Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/73

Contributor - Mrs. Marg Van Eck

Title - Thoughts on Pentecost From Peter's Message

Topic - Pentecost

When Peter had healed the lame man at the gate of the temple, shortly after Pentecost, he gives his second recorded message to the people in Jerusalem, Acts 3 :19, 20 : "Repent then and turn to God, so that he will wipe away your sins, so that times of spiritual strength come from the Lord's presence, and that he may send Jesus, who is the Messiah, he has already chosen for you. Jesus came to forgive sins: "Your sins are forgiven." Matth. 9 : 5.

Again God comes to his people with this message from Peter, "You people have done this to Jesus, out of ignorance." Listen now, there is still time to repent" there is still time to accept Jesus, who is the Messiah, chosen by God. He is in heaven now, until the time comes for all things to be made new. Acts 3 : 17.

God is merciful. Israel is the people of God. God revealed himself to them from the beginning of time. Many people were born in the decades since, who never heard of God and his plan of salvation. And so we are privileged for we are born "in the last days" and receive the kindness of God, because of the severity of God towards those who have fallen. Rom. 11 : 22.

When the people heard the first message of Peter, Acts 2 : 37, they were deeply troubled. Peter tells them to turn away from their sins; to be baptized, so their sins will be forgiven; and then he says: "You will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit."

At one time I was asked, "Those people were circumcised Jews, because they were allowed into the temple. Didn't they have the Holy Spirit ? Some people in the Old Testament did have the Holy Spirit, for David prays: "Do not take your Holy Spirit from me "' But it stayed by the individual and not as on Pentecost when God said : "I will pour out my Spirit upon all men. This is to show, it was not only on the disciples that God's Spirit was poured out. We, who are living almost 2000 years later, are still receiving the Spirit when we ask for him as on the day of Pentecost. Times of spiritual strength have come for us. The Jews of the Old Testament were given many things to see : the cloud, the voices, the tabernacle, even though some of it was symbolical. They received Christ in the flesh, although only a few of them accepted him.

We live by faith, not by sight. But when we live in true faith, our faith will become sight! For He is trustworthy who gave us the promises. Since we live in the last days, we receive the Holy Spirit. It. is God's gift. The disciples had to wait in Jerusalem for ten days to have their Pentecost. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit when we are ready for it. With the baptism of the Holy Spirit come the "gifts from the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to each man as He wishes. Paul says: ,Set your heart on the more important gifts. Best of all, however, is the following way". "it is love then that you should strive for" he continues his chapter on love (I Cor. 13). The gifts of the Spirit are of little value if there is no love. Then he starts to explain which of the gifts is of more value, the gift of speaking God's message. (prophesy).

This does not mean that we have to neglect or underestimate the other gifts. Paul himself seemed to have had all of the gifts. He would like all of us to speak with strange sounds (tongues). But he thinks that speaking God's message, is more important. Everything has to be done it must be of help to the church.

Which of these gifts are seen and heard of in your church ? How many people are participating in your church services? Are people in your congregation having a hymn, or a teaching, or a revelation from God, or a message in strange sounds, or the explanation of what it means ? (I Cor. 14 : 26) We don't seem to set our hearts, our desire on these gifts. Do we now? Why not? If we did, and thank God, many of us do, our lives would be more abundant! Why are we neglecting God's gifts?

Set your hearts on spiritual gifts!

And have a blessed Pentecost.

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