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  • Worship

    Worship

    True worship originates with an inward posture of the heart that is always bowed down in humble, awe-filled recognition of God’s worthiness

    Growing up in the church, I, like many of you, understood worship to be primarily what we do on Sunday mornings. But worship is so much more – it’s a lifestyle, a posture of the heart, and our ultimate purpose.

    What is Worship?

    When we look at the biblical languages, we gain a deeper understanding of what worship truly entails. The Hebrew word Shachah literally means “to bow down,” suggesting a physical act of reverence and submission. The Greek word proskuneō, translated as “worship,” means “to encounter God and praise Him.” Both terms highlight worship as an activity or an action.

    Worship is far more than just outward actions or Sunday morning routines. It’s important to distinguish between praise and worship:

    • Praise is acknowledging God for what He has done and what He is going to do. It’s about His mighty acts and His faithfulness in our lives.
    • Worship is acknowledging God for who He is. It’s rooted in His unchanging character, His nature, and His divine essence.

    Worship is about lifting our eyes above our everyday circumstances and fixing them on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. It is the one activity we will continue to do in heaven! Yet, worship isn’t confined to music and singing, nor is it limited to a building or a gathering of believers. Worship is anything you and I do to esteem and magnify the worth-ship of God.

    True worship originates with an inward posture of the heart that is always bowed down in humble, awe-filled recognition of God’s worthiness, honouring and revering Him at all times as the supreme authority over one’s life (Psalm 51:17; 95:6; Revelation 4:11). We were, in fact, created to worship God!

    Jesus challenged the Pharisees and scribes, saying they were like the people of Isaiah’s day who honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:7–9). This tells us something crucial: true worship can only come from a heart that has been redeemed and is in right relationship with God (John 4:23; see also Isaiah 59:2; Hosea 6:6; 1 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Timothy 3:5).

    John 4:24 states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” To worship in spirit means our worship flows from our innermost being, guided by the Holy Spirit. To worship in truth means it is based on the Word of God, on who Jesus truly is (John 14:6). This means we must be careful with what we sing and declare – our declarations should align with God’s character and His Word, not just our feelings.

    Ultimately, worship is all about God – John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” When we truly worship, our focus shifts entirely from ourselves to Him.

    Why is God Worthy of Worship?

    God is worthy of our worship because of who He is. His character, His power, His love, and His faithfulness are beyond comprehension. The Bible reveals Him to us through various names, each highlighting a facet of His magnificent being:

    • YAHWEH or Jehovah: This is God’s covenant name, often translated as “LORD” in all capitals. From the verb “to be,” meaning “The Self-Existent One,” “I AM WHO I AM” or “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE” (Exodus 3). It signifies His eternal, unchanging nature.
    • ELOHIM (Genesis 1:1): God as Creator, Preserver, Transcendent, Mighty and Strong. This name speaks of His absolute power and sovereignty over all creation.
    • EL SHADDAI: Translated as “God Almighty” or “God All Sufficient.” This name reminds us that He is more than enough for all our needs, capable of fulfilling every promise. If anxiety and worry are part of your life, it might be that you are bowing down to a lesser god, failing to fully trust in El Shaddai.
    • Jehovah Nissi: “The Lord is my banner” or “The Lord is our banner” (Exodus 17:15). This name signifies God’s presence, protection, and victory over our enemies.
    • Jehovah Rapha: “The Lord Who Heals” (Exodus 15:26). God is our healer – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. He restores and makes whole.
    • Jehovah Shammah: “The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). This name assures us of His constant presence with us, no matter where we are or what we face.
    • Jehovah Raah (Rohi): “The Lord Is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23). He is our loving guide, provider, and protector, caring for us as a shepherd cares for his flock.
    • Jehovah Shalom: “The Lord is Peace” or “The Lord Is Our Peace” (Judges 6:24; Isaiah 26:3). He grants perfect peace to those whose minds are steadfast, trusting in Him.
    • Jehovah Jireh: “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22). This powerful name assures us of God’s faithful provision, often revealed in unexpected ways, just as He provided a ram for Abraham. His provision was there even before Abraham went up the mountain.

    Sometimes, we struggle to see God’s provision in our everyday lives. Like Simon Peter, we might operate from a “lack mentality” instead of understanding the God of abundance. Peter, though skilled, toiled all night catching nothing. But when he placed what he had (his boat, his effort) in God’s hand and exercised his faith, he experienced a supernatural, net-breaking blessing. God’s provision was there before he even went out to sea; he just needed to step into it.

    John 10:10 reminds us, “The thief comes only to steal (joy) and kill (faith) and destroy (hope). I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus came to give us a life of abundance, not just for ourselves, but so we can be a blessing to others. Deuteromony 31:8 encourages us: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

    What is My Response?

    Given who God is and all He has done, what then is our response? Psalm 95:6–7 gives us a clear directive: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

    Our response to God’s immense worthiness should be one of humble adoration and complete surrender. It means acknowledging Him as our Creator, our Shepherd, our Provider, our Healer, our Peace, and our Banner. It means letting go of our own anxieties and striving, and trusting fully in His character.

    Reflect:

    1. Beyond Sunday mornings, what practical ways can I consciously worship God throughout my everyday life this week?
    2. Thinking about the names of God (Jehovah Nissi, Rapha, Shalom, Jireh, etc.), which specific aspect of God’s character do I need to lean into more deeply in my current circumstances?
    3. Are there any “lesser gods” (like worry, fear, self-reliance, or possessions) that I might unknowingly be bowing down to? How can I re-align my heart to truly worship only God?
    4. In what areas of my life have I not fully embraced the character of God – perhaps His provision, His healing, or His peace? What steps can I take to cultivate a “more than enough” mentality instead of a “lack mentality”?
    5. What makes me stand in awe of God today? Take a moment to reflect on His goodness and majesty in your own life.

    Closing Prayer:

    Heavenly Father, we come before You this morning with hearts open and ready to receive. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us as more than just a distant deity, but as Yahweh, the great I AM, our Abba Father. Thank You for being Jehovah Jireh, our Provider; Jehovah Rapha, our Healer; Jehovah Shalom, our Peace. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have limited our worship to moments or places, and for the times our hearts have been far from You. We pray for a renewed spirit of true worship within us – a worship that flows from a redeemed heart, in spirit and in truth. Help us to consistently lift our eyes from our circumstances to You, knowing that You are worthy of all our praise and adoration. May our lives be a continuous act of worship, glorifying Your holy name. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

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  • Hear

    Hear

    when you look at your life right now, what are you hearing? Is it God’s clear, loving voice, or has it been shaped by the enemy’s discouraging suggestions?

    Life is a journey, and along the path, it’s easy to get sidetracked. Distractions, challenges, and even seemingly innocent suggestions can cause us to drift away from the core truths that sustain our spiritual health. Today we look at the discipline of listening to God speak to us personally.

    The Power of Suggestion

    Remember those silly primary school jokes, like “elephant shoe”? It highlights a psychological phenomenon called the McGurk Effect. When what we hear conflicts with what we see, our brain can create a completely different perception of what’s being said. This illustrates the power of suggestion: we often hear what we are led to see, even if it’s not the actual message. In our spiritual lives, this phenomenon has a profound parallel. The enemy, the devil, is a master of suggestion, subtly working to distort God’s truth into a “silly joke” in our minds.

    The serpent didn’t directly contradict God when he confronted Eve in Genesis 3, instead, he used a suggestion: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” This subtle insinuation was enough to plant doubt and twist what Eve had heard directly from God. Similarly, in Matthew 4, the devil tempted Jesus in the desert with suggestions, even quoting Scripture out of context: “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread…” and “Throw yourself down, for it is written…”

    Jesus’ Example: Placing Truth Before Suggestion

    The crucial difference between Eve and Jesus lies in their response to these suggestions. Eve was misled, more like many of us in our humanity. As Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

    Jesus, however, countered the enemy’s suggestions by correctly placing God’s spoken truth before Himself. His responses communicated a profound truth: what the enemy suggests cannot change what He hears God saying. This is a vital lesson for us. The enemy strategically forms suggestions, like a potter shaping clay, against us in our situations. His goal is for us to become discouraged and doubtful, to miss what God is truly speaking to us.

    So, when you look at your life right now, what are you hearing? Is it God’s clear, loving voice, or has it been shaped by the enemy’s discouraging suggestions? Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” This principle applies not only to what we speak but also to what we allow ourselves to hear. If we let the enemy’s destructive suggestions override God’s life-giving truth, we risk diminishing the abundant life God intends for us.

    Hearing God in Every Circumstance

    The thief comes to “steal and kill and destroy,” but Jesus came “that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The difference between abundant life and destruction often hinges on the words we allow ourselves to hear and hold onto, especially when faced with challenging situations. When suffering comes, what do you hear internally? “Where’s God gone?” “What did I do wrong?” “Am I a fool for having faith?” These are the enemy’s suggestions, designed to create doubt and despair.

    Think of Mary and Martha in John 11, grieving their brother Lazarus. Their suggestion to Jesus was, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They felt let down. Yet, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, completely changing the story. The disciples, disillusioned after Jesus’ crucifixion, also spoke from supposition: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24). But Jesus defeated death, and their hope was restored. Even Joseph, chosen for greatness, endured years of pain and possible questioning, only to later declare to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

    We can hear a good God speaking to us, even in situations that hurt, as long as we are not listening through the lens of the enemy’s suggestions.

    The Inner Voice: A Starting Point

    A crucial starting point for hearing God’s truth is examining your inner voice. Dallas Willard noted that “God’s primary means of communicating with us is through the inner voice, the inner thoughts and impressions that are characteristic of our own minds when they are under the influence of the Spirit of God.” So, if you don’t speak kindly to yourself, who are you truly hearing? God is love, and His voice aligns with the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: patient, kind, not easily angered, not keeping records of wrongs, always protecting.

    While God’s truth can sometimes be challenging to accept, it will always be spoken in love, kindness, and patience, without anger or shame, and always for your protection. One of the simplest ways to begin hearing God’s truth beyond the enemy’s suggestions is to start speaking kindly to yourself. How can you truly hear God’s “I love you” if your internal dialogue is harsh and critical? We are called to be like Jesus not only to others but also to ourselves. How would Jesus speak to you if He were here?

    Reflect:

    1. What specific situations in your life right now do you feel are being influenced by discouraging or doubtful suggestions, similar to Mary and Martha’s frustration with Jesus?
    2. What have those suggestions been saying about God’s character or His care for you?
    3. How does your inner voice speak to you in these challenging situations? Is it kind and encouraging, or critical and shaming?
    4. Considering God’s love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, what specific changes do you need to make in how you speak to yourself?
    5. What truth from God’s Word can you intentionally place before yourself in your current circumstances to counter the enemy’s suggestions, remembering that God can bring life out of what seems dead, and good out of what was intended for harm?

    Closing Prayer

    Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing love and the truth of Your Word. Forgive us for the times we have allowed the enemy’s subtle suggestions to cloud our perception and cause us to drift from Your truth. Help us to pay closer attention to what we have heard from You.

    Strengthen our inner ears, Lord, so that we may discern Your voice amidst the noise of the world and the lies of the enemy. Teach us to speak kindly to ourselves, aligning our inner dialogue with Your loving heart. 

    May we, like Jesus, place Your truth before every suggestion and circumstance, knowing that You are a God who raises the dead and turns all things for our good. Amen.

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  • Father’s Day

    Father’s Day

    God is a good Father who loves you, even if things in your life have seemed bad. This is a foundational truth for our spiritual journey.

    God is a good Father who loves you, even if things in your life have seemed bad. This is a foundational truth for our spiritual journey. As Christian author and teacher Thomas Keating observed, our perception of God significantly impacts our relationship with Him. If we view God as an angry father, a suspicious policeman, or a harsh judge, it becomes incredibly difficult to wholeheartedly embrace the spiritual path.

    The Apostle John, in his first letter, sought to help early believers understand their identity as children of God, loved by a good Heavenly Father. In 1 John 3:1 – “See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” The phrase “what kind” in the original Greek literally means “of what country” or “of what foreign origin.” This implies an astonishing, otherworldly love, one that is entirely unfamiliar by human standards.

    Beyond Earthly Measures

    This is a crucial point: You can’t use the standards of your earthly parents’ love, or lack thereof, as a measure for the love you assume your Heavenly Father lavishes over you as His child. When we apply earthly standards to divine love, we might intellectually acknowledge God’s love, chosenness, and acceptance, yet simultaneously experience an intuitive feeling that we’re never quite good enough. We might feel compelled to earn God’s complete approval through performance, rather than living from the overflowing abundance of His already-given love. This leads to a fundamental struggle: How can we accept the fullness of God’s otherworldly love for us if we are unable to comprehend a love that isn’t earned by our performance or position?

    This struggle is precisely why some of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43-48 challenge us so deeply: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Our human inclination is to prefer loving those who love us and to pray against our enemies. This preference stems from our ingrained belief that love must be earned. But Jesus ends this radical teaching with a profound statement: “…that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This isn’t a condition for becoming God’s children; rather, it highlights that children resemble their Father. When we love only those who love us, we reflect a natural, human love. But when we extend love to our enemies, we mirror the divine, otherworldly love of our Heavenly Father.

    Held in God’s Memory

    In exploring God’s otherworldly love for us as our Good Father, let’s recognize that He sees us as children. Psalm 103:13-14 (MSG)  illustrates this: “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him.” Just as a loving parent, no matter how old their children get, always remembers them as their beloved little ones, God holds you in His memory as His child. Regardless of how you’ve come to see yourself, or any negative views you hold of yourself or of Him, you remain His child. God sees you as His little boy or little girl, not the person you thought you needed to become as an adult to be worthy of love.

    Imagine what it would look like if you could begin living from God’s love instead of constantly feeling the need to earn it. Think of the story of the man struggling with addiction, who felt God was punishing him and that he needed to earn his way back into God’s good graces. His turning point came when he recognized the father heart of God through his own response to his child’s confession. He readily offered love, acceptance, and support to his child, without requiring them to “fix themselves” first. In that moment, he realized God’s embrace for him was no different – full of love and acceptance in the midst of his shortcomings. His healing began not by earning God’s love, but by accepting it, beyond human standards, by faith.

    Repentance Born of Kindness

    This is why the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 2:4 (ESV) that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. It’s not fear, guilt, or shame that truly transforms us, but the overwhelming revelation of His love. We often assume we need to earn our way back to God’s full acceptance, but His invitation is to start from the fullness of His otherworldly love for us as His children.

    Consider the simple joy of a parent holding their child who has fallen asleep in their arms. In that state of complete rest and surrender, without any performance or effort to impress, a parent can simply gaze upon their child and find joy. Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIVR) paints a similar picture of covenant intimacy with God: “Let the one the Lord loves rest safely in him. The Lord guards him all day long. The one the Lord loves rests in his arms.”

    This invitation to rest in the arms of God as His child, accepting His otherworldly love instead of trying to earn it, is extended to you by Jesus Himself. In Matthew 11:28 (NIVR), Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest.” That rest is found in the arms of our Father who loves us.

    Yet, so often, when our Good Father says, “Come and let me hold you,” we instinctively reply, “Hang on, let me first fix myself. Let me sort out my sin on my own so that I feel good enough for you to love me.” Imagine how that would break the heart of a parent who loved their child before that love could ever be earned.

    Reflect:

    1. What are some of the “earthly standards of love” that you might unconsciously be applying to your relationship with God? How might these standards be hindering your ability to fully receive His love?
    2. Reflect on Jesus’ command to “love your enemies.” How does this seemingly “crazy” instruction reveal the otherworldly nature of God’s love, and how does it challenge your own understanding of love?
    3. In what ways might you be trying to “earn” God’s approval or love, rather than living from the secure knowledge that you are already His beloved child?
    4. Think about a time when someone showed you unexpected kindness or grace. How did that experience impact you, and how does it compare to your understanding of God’s kindness leading you to repentance?
    5. What do you need to “let go of” today—fear, shame, a negative image of God, or the need to perform—in order to come and rest safely in your Heavenly Father’s arms?

    Closing Prayer

    Heavenly Father, we thank You for being a good Father, whose love for us transcends all human understanding. Forgive us for the times we have tried to earn Your affection, measured Your love by earthly standards, or allowed our past experiences to cloud our perception of Your perfect goodness. Help us to truly “see what kind of love” You have given us – a love that calls us Your children, not based on our performance, but on Your astonishing grace. Teach us to rest safely in Your arms, confident in Your unchanging love, and to mirror that otherworldly love to those around us. May Your kindness lead us to deeper repentance and transformation, as we surrender our burdens and find true rest in You. Amen.

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  • Pentecost

    Pentecost

    The same God who destroyed the prophets of Baal with fire is the same God who sends tongues of fire at Pentecost to empower His people. The God who breathed life into Adam is the same God who now breathes His Spirit into us.

    Today we commemorate Pentecost Sunday,  a pivotal moment in the history of our faith.  The word “Pentecost” itself, derived from the Greek “Pentēkostē,” signifies “fiftieth,” marking this celebration 50 days after Easter Sunday. 

    To truly appreciate the significance of Pentecost, we must first journey back into Israel’s history. After their liberation from Egyptian slavery, God established a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, promising them the status of a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, contingent upon their obedience. However, despite God’s desire for them to be His “treasured possession,” Israel repeatedly faltered, oscillating between obedience and disobedience. Their human attempts to fulfill the terms of the covenant invariably fell short of God’s perfect standard.

    It was within this context of human frailty and repeated failure that the Old Testament prophets emerged, bearing a message of hope. They foretold a future time when God would rescue His people and renew His covenant—a covenant that, unlike the first, would be unbreakable by human limitations. Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 illuminate this new covenant, promising a profound reconciliation and renewal. God would not only cleanse His people from their sins but would also dwell among them in an unprecedented way. This became the fervent hope of Old Testament Israel, an anticipation of a Messiah who would usher in this promised new covenant.

    At the close of the Old Testament, the people were left yearning for the Messiah’s arrival and the fulfillment of this new covenant. Their expectations of the Messiah crystallized into four major traditions: the Priestly (restoring proper worship), the Prophetic (a teacher and miracle worker like Moses), the Kingly (a political and military deliverer), and the Wisdom (an embodiment of God’s wisdom). Of these, the Kingly tradition held the most sway, as Israel desperately longed for a Messiah who would liberate them from Roman oppression and restore their sovereignty. Even Jesus’ own disciples, as seen in Acts 1:6, clung to this expectation, asking, “Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

    Their vision of the Messiah was often rooted in the powerful, consuming fire of Elijah, who called down judgment on his enemies. They expected Jesus to be a God of “us and them,” incinerating those who threatened “us.” This strong inclination is evident in Luke 9:51-56, where James and John, seeing the unwelcoming Samaritans, asked Jesus, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?”

    This raises a crucial question for us today: Do we, too, harbor a similar view of God? Do we perceive Him as a mighty, holy God who punishes us with fiery judgment for our disobedience or shortcomings? Do we live in fear of making mistakes, assuming that hardship is God’s fiery affliction for our sins? The Jews, interpreting the Old Covenant’s emphasis on obedience and curses for disobedience, often saw God through this lens of punitive fire.

    Yet, Jesus’ response to James and John reveals a different divine character. Luke 9:55 records His rebuke: “But He turned and rebuked them and He said, ‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’” This powerfully challenges our preconceived notions of God’s “fire.” We often expect God to make things right through judgment, separating the wicked from the righteous by consuming them. But with the advent of Jesus, a different kind of fire was introduced—not a fire of judgment under the old covenant’s demands for human effort, but a fire of new life, brought forth through His perfect sacrifice and the ushering in of the new covenant of grace.

    This new fire was displayed at Pentecost. Acts 2:1-11 describes a sound like a mighty wind filling the building, followed by “tongues as of fire” resting on each of them, empowering them to speak in various languages, proclaiming “God’s mighty works!” Unlike the destructive fire of the Old Testament, this Pentecost fire was good news for everyone, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers. It was a fire that burned within God’s people to reach others, tearing down the dividing walls of prejudice and making salvation accessible to all.

    Under the New Covenant, God’s fire is not directed against His enemies to defeat them; it is burning within His people to reach them. The Holy Spirit’s fire isn’t to eliminate all sin; it’s to empower us, sinners, to live the Jesus way in a sinful world for the sake of others. It empowers us to become more like Jesus, which is why His presence is so vital in our faith journey.

    Jesus’ actions in Luke 4:16-21 further illuminate this truth. In the synagogue, He read from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favour of God abound greatly].” He then stopped mid-verse, significantly omitting the phrase, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” By doing so, Jesus declared that His mission was not to bring vengeance for sin, but to set us free and ignite within us His Spirit.

    The unapproachable God of Mount Sinai and the temple, with His strict rules, is now the God who dwells within the hearts of every sinner by grace. The God whose blessing was once confined to one nation, Israel, now pours out His Spirit on all people, everywhere. The God who once destroyed His enemies by fire now fills His children with the fire of His Holy Spirit, transforming them to be like Jesus. We cannot achieve this transformation through our own efforts; it is the work of the Holy Spirit, by God’s grace, as Philippians 2:13 reminds us: “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energising, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.”

    Hebrews 12:29 declares, “Our God is a devouring fire.” This is a definitive statement about His essential nature. If God’s Spirit is a devouring fire, then how much of His Holy Spirit fire have we allowed to devour our hearts? This is a choice we make, for as Stephen lamented to the Jewish council in Acts 7:51, “Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit?”

    Just as a devouring fire transforms a landscape, so too does the Holy Spirit transform our lives. The change in our lives directly reflects the degree to which we’ve allowed His fire to consume our hearts. God is also described as light and love in 1 John. So, how are you growing in your love for others because of the fire of the Holy Spirit within you? A fire that enables you to speak a language of love and hope, describing God’s mighty works, instead of hate and fiery vengeance toward your perceived enemies or those who are different from you.

    Pentecost did not replace the God of the Old Testament; it revealed His full character in continuity with Jesus. The same God who destroyed the prophets of Baal with fire is the same God who sends tongues of fire at Pentecost to empower His people. The God who breathed life into Adam is the same God who now breathes His Spirit into us, enabling us to proclaim, as Jesus did, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because… He has anointed Me to share the good news with the poor. He has sent Me to announce forgiveness to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed and to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord through my life as His ambassador.” To accomplish this, we desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit, just as the early disciples did on the day of Pentecost before embarking on the momentous task of building the early church, of which we are now a part.

    Consider this question: Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit’s fire to devour your heart? Luke 11:13 assures us, “Our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!” Titus 3:5-7 summarizes God’s transformative work: “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee).”

    Reflect:

    1. How has your understanding of God’s “fire” shifted or deepened through this devotional? Do you tend to view God’s fire as primarily punitive, or as a transformative and empowering presence?
    2. In what specific ways do you see the “fences of prejudice” in your own heart that the Holy Spirit might want to burn down? How can you actively allow the Spirit to challenge your “us and them” mentality?
    3. The devotional states that the Holy Spirit empowers us to be more like Jesus for the sake of others. What practical steps can you take this week to live out the “Jesus way” in your daily interactions, empowered by the Spirit?
    4. Considering that we can either allow or resist the Holy Spirit, what areas of your life are you currently resisting His transformative “devouring fire”? What holds you back from full surrender?
    5. How can you intentionally “ask and continue to ask” for more of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in your life, as Luke 11:13 suggests, in order to become a better ambassador of God’s good news?

    Closing Prayer:

    Heavenly Father, on this Pentecost Sunday, we thank You for the incredible gift of Your Holy Spirit. We confess that often, like the disciples of old, we have limited our understanding of Your power and Your character, sometimes fearing Your judgment rather than embracing Your transformative love. Forgive us for our resistance and our desire to cling to our own efforts.

    Today, we surrender anew to Your devouring fire. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would consume every prejudice, every barrier, and every self-limiting belief within our hearts. Burn away our “us and them” mentality, and ignite within us a boundless love for all people, just as You have loved us. Empower us, Lord, to speak the language of Your mighty works, bringing hope and healing to a broken world.

    We pray for a deeper infilling of Your Spirit, that we may be strengthened, energized, and equipped to fulfill Your purpose. Help us to live lives that reflect the very nature of Jesus, proclaiming good news, bringing freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, and setting the oppressed free. May our lives be a testament to Your grace, Your mercy, and Your unyielding love. Thank You for saving us, not by our works, but by Your compassion and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

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