United Church of God

Update from the President: May 26, 2016

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Update from the President

May 26, 2016

The 50-day countdown to Pentecost has a little more than two weeks to go. On this day almost 2,000 years ago, the Church of God, which had only 120 assembled followers, took a quantum leap in confidence, power, numbers and influence. Three thousand were baptized on Pentecost, and in a short time the Church grew to 5,000.

What happened? Is there a lesson for us here?

On Pentecost God was showing His approval for the fledgling group of followers of Christ by pouring out His power on His assembled disciples. In his sermon on this day, which was as a tipping point day for the Church, Peter quoted Joel's prophecy, which he ascribed to events of this day:

"'And it shall come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy'" (Acts 2:17-18).

The Church of God was granted a booming voice that would spread the gospel beyond Jerusalem to Asia Minor, Europe and the "ends of the earth". The special outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God made it all possible. It inspired speakers and cleared obstacles. The Church started from a mustard seed to a viable force that could not be stopped. You and I are products of this message!

But it was only through the working of the power of the Holy Spirit that the big increases came. The prophet Joel makes that clear. It was God's time to fulfill a special purpose for the gospel to make its mark in the world. The book of Acts and the epistles of Paul give us that insight into the growth of the Church in the first century.

I am heartened by the events of Pentecost and the establishment of the New Testament Church. Christ's ministry by itself drew a few committed followers. Then, with the coming of the Holy Spirit the growth began.

Another instance referring to the changing power of the Holy Spirit is in Zechariah 4. The captive Jews returned from captivity in Babylon back to Judea. Their desire was to rebuild the destroyed Temple of God. But they were greeted with opposition. The captives felt helpless. The reconstruction project seemed impossible. The prophet Zechariah encouraged the people not to lose heart but to look to the power of the Holy Spirit of God rather than their own strength to be the difference between failure and success:

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). "Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?'" (Zechariah 4:9).

The building project eventually succeeded, and the Temple became a structure that was used for hundreds of years before being destroyed by the Romans.

Here we learn to take heart in the encouragement that's possible through the workings of the mighty Spirit of God. We can feel small and insignificant, but that does not mean that God won't make our efforts succeed for His purpose.

The power of the Spirit of God is first mentioned in the second verse of the Bible:

"The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).

It is that same Spirit that came into the Church on Pentecost. It is the same Spirit that comes to us who come to repentance as was preached by the apostle Peter:

"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38-39).

That Spirit gives us power we had not had before to live a transformed life pleasing to God.

God is very much with the Church today, in spite of its size. John writes this in his message to Church in Philadelphia:

"These things says He who is holy, He who is true, 'He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens': 'I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth'" (Revelation 3:7-10).

The Day of Pentecost is a day of great encouragement as it points to the power of God working in creation, the Church and in our lives.