The Spirit before and after Pentecost

Now let me suggest an analogy to illustrate the experience of the Spirit before and after Pentecost. 

Picture a huge dam for hydroelectric power under construction, like the Aswan High Dam on the Nile, 375 feet high and 11,000 feet across. Egypt's President Nasser announced the plan for construction in 1953. The dam was completed in 1970 and in 1971 there was a grand dedication ceremony and the 12 turbines with their ten billion kilowatt-hour capacity were unleashed with enough power to light every city in Egypt. 

During the long period of construction, the Nile River wasn't completely stopped. Even as the reservoir was filling, part of the river was allowed to flow past. The country folk downstream depended on it. They drank it, they washed in it, it watered their crops and turned their mill-wheels. They sailed on it in the moonlight and wrote songs about it. It was their life. But on the day when the reservoir poured through the turbines a power was unleashed that spread far beyond the few folk down river and brought possibilities they had only dreamed of.

Well, Pentecost is like the dedicatory opening of the Aswan High Dam. Before Pentecost, the river of God's Spirit blessed the people of Israel and was their very life. But after Pentecost, the power of the Spirit spread out to light the whole world. None of the benefits enjoyed in the pre-Pentecostal days were taken away. But ten billion kilowatts were added to enable the church to take the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ to every tongue and tribe and nation.

John Piper

Upside Down World

During Hollywood's golden years there were many people in the film industry who were known for their practical jokes. One of the best known and most creative of these was a fellow by the name of Jack McDermott.

McDermott had a house replete with secret tunnels and sliding panels. The house featured a hidden room which was upside down. The rugs and furniture were fastened to the ceiling; and the drapes, pictures and even the fireplace were upside down. The floor had an elaborate chandelier thrust upwards from its center. When a house guest would have too much to drink, McDermott would take him into this special room and place him on the floor. You can imagine what it felt like to wake up there.

In contrast to the values of today's world Christians seem to live in a room that is upside down. When we are faithful to our beliefs we seem out of step with everyone else. Our faithfulness is paramount.

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Lord Jesus, it is not easy living in this upside down world. Remind me often that my home is with you. Amen.

Sales Department and Not Management

A pastor who was an avid golfer was taking part in a local golf tournament. As he prepared to tee off, storm clouds rolled in. 

The organizer of the tournament pointed them out to the pastor and said with a smile, "Preacher, I trust you’ll see to it that the weather won't turn bad on us." 

The pastor shook his head and said, "Sorry. I'm in sales, not management!"

When we pray, minister, share our faith, and follow God's guidance, it's important—and liberating—to remember that the results aren't up to us. 

It Only Took An Hour

Back in the old country, there was a Pastor who invested his life savings in timber. When a forest fire broke out and his finances literally went up in smoke, the Pastor’s friends worried about how to break the devastating news to him. They hemmed and hawed until the Pastor said, “You’re afraid to tell me about the fire, aren’t you?”

“You know?” they asked surprised.

“I found out about an hour ago.”

“And you’re not upset?” they asked.

“I was,” he answered, “I’m over it now.”

“It was only an hour ago!”

“Tell me,” said the Pastor, “Didn’t you once suffer a loss by fire? Why aren’t you distraught about it?”

“My fire was 10 years ago.”

“OK, so for you, it took 10 years. For me, it took an hour. The point is we both got over it.”

The truth here is that it is not the passage of time itself that heals but it is the right perspective that brings healing. 

Uncluttered Faith

One of my favorite stories concerns a bishop who was traveling by ship to visit a church across the ocean. While en route, the ship stopped at an island for a day. He went for a walk on a beach. He came upon three fishermen mending their nets.

Curious about their trade he asked them some questions. Curious about his ecclesiastical robes, they asked him some questions. When they found out he was a Christian leader, they got excited. “We Christians!” they said, proudly pointing to one another.

The bishop was impressed but cautious. Did they know the Lord’s Prayer? They had never heard of it.

“What do you say, then, when you pray?”

“We pray, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’ ”

The bishop was appalled at the primitive nature of the prayer. “That will not do.” So he spent the day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. The fishermen were poor but willing learners. And before the bishop sailed away the next day, they could recite the prayer with no mistakes.

The bishop was proud.

On the return trip, the bishop’s ship drew near the island again. When the island came into view the bishop came to the deck and recalled with pleasure the men he had taught and resolved to go see them again. 

As he was thinking a light appeared on the horizon near the island. It seemed to be getting nearer. As the bishop gazed in wonder he realized the three fishermen were walking toward him on the water. Soon all the passengers and crew were on the deck to see the sight.

When they were within speaking distance, the fisherman cried out, “Bishop, we come in a hurry to meet you.”

“What is it you want?” asked the stunned bishop.

“We are so sorry. We forget lovely prayer. We say, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name ...’ and then we forget. Please tell us prayer again.”

The bishop was humbled. “Go back to your homes, my friends, and when you pray say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’ ”

From And the Angels Were Silent
Copyright 1992, Max Lucado

The Beggar and the Bread

A beggar came and sat before me. “I want bread,” he said.

“How wise you are,” I assured him. “Bread is what you need. And you have come to the right bakery.” So I pulled my cookbook down from my shelf and began to tell him all I knew about bread.

I spoke of flour and wheat, of grain and barley. My knowledge impressed even me as I cited the measurements and recipe. When I looked up, I was surprised to see he wasn’t smiling. “I just want bread,” he said.

“How wise you are.” I applauded his choice. “Follow me, and I’ll show you our bakery.” Down the hallowed halls, I guided him, pausing to point out the rooms where the dough is prepared and the ovens where the bread is baked.

“No one has such facilities. We have bread for every need. But here is the best part,” I proclaimed as I pushed open two swinging doors. “This is our room of inspiration.” I knew he was moved as we stepped into the auditorium full of stained-glass windows.

The beggar didn’t speak. I understood his silence. With my arm around his shoulder, I whispered, “It overwhelms me as well.” I then leaped to the podium and struck my favorite pose behind the lectern. “People come from miles to hear me speak. Once a week my workers gather, and I read to them the recipe from the cookbook of life.”

By now the beggar had taken a seat on the front row. I knew what he wanted. “Would you like to hear me?”

“No,” he said, “but I would like some bread.”

“How wise you are,” I replied. And I led him to the front door of the bakery. 
“What I have to say next is very important,” I told him as we stood outside. “Up and down this street you will find many bakeries. But take heed; they don’t serve the true bread. I know of one who adds two spoons of salt rather than one. I know of another whose oven is three degrees too hot. They may call it bread,” I warned, “but it’s not according to the book.”

The beggar turned and began walking away. “Don’t you want bread?” I asked him.

He stopped, looked back at me, and shrugged, “I guess I lost my appetite.”

I shook my head and returned to my office. “What a shame,” I said to myself. “The world just isn’t hungry for true bread anymore.”

I don’t know what is more incredible: that God packages the bread of life in the wrapper of a country carpenter or that he gives us the keys to the delivery truck. Both moves seem pretty risky. The carpenter did his part, however. And who knows -- we may just learn to do ours.

From A Gentle Thunder
Copyright 2001, Max Lucado

The Other Side of The Door

A very sick man, visiting a small-town clinic, turned to his doctor, as he was leaving the room after paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side." 

Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know." 

"You don't know?" the man said. 

"You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door, on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining. As he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. 

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear."

"I know little of what is on the other side of death," the doctor continued, "but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And when the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness."

Applauding Own Speech

A colleague was invited to make a speech in Japan. Aware of his reputation as a very good speaker, he was surprised that his audience did not react at all to any of his perfectly timed jokes and witticisms. In fact, the audience did not react to anything he said.

Somewhat put down, he went back to his seat and a Japanese gentleman appeared on the stage. This man had a terrific success! People laughed and applauded, and although the original speaker could not understand one bit of what was said, still he started to applaud, as the man evidently deserved praise for this perfect speech.

He was interrupted by the chairman of the conference, "No no, sir. You must not applaud."

Dumbfounded, he protested: "But why? This man is obviously a very good speaker."

"No sir, you must not applaud. He is translating your speech."

The message is when you communicate, it's not only important to have a very powerful message and content, it's more important that the audience must be able to understand what you are trying to say.

Good communication is making sure the person, who is  receiving your message, can fully understand you.

A Very Small Prayer

One evening in September I took my 13-year-old son to see a St. Louis Cardinal's baseball game. I was given two free tickets for bleacher seats from my work, what a blessing! So I picked up my son at home and hurried back to the ballpark. We we're going early to watch batting practice. I told Nathaniel that from the bleachers, we might be able to get a souvenir baseball hit to us.

Well, there were a lot of balls falling around us, but that's just it, around us. Some on the left, some on the right, some in front of us, but nothing we could reach. And then it happened! A batted ball landed right at my feet. It did a double ricochet between the ground and the seat and blasted out from under there about 8 feet high right into the boy's glove. Unfortunately for me, the boy wasn't Nathaniel. The ball had bounced about ten rows in front of us. At the very moment the ball hit, I was distracted and looking to my right. I didn't even see it!

Well, that's it, I thought. You don't get another chance like that at the same game. So I settled in with just about ten minutes left of batting practice content with the game we were about to see. But there was another home run ball hit in the section to the right of us some twenty-five feet away. An elderly attendant got the ball when it landed, and signaled pointing with his finger that he wanted Nathaniel to have the baseball.

I was delighted and perplexed. We hadn't been talking with this man. He wasn't an attendant for our section. And there were about ten kids all excited and hopping up and down hoping for the ball. Nathaniel wasn't even close enough to be with the other kids. He was another six feet in back of them. But the attendant picked Nathaniel. I thought to myself, what luck! We have our souvenir!

It wasn't until the middle of the third inning that the significance of what I had just witnessed hit me. It was then that Nathaniel leaned over to me and said, "You know dad, I prayed before we got here that I would be able to get a baseball." Whir . Bang! My head must've made that noise as all at once my brain suddenly comprehended what my eyes had seen. What I had dismissed as a bit of good luck surely had a divine design!

This event has reinforced for me that God hears our smallest of prayers. Maybe even that's wrong, maybe there's not any such thing as a "small" prayer to God. And no request seems too trivial when asked in sincerity with the heart of child. Nathaniel has the proof! It weighs five ounces and has a leather cover sewn with double stitch 10/5 red thread. 🙏

What Old Lady Does The Whole Day

A rare visitor to an old lady who lived alone asked how she spent her time. 

"I begin my day by reading the Bible until I can read no more. Then I pray until I can pray no more. Then I get a hymn book and sing until I can sing no more." 

Then she smiled and said, "Then I just sit still for the rest of the day and let God love me."

Crazy Laws

It was not uncommon in the Middle Ages for animals to be tried in courts of law. These prosecutions were based on the Biblical law of Moses which stated that, "If an ox gores a man or woman so that they die, then the ox shall be stoned and his flesh shall not be eaten". 

Horses, rats, pigs and even insects have been taken to court on various occasions. In 1445, at St. Julien, an action was taken against some beetles which had ravaged a vineyard. The insects declined to attend court, so the case fizzled out. 

In the 16th century, a clothes moth was put on trial in Spain, charged with destroying a valuable tapestry. Actually, it was innocent; it was the larvae who were the real culprits. But the moth was found guilty anyway and sentenced to have its throat cut. 

In France in 1314, a bull was hanged for goring a man and in 1457, a sow and her six young piglets were sentenced to death for eating a child. The sow was executed, but the piglets got off on account of their youth. 

Humans have passed all sorts of stupid laws - and still do. But there's never been a law against "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control".

The Holy Spirit And The Bears

The Holy Spirit empowers us against the enemy (1 Jn 4:4): A number of years ago, a movie came out called The Bear, and it went something like this: 

Once upon a time, there was a mummy bear and a baby bear, and they were so happy together. Then one day an accident happened and the mummy bear died, leaving the little baby bear all alone in the world. 

One day the poor defenceless baby bear was out minding his own business when he was spotted by a big, mean, hungry mountain lion. 

The baby bear started to run; he was trapped next to the river and jumped in. 

The mean and nasty mountain lion followed him downstream to where the baby bear came ashore at a crossing. 

The baby bear was trapped again and made a puny, squeaky sound as the mountain lion closed in for the kill. 

Then suddenly, the baby bear stood to his feet, opened his mouth, and there was a massive great roar. 

The mountain lion suddenly remembered that he had something else to do, and ran for his life, terrified. 

How did the little baby bear do that? The cameras panned round, and there standing behind the baby bear was the hugest, most ferocious daddy bear.

Please watch the video here
https://youtu.be/vStcjo92L1s

In Memory Of Him Whose Name We Cannot Remember

Talking about a friend of his, Paul Newsham related the following story: The Holy Spirit keeps a testimony in different cultures. 

One missionary went to an African tribe that had had little contact with white people. When he arrived, they were in the middle of a ceremony which was remarkably like our Communion. Because he was a linguist, he was able to understand a lot of what was said. 

When they got to the end they said, "We do this in memory of Him whose name we cannot remember." He stood up and said, "I want to tell you His name. His name is Jesus."

Light In Every Room

Our life is like a house with many rooms. One by one, the Holy Spirit goes into each room and turns on the light. We have a choice. 

We can either respond and let Him show us what He wants, or we can try to turn off the light and keep Him out of the room. 

If we keep trying to turn off the light, there will come a point when He will stop trying to turn it on.

Cleaning Oven At Night

If you've ever tried cleaning an oven at night, it may look great then. But when the bright light of the sun comes in the morning, you see all the bits you missed. 
In the same way, the Holy Spirit can shine God's light on any area of your life so you can see clearly the things you would otherwise have missed.

Bucket In The River

There was a young man who complained that whenever he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was like a bucket with holes. The Spirit merely drained out of him. 

His friend said, "That may be true, but even a bucket full of holes can be filled with water if it is immersed in the river and left there."