Monday Morning Music Ministry

6-9-25

Think back to when you were a child. It’s Christmas morning. You know there are presents waiting for you. They were hinted at, and promised, and your loving parents have always come through. What anticipation!

You come downstairs, and – yes! – there are many waiting for you. All wrapped, different sizes and shapes, colorful paper, all with your name on the tags. Your parents set them before you and invite you to open them. You do! What joy!

But the big one in the corner you choose not to open. The long box with the colorful ribbon you tell your parents you’ll skip. “Till later?” “No, it just doesn’t interest me.” The square box in the colorful paper sounds intriguing when you shake it, but… you reject that too. And so on.

How often did that happen with you on Christmas or your birthday? Never? Probably never.

Presents from strangers are exciting enough, but gifts from your loving parents are bound to be special… chosen for you… pleasing to you… designed to meet your needs and desires and expectations. Why would you say No?

OK, you know this is an analogy. In the Christian world, where we are the children and our loving father is… our loving Father, we have been given lessons and tasks and rules and advice and love, lots of love, we have also been showered with gifts. Lots of gifts. Forgiveness, salvation, mercy, peace, wisdom… lots of gifts. Why would we turn any of them down?

Millions of Christians do.

When Jesus faced crucifixion – He knew what was coming – He told His disciples that One would come to them when He would ascend to Heaven. The Holy spirit, of course was active throughout the Old Testament, as God’s agent of sorts, just as Scripture tells us that through Jesus the Universe was created; and He was the Man in the fiery furnace when Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were miraculously spared. When Jesus was incarnate – the Messiah; Emmanuel; “God-With-Us” – it was God dwelling among us. Totally God and Totally man? Well, the Lord is a miracle-working God at whose ways we marvel.

But when the disciples were troubled that Jesus announced His imminent departure from this earth, He reassured them and promised: “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you (John 16:7).”

The Helper, the Advocate, the Comforter – the Holy Spirit has many names, as He has many roles. But. As Christ left this earth physically, the Spirit came to dwell in the hearts, minds, and spirits of Believers. Many Christians treat the Holy Ghost as some sort of cartoony-angel sitting on our shoulders, or a go-between to Heaven when we pray, or… not at all. Yet the Spirit of God is the Spirit of God. He is as much God as Jesus was when walking on earth. He is as much God as, well, God Himself. 

Jesus was sent to “be” God among us, to serve His mission and be sacrifice for our sins. The Spirit was sent to “be” God in every Christian’s heart. 

Yet many treat Him as an option, an afterthought, almost apart from the Father and the Son – as if the Godhead is a “diune,” not a Triune, God who has revealed Himself in three manifestations.

This is Pentecost Sunday, named for the Hebrew feast that coincided with 50 days after Passover / Easter. It was the day, described in Scripture, after Jesus bodily ascended into Heaven to rejoin the Father. It was the day when “a mighty rushing wind” blew through the assembled believers in an Upper Room. Strange things happened: All began speaking in unknown languages. They marveled, and observers wondered if they spontaneously were drunk. They appeared to have supernatural flames on their heads.

Those who had been cowering fear for days became bold. The confused became wise, for the rest of their lives. Followers became leaders. The impulsive Peter became head of the church, logical and firm. 

It was the Day of Pentecost, and the followers of Jesus, the nascent church, indeed the entire world, has never been the same. Because the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to indwell believers.

I will return to the Christmas-Day analogy. The Holy Spirit also came with Gifts. As recorded in Scripture – examples cited in the Book of Acts; in numerous references in Paul’s Epistles – He shared spiritual gifts. There are nine specifically referred to but, as with Fruits of the Spirit, we may experience more. But:

The Word of wisdom; the Word of knowledge; Gifts of faith;

The Gift of healing; Working of miracles; the Gift of prophecy;

Discerning between spirits; the Gift of speaking in tongues; the Gift of interpreting tongues.

The First-century Church grew exponentially and despite persecution partly because new Believers were wise, brave, equipped, and blessed by these gifts. Eventually broad swaths of the Church disdained these Gifts as… weird, supernatural, often misapplied. Yes, they were; but they are still God’s gifts, God’s will. Pastors have sniffed to me, “So, have you experienced these manifestations?” That’s no challenge: Yes, I have. Have I witnessed miracles? Yes, I have. Do I believe the “Baptism in the Holy Ghost” is for today? Um, should I call God a liar?

It is strange, but the Gifts are widely disdained as “not for today,” meant for people 2000 years ago, just “odd” for modern folks. Yes; there are strange things happenin’ every day. Thank God.  

The Gifts of the Spirit are for today. These can be explained more, and I invite readers to write if I can share and explain. The Holy Ghost is on the move in this world – Pentecostals, for instance, outnumber Catholics today in the country of Brazil. We have adherents in every denomination, but also separate church bodies like the Assemblies of and the Church of God and Church of God in Christ. 

Faithful believers who seek the Baptism, and the Gifts, should be assured that God honors the desire… and grants the Gifts as He wills. Don’t get caught up in Tongues, for instance, when you might have been ministering to many through Wisdom and Faith and Discernment. 

But If people fear God and love His Son… why would they disregard the Spirit Who yearns to dwell within us all? And why would people ignore all those Gifts prepared for them?!?!

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Sweetest Name I Know