Sing the Song of Pentecost

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It was 24 years ago and I still vividly recall spending the day in prayer by the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I was pondering Habakkuk 2:14, and felt prompted to write in my journal, “one day you will be part of a ministry called Oceans!”

I was reminded of that life altering moment as last week a good friend sent me a daily worship devotional by Shane and Shane. This musical duo was sharing how they had just been at a conference with missionaries from around the world. What grabbed the hearts of them more than anything was found in the hope and glorious calling of Habakkuk 2:14.

Shane and Shane were so moved by the passion of these believers that they wrote a worship song from the verse:

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the King as the waters cover the sea,  for the church will be thrilled with the knowledge of the glory of the King, every nation gathered to sing.

Chorus:

Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb be blessing, honor, power unto Him, Amen!

Listening to the song from Habakkuk 2:14 and subsequent verses from Revelation 5, my mind lifted from administrative details and to the Father’s vision for His church. I found myself praying for His children all over the world  to be droplets of His love, flooding the nations with the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit given to us in Jesus- the now reigning King.

While in South Africa my favorite place to pray is a peak where I can sit on a rock and oversee the vastness of  both the Indiana and Atlantic Oceans disappearing in the horizon. God often uses the visual to remind me how small I am and How big He is. His big vision is to cover the entire world with His glorious reign of grace. And one day the whole earth will be gathered together to sing His praise.

A few days ago churches around the world celebrated Pentecost Sunday, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Father’s sons and daughters. I can’t think of a better vision statement for what started that Holy day than Habakkuk  2:14.  On that day 3000 droplets of grace started a river flowing from Jerusalem which is turning into an ocean of people touching the nations with true healing love and eternal hope.

Did you read the story of 2500 people being baptized last week in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida? This reminded me of those who have been baptized in the Indiana and Atlantic Oceans off the coast of South Africa. What a joy to witness such hope for those choosing the way of Jesus.

I was so thankful for my friend sending me this simple but powerful song last Thursday. It reminded me once again of the Father’s vision for His children. Each one of us is called to join in this ocean of His saving glory covering all the earth with His love-and  that it is happening all around us is such an encouragement!

May we keep singing and living out the Song of Pentecost believing in it’s powerful promise!

 

 

 

 

The Awakening

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A Great Awakening. This powerful movie portrays the real-life friendship of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and the pioneering evangelist from England George Whitefield. Based on Whitefield’s personal journals, this movie depicts the spiritual revival of the 1730’s and brings to light how this revival impacted the founding of the United States.

One profound moment of this story goes back to a transformative time in Whitefield’s life while a student at Oxford. George Whitefield desperate to discern God’s voice and favor entered into a season of fasting. Truth be told without the intervention of his friend, John Wesley, Whitefield would have died in his religious fervor.

Wesley pleaded with Whitefield to stop the fast and used the story of Jesus’ Baptism as a catalyst. The Biblical words of truth clearly proclaim to Jesus that He is “the beloved of the Father” before he did any sort of ministry or good work.

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3:21-22)

The Holy Spirit used this exhortation to awaken Whitefield to the love of Abba Father. It is God’s GRACE,  not religious duty, obligation, or a list of accomplishments that brings each of us to Him. The same love of the Father which fueled Jesus ministry, became a Holy Fire in Whitefield’s heart, and the central theme of his preaching and ministry.

As a young pastor I was given the 2 volumes of Whitefield’s journals and spent many nights pouring over his reflections. His ministry was an overflow of the Father’s love and in God’s perfect timing Whitefield unleashed that message through the power of the Holy Spirit to throngs of people desperate for a message of the Father’s love.

Both in the UK and in the 13 colonies a Great Awakening was taking place as the Father’s love was experienced through the Gospel being preached with burning Fire. I won’t give any more scenes of movie away, as I hope some of you will watch on viewing platforms. I already watched it twice and each time could feel my heart being moved by the Spirit.

How each and every one of us needs to know and embrace this true and lasting love preached 280 years ago on American soil. Religious rituals seeking to earn God’s favor won’t do it, or money, fame, power, sex, not even the latest self-help program will fill the empty void. Ask the Father to open your heart to hear these precious words, “You are my beloved son/daughter whom I loved before time begin and will love you for all eternity through the gift of Jesus My Son.”

This Sunday the church will celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. On that day weak and broken disciples, who were filled with the knowledge of the Father’s love by means of the Spirit. Because of this amazing gift these disciples of Jesus preached with great boldness about with the fire of the Father’s love and the world has never been the same!

Jesus, the disciples, and Whitefield, all lived and ministered out of the Father’s love. Each of them made talking and listening to the Father’s voice in prayer their # 1 priority.  Prayer keeps us close to the heart of a loving Father and allows His Spirit to remind us that we are the “Beloved of the Father.”

May our prayer be for the Spirit to awaken our hearts again to the burning love of our Father!

What’s Right With Our World?

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G.K. Chesterton, the prolific British author once posed the question, “what’s wrong with the world?” and left many stunned when he answered, “I am!”

In our day if you would ask that question on social media I would imagine very few would respond, “I am!” We live in an cultural climate where it is everyone else’s fault but our’s. We are quick to place judgement on the other person believing we have the truth and if only others would see it “my way” things would work out right.

But Chesterton is exactly right, the biggest problem in our world is you and me. Before we can judge others we must take a deep long look at our own heart and see it as the prophet Jeremiah diagnosed it:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” 17:9

This past week Patty and I attended a prayer event in our area led mainly by young people. The testimonies were moving as many of the teens struggled with mental health issues which led to substance abuse, destructive behavior, and even suicide attempts.

Their answer to their struggles was so encouraging, as they stated encountering a Savior who could heal their broken, sin stained heart was what brought hope. One of the students found Jesus through caring foster parents who poured out the unconditional love of Jesus upon him. Another student experienced forgiveness, healing, and the gift of God’s grace through a youth group he attended.

As I listened to these miracles I gazed up at the blue sky with puffy white clouds dancing about, I thought about how the wrongs of this world are made right. Perhaps it is when we come to see our own broken, sinful, heart condition for what it is,”desperately sick,” that a transformation can begin.

Understanding the issues deep within my heart points me to the One who has the power to heal with His perfect heart of love and forgiveness. Our loving Father sent His son Jesus to this world in order to break the power of my sinful heart and turn it right again. In Jesus’ very first sermon He preaches from Isaiah 61 declaring a new day has come where He is making all things right again:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘you are free! I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God ‘s great acceptance has begun.” Lk. 4:18-19

What’s right with our world? I witnessed it again the other night, in those testimonies of King Jesus healing wounded hearts and making them whole by bringing young people into the Father’s Kingdom. I was reminded in that beautiful out door sanctuary how the Spirit of God is on the move and it will not be stopped until the whole world is filled with His glory.

 

 

 

 

 

Theo of Golden

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My genre of reading doesn’t include a lot of fiction novels. However, Patty received a New York Times Bestseller from our daughter-in-law which she couldn’t put down and she kept telling me, “you have to read this.” So one day when she was out I cracked open the book and for the next 6 days I was completely mesmerized.

Theo of Golden is not only a literary masterpiece which may go down as one of the most moving writings in our time, but it also shares a message  desperately needed in our chaotic culture. Here is a brief summary from the back cover of the book:

“A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen. Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.”

Both Patty and I were at a loss when we finished the book, but we found solace in the many hours of discussion and reflection on the Biblical themes flowing through it.

One of those themes which captivated me from the start was the prominence of rivers highlighted from the beginning to the end of the book.  It made me think of one of the greatest Biblical events in history, which the church will soon celebrate, Pentecost. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out like a mighty rushing river flooding the earth with the Father’s glorious life changing love.

Over and over again as I read Theo of Golden I was brought back to Ezekiel’s vision of water flowing from the Temple into a life changing river bringing life to parched souls:

“And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish…everything will live where the river goes…And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:9-12

As I pondered this amazing novel I thought about all the Theo’s in my life who played a part in the River of pointing me to the Father’s kindness, generosity and love. How today we need people whose hearts are rivers of His grace bringing them to eat from the TREE of Life, our healing Savior Jesus.

This thought provoking novel illustrates a beautiful portrait of what it is like to produce a fruitful life and flourish even in the midst of living in challenging circumstances. The vision given is both simple and profound and so needed in our world. I truly hope you will consider picking up a copy of this book and experience it’s timely and prophetic message.