The world as we knew it was brought to a virtual stop, as a virus chased us in to our homes to be in a safe place. Here we had a choice, to focus not on what we do not have, but, rather on Him who is always with us. With many of our wants stripped away, we came face to face with the reality of our lives. Much of it filled with running to and fro to seek some sought of meaningful fulfillment, only now realising that this frenetic pace of chasing our hearts desires had only taken us away from our First Love. Our identities even became exposed, and what we thought we were pulled away from under us, in order to expose the real us…sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, children dependent fully on our loving Heavenly Father.
But here we are in our upper rooms of prayer, and doing life with those most immediate to us, learning again to love that which is most important. Our caterpillar form that ate and grew through constant consuming and moving, now cocooned and being transformed in to a new creation. This is a pressure cooker, and transformation does hurt, even if only the soul, but it is necessary to become our true heavenly identity. Let’s not dismiss the life of the caterpillar, because it comes first, and then we become the butterfly. So we pray, love, and seek the face of Christ. Resisting the temptation to demand “my rights”, rather following closely the One who purchased our lives on the Cross of Calvary.
As we indeed have in these days waited upon the Lord, casting away those things the distract us from Christ, including where we have replaced Him with religious acts, we are made ready for a fresh out pouring from above. Where streams of living waters will flow in the desert of our lives and bring new life, healing, and renewal. This is no ordinary Pentecost time, as if there is one really. Across the earth many have found themselves in this place, the Lord bringing to pass the call to the upper room as a sovereign act…for we resisted the request. Some have been in this place for months, if not years, as forerunners and intercessors of the move to come.
Now comes the Pentecost outpouring where we are filled afresh with His Spirit and Fire, experiencing the ministry of the Baptiser. Filled with a new call, and equipped with His power to pursue the new things He has for us. Let us be excited, and receive the outpouring, and know with it comes the boldness to step out in faith to our new identity. Fly with the Spirit of God, filled with unquenchable fire, the kind that sets the world alight for our God and King, Jesus Christ the Lord. And, for those forerunners among us who have experienced this time of trial for longer than most, know Christ turns your bitter in to sweet. Healing rivers will flow, and His redemption will cause the past to be forgotten, as He propels You in to a new place of abundance, and refuge, where you dwell in the canopy of His presence, moving according to His rhythm not man’s.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He [Christ Jesus] who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12)
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-49)
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-8)
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
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