Responding in Faith to God’s Invitation to be Filled with the Holy Spirit by Relating with Him through the Lord’s Feast of Pentecost

TRUTH AND PURPOSE

God originally appointed Shavuot, a/k/a the Feast of Pentecost, to celebrate the giving of the Ten Commandments. It also looked forward to the fullness of the harvest once in the Promised Land. However, it also represents in a greater way, the fullness of God’s covenant—His Word and Holy Spirit.

So in a very real way, the Feast of Pentecost is a celebration of the harvest of life in God. In addition, it reminds us that we have an opportunity to participate in the dynamic work and ways of God. So we get to experience His incredible love and awesome presence and power through the Holy Spirit!

RELEVANCE

The disciples were celebrating this feast in their customary manner. But as they celebrated it 50 days after the Lord’s ascension, something amazing happened. They experienced a huge dose of the pour of God’s love! How so? They experienced the pour of the Holy Spirit. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.

John the Immerser, or Baptist, however, had mentioned that the Lord would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So that word came to fruition in a big way. It came in a way they hadn’t understood– until they experienced it!

So upon receiving the Lord in your heart, you receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul encourages believers to understand what the will of the Lord is and, therefore, “keep on being filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:17 JNT).

How is this accomplished? Paul explains this in Colossians 3:16-17. It comes as you allow the richness of God’s Word to live fully inside. Furthermore, it comes as you embrace the reality of the presence of the Holy Spirit. So it also happens as we worship God, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in our hearts.

You are, therefore, continuously filled with the Spirit by filling yourself with God’s Word, communing with God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you by yielding to Him in faith and obedience. It’s like driving your car. Upon filling your tank, you move forward, go places, and eventually need to replenish your tank! Such a repeated infilling should result in character growth that reflects the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit.

It also opens up your heart to receiving new measures of God’s love and grace. In addition, it opens your mind to God’s continuous enlightenment and revelation of truth. Finally, it opens your spirit to the manifestation and realization of the various gifts of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12)

REFLECT AND RELATE

In what ways do you seek God’s continuous infilling of the Holy Spirit?

How has your life been a reflection of this infilling?

What new values has God impressed you to embrace this season?

What new vision has God imparted in you to give you greater insights?

What virtues of the Lord have you received to walk in the new life in Him?

REFERENCES

Romans 12:1-21; Ephesians 5:17; Colossians 3:16-17; Hebrews 2:1-4

NEXT STEPS

Vertical movement: As you experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you will experience God’s deeper work inside. As a result, you will experience greater liberty in God.

Horizontal movement: As you become more sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit, you become better positioned to receive greater revelation from God. Likewise, you more easily prepare yourself to follow the Lord’s leading and walk obediently to His Word and Spirit.

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