

however great is my distress,

then this is joy.

Though what’s ahead is mystery,

and life itself is ours on lease,

each day the Spirit says to me,

“Go forth in peace!”

We go in peace, but made aware that,

in a needy world like this,

our clearest purpose is to share

love, joy, and peace.

Fred Pratt Green CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 30th

THURSDAY 30th

Acts 1:8 – Power to be Missional

We go back today to Acts chapter one, for when Jesus told the disciples to wait, it was initially to wait to be empowered for mission. ‘Do not go, don’t leave Jerusalem until you have received the promise of the Father, you heard me speak about it, John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit . . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’

Matthew and Mark record for us the commission of the disciples from Jesus, Matthew in 28:16-20 and Mark 16:15-18.

Back in the commencement of his ministry when Jesus called the disciples, he was calling them to be fishers of men. (Mark 1:17) Today we use the phrase to be evangelists, to tell the goods news so that others will hear, respond, and become disciples. Some of the disciples understood the concept of fishing after all that was their occupation, and they would have known that fishing was not easy, it wasn’t a case of sitting in a boat and looking overboard and saying, ‘here fishy, fishy, jump in the boat so that I can catch you’ no, it took a lot of hard work and energy. They needed to be properly equipped. And Jesus had called them to be fishers of men and it was not going to be easy, they would need to be properly equipped. Therefore, after commissioning the disciples to go and to fish (make disciples) Jesus said, ‘Do not go until you have the power (the resource) or the equipping of the Holy Spirit.

And after they had received the power of the Holy Spirit they went fishing. And the Book of Acts records for us their fishing adventures. Yes sometimes it was a smooth run, but at other times it was tempestuous, fraught with danger, literally for Paul as it involved him being shipwrecked, but because the original twelve had been obedient in ‘waiting until’, they laboured through the good times and the bad times by knowing the enabling strength and power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

The men (and the women with them) fished and fished till they caught fish and in so many places, islands, towns and cities and countries far away from Jerusalem. They went to at least Spain which is mention in Romans 15. And thank God, the fishing has never stopped, the disciples made disciples who in turn made disciples until the fishers of men have eventually caught you and I two thousand years later, and the fishing has taken place and is still taking place the whole world over.

I have never been fishing, other than the occasional crab baiting, I have watched others fish, often wondered why they can be bothered when you can go and buy a piece of fish more easily and quicker from the supermarket or even ready cooked at the chippy! Let somebody else do the fishing!

I wonder if we can be like that spiritually, let someone else do the fishing! But Jesus calls us all to be fishers of men (and women) and he doesn’t expect us to go out and to do it alone, he has also given the Holy Spirit to us, to equip us and to empower us in our sharing of the gospel. And like the disciples it will not always be an easy venture, there will be rebuffs, there may be conflict, there will be those who will reject the message, but it is the only way we will catch the fish. If you do not fish, you will never catch a fish! And believe you me, there are plenty of fish out there, and some are almost ready to jump into the net, it just needs us to put the nets out.

In John 21:3, Peter said to some of the disciples ‘I am going fishing’ and they fished all night and caught nothing – sometimes we may feel we have fished all night and caught nothing, I can assure you I have been there. Then it says that Jesus appeared and said to them ‘Cast the net on the right side’ and in doing so they caught 153 large fish.

In Acts we see the importance of the leading of the Holy Spirit in our fishing ventures. It is all about casting the net on the right side, or in the right place. For example, in Acts 8:29 we read of the Holy Spirit telling Philip to ‘Go over and join this Chariot’ In obedience Philip went and fished, and a man was saved. In Acts 16 which is a great missional chapter because there was successful fishing in so many places but in verse 6-7, we read ‘they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. And when they came to Mysia they attempted to go into Bythinia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.’

We need the help of the Holy Spirit in directing us, but we need to obey his voice, his leading. Next time you feel the Holy Spirit prompt you to speak to someone – be obedient, who knows you may catch a fish!

Peter said, “I’m going fishing,”

so his friends went out with him.

Through the night, they labored, watching,

hauling empty nets back in.

In the grey of early morning,

Jesus, you came walking by.

From the beach you called a greeting,

“Cast out on the other side!”

Soon their nets were filled to brimming;

someone cried, “It is the Lord!”

Jumping in, he started swimming;

Christ, you met him on the shore.

Guiding them to better waters,

eating fish and sharing bread –

you showed Peter and the others:

You were risen from the dead!

Risen Christ, you send us fishing!

God’s great sea is everywhere.

you have guided us in mission,

you have given love to share.

Through the years, our church has heard you,

we have answered your great call:

“Cast your nets where I have told you.

Bring my Word of love to all!”

Lord, be with our congregation;

by your Spirit, send us forth!

May we care for your creation;

may we work for peace on earth.

In our worship, in our giving,

in our serving those in need,

may we know, Lord; you are living,

guiding us in ministry.

Unknown CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 29th

WEDNESDAY 29th

Acts 3 and 4 – Rivers of Living Water

The ministries or the work of the Holy Spirit within our lives are many and varied. He not only helps us in spiritual ministries, but he helps us in our everyday living, he enables us to walk in his ways rather than in the ways and the desires of the flesh. (our subject in the devotion on April 2nd)

Within the scope of the Church the Holy Spirit not only empowers us and anoints us, he also equips us. He gives us the grace and the strength in our work and service for the Lord.

There is another area that we come to in today’s reading, and perhaps we overlook this when we look at this portion of Scripture, and it is this; I believe that the Holy Spirit makes us more aware of the needs of those who are around us, he sensitizes us to becoming more compassionate toward the less fortunate or those in need. In a sense it is the Holy Spirit working in our lives to make us more like what Jesus was like – it says in Matthew 9:36 that when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’

Jesus was a man who was moved with compassion. Today we are seeing all around us folk who are harassed and helpless, the easiest thing to do is to pass by them, to ignore them and think to ourselves, ‘someone else can see to them.’

In Acts 3, Peter and John were making their way up to the temple at the hour of prayer. On the journey was a man who was less fortunate than they were, a man who was harassed and helpless, a man who spent his day sitting and begging just to try and get by. He had been lamed from birth.

I think that the first thing that was triggered in the hearts of the two men was a supernatural compassion for the man. It would have been so easy to just walk by him. But he had a need and they could do something about it. But what they were about to do was something extraordinary. They couldn’t help him out financially , their pockets were empty, but because of the encounter that they had had in the ‘Upper Room’ they had something even more important to offer, something that would end the man’s hopelessness, and mean he would vacate the place where he had been sitting every day and do something that he had never experienced before, to walk and jump and to leap about. They had the Power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives, they had the ‘faith to believe that something extraordinary could happen’ They had authority to minister ‘in the name of Jesus’ and so they spoke to the man (v6) and took the man by the right hand and ‘immediately his feet and ankles were made strong’ This in itself is amazing, but let’s not miss a major point, the healing was wonderful but through it they introduced the man to Jesus.

Now, I am not suggesting that we should go to every person we see begging in the streets, and begin to do this, what I am suggesting is that when we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit we will know and recognise the sensitivity of the leading of the Holy Spirit to go to those who he wants us to go to. It will not always be necessarily to go to someone in the streets, it can be anywhere, for the helpless and the harassed are found in our neighbourhoods, maybe in our families and maybe even within the community of the Church.

At first, this narrative does not seem to end too well for the disciples, they are arrested and put into custody! But it gives them a great opportunity to share the gospel again(4:7-12) and the verdict given was two-fold, 1) The authorities knew something spectacular had happened (4:13-14) 2) They forbade them from speaking or teaching any more in the name of Jesus. Then they were released.

But immediately the disciples were released from custody they reported back to the Church and they have a prayer meeting about the situation and God releases yet again another spectacular outpouring of the Holy Spirt. V31 ‘And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirt and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.’

Hang on, ‘They were all filled with the Holy Spirit’ I thought that that had happened on the day of Pentecost? How come they were filled again? Well, can I suggest that the disciples who had been filled on the day of Pentecost had also been giving out as they had moved under the power of the Holy Spirit. They had received and they had also been giving, and (hopefully not to sound to disrespectful about spiritual things), they needed topping up again! In John 7:37-38, Jesus cried out ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’, Jesus said that we need to drink so that out of our hearts will flow rivers of living water, ‘this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’ (V39) This tells us, that for the rivers of living water to be flowing out they first need to be flowing in! We continually need to ‘drink’, to know what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that he can overflow out through our lives as rivers of living water towards others.

Going back to where we started, as you picture Peter and John speaking to the lame man, allow your mind’s eye to look deeper, first see Peter and John before they make the journey, drinking the living water, they are filled with the Spirit and as they begin to speak to the lame man, in the Name of Jesus, the rivers of living water are flowing out and a need is met and God is glorified.

I am a big tea and coffee drinker, probably drink far too much and guess what, what goes in needs to eventually come out! The more I drink the more . . .!

Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 ‘. . . but be filled with the Spirit . . .’ Scholars tell us that it should read ‘Keep on being filled with the Spirit’ Keep drinking in the water Jesus offers, keep drinking, drinking and drinking, because, you’ve guessed it,  the more you drink the more the rivers of living water will flow!

Rivers of living water,

Rivers that flow from the throne,

Rivers o’erflowing with blessing,

Coming from Jesus alone.

Rivers of living water,

Rivers of life so free,

Flowing from Thee, my Savior,

Send now the rivers through me.

Whoso is thirsty come hither,

Here is abundant supply;

Water transparent as crystal,

Come without money and buy.

Cleanse me, oh, cleanse me, my Savior,

Make me a channel today;

Empty me, fill me and use me,

Teach me to trust and obey.

Then, and then only, Lord Jesus,

Through me the rivers can flow;

Thus and thus only will others

Learn Thy great fulness to know.

Now I surrender to Jesus,

Here I lay all at His feet;

Anything, anywhere only,

Just for His service made meet!

Unknown CCLI 7882682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 28th

TUESDAY 28th

Acts 2:14-47 – Power

Luke who has written this historical account for us, continues the story. From the thousands that were out in the streets, there had been a mixed reaction. Some were amazed and perplexed at what they were seeing and hearing, others decided to mock them, suggesting it was as a result of having too much wine to drink, even though the evidence was there, that in the tongues that were being spoken the people understood them and heard them describing the mighty works of God.

As a response to the reaction of the crowd, but more importantly, as a result of the Pentecostal Power and the Holy Spirits Infilling, Peter stood up with the other eleven and began to address the crowd. It was only a few weeks earlier they were locking themselves away for fear of the Jews, (John 20:19) but now, what a transformation. When the Holy Spirit comes and fills with power, he also gives spiritual boldness and spiritual strength, and Peter, who blatantly denied Jesus three times (John 18:15-27) is now boldly proclaiming him.

In verses 15 – 36 we have the first sermon preached after the inauguration of the Church, and what a sermon. It wasn’t a motivational talk, it wasn’t a series of quick steps to make yourself feel better about yourself, it wasn’t a half hour talk that tickled the fancy of the hearers, it was a proclamation of the truth, it expounded and verified that what was happening was a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy,(vv16-21 and Joel 2:28-32) it declared the truth concerning who Jesus was, and that though his life, death and resurrection God was at work, (vv22-28) it was a declaration of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, (vv29-36) it exposed the sins of the hearers, for at the same time as the Holy Spirit anointed Peter to preach the sermon, the Holy Spirit was also at work in the hearts of the crowd, for we read in v37 that they were cut to the heart, conviction had gripped them as they realised the reality of their sin and their need for the Saviour. They responded, ‘What shall we do?’ and Peter answered, ‘Repent and be baptised, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit.’ 

We need to know again the Holy Spirits anointing on the preaching of the Word of God, I confess, that I need to know the anointing, I need to know the equipping power, those of us who preach in Churches today need to know what it is to not pussy foot around trying to pamper, but to preach with authority and in power the whole counsel of God so that conviction will fall upon the hearers. In the words of the famous William Booth hymn, ‘We need another Pentecost, send the fire today’ I need it, we all need it, may God visit us again with Pentecostal power and anointing.

The end of the sermon is not recorded for us, as it says that after giving the command to repent and to be baptised, in verse 40 ‘And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ ‘With many other words’ he continued, but the exciting part is there in verse 41, ‘So those who received his word were baptised and there were added that day about three thousand souls.’ What a baptismal service it must have been and imagine the rejoicing that must have been taking place in heaven. And why did it happen? Because they were obedient to the command to wait, and as a result of their waiting they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they preached with power and with authority the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 39 we read ‘For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are afar off, everyone whom the Lord calls to himself.’

The ‘for you’ was the crowd that were listening to Peter preaching, the ‘for your children’ was to be the next generation, the ‘for all who are afar off’ includes every succeeding generation, the ‘everyone whom the Lord calls to himself’ includes every man, woman, boy, girl who comes to faith during the period which we call the day of God’s grace. This includes you and me, the promise is for us today. What is the promise? ‘You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ Can I re-echo what I was asked on the edge of Lough Neigh, (Monday 27th) ‘Have you received the Holy Spirit?’

I pray that God will create an inner desire, thirst, hunger within us to want more of God, to know what it truly means to be filled so that in whatever capacity we may function within the Church we seek to do it under the Holy Spirit’s anointing.

O God of burning cleansing flame:

Send the fire!

Your blood-bought gift today we claim:

Send the fire today!

Look down and see this waiting host,

And send the promised Holy Ghost;

We need another Pentecost!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

God of Elijah, hear our cry:

Send the fire!

And make us fit to live or die:

Send the fire today!

To burn up every trace of sin,

To bring the light and glory in,

The revolution now begin!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

It’s fire we want, for fire we plead:

Send the fire!

The fire will meet our every need:

Send the fire today!

For strength to always do what’s right,

For grace to conquer in the fight,

For power to walk the world in white:

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

To make our weak hearts strong and brave:

Send the fire!

To live, a dying world to save:

Send the fire today!

Oh, see us on Your altar lay,

We give our lives to you today,

So crown the offering now we pray:

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

Send the fire today!

William Booth CCLI 788682

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Daily Devotion April 27th

MONDAY 27th

Acts 2:1-13 – Receive

This is one of the pivotal chapters in Scripture, it is a moment of infilling, of impact and of outreach.

The disciples had been obedient to the instruction that Jesus had given them in the previous chapter 1:4, and they waited, and they prayed until the Day of Pentecost arrived ‘and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.’

When we are told here that the ‘Day of Pentecost’ arrived it is referring to one of the feasts of the Children of Israel, which they observed throughout the year. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-16)

But now it was going to take on a more significant meaning, it was to be the moment in which the promised Holy Spirit would arrive and infill the waiting disciples / believers. Pentecost means ‘fiftieth’ and on this day, the fiftieth day after the resurrection a new Pentecost takes place. It is the pivotal moment when we can say that the Church was born, the moment when Jesus began to build his Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

I think that it is quite clear that Jesus intended and expects his Church to be Pentecostal, Spirit filled and Spirit empowered. Remember his instruction, they were not to leave Jerusalem until they had received power and the power would arrive when the Holy Spirit came upon them. (1:8)

We see the initial effect upon the waiting disciples in 2:3-4 ‘And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were ALL FILLED with the Holy Spirit and begun to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ They were filled and they spoke in other tongues. It is important to realise here, that they weren’t making up gibberish sounds, they weren’t uttering unintelligible sounds, (even though they themselves may not have understood) they were speaking in other known languages which they themselves didn’t know, languages different to their own language. Such is the incredible power of the Holy Spirit. We know this because of what it says in verses 6-7. ‘And at this sound the multitude came together (Because the Feast of Pentecost was taking place, Jerusalem would have been filled with visitors from afar) and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them (those filled with the Holy Spirit) speaking in his own language. (Italics mine) And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own language?’ And the account lists many of the regions and languages. WOW, what an incredible moment in time, what an incredible scene to have witnessed, what a mighty demonstration of the power of God. What a shift in the plan and purpose of God, in a period of 50 days, Jesus had died, had been buried, had risen again, had appeared many times, had returned to heaven and now a movement was born, the Church of Jesus Christ, inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Spirit, infilled with the power of the Holy Spirit and ready to go and infiltrate the kingdom of darkness and to see many delivered from it and brought into the kingdom of light.

They had waited, they had been filled, the power promised had been received, and as a result the disciples were ready to be propelled as witnesses, first into Jerusalem, then into Judea, then into Samaria and then to the end of the earth. Fulfilling the commission given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. The story continues, two thousand years later and this devotion continues, tomorrow.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

This shall our watchword be,

Upon the highest mountain,

Down by the widest sea.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

To Him shall all men bow;

In city or in prairie,

The world for Jesus now.

The whole wide world, the whole wide world!

Proclaim the Gospel tidings thro’ the whole wide world!

Lift up the cross of Jesus, His banner be unfurled,

Till every tongue confess Him thro’ the whole wide world.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

Inspires us with the thought

That every son of Adam

Hath by His love been bought.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

O faint not by the way!

The cross shall surely conquer

In this our glorious day.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

The marching order sound;

Go ye and preach the gospel

Wherever man is found.

The whole wide world for Jesus!

Our banner is unfurled;

We battle now for Jesus,

And faith demands the world.

Catherine Johnson CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 26th

Sunday 26th

Acts 1 – Wait

During this week we will look at some portions of Scripture in the book of Acts, concerning Pentecost and the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and conclude with some verses from 1 Corinthians 12 and Galatians 5.

As a local Church in Gateshead, our name ‘Emmanuel Pentecostal Church’ identifies us as being a Pentecostal Church, which in turns identifies us as being a people of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should not only be Pentecostal in title but in practice as well.

A few weeks back in the devotions, I highlighted some of the ministries of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (April 2nd) As we look in the book of Acts during this week we will enlarge further, but for today a brief introduction.

Acts chapter one, starts by informing us that Jesus made many proofs to the disciples of his resurrection by appearing to them over a period of forty days. During this time, he instructed the disciples that they were not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit.

In verse 6 the disciples were more interested in the kingdom of Israel being restored to which Jesus replied (in my own words) ‘You don’t need to be concerned about these things, it’s all been sorted and arranged by my Father. What is important for you though is this, wait and when you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit you will receive power and you are going to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, then in Samaria and to the end of the world.’

Is it possible that like the disciples, we too can be preoccupied with other matters instead of the priority of Pentecost in our experience?

Immediately after Jesus had said this, he was taken up from out of their sight and a cloud took him up and back to heaven. This is what we refer to has the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, he had accomplished what he had been sent to do, and now he was returning, back to his Father.

The next verse is an encouraging verse because it confirms to the disciples what Jesus had already told them, (in John 14:1-3) 1:11 ‘This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ This was good news for the disciples, and it is good news for us today, it is good news, full-stop, but in the trouble-some days in which we are living, it is comforting and reassuring news, that the day is coming and it may be sooner than we realise when this same Jesus who the disciples saw being taken up into heaven is going to come again, and when he does we who are watching and waiting will be taken up so that we will forever be with our Lord. When Paul touches on this same subject in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 he adds at the end in verse 18 ‘Therefore encourage one another with these words.’ May we be encouraged ‘He is coming again’, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.

The rest of chapter one continues with the disciples returning to the upper room, (v13) they spend a period of time in united fellowship, in one accord with others, including Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers (120 people altogether) devoting themselves to prayer. It was also there in the upper room, during this time of waiting that they appointed Matthias to replace Judas.

And there they waited, and there they prayed until we get to chapter two and verse one which says, ‘And when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly . . .’

You may recall I talked about a ‘suddenly’ moment in an earlier devotion, (March 26th) when Paul and Silas were praying and singing at midnight and ‘suddenly’ there was an earthquake. (Acts 16:26) Well, here in Acts 2 there is a ‘suddenly’ moment, and this ‘suddenly’ moment was going to transform the disciples, they were about to receive and to be filled with the promised Holy Spirit and as a result things would never be the same again. But that is the subject for the rest of this week and I pray it is a subject that will not be contained within the boundaries of this week and our devotions but will be the ongoing experience for us as a Church, as a Pentecostal Church as we move forward with God into the future he has prepared for us until that moment when he comes again.

For today, as we embark on this week concerning the Holy Spirit, I jump forward to Acts 19 and ask the question that Paul asked the believers who he met with in Ephesus, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’

I was brought up in a Pentecostal Church, and when I was 18, I went to stay with a friend in Belfast, NI and while there I made contact with one of my dad’s cousins, David Greenow, who lived there and was a full time Evangelist, I knew him well as he frequently returned to Hereford to visit his family and to preach in the Church. We connected for a day and he took me to a few places, but there was one place and one moment that impacted me, it was like a bolt out of the blue. We went to Lough Neagh and as we stood looking across the lough, he turned to me and said, ‘Have you received the Holy Spirit? If not, why not, you belong to a Pentecostal Church.’ It was one of those moments where I knew that God by his Spirit was challenging me concerning my walk and relationship with him. Shamefully I had to reply, ‘No’ and he prayed with me and from that moment on I was desperate to seek and to be filled. I cannot point to a definitive moment when I received, until a while later at a youth conference while seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit someone praying with me just simply said, I believe you have already been filled, just be released and it happened, I began to speak with tongues as the Holy Spirit gave me the ability. Did something happen at the Lough?

How about you? The disciples had to stay at ‘home’ till they received, wouldn’t it be wonderful if during this time while we have to stay at ‘home’ we were filled either for the first time, or afresh by the Holy Spirit so that when gathered church happens again we will be equipped by the Holy Spirit’s power to take us forward.

They were gathered in an upper chamber,

as commanded by the risen Lord,

and the promise of the Father

there they sought with one accord,

when the Holy Ghost from heaven descended

like a rushing wind and tongues of fire:

so dear Lord, we seek Thy blessing,

come with glory now our hearts inspire.

Let the fire fall, let the fire fall,

let the fire from heaven fall;

we are waiting and expecting,

now in faith, dear Lord, we call;

let the fire fall, let the fire fall,

on Thy promise we depend;

from the glory of Thy presence

let the Pentecostal fire descend.

As Elijah we would raise the altar

for our testimony clear and true,

Christ the Saviour, loving Healer,

coming Lord, Baptizer too,

ever flowing grace and full salvation,

for a ruined race Thy love has planned;

for this blessed revelation,

for Thy written word we dare to stand.

‘This the covenanted promise given

to as many as the Lord shall call,

to the fathers and their children,

to Thy people, one and all;

so rejoicing in Thy word unfailing,

we draw nigh in faith Thy power to know –

come, O come, Thou burning Spirit,

set our hearts with heavenly fire aglow.

With a living coal from off Thy altar

touch our lips to swell Thy wondrous praise,

to extol Thee, bless, adore Thee,

and our songs of worship raise;

let the cloud of glory now descending

fill our hearts with holy ecstasy,

come in all Thy glorious fullness,

blessed Holy Spirit, have Thy way

H Tee CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 25th

SATURDAY 25th

Psalm 34

V18 ‘The LORD is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in Spirit.’

We are many weeks into a period of uncertainty, a period the like of none of us have never been through before on such a large scale. To date (25th) There are 2.7m confirmed cases of Covid-19 world-wide, with 195,920 deaths. In the UK 143,464 cases and there have been 19,506 deaths. Thankfully many have and are recovered or are recovering.

Death has come suddenly, almost with either very little or no warning. Yes, we all know that we will die one day, but out of these present figures so many will have died unexpectedly, that is one of the reasons why the authorities have put in place many procedures to try to halt the spread and to eventually, hopefully wipe it out.

The Bible tells us that death has come as a result of the entrance of sin into the world. Death is no respecter of persons, it comes to all, and not always when we are old in age, sadly it calls from every age group. Any death is a sad time, any funeral service is a place where we would rather not attend. One of the saddest I’ve attended was when a previous school friend of our daughter died of Meningitis. She was just 11 years old, we had moved away, but for our daughter we travelled the 275 miles back to Great Cornard, Suffolk to enable her to join with all the other class-mates at the funeral, it was such a heart-breaking time. After the funeral I had a conversation with the vicar who I knew from our time living there, and he confided with me with some news that only he and his wife knew at the time, of which they were not disclosing yet owing to the events of the day. That same morning before he had had to officiate at the funeral, their own daughter just a few years old had been diagnosed with cancer, sadly just a year or two later, their daughter had also died. At the other end of the extreme I went to a funeral around the same time of an aunt of mine, she was 101.

We don’t like to talk about death, but we need to constantly remind ourselves as believers that we have as we considered on Tuesday, a Shepherd who is with us. But there is something else that we are reminded about in our Scripture today, the Shepherd also comes near to the broken hearted. Picture this: as the Shepherd is going through the valley of the shadow of death with a dying soul, transporting them into his eternal presence and home, he is at the very same time drawing close to the bereaved to minister to their broken-heartedness. What a wonderful Shepherd we have.

We can know a broken heart in many ways, it can come through a relationship breakdown, it can be as a result of devastating news but more commonly as already mentioned, we know broken-heartedness at the loss of a loved one when death has come and taken them. And many are experiencing this at this moment, the whole world over. There are many broken-hearted people in this world today. Death is awful in that it brings separation, as a loved one is taken, but perhaps it is made even the more difficult today in that we are constantly being reminded that such is the risk of contamination, that loved ones are sadly being left to die alone. Couples who may have been together for many years, unable to embrace, hold hands and to be a comfort to each other because of the potential and dangerous risk of getting the virus.

We can take many steps to help in this period, we can pray, we can ensure we follow the guidelines, we can ring, encourage etc. but we can also be the means through which the healing of the broken heart can take place as we allow God to use us to minister his grace to any that we know who may be hurting. Not just as a result of the virus, but any that are going through a period of loss. Elaine and I lost three of our parents in a month, three funerals in the space of 27 days, and we thank God that while we were grieving there were many in our Church family who were praying for us, getting in touch with us and just being there for us, but above all we thank God that our Shepherd was with us helping to heal our broken-heartedness.

In the New Testament, we read of the moment when Jesus arrived at the grave of Lazarus, even though he knew what he was about to do, he connected with the broken-heartedness of the two sisters and he wept. We must and should never be afraid of tears, again the Scripture says that when one rejoices, we rejoice with them, when one suffers, we suffer with them. We need to learn the art of connecting and caring! The need to enter what another person is going through, to be able to give them succour and support.

In Isaiah 61:1-2 we read ‘The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour.’

In Luke 4, Jesus stood up in the temple and took the Scroll of the prophet Isaiah and when he found these verses, he read them out concluding at the end, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

Yes, Jesus came to be the Saviour, he came to seek and to save the lost, he came to reconcile and to redeem, he came to give abundant and eternal life. But, among so many other things as well he came to bind up, or to heal the broken hearted.

The Psalm for today, is a reasonably well-known Psalm, meditate upon it, but if at this moment are down-hearted or broken-hearted allow the Saviour to lift you up, allow him to replace your sorrow with joy.

Psalm 147:3 ‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.’

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear

Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

When sorrow seems to surround you

When suffering hangs heavy o’er your head

Know that tomorrow brings

Wholeness and healing

God knows your need

Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear

Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

When what you’ve done keeps you from moving on

When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart

Know that forgiveness brings

Wholeness and healing

God knows your need

Just believe what He said

I once was lost but God has found me

Though I was bound I’ve been set free

I’ve been made righteous in His sight

A display of His splendor all can see

CCLI788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 24th

FRIDAY 24th

Psalm 123

This isn’t a very long Psalm and perhaps you are wondering why I have chosen it, it’s not because it is one of my favourites, but as I was going through the Psalms for this week the first verse caught my attention. ‘To you I lift my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!’

It then gives an illustration in verse 2 of the eyes of the servant looking towards their master, and the eyes of the maidservant towards their mistress. This gives us a picture of our dependency toward God.

We depend on many things in our lives, especially in modern living with the technological era in which we live – we depend on our electric supply (and gas and water), we depend on our fridges, freezers, micro-waves, kettles, washing machines, our cars or public transport, and today we seem to be unable to cope without a particular device called a mobile phone or laptop computer. Imagine how different our day would be by trying to manage without each of these things I have mentioned.

Over the last months we have become even more aware of so much that we have taken for granted, everyday things we do, activities we do etc  like shopping, meeting with family or friends, going out in the car, maybe the gym, or even popping out for a meal with others.

Things which we have built our lives around and of we have become dependent upon. Suddenly we have been stripped of these things and have had to re-manage how we live and organise our lives. There are many ways in which we can react, we could become angry, we could become rebellious, we could be resourceful etc. but one thing we can all be is pro-active. We can be determined to make the most out of a difficult situation. But there is something else that we who are believers can do, it is that we can take stock. We can take the situation and the time it gives us to re-evaluate our lives and in particular our relationship with God. As we think of all the things in this life that we have become so dependant upon how many of them have become an hinderance to us in our walk with and our dependency upon the Lord Jesus Christ without our realising it?

Let’s go back to the first verse, ‘To you I lift my eyes.’ Our eyes are incredible organs, they are very delicate and yet extremely powerful, it is with our eyes we have vison, through our eyes we see everything around us, it is through our eyes we can focus on things that are close or far away. Sight is precious. Every day, we who have our sight are looking, watching, and as a result are absorbing, taking in and learning. Every day we are seeing and as a result feeding our minds which in turn feeds our desires. There is a challenge here, as to how much of our time is spent using our eyes to watch, read, see things that are not really of any value, more so of any spiritual value?

Some modern smart phones give you a weekly report on your screen time, whether you have spent more screen time or less screen time in a week compared to the previous week. I wonder what the weekly report would be on how much time we have given to the Word of God and the things of God? It’s a challenge to me.

 ‘To you I Lift my eyes’ speaks of our dependency toward God, the other familiar Psalm 121, says ‘I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.’ We need to remember that these words are not just for the difficult and tough times, they are applicable for every moment of our lives. We need his help regardless of what our circumstances are because in this modern age, there is so much than can distract us and cause us to lose our dependency upon him.

There is one well known New Testament Scripture that talks of where our eyes should be looking, and with this scripture I will conclude this devotion, it’s in Hebrews 12:1-2 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’

I lift my eyes

to the quiet hills

in the press of a busy day;

as green hills stand

in a dusty land

so God is my strength and stay.

I lift my eyes

to the quiet hills

to a calm that is mine to share;

secure and still

in the Father’s will

and kept by the Father’s care.

I lift my eyes

to the quiet hills

with a prayer as I turn to sleep;

by day, by night,

through the dark and light

my Shepherd will guard his sheep.

I lift my eyes

to the quiet hills

and my heart to the Father’s throne;

in all my ways

to the end of days

the Lord will preserve his own.

 Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926) CCLI 788682

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Devotions

Daily Devotion April 23rd

THURSDAY 23rd

Psalm 100

There are some Psalms that perhaps we can recall being used more frequently than others in Sunday morning worship services, and for me, when I hear particular Psalms, my mind immediately remembers individuals who I can recall who used to regularly read them or they take me back to a particular time  – they were the favourites. Psalm 8 immediately reminds me of a lovely lady called Sonia that worshipped in the Church in Wrexham. Psalm 103 reminds me of an elderly man who used to make us smile as youngsters because he always used to say Psalm one ought three instead of one hundred and three.

This Psalm for today, Psalm 100, takes me back to my childhood Church in Madley, a little village in Herefordshire, the same place as Mr one ought three attended. I can remember verse 2 being displayed on the wall as a motto, ‘Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!’

This Psalm like many other Psalms, calls us to ‘come and to worship the Lord’.

Come with a joyful noise – that means that not all noise is joyful!

Come with singing, there is something powerful about song, and I believe that there is something especially powerful about congregational singing.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, we of all people should be a thankful people when we think of what God has done for us.

Enter his courts with praise, his praise should always be on our lips.

It gives to us the core for a worship service. Joyful noise, singing, thanksgiving, praise and blessing. But it also says serve the LORD with gladness, everything we do in the service of the Church should be done unto the Lord with gladness and in verse 3, ‘Know that the LORD, He is God!’ We come together in worship to KNOW the Lord, I believe worship should draw us closer to the Lord, and also expand our understanding of who he is and of what he has done and is doing and yet will do for us. Worship should excite us, but it should also ignite us, because the more we worship in spirit and in truth, the greater should be our awareness of God in our lives and the stronger our desire should be to get to know him more.

Returning to verse three, it also says. ‘It is he who has made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’

When we come to worship, we are coming to bow down before the great Creator. He not only deserves our worship, but he has the right to demand it! He has made us, we are his, this reminds me of 1 Corinthians 6:20 ‘For you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.’

We don’t belong to ourselves; we belong to God we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. There is a personal challenge to each of us here, as to glorifying God, in that we need to be careful that we don’t dishonour God through our actions, in the things which we do and the things we say each day.

Psalm 95:6-7 says, ‘Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.’

Then the final verse (100:5) reminds us ‘For the LORD is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.’ 

This is why we worship, why we praise, why we bring joyful noise / songs, and serve with gladness because the LORD who has made us is a GOOD God, he loves us with enduring love and he is faithful to all generations – as he was faithful 4000 years ago, 3000 years ago, 2000 years ago, 1000 years ago so he still is today and will be in 1000 years, 2000, 3000, 4000 . . . . Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’

Why should we make, serve, come, know, enter and give – for many thousand reasons but in particular because of Gods steadfast love and faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning, new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy hands hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Thomas Chisholm CCLI 788682